| Articles
Main |
Is
Bobby Planning To Use JJ As The Defensive Midfielder? |
Newcastle-Online comment: 25th July 2004
With Gary Speed (sigh) having been sold to Bolton and the Nicky Butt
deal seemingly up in the air (do you see what I did there..) we could
well go into Season 2004-2005 without a recognised defensive central
midfielder, unless...
Last Season, back in May, I had a theory
as to why Jermaine Jenas's Season was somewhat atrocious. My theory
was: That Bobby was shaping JJ for the defensive central midfield
role, to replace Speed's role in the team. Naturally if you are an
attacking midfielder your game will suffer as you try to adapt to
a more defensive role (Speed anyone?). Last Season JJ resembled a
headless chicken at best, he didn't know whether to attack or stick,
hence his game suffered quite alarmingly.
Now selling Speed and allowing a known target to take flight (I did
it again...) at the same time just doesn't make sense to me and although
our club aren't noted for using their noggin, maybe, just maybe Bobby
will use JJ as the defensive midfielder this coming Season?
Newcastle-Online have it on good understanding that Bobby was offered
the opportunity to buy Nicky Butt in the January transfer window but
he declined. Now according to some, Nicky Butt will sign for Newcastle
in the coming weeks, yet I'm not entirely sure that he will. If Bobby
wanted him would we have allowed Butt to fly to the States with Man
Utd? Surely we would have snapped him up. For all we know he could
suffer an injury over in the US. It just doesn't make sense to allow
a known target, a player you want to buy, to go off on a huge journey
does it? - even for our club!
I firmly believe that Bobby instructed JJ to play as a defensive midfielder
last Season in the hope that he would develop into the role and become
Speed's natural successor. On our trip to Malaysia I distinctly remember
Bobby doing an interview regarding Jenas in which he said that JJ
would have to curb his natural attacking instinct and to become more
defensive minded. Maybe he says this to all our midfielders but watching
Jenas last Season, he looked every inch a defensive midfielder, if
not in form, then in the space in which he occupied and the manner
in which he attempted to play. Like I said he very rarely ventured
forward outside of set-pieces, if anything Speed played the more advanced
of the two.
Whether JJ can fully adapt to this role remains to be seen but his
performance in the 0-0 draw with Arsenal at St. James' Park back in
May, where he bossed Patrick Vieira, a player JJ has been compared
to, suggests that he has the ability.
It could explain a lot of things...or maybe I have an over active
imagination. It is Sunday... |
 |
Toon
Shirts |
|
Sponsors |
|
|
