Muamba

[DaveBWFC]

He played pretty well last night imo. He even managed to score a good goal. Surely he's won his place back in the team for league games. What does everyone think?

[Sluffy]

Our defence is shocking - so we need to protect it by playing defensive midfielders in front of it - that means both RNC and Muamba.

Anyway Boyata may be injured and so do we really want Steinsson playing right back (if he's even gets in the squad that is).  Gardner looked bad when he came on as left back on Saturday when Robinson moved over to right back - so we may have to play RNC at right back anyway which means we only have Muamba as a defensive mid field option anyway!

Remember Coyle told us that Muamba wasn't even good enough to get in the squad last week - so God knows what Coyle will end up doing - but yes, as bad as he can be, we need Muamba in the side because without him we are left wide open at the back.

[Weststander]

fcúk me it shows how bad we are in centre mid if we are calling for Muamba to be reinstated. Just another headless chicken in that area of the pitch. Why not, no more shite than the rest of them.

[Big_Sharps]

Our defence is shocking - so we need to protect it by playing defensive midfielders in front of it - that means both RNC and Muamba.

Anyway Boyata may be injured and so do we really want Steinsson playing right back (if he's even gets in the squad that is).  Gardner looked bad when he came on as left back on Saturday when Robinson moved over to right back - so we may have to play RNC at right back anyway which means we only have Muamba as a defensive mid field option anyway!

Remember Coyle told us that Muamba wasn't even good enough to get in the squad last week - so God knows what Coyle will end up doing - but yes, as bad as he can be, we need Muamba in the side because without him we are left wide open at the back.

It could work have them both shielding the back for and then moving over to the flanks either side when we are being attacked to counter for the fact Petrov does not want to track back so he could stay further forward to provide an out ball.

[DaveBWFC]

fcúk me it shows how bad we are in centre mid if we are calling for Muamba to be reinstated. Just another headless chicken in that area of the pitch. Why not, no more shite than the rest of them.

He will offer us more protection in midfield than Pratley and Reo Coker do imo.

Don't start giving me shíte though when he plays shít on Saturday.

[Le God]

Always said his tackling is good but his distribution and decision making undermines it.

if he did what Makalele used to do; make the tackle and just give it to someone else he'd be alright.

[DaveBWFC]

Half the time he doesn't have someone to pass to. Once he wins the ball somebody should be getting close to him so he has a simple pass to make. His tackling and tracking back is better than any other midfield player we have.

[Le God]

Totally agree; our movement is horrific and thats all down to laziness. If you can't be arsed to move into space or support you should fcuk off.

[DaveBWFC]

If you can't be arsed to move into space or support you should fcuk off.

Correct. Too many times we win the ball and then just twat it up the pitch because nobody has made space for themselves.

[Big_Sharps]

Our movement as always been horrific even under Allardyce nobody would move about the pitch, I think maybe decent movement is something that costs a pretty penny.

[DaveBWFC]

Surely decent movement is something the manager and coaches can teach the players to do? You don't need to be Messi to move away from your marker and make a run.

[Big_Sharps]

Surely decent movement is something the manager and coaches can teach the players to do? You don't need to be Messi to move away from your marker and make a run.

I don't know but I am just saying this is not something new for Wanderers sides, it has been going on for a long time.

[Le God]

It's laziness - Even someone who can't play football can move towards the ball can't they?

The only people who do it in our squad is Holden and Mark Davies, and even they dont do it enough.

what other teams don't do it? I can't think of any i've seen recently.

[DaveBWFC]

I don't know but I am just saying this is not something new for Wanderers sides, it has been going on for a long time.

You're right it has been going on for years. Twatting the ball up the pitch used to work for us though. It doesn't anymore and just puts us under more pressure. Something needs to be done about it.

[tomr]

You would think the attack minded players would be moving to the ball/space naturally,i think the problem is we dont have enough attacking/flair players who want the ball to feet.

We have are wingers but they need people to get the ball out wide to them,we dont want them drifting into the middle for it.I just dont think other than mavies we have anyone in the middle who wants the ball.

The thing with Muamba is he shouldnt need a player to be within 5 yards of him so he can make a decent pass.At that level he should be able to knock the ball around for fun.I also think the coaches must be abit at fault because they should be working on his passing day in day out.

[DaveBWFC]

The thing with Muamba is he shouldnt need a player to be within 5 yards of him so he can make a decent pass.At that level he should be able to knock the ball around for fun.I also think the coaches must be abit at fault because they should be working on his passing day in day out.

Ofcourse he should be able to pass better. The problem is he can't. So if we're going to play him for his tackling and tracking back we need other players to help him out. Rather than letting him win the ball and then give it away 2 seconds later.

[Weststander]

My problem with him, apart from the obvious technical deficiencies, is that he ball watches too much and gets caught out of position.

Since he joined us I don't think he's ever played a defensive mid role, which he might be quite good at. Instead he hangs around upfield neither creating or scoring. He's no worse than any of our other lot for doing this but it does meam when we lose the ball up front they tend to have a clear run through to our penalty area.

[DaveBWFC]

I think Muamba tracks back and wins the ball more than any other player we have. It's what he does once he's won the ball that's the problem imo.

[Weststander]

We'll have to disagree Dave. The ball bypasses him too much and runners go by him too easily.

[Rivals_Refugee]

Bolton's other players aren't good enough  to carry a central midfielder who can't pass a ball.Last season when Holden was available it was possible to carry Muamba's lack of ability with the football.If Bolton go into battle with Muamba/Reo Coker as the midfield it's giving up on winning matches,it's just trying to keep the score down.The Championship standard strikers we have need more than two ball winners playing central midfield.It's either Muamba or Reo Coker and I think Reo Coker is the better player.

[DaveBWFC]

We'll have to disagree Dave. The ball bypasses him too much and runners go by him too easily.

I know you don't rate him, from things you've previously posted, but to suggest Muamba doesn't tackle or track back is wrong. That's the best thing he offers us imo.

[Weststander]

I've never thought he was a great tackler, gives away too many fouls for that. What he does do is get in the way and intercept a few things. I've never seen him tackling back in his own area as say Campo would do and he's nowhere near good enough in the air to be a top defender.

As RR says, he is very limited and playing 4-4-2 we can't afford to play a central midfielder who can only spot an out ball by playing it backwards.

[DaveBWFC]

Comparing him to Campo is a little unfair. Campo was a defender playing in midfield so you'd expect him to be better in the air and at tackling. Muamba is much more mobile than Ivan ever was though. I never suggested we play him in a 4-4-2. In my formation Reo Coker and Muamba would be the tacklers in central mindfield and Mark Davies would play inbetween those two. With Eagles, Petrov, Gardner, Kakuta or Tuncay out wide and Ngog up front. In the perfect world I probably wouldn't have any of those players in my midfield. The world isn't perfect though.

[Le God]

I think Muamba tracks back and wins the ball more than any other player we have. It's what he does once he's won the ball that's the problem imo.

I'm with you on this; i think he gets an unfair pasting because we play 4-4-2 too much. To play that style properly you need a lynchpin player like a Barton, Nasri, Silva, Charlie Adam even a bloody Danny Murphy. Someone to take charge. Muamba being asked to do that is ridiculous.

he would be a decent holder in front of the back 4 if we put 2 ball "handlers" in front of him.

[H. Pedersen]

Muamba was better in the Makelele role he held under Megson than he is in Coyle's 4-4-2.  However, it's worth pointing out the team pretty much sucked back then too, so I don't feel it's the answer to our problems.