are we missing jim o'brien?

i would have said that we have done well without him so far, i dont think this changes much with the defeat to barrow. i do feel he would have been the perfect player in that game as he would no doubt try to pick those up around him. i think its more the difficult games we do, the ones where we are sluggish and play backwards more than attempting to go forward.

what do you think? i am eagerly awaiting his return tho.

We have done well without him, however we need his clinical passes. We do have Regan Booty to play his role but Ardley puts him on the wing and that diminishes the influence he can have on the game. 

For me you have to play one of Booty or O'Brien and then one of Doyle or Rose. One to sit and protect and one to roam forward. JOB and Regan can do their job well out wide but they need to be in the centre to be able maximise their impact

We also miss his energy. This is where he is crucial against the top teams. His energy disturbs the flow of the opposition game, giving them less time to think when in possession and rushing them into quick decisions, which leads to mistakes. 

i think rose should not be near the starting squad at the moment.

hes had a lot of game time to improve, i mean he does okay but hes not the same player as last season. job would make a massive difference in this role, where he flounders doing that.

great post @ARLukomski.

People might have a knee jerk reaction after the Barrow defeat, yet the squad has looked more competitive since his absence. I would stat Jim O'Brien over Michael Doyle every day of the week. He's far more important than Doyle for me, I would hope other fans see this too.

I just feel there is a minor concern over inconsistencies.

Yes, but the players have mostly responded well to his absence.

I am not concerned about the last game, our form is still good and they should do better against other teams. Barrow are top for a reason, they're in fine form.

We haven't been suffering so far, which is testament to the options we have. But on Saturday I couldn't help thinking that we could have done with him. 

5 hours ago, ARLukomski said:

For me you have to play one of Booty or O'Brien and then one of Doyle or Rose. One to sit and protect and one to roam forward. JOB and Regan can do their job well out wide but they need to be in the centre to be able maximise their impact

Spot on. Doyle and Rose have their merits, but playing them together makes us reactive and limits our attacking options through the middle. 

The simple answer is yes, we do miss Jim O'Brien.

What Notts has done without him on the field has been impressive, however, I imagine it would be a lot more better if he hadn't broken his arm. I know, Jim's excited about his return, but it's still some time away. Things revealed in a scan not that long ago shown delays in his healing, the club doesn't want to rush it - which is a good thing. I do, feel we require a player like O'Brien who isn't afraid to get involved.

Isn't afraid to be tired, press or run for every ball.

This is something, naturally which our team is missing and Mitch Rose doesn't offer anywhere near suitable cover right now.

Yes, I don't want him to be rushed back. I am hoping that we can bring in a pacey midfielder when the January window opens up in the football league.

He’s an integral part of the team. People say that some players are an automatic choice .... we’ll of course they are and JOB is one of them when fit.

 Yes definitely

With what sounds like two CM's being in poor form, I think Jim O'Brien is being missed.

His creativity and drive.