New central midfielder ?

[Woodcote Royal]

I agree with a lot of that

Sidwell has the work rate to get him there but, in the Premiership, he struggles find the quality required to execute the shot, pass etc.

On the other hand, Harper's current role dictates that he won't often find himself in the right position..........................but when he does, I think he shows greater ability than Sidwell.

[Royal Rother]

Agreed.

[rg6royal]

I agree with a lot of that

Sidwell has the work rate to get him there but, in the Premiership, he struggles find the quality required to execute the shot, pass etc.

On the other hand, Harper's current role dictates that he won't often find himself in the right position..........................but when he does, I think he shows greater ability than Sidwell.

agreed

i am looking forward to seeing harper in a more attacking role next season as he is said to be playing.

[Alan Partridge]

I agree with a lot of that

Sidwell has the work rate to get him there but, in the Premiership, he struggles find the quality required to execute the shot, pass etc.

On the other hand, Harper's current role dictates that he won't often find himself in the right position..........................but when he does, I think he shows greater ability than Sidwell.

and that's why Chelsea have signed him.....

[Woodcote Royal]

If you spent less time on Torquay message boards you might be able to keep up with debates on HNA?

[Alan Partridge]

If you spent less time on Torquay message boards you might be able to keep up with debates on HNA?

LOL to be fair.

[Mr Angry]

Wow; a thread entitled "New Central Midfielder" and what do we get; 7 pages of Woodcote slagging off sidwell!



As Mr Mad's squeeze would say; "Surprise surprise"

[Woodcote Royal]

Settle down, Chuck.

[Mr Angry]

I just wonder who you will be slagging off this season now Sidwell has gone and Hunt has signed a new contract???

Maybe Coppell cos he is so thick as to not play your dream central midfield pairing of Oster and Gunnarsson every game?

[Alan Partridge]

I just wonder who you will be slagging off this season now Sidwell has gone and Hunt has signed a new contract???

Maybe Coppell cos he is so thick as to not play your dream central midfield pairing of Oster and Gunnarsson every game?

don't forget Dean Morgan up front and Andy Hughes at left back.

[rg6royal]

I just wonder who you will be slagging off this season now Sidwell has gone and Hunt has signed a new contract???

Maybe Coppell cos he is so thick as to not play your dream central midfield pairing of Oster and Gunnarsson every game?

don't forget Dean Morgan up front and Andy Hughes at left back.

ouch !

[Woodcote Royal]

I just wonder who you will be slagging off this season now Sidwell has gone and Hunt has signed a new contract???

Maybe Coppell cos he is so thick as to not play your dream central midfield pairing of Oster and Gunnarsson every game?

I have never said this, or anything vaguely like it, about Oster and Gunnarsson and it's a pretty sad day when you have to resort to this kind of cr@p to make your point.

I'm not alone in feeling that Sidwell failed to live up to expectations last season whereas you clearly disagree...................deal with it.

[Mr Angry]

Pardon?

For the record, I thought that Sid could - and should - have scored far more goals than he did (I have replayed the miss against Wigan time and time again and still can't understand how he missed it!!), and that there were times when he was clearly outclassed in the centre of mid; but my point is that in those games ANY of Coppell's other midfield options would have fared no better, and most would have fared significantly worse (IMHO).

Furthermore, if Skyline and I got a pound everytime you expressed your view that Oster and/or Gunnarsson should be played instead of Sidwell, I suspect our season tickets would have been paid for!!!

Incidentally, of course I have dealt with Sidwell going, as I dealt with Forster, Cureton, Quinn, Senior, Friday and every other ex Reading player who has left - you know very well what my view is on ex players (players, managers, chairman, even grounds come and go, so don't get emotionally attached to them); however, it seems to me (and I suspect that I'm not alone) that it is those who were beside themselves with righteous indignation that Sidwell could dare turn down a contract with us that have failed to "deal with it".

See you on the 15th!

[Hoop Blah]

By the way, the 'attacking' midfielder Steve Sidwell is also much better defensively than James Harper ever will be.

Not sure I'd agree with that.

Sidwell may well go charging about flying into more tackles than Harper, but that doesn't equate to being better defensively.

[g]

Only reason Sidwell was played because he was Coppells dream boy like Wright was for him before. He failed to live up to expectations and though he was good, I was more annoyed with his position consistantly being assured no matter how bad he dropped in form, and sidwell had plently of awful games last season. Glad to see him go, and glad to see Gunnarson given a chance.

Imagine if Gunnarson/Oster or anyone else got the same support Coppell gave Sidwell; I am sure they would have taken the opportunity and shone, despite Gunnarson only getting short appearances, I have been impressed with him and he will do much better in the midfield with harper than sidwell.

If there was any positions last seasons for improvement, it would have been midfield; lack of possession, lack of goals, and lack of assists.

Bring it (the changes) on.

[Gordons Cumming]

Only reason Sidwell was played because he was Coppells dream boy like Wright was for him before. He failed to live up to expectations and though he was good, I was more annoyed with his position consistantly being assured no matter how bad he dropped in form, and sidwell had plently of awful games last season. Glad to see him go, and glad to see Gunnarson given a chance.

Imagine if Gunnarson/Oster or anyone else got the same support Coppell gave Sidwell; I am sure they would have taken the opportunity and shone, despite Gunnarson only getting short appearances, I have been impressed with him and he will do much better in the midfield with harper than sidwell.

If there was any positions last seasons for improvement, it would have been midfield; lack of possession, lack of goals, and lack of assists.

Bring it (the changes) on.

BTW Full marks for your creatively original username.

I think Bikey will play more games in midfield than he does in defence this season.

[mzungu_royal]

Only reason Sidwell was played because he was Coppells dream boy like Wright was for him before. He failed to live up to expectations and though he was good, I was more annoyed with his position consistantly being assured no matter how bad he dropped in form, and sidwell had plently of awful games last season. Glad to see him go, and glad to see Gunnarson given a chance.

Imagine if Gunnarson/Oster or anyone else got the same support Coppell gave Sidwell; I am sure they would have taken the opportunity and shone, despite Gunnarson only getting short appearances, I have been impressed with him and he will do much better in the midfield with harper than sidwell.

If there was any positions last seasons for improvement, it would have been midfield; lack of possession, lack of goals, and lack of assists.

Bring it (the changes) on.

BTW Full marks for your creatively original username.

I think Bikey will play more games in midfield than he does in defence this season.

thats a good shout as Sonks and Ingimarsson have occupied defence for such a long time. But perhaps Oster and Gunnarsson need to be given a chance in midfield, to show us what they are all about. SC didn't give Oster too much of a chance and i'd like to see him be given that chance. Gunnarsson had some good pre-season matches appearances and good matches last season, so i would like him to play more games along side eitheer Bikey, Harps or Oster in CM

[Tilehurst Mike]

We keep saying we need a new central midfielder to replace Sidwell?

Cisse? Maybe.................but I think there is a ready made replacement and he's been here a year now.

We have plenty of centre backs so it makes sense to put our Bikey into the midfield role.

He may be a bit raw, may need to improve his passing and decision making but what do you think?

The boy is improving all the time.

Like AP, Torquay is my second team due to family connections in the area.
In his early days, Ingimarrson played in midfield when on loan at Torquay and also sometimes at Brentford. He was very successful. Perhaps he is the answer to fill a midfield void now that we have so many other centre backs??

[Platypuss]

Only reason Sidwell was played because he was Coppells dream boy like Wright was for him before. He failed to live up to expectations and though he was good, I was more annoyed with his position consistantly being assured no matter how bad he dropped in form, and sidwell had plently of awful games last season. Glad to see him go, and glad to see Gunnarson given a chance.

I agree, SC is a complete cretin for choosing to field his bumboys rather than clearly superior players. How that donkey Ian Wright ever managed to get a game is beyond me also.

COPPELL OUT!

[FinchOwl]

It will be Gunn and Harper to start the season, and finally harper will be allowed to play the position that best suits him(IMHO) as an attacking midfielder. I have always felt he has had a better range of passing and better skills than Sidwell, but Sid was always percieved to be the better goalscorer so was given the more advanced role if you like when they played together. When Harper fist came to this club he was a bloke who could excite the crowd by taking people on, this has been lost over the years due to the systems and personnel employed by Mr Pardew and Coppell(which is in no way an attack on either, its just the way it has been, and in the most very successful) I am interested to see if Harper can rediscover this lost 'magic' and be our creative force, whilst Gunn holds in a deeper position. I was never Sidwells greatest fan, as i believed his 'energy and drive' often masked his failings, but dont get me wrong, he was a great player for this club. This aside we still need one more midfielder for the centre of the park, but i am of the opinion that Gunn and Harper will make a very good partnership, and we all have to accept that the balance of the team will be slightly affected by this permanent change of personnel in the midfield after 4 years of the Sidwell/Harper combo