Barton & Guthrie?

[TRon]

Not bad as a pair yesterday but didn't really dominate the midfield as much as I would have expected. Not sure if that was because WBA had an extra man in midfield and because we sat too deep for a lot of the match. I expected to see Barton in the opposition box a lot more as well. I would like to get another look but I would imagine Butt will be back for the Villa match.

[Guest TheKingOfNewcastle]

Not bad as a pair yesterday but didn't really dominate the midfield as much as I would have expected. Not sure if that was because WBA had an extra man in midfield and because we sat too deep for a lot of the match. I expected to see Barton in the opposition box a lot more as well. I would like to get another look but I would imagine Butt will be back for the Villa match.

 

That's because they're both not very good.

[Dan Gleebals]

Not bad as a pair yesterday but didn't really dominate the midfield as much as I would have expected. Not sure if that was because WBA had an extra man in midfield and because we sat too deep for a lot of the match. I expected to see Barton in the opposition box a lot more as well. I would like to get another look but I would imagine Butt will be back for the Villa match.

 

Bartons first start in ages, first start with Guthrie?  Give them a chance?

That's because they're both not very good.

[Guest Edd]

Not bad as a pair yesterday but didn't really dominate the midfield as much as I would have expected. Not sure if that was because WBA had an extra man in midfield and because we sat too deep for a lot of the match. I expected to see Barton in the opposition box a lot more as well. I would like to get another look but I would imagine Butt will be back for the Villa match.

It looked like Barton was the one holding and Guthrie was the one getting forward.  I would have expected it to be the other way around, but maybe Bartons lack of match fitness meant he couldn't have lasted the pace if he'd been asked to play box-to-box?

[Guest SpinTheBlackCircle]

Guthrie should be a sqaud player, not a key player.

[relámpago blanco]

Guthrie should be a sqaud player, not a key player.

I wouldn't say Guthrie is a key player, Barton is in cm for me,  they are the best 2 we have though but I'm sure Butt will be back in alongside Barton when he is fit.

[Guest Heneage]

He did ok last night he seems to be better when hes on the ball a lot if that makes sense.

[Optimistic Nut]

I'd still have Geremi in the centre ahead of Guthrie mind.

[Slugsy]

I'd still have Geremi in the centre ahead of Guthrie mind.

 

This and I'm not even that big a fan of Geremi

[UV]

I'd still have Geremi in the centre ahead of Guthrie mind.

 

I'd be tempted to put Geremi on the wing and play Gutierrez in the centre. It's not like Gutierrez ever crosses the ball when on the wing anyway, and I think his runs in the centre of the pitch would win us a lot of free kicks in dangerous positions/pens.

[Skirge]

Its worked for me, just because Guthrie does nothing major does not mean he is not doing a good job, he just gets on with what he has to do.

Get off the kids back.

[thomas]

Whatever keeps butt out of the middle of the park tbh.

[Guest Stephen927]

I'd keep the current line-up as it is until the likes of Owen come back or players run into bad form, then think about bringing in a bit of rotation.

[Yorkie]

I liked the look of it in an attacking sense, they both worked fairly well, fairly dynamic - mixing and matching. With time i think it could be a good partnership. It may not have been fantastic last night, but if Butt comes straight back in then it's a bloody disgrace.

[Dave]

Butt will be straight back into the line-up tbh, alongside Barton.

[Ronaldo]

Butt will be straight back into the line-up tbh, alongside Barton.

 

makes me absolutely sick. Kinnear will drop the easy target, cunt

[Yorkie]

Butt will be straight back into the line-up tbh, alongside Barton.

 

I would have thought so. Mental.

[ElDiablo]

To be fair in the second half they were totally overrun as West Brom pushed their full backs up so the 5 in midfield played more centrally and completely dominated. I'd keep them in for Villa although I'm sure Butt will be back in.

[Tisd09]

I did look like Barton was playing deeper than Guthrie, would like to see Barton more advanced, if Butt does come back into the team I think we will see this happen.

[thewellander]

I've been reasonably happy with Guthrie as a stop gap until we can get in another central midfielder. I think Barton looked alright yesterday, considering his lack of match fitness. I would imagine that he'll be starting in central mid from now on, and will improve every week.

 

For now I would stick with the pairing, or else have Barton and Geremi. We're definitely missing class on set pieces, which Geremi could improve, but we do need someone faster in a holding midfield position to cover our woeful central defenders.