Physicality problem, especially midfield

It’s a lack of pace and power, we are powderpuff in midfield and it shows when we need to try and break a game up.

Countless examples against decent level of opposition where we don’t win enough 50/50s and the result is our defence then come under a lot of pressure because there’s turnover of the ball that quickly bypasses the midfield.

We also don’t have a midfielder that has that recovery pace in counterattack situations. They are all too similar - reasonable pace when they get going but no one with explosive recovery pace.

 

Strachan and Lennon had a lot of big physical players. We do have a few but definitely not enough, but even Trusty looked dire against Simon Murray who's half his size.

The players we do have need to start using it more .. Idah, Trusty, Engels, Bernardo. We know they can but they don't do it enough. You can see that BR is trying to bring that to the side though with his signings.

 

I agree with this. It's time to have that conversation with McGregor now.

Imagine the difference last night if we have a real quality DM snuffing out those easy goals and winning us possession in the 50/50s - and also allowing other players not to have to run the length of the pitch every single time we lose the ball.

Then on 75 minutes you can bring on McGregor to help shore things up but also still provide that experience in the final third to get the points. To me that should be the model for next season.

 

Honestly though Engles was putting himself about well for most of the game. Obviously got bumped off the ball at one point and we lost a goal. But I do remember him sliding in and winning at least one challenge as well as bumping Villa players off the ball. I think our main problem wasn't ball winning, but leaving gaps to exploit.

 

Said in other threads & a lot of others will agree we need a proper out & out CDM who can protect our defence or even can slot in as a CB at times in the game (i.e. Kamara was doing for Villa). How many times against Villa/Dortmund/Rangers/Brugge were they win the ball back in their half & then play a simple pass at times & their on in goal with our midfield completely non-existent. I fear we won't address this until hopefully the summer & will be seriously exposed in the play off round again.

 

We also miss so many tackles in the middle of the park. I would love to see the stats of how many tackles we've won in the middle of the park and broke away from. Can't imagine it being very high.

 

This isn’t a new thing, we have been crying out for a Big Wanyama type for a number of years. But for some reason we never seem to go for that type.

it’s absolutely vital we address that regarding the way we play.

if Roger’s doesn’t do it in the summer then you need to ask questions at that point.

He always bangs on about improvement and brining in players to take us forward, having that type of player will make us better and give the other two centre mids freedom to move.

 

Engels bouncing off John McGinn summed things up .. it was a literal man v boy..

 

We’ve been crying out for power and pace in midfield for years and the club just never addresses it.

I know it’s boring to repeat it, but we’ve not signed a midfielder remotely similar to Wanyama since he left. Even Ledley was a powerful player in midfield and could mix it up.

The likes of Rogic and MOR are big guys but not powerful or quick.

Would * kill for a 6’2 machine in midfield who can tackle, run and is decent on the ball. I don’t think that’s asking for too much.

Imagine that profile of player with two of Engels/Hatate/Bernardo/McGregor/McCowan in front of him? It would make a massive difference.

 

Last night wasn’t the worst I’ve seen our midfield but it is a constant worry when we play at this level.

Never been addressed and probably won’t because our captain plays that role and manager doesn’t seem to change system at all.

Sick of saying it but if we could get a prime Wanyama in there alongside our midfield it would be night and day.

Hatate is asked to basically play as a striker when we are pressing. Leaves our midfield so exposed when we are played through and simply don’t have the pace / power to cope with it. Subsequently the defence is exposed also. Not ideal when you’re missing your best defender.

 

Yep.

Rodgers spoke about tielmans and compared him.to McGregor but villa still pair him up with a physical defensive midfielder.

Would allow McGregor to get on the ball and get us playing rather than constantly chasing people who have ran off the back of him bcoz he doesn't have the mindset to play the role

 

I think McGregor is a problem in the 6. I’ve thought that for number of years. Aye there has been games where he has played it well in Europe, but defensively he just isn’t good enough to play it. He just doesn’t naturally see danger, and at the top level of European football, a split second can kill you, and it has many times over the years. I remember he went through a spell of being guilty of trying to nip in front of his man to win it and totally taking himself out the game. Now I just don’t think he covers enough ground, then on top of that allowing players to run off him as he doesn’t spot the danger, it’s a bad combination.

I also feel the past two months he hasn’t been driving forward with the ball either, something he did used to do very well. Doesn’t seem to make the same angles to get on the ball and get us up the park. It’s all a bit safe from him in possession now also. Sometimes it feels like he just wants to bounce it back to the centre half where it’s just come from, rather than take the initiative and try and turn. Starting to concern me that maybe time and the number of games in his career is starting to catch up. It always does at some point.

 

McGregor is the problem, and I fear Rodgers is not going to anything about it, because he is too close to our captain, something that Postecoglou never did, he always kept a decent distance from the team and squad, so that nobody could take their position for granted, or have any friendly hold on the manager, or give the impression of having favourites.

We ain't going to get anywhere if McGregor remains at No.6 for much longer. The tell tale signs have been there for a while now, in the last two Hun games, and again against Villa, where they cut through our midfield like a knife through butter, with McGregor posted missing again and again.

As it stands, the rest of the season could be very tense and fraught, unless Rodgers either signs another CDM this transfer window, or does the right thing with McGregor.

 

They out-muscled us, but were also just wiser or wilier if you like.....on a number of occasion we did get the right side, we did stick the foot in etc, but they just fell down, or rolled over....i hate 'powder-puff' football, but at this level all you need is a wee hint of loosing out to the presence of an opposition player and you hit the deck and seek a foul, Villa just done it better

 

Wanyama was the ultimate, big and strong but he could play

 

Nah, his passing wasn't great. But I feel our overreliance on posesssion football is causing us to overlook the value of a destroyer. Heck, Iwata was sold even though he had good technique.