Liability

[Thenewblue]

Kevin Maher should be replaced for the next match, his set pieces and passing today were absoloutley shambolic. And I know people will say 'top 3 in assists last year blah blah' but last season doesn't count for anything right now and today I don't think he found a single blue shirt all game unless he went backwards. One word to sum his performance up was pathetic. He needs a rest or to be shown he's not irreplacable. Well done everyone else. Thought we were unlucky to lose. 2 mistakes cost us 2 goals, but at least we played better today and with some more clinical finishing we coulda maybe even won it. Ah well all focus on the league now.

 

[Andy_S]

 

[Its grim up north!]

He certainly was shocking!

 

[Guest]

Maher has been off colour for a while. If he's dropped it might give him the kick up the ar$e he so desperately needs, and show him that his place is not guaranteed.

 

[Its grim up north!]

He will never be dropped, you know that!

 

[Thenewblue]

Yes, I know he's a good servant for the club. And I know on his day he's a fabulous midfield lynchpin with great intelligent distribution and a deadly set piece. But can anyone tell me, when they can remember him putting in a good performance? In many ways he's our engine and we depend on him to get by. So maybe if we take him out the equation the team will find a way to play without him. Not relying on a player struggling for form to win a game for a team struggling for form. It'll also provide a great kick up his arse to remind him he has to earn his starting berth.

 

[bas blue]

one thing for sure maher never hides or shirks a challenge when he is on the pitch. he is allways willing to take the ball and try and get something going. sure i agree his set pieces wernt good today, there are nine other outfield players on the pitch let someone else take them. dont think you should drop kev just becouse his place kicks were crap.

strange how differant people see a game, i thought gower was crap today. fed up seeing him running along with an opposing player and not putting a tackle in.

also wondering if che has got the fifth booking on his mind

 

[Hong Kong Blue]

Quote[/b] (bas blue @ Dec. 03 2005,22:03)]one thing for sure maher never hides or shirks a challenge when he is on the pitch. he is allways willing to take the ball and try and get something going. sure i agree his set pieces wernt good today, there are nine other outfield players on the pitch let someone else take them. dont think you should drop kev just becouse his place kicks were crap.

strange how differant people see a game, i thought gower was crap today. fed up seeing him running along with an opposing player and not putting a tackle in.

also wondering if che has got the fifth booking on his mind

Maher never shirks a challenge, maybe, but only if you consider standing 5 yards off a player, not shirking a challenge.

 

[stickyboy]

presuming the gaffer wont drop him does he have any potential suspension coming up, he has 4 yellows so far - how many does it take?

 

[bluebelle]

5

 

[TrueBlue]

Quote[/b] (Its grim up north! @ Dec. 03 2005,21:35)]He will never be dropped, you know that!

and if thats the case that proves Tilson has no bottle!

 

[Stats]

although i think maher has been one of our best players this season recent weeks he has been terrible, why tilson wont drop him nobody knows
all you have to look at is swansea, they dropped their club captain roberto martinez the other week as he'd been under performing

maher's in such a comfort zone at the moment knowing full well that even if he plays poop he'll still walk into the team

even last season when McCormack came in for him whilst he was suspended he waltz straight back into the side even though Mc had played well

no player is bigger than the club so Tilson should take note and drop him for a while after all centre mid is where we are not short of good players

dropping him may just give him the kick up the backside he needs

even maher must know in his own mind his performances over the past month have been way below the required standard

 

[TrueBlue]

Quote[/b] ]all you have to look at is swansea, they dropped their club captain roberto martinez the other week as he'd been under performing

AND THATS one thing I admire about Kenny Jacket, Stamping his authority on the team and the attitude that 'I dont care how big the game is or what player it is nobodys place is safe!'

 

[Stats]

exactly dropping martinez has hardly hindered swansea, they now sit top of the league going into the festive period with a decent chance of automatic promotion (if they can keep hold of trundle)

 

[TrueBlue]

Quote[/b] ]exactly dropping martinez has hardly hindered swansea

and I bet Martinez will think twice before he puts less then 110% effort in again!

 

[Kris]

Quote[/b] (statski77 @ Dec. 03 2005,23:31)]no player is bigger than the club so Tilson should take note and drop him for a while after all centre mid is where we are not short of good players

But we are short in the 'anchor' midfield role that Maher plays. Smith, Gutts and Benno are all great box-to-box midfielders but they all rely on someone sitting behind them to cover when they break forward. None of them, in my opinion, could convert to being the disciplined holding midfielder. That just leaves Petts, who is probably the only credible alternative, though reports suggest his performances in that very position for the reserves have been mediocre at best.

You make a good point about the Swansea situation and Kenny Jackett dropping Martinez. However, they have depth in that position that we don't. Also, Martinez has had quite a few injury problems over the last couple of seasons so Jackett has had plenty of chances to see potential replacements in action.

 

[TrueBlue]

Quote[/b] ]But we are short in the 'anchor' midfield role that Maher plays

but why do we have to have an anchor midfield role! I think with two attacking midfielders we can be just as good. with attack being the best form of defence theroy!

 

[overseas shrimper]

Quote[/b] (TrueBlue @ Dec. 04 2005,01:48)]

Quote[/b] ]But we are short in the 'anchor' midfield role that Maher plays

but why do we have to have an anchor midfield role! I think with two attacking midfielders we can be just as good. with attack being the best form of defence theroy!

In theory, yes... but what if your 'theory' doesn't work in practice?

If we continue playing with attacking wingers (which I think we should), then we can't have 2 attacking midfielders as well, we'll be far too exposed at the back, especially when our central defenders are not the fastest in the league.

 

[bas blue]

no anchor man in midfield ?? dont think so !

 

[Stats]

i dont agree with not playing a holding midfielder

you have to have someone who can cover the defence (normally maher) and someone who can get forward (benno, smith or gutts)

we've been defending very badly recently to take out a defensive player IMHO would be recipe for disaster

i dont see why gutts cant perform that holding roll when he is back
same with benno if he was told to play holding then he could, he has all the attributes to play there