SHA Small Heath Alliance

tebily

Seen this on twitter earlier which shows he's been poor this season beyond just the 'eye test'

Really good insight this. Wouldn’t have said only 2 centre mids in the league pass the ball forward less than JJ.

Statistically Bacuna is our best midfielder based on these metrics. Add in his goals and he’s definitely our best but not only ours but one of the best in the championship.

Bielek was running through treacle tonight but wasn’t playing his natural game.

What’s his natural game?

I really think it's just because it's all still very chaotic and rushed. If we do manage to get a bit more settled in this style of play, then he will look a lot more comfortable. I do think he would benefit having sunjic back in the middle next to him. Might be worth giving bielik a chance at the back but I doubt Rooney would be brave enough to do that just yet.

I think he lacks the athleticism to play this sort of football.

"... to play this sort of football"

... losing football ?

If he’s too slow and cumbersome to play defensive midfield, how would that help our defence if he moved there?

Waggeh

Another one who doesn't really suit the new system.

There has to be a way to get him going again whilst playing more attacking, aggressive football but it'll take a far keener footballing mind than mine to figure it out.

And Rooney's.

Because at least all the play is happening in front of him. I'm pretty sure when we first had him on loan we had him as a defender.

What’s his natural game?

What we saw tonight was NOT progressive football being played through the thirds.

Bielik CAN play that.

The mongrel bastardised system that Rooney played tonight was nonsense .. playground level tactics


Instead of starting with the ref blowing the whistle they should just shout "Chhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrgggggeeeee" - all pile in and hope for the best - oh, sorry, that's what they did do

Dare I say he’s a very good player for a team (like we were) that will sit quite deep, let the opposition have the ball and then counter attack when (in our case recently, Sunjic or Bielik) the two sitters get the ball and bring the wide men into the game?

But if you want your centre mids to dictate the game and make sure they’re the ones to start the attack and bring calm on the ball, then I’m not sure Bielik is the answer to that.

I guess if he was, he’d be playing for Southampton, Leeds or Leicester.

Llanon_joe

Because at least all the play is happening in front of him. I'm pretty sure when we first had him on loan we had him as a defender.

Don’t get that. You still have to pace and run around in the middle of the back four, people are saying he was knackered after 25. I don’t believe that to be true from what I saw. Any player in the modern game has to be capable of running for 90 minutes (more) so unless he’s better than people are saying here he shouldn’t be in the side.

If anything he seem to have a burst of life once we scored. I think him in defence would give him more time on the ball and would be better at starting a passage of play. Just a suggestion. I'm not saying it's the answer to everything. But we have seen quite often now that when we can't get any control in midfield beilik is just a passenger.

I think the idea is we want to be further up the pitch as a team. I’m not quite sure what his role is, what the manager wants from him in this position, and what he can achieve. Though plenty of people whose opinions I respect think he is a key player.