Some jobs look easier than others, playing midfield in a football team is no exception. When Man City are rolling it from side to side any fan fan would be forgiven for thinking "Sheesh I could do that" (SPOILER ALTERT-You couldn't) but watching our lads in midfield, there are few looking on with envy.
First thing is to play in our system, forget about Kevin De Bruyne through balls or arriving in the box like a Frank Lampard or a Steven Gerrard (even these days!), that ain't what we're expecting of you. No, we're expecting you to keep your shape at pretty much all times, defend compact and narrow as a unit and not to lose the ball in the first two thirds. Our system demands effort and discipline in equal measure (that measure being a "quadruple" down your local pub), and not all midfielders are naturally suited to it. James Ball would be the best example of those who don't really "fit". For the team he played as a 4 and a 6 and did pretty well, but curbing his natural tendency to be an 8 was like watching a greyhound on one of those long leads.
Of those who DID play, DID make it work, these are my season reviews.
Jake Reeves-Fitting that he goes first. An absolutely integral part of our promotion season, he played every match in which he wasn't fit or suspended. Derided by many fans (including me) for being too safe with his passing, the overwhelming consensus when he got a three game ban was that it would probably help us. Those who said as much (including me) were of course totally wrong. Fortunately for us though when the captain came back and we won four consecutive games 1-0, we could all claim that he had "benefitted from the rest". That's total bollocks obviously, but at least it gave those of us who crave being able to say "I was right all along" something to cling to.
For Jakes part he is a very good footballer, breaks the play up very efficiently and passes it into a safe area very perceptively. When he does get forward, he is more than comfortable and capable of providing some cut be it from a slipped pass or a shot from distance.
Stepping up to L1 will be a challenge for him at this stage in his career in my opinion, but if the coaching staff can get "legs" alongside him he'll no doubt be an ever present next season too.
Ali Smith-There are a couple of rumours around that he might have played his last game for us. Apart from the other lads who play alongside him, I must be the person who wishes the most that it ain't so. Ali is an excellent footballer and if we hadn't had him this season, we wouldn't have gone up in my opinion.
I've always thought this lad firmly fits into the "doesn't realize how good he is" category of footballers, we have a couple of those. My guess is he'll seamlessly step up to L1, I just hope it's with us.
If footballers were insects this lad would be a preying mantis, impossible to get away from without one of his spindly legs wrapping around you and knocking the ball away. In my view we still have only seen 70% or so of his total capabilities, he really was good enough last season to absolutely boss L2 if only he'd realized it. Sometimes he did, he went on little runs of games where he made the decisive contributions, but I honestly thank that his goal tally for instance was only half of what it might have been.
That might read a bit harsh, but it's only because I rate him so highly as a footballer. I'd be going down the back of the setee to give this fella as close as possible to what he actually wants.
Callum Maycock-A good first season in league football from the Solihull Moors recruit. My guess (I've never met him) is that he's a quiet, modest lad, another who doesn't realize how good he can be.
For the first month or two he appeared to me to have "League footballer imposter syndrome" but he grew into it and by the end looked disappointed if he wasn't selected.
As a footballer he's a "glue" player, his ability to move perceptively into space often allowing the group to function with more fluency in possession. He has a goal in him (I'd personally like to see more) and although I haven't seen the stats Id guess he racks up the kilometres when he's on the pitch.
I'd hope he'd make the step up to L1 without too much of a problem, providing he can convince himself that he belongs there.
Miles Hippolyte-An absolutely vital player when available. I think if he'd have stayed fit all season we might have had a shot at the title.
It was no surprise that he got the vital goal at Wembley, he appears to have that "big player" mentality, lads like that generally DO step up when it matters.
As a footballer he's an excellent athlete and probably happiest in a three in the middle with him as a roving 8. He's better in the air than you'd imagine, gets his foot in and can hit it off both sides from outside the box. The only impediment to him stepping up a level is the fitness. My guess is that if we CAN keep him fit then he's going to play lots of minutes next season.
That'd be great news, we are going to need players like him. A lot.
Tomorrow we'll look at the strikers.