hulloutpost
Vital Champions League
All part of the evolution DC talks of. Energetic/combative less technically gifted midfield players like Whitehouse, Power and Woodyard have been replaced by older more experienced or technically better players like Freck, Pett and O'Connor. The new style leads to play that is easier on the eye, more creative but is more vulnerable. It is essential with our current midfield that we retain the ball more and dictate the pace of the game. The reality is that in L2 you do not get highly gifted young players that can do everything so it is a case of working hard on a system that can be relied upon to be effective most of the time. Perhaps Ellis is being groomed for the role of providing the legs in midfield whilst maintaining playing ability. If DC feels he is not quite ready yet we may see another battling central midfielder brought in to shake things up if we are struggling like today or provide a boost of energy to see out the last half hour of a match.