We’ve been doing well of late, but since the injury to Tom Rogic a little of the buzz, a little of the snap, a little of the flare has gone out of our performances.
Those of us who thought having two out and out attacking midfielders in the team was a bad move are already re-thinking it. We’ve seen, in the last few weeks, what happens when we don’t.
Don’t get me wrong; we won yesterday and we deserved to.
We won in Hungary and we deserved to.
But Tom Rogic’s absence has been keenly felt these past few weeks.
He has been a great player for us in this campaign and we don’t look the same without him.
The manager has spotted this of course; Ange wants to bring another attacking midfielder to the club in the window, and it’s definitely needed when you consider that a few short years ago we had Christie, Rogic, McGregor and Armstrong competing in a position where we have become weaker even for the signing of David Turnbull.
Of course, Ange has repurposed McGregor as our defensive midfielder and Christie is no longer with us.
The area of midfield where we looked weakest – defensive midfield – now, ironically, looks far stronger with Bitton, McGregor, McCarthy and Soro in the squad not to mention some of the fringe players who can deputise there at a pinch.
The style lends itself to two out and out attacking players, and we’ve been deprived of that with the injury to Tom and although there are some games when a little more cautious an approach is needed the overall balance doesn’t seem right without them.
Apart from the injury to Rogic, we plainly can’t rely on playing the same two footballers over and over and over again, every week, for a whole campaign, and especially not one which is this long, so we do badly need reinforcements in this area.
Tom has been brilliant for us, and the manager has done something a lot of folk thought was unthinkable; he’s turned him into a 90- minute footballer. At the start of the season I’d have thought he was certain to go … now he seems like one of the indispensible cogs in the wheel, so much so that we just don’t look the same force without him.
January will strengthen this critical area … and not before time.
Spot on James, we badly need him. At his best Rogic twists and turns past defensive midfielders with a swashbuckling style, the ball seemingly glued to his feet. I hope he can stay fit cause yip his drive makes the difference. Another attacking midfielder like Tom is not gonna be easy to find but who knows with Ange. These four points is still a worrying place to be for me but looking back we’ve certainly had a lot to contend with. I’m still living in hope that we can cross that line first. HH
Too right, badly missed however, and I’m sorry to change the subject but, I’ve never seen so many orange topped hillbillies escape b4 injury time…..fking love it and balls fair to the Hibees!
Stickin it right up those hillbilly halfwits!!!
Where’s the fear and loathing?
The problem is Rogic is too delicate. We need a player with his vision and skill but with the relative indestructability of a Scott Brown, and to that player Rogic would be back-up.
Who that player is I do not know but hopefully Ange does and signs him in January…
Spot on Seppington. He was brilliant recently especially against Hibs. But as you state, he is too delicate. Long periods out over the last few years. Going forward I’m confident Ange has identified someone who can come in and create chances for Kyogo. Seen yesterday a good ball into the right area and they are all over the place.
If you believe that Tom is the answer to our midfield inadequacies then your standards are lower than mine. Full praise to him for his improved contribution this season, but he is still too often too predictable and/or too soft, at least within the present squad. Our midfield lacks some grit at times, and Tom will not provide that. I’ve long thought that Ralston is our toughest player, and his contribution this season has been admirable, and in my opinion this has helped those around and in front of him.
Perhaps it is just the balance of the team that is sometimes missing but I believe we are still badly missing a creative central midfielder.
Two attacking midfielders? Surely you’re not including Turnbull in that category? He slows down every attack we make, he creates nothing going forward, so onefooted its embarrassing, got to be the most overrated player we have.