Alex Venters
Well-Known Member
Tav and Borna were pivotal to our success last season, they were magnificent.
This season has seen a marked deterioration in what they bring to the side. Our captain can still come up with moments like the one in Perth, but his overall contribution to the side has dipped, alarmingly in my view.
On the other side, it is, if anything, worse. Barasic got my vote for POTY last season, he oozed quality in everything he did this time around he is a pale shadow of that player.
Now, it could simply be a question of form. Every player's form fluctuates, although, at least in an attacking sense Tav has been incredibly consistent in his time at the club. I think though, the problem is deeper than just a dip in form.
Our preferred system of play is heavily, probably too heavily, reliant on getting our full-backs into the last third and providing a real threat, be it in delivering quality into the box or, in Tav's case having a go themselves. To date I don't see the required energy levels from either Tav or Borna. We're a dozen games in now and they've failed to deliver on any kind of a consistent basis.
I think the time has come for both Nathan Patterson and Calvin Bassey to assume these roles. Are they better than those in possession? Well Patterson, given the opportunity will certainly develop into a better RB than Tav, but to do that he needs to play. It's a sort of one step back to take two or three forward situation.
I'm not sure if Bassey will ever reach the level of quality we saw from Barasic last season but at present he represents a better bet for me.
This season has seen a marked deterioration in what they bring to the side. Our captain can still come up with moments like the one in Perth, but his overall contribution to the side has dipped, alarmingly in my view.
On the other side, it is, if anything, worse. Barasic got my vote for POTY last season, he oozed quality in everything he did this time around he is a pale shadow of that player.
Now, it could simply be a question of form. Every player's form fluctuates, although, at least in an attacking sense Tav has been incredibly consistent in his time at the club. I think though, the problem is deeper than just a dip in form.
Our preferred system of play is heavily, probably too heavily, reliant on getting our full-backs into the last third and providing a real threat, be it in delivering quality into the box or, in Tav's case having a go themselves. To date I don't see the required energy levels from either Tav or Borna. We're a dozen games in now and they've failed to deliver on any kind of a consistent basis.
I think the time has come for both Nathan Patterson and Calvin Bassey to assume these roles. Are they better than those in possession? Well Patterson, given the opportunity will certainly develop into a better RB than Tav, but to do that he needs to play. It's a sort of one step back to take two or three forward situation.
I'm not sure if Bassey will ever reach the level of quality we saw from Barasic last season but at present he represents a better bet for me.