How the opposition fans view us.....

[brendywendy]

surely thats how harps and sidwell always played too innit?!

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

agree about matejovsky
did something similar with defenders in close attendance, in front of the north east corner
seems to be so good, you can give him th eball when hes being marked and hell still manage to do something with it

When I watch Arsenal games I am always astounded how they can pass to people who are under pressure and they still come out with the ball. Hleb used to be excellent at collecting balls under pressure, for instance. If Marek can do that, then we'll be on the ladder to Arsenal heights!

It comes from having a coaching culture which puts emphasis on ball control rather than "knocking the ball into channels" or playing it through for a player with pace to run on to.

[brendywendy]

its probably why he hasnt really shone for us yet
im sure that the ability to recieve the ball underpressure is not something the rest of our players are used to, and probably go for an easier ball instead

bit like modrich for spurs before harry got hold of him

[Shane Long=Legend]

I personally think marek doesnt fit into our team unless its part of a 5 man midfield, playing him next to a harper or a cisse might not be accommodating enough. He looked good against bristol as a sub in the first team and starting in the reserves, but i wouldnt change the midfield at the moment, i only have him as my 5th choice centre mid behind harps, cisse, jem n gunnar. Just because he might be the best player or have the most international caps, doesnt mean he is part of the best team.

[handbags_harris]

Secondly, why does everyone insist on a 'defensive midfielder' and an 'attacking midfielder'. Why can't they both be up and down...

What, like Gerrard and Lamplard you mean...?

[winchester_royal]

I personally think marek doesnt fit into our team unless its part of a 5 man midfield, playing him next to a harper or a cisse might not be accommodating enough. He looked good against bristol as a sub in the first team and starting in the reserves, but i wouldnt change the midfield at the moment, i only have him as my 5th choice centre mid behind harps, cisse, jem n gunnar. Just because he might be the best player or have the most international caps, doesnt mean he is part of the best team.

ALOL.

Along with your Marcus thread, you have just lost all credibilty.

Marek is twice the player of Gunnar and Jem put together, so to suggest that he should be 5th choice is quite frankly ridiculous.

[Sun Tzu]

I think I'd be right in saying that Marek is a long way from being our most capped international midfielder...... Bryn has 10 times as many caps.

He's clearly a very skilful player and I suspect we are going to have a rather fluid approach to our midfield this season. Different combinations, mid game changes, unconventional formations in some periods.

Pretty good to have 5 very competent players in a position many saw as a major weakness not long ago and I don't feel it is possible (or useful) to rank them in pecking order as Coppell will use them the best way he sees fit in each game.

[Rex]

as Marek has come back from injury and had 10 minutes against erby and 10 mmins against Bristol City, i so love people who judge him on the here and now. He has class (Liverpool goal for instance!!!). His chip and step over and pass down the right wing at Derby show the potential of the man.

[Shane Long=Legend]

I personally think marek doesnt fit into our team unless its part of a 5 man midfield, playing him next to a harper or a cisse might not be accommodating enough. He looked good against bristol as a sub in the first team and starting in the reserves, but i wouldnt change the midfield at the moment, i only have him as my 5th choice centre mid behind harps, cisse, jem n gunnar. Just because he might be the best player or have the most international caps, doesnt mean he is part of the best team.

ALOL.

Along with your Marcus thread, you have just lost all credibilty.

Marek is twice the player of Gunnar and Jem put together, so to suggest that he should be 5th choice is quite frankly ridiculous.

I dont doubt that perhaps he is our most talented midfielder. Just to say that the best players dont make the best team all the time. Look at the lampard-gerrard debate. The only player we have seen marek play with to any real extent was harper in the middle, and though this was in the prem whilst we were on a bad run, apart from the goal vs liverpool and derby (where i would have looked good in midfield) I just think he shouldnt be ahead of the players that have already excelled this season- everyone will say he is a much better player than karacan, but im a massive fan of jem's apart from him maybe being a bit too lightweight.

[AF1]

as Marek has come back from injury and had 10 minutes against erby and 10 mmins against Bristol City, i so love people who judge him on the here and now. He has class (Liverpool goal for instance!!!). His chip and step over and pass down the right wing at Derby show the potential of the man.

'greed

a class act, the real McCoys

[Ian Royal]

I personally think marek doesnt fit into our team unless its part of a 5 man midfield, playing him next to a harper or a cisse might not be accommodating enough. He looked good against bristol as a sub in the first team and starting in the reserves, but i wouldnt change the midfield at the moment, i only have him as my 5th choice centre mid behind harps, cisse, jem n gunnar. Just because he might be the best player or have the most international caps, doesnt mean he is part of the best team.

ALOL.

Along with your Marcus thread, you have just lost all credibilty.

Marek is twice the player of Gunnar and Jem put together, so to suggest that he should be 5th choice is quite frankly ridiculous.

It's the old Lampard & Gerrard question he poses though isn't it... Do you play your two best players (Harper & Marek) or play the best combination of players (not Harper & Marek). 5th Choice is clearly the lure from this poster though.

Personally whilst Marek came on and did ok. I didn't see any sort of jaw dropping drool worthy performance.

He came on had one excellent moment, some fairly good points and then gave the ball away with an atrocious pass as well.

Personally I agree that a midfield 3 of Harper, Marek and one of Jem, Cisse and Gunnar would be pretty tasty. But it would involve changing the way we play quite considerably. Not necessarily for the worst.

Say for example SHunt goes in January a line up of:

...........................Doyle
Kebe...............................................NHunt
...............Cisse, Matejovski, Harper

Would look pretty good to me and still fairly darn attacking.

[brendywendy]

He came on had one excellent moment, some fairly good points and then gave the ball away with an atrocious pass as well.

it depends if you want to play it safe, and sideways ala harper, or actually try to create something
taking the risk that occasionally it wont come off


like that formation though

[Amongst the sheep]

I personally think marek doesnt fit into our team unless its part of a 5 man midfield, playing him next to a harper or a cisse might not be accommodating enough. He looked good against bristol as a sub in the first team and starting in the reserves, but i wouldnt change the midfield at the moment, i only have him as my 5th choice centre mid behind harps, cisse, jem n gunnar. Just because he might be the best player or have the most international caps, doesnt mean he is part of the best team.

ALOL.

Along with your Marcus thread, you have just lost all credibilty.

Marek is twice the player of Gunnar and Jem put together, so to suggest that he should be 5th choice is quite frankly ridiculous.

I agree. He is our most talented player and one I was worried we would lose before the seasn started. He has been out of the spotlight due to injury which may help us. When he is playing every week watch us go!

[Dirk Gently]

.......Marek is twice the player of Gunnar and Jem put together, so to suggest that he should be 5th choice is quite frankly ridiculous.

I agree. He is our most talented player and one I was worried we would lose before the seasn started. He has been out of the spotlight due to injury which may help us. When he is playing every week watch us go!

He is definitely our most talented player but so was Tony Rougier! Sometimes the quality that you need from a team isn't necessarily what comes from the most talented players - you need the most appropriate and effective for the particular game.

For all his skills, Marek can't tackle to save his life - and without the ball all his skills count for nothing. Someone else can win it, yes but that other player has to be everywhere to cover, so it's impacting us elsewhere.

I'm certainly not saying that he shouldn't play - just that the fact that he is the most talented shouldn't automatically mean a place in the team, which is more about 11 people who play well together and have the skills which are most appropriate and effective, not just the "best."

[Blue_Elm]

I personally think that Matejovsky will be an excellent player either long term for RFC or elsewhere. I can honestly see Man United or one of the other biggys coming in for him eventually, teams that will win the ball back for players who cant tackle. Re: Christiano Ronaldo at Manure.

[Huntley & Palmer]

I personally think that Matejovsky will be an excellent player either long term for RFC or elsewhere. I can honestly see Man United or one of the other biggys coming in for him eventually, teams that will win the ball back for players who cant tackle. Re: Christiano Ronaldo at Manure.

ALOL

[Great Knolly]

Harps isn't much of a tackler. He just runs around a lot and closes people down/stands people up etc. I'm sure Marek can do some of that.

[Dirk Gently]

The real problem is that Marek tackles by hanging his leg out and just leaving it there, which in English football is an invitation for the opposition player to fall over it. Happened 3 or 4 times last year in very dangerous positions, resulting in at least 2 goals conceded.

[Great Knolly]

Know what you mean. Do you think it's correctable ? Or is it congenital like with Scholes ?

[Archie's penalty]

I think it's just the way he's been coached (or probably not coached). Talented players seem to get off scot-free when it comes to doing more prosaic things like tackling. I mean if you were a Man united or Reading coach would you spend lots of time trying to get Scholes and Matejovsky to tackle properly or honing the things that make them great in an offensive sense?

For these reasons I think the much maligned Harper should remain in the team.