Double Injury KO For Reds

The news last night that Henri Lansbury would be out with 3 months with a horrendous sounding fractured lower back. It is understood he sustained the injury in the game versus Yeovil. It had me racking my brain thinking of exactly what and when he did. I can recall an early nasty looking coming together with their full back McAllister but this was right at the start of the game.

But that’s beside the point; the main thing is the huge loss that this represents as Lansbury has been integral to so much of what we have done right. The combination of him, Reid and Vaughan for me started to turn this season around, and without them, we may lack that bit of extra quality that could see us go up automatically. Considering we are already seeing fixture pile up. Extra pressure on those players remaining who may have seen rotation and resting could bring about a breaking point.

What it represents is extra pressure on the existing players, and also Billy and Fawaz to try and secure a player to fill in for the prolonged period of absence for Vaughan and Lansbury. Dorrans name has already appeared, as has Guedioura's. A few are even touting Jonathan Williams also from palace name around as they have announced they are looking into a loan for him as he won't get much playing time with Ledley's arrival at palace. Wes Hoolahan who has completely fallen out at Norwich and has promotion experience is another obvious potential target that said he's potentially in temperamental mood, but that does mean he has something to prove. He would be a player to get forward, and might not fir that deeper role, but at times like this in this injury crisis you have to look at what the best available options out there. Is he better than the alternatives already in place?

Moussi has shone again recently, and one has to think he will be stepping up to play more after looking earlier this year like his Forest career was all but over. Majewski will surely have a strong chance to claim a spot and see Reid drop deeper out of necessity. Any regular reader knows that I get extremely frustrated by Majewski, his lack of consistency being a major bugbear. Greening was on the bench against Preston and this might well occur a few more times. Whether it could mean playing time for a youngster coming through from the ranks is also a possibility. Osborne has appeared on the bench, but he's more of an attacking midfielder, David Morgan who always looked likeliest to break through for the past few years is on loan at Tamworth, and only making their bench. Jack Blake is a name mentioned before and he had a period with Mansfield on loan in October. So it makes the loan market look far more likely.

Lansbury will be back. In time for maybe the playoffs, as will Vaughan (and maybe Cohen) so it's not as if their seasons are over. It will take time for them to reintegrate and get back form when they do return. I'll be honest, both Vaughan and Lansbury's injuries are new ones to me, I have no idea of the long term impacts of whether they will be prone to such injuries again, or if it could have an impact on other areas of the body. With any injury for a period of time there is always risk of it flaring up in some other way. For now though, we just have to get through these next months without a major talisman for the team.

 

Forest Facing Battle to Keep Crown Jewels

The downside to any team performing well and especially younger players playing well is that those prize assets will attract attention from bigger fish. Those bigger fish being namely Premiership clubs. Those prize assets being Jamaal Lascelles, Karl Darlow and Henri Lansbury. Yes there are other players playing well (namely Reid) but these 3 have youth on their side and therefore investment potential.

Jamaal Lascelles

There has been rumours for a short while about Lascelles and Darlow being scouted, and many top clubs will have known the potential Lansbury had for a while, and is now realising. The other part of this is that Lansbury game is adapting and evolving and making him more appealing.

The battle is whether we sell for reinvestment opportunities and strengthen the squad. Yes we have cash but we cannot simply ignore and flout Financial Fair Play. Similarly any player has a price, and if someone offers a silly one, and just a very good one would we snap their hands off?

Every player is replaceable, no-one isn't. Lascelles is performing well but by rights he shouldn't have ever had this chance to shine, which he hasn't grasp with both hands, but grappled it to the ground and pummelled into submission, he has taken it so well. He was of course very strongly linked with Arsenal a few years ago. At the start of this season he was being linked with League One loans, namely Cheltenham. Now that's a distant memory.

Karl Darlow

Darlow has grown into a fine keeper. The expectation is with a younger keeper is that there ill be a few errors in the game, stuff he learns to adapt and get better. Not Darlow, he has not really made too many glaring howlers or allowed some bad habits to creep into his game. Indeed he has kept Dorus de Vries as firmly his number 2.

Henri Lansbury when he arrived was regarded as more a creative attacking midfielder, or indeed a wide man. Through necessity and his own development he can now play that deeper role too, and has taken on the mantle of the no.10 shirt very well. This season started with him weighing in with a few more goals, and has now seen him putting in some excellent deeper lying midfielder role.

Henri Lansbury

Now the type of club is the type that many will immediately scoff are not a bigger club and why would they go there. But they are in the Premier League, the holy grail. It is unclear if we will make it this season even if we give it a good go. And for all the calls for Billy for the board to make investment and secure promotion anything could happen. Even Davies would admit every player has a price.

But you only need look at some teams established in the top flight for teams who held on to their top talent. Southampton being a prime example, who held on to top youngsters and are now reaping those rewards as those players improve with them. Lallana and Schneiderlein attracted lots of attention previously. They held, and now look at where they are.

Southampton are ironically one of the linked clubs, with Darlow, as they struggle to settle on a keeper to go forward. Sunderland, and Hull were linked earlier this season. Lascelles has been linked with Spurs amongst others, again Sunderland and Aston Villa. And Villa were also being linked with Lansbury not long ago, along side other mid table Premiership clubs.

We aren't alone. Derby young stars are similarly attracting interest. Will Hughes is a prime example. And would clubs do a Palace and sell now and then loan back, or just sell and reinvest? Or do well hold on and see what could be a peak price drop and lose for nothing, like with McGugan?

Bournemouth Match Report

Cherry’s Pip At The Last
Well I said it. I said that ridiculous Post piece could haunt us. And it truly did. I hope the author, the now infamous True Red and the Post can look at themselves for knowing that did play a part in rallying the Bournemouth fans and players into performing. They have admitted as much in a piece in Bournemouths local paper. I know one person was protesting (a little too) loudly that it was a joke, but even so, it gave Bournemouth a focus.

My friend turned to me during the game and said we’re going to be punished for these missed chances and truly we were. Although some have suggested the ref was bad, any decision he made didn’t truely affect the game for me, but merely added to frustrations of the fans at our incompetence in front of goal.

The match stats speak loudly. We had 21 shots to their 14, but had the same amount on target. We had the lionshare of possession. But the one stat that matters is that bounrmeouth “lowly little Bournemouth” left the City Ground with a point.
To be fair Bourneouth looked very good on the attack, hitting the post in the first half. I was extremely worried when Pugh and Pittman lined up a free kick, thinking yes they are going to score. When the Cherries did equalise I wasn’t as much shock and surprised as just frustrated that we had failed to kill them off.

This said I whole heartedly agree with the sentiments of Colin Fray post match when asked about the mis firing striker.s He said that two weeks ago no-one was suggested the team lacked firepower when Henderson had scored in a few games succession. As usual with the fans the last result is the only in mind, and we forget he bigger picture, you just see we toiled in that game and so we need new players.

I felt a little sorry for Cox, he was obviously trying, and looked exhausted when took off. He was taking shots when passes wre better because hes desperate to score and desperate to be that man we turn to for goals. But Saturday, and a lot of the last 6 months it just wasn’t his day.

Bournemouths offside trap worked wonders. It frustrated Henderson and Cox. Constantly catching us offside, again returning to the views of my friend, he was watching Cox at one stage when we had possession deeper and noticed for around 10-12 seconds Cox remained in an offside position had the ball been played long to him. I’m all for playing on the shoulder, and using that, but remaining offside and trying to step back at the last minute to be onside just sn’t effective for me.

Not with the high line Bournemouth put out, obviously looking at how we play, with
teams usually standing a bit deeper at the City Ground, allowing those balls to be played, they riskily wielded a high line that stopped us. I have no idea if this is their normal game.

To be honest had they not scored that late goal this debate wouldn't exist. We'd be talking about a professional win with a glorious goal by Lansbury. Instead we focus as always with Forest on the negatives. And yes thats what sticks in the mind, but at the end of the day had we held on 90% of peoples moaning and perception of this game would change.

Is the Post to blame? They didn't help, but at the end of the day they weren't missing the chances. It contributed in a sense that it focussed Bournemouths mind pre game. It enthused their fans. It's been pointed out since the game by penty that it was a rallying cry. But that said, had we been able to finish it'd be completely irrelevant. Whats to blame is a collective failing to score enough goals. But move on, these games happen and theres no need to beat ourselves up as much as some fans have been

Perfect Start

No doubt by now you’ll have read an official match report, maybe you even attended the game, like 23,000 odd other souls. But here we go anyway.

A win is a win, but with Forest who usually draws or lose the first game it’s a nice change and a nice start. To see a few new players bedded in the guise of Lichaj and Hobbs, with the rest of the side being more the “old guard” it was a pleasing performance.

We deserved to win, and although not convincingly by a larger number, we were still far far the better team, even if Huddersfield did have a good couple of efforts.

However, although it was good, there were a few worries. A Collins error later on could have let them in, these happen, but Collins does seem to be prone to one a game. Guedioura didn’t have his passing radar quite engaged and also lost possession a few times in dangerous positions. That and his usual hopelessly off target long range efforts were accustomed to.

The width provided by marauding full backs was good to see, and ultimately gave us the goal via Henri Lansbury. Lichaj gave a good account of himself after a few wayward early crosses. In fact Lichaj nearly scored when he drilled one across the area that started moving toward the goal.

You can also see how Mackie was well regarded by QPR, as he constantly chased and harassed for the ball. He has an excellent work ethic, and even when he was rotated position wise he looked bright. Derbyshire who was one of the pre game talking points didn’t do a lot wrong, but then he didn’t have too many chances to do a lot right. Cox who swapped with Mackie in the slightly withdrawn trequartista role, could have had a couple of chances, but he wasn’t there to play as a striker.

The game was also interesting as it featured the return of one Ishmael Miller to a red shirt. Someone who I remember as being a powerful striker like a Lukaku or Moses now seems more like a comedy Adebola. Just didn’t seem mobile, often failing to quite control the ball. Whereas Henderson when he came on looked very lively. Paterson also made his bow in a Forest shirt, and made a couple of attempts at mazy runs.

All in all I can’t complain about Saturday, True enough I heard people mumbling throughout the game, but these are more the type who has seen us splash the cash and are expecting miracles or amazing performances week in, week out.

For me the interesting factor was despite all the guess work and conjecture, we didn’t in fact play wide, with more a narrow diamond in the midfield. At times it didn’t always work but we clearly remember it did last year. And ultimately it did here by drawing their full backs forward and allowing us to get round the back. Lansbury ghosting in at the back post a free man was criminal defending almost. Their whole back line being drawn across to Cohen and leaving the free man at the back stick.

Whether we start to move to a new wide man system as Paterson beds in and Abdoun receives his clearance I can only guess, but the fact we have put some serious money into those positions suggests we will.

I expect heavy rotation in the Hartlepool League Cup game,

Settled Midfield Reaps Benefits

At the start of this season we signed a glut of midfielders. Considering we were already quite blessed in this position it seemed a strange one. Already in possession of Majewski, McGugan, Moussi, Greening, Reid and Cohen in the midfield we added Gillett, Coppinger, Lansbury, Guedioura, and since the summer McLaughlin.

Lansbury has been able to settle in team under Davies

It led some wags to choose a XI of just midfielders. But what it also led to was a lot of chopping and changing, some of it enforced, some of it for the sake of it to use them all. This led to a very unbalanced side and players badly out of form. Guedioura looked a shell of the player he was last year, Lansbury never settled, McGugan and Majewski seemed peripheral and unneeded.

Fast forward to now and a lots changed there. Instead of the tinkering, there is consistency, and as a result the team is winning.

We started the season with an element of consistency. The same midfield 4 was frequently used right up till we lost a couple against Leeds and some lot called Derby. We went with Gillett, Guedioura, McGugan and Reid. This consistency as I say was partially enforced, Lansbury and Cohen both injured at this stage. The last game of this run of the midfield saw Guedioura get sent off against Palace and so the chopping and changing began, and the form faltered.

If you look from the end of November up to and including the Watford game, a run which many wanted SoD to be sacked during, the form was inconsistent, with horrible defeats, but also quite good results it would look now (0-0 at Brighton doesn’t look bad) Gillett started in that run, but didn’t finish, Moussi taking over, Guedioura and Cohen were used in a majority of games but would be dropped (and sometimes bought on at half time) and Lansbury and McGugan switched in and out the team. Coppinger played a couple of times. In fact the prevalence of early substitutions does smack a little of a manager trying to tinker to get things right, and although now we look fondly back at O’Driscoll period on charge, there were glaring inconsistencies. I for one think we would have got it right, but it was a case of trying to juggle too many balls.

Radi blossoming in new role

The problem is there no –one gets a consistent run of form and it told. When McLeish came in he had a midfield which was largely out of form, he didn’t know his best side, and besides, a midfield is superfluous in a McLeish team as the ball gets humped over them (I again implore you to seek out Aliaksander Hleb’s quotes on this from his spell at Birmingham)

So how was it Billy was instantly able to galvanise this midfield into one that is a constant, in form, and above all free scoring. Well he seemed to decide on a different set of personnel and although in the familiar 1-3 layout, with one deep the other attacking, gave a certain artistic license to Majewski, who revels in such a role. Lansbury gets to be the box to box midfielder, and Guedioura gets treated more a quarter back to control the play. Gillett played this role before but with the quarter back element. Instead of long balls forward, he was more like a rugby scrum half, getting the ball and passing sideways. Guedioura's range of passing far outstrips Gillett’s, and though both don’t shirk the physical side of the game, Guedi is bigger and stronger, and can shrug off challenges.

We have also now settled on a formation. O’Driscoll by and large used the 4-1-3-2 at home but was prone to adjusting to a 4-2-3-1 formation, which didn’t work. Indeed when we altered to this against Wolves for a while we struggled to control the game. The sole forward with less support struggles to maintain possession. Additionally, having the 2 men sitting deeper means we don’t attack in the same force. I am also acutely aware I supported this formation saying many modern teams play it. They do, but that’s in the Premier League.

Whether it was a case of SoD trying to keep people fresh, and that he did have knocks to contend with we will never properly know. But we were doing better before he kept trying to adjust the midfield, and the formation. Billy has faithfully stuck to his 4-1-3-2 and it’s paying dividends. He hasn’t tried to evolve the game to involve more width; he sees what we have and is making the best of it. Players like greening and Moussi are kept involved, but are not integral. The only usual change is to see McGugan come into the fray for whoever looks like they need removing. And he is a great foil to be able to bring on.

I guess the challenge becomes when a result or two goes against us, and maybe then chopping and changing might be seen. When you’re in a great run you don’t makes too many changes, except in our case when the strikers just aren’t firing. I keep seeing people suggest involving more width, or that we should change the structure, but why the hell do anything when the team doesn’t changing? People seem to want to tinker for the sake of it, and what we illustrated above shows that doesn’t work. I think as said before that too many people play Football Manager and think because what happens in a fictional cyber world will play out exactly in reality. It doesn’t work like that.

It’d be interesting to see what happens if Guedioura got injured, would Davies favour this system with either Moussi or Gillett, would he reshuffle to a 4-4-2, a flatter formation with Reid wide or Lansbury on the right? All conjecture. Why change what’s working unless we have to? Consistency. It is the watchword of the day for me, and it shows how obviously it is needed.

Guedi the new DM

Forest In the Playoff Zone After Wolves Win

So we have a playoff berth. And now the battle becomes retaining that spot. It’s a battle that Middlesbrough and Leicester seem to be intent on losing, as their seasons continue to implode. Indeed, most of the top 6 apart from now Forest seemed intent at the weekend to throw away promotion.


I have no doubt over the next 2 months we will fall out, climb back into and yo-yo between being in the top 6 and out of. It all becomes crucial to remain in there come May. To be able to rob Leicester of it could be all the sweeter.

Wolves, although fighting relegation were not a bad side, and I echo what Dean Saunders said about the fact they easily could have got something out of it. What puzzles me is how a Championship team can leave Kevin Doyle and Steven Hunt on the bench in a struggle. These are quality players they don’t seem to be using, and I can only assume due to financial reasons with something like appearance related fees or contractual obligations. But it is bizarre to see quality players on the bench of a team struggling.

That said we took our chances and in a Boxing analogy probably took it on points. But when Wolves equalised it could easily have gone the other way. And as I have said repeatedly, under McLeish I have no doubt we would have crumbled, with self belief all but shot. Now we go up the other end and hit them right back.

It is also interesting that the midfield have suddenly become some free scoring, and again I have written at length about the new midfield set up and its allowing of a bit more creative freedom. And it is reaping rewards. Lansbury and Majewski are free scoring, McGugan also chipping in when he comes on. But the goals are also often lovely sweeping team moves, combinations of good play being finished well. Lansbury’s first goal was an example of this, many passes working together before Lansbury finished low into the corner from the edge of the area.

Wolves equaliser had its element of controversy about it. The corner they scored from came via a free kick awarded, although rightly for a foul, after the ref played an advantage which seemed to have passed to another passage of play before being pulled back. Now I’ve seen it a few times lately so maybe it’s a new directive, but there’s no way that play should have still been pulled back. Allowing an advantage is all well and good, but how long do you allow it to go on? Of course it depends on the passage of play, but to pull it back when he did was in my opinion wrong. And it resulted in a goal. Had we missed the playoffs by a point, well then this sort of thing adds up.

Anyway we needn’t have worried as we were back in front within 2 mins, with Lansbury finishing beautifully from outside the area. It’s been refreshing to see players rejuvenated under Davies, and Lansbury is a prime example. There were rumours of him being moved on under McLeish, but Davies seems to be able to motivate creative midfielders like no-one else.

The third goal was a wonderful but ever so typical McGugan goal, just a very well struck shot into the top corner from around 20 yards. Wolves at this stage were down to 10 men, when Ward felled Halford as last man and was given his marching orders.

And a word on Halford, playing up front for the first time for Forest, but a role he’s played in regularly elsewhere. His introduction up the field helped restructure Forest. We started well with 2 strikes, but when Dexter came off and we put a midfielder on it invited Wolves onto us too much. We need that balance of two up front to maintain possession up the field, as too often we simply didn’t have the bodies up front, Wolves could push forward and they looked good in that system. Halford coming on up front enabled us to keep the ball away from our own half and move forward. Halford being good in the air was able to win possession, as well as another good Cox performance with no goals. The lack of goals would be a worry, but Cox team contribution has been strong so in that regard it’s not. The goals will come again soon for the Irish international though. He still gets in the right positions and it’s not as if he’s playing badly.

So all in all another good day by the Trent that see’s us pop up in the playoff zone. The next 9 games will be huge, but what is happening now is Billy Davies is merely cementing himself as a club legend. If we stay in the top 6, anything beyond that really is a bonus, because of where we were at the start of February. Those McLeish days seem a life time ago.

Derby Day Positives

Well, we didn’t win and so Derby still have the Brian Clough trophy, and a certain amount of bragging rights because it has been 2 years since we beat them. But all that said there are more positives to take from this game.


After the shaky start to McLeish tenure, and when arguably the team was more in SoD’s guise than his own, we struggled, and to be fair, as much as I defend SoD, there were times we lacked steel and the team looked idealess. With McLeish there does seem to be a bit more a mindset that if Plan A doesn’t work, there has at least been a Plan B discussed. Under SoD there never seemed that idea.

So anyway, there are negatives of course as well, we did draw after all, so it’ can’t all be plain sailing. There is of course the fact Gillett got dispossessed by Sammon, and although many demonised Gillett for that error, which happens all the time all over the field, it resulted in a goal. It’s easy to blame Gillett, he plays that role that always seems vilified by Forest fans, and when he makes a mistake it usually results in an attack. What is to forget is the fact there was still a lot to happen to result in a goal, the way the defence stood off and allowed a fairly immobile back man to waltz through, and for Ward to get space and score. So there were other elements to blame, though maybe not directly.

One thing that greatly worried my friend was the use of Darlow in goal, maybe harking back to the days of Barry Roche. He was worried that should he make an error and generally concede a lot of goals that he would in turn see his fledgling confidence shot to pieces and generally destroy his Forest career before it really began. We needn’t have worried, and although yes he didn’t have lots to do, generally what he did have to do he got right, tipping shots over the bar and kicking well, for me its kicking where you can a lack of confidence in a keeper, slicing ball generally indicates he isn’t getting IT right. Darlow had no such worries. And now the Post this Morning carries a headline saying he could be the keeper for years.

On a personal front, and I always do enjoy the more unusual aspect was the ironic jeers you can hear on replays when Cohen misjudges his first shot and slices it. Those ironic jeers all the more funny as they are soon replaced by Forest fans cheering as Cohen tucks it away at the second time of asking. No more than a good stalwart like Cohen deserves, especially with the role this fixture has played in his recent career.

For me Lansbury was good too, showing why he was rated. I have said he needs a run of games in the team, and for me he can be a more mobile form of Reid. His passing is finding its range. He takes a better corner than Majewski, McGugan or any of the other the usual suspects. Bodes well for the ex-Arsenal man.

Another pleasing aspect was the complete anonymity of Will Hughes, the great white hope of Derby, the “albino” as a few have tagged him was largely a passenger in the team, not showing any sense in the rumours of a “dossier” held on him.

Jara continues to impress at right back, and that looks like an astute addition. So much for the moron element on Twitter decrying his signing with “who?” He has been a breath of fresh air at right back.

However all these positives, I was informed by some friends, who are Derby fans that there was unsavoury element, with Greg Halford apparently having spat towards Derby fans. I can’t comment on the element of truth, but will say they aren’t the people who usually lie. A shame if it was true.

But a game we could easily have won, whether it’s Cox shot being 2 inches lower. Sharps last kick of the game that went in (though I don’t hold any doubt that derby had stopped, ergo, potentially making it that it wouldn’t have gone in) More so in the fact we didn’t crumble when conceding, but buckled down and took control of the game again. Even making really attacking changes late on, McLeish noting the importance of wins against your nearest and dearest and going for the jugular which was pleasing, he knows from Rangers days that winning such a game can rally fans and players, and unify them into a run of games. Fair play to him for that.

Had we lost, there may have been unneeded focus on the sackings last week, or a general negative feeling around the club. A commendable draw changes that, and moves us on to a very tricky but winnable game against Watford. It will be a challenge; they are a good side, but then so are we. Game On!

What Would Be Our Best Midfield?

I’ve talked at length about the various options in midfield without ever really analysing what might be the best options, discussing other peoples various roles and how this set up works. However the win and performance at Wolves has raised some question marks in my mind about which personnel is best.


Quietly I had wondered whether the midfield attacking three we had been using were the best options. I for one have been chomping at the bit to see what Lansbury can offer from the start. I think Cohen is making himself undroppable, and we all know what Guedioura is capable of, despite not hitting those heights this season yet.

I appreciate the role Reid can play, and his guile and technique with the ball cannot be questioned, but I always wonder about his mobility, and how a more mobile midfield three might be better. The lack of pace and drive has sometimes been a real issue in the midfield. With Jenas and Reid out, Guedioura and Lansbury stepped up and completely seized their chance this week.

I would like if possible to see this midfield set up given a couple of games to see how they run. All the requirements are there, set piece delivery, creativity, drive, finesse. Reid offers an ability with set pieces that a wonderful crossing ability, but I would argue so too does Lansbury.

Looks at the ball Lansbury played on Saturday, 40-50 yards over the top ball perfectly to Sharps path and feet to take on and score. Considering he was schooled by Arsenal it was a very un-Arsenal like ball, essentially being long ball, but it was so much more than just a punt up field than long ball and direct implies. It was crafted, judged and dropped into place for the striker to latch on to. Creative but direct. Very Reid like, but with mobility.

If Guedioura is starting to hit last season’s form and I know one swallow doesn’t make a summer but he was looking far better, and maybe the catalyst for this improvement was playing his old team, and as often happens he played out of his skin. If his form is now getting back to last season it makes him undroppable. He just needs to stop getting sent off. I had a feeling as he approached towards their goal on Saturday and let rip that he’d hit something dangerous, and lo and behold it was unsavable down in the corner. We’ve got our Guedi back.

Cohen I have been impressed with this season. I thought his form may suffer with the long layoff but he seems to have come back determined to make up for the year or so out of the game. There are those who are suggest he isn’t he player many others say he is, that’s its all effort and no class but I completely disagree. We are a better team with Cohen it.

We are yet to see anything of Coppinger, and with Majewski injured the other option would be to see McGugan in, but I think we all know that although he has obvious ability his temperament is questionable and this means with the new better options he is essentially unpickable.

Jenas and Reid will have their roles to play, the problem with Jenas is that yes he is quality, but will he be here after January? Is it worth trying to play someone else into form instead? Reid isn’t going to be able to keep playing all season and will need rests. Weeks like this where we have 3 games in 7 days will be too much for his fitness level. The options of rotation should keep players fresh, but you also want the consistency that playing regularly brings. This is what has hampered Guedioura as he has been in and out the team.

It all bodes well though. If an army marches on its stomach, a team’s promotion bid will rely on its midfield. Yes you need the strong defence, and the goal scorers, but the way we play, needs a strong midfield, and thats what we have.