Maher

[SUFCFARAWAY]

Quote[/b] (Kris @ Nov. 28 2005,13:06)]

Quote[/b] (SUFCFARAWAY @ Nov. 28 2005,12:54)]We have the advantage of having some good quality midfielders who can take his place and they should be used.

Like who? Jay Smith is an attacking midfielder, and while Mark Bentley is a good tackler, I don't think he has the positional discipline or passing ability to play in the Maher role. That leaves Carl Pettefer, who is probably the most realistic option, but I simply don't see him stamping his authority on the midfield like Maher does.

Maher is at the moment like a 3 year old pretending to be a policeman - that hows much authority he has on games. Bentley is a good box to box player, who is strong in the tackle and has the occassional eye for goal. Next him could be Smithy who will act as playmaker whith good vision and acute dead ball skills. Put these two in and we will not miss Maher at all apart from maybe having a strong voice on the pitch.

 

[TrueBlue]

Maher should be droped he cant keep getting away with playing badly!!!!

 

[Beefy]

Jay Smith is a play-maker. He has the best range of passing in the squad and to get the best out of him I think you have to play him in the Maher position. They aren't carbon-copies of eachother, for a start Smith offers much much more going forward, but ultimately they are the only two players in the squad with the compsure and talent to get the team ticking over from the heart of midfield.

I've stuck up for Maher countless times through the years, but with three home matches coming up and a poor run of form to try to end, I don't think it would be a bad idea to try something else. IMO, Mark Bentley and Jay Smith have all the tools between them to be a fantastic midfield partnership if they are given a chance.

For a long time Kevin Maher was an automatic pick, and quite rightly so. But with the amount of quality in the side, I don't think that should be the case any more.

 

[Kris]

Quote[/b] (SUFCFARAWAY @ Nov. 28 2005,13:12)]

Quote[/b] (Kris @ Nov. 28 2005,13:06)]

Quote[/b] (SUFCFARAWAY @ Nov. 28 2005,12:54)]We have the advantage of having some good quality midfielders who can take his place and they should be used.

Like who? Jay Smith is an attacking midfielder, and while Mark Bentley is a good tackler, I don't think he has the positional discipline or passing ability to play in the Maher role. That leaves Carl Pettefer, who is probably the most realistic option, but I simply don't see him stamping his authority on the midfield like Maher does.

Maher is at the moment like a 3 year old pretending to be a policeman - that hows much authority he has on games. Bentley is a good box to box player, who is strong in the tackle and has the occassional eye for goal. Next him could be Smithy who will act as playmaker whith good vision and acute dead ball skills. Put these two in and we will not miss Maher at all apart from maybe having a strong voice on the pitch.

Well, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this issue. Assuming Tilly plans to keep playing two wingers and introduces Jay Smith from the start, we need our fourth midfielder to sit in front of the back four, soak up opposition attacks and start our own. I simply don't see Mark Bentley in that role at all. He's a good tackler but his passing often lets him down and I can't see him having the discipline to curb his storming runs forward, which he'd need to do if he was to play in Maher's anchor role.

Part of the reason Bentley is a great box-to-box player is because he knows he has freedom to make the runs while Maher covers for him. When you take away Maher from that equation, it leaves a gaping hole in our midfield.

Incidentally, I'm not denying Maher has been poor recently but until we buy another midfielder of his ilk - i.e. an anchorman as opposed to an attacking midfielder - dropping him would be madness.

 

[SUFCFARAWAY]

Quote[/b] (Kris @ Nov. 28 2005,13:28)]

Quote[/b] (SUFCFARAWAY @ Nov. 28 2005,13:12)]

Quote[/b] (Kris @ Nov. 28 2005,13:06)]

Quote[/b] (SUFCFARAWAY @ Nov. 28 2005,12:54)]We have the advantage of having some good quality midfielders who can take his place and they should be used.

Like who? Jay Smith is an attacking midfielder, and while Mark Bentley is a good tackler, I don't think he has the positional discipline or passing ability to play in the Maher role. That leaves Carl Pettefer, who is probably the most realistic option, but I simply don't see him stamping his authority on the midfield like Maher does.

Maher is at the moment like a 3 year old pretending to be a policeman - that hows much authority he has on games. Bentley is a good box to box player, who is strong in the tackle and has the occassional eye for goal. Next him could be Smithy who will act as playmaker whith good vision and acute dead ball skills. Put these two in and we will not miss Maher at all apart from maybe having a strong voice on the pitch.

Well, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this issue. Assuming Tilly plans to keep playing two wingers and introduces Jay Smith from the start, we need our fourth midfielder to sit in front of the back four, soak up opposition attacks and start our own. I simply don't see Mark Bentley in that role at all. He's a good tackler but his passing often lets him down and I can't see him having the discipline to curb his storming runs forward, which he'd need to do if he was to play in Maher's anchor role.

Part of the reason Bentley is a great box-to-box player is because he knows he has freedom to make the runs while Maher covers for him. When you take away Maher from that equation, it leaves a gaping hole in our midfield.

Incidentally, I'm not denying Maher has been poor recently but until we buy another midfielder of his ilk - i.e. an anchorman as opposed to an attacking midfielder - dropping him would be madness.

I agree with there that Bentley is no Maher. But I jus feel that Bentley could do a better job than Maher at the moment as his form is that poor. True he will need to hold back a bit but he should be professional enough to do that. Obviosuly if Maher was playing well there would be no debate here but unfortunately he is not and I just feel he needs to be taken out of the firing line and hopefully that gives him the kick up the backside he needs.

 

[* ORM *]

Quote[/b] (Hooly @ Nov. 28 2005,12:44)]Anyone who doesn't agree is a moronic brainless **** who basically shouldn't be allowed within 300 miles of Roots Hall, or words to that effect.  Isn't that right ORM?  

Not just a brainless **** but clearly knows nothing about the beautiful game,