Starting 11 for next season

[Mark Johnson]

For me OB best position is a more defensive midfield role.. he can carry the ball in that pocket of space between defence and attack, to try to open up play for others.
He can tackle, pass, win headers but he's not as effective as a playmaking midfieilder, the role he was doing under Cooper and the role in which Brown dropped him under. He would be good sat in front of our defence especially in a tough away game.

Your view of Banks is the players we need to fit alongside the creativity of Rooney but it never worked and he was dropped because he wasn’t effectively doing those things you said he does well?

We've seen Banks underperform yes, but we've also seen him perform well in a Barrow shirt. People tend to forget that he was playing his best football at the start of the season just gone, when Gotts and Stevens were in front of him. I'm saying he should go back to that role, with Gotts, (possibly) Stevens and Rooney in front of him.

Banks was arguably our best player 1st half of the season

He played his worst football when he was trying to be the creative midfielder, later on in the season. Cooper was putting Gotts at wing back and playing Banks in an advanced midfield role. Just didn't work.

Just because Banks hasn't so far played well with Rooney, doesn't mean he couldn't. Depends on the system and his position and in game tactics. He's obviously a good player as we've all seen

[Mark Johnson]

I'm advocating that we don't miss our midfield out and have a player that links defence to midfield. I think Banks would be a good candidate for that. The truth is we need to get Rooney on the ball as much as possible next season. He's the one we need to build our team around as he's by far our most gifted player. Getting it forward quickly might work in some games but I think we need a sensible mix of penetration and patience, where our most creative players are involved and allowed to influence the game.

We also need Brough as our left wing back regularly

We probably need 2 CB's , 2 full backs/wing backs, 2 strikers and we'll be set !

As most people on here will know, I'm Rooney's biggest fan. However, he's not the player he was when he left us to go to Stockport. As you say, he's still by far our most gifted player but he no longer gets around the pitch as often and as quickly as he used to do. To play him and Banks in midfield means we have 2 players who are short of pace - Banks more so than Rooney - and we need 2 reasonably quick players to play alongside Rooney. Gotts fits the bill for one of those but we need another with similar quickness to Gotts.
IMO, we are also playing Rooney in the wrong place since he returned. Under Evatt, he played much deeper and constanly took the ball off the back 3 before advancing. Since he retuned he has been played much further forward - as he was at Stockport - and it doesn't suit him nearly as much as when the play is in front of him.
I agree with your point about Brough who is easily our best wing back. However, He's also probably also our best central defender at the moment!

Agree - we need the pace and busyness of Gotts and/or Stevens in that midfield too. Agree with your point also about Rooney under Evatt - he was playing a bit deeper (I honestly think he was given something akin to a free role under Evatt) but Evatt was smart enough to know you need your best players to have as much freedom as they need to express themselves. I would like to see Banks sit in front of a back line with Rooney in that creative role and then Gotts + 1 other doing the leg work in the middle. If not Banks in that role, we definitely need a anchorman type ball playing midfielder who keeps things simple and compliments the game of those in front (and behind) him.

I do think Banks can play that role though, thats all I'm saying

[Jonty]

Yep. Agree that Banks in front of the centre half’s when we on top as a pivot as he is comfortable with the ball at his feet. I’m just not sure as effective when we under the cosh out of possession and that’s when the role needs to be really solid and combative.

[blue nige]

When we needed Banks He wasn`t there for us ,it`s no good being ok when we`er doing well if we want to move on we need player`s who do it week in week out who will play wherever and give it their all WE CAN`T afford to carry people or we`ll be right back down the bottom again as for Rooney playing deep didn`t Tom white /Jason taylor do all the donkey work?

[Adam29]

When we needed Banks He wasn`t there for us ,it`s no good being ok when we`er doing well if we want to move on we need player`s who do it week in week out who will play wherever and give it their all WE CAN`T afford to carry people or we`ll be right back down the bottom again as for Rooney playing deep didn`t Tom white /Jason taylor do all the donkey work?

Nope
Lewis Hardcastle was the number 10

Rooney and Taylor/White sat behind

[russell_anderson]

When we needed Banks He wasn`t there for us ,it`s no good being ok when we`er doing well if we want to move on we need player`s who do it week in week out who will play wherever and give it their all WE CAN`T afford to carry people or we`ll be right back down the bottom again as for Rooney playing deep didn`t Tom white /Jason taylor do all the donkey work?

Taylor didn't play very much after White arrived (Taylor was injured for quite a long spell if I remember correctly) and either of those 2 played a sitting role in front of the back 3 as you said correctly. Rooney and Hardcastle played all over the field but Rooney was the man who started and was given possession by the back 3 as much as possible, particularly Sam Hird. He wasn't the sitting midfielder and didn't play as such but he certainly dropped a lot deeper than he has done since he came back and he had possession a lot more the way Evatt had him playing. As Adam said, Hardcastle was the most advanced of the midfield although still did plenty of defensive work when it was required.