Kris Wallace from the Gallowgate Shots YouTube channel recently featured as a guest on the Last Word On Spurs podcast, previewing the Newcastle United vs Tottenham Hotspur fixture that is set to take place on Wednesday.
During Wallace’s preview, he expressed concerns about Fabian Schar’s new position in central midfield, after the Swiss international featured there against Watford in the Toon’s most recent fixture, which saw Steve Bruce’s side suffer a 2-1 defeat.
Here’s what the Toon fan had to say about the former Basel man featuring further up the pitch:
“We’ve got Fabian Schar, he’s played [in a] defensive-midfield sort of role the last couple of games, and he’s just not suited to that role. I think a lot of fans expect [that] if they’re a decent defender and a calm, confident defender who doesn’t mind playing with the ball at their feet, that they will easily just slot into midfield and be able to perform there as well.
“It’s not the case [with] Fabian Schar, he is far too laid back on that ball, especially in midfield. In defence, he can sit back, he’s got plenty of time and he can judge the play. When you’re in midfield, you don’t have that luxury, and with him in midfield, that really, really does concern us.”
TIF Thoughts…
Schar wasn’t too poor in the defeat at Vicarage Road; earning a 6.83 rating for his performance in midfield. The 28-year-old enjoyed a pass success rate of 81%, which was better than Jonjo Shelvey’s 75%, which doesn’t really back up Wallace’s claim that Schar is too laid back on the ball.
Would you continue playing Schar in midfield?
Yes
No
It will be interesting to see whether Schar keeps his place in midfield for the game against Spurs on Wednesday, as Steve Bruce’s side look to get back to winning ways against the Lilywhites.