(Almost) Everyone can see we need 3 in midfield

[UltraVires]

How this has not been recognised by the staff at the club I do not know.

Our midfield got overrun today and it has happened time and again this year.

For me it is simple, our central midfielders can be split into three groups:

Ones with legs to get around
Doucoure

Ones without legs to get around
Allan
Gomes

Prospects/in between the above categories/inconsistent or just poor at football
Onyango
Davies
Delph
Gbamin

To compete effectively in attack and defence, you need two players who have the legs to get around. Given we don’t have two players that have the legs, we need to play 3 to combat that problem.

If we play Allan and give him the sole responsibility to break up play and stay back. Play Gomes and give him the responsibility to take it forward and play Doucoure who could roam, we would be fine.

Anything less than that and we will get run over by pretty much any PL side like we did today at times by a poor championship side.

 

[sageyefc]

433 is the way to go

 

[Librarian]

4 legs good 2 legs bad

 

[Librarian]

Godfrey is an option in midfield

 

[UltraVires]

Godfrey is an option in midfield

Potentially as he has shown he can run forward with the ball but I think he needs to stick to one position for the foreseeable, just so we can judge him properly.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

If we play Allan and give him the sole responsibility to break up play and stay back. Play Gomes and give him the responsibility to take it forward and play Doucoure who could roam, we would be fine.

Disagree with that bit mate.

Gomes is alright at keeping things ticking over in a possession based side when things are going well, but someone to rely on to push the team forward? Not for me.

Also pretty rare we have three, what I'd class premier league quality, centre midfielders fit - especially when games come quick. We're having to bring on the likes of Gbamin...

 

[UltraVires]

Disagree with that bit mate.

Gomes is alright at keeping things ticking over in a possession based side when things are going well, but someone to rely on to push the team forward? Not for me.

Also pretty rare we have three, what I'd class premier league quality, centre midfielders fit.

I am not saying Gomes is the ideal one to push us forward but he seemed the most likely to do it out of the options we have.

It’s clear we need another CM that can do that job and ideally one that has legs too. For the time being, I think Gomes is our best option as a third midfielder to go alongside Allan and Doucoure

 

[Zatara]

How this has not been recognised by the staff at the club I do not know.

Our midfield got overrun today and it has happened time and again this year.

For me it is simple, our central midfielders can be split into three groups:

Ones with legs to get around
Doucoure

Ones without legs to get around
Allan
Gomes

Prospects/in between the above categories/inconsistent or just poor at football
Onyango
Davies
Delph
Gbamin

To compete effectively in attack and defence, you need two players who have the legs to get around. Given we don’t have two players that have the legs, we need to play 3 to combat that problem.

If we play Allan and give him the sole responsibility to break up play and stay back. Play Gomes and give him the responsibility to take it forward and play Doucoure who could roam, we would be fine.

Anything less than that and we will get run over by pretty much any PL side like we did today at times by a poor championship side.

Alot of posters (including me) think we should be an attacking 433 playing on the front foot.

I do think we need a DM though to be able to do this effectively.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

I am not saying Gomes is the ideal one to push us forward but he seemed the most likely to do it out of the options we have.

It’s clear we need another CM that can do that job and ideally one that has legs too. For the time being, I think Gomes is our best option as a third midfielder to go alongside Allan and Doucoure

Indeed, though my comment of 'Also pretty rare we have three, what I'd class premier league quality, centre midfielders fit' perhaps explains it.

I mean, you're pinning a lot on Gomes, Allan and Doucoure - how many games have they all been available for Benitez?

Gomes missed 10 games between - Sept-Dec.

When Gomes, Allan or Doucoure aren't available what then? If the answer is Gbamin, Delph or Davies - try something else.

No idea if/what we have to spend, but it could explain why there's a £1m getting thrown at a midfielder who could give some legs because we're very light.

I've no doubt centre mid is a priority for the club.

 

[JLW]

Unfortunately the one man who can’t is the man who gets paid multi million pounds to do it! You know the fella, the one with bags of experience around Europe.

 

[Cow kecks]

I think we need an attacking centre mid mate and looking at the squad the only player I see capable of doing role is Gordon.

 

[UltraVires]

Alot of posters (including me) think we should be an attacking 433 playing on the front foot.

I do think we need a DM though to be able to do this effectively.

I think Allan can do the DM role so in my eyes, we need a midfielder that can pick up the ball and drive it forwards while still having the legs to get back to help out.

 

[UltraVires]

I think we need an attacking centre mid mate and looking at the squad the only player I see capable of doing role is Gordon.

Not sure Gordon is a central player. He does his best work when he opens up and runs at players I reckon

 

[Colonel Getafe]

Yeah but if you put 3 in midfielder, how do you get the 5 defenders in there too?.....

 

[Toffe3m4n]

Pickford

Patterson - Keane - Mina - Mykolenko

Doucoure - Allan - Gomes

Gray - DCL - Richarlison​

In an ideal world, with everyone 100% fit, this would be very close to our best XI & system going forward in my opinion. We'd also have some decent options on the bench for once.