Thetownend.com

McGovern happy to be the middleman
           

  TOWN midfielder Jon-Paul McGovern is hoping he will be central to manager Danny Wilson’s plans this season, as he aims to cement a role in the heart of the team.

           

http://www.thisisswindontownfc.co.uk/news/headlines/4500226.McGovern_happy_to_be_the_middleman/?ref=rss
           

If he starts in the first XI, then he will need a good August.

Everyone will be watching, the pressure is on (finally)

Only 3 weeks to go Spence.

Getting close isn't it.

Yes, and like my boss, we are looking a bit thin up front.

Paynter and McGovern up front will be interesting. Best mates, arent they?

McNamee was also tried in that free role on your, wasn't he?

Just to clarify, When I said 'finally' I meant that JPM will at last have some pressure on him to perform. He was rubbish under Malpas, but Malpas picked him every week without fail, dont think he ever dropped him.

He's in the final year of his contract. Probably a wake up call that no one enquired about him in the summer, even though in the Adver before the Carlisle away game he said he would probably be moving on.

So yeah, he's going to have to really get going this season. If he doesnt start in the XI regularly then he will struggle to pick up a L1 contract next season IMO. Looking forward to it.

Malpas dropped him.

He'll be good this season and prove all his doubters wrong.

I hope so Dv

Agree DV...hes going to have a big part to play this season..important member of the squad.

I just had a look. McGovern started every game from Leyton Orient away March 11th 2007 until he was dropped for Franchise away (30th August) and Hereford away. Reinstated for Leeds and started every game until Byrne came in, who dropped him straight away.

He might be a metaphor for the underachievement at the club since Sturrock left. But he isnt an important player. Wilson would have let him go if anyone had come in for him.

If Wilson gets in anyone half decent up front then he wont be starting much this season.

I thought JPM played really well under Wilson when he came back from injury.

It was his introduction down the right that won us the game against Bristol Rovers.

He had a bad season and injuries last season just like Easton did. Both more than good enough for us.

 If JPM is starting at all, then we've got problems. If he's starting in the hole behind Paynter then they're serious problems.

Its his head I dont trust, not his feet.

Thought he did OK late on in the season.

On last years form, neither Easton nor McGovern are good enough, and Wilson knows it. But as you say, injuries played a part.

I'd agree with that, but I trust Easton's head more than JPM's. Looking forward to him proving me wrong, because when he applies himself, he's good

You're quite right Reg,it almost seems to be deja vu with the very thought of JPM playing in the
middle.He's not mentally tough enough and just like Amankwaah,goes missing in games far to readily.
He most certainly cannot play the Alan Mac,freescoring midfield role.

IMHO we still need 2 strikers, a goal scoring midfielder and a left back.

mcgovern is a good player.good vision and passes the ball better than any of our other players.needs to put more of a shift in and make some fucking crunching takles though.

That probably sums him up best

I really don't see him as a winger - lacks the pace to break down the wing or beat his defender. However he can pass accurately. I reckon he will drop into the midfield & become the distributer.  I remember Jock Stein did something similar with Bertie Auld for the 'Lisbon Lions'.  Bertie was an average winger with Birmingham City, won 2 caps for Scotland but Jock Stein brought him back to Glasgow & played him as the midfield general. He was a revelation in that great Celtic side.  Maybe JPM could do a similar job in our midfield now we've got a ball winner in Douglas

My what a busy afternoon you must have had.

 :zzz:

I hope you're right but thats the most optimistic post I've read in years. Maybe Aljofree will turn into our very own Bobby Moore. If Danny Wilson could do that then he's Capello's successor.
JPM has been consistently shite in the middle. He did get better under Wilson but thats not saying much. The guy has talent but he can't dig deep and is not mentally strong enough.

Fair point Chalkie's Shorts. McGovern has been drafted into midfield before but it has seemed to me that he's not had a clear idea of what his role was. Malpas did seem to try it as an alternative arrangement but I think with Wilson he will have a much more clearly defined role. When he came to Swindon from MK Dongs he had a good record of providing goal making passes. He can't have lost that ability completely surely?

In mitigation though, it does sounds as if JPM had quite a productive time in Austria.  Let's see how he shapes up in the remaining pre-season games when I guess the management will be concentrating more on the formation & roles of the team & players.