Central Midfield

[Gwladys Nights]

I'd like to replace McCarthy with Arteta from 2008 and see what happens.

 

[COYBL25]

Just a question to pose here. Fast forward till the end of the season and I think we can assume Osman will be retired, barry will have a year left and may become more of a squad player, Gibson who knows...

So we would be left with McCarthy, Barkley, Besic, Cleverley and perhaps Ledson. Thats 5 players for 3 positions, ideally we need 6.

There has been a lot of talk about a playmaker coming in and Barkley moving back into the centre. However i am wondering if this may be "too" attack minded as we would then only have one player focused on defending.

I think theres a few factors here:

A-- Can Barkley become a box-box player?
B-- Can Besic take over from Barry?
C-- Would McCarthy be CM or DM?
D-- Is Cleverley first choice or utility?
E-- Is Ledson good enough as cover?

So, i was thinking, perhaps it may be interesting if we kept Barkley where he is and then brought in a "deep lying" playmaker next to McCarthy. This would still keep our shape defensively but open up more attacking options through additional ability to spread the ball to the wings from deep, stretching the play and leaving Lukaku and Barkley with more space and the wingers with more freedom.

Ferguson tried this with Veron and it didnt work but i think with our system it could do.

Alternatively we dont have a "powerhouse,driving central midfielder" and im not sure if Barkley could fit the position defensively. McCarthy i think would be perfect as a DM with Besic competing with him.

So, what would you prefer:

1-- Sign a traditional number 10 and move Barkley back?

2-- Keep Barkley where he is and sign a deep lying playmaker?

3-- Bring in a box to box midfielder?

4-- Not change anything for a couple of seasons more?

You need to stop this mate. Your becoming the new @Adversus, which is very entertaining, but will only ever lead to bad things in the end for you.

 

[hallamblue]

I would like Darren Gibson, only with new knees and no off field problems.

 

[Woolly Blue]

Hey look it's another transfer thread disguised as a midfield discussion

You need to stop this mate. Your becoming the new @Adversus, which is very entertaining, but will only ever lead to bad things in the end for you.

See below ...

*hint

The ignore feature's boss. I think if someone's on ignore you don't see their threads ?

Edit : It does. Oh my, this is ace.

If everyone who Zat annoys stopped responding in a negative way to him or just put him on ignore then we'd find out how many people want to natter about his thread topics.

Must admit, massive hypotheticals aren't to my taste so I tend to swerve them, but each to their own and all that.

 

[alpha1]

I think we need a left sided player to take over from Pienaar personally and go with a 4-1-2-3 formation
GK
Coleman Stones Jagielka Baines
McCarthy
Cleverley Barkley
Deulofeu Lukaku (new player)

 

[Zatara]

I'm not sure that's true. Deulofeu isn't a playmaker on the right and neither is Kone on the left.
.
When you say "top class centre mid who can dictate the game", that sounds like moving Barkley back?

Martinez seems to prefer to play with wide playmakers rather than central ones. My views on this are clear so I would rather buy a top class centre mid who could dictate the game and coordinate attacks. If we are not to go down this route then it would be a top class playmaker for the left hand side to replace Kone and bring what Pienaar used to.

 

[Zatara]

I suppse he would fit the "deep lying playmaker option"...just his injury problems and lack of mobility would be major issues.

I would like Darren Gibson, only with new knees and no off field problems.

 

[Zatara]

@alpha1 i think we will sign another left sided player anyway. If we did and had Kone competing with him then in your formation we would have i think;

McCarthy / Besic
Cleverley / ?
Barkley / ?

So we wouldnt have any depth in front of McCarthy...

 

[messymascot]

We need a player like Gibson but who can stay fit and a back up number 10. We also need a left footed left winger to balance our attacking side of midfield. Right wing and defensive midfield are adequately catered for.

 

[Saint Domingo]

I'm not sure that's true. Deulofeu isn't a playmaker on the right and neither is Kone on the left.
.
When you say "top class centre mid who can dictate the game", that sounds like moving Barkley back?

They are more than Barry and McCarthy. We did a similar thing with Osman and Pienaar in the first season. They are inking the play from the midfield to the attack. We had no one to do that last season.

 

[Baines' left foot]

Put Stones there. Great idea.

 

[Jamo Martinez]

I think Cleverley will eventually strike up a partnership with Baines on the left. Also think Barkley's developing nicely where he is. Barry has shown this season that when he's on form he can make us tick as can Gibson on the rare occaisions he's fit. Therefore I'd like to see a younger, hopefully faster version of either of these to sit alongside McCarthy.
Over the last couple of years I've mentioned the name Manu Trigueros (Villarreal) on numerous posts. More Gibson than Barry so would be the deep lying playmaker option. Still only 25-26.

 

[flibbyflob]

Depends who we signed, if you got a playmaker to create just behind Rom you could move Barkley back and have 5 players for 2 central positions depending how well the new guy fits in. Think a lot of what we do will depend on whether we are in europe or not though as if we have the extra games we will need extra players but at present even if we lost Osman and started phasing out Barry i think there are other areas we need to fill more (goalkeeper cough cough)

 

[Hong Kong Bluey]

Barkley isn't a box to box type is he. How many tackles does he even try, never mind win...
I'd keep him high up the field so when gives ball away doesn't hurt us too much.
McCarthy ace as DM, keep him there. Not Besic good enuff.
If bring Barry Horne back

 

[Dubai Blue]

Such poor quote etiquette