Is McGree the difference?

Isnt this so obviously about the injuries?

We get a couple of players back and start playing better.
The problem is that we have so many injured players out - it has been for ages.
 
B_G said:
I think it's just the two of them coming in is giving us a lot more quality in the final third.
The 7 behind them have been playing well all season. We've just been struggling to move the ball quickly enough and produce the quality in the final third.

It is still concerning that we don't have any goals from our no9 or no10 (penalty aside) in 8 matches.
Click to expand...
Conway at home to Preston. Manu was unlucky not to score in last 2 games, it will come. Azaz will score goals too
 
McGree is probably the best footballer in the division when he's fit. Teams just can't cope with his movement off the ball and he's crucial to enabling us to play through the lines.

He's also different to Azaz when he plays on the left because Azaz had a tendency to come inside and stay there, which led to us being unbalanced and the LB exposed, whereas McGree has the intelligence to recognise when to drift out to the left and occupy the space.
 
The problem we have that I'm not sure there is a solution to is that our left sided midfielder is expected to drift inside which leaves the left back with no one to pass to. McGree was everywhere apart from left mid last night.

We get away with when playing well. When not we get torn apart.
 
edinboro said:
The problem we have that I'm not sure there is a solution to is that our left sided midfielder is expected to drift inside which leaves the left back with no one to pass to. McGree was everywhere apart from left mid last night.

We get away with when playing well. When not we get torn apart.
Click to expand...
It can work but most importantly, the left central midfielder needs to be incredibly mobile and fit. In MOrris we have someone who can do this.
Also, It's not necessarily about going man for man, its about other players pressing in the right manner to regain the ball or prevent a quick break into the exposed areas. When we press for pressing sake is when we get exposed in that area.
 
I think it's more how he plays that's important. People rave about him, which I think is over the top, but since we lost Chuba and Crooks we don't have that foothold further up the pitch and Mcgree gives us that.

He holds onto the ball really well and only plays one touch at the right times in the right places. He's very difficult to get off the ball and just seems to allow players like Azaz and Hackney to play with more confidence.

Its no surprise that Hackneys driving runs with the ball are far more successful (and often) with him in the team, he just seems to knit things together.

I think there's far more to come from him if he can have a consistent injury free run but also feel we need a back up for him in terms of a player who can keep the ball in the same way.

I do wonder if that's what Hamilton might become as he's definitely not what I thought he was (a pacy wide player like Doak) and his cameo at Sunderland maybe suggested he could play in a similar way to Chuba, dropping off, holding up and then bursting forward without the ball.

So yes Mcgree is the difference.
 
BoroPhil said:
What is that on his leg (via Inside Matchday)


View attachment 81866
Click to expand...

Riley is a key ambassador for the International Kangaroo Protection Alliance (IKPA), and over the summer whilst back in his native Australia and actively raising awareness for the IKPA he came across the heart breaking story of a young Joey who's parents had both unfortunately passed away.

Riley being Riley adopted the tiny kangaroo and has since been rearing him as his own over here on Teesside.

As part of this he straps the Joey to his calf to try and recreate the pouch scenario that Joeys would normally spend the first few months of their lives in.

During games Woodgate keeps the Joey in a bumbag, nice and warm, but as soon as McGree is subbed off you will see the kitman strapping the little Joey back to Riley's calf.

Just lovely.
 
MichaelDebeve said:
We seem like a much more balanced side since he has come back into the 11.

Borges less exposed, and we now seem to have that extra body in the midfield when he drifts inside (see the goal last night, edge of their box but on the right).

I know Doak is rightly getting rave reviews for his raw and exciting impact in the last 2 games, but I think a huge amount of credit goes to Riley too (2 assists in 2 games .... I wont mention his balloon miss last night - the wally).

....... cue a d*cking by Watford at the weekend.
Click to expand...
I said this at the weekend - the answer to your question is 100% yes. Mcgree's left peg offers us every bit of balance we were BADLY missing. And will miss it almost instantly when he isn't in the side - we have no replacement which is worrying given Mcgree's injury record.
He is creative too and brings Azaz more into the game in a way that Conway wouldn't most probably.

Mcgree offering that threat and balance down the left means we are not just offering a threat down the right with Doak so the opposition's attention has to be split between the two obvious but, different kinds of threats Doak and Mcgree present.
Doak would not be anywhere near as effective if he was the only real threat because they would double up everytime and they cant do that currently - not everytime - especially when we move the ball quickly enough across the field.
In many ways it has highlighted a weakness we have in that, when Mcgree is out, we look one dimensional and predictable because we have no-one to stretch us down the left - interesting that Carrick brought young McCormick on for Mcgree for 10 mins at the end the other night and perhaps he is testing him in case we need someone in there if Mcgree picks up yet another injury.
It might be that Carrick was just shoring up the game bringing McCormack on at left Mid and that's probably closer to why he did it.
 
festa5 said:
I think he'll be very useful when teams sit deep against us. He's good in tight spaces and at the quick interplay. Very good football brain.

Especially now Hackney is firing it hopefully won't be quite so easy to sit in and frustrate us as McGree, Hackney and Azaz are all very capable of playing those little triangles etc to open teams up.
Click to expand...
Agree - McGree can open up teams who sit deeper with his vision in tight spaces - a bit like Azaz but we suddenly have 2 who can do that and a direct speedster runner in doak offering something different.
In the Brizzle city will likely sit off us, as will Coventry and QPR but Sheff Utd, Norwich and likely Watford will push onto us.
 
MichaelDebeve said:
Riley is a key ambassador for the International Kangaroo Protection Alliance (IKPA), and over the summer whilst back in his native Australia and actively raising awareness for the IKPA he came across the heart breaking story of a young Joey who's parents had both unfortunately passed away.

Riley being Riley adopted the tiny kangaroo and has since been rearing him as his own over here on Teesside.

As part of this he straps the Joey to his calf to try and recreate the pouch scenario that Joeys would normally spend the first few months of their lives in.

During games Woodgate keeps the Joey in a bumbag, nice and warm, but as soon as McGree is subbed off you will see the kitman strapping the little Joey back to Riley's calf.

Just lovely.
Click to expand...
OMG - Makes me like McGree even more!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top