Scott Brown

3 draws before Christmas last year and the Caley Thistle game we got beat 3-2

 

I agree. He is neat and tidy but he plays safe 99% of the time. You couldnt have a MF full of Ledleys. I think he has an important role when Izzy plays because he covers for him but he is massively overhyped.

As for Broony, I took a look at Kerrydale street (which is a particularly anti-Broony site) and in their MOTM thread I would say Broony came in about 6th after Vic, Charlie, Hoops, Sammy, Rogne. Certainly there is absolutely no way he should have been highlighted as bad. The poorest players were mathews and Stokes while Ledley was peripheral and Izz was rusty at times. As for passing, I would say he maybe had 4 passes that didnt make their man, not much different from the average 2 or 3 of our players. In terms of impact, he was very involved in the game compared to Ledley for instance. I cant understand the short memories of how playing 2 wingers has caused us to come unstuck a number of times under Lenny. yesterday if Forrest had been fir it would have made sense to drop stokes (who was pish) and put Sammy up front and either put Forrest on the left with Broony on the right or put Broony in the middle with Vic and Ledley on the left. Two wingers in that game against Dundee U would have cost us points IMO because they have a very strong left side to their team. Lenny called this spot on IMO.

 

Wouldn't have made sense to drop Stokes, fresh from a hat trick.

 

Care to deny that the two good runs under Lenny have featured Scot Browns return?

The two wingers stuff against five man midfields is schoolboy dream stuff. Its very risky. Dundee United played superb yesterday. Mathews had a bit of a bad game and if he hadnt had a player with defensive qualities in front of him I am convinced we would have been in big trouble.

 

True but he was poor and if we had played Sammy up and Forrest had been fit we would probably have been a better side yesterday.

EDIT-actually lenny did take a gamble on Stokes and Mathews knowing both were risky today and it probably was risky given they were the weak links yesterday. However, Forrest being our and Commons not match fit pretty well forced that lineup.

 

Ledley is our best midfielder. People confuse me. Brown isn't half the player of Joe on OR off the ball.

 

Hindsights 20/20 if Stokes wasn't in the team yesterday I would have been raging. I still can't see where you see a good performance from
Broony yesterday, I thought it was the poorest game I've seen from him in the Hoops.

 

Midfield atm should be.

Forrest Wanyama Ledley Samaras.

When everyone is fit.

Forrest Wanyama Kayal Ledley.

 

Lenny said after the game that Stokes was a gamble as he was knackered due to new baby and unspecified other personal issues. He also said Mathews had a virus. He played them as a gamble and both were poor. So, Lenny gambled with them and got that wrong. However, bottom line is Forrest wasnt fit and its hard to see what other lineup Lenny could have done as both Commons and Sammy are better on the left and pishy on the right.

 

Spot on, that's my thinking exactly.

 

What would you have then Gunt, both now and when everyone is fit?

 

This.

 

Kayal is our best all round MF because he combines defensive abiltiy with tecnique, some creative ability and he drives the team.

Broony has energy and drives the team but is less creative

Ledley has technique but plays very within himself and plays it safe.

Kayal has the most complete CM package IMO.

 

Toss up for me tbh but they both complement each other perfectly. Just feel if anybody is to drop out it's Brown for me. Ledley and Kayal can do the work and give a drive whilst also being good on the ball.

 

No I'm not denying the good runs have been during runs with Brown in the team. I was just asking in which games you thought two wingers failed to see if I would agree with you.

As it happens Devlin mentioned the games and those were times when we didn't play well at all and we dropped points when we didn't expect to.

Just to avoid any confusion I like Brown in the team and feel in certain games, when that bit of dig and aggression is needed he does it better than others.

 

well its a problem that rarely happens. The title is won by the side with the best 15 or 16 players, not the best 11. We almost never have all CMs or all CHs fit. These physical type positions seem to be a merrygoround of casualties.


Right now I would go for

..................Hoops/Stokes....Sammy

Forrest.......Ledley......Vic.......Broony


I just think that is an incredibly solid side that is adaptable to all opposition. Other formations with 2 wingers etc are only suitable for weak opposition.

 

If people think we should just bring in Commons instead of Brown in the middle of a great run they need their heads examined.

I am still * off with his stupid tackle at Tynecastle this season which let them team hanging out to dry.

Not often i do but i completely agree with Gunt, it has been prove the last 2/3 years that we do not go on winning runs with 2 wingers. Brown or Ledley must play either flank every game (obviously not both at same time)

Saying that i dont want to see Brown in CM ever again

 

Dont agree Ledley gives drive. Other than the odd goal, he plays very safety first and sprays the ball about. I do like him though and with Izz in the team I think he is the most suited to play left CM to cover for him.

 

Forrest is not a left winger, not in a million years.

If Brown is to have a place in the side then it has to be on the right I think we all agree on that.

If that's the case then he in direct competition with Forrest and there is only one player for the right side of midfield for me and it's not Brown.



Is there a place for Brown in your team when Kayal is back?

 

I like Forrest on the left, even when he's on the right he enjoys cutting in to link up with players. With Izzy behind him it makes him impossible to double up on or else you are leving one of our two most dangerous players free.