Important players

[MC11]

Think today showed important players are missing.

 

Everyone knows my view Kev Mirallas and no matter how inconsistent he can be he offers us something else that no other player in the squad has. The type of player the opposition look at and think shit Mirallas is playing.

 

Also the forgotten man Pienaar. Very important player who takes a lot of stick from a percentage of the fans. Someone who can hold the ball, link play and chip in with the odd goal.

 

Distin has been an absolute marshal this season and quite possibly our best CB on a whole throughout the season. Although at the moment I think Stones has been great)

 

Of course Jagielka too. The Captain a big miss.

 

Lastly Oviedo, who unfortunately for Baines I'd have in the left back spot at present. When he came in he was absolutely brilliant.

 

We've had some bad luck but for me today's game proved that we lacked a little bit of leadership and quality.

Edited April 26, 2014 by MiguelCotto

[Shukes]

Ye no leadership at all today. I would have thought maybe Barry would take control but it didn't happen.

 

We did miss Mirralas. He is a danger on the ball and today we didn't seem to have that forward thinking anywhere.

 

Our biggest miss has been Pienaar and I do wander if he's still alive? We need his craft and intelligence on the pitch. He links the whole team together and when he's not there it shows.

 

Our defence has been shaky all season for some reason. Just when Jags was hitting his best form he got injured, a massive blow.

Today also highlighted that we need to find another real defender who can lead. Distin was a big miss today.

[markjazzbassist]

Agree with the above on Mirallas, Distin, Jags, and Pienaar. Stevie had surgury a couple weeks ago so he's done or the season. Hopefully the rest will help him to come bak strong next year.

 

I think the biggest thing we have learne this year from our players is we actually have a bench finally. Stones , Oviedo, Mcgeady, Gerry, Naismith, we have players who can impact the game from the bench or from ROTATION. Yep we have never used that word with moyes, we are now and it's a beautiful thing.

Edited April 26, 2014 by markjazzbassist

[Newty82]

I am sure most teams have important players missing at parts of the season.

 

A bad performance is a bad performance...We have had them with all those players listed involved! At the end of the day, we have players who are capable of stepping in for each other. And today they didn't.

 

I will say though, that far from listing missing individuals, it is always going to be a struggle when several first teamers are out and you have 3/4 kids on the bench.

 

The squad overall has done very well this year.

[Brett Angel]

I think all minds will differ every game that's played. Everyone bemoaned everyone lack of speed on counter attacking teams. This was partly down to pienaars lack of pace in midfield, becoming stagnant with the ball once at his feet. Then when we lose we all luckto the likes of pienaar as a reasoningbehind the defeat. We look far more threatening playing counter attacking style. This does not involve pienaar. The only people I think we truelly miss is Jags and distin. Not that I think stones and distin arnt up to it but they do need a dozen games together to really read each other's game.

[Newty82]

It's a good point brett...I think for us we can handle one of jags and Dustin being out, but both out was a big ask. We always look to attacking players when wondering where it went wrong.

 

But as the song goes...'we play from the back....'