Playing Out Of Position

Sam Stejksal wrote the obligatory followup on Peter Lowry's big day last Sunday, and ended with this bit:

Lowry's recent emergence as a midfield option for the Fire means only good things for the club. This is especially true when you consider Chris Rolfe's impending transfer to Aalborg. The Fire will be losing a very solid midfielder in Rolfe and Lowry coming into the fold eases my worries (at least a little bit...) about the state of the midfield in 2010.

Despite having a last name that's impossible to remember how to spell, Stejksal seems like a reasonable guy. But between this and his talk of how much the Fire will miss John Thorrington this weekend against Toronto, I'm starting to wonder if he realizes where on the field Lowry has been playing. There may be an argument to be made about replacing the goals that Rolfe scores, but that's not what Sam said. Plus, I quibble on Chris Rolfe being a "very solid midfielder," since he's about half as dangerous as a goal-scorer when he lines up that far from the net, and could be a lot stronger defensively than he is. Very good player, yes. Very solid midfielder? What I'm saying is that I wouldn't go quite that far.

As for Thorrington, the comment I kept making last week against Columbus was that I don't think we'll see him back in the starting lineup this year barring an injury to Lowry or Logan Pause, unless Denis Hamlett gives him a run at right back. And this is coming from someone who thought Thor was the MVP of the team last season. He just hasn't been nearly as consistent this year, and Lowry has shown that much more upside.