BZs post is great.
It comes down to how do we create a working creative midfield. Ifill is more likely than Stein (loved HardNews' wide turning circle comment), Fenton is still young but could develop as a great central player.
Sanchez has improved the side but can't do it on his own.
Lia is not a quick enough, quality ballplaying midfielder to set up in a midfield three as one of your two more playmaking positions. He can play a nice switch, but otherwise creative is not his thing. And he's too slow.
Manny is a chopper at best at the moment.
Smith is not the solution.
The prob with BZs post is we don't have Ifill.
-> I'd give Fenton a crack centrally with Sanchez, Manny killing it behind. And any three of Boyd, Stein, Brockie, Totori on as the top three.
Sanchez and Fenton looking to open up defenses from central with Stein, and Fenton can be given the additional license to push forward and wide interchanging with the Brockies/Boyds/Totori's.
4-1-2-3
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Another point is we are seeing less from our wide defenders this year.
Lochead is rarely making a decent contribution forward (yes, occassionally he can, but not consistently as in the past).
Leo can do it, but looks to have been concentrating on getting the D role sorted ... which is fair enough. More signs of him getting forward in the last couple of games.
Would like to see those guys getting forward more in support of and overlapping the front three. Has been happening. Want more. Hogg could make a difference and says that's the game he'd hope to play.
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all of which, I have realised, has nothing to do with transfer speculation. Other than speculating we don't get any transfers, so do it with what we've got.