Left Midfielder: A No Win Situation???

[Edwin Thorne]

I have been reading posts for the last month about who should be playing Left Midfield. There seems to be 2 camps.

Camp 1: Current Form -- Convey starts
This group believes that on the basis of current form (last couple months), Convey sould start over DMB. Dmb has been notably struggling on offense, but still gets back on defense. Convey is doing better with his defense, yet much more confident and potent offensively over the last month (at least as seen in games). For disclosure purposes I am a member of this group.

Camp 2: Past Experience -- DMB Starts
This group believes that DMB is just in a rut and when the WC starts he will be fine. Also this group believes in general that DMB is superior to Convey and will take DMB's defense over Convey's offense right now.

My Take on this: A No Win Situation if the starter plays bad.
I think whoever gets the nod to start better play well or they (Convey or DMB) and BA are going to get roasted over their selection.

If Convey is chosen and we lose....DMB's defense would have been better
If DMB plays and we lose......DMB created nothing

Am I right in seeing it this way?

[giffenbone]

Am I right in seeing it this way?

Yes. Bigsoccer overreacts. If the LM starter plays poorly...BA and the player will get flamed sadly.

[appoo]

John O'Brien please

[VBSoccerFan]

Am I right in seeing it this way?

No. It's a no lose situation. Whether Convey, Beasley or O'Brien plays there, we're going to have a darn good soccer player at left mid.

[Hustletown]

That seems the natural reaction to anything in sports really. That knee-jerk, black/white (figuratively speaking) approach.

However, I'd like to think we've got fans who will give it a more in depth look than that.

Performance should rule at the end of the day. I think each player will get credit for the good, and also called out here for the bad naturally.

Personally, I wish we'd have tried DMB at left back in one of the scrimmages. That way, you can have both on the field and get the best out each of their current games. DMB's defense and Convey's offense.

[gosya]

That seems the natural reaction to anything in sports really. That knee-jerk, black/white (figuratively speaking) approach.

However, I'd like to think we've got fans who will give it a more in depth look than that.

Performance should rule at the end of the day. I think each player will get credit for the good, and also called out here for the bad naturally.

Personally, I wish we'd have tried DMB at left back in one of the scrimmages. That way, you can have both on the field and get the best out each of their current games. DMB's defense and Convey's offense.
You can't really do better than Eddie Lewis at left back.

[Plxix]

If we don't score we don't leave this group.

[Reignking]

Let's see...by this logic, if we win, good; if we lose, bad. That sounds right.

[CDM76]

Totally depends on the formation and what BA's looking to get out of the spot.

Defense - DMB

One-on-One Down the Wing & Cross - Backstreet (Convey)

All Around Dangerous Playmaker - JOB

Personally, I'm hoping for a box midfield in a 4-4-2 consisting of Mastro, JOB at the back and Reyna, LD on the top with JOB pushing up on the left side into the attack.

BRAIN CRAMP - THOUGHTS FROM ANOTHER THREAD PROPOSING 3 BACK DEFENSE OF DOLO-GOOCH-LEWIS
By the way, I agree with missing Gibbs and BA MIGHT try 3 backs but they'll be Gooch, Pope & Boca with Gooch on the right, Pope in the center and Boca on the left. Lewis and Dolo are wings or outside backs not center backs.

[Casper]

I think we need a little more educate on what a "no win" situation is. Is Convey starts, and plays well, and contributes to wins, that's a "win."

Someone will always criticize the coach for the lineup if the team loses. That's not a no-win situation; that's second-guessing.

[Adam Zebrowski]

ok, start BOTH beasley and convey and have them split 50% on each side

[Sion]

Depends on your world view. If you have a need to be right then I can see how one would, after the fact, argue one point over the other. But since there is no way in knowing how the player who did not play would have played the issue can not be known, just speculated about. While fun for some, it is just wasted energy.
Bruce will make the best decision when the time comes based on the situation. FWIW, I do not think it matters as in the end as we beat the CR.:D

[swedust]

The thing w/JOB on the left as opposed to centrally is it preserves him a little more from wear and tear.

I'll take JOB on the left, DaMarcus on the right, w/Convey off the bench for JOB as a spark at 65', please.

[Adam Zebrowski]

i take a different spin, start both beasley and convey, get the lead and in minute 70 bring on JOB for convey to play out the match....

also dempsey for beasley too....

and EJ for mcbride....

i'd rather have the extra added possession, and the bigger body for set play defense, and EJ to hopefully get the counter goal for a +2 aggragate

[Roel]

i take a different spin, start both beasley and convey, get the lead and in minute 70 bring on JOB for convey to play out the match....

also dempsey for beasley too....

and EJ for mcbride....

i'd rather have the extra added possession, and the bigger body for set play defense, and EJ to hopefully get the counter goal for a +2 aggragate

Bingo! The maximizes JOB's value. But I'd start Dempsey over Beasley on the right, for now.

The sentimentalists' midfield consists of a box with DMB, JOB, Lando and Reyna. The fighters' midfield consists of a diamond with Lando, Convey, Dempsey and Mastro.

[JohnR]

If Convey is chosen and we lose....DMB's defense would have been better. If DMB plays and we lose......DMB created nothing


If we lose against Italy and the Czechs, the same people who have been starting mock "Fire Bruce" threads so that they can gloat about how brilliant Bruce is, will say that they always hated Arena. Then they will point out how they argued against the selection of every player on the roster.

They'll never even get around to Convey vs. DMB.

[kal-el]

Bingo! The maximizes JOB's value. But I'd start Dempsey over Beasley on the right, for now.

The sentimentalists' midfield consists of a box with DMB, JOB, Lando and Reyna. The fighters' midfield consists of a diamond with Lando, Convey, Dempsey and Mastro.

Amazing--DMB has gone from a "surprise stater who barely even played in a qualifier" to a "sentimentalist's pick" in just four years.

[Through-Ball]

I think you put JOB out left to start and give him 50-60 min to produce as many sweet passes and through balls as he can. Then, you throw in Convey who by the 60 minute represents a tremendous change of pace and speed from JOB. This maximizes JOB and Convey imho because you give JOB time enough to produce a masterpiece pass and then you sick a fresh Convey onto some tired defenders for the last 30 minutes.
If you start Convey than you reduce the value of his pace and 1 v. 1 by pitting it against a fresh defender. I'm not saying he wouldn't be an effective starter, but I think it's just unfair to expect a tired defender to track him in the last 30-40 minutes when he's fresh.
Another strategy would be to wear down the opponents right back with a half of Beasley attacking and then a half of Convey attacking. Combined with lots of nice Lewis overlapping runs and having both our LM and their RB chasing balls played into space out to left over and over we have the ability to hurt a team on the left side.
And if their defense starts to cheat left we have the ability to hurt them from the right flank with Dolo and Beas or Dolo and Deuce as well. This also gives Donovan and Reyna a more open right central channel to work with. I think Donovan is at his best running at a player toward the right corner of the box and then shooting across the goal mouth or laying off for someone to assist or finish (case in point the LD to EJ to Deuce goal v. Venezuela).

I think the "No-Win situation" is actually "a damn good player is going to have to come off the bench situation".

[sregis]

I think the "No-Win situation" is actually "a damn good player is going to have to come off the bench situation".

right, and i think this is the way bruce looks at it. i'll be shocked if JOB doesn't get the start v. cz

[Roel]

Amazing--DMB has gone from a "surprise stater who barely even played in a qualifier" to a "sentimentalist's pick" in just four years.

He better get his game up. He's played much better in the past. Convey is peaking.