Adver News: McGovern happy to be the middleman

[Arriba]

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.

[Don Rogers Shop]

That probably sums him up best

[The Professor]

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

[larwood]

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.

My what a busy afternoon you must have had.

 

[chalkies_shorts]

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

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.

[The Professor]

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.