Poyet Eyes Midfield Destroyer

[BensGrandad]

Not often I agree with NE but he has hit the nail on the head the major cause of our problems are Dunk and Greer they do not win or clear the ball well enough. I think that everybpody has got carried away with the way Dunk has slotted in but neither him nor Greer win the balls that are either pumped into the box or crossed from the wings. The balls they win go nowhere and the midfield that we have has not picked up the 2nd ball to continue the defence.

 

[Exiled in Exeter]

Great news. We look OK going forwards and CMS and Barnes have a decent scoring record. It is the defensive side we have struggled with recently against the better sides (Leicester, Ipswich etc).

As a kid growing up I loved the Arsenal midfield which had Overmars and Parlour as the attacking wide men with Petit and Vieira as the holding midfielders to win the ball back from the opposition.

 

[the right footed denilson]

Players can tackle AND pass. He's not suggesting we sign a donkey, just someone with a bit of aggression.
However, I'm sure Vincelot could play the role alongside Bridcutt with Buckley and Vicente ahead of them.

 

[BensGrandad]

Players can tackle AND pass. He's not suggesting we sign a donkey, just someone with a bit of aggression.
However, I'm sure Vincelot could play the role alongside Bridcutt with Buckley and Vicente ahead of them.

Exactly what I have been saying for ages.

 

[the right footed denilson]

Dosn't make sense to me BG- here is a player who by his own admission prefers playing CB, and by trade is a full back- a naturally aggressive and defensive player. A player who scored 10 goals (at least?) from midfield last year and has, in the games i've seen him, been a very effective and dynamic midfielder. Yet, he is not being played in the one position seemingly made for him.

 

[BensGrandad]

There must be more to it as it seems so obvious. Phili[ps got Blackpool sequaliser through the central defenders winning the ball and knocking it 5 yds away and the midfield didnt jump on it but KP did.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

I said this before the season started, full back cover and a box to box midfielder!

 

[perseus]

It looks as if Gus is looking towards employing a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Bridcutt & new signing at base of midfield.
Vicente behind CMS
Noone & Buckley/Lua Lua out wide.

Some people the 4-2-3-1 system is flawed. I think that this actually the fault. Sacchi doesn't like the system. I don't like it either.

The three attacking midfielders can be hard for opposition defenses to pick up, especially if they interchange and run in from deeper positions.
There is usually one central creative force, playing behind the striker. When Deportivo La Coruna and Valencia won Spanish League titles in the first half of the last decade under Javier Irureta and Rafael Benitez respectively, Juan Valeron (Deportivo) and Pablo Aimar (Valencia) both featured behind the striker, their subtle skills creating havoc in opposition defenses.

 

[perseus]

I would like to think that Gus Poyet's first choice is 4-3-3

The 4-3-3 requires a box-to-box midfielder and only one winger (on the left usually). If we are leading we include a second holding midfielder instead of the winger.

The 4-4-2 is the most sensible, but I find if both sides play it the game gets rather stifled. If the midflielders are rather ordinary this works best. Lots of home draws though. With 3 pts for a win, not so good any more.

For difficult away fixtures: the 4-5-1. This enables two wingers so it is not all that much different from 4-2-3-1. It needs a back to the goal target man which we haven't actually got. It would work against tiring teams.

Barcelona 4-3-3

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Players can tackle AND pass. He's not suggesting we sign a donkey, just someone with a bit of aggression.
However, I'm sure Vincelot could play the role alongside Bridcutt with Buckley and Vicente ahead of them.

Vincelot could play the Kishishev role that we don't seem to have replaced. It's a shame that Kish was old and we couldn't have got another year out of him.

 

[RM-Taylor]

Jason Koumas?

 

[Marc1901]

Id rather play the youth team than Sparrow!

That's a bit harsh, he isn't exactly the worst player on the squad..

 

[BrickTamland]

I hope we don't loan a youngster from a prem team. We need experience

 

[JJB]

We have exactly what you need in one of your ex players, Dean Hammond. He does it very well, not the prettiest of footballers but he does well breaking play up.

 

[BensGrandad]

We have exactly what you need in one of your ex players, Dean Hammond. He does it very well, not the prettiest of footballers but he does well breaking play up.

Gives away too many free kicks just outside of the box due to his reckless tackling.

 

[perseus]

We have exactly what you need in one of your ex players, Dean Hammond. He does it very well, not the prettiest of footballers but he does well breaking play up.

I agree with this.

Bridcutt and Navarro should be able to do the job though. I think instead of letting the ball doing all the work with the passing game we need a player who can run through the centre of the park like Matt Sparrow. This is the box to box midfielder. I don't think Vincelot has got the legs for the role Maybe Buckley which is better than playing Barnes deep

Against teams that play accurate long balls into the channels the manual according to Chris Hughton says you need two holding midfielders. Or else there is a hole where Chopra resides. The defenders can close them down, but these still enables the opponents long shots which means more attempts.

But the modern clubs do not have these sort of midfielder player any more, even Busquets of Barcelona is not seen in the opposing penalty area in the top games.

 

[BensGrandad]

I agree with this.

Bridcutt and Navarro should be able to do the job though. I think instead of letting the ball doing all the work with the passing game we need a player who can run through the centre of the park like Matt Sparrow. This is the box to box midfielder. I.

Both Navarro and Sparrow have proved on numerous occassions beyond any doubt they cannot do the job that is required. Defensivly the only man that could do this job is Vincelot and possibly Harley or Buckley could do the attacking bit.

 

[glasfryn]

Another Paul Clark or another Danny Wilson ?

Or Danny Wilson II from Liverpool ?

But when el-Abd and Buckley are fit, maybe we have the players already ?

good point El-Abd should be watching as many video's of Nobby Horton as he can lay his hands on

 

[Bakero]

Some people the 4-2-3-1 system is flawed. I think that this actually the fault. Sacchi doesn't like the system. I don't like it either.

The three attacking midfielders can be hard for opposition defenses to pick up, especially if they interchange and run in from deeper positions.
There is usually one central creative force, playing behind the striker. When Deportivo La Coruna and Valencia won Spanish League titles in the first half of the last decade under Javier Irureta and Rafael Benitez respectively, Juan Valeron (Deportivo) and Pablo Aimar (Valencia) both featured behind the striker, their subtle skills creating havoc in opposition defenses.

Why do you think the system is flawed? You've just put a quote in showing it was highly effective for Valencia and La Coruna. I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you but just wondering what your reasoning is.

 

[Rocky Robin]

Bouba Diop could do a job, shame West ham got him