Woodyard, do we miss him on the pitch? | Page 2 | Vital Football

Woodyard, do we miss him on the pitch?

Have we adapted well - yes. Would his energy, commitment and reliability add to what we have got - yes. So I'm in the we haven't missed him but we would be better off with him camp. In effect it reflects well on the management and team that they have adjusted so well to losing such a cornerstone of the side.
 
Has he been missed. No.
Would I have him back . Yes

To point out the obvious we are top of the league so no player who has moved on could be considered as having been missed. He would however be a valuable member of this squad if he had stayed as evidenced by his start at Posh
 
That's a really difficult question to answer.

Woodyard was almost like a sweeper playing in midfield: he picked up every loose ball in some games, almost sweeping behind the other midfielders, and we do not have a player like that in this side.

Conversely, Woodyard's omission means we are a more potent attacking force because the players replacing him have an attacking bent and a sight on goal that Woodyard never had. Woodyard carried about as big a goal threat as I did from the Co-op Stand, but every player in City's current midfield looks capable of scoring.

Because we have a more attack-minded midfield, there would not be as many loose balls for Woodyard to collect.

It is like asking whether an Aston Martin DB9 is a better car than the DB5: there is no definitive answer, they are both superb but different.
 
There is a thread elsewhere comparing this season so far with 1975-76, but the current midfield reminds me a bit of the Shipley - Cockerill - Turner (Hibberd) unit of 1982: dynamic, energetic, dominant going forward, the threat of a goal heavy in the air.
 
UnbelievableJeff said:
I don't think it is a question that can be answered very easily really. He had a bit of a dogsbody role in our team last year and I think he would have really flourished this year. He is obviously doing well in League One and for me, in this system we play now, I think he would have really shone.

He is missed, as he has shown he has gone on to better things and has excelled so far. The question as to how someone is missed is generally...."Would you still have liked him out on the park?" If, like me, that is a yes. Then he is missed.
Click to expand...
Good summary
 
We’ve moved as has Woodyard. Danny has changed shape and players and it’s a success. If we get promoted it’ll change again. That’s football. Missed Raggs for a bit but who mentions him now ?
 
Woodyard played out his skin for us for two seasons and earned his move to a higher league. But his leaving as made us change our style and the way we set up and we are a far better team for it this season. So no we are not missing him in the team, even though I can see him playing in the championship in the near future.
 
No we definitely are not ..... he didn’t kick it 40 yards last season either.

Good player, but the memory of him is tainted by him going to Posh as it was with Yeo & Gain.
 
My favourite Lincoln player ever. He was a standout in both seasons.

With the emergence of Pett as an attacking CM and Bozzie moving back into the CB role, Woodyard would be invaluable in the middle as a more mobile option to O'Connor. We'd potentially lose a little going forward but with the range of passing the players across the back and midfield have it wouldn't be an issue.

He's good enough to slot into this team and shine again, proven by the fact he captains one of League One's best teams.
 
Really difficult question. Yes, I miss him and what he brings to the side, but we have evolved, successfully so far, with a more attacking style of midfield. We also seem to be getting done the defensive side that he used to bring, maybe with less 'Duracell', but it shows we have adapted, thanks to NC & DC's ability to identify and mould players into a unit capable of chasing promotion. We have the players and style we were missing last year and we clearly have a more attack-minded midfield so in that sense we do not miss him, but life goes on - he's developing his career successfully at a higher level club and our team is developing successfully towards that higher level. Things change - that's football. Onwards and upwards.
 
We have not really missed him as yet as the replacements have done very well.. but Woodyard is incredibly consistent and although not all that young still improving due to late entry into league football.. so obviously hed get back in our team as no.1 midfielder if he was here. He will eventually play comfortably at championship level.
 
You can't argue with being 3 points clear at the top of the league.

To look at it another way however, if it was asked "would getting hold of the captain of a side that was 2nd in the league above improve our team?" the answer we surely be yes wouldn't it?
 
Gaz_Imp said:
Surplus to requirements!? Behave.

Our overall central midfield options are better now, but I’d have him back without question.
Click to expand...

We have a much more attack-minded midfield now and are, therefore, much more dangerous to the opposition.

Woodyard served his purpose in our previous defensive set-up, no doubt, but fitting him in now would change the dynamic and be unnecessarily disruptive.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
 
Norfolk Imp said:
No we definitely are not ..... he didn’t kick it 40 yards last season either.

Good player, but the memory of him is tainted by him going to Posh as it was with Yeo & Gain.
Click to expand...
Don't forget the even greater taint of going to Evans. And both at the same time... Unclean! Unclean!

TPzSapuLoBel.jpg
 
syimp said:
We have a much more attack-minded midfield now and are, therefore, much more dangerous to the opposition.

Woodyard served his purpose in our previous defensive set-up, no doubt, but fitting him in now would change the dynamic and be unnecessarily disruptive.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Click to expand...
Was it a defensive set-up? We scored about 200 goals with with him in the side in two seasons.
 
You can't really say with any real definitive answer.

Different way of playing, different formation (in the main), a different make-up in midfield.

Selling him would also have enabled us to make other signings, just like selling Raggett presumably allowed us to sign Bostwick and Anderson and selling Margetts allowed us to sign Whitehouse. There's always a chain in there somewhere.

Currently top of the league would suggest we aren't missing, but he'd strengthen the team, no doubt about that. We don't currently have anyone in the side who does his job, but again, we're playing differently, so is that kind of player as necessary as the previous two? And as SincilBank states, everyone would snap your hand off if we were about to sign a, currently, top L1 sides Captain - just like we did in January with Frecklington.

As Gaz has already mentioned, Posh fans rate him incredibly highly already. Many are saying he's the one enabling the others to do their thing. Perhaps if we had Andrade/Akinde and pre-season fit Freck and Pett it would have played out differently last season.

In summary, there's no right or wrong answer to the questions because too many things have changed!
 
I recall a long pre-season thread that looked in depth about if we could successfully adapt our style post Woodyard and I know that was my biggest concern. Perhaps that may have been an alternative title for this thread as opposed to whether we miss him in the team. To date I would say that we definitely have adapted and that is no negative reflection on Alex Woodyard's abilities or what he did for The Imps - rather that we are evolving well and those concerns are being put to bed.
 
hulloutpost said:
I recall a long pre-season thread that looked in depth about if we could successfully adapt our style post Woodyard and I know that was my biggest concern. Perhaps that may have been an alternative title for this thread as opposed to whether we miss him in the team. To date I would say that we definitely have adapted and that is no negative reflection on Alex Woodyard's abilities or what he did for The Imps - rather that we are evolving well and those concerns are being put to bed.
Click to expand...

The pre season thread was my inspiration for this thread. I was interested in peoples thinking this far into the season. As well as people saying that we would miss him, a few doubted Petts ability and the legs of Freck and O'Connor pre season too.

I think the sports science boys and the Cowleys deserve great credit for their foresight, tactical nous and above all hard work. After all as DC's new saying goes "the better we do, the harder we'll work". I do miss "we'll try to be the very best version of ourselves"
 
Pett and Frecklington have made sure we don't miss him, and the League position also suggests we don't either. Was bothered when he left though, big boots to fill, and such a hard worker, Pett has taken on that roll and some. UTI.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.