Midfield Depth

[Snowcrash]

8 minutes ago, Shway said:

He wasn’t for me because I think he’s more of an attacker/winger.

When he came on for Montreal last week, it was in the role of attacking mid/playmaker.  He's got very good vision and isn't afraid to make a vertical pass, unlike some who never met  back pass they didn't like.

[Floortom]

9 hours ago, Aird25 said:

Loturi is 21, he’s playing well at a level we regularly call from, 

Playing well? Based on what? He’s lowly rated by both whoscored and fotmob. Ross County supporters online seem to mostly think he’s mediocre. He’s not a locked in starter on a terrible / small club. Sure, call him in because we dont have a ton of options but the idea that he’s currently an upgrade over MAk or Piette (as limited as they both are) is silly.

[Aird25]

2 hours ago, Floortom said:

Playing well? Based on what? He’s lowly rated by both whoscored and fotmob. Ross County supporters online seem to mostly think he’s mediocre. He’s not a locked in starter on a terrible / small club. Sure, call him in because we dont have a ton of options but the idea that he’s currently an upgrade over MAk or Piette (as limited as they both are) is silly.

I don't know why you're bringing up MAK and Piette in a response to me. I don't think I've mentioned either of them in a long time, but so be it. Even though I don't particularly like MAK, I suspect Wotherspoon, Fraser, or Hutch are the ones less likely to receive a call next window (unless it's a send off for Hutch).

I don't actually pay the exorbitant fees to watch SPL, so I'm relying on friends in the UK that have access (it sounds like you don't watch either). They tell me that Ross County's midfield is more balanced with Loturi in the lineup, and that he's been looking more comfortable throughout the season. His numbers indicate this as well. I think he's played every minute recently.

[sebdeserio]

Might as well drop this in I thought Nelson was more a winger and Choinière more a wingback but put them in with their ratings from last year:

Not including any MLS stats this season until they play 45 minutes which is already a super low bar but what can I say I was hyped for the season.

Edited March 2, 2023 by sebdeserio

[Bigandy]

On 3/2/2023 at 9:24 AM, sebdeserio said:

Might as well drop this in I thought Nelson was more a winger and Choinière more a wingback but put them in with their ratings from last year:

Not including any MLS stats this season until they play 45 minutes which is already a super low bar but what can I say I was hyped for the season.

1. Staq
2. Kone
3. Hutch
4. oso
5. piette
6.Kaye
7. Spoony
8. Priso
9. Nelson?
10. Loturi 
11. Fraser
12. Choiniere
13. Saliba
14. Rea
15. Baldisimo

Other than the old guard whos likely to stay consistent, I could see nelson coming in for spoony and loturi coming in for fraser/hutch/MAK.  

 

[dyslexic nam]

1 hour ago, Bigandy said:

1. Staq
2. Kone
3. Hutch
4. oso
5. piette
6.Kaye
7. Spoony
8. Priso
9. Nelson?
10. Loturi 
11. Fraser
12. Choiniere
13. Saliba
14. Rea
15. Baldisimo

Other than the old guard whos likely to stay consistent, I could see nelson coming in for spoony and loturi coming in for fraser/hutch/MAK.  

 

If this is just a ranking I think Oso is being underrated.  Kone may be settling into the Championship well, but in a big game Oso is getting the nod for me ahead of him (and probably before Hutch at this point).   I think Oso’s ever-presence in MLS has led to people underestimating his quality.  I get that Kone will likely be a long-term fixture in our midfield but at the present time I would put Oso at #2 in that ranking.   

[InglewoodJack]

On 3/2/2023 at 11:24 AM, sebdeserio said:

Might as well drop this in I thought Nelson was more a winger and Choinière more a wingback but put them in with their ratings from last year:

Not including any MLS stats this season until they play 45 minutes which is already a super low bar but what can I say I was hyped for the season.

Not picking on you specifically here, but can someone sell me on Spoony being part of the NT over all of the names below him? Barely plays for St. Johnstone, who is in the relegation playoff currently. On one hand, experience matters, but on the other, does Canada drop a winnable game because we called up Loturi, Nelson, even Rea or Coiniere over him?

Granted, slim pickings below him (for now), but I wonder how long he should factor into our plans.

[dyslexic nam]

1 minute ago, InglewoodJack said:

Not picking on you specifically here, but can someone sell me on Spoony being part of the NT over all of the names below him? Barely plays for St. Johnstone, who is in the relegation playoff currently. On one hand, experience matters, but on the other, does Canada drop a winnable game because we called up Loturi, Nelson, even Rea or Coiniere over him?

Granted, slim pickings below him (for now), but I wonder how long he should factor into our plans.

I am in the same boat.  I suspect it is because of how unglamorous the SPL is outside of the big two, but I just don’t feel the need to include him on a team sheet.  Priso may be raw but at a very young age he has shown himself to be capable of starting in MLS.  Choiniere was a strong player for an excellent MLS team last year.   Personally, I would pencil in either of those guys (and probably Nelson due to my own biases) before Wotherspoon.  

[Bigandy]

53 minutes ago, dyslexic nam said:

If this is just a ranking I think Oso is being underrated.  Kone may be settling into the Championship well, but in a big game Oso is getting the nod for me ahead of him (and probably before Hutch at this point).   I think Oso’s ever-presence in MLS has led to people underestimating his quality.  I get that Kone will likely be a long-term fixture in our midfield but at the present time I would put Oso at #2 in that ranking.   

I think its a difficult list because its for all cm but theres different roles. If we were to play a 2 man midfield against top teams, I think kone starts beside staq more often than Oso would. Hutch as well but we don't know what his fitness levels are like currently. Im a huge oso fan but as an 8 or a 6, hes behind kone in the depth charts. We dont often play with a 10 which has seen oso play out wide for canada and as an 8. Its hard to say oso is above kone and hutch when we often play a formation that doesnt suit oso. 

In big games, we hopefully would play a 3 man midfield with kone/hutch, staq, and oso but until we start seeing that happen, oso is 4th on the charts for me.   

[sebdeserio]

34 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

Not picking on you specifically here, but can someone sell me on Spoony being part of the NT over all of the names below him? Barely plays for St. Johnstone, who is in the relegation playoff currently. On one hand, experience matters, but on the other, does Canada drop a winnable game because we called up Loturi, Nelson, even Rea or Coiniere over him?

Granted, slim pickings below him (for now), but I wonder how long he should factor into our plans.

Wasn't meant to be a ranking more like a way to compare the pool as it grows and we have players in different leagues with the players that have been more involved near the top. I agree though I think the World Cup appearance was a final thank you for his constant commitment to the program and Herdman will start shifting away from him Henry and maybe Atiba.

Any mid who establishes themselves as an MLS starter as well as Loturi will warrant looks instead of him I think but we'll have to see if Herdman agrees.

[Bigandy]

53 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

Not picking on you specifically here, but can someone sell me on Spoony being part of the NT over all of the names below him? Barely plays for St. Johnstone, who is in the relegation playoff currently. On one hand, experience matters, but on the other, does Canada drop a winnable game because we called up Loturi, Nelson, even Rea or Coiniere over him?

Granted, slim pickings below him (for now), but I wonder how long he should factor into our plans.

I think its the profile of spoony (is versatile) and experience that gives him the nod over the other guys. In the last 10 minutes of a game, I dont trust nelson, rea etc. to close things out in hondorous like i do with spoony. Granted, those are rare times that we require a player like spoony but thats the rationale i see. I'd love to get nelson into the squad for spoony as i think he could offer a comparable versatality. Loturi and priso shouldnt take spoony's spot from a positional stand point. That would leave us with less winger depth and heavy on Cm's. 

edit* If you look at the WC squad we have 4-5 wingers in the squad with spoony and hoilett being versatile. We have 7-9 (spoony and hoilett) CM's on that squad. To drop spoony for a guy like priso would really hamper our winger depth. Now add 1 of davies/buchanan as a wing back in a 3-4-3 and suddenly we have millar, davies/buchanan and hoillet as our only 3 wingers on a 26 man squad.
 

Although spoony can be played as a cm, I think its incorrect to view his spot up for competition with other Cm's. His spot would more likely be taken by a winger. 

Edited March 7, 2023 by Bigandy

[Aird25]

4 hours ago, Bigandy said:

I think its the profile of spoony (is versatile) and experience that gives him the nod over the other guys. In the last 10 minutes of a game, I dont trust nelson, rea etc. to close things out in hondorous like i do with spoony. Granted, those are rare times that we require a player like spoony but thats the rationale i see. I'd love to get nelson into the squad for spoony as i think he could offer a comparable versatality. Loturi and priso shouldnt take spoony's spot from a positional stand point. That would leave us with less winger depth and heavy on Cm's. 

edit* If you look at the WC squad we have 4-5 wingers in the squad with spoony and hoilett being versatile. We have 7-9 (spoony and hoilett) CM's on that squad. To drop spoony for a guy like priso would really hamper our winger depth. Now add 1 of davies/buchanan as a wing back in a 3-4-3 and suddenly we have millar, davies/buchanan and hoillet as our only 3 wingers on a 26 man squad.
 

Although spoony can be played as a cm, I think its incorrect to view his spot up for competition with other Cm's. His spot would more likely be taken by a winger. 

hondorous is the ultimate evil

[sebdeserio]

Updated midfield fotmob ranking: