Opposition should be trembling at prospect of playing our midfield
THERE was a time when Stoke City’s problem was undoubtedly the attack - shotshy and limp as it was.
Then came Tyrese Campbell and the issue was fixed, until he got injured…
Then there was a time when it was the defence which gave us palpitations.
Then came Harry Souttar, Nathan Collins, James Chester and a choice of two left-backs, plus a selection of any one of three goalkeepers you could believe in.
All the best to young Collins in his recuperation from his injury sustained on Saturday, by the way.
Now that gaping hole has been plugged, there is no doubt that the major issue facing Michael O’neill right now is his midfield.
On the face of it, on paper at least, the name Mikel, Allen, Clucas and Powell should have our mouths watering and the knees of opponents trembling.
It should have the perfect balance, the reading of the game and defensive solidity of Champions League winner Mikel, the guile and industry of European Championship semi-finalist Allen, the impudence of Powell and the goals of Clucas.
It seems a pretty potent combination. And yet, and yet… On Saturday, against a team who have been trailblazers all season, despite having a defence as dodgy as Stoke’s used to be, the Potters were found severely wanting in midfield.
Second best everywhere, City could not cope with Norwich’s movement, use of width or simple passing and movement. Our midfield seemed static and docile in comparison.
And instead of it being mouthwatering, foaming.
There seem to be two schools of thought in the, incredibly active on this subject, Potters online community:
The players are past it and nowhere near as good as anyone, including the manager, thinks. it had us
Or, the players could do it, they are just being used poorly, in the wrong formation by O’neill.
For me, it’s a combination of the two.
Since Joe Allen’s return from injury he has not been the force he was during the resurgence after O’neill’s arrival. Whether that’s his injury or just age catching up with him (he is 31 next month), I’m unsure, but without doubt he has not reached those heights.
Sam Clucas is also a mere shadow of his last season self.
He has been in and out of the side due to injury and illness this campaign and clearly isn’t up to speed.
But the formation is also contributing to stifling Stoke as in order to fit all
these players into it, O’neill is shifting Powell out onto the left, rather than his best position of attacking central midfield.
So, what should O’neill do on Tuesday night in a crucial game against a Sheffield Wednesday side currently in the relegation zone, but who have won three of their last four, to fix this midfield problem?
Perhaps we got a glimpse of O’neill losing his patience with his go to midfield on Saturday when he substituted Allen and Clucas simultaneously with the two Jordans, Cousins and Thompson, both pictured.
Both of those two players have done nothing to let anyone down this season, but seem to have been playing the undercard role for too long.
They should have a chance to show us what they can do in a sustained run in the team.
They will guarantee industry and good set pieces at least. Because lose on Tuesday and if results go against us we could be as low as 15th and at that point we would start looking down the table, rather than up, as we have been almost all season.
It will be fascinating to see what the manager does not only then, but over a prolonged period over the rest of the season to solve this issue.
On Saturday, Potters were found severely wanting in the middle of the park
LEEK Town are awaiting further direction over the fate of their season.
The non-league scene from Steps Three down has been halted since the autumn because of the coronavirus pandemic.
That means Leek have played just eight Northern Premier League South East Division games so far - and there seems no chance of managing to fit in the remaining fixtures.
NPL officials are now waiting for Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s roadmap out of lockdown announcement next week before deciding on the next course of action.
Leek chairman Jon Eeles said: “The league asked everyone their thoughts through a survey and we’re waiting to see what the Prime Minister says on Monday about the steps to take us out of lockdown.
“There is pressure on him to outline his plans, and then a decision will be made after that.
“There is talk about playing in April and May, but even then you are not going to get all of the fixtures in.
“We have 30 matches to go, so if you play twice a week that’s only 16 matches.
“And we have to be careful about the players. They are not conditioned at the moment. They are looking after themselves and are fit, but not match fit.
“You would get a lot of injuries if they went straight back in to playing matches.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think there will even be time to contest a regional league or anything like that.”
If matches don’t resume, NPL officials and other leagues will face the tough decision about how to move forward.
Last season was declared null and void and the same fate could also happen on this campaign.
That would be another blow to Leek, who were on course to win promotion from the South East Division in 2019/20 before the season was suspended and then halted completely.
There also appears to be the option of combining last year’s results and this year’s to formulate a table.
However, Eeles admits it is a tricky situation to negotiate.
“There are a lot of moving parts because it affects the National League and comes all the way down the pyramid,” he added.
“You are not going to please everyone. If this year is null and voided again then I don’t think they should expunge records.
“Players have achieved appearances and goal records, and they should be remembered for that. They shouldn’t just be wiped out.”
Eeles believes that despite the pandemic decimating the nonleague football scene, it provides the ideal chance to map out the future of the game.
“I think there needs to be a root and branch review about what goes on,” he added.
“Personally, I think there are too many games.
“There is a big push from the FA for more teams and participation, but it does dilute matters.
“I believe there’s far too much football and that is something which needs to be looked at.”