Spinal Surgery

[yellow]

When you rip ¾ of the spine out of a team (Bobby, Ellis, Eunan) it will inevitably take some time to recover. If they had sold Rene it would have been a complete spine removal.

I reckon it is a minor miracle that we are doing so well with such a weakened backbone.

I say that not having seen a single game this season. Spinal surgery is not to my personal taste. That being said I recognise that the club are trying to lay foundations for the longer term...

[AustrianAndyGull]

Well in that case yellow, maybe they should reduce the ticket prices whilst they are doing it?

[yellow]

That would probably be counter-productive. It is a shame that good offers came in for too many of our key players. But we are a selling club, and that is exactly what we did.

[AustrianAndyGull]

It was tongue in cheek mate sorry!

You're spot on about the spine being ripped out of the team and under the circumstances Martin is doing a cracking job trying to deal with the losses, keep us competetive and replace them with players who may become just as good if not better than the ones we've lost. It's just not sparking on the pitch at the minute but we're still only one loss in 8. Martin likes us to be bloody tough to beat and we are that, no mistake but maybe he should begin to look at other options and formations in order to for us to be more productive on the pitch. I think the sensible ones amongst us accept we are a work in progress still but that doesn't excuse consistently bad performances.

[bc-gull]

Honestly we have downes who has replaced ellis and no doubt about it downes is better, but we really do miss eunan! rene is always isloated up front and morris is too defensive for the eunan role! we either need a change of formation or someone whos gonna play off rene like eunan did. We need to get bodin more involved too, he is a match winner and recently he hasn't had much of the ball! Really we only miss eunan and we relied on him too much last year! Time for a change i say!

[tufc si]

Couldn't agree more bc!! Downes is better than Ellis and seems to have already formed a good partnership with Saah, Pokey has come in and although a bit short of confidence at the mo, isn't a million miles away from being as good as Bobby but the major area for concern is that free role in the middle!!

I've got no doubt in my mind than when Lathrope comes back, Manse will feel more like he can have a bit more of a free reign by getting up and down the pitch like before too. Someone else on here suggested given Bodin the free role just behind Rene to support him ala O'kane and then we've got two rapid wingers on either side in Stevens and Thompson (or Mackers). Sounds decent enough to more and might kick start Bodin's season

[Mav]

I'm really not that sure we miss Eunan. For me the issue is the injury to Lathrope. Mansell appears to have been filling his role, and with that we are missing his presence going forward. That helped give support to Howe and he also wayed in with a decent return goal wise. It seems no mystery to me that the back four have struggled, when the guy who sat in front of them all last season to protect them has been out. Everyone keeps saying that Downes is a better defende than Ellis, yet we have looked vunerable at the back. I am not sure how long lathrope is out for, and even when he is back how long it might take him to return to the player he was. I do think his return will spark a change in fortune, and may well help us grind out a few more of those 1-0's we have been missing

[wivelgull]

I agree with most of the above and also, while liking Ellis as a centre back, I do think that, all round, Downes is better. Continuing the theme of agreement, I also feel that it is in midfield where the problem lies; the result of the problem being the awful dismal stuff we were served up on Saturday. As always, the bottom line is we need better players in certain positions and right now we need a commanding midfielder. Yes, they cost money, but anything of reasonably high quality does. You can tinker all you like with present names but that won't take away the reality, which is in some areas we aren't good enough.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Agree with Mav, get Damon back and get Manse supporting the attack. If things don't improve a little then well we will have to start scratching our heads a bit.

[Dave]

That would probably be counter-productive. It is a shame that good offers came in for too many of our key players. But we are a selling club, and that is exactly what we did.

Every club is a selling club Yellow me old mate, no matter what level if the right offer comes in or a player doesn't want to stay at his club that club will sell, I would never have thought UTD would have sold Ronaldo and Beckham when they did, Spurs said they would never sell Modric where is he now, not forgetting Van Persie of course.

[Dave]

Just being bluntly honest here, Aaron Downes is a country mile and then some better than Mark Ellis, I have said many times I loved Mark Ellis for his attitude and full blooded commitment to the game and that stands, however there is little doubt he had the positional sense of a schoolboy, and whilst I would never hang someone for a mistake , they happen in all walks of life, Mark Ellis made far to many and same ones over and over again, think its fair to say Aaron Downes may have forgot more about good defensive practise than Ellis has ever known, out of all the players Martin Ling has brought into our club, for me Aaron Downes is the pick of them all, a quailty signing that we are lucky to have, and maybe if it wasn't for a number of injury wrecked seasons Downes would still be atleast a league 1 player if not higher.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I fully respect that, however I fail to understand right now how some can not see the problem with our defense is our midfield, of course the back four are going to look vunerable when the midfield is totaly overrun and the back line are having to defend against wave after wave of attacks only so much pressure any defense at any level can take before they are breached.

Yellow is of course correct when he talks about the spine of the team very important indeed, however I don't see this as the problem, for Brain saah and Aaron Downes have already formed a very good understanding, and a very solid central defensive partnership, Micheal Poke may not be quite so commanding in the and around the penalty area, however pretty much like for like with Bobby on all other aspects.

Are we missing Eunan O'Kane maybe, difficult to tell right now, until we are playing with afully fit squad don't think we will have that answer, in Nathan Craig we have a player who looks every bit someone who plays the same type of game and could fill that role, however untill Lathrope, Stevens and Macklin are all fully fit and firing and Nathan Craig himself of course, its difficult to see how he can be put in that position.

Think for the moment us fans have to show a little patience, to be fair Lingy has not been able to field what many would believe to be our strongest 11, and so far on the whole we have not done to badly, however there does seem to be a lack spark in the team right now and maybe we have become to predictable, but the squad is good enough and with a bit of luck and good judgement it will click into place soon..please.

[ferrarilover]

Here it comes, kids, in 3...
2...
1...

Nathan Craig!

Missing Eunan are we? For his vision? Range of passing? Composure? I wonder who, given a season in the middle, will give us all that and more. I can't keep saying it, even I'll get bored eventually.

I think what this season demonstrates is not that we miss Eunan, we did very well without him against Cheltenham and Rochdale. This season demonstrates the value of Damon Lathrope. Without him, we are forced to make so many changes that we simply play too many men either in unnatural positions, or in unfamiliar manner. Either way, our players are being asked to be slightly round pegs in slightly square holes.

Matt.

[SBP]

Its interesting reading all the previous inputs and I certainly cant disagree with anything previously said.
I agree with ML comments regarding our tempo, I think we are far better when we have quick distribution from the keeper to the full backs or even bypassing to the wide chaps, Bobby was a master of this and I wish Poke would do the same, maybe he's been told not too. How many times did Poke kick the ball completely through to their keeper.
I think we really do miss Damon L, he is an ideal cushion in front of our defence. And to think that really he's only been in that position from the start of last season.