What's going wrong with Kane and JJ?

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Kane Ferdinand is playing nowhere near the standard of last season. I would have expected him to be even better if anything. His mind doesn't seem to be in the right place. Possibly because of the interest from a few clubs in higher divisions.
Whatever it is, he should realize that if it is his dream to play at a higher level and claw in those massive wages, he needs to perform for Southend United first.

I remember JJ playing absolutely brilliant for MK Dons. He's played for Wolves, Leeds, Blackburn and Preston. If playing anywhere near the standard that he can, he would be one of the first 3 names down on the team sheet.

I would like the Management team to try and get these Two back to their best form. It would make a massive difference to the teams performances. JJ would be like a mirror image to Hall on the left wing, and would make us a much more dangerous and exciting team to watch. It would also discourage this hoofball that has crept in.

 

[leeblue]

JJ is an out and out right winger, not on the left but ON THE RIGHT, here he could beat his man and use his preffered foot to cross the ball, as evident from the first game of the season if on the left he beats his man but then has to cross with his weaker foot = poor delivery. JJs problem is sturrock loves hall on the right.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

JJ is an out and out right winger, not on the left but ON THE RIGHT, here he could beat his man and use his preffered foot to cross the ball, as evident from the first game of the season if on the left he beats his man but then has to cross with his weaker foot = poor delivery. JJs problem is sturrock loves hall on the right.

I know, but Paul Sturrock likes his wingers to cut inside and get shots in. Hall does this all the time. They become an extra striker.

 

[FarmdogSUFC]

JJ said he prefers the left hand side so don't think that's the problem

 

[Angell Delight]

JJ said he prefers the left hand side so don't think that's the problem

Correct....

 

[Frankie the half breed]

I agree with you to a certain extent, JJ needs to find form because he clearly has something.
Kane is doing well for me, still so young and he played brilliantly against Northampton the other week. Got an assist for Hall's goal to.

 

[Beefy]

Johnson is a striker being played in midfield.

Ferdinand is a centre-back being played in central midfield.

4-3-3 with Kane in front of the back four and Johnson in one of the wide positions up front will bring the best out of both of them. Just need Barry Corr fit to make that formation work.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Johnson is a striker not being played in midfield.

As for Kane, he is not a centre-back. He's a central midfielder and he's playing a slightly different role to the one he performed last season (less defensive, more advanced) and he's playing alright. He gets in some cracking positions and if he hadn't have fluffed that chance from a yard out he'd no doubt be getting some good reviews on here.

 

[southendkid]

As for Kane, he is not a centre-back. He's a central midfielder and he's playing a slightly different role to the one he performed last season (less defensive, more advanced) and he's playing alright. He gets in some cracking positions and if he hadn't have fluffed that chance from a yard out he'd no doubt be getting some good reviews on here.

I disagree, he was poor yesterday (although that doesn't necessarily reflect his season) whenever a move broke down yesterday because of a poor pass it usually seemed to be Kane's fault, I think he should play a defensive role and leave the more attacking stuff to Grant

 

[Beefy]

Kane spent all of his youth team career (I believe although stand to be corrected) training to be a defender. That's where he played in youth matches and that's where his training was based around. He's then come into the first team and played a specific role in front of the back four, reading the game, winning the ball and laying it off to other players. Now he's playing in the middle of a 4-4-2. It's a completely different role and one which he's going to take time to adapt to.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

He might have played all his football at centre-back for the youth team, but he is not a centre-back. He played there for half an hour against Macclesfield(?) last season and it was his worst half hour by some distance as he looked hopelessly out of his depth.

Happy to make allowances for his youth and inexperience in this position and in particular at this role, but he is not a centre-back by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[Blue_Wes]

He might have played all his football at centre-back for the youth team, but he is not a centre-back. He played there for half an hour against Macclesfield(?) last season and it was his worst half hour by some distance as he looked hopelessly out of his depth.

Happy to make allowances for his youth and inexperience in this position and in particular at this role, but he is not a centre-back by any stretch of the imagination.

Why do you think managers played him as a centre back all his career to date if that's not his best position. Sturrock clearly is a fan of defensive midfielders and is using Kane to give him an extra DM at his disposal as he is fully covered at CB. One bad half hour at CB doesn't mean he is no longer a defender, just like Blair missing a dozen clear opportunities last year, it doesn't mean he's not a striker any more. Or Prosser had several stinkers last yar, it doesn't mean he's no longer a defender as this year has proved.

I agree with Southendkid, most of yesterdays breakdown in plays were due to Kane's passes going awry, his positioning wasn't great and he was anonymous for long stretches of play.

 

[Smiffy]

Kane is over-rated in my opinion and JJ is not getting enough game time.

I would play JP Kalala over Ferdinand and bring JJ in on the right wing.

But PS clearly does not want Hall on the left unfortunately. Shame, as it would be nice to have two proper wingers playing in the position which suits their favoured foot. No reason why they could not switch now and then either.

When fit this would be my attacking line up (at home anyway) perhaps away from home we would need both JP & Grant, in place of Sawyer or JJ:

Corr/Harris, Dickinson

.....Hall, Sawyer, JJ

.........JP/Grant

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Why do you think managers played him as a centre back all his career to date if that's not his best position. Sturrock clearly is a fan of defensive midfielders and is using Kane to give him an extra DM at his disposal as he is fully covered at CB. One bad half hour at CB doesn't mean he is no longer a defender, just like Blair missing a dozen clear opportunities last year, it doesn't mean he's not a striker any more. Or Prosser had several stinkers last yar, it doesn't mean he's no longer a defender as this year has proved.

I agree with Southendkid, most of yesterdays breakdown in plays were due to Kane's passes going awry, his positioning wasn't great and he was anonymous for long stretches of play.

Lots of players also had a nightmare against Swindon, but most seemed to think that Kane was the worst of the lot.

 

[steve nead]

Kane is a young man just starting out on what will hiopefully be a long a successful career. As with any young player in any team sport, unless he is playing alonside technically gifted players he will make mistakes, have poor games and so on. Last night was not one of his better performances, but I don't agree he was any worse than - say Timlin - who has years of experience but still misplaced or overhit passes. And I agree with the contributor who said that Ferdinand has been a centre-back throughout his junior career and is now playing a midfield role - and in the main doing so extremely well especially as he is now expected to add a more attacking aspect to his role rather than just sit in front of the back four.

As for JJ - i agree there seems to be a problem. I remember him from his early days when he had pace and confidence. Hopefully he will regain the latter and we will see the best of him again. Some players take longer to show their best form - look how long we have waited for Peter Gilbert to have a decent 90 minutes!

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Why do you think managers played him as a centre back all his career to date if that's not his best position. Sturrock clearly is a fan of defensive midfielders and is using Kane to give him an extra DM at his disposal as he is fully covered at CB. One bad half hour at CB doesn't mean he is no longer a defender, just like Blair missing a dozen clear opportunities last year, it doesn't mean he's not a striker any more. Or Prosser had several stinkers last yar, it doesn't mean he's no longer a defender as this year has proved.

I agree with Southendkid, most of yesterdays breakdown in plays were due to Kane's passes going awry, his positioning wasn't great and he was anonymous for long stretches of play.

I have no real idea why he was played at centre-half in youth football - maybe it was because that's the position his cousin plays?

Sturrock reckoned Ferdinand would be either a right-back or a centre-mid in professional football and that sounds about right to me. When he went centre-half his positioning was all wrong and he was completely owned in the air, whereas in midfield he's been composed and has looked the part despite his inexperience. I think we're probably as well stocked on defensive mids as centre-halves - Ferdinand, Grant, Timlin, Kalala and I suspect Leonard can all play that deep lying midfield role in differing styles. What's been interesting has been Sturrock trying to employ him further forward. He ghosts into some very good positions and I wouldn't be surprised to see him net a few goals this year.

 

[Welly7]

Kane's long passing has always been questionable and he has displayed in recent matches a tendency to ball watch instead of doing the job he's meant to and that has cost the team. Thought once Moshni was sent off he, like the other nine, had a cause to fight for and instead of bemoaning bad luck/injustice or call it what you will, they rolled up their sleeves and got a result. Ferdinand's energy levels in helping out the team was superb last night and that three points could well have restored any confidence and mentality problems we have been showing.
The attitude the ten men showed is exactly whats needed and, to an extent, been missing. Kane was a big part of that and although he isn't showing the form of last year, he'll stay an important part of Sturrock's team.

 

[Smiffy]

Kane is a young man just starting out on what will hiopefully be a long a successful career. As with any young player in any team sport, unless he is playing alonside technically gifted players he will make mistakes, have poor games and so on. Last night was not one of his better performances, but I don't agree he was any worse than - say Timlin - who has years of experience but still misplaced or overhit passes. And I agree with the contributor who said that Ferdinand has been a centre-back throughout his junior career and is now playing a midfield role - and in the main doing so extremely well especially as he is now expected to add a more attacking aspect to his role rather than just sit in front of the back four.

As for JJ - i agree there seems to be a problem. I remember him from his early days when he had pace and confidence. Hopefully he will regain the latter and we will see the best of him again. Some players take longer to show their best form - look how long we have waited for Peter Gilbert to have a decent 90 minutes!

Indeed. It took Ryan Hall a good 6 months to show what he was capable of.

PS needs to give JJ a fair crack of the whip IMO. The same could be said for Sawyer also. These two, along with Hall, Dickinson, Harris & Corr will in time destroy League 2 I'm sure. Jesus, it makes me moist just mentioning these players together. What a superb array of attacking talent we have. You could also include the Anthony Grant from Aug-Nov 2010 in that as well. Most teams in this league would bite your arm off to have that sort of firepower...

But they all need a long run of games together for it to click. Let's hope it starts soon enough...

 

[Beefy]

I have no real idea why he was played at centre-half in youth football - maybe it was because that's the position his cousin plays?

Sturrock reckoned Ferdinand would be either a right-back or a centre-mid in professional football and that sounds about right to me. When he went centre-half his positioning was all wrong and he was completely owned in the air, whereas in midfield he's been composed and has looked the part despite his inexperience. I think we're probably as well stocked on defensive mids as centre-halves - Ferdinand, Grant, Timlin, Kalala and I suspect Leonard can all play that deep lying midfield role in differing styles. What's been interesting has been Sturrock trying to employ him further forward. He ghosts into some very good positions and I wouldn't be surprised to see him net a few goals this year.

I'd suggest that he isn't going to make it as a defender in the Professional game because he lacks the physical attributes to do so. That probably wasn't the case at youth level. I'm sure Sturrock realised this, saw the lad has a good reading of the game and decent ability on the ball so has given him opportunities in other positions. That doesn't change my point which was that his 'natural' position is central defence and considering he'll have played central midfield in a 4-4-2 maybe six times now it's not surprising that he's not quite at home there yet.

 

[Reg Martin]

I'm not sure if Ferdinand's lack of a pre-season has been mentioned yet but I don't think it should be over looked as a factor in his current from. Nor should his age and relative inexperience either.
Hardly seen anything of JJ yet but confidence may be his problem as it is with amny wingers who are either very good or very ordinary