Tomoki Iwata

As I said, I want better than Turnbull but ATM we have nothing much in midfield. I wouldn't even necessarily start Turnbull but people are only turning to Iwata because there's nothing else. It highlights how badly the squad has been handled.

 

It’s more that we know him and O’Riley don’t work and O’Riley should start. One or the other.

No mobility and defence I’d agree with but not fight btw, he was one of the only ones doing it on the weekend. Robbed the ball a belter high up the pitch and made a good chance on the weekend as an attack obvious example, but he’s not good at thinking about when to press with others. O’Riley is really good at it.

I’d trust Turnbull more to put away any chances we get though, so that’s the only question between them but it’d only be a bigger question if it was Parkhead, not Ibrox.

The third man to add to McGregor and O’Riley, and how we set them up is the big question for me. I think right now I’d go for Holm, because I’d be starting Iwata CB.

Scales cannot start there, and he’s the only other option we have.

 

Sorry to have to send you into a rage fit, but if Iwata plays CB, we need Kwon at DM to counterbalance the lack of height at least a bit.

 

Scales at LB

 

Right enough, absolutely forgot about Holm tbh!

 

Ominous not even being on the bench.

 

I like Iwata. Gutted he's not being given a chance, but you need to trust the management.

 

Aye, I thought he'd have been ahead of Kwon but guess I don't see training.

 

See that's the thing... we don't see what they are like day in, day out in training.

We get them seem them weekly for about 90 minutes or less if they get subbed.

But I still can't understand how Iwata isn't getting anything at all.

I'm not saying he's a world class player or anything like that, but we've known for years that Turnbull, just doesn't have the speed of movement to play the way we need for our midfield to work. But the fact McGregor was having to play so deep and then on occasions to try and force the issue because no other * had the legs for it... he'd drive deep from own half into midfield to try and get something moving.

I would love to see a system that allows McGregor to use that attacking threat he always had and one point in his life, was responsible for him breaking through, in a far more advanced role.

Guys like Iwata surely allow for this to be tested?

 

There's a lot of games in a season. If he deserves his chance I'm sure he'll get it.

 

You would think our midfield absolutely needs someone like him or Kwan, but this early on Rodgers wasn't going to rock the boat too much in terms of team selection. Although I think we will see McGregor and O'Riley with Hatate ahead of them more and more, which I think would be pretty solid. And Holm looks a player too - we have lots of options there, and we should be quite dynamic in midfield.

 

Was he injured or something?
Very strange that he wasn’t even on the bench, considering his versatility and ability to cover at CB if needed?!

 

Andy halliday was talking bout him on superscoreboard last year and was saying he had been told by players he was an absolute beast in training.

No idea which of our players or staff are talking to that wee hun fud but as it was coming from him I thought it was likely to be true as can't see him making up a story to praise 1 of our players.

Things may have changed since then but if he was a standout in training it seems even more puzzling.

May just of had a knock yesterday coz ud think he'd be ahead of Kwon. Should get a better idea of his role over next 24hrs when euro squad is confirmed. If he was simply just left out yesterday then it's unlikely he'll be in it

 

He probably suffers from being a utility player in that he falls in as cover for multiple positions so gets held as that multi cover place and doesn't see as much on the pitch. I liked what we saw of him in midfield last season and he wasn't bad as a fullback in pre season. The Kwon signing does make it a bit odd as that's the role Iwata was for so we will see what comes with it

 

He must have had a knock as he would have been our CB cover I would have thought.

 

He is a qualified destroyer, and thus a safer choice than McGregor in any game where we expect the opposition to contest the middle and attack us. Nobody asked Rodgers on Iwata's future, but I always think a player should be given the chance to show what he can do.

 

He's not a destroyer type midfielder mate. His strengths are pressing opponents into mistakes and ability to play cutting passes between the lines. It's why he excelled in Muscat's system.

 

Must have had a knock. His versatility and ability to cover RB, CB, DM would have meant he was a shoe in to be in the squad if fit.

 

Maeda does that first thing, and he's a nailed-on starter, despite being woeful on the ball. Iwata needs to be given a chance. The MVP of the league, played for the same team that later put 6 past us.