Kevin Stewart

Tr33frog

Tr33frog

Well-known member
As good as he’s been since he came in I thought yesterday was one of his worse performances for us, been surprised at some of the praise he’s getting...
Lost the ball a few times in really bad positions, and (although I’m sure he was instructed to do so) him dropping so deep to collect the ball forced them up the pitch and forced us under pressure
Not saying it was a bad performance, but he’s had better for sure...
 
He’s quality but I agree yesterday was not great. He needs a stronger partner in midfield than the hard working but not particularly good Virtue. Without a decent ‘water carrier’ Stewart struggles.
 
I'm not completely sold on him. I never quite 'got' Spearing and I feel the same about Stewart.

He plays quite deep so that seems to gift position on the pitch to them. He's definitely good at what he does, but I'm not sure if we need to screen the defense all the time.

Possibly it's not him per se but the fact we don't really have an advanced midfielder to sit in front of him. (Or more accurately, don't utilise one)

Maybe it's not much not being sure about Stewart but not being sure about the way we use him at home.

He makes more sense away against good sides when that deep lying defensive screen seem more logical.

It feels as if - if we're gonna play him at home, it should then gift us the chance to play a luxury type player alongside him (or in front of him) cos he is good at what he does. But if what he does (win it, break up play, start breaks, carry ball from deep) isn't capitalised on by others, it doesn't really have much effect in the game.
 
Same issue as against Crewe he’s doing two mans work. Virtue put himself about yesterday but he never seems to be in the right position, he’s clumsy on the ball and doesn’t offer too much either offensively or defensively.

I don’t know if maybe Critch thinks Dougall in there with Stewart is too negative, but it really doesn’t have to be with CJ and KaiKai/Mitchell on the other side it’s effectively 4-2-4 in attack. The shape and balance with Stewart and Virtue just isn’t right.
 
Hevster said:
He’s quality but I agree yesterday was not great. He needs a stronger partner in midfield than the hard working but not particularly good Virtue. Without a decent ‘water carrier’ Stewart struggles.
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See, I see him as a really good hod carrier. He's quite good at turning and keeping possession and driving forward but I don't see the vision of a really creative player.

I'd say he gives us permission to be bolder because he's very good at breaking up play/starting moves but without being bolder, he seems a bit wasted if that makes sense.

It's like he brings the bricks but he's always partnered with someone else who brings the bricks too so they just pass bricks between them and someone needs to actually build the wall so to speak.

I'd be interested in seeing a 3 of stewart Dougall and Embleton with virtue coming in for whoever is tired this week lol. Think Embleton has something but Critch is suspicious of players that lose the ball by trying stuff, hence why he never plays Sullay in the middle and has tried to reinvent him as a tracking back wide man.
 
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Think he has been one of our best players since coming in and whilst yesterday he wasn't great you can certainly see his quality and he was still one of our best players if not the best. I agree about Virtue, he is being carried by Stewart but by having to do 2 men's work it is hampering his own game. I don't think Virtue is a first 11 player and in the last 2 games the midfield has been overrun. That's not a coincidence.
 
Like him but he does give the ball away a lot shame Dougall has gone off the boil as he was the best player in the team when he signed and should have made a decent partnership.
 
td53 said:
I'd say he gives us permission to be bolder because he's very good at breaking up play/starting moves but without being bolder, he seems a bit wasted if that makes sense.
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That makes perfect sense and crystallises what I have been trying to articulate 👍
 
Tangerinemoss said:
That makes perfect sense and crystallises what I have been trying to articulate 👍
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Agree with this to be fair, I wasn’t trying to suggest I don’t see his value cause he’s obviously a class above - I was just surprised seeing people single him out for praise as I thought he had a weak game by his standards

I think next season we see the 433 that Critch obviously still wants with Stewart sitting and Dougall to help out with Virtue/Ward/Keshi as more attacking one
 
Tr33frog said:
Agree with this to be fair, I wasn’t trying to suggest I don’t see his value cause he’s obviously a class above - I was just surprised seeing people single him out for praise as I thought he had a weak game by his standards

I think next season we see the 433 that Critch obviously still wants with Stewart sitting and Dougall to help out with Virtue/Ward/Keshi as more attacking one
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Not entirely sure of that, I think if you have 2 game disruptors, at least one of them needs to be able to send a sweet pass, a David Vaughan, if you like, as well as a Gnasher. Haven't seen Dougall fill those shoes yet, though perhaps when he was doing so well pre Covid, he was the disruptor.
 
Tangerinemoss said:
Not entirely sure of that, I think if you have 2 game disruptors, at least one of them needs to be able to send a sweet pass, a David Vaughan, if you like, as well as a Gnasher. Haven't seen Dougall fill those shoes yet, though perhaps when he was doing so well pre Covid, he was the disruptor.
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It seems like we've passed the same role from Robson, to Dougall to Stewart (and also Williams) but not yet found someone to do the other bit.

I dunno.

Here's a thought experiment. If we'd had Connor Ronan this year, would Critch

a) have played him
b) have given him 20 minutes here and there...

That's the crux of my uncertainty about Critch. I like a lot of what he does, but he just seems cautious with players who aren't really solid battlers. As I said above, he's even tried to turn Sullay into something more workaday and reliable, not really played Embleton, Kemp, Woodburn at all who, like them or not, all had a bit of *something* - but that something wasn't breaking up play etc. Even Keshi was in and out the side.

We need both sides of the coin and I think he's anxious about that sort of player cos they're less 'coachable' and more instinctive.

Maybe. I just think he needs to be bolder at home and not fear conceding as much...
 
td53 said:
It seems like we've passed the same role from Robson, to Dougall to Stewart (and also Williams) but not yet found someone to do the other bit.

I dunno.

Here's a thought experiment. If we'd had Connor Ronan this year, would Critch

a) have played him
b) have given him 20 minutes here and there...

That's the crux of my uncertainty about Critch. I like a lot of what he does, but he just seems cautious with players who aren't really solid battlers. As I said above, he's even tried to turn Sullay into something more workaday and reliable, not really played Embleton, Kemp, Woodburn at all who, like them or not, all had a bit of *something* - but that something wasn't breaking up play etc. Even Keshi was in and out the side.

We need both sides of the coin and I think he's anxious about that sort of player cos they're less 'coachable' and more instinctive.

Maybe. I just think he needs to be bolder at home and not fear conceding as much...
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He seems to have gone too much the other way now after playing 3 in middle with 2 of them being more advanced than what we're currently seeing from either current central midfielder.
I'd have liked to have seen Ward instead of Virtue yesterday, but that is with the benefit of hindsight; before the game I was happy with the line up.

Not much, other than the defence, seems to be really working, despite being able to consistently pick up points of late. That in itself should be seen as a positive as we are getting results despite not clicking, but at the same time by now we really should be putting more cohesive performances together from the 4 or 5 most attacking players.

It all seems to be a bit 2 steps forward, 1 step back, which is frustrating as it's clear to see we have a very capable squad who just aren't playing to their full abilities.

Your point on Ronan is a great one, which I totally agree with. It may well have been the same with KDH as he'd have no doubt reverted to the trusted players as opposed to one who was a game changer on his own.
 
Tr33frog said:
As good as he’s been since he came in I thought yesterday was one of his worse performances for us, been surprised at some of the praise he’s getting...
Lost the ball a few times in really bad positions, and (although I’m sure he was instructed to do so) him dropping so deep to collect the ball forced them up the pitch and forced us under pressure
Not saying it was a bad performance, but he’s had better for sure...
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According to Scrafton he was MOM, bossing the midfield and showing his quality. Either Scrafton is brown nosing or he was watching a different game.
 
Goforgoal said:
According to Scrafton he was MOM, bossing the midfield and showing his quality. Either Scrafton is brown nosing or he was watching a different game.
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To be fair, it wasn't really a game where MOM was an obvious choice!
 
td53 said:
To be fair, it wasn't really a game where MOM was an obvious choice!
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Exactly, why try and pick one when nobody stood out. There were mostly very average with one or two less than that. You don’t improve anyone, in any profession by telling them hoe good they are when they aren’t. A few home truths may benefit and that includes the head coach.
 
Stewart is good at what he does but he needs the right players around him and they all need a simple, effective game plan.
In the 4 4 2 we are not getting enough players into the opposition penalty area, the wide men stay wide, Stewart is very deep and you never really know where Virtue will appear.
With the players we currently have available I would try this team out, it might just produce some quality moments in attack but still keep the back door closed.
Maxwell
Gabriel Ballard Husband Garbutt
Stewart Dougall
Hamilton Kaikai Embleton
Yates

Bench would be strong with the likes of Sims and Mitchell able to bring some pace and energy when opposition are tiring.

Needs to try something different, 4 4 2 without Madine isn't the answer, not even sure that it is with him!
 
Stewart was easily one of our better players on Saturday. He was all over the place. Weird those saying otherwise.

If you are, then I'd love to know what your comments around Turton, Husband and Virtue would be like?
 
Another here who thinks he was actually one of the better performers,Virtue isn't the answer regardless if he chips in with a goal or two every 10 games and to think he's playing ahead of Dougall is an absolute joke to be honest,talk about helping an old friend out.
 
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