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the hole in midfield

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Centre midfield

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm sure Arteta's first appearances were in central midfield. I think the move out wide was Moyes's response to how easily he was put out of games early on by physical opponents. (Remember him asking to come off injured, only for DM to wave him back into play, anyone...?)

Clearly Mikel has improved that (competitive, tackling) side of his game, but maybe DM's inate sense of caution also persuaded him to play Pienaar out wide so far...? Whilst he's a great manager for switching around his midfielders/allowing them to switch during games (and I think this confuses opponents and helps our cause) maybe now's the time to put it up to Arteta &/or Pienaar to make the playmaker position their own...?
 
arteta or pienaar in the centre begs the question "why bring in fernandes?" as well as raising the problem of who'll play out wide, as both the aforementioned are better there than osman, who's clearly at his best in the centre.
 

SuitsBlue said:
if toon go down milner is a decent player.
there is another player at wigan... i think its wilson palacios, he appears to have a bit about him.
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I like Palicios. He's the type of technical midfielder we should be looking for and he can also play out wide as well. Gelson Fernandes is also a good young player at Man City. He's a bit more defensive though but he a lot of qualities that would make him a good successor to Carsley. He's go lot of energy, tidy on the ball and disciplined also.

Wilson Palicios, Gelson Fernandes and Manuel Fernandes are all players I'd love to see permanently at Everton.
 
DENNIS STEVENS said:
arteta or pienaar in the centre begs the question "why bring in fernandes?" as well as raising the problem of who'll play out wide, as both the aforementioned are better there than osman, who's clearly at his best in the centre.
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Arteta could be the creative central midfielder we need but it isn't going to happen. Moyes quite clearly rates him as a right midfielder and sees his future there.

Pienaar could do a job there but I wouldn't have him over either Fernandes or Arteta in the middle. He seems to always want that extra touch which he wouldn't get in the middle. Much better out left where he can do his damage and has the freedom to play wide or come inside.
 
pienaar isnt a CM, he is an AM like cahill, only with less stature and heading ability but leagues more passing and vision ability.
 
Both Arteta and Pienaar can play in the centre but they dont get the time or the space they do out on the wing where their vision and passing can be more effective, bth are too small and lightweight to permenent centre midfeilders!
 
Neiler said:
Both Arteta and Pienaar can play in the centre but they dont get the time or the space they do out on the wing where their vision and passing can be more effective, bth are too small and lightweight to permenent centre midfeilders!
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I disagree on Arteta. I think he'd be fine in the middle. He's not weak at all, he shields the ball well and he's also able to keep the ball under pressure. Only thing he's poor at is tackling as he does tend to [Poor language removed] out a lot.
 

ToxtethBlue said:
He's alright. He has potential but if he came he wouldn't be a starter. I feel Osman, Fernandes and Cahill are better players at this current time. He's very similar to Cahill in terms of position. Plays more or less as an attacking midfielder in Holland. I'm not sure what he's like for USA.

He's scored a few goals in the Dutch League but I wouldn't look into that much personally. Denny Landzatt who used to play for Wigan used to bang them in in Holland yet only lasted a season at Wigan.
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Bradley plays in the defensive midfield role for the US National Team and would probably fill that role if Moyes brought him in as an eventual replacement for Carsley.
 
ToxtethBlue said:
I disagree on Arteta. I think he'd be fine in the middle. He's not weak at all, he shields the ball well and he's also able to keep the ball under pressure. Only thing he's poor at is tackling as he does tend to [Poor language removed] out a lot.
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If you watched the game yesterday mate he came into Cm for about 15 mins and was quickly moved bacck out to the wing, i have no bdoubht he could play CM in a different leauge but in the premiership praticularly you dont get time to stand on the ball in the centre before you get clattered and i dont want Arteta playing three and missing four, also gets far less attention out on the wing by full backs compared to two central midfeilders possibly three where he could easily snuffed out of the game!
 
I was an advocate of giving Arteta a chance in centre mid. But when he played there he was ineffective. We already have a class creative midfielder in Osman. All our best football has come with him in centre mid. If we signed him tomorrow from Spain or Italy you would all love him !
Look back at the Portsmouth game. We started with him out wide and Neville in the middle, but when Moyes swapped them both around, that's what won us the game. Why he kept him out wide against Fiorentina I will never know. If only......
 
Neiler said:
If you watched the game yesterday mate he came into Cm for about 15 mins and was quickly moved bacck out to the wing, i have no bdoubht he could play CM in a different leauge but in the premiership praticularly you dont get time to stand on the ball in the centre before you get clattered and i dont want Arteta playing three and missing four, also gets far less attention out on the wing by full backs compared to two central midfeilders possibly three where he could easily snuffed out of the game!
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I did watch the game and I don't really remember him moving inside. He drifted inside when he had the ball but was always playing right wing. Moyes hardly ever brings him inside. I remember against Nuremberg we started with Osman in the middle and after a while Pienaar had 15 minutes in there. Arteta moved inside for 5 minutes and ended up creating Vic's for for the pen.

The last time I actually saw him in the middle was against Man city at home and for the majority of the first half we ran the game. He looked class that day and was able to actually get involved alot more.

I think he'd be fine in the middle of the park in the premiership. If Osman can do it Arteta can. Arteta is as natural a centre midfielder than anyone at the club and is alot more natural than Osman.

When you look at him whats stopping him. He's not a weakling. He's one of the best at the club at retaining possession and shielding the ball under pressure. He's got great feet and is able to evade challenges and he has the ability to find space and dictate and game. Everything you need to be a central creative midfielder in my opinion.

Only thing he really hasn't got in his locker is tackling but in a five man midfield which is what we usually play he'd have tacklers around him in Carsley and Cahill. And lets be honest Osman can't tackle either and it doesn't effect him.

At the moment I think we have able cover centrally and Arteta's needed out wide but he's always an option and shouldn't be stuck out wide all the time. Especially in European games where the onus is to keep the ball.
 

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