Oxford United 2 - 3 Derby County

comment by lastapostleofvidal (U1491)
posted about 2 hours ago
Sibley showed his quality with his goals. He is always a threat in that position but can he be shoehorned into the team on a regular basis? Would Bird, Knight and Sibley be our best combination right now?
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Those three were good enough to play in the Championship so why shouldn't it work in division 1?

All decent teams have a threat from midfield. I was hoping Knight would become the new Bryson and provide some goals. He has Bryson's energy and enthusiasm and a decent shot but hasn't yet developed his decision making and composure in front of goal. Sibley and Bird also have a decent shot and Sibley has pace and aggression (sometimes a bit too much). We have seen he can score goals but he isn't consistent enough yet. Bird has loads of near misses from his shots on goal. I am certain he has the skill to chip in with a few.

I was hoping Hourihane would have improved our midfield but his good days are exceeded by his bad ones,

I also often think Knight is Bryson minus the goals. He used to score quite freely for the Academy but he definitely needs to be chipping in more often. Hourihane has been disappointingly so-so all season when I had hoped his quality would stand out as McGoldrick's has done. Maybe it's because the football in this division tends to be so frantic there isn't any time in midfield to put a foot on the ball.

All these comments about midfielders raise the question - of all those available, who would be the best three to play together? I think Bird has to be one of them although it would help if he scored more often. I think Knight has to be included for his limitless energy although it would help if he scored more often. The other spot is up for grabs. Hourihane is good at coming away with the ball while under pressure or releasing it to someone else while under pressure although it would help if his free kicks were more effective more often. Smith is so consistently good and reliable although it would help if he scored even once. Thommo is a good back-up but unlikely at present to get a regular slot. I suspect Springett could do well in midfield but I think he would be rather like Knight. That just leaves Sibley and why not? He does score goals and has lots of energy and his aggression seems more controlled now. Does he not deserve an extended run as a number 10? That would mean Didzie playing as CF with two wingers or playing with Collins and one winger (assuming a 4-3-3 formation.)

The good thing about all this is that we do have options although I'm not convinced any of the suggested permutations would be ideal but I would not mind seeing Bird, Knight and Sibley together or Smith instead of Sibley.

I have often wondered why Sibley hasn't replaced Hourihane ( from the start) in a three man midfield with Knight and Bird.

Whether PW considers it too risky due to the temperament of Sibley or the balance offered not quite right?

Those three would be the closest we would get to a 'poor man's version ' of Bryson (Knight), Hendrick (Bird) and Hughes (Sibley) in central midfield.

Worth trying in my opinion.

We need a Thorne. Then any two of the other three would work.

He immediately came to mind Vidal. But that man was a Rolls Royce of a midfielder, rare for us to be blessed with a player of that quality.

#GorgeousGeorge

Or a fit Bielik.

More realistically, a John Eustace.

comment by lastapostleofvidal (U1491)
posted 4 hours, 36 minutes ago
More realistically, a John Eustace.
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More realistically for us, John Eustace himself ...