Alan Sheehan.

[K23]

On the midfield, Stamenic looks like a deep lying playmaker, his longer passing when he lifts his head up looks excellent. He is also the only midfield ‘destroyer’ we have (although Fulton is still an option to us), he breaks up play well although it’s not his main draw for me. Surely we’d benefit from playing Galbraith next to him? Similar to when we had Grimes and Downes together, except Stamenic seems to have more of a passing range than Downes did. That seems like a good foundation to work from to me.

The two 8s often leave Stamenic with too much to do and that’s why he sometimes looks like a walking yellow card.

I agree with you about Stamenic, we don't have anyone else like him although I think he's done too much travelling in the last few weeks and seems to have lost a bit of the edge he first showed but I'm sure that will return. However, I just feel we are lacking a 10 to join all the dots together between our 9, the 2 wings and whoever plays as our 8 or 8s. Some have said Eom would make a good 10, some have said Melker can play there and Galbraith looks like he would be good anywhere but it needs Sheehan to want to try it and at the moment, he seems to prefer playing without a 10 and it's showing in the poor number of chances we are creating.

 

[Swansea93]

Can Samuel Smith play RB?

 

[Manselton Jack]

Can Samuel Smith play RB?

He looked very good against Forest but he's all left foot, just like Tymon

 

[Londonlisa2001]

We know he can play at RB but he seems to be our only real creative midfielder.

I do believe we need to change the system. We need to go 2 holding midfielders and play a 10, someone who can help with the creativity and not just rely on the wingers to supply and support the striker.
The only real option at 10 for me is Cullen. I would stick with Stamenic and Franco as the 2 midfielders and put Galbraith out at RB.
It's a shame that Galbraith might need to go out to RB but the recruitment has been to focused on similar midfielders and probably one more than we actually needed given they were planning on keeping Fulton on board. I think the insistence to go with the midfield we have, that just gets them working hard with lots of energy but limited creativity and not basing it on being comfortable with the ball is disappointing.......let's face it, our passing and acceptance of the ball as individuals has been the worse I have seen for a couple of seasons now.

I think the powers to be need to hear the Harry Griffiths phrase about how Swansea City plays football and it's currently not what is being witnessed by myself. I dare think what Curt, Leon and others who wore our clubs badge are thinking about this at the moment, we all know that this Swansea way was over elaborated but we always prided ourselves on playing football and attacking teams.

“he seems to be our only real creative midfielder.”.

What’s he creating?

 

[Swanjaxs]

Unfortunately, Key seems to be costing us every game, and sides are picking up on this. Perhaps we have no other option than to play Galbraith there until we get the chance to rectify things in January.

 

[sit_down_jack]

“he seems to be our only real creative midfielder.”.

What’s he creating?

Understand your point as he hasn’t created a lot this season so far. Personally feel from what we’ve seen, Galbraith can be creatively important for us, but we’re not helping ourselves with the way our midfield set up works. The 8s just don’t seem to get in the right areas for them to be effective.

It’s cliched at this point but really feels like a 10 is the right way to go if we’re sticking with the 4 at the back and two wingers.

 

[PenlanJack]

Unfortunately, Key seems to be costing us every game, and sides are picking up on this. Perhaps we have no other option than to play Galbraith there until we get the chance to rectify things in January.

Hull started targeting him at home, and the other teams we played started to follow, and our coaching staff and manager haven't even bothered to protect him, on the pitch or dropping him to the bench.. Cullen played a few shockers early on, dropped to the bench, he came on as a sub and scored at Blackburn, what did Einstein once quip

 

[Londonlisa2001]

Understand your point as he hasn’t created a lot this season so far. Personally feel from what we’ve seen, Galbraith can be creatively important for us, but we’re not helping ourselves with the way our midfield set up works. The 8s just don’t seem to get in the right areas for them to be effective.

It’s cliched at this point but really feels like a 10 is the right way to go if we’re sticking with the 4 at the back and two wingers.

I agree.

None of our team are creating anything at the moment. So being stuck with a fear of moving someone as he is ‘our most creative midfielder’ is pointless.

I’d move him to right back (as I’ve said for a few weeks now) and play a 10.

I like Galbraith but we’re not getting much out of him at the moment. He’s not a midfielder who picks the ball, turns and drives us forward. He’s neat and tidy and from the brief cameo we saw with him at right back can beat a man so I feel we’re wasting him playing as we are. Our midfield is simply not working and he’s the easiest to move.

 

[Dillwyn the Dog]

It's hard to argue with the assessment that he's a pragmatic manager, and it's certainly not a good watch a lot of the time.

But we need to be careful here. I don't think these players are as good as some people are convinced they are. And do we really want to hand the reins to another Pep tribute act manager who believes defending is optional as long as it looks pretty?

It's only 2 months into the season and everyone knows the first 3 months are stop start with internationals disrupting rhythm.

We're 13th. Everyone needs to calm down a bit. Just because Snoop follows us on Twitter it doesn't guarantee anything.

Of course but I’m just scratching my head thinking - was the end of last seasons run in as good as I think or am I not recalling correctly? I thought we played much more positively and if we’d have carried on in that vein we would be be in the top six, especially as Vipotnik started like a train.
Inoussa is an underrated player in my opinion - he can pick out colleagues in the penalty area with almost laser guided precision but we are missing a ten to link it all up. Widdell would be the man but as long as we have this glaring imbalance two 8’s gives us then we are going to struggle to create chances.
I just wonder if O’Dea is more of a handbrake and has convinced Sheehan to play more conservatively. I would agree he was pragmatic but pragmatic managers work out and counteract their opposite numbers. I’m not sure Alan is doing that.

 

[Swansea93]

Of course but I’m just scratching my head thinking - was the end of last seasons run in as good as I think or am I not recalling correctly? I thought we played much more positively and if we’d have carried on in that vein we would be be in the top six, especially as Vipotnik started like a train.
Inoussa is an underrated player in my opinion - he can pick out colleagues in the penalty area with almost laser guided precision but we are missing a ten to link it all up. Widdell would be the man but as long as we have this glaring imbalance two 8’s gives us then we are going to struggle to create chances.
I just wonder if O’Dea is more of a handbrake and has convinced Sheehan to play more conservatively. I would agree he was pragmatic but pragmatic managers work out and counteract their opposite numbers. I’m not sure Alan is doing that.

Being a former CB himself maybe he is insisting on a more cautious approach, he seemed adamant to stick to his principles in his first interview with the club.

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

He used to attack, shoot, cross, overlap

When?

Like, maybe three matches ever?

I don't recall many.

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

But talking about relegation is just ridiculous.

Some of our fans are just stamping their feet, because they think Snoop is our Ryan Reynolds and that of course means we should just be rocketing up the league. We're a Sheehan sacking away from ripping up the division.

It's a really enticing narrative isn't it, but unfortunately football just doesn't work like that, especially in this division. One look at how Wrexham have stalled this season should tell anyone all they need to know about that.