The Midfield

[T8AD365]

He is at the moment because we bypass the middle of the pitch at hoof it aimlessly into the channels… read any serious football correspondents or managers and they all speak so highly of Grimes - he’s been an ever present for years, why? Because he’s a brilliant ball player in the right team.

I agree, in this set up… he’s as good as useless

I've had a season ticket for the last 3 seasons and he was a nonentity under Martin as well, just played the ball straight back to whoever passed it to him every time.

It is baffling that he's been ever present. If he's so highly thought of, why hasn't anyone come in for him? Even Martin didn't think he was worth going for in the summer

 

[Baron Goblet]

Not sure about all of this. Looks like a big moan to me which is fair enough we all need an outlet.

The team is struggling and we are certainly in a bad patch.

Would like to see more of Cooper and Cullen.

Grimes is Grimes. Capable and consistent. Like Toyota.

 

[cmajack]

If you think Grimes is our problem, you need help

Everyone is having a pop at Grimes and rightly so for last nights performance, but in a footballing side he's a decent championship player. I don't think he's a captain though. Fulton to me is a bigger waste of space, offers absolutely nothing protecting the defence , doesn't create anything going forward and just plays 5 or 10 yard passes backwards and sideways to Grimes and the defence. A complete and utter donkey who shouldn't be near any championship side.

 

[Captain_Sham]

There is a perfect word for our midfield. Flimsy. That is all.

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

I've never been a fully paid up member of the Grimes Fan Club, but honestly, anyone thinking he's a/the problem here needs their head examining.

Let's not forget how many times the last couple of seasons that Grimes and Fulton would regularly pass other teams off the park.

You don't go from that, to the shite we've seen from them this season, without good reason.

The buck stops with Duff and the League 2 gruel he serves up.

 

[cadleigh]

I know Duff is the easy target tonight but a special mention for how woeful the midfield were.

Grimes and Patino looked like they didn't want to be there and Fulton was all over the shop.
We looked half solid defensively for 65 minutes but every time we came away with the ball the 3 in midfield would just piss is away. Averaging 75% pass completion between them is just negligent.

Spot on. I thought Pedersen was an upgrade on what we had before (not hard I know) and the rugby tackle that gave away the penalty aside, the defence were a LOT better than in any other game this season. As I said last night, Tymon doesn't look to me like he has the pace to play the LWB role. During the first half, Sky showed a stat on the proportion of our attacks that came through the left, right or centre and hardly anything was going up the left. But defensively, the back 5 did OK as a unit. It was Grimes' relentless passing backwards that was primarily responsible for the lack of supply to our forwards, who were out of the game for most of the time as a result. (Patino looked lost in the role he was asked to play and Fulton also has to share responsibility, but as captain and the closest thing we have to a player expected to act as a playmaker, Grimes was particularly to blame.)

Is that down to Duff and his coaching team, how they set up the squad, the tactical changes they made (or failed to make) and their substitutions? Of course it is, just like it was down to Martin and his team when we went through those long dismal stretches last season and the season before. But the players have a duty to step up, and last night the midfield looked like they weren't interested.