I think that Norburn is part of the problem.

Yes I agree too. My thoughts on Ollie are fairly obvious, was brought in to be the calm midfielder we missed last season.

He has a good first touch, and think back to the very first game with Burton - in the first half receiving from the keeper loads and laying off to the width first time. Obviously worked on a lot in pre season, and for 45 minutes it looked good. Then Burton worked that one out.

He still receives the ball a lot but now his total one footedness is against him. He has to turn through 270 instead of 90, and you can't afford the split second extra he takes.

I do think he could drive into space more, he does slow our quicker breaks sometimes. Yes ok that's what he's being asked to do, but Albie Morgan and George Byers can move forward, why can't Ollie?
 
Makes me laugh when people are pinning the blame on Critchley for Norburn being shit so far this season when at the end of the day he's a 31 year old midfielder whose played most of his career in the lower leagues ,I mean come on the hype about him when he signed was utter bollocks
 
makes me laugh when people are pinning the blame on Norburn when he is doing what critchley wants him to do. Because if he wasn't then how come he starts every game?
 
haggertyf said:
Because there's nobody else
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nonsense. That is a lame excuse! If he was that dissatisfied with Norburn, he could put Connelly in there, he could even put Morgan. And here's a thought! He could even change formation and pick a team to attack. But hey, maybe in your eyes none of this is down to the manager.
 
20togo said:
nonsense. If he was that dissatisfied with Norburn, he could put Connelly in there, he could even put Morgan. And here's a thought! He could even change formation and pick a team to attack. But hey, maybe in your eyes none of this is down to the manager.
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Give over, Connolly ! I despair
 
haggertyf said:
Morgan can't play that role either. I agree about changing the formation
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that's only your view that he can't. He's played a good number of games this season where he's played deep often picking the ball up from defence or the wing backs. And like it or not Critchley has picked Connolly him there, Whether you despair or not Connolly has been picked there by the manager so you are wrong to say there's no-one else. Not that I'd pick him there though.
 
20togo said:
nonsense. That is a lame excuse! If he was that dissatisfied with Norburn, he could put Connelly in there, he could even put Morgan. And here's a thought! He could even change formation and pick a team to attack. But hey, maybe in your eyes none of this is down to the manager.
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I'm not saying Critchley is entirely dissatisfied with Norburn I'm saying he's he's not up to the task he's being asked to do
 
20togo said:
that's only your view that he can't. He's played a good number of games this season where he's played deep often picking the ball up from defence or the wing backs.
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We need Morgan further forward especially when wins are now vital
 
How connelly is being mentioned in this thread is beyond me.. jesus

However remember norburns 1st half against Burton.. superb with great forward passing... fast forward and critch coaching... that's all I'm saying
 
TangerineArmy said:
How connelly is being mentioned in this thread is beyond me.. jesus

However remember norburns 1st half against Burton.. superb with great forward passing... fast forward and critch coaching... that's all I'm saying
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The second half however was a sign of things to come
 
20togo said:
that's only your view that he can't. He's played a good number of games this season where he's played deep often picking the ball up from defence or the wing backs. And like it or not Critchley has picked Connolly him there, Whether you despair or not Connolly has been picked there by the manager so you are wrong to say there's no-one else. Not that I'd pick him there though.
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Morgan has played as an 8 (maybe occasionally a 10) all season. He hasn't been a 6, like Norburn (to use the kids' parlance).

Asking Morgan to play that role in a 5-3-2 is mental and completely counterintuitive IMO. He's not that player.

Norburn is okay... an okay player in a system that is stifling the players we have. He has been poor over the last few months, but in a team devoid of creativity in that central role he is right in the firing line because he's a holding midfielder and on the ball often.

TangerineArmy said:
How connelly is being mentioned in this thread is beyond me.. jesus
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And yeah... tragic. Not a CB in any shape or form. I despair whenever I see him on the teamsheet.
 
thefutureistangerine said:
Morgan has played as an 8 (maybe occasionally a 10) all season. He hasn't been a 6, like Norburn (to use the kids' parlance).

Asking Morgan to play that role in a 5-3-2 is mental and completely counterintuitive IMO. He's not that player.

Norburn is okay... an okay player in a system that is stifling the players we have. He has been poor over the last few months, but in a team devoid of creativity in that central role he is right in the firing line because he's a holding midfielder and on the ball often.



And yeah... tragic. Not a CB in any shape or form. I despair whenever I see him on the teamsheet.
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as i said he has played as a no 8, a box to box player, and that role has meant that defensive wise he has to do his duties alongside the no 6. remember when earlier in the season we were criticising the manager for picking two defensive midfielders? Well Morgans role was to do as i've stated. Just like it was Dougalls role when he played alongside Norburn. Anf he came in for criticism for passing sideways and backwards. Critchley is all about possession as i first said and Norburn is doing exactly what is being asked of him.
 
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as an aside i remember Barry Ferguson getting dogs abuse on here for playing the same role and doing exactly what Norburn is doing. ie get the ball and recycle it, which was often sideways and backwards.
 
20togo said:
as an aside i remember Barry Ferguson getting dogs abuse on here for playing the same role and doing exactly what Norburn is doing. ie get the ball and recycle it, which was often sideways and backwards.
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Ferguson struggled at times in that role as well, I remember when Ollie had to finally drop him and bring Southern back in, we won the next few games when Southern was far better but he got straight red against Barnsley and that allowed Ferguson to get his place back for the play offs
 
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20togo said:
as i said he has played as a no 8, a box to box player, and that role has meant that defensive wise he has to do his duties alongside the no 6. remember when earlier in the season we were criticising the manager for picking two defensive midfielders? Well Morgans role was to do as i've stated. Just like it was Dougalls role when he played alongside Norburn. Anf he came in for criticism for passing sideways and backwards. Critchley is all about possession as i first said and Norburn is doing exactly what is being asked of him.
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My comment was in reply to you saying 'he could put Morgan there'. That would be daft IMO. He has played higher than Norburn in all of his appearances and for good reason.
 
The problem is Critchley is a copy not an original. He tries to be what he is not and thus has no clue how to change things around. Possession with no purpose and end result is meaningless.
 
20togo said:
the very key point you seemingly want to forget and is absolutely vital and something those that those that don't like Norburn want to overlook is that Norburn does EXACTLY what Critch wants him to do. That is keep possession of the ball and continue to recycle the ballto his own team mates. Critchley values that much more than attempting passes that could lead to loss of possession.

Evidence? Read the many threads that have been posted on here regarding Critchs tactics. I suggest some of you think about that and let it sink in.
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Absolutely spot on, he’s playing to orders and doing exactly what Critchley wants hence captain and always playing when fit.
 
All midfield players need an out ball, to play to a colleague who has the ability to hold and fend off a defender weather it’s a winger/wide man or a CF it’s crucial in todays game, the only players we have who can do this are Joseph & Rhodes the rest struggle to retain possession. Providing you have ball playing midfielders in Byers & Morgan and apparently Finnigan backed up by 2 CB s who can handle the ball in possession you might gain some cohesive forward play.
 
I was thinking about this thread today when he booted the ball from his own half out of play!!
 
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