How do we fix our midfield?

[Fosterbloke]

easier said than done getting players like him in - cost a lot of money + a lot of competition for their signing and without CL football it's all about their desire to be part of a side building to win rather than already there.

Sorry Thomas Muller, I had no idea you were a member here.

[RichC]

Sorry Thomas Muller, I had no idea you were a member here.

All I said right sort of player just hard to get someone like him in - wtf is wrong with that

[Arn]

We don't have a single out and out wide player but we play 4-4-2 almost every game.

It's not only down to the lack of quality players. You must play the players in their right position. Play 4-4-3 instead of 4-4-2 would be a good start.

Then all our midfield players would play in their best position. KK isn't any better than Roy when it comes down to that.

Meireles delivered when he played in a free attacking midfield position. Play him there again and he will deliver again. Play him out wide and he won't deliver.

Play Kuyt as one of the three attackers and he will play much better. Play him out wide and he will be a lot worse.

First KK need to sort out the system. Then he can sign the players he need to play that system.

Meireles and Lucas are excellent players. We need a third player to play with them. A playmaker. Gerrard isn't that. We need a Xabi or Aquilani type of player.

What we also need is a much better back four so the midfield get much better service. Agger is the only one good enough but he is injured very often. Get in much better ball playing defenders and our midfield will also play much better.

Get in strikers/attackers that can play free flowing pass and move football and our midfield will play much better. Then they will have more options and can pass the ball quicker.

Look how much difference just one striker that is excellent doing that means, Suarez. Imagine another player like him on the right side of Carroll in a 4-3-3.

It is easy to say that we need to fix our midfield. We need to fix so many other things to be able to fix the midfield.

[dww]

I think we sort out the triangle of CBs and defensive midfielder first. I like Lucas but without Agger we have no defenders capable of playing the ball out - so the two areas do not complement one another as they should do. If that worked we would play in better areas and get more out of some of the players we have (Gerrard, Meireles, Cole, Kuyt, Maxi and probably even Spearing).

[badpiggy]

Alonso could/can tackle, very underrated in that area and much tougher than he's given credit for.

Alonso was way more mobile, though not fast, and aggressive than he was given credit for. He did all the closing down, and more, that Lucas does and was a fierce and fearless tackler. I particularly loved how he seemd to rile Lampard - never saw him do anything but the amount of times Lampard seemed to just lose it against Alonso was brilliant

Edit: To answer the question, we still need to replace him. I'm not wholly convinced about the need for pacy wingers ahead of a real CM. Someone like Xabi will find you as long as you take up the right position. It's a bonus if you can then beat players with tricks and speed but just the simple act of moving the ball forward and/or wide quickly progresses attacks exponentially. I think Riera showed this. I don't know who's out there to do this though - who's the guy at Porto who runs the midfield? Maybe Schweinsteiger is an option. Not sure Charlie Adam is the man either.

Unfortuneately for Lucas although he has come on loads and puts in some great performances, he is lacking in real effectiveness and can't change the direction or pace of our attacks. In fact we have noone to do this. I'd vote for 2 new CBs, a LB and a CM ahead of any other attacking players in the summer. Maybe one or two of the youngsters can start bto gradually replace Maxi and Kuyt as wide players.

[badpiggy]

We don't have a single out and out wide player but we play 4-4-2 almost every game.

It's not only down to the lack of quality players. You must play the players in their right position. Play 4-4-3 instead of 4-4-2 would be a good start.

Then all our midfield players would play in their best position. KK isn't any better than Roy when it comes down to that.

Meireles delivered when he played in a free attacking midfield position. Play him there again and he will deliver again. Play him out wide and he won't deliver.

Play Kuyt as one of the three attackers and he will play much better. Play him out wide and he will be a lot worse.

First KK need to sort out the system. Then he can sign the players he need to play that system.

Meireles and Lucas are excellent players. We need a third player to play with them. A playmaker. Gerrard isn't that. We need a Xabi or Aquilani type of player.

What we also need is a much better back four so the midfield get much better service. Agger is the only one good enough but he is injured very often. Get in much better ball playing defenders and our midfield will also play much better.

Get in strikers/attackers that can play free flowing pass and move football and our midfield will play much better. Then they will have more options and can pass the ball quicker.

Look how much difference just one striker that is excellent doing that means, Suarez. Imagine another player like him on the right side of Carroll in a 4-3-3.

It is easy to say that we need to fix our midfield. We need to fix so many other things to be able to fix the midfield.

I like the sound of that

[Mostar]

Alonso was way more mobile, though not fast, and aggressive then he was given credit for. He did all the closing down, and more, that Lucas does and was a fierce and fearless tackler. I particularly loved how he seemd to rile Lampard - never saw him do anything but the amount of times Lampard seemed to just lose it against Alonso was brilliant

Edit: To answer the question, we still need to replace him. I'm not wholly convinced about the need for pacy wingers ahead of a real CM. Someone like Xabi will find you as long as you take up the right position. It's a bonus if you can then beat players with tricks and speed but just the simple act of moving the ball forward and/or wide quickly progresses attacks exponentially. I think Riera showed this. I don't know who's out there to do this though - who's the guy at Porto who runs the midfield? Maybe Schweinsteiger is an option. Not sure Charlie Adam is the man either.

Unfortuneately for Lucas although he has come on loads and puts in some great performances, he is lacking in real effectiveness and can't change the direction or pace of our attacks. In fact we have noone to do this. I'd vote for 2 new CBs, a LB and a CM ahead of any other attacking players in the summer. Maybe one or two of the youngsters can start bto gradually replace Maxi and Kuyt as wide players.

Moutinho and only 24.

[Exiled_red]

I think we need a couple of creative or more direct fast players in wide areas, (be they wingers, wide forwards or just wide midfielders). I think that would make a huge difference, and these positions should IMO be priorotised over centre midfield, I'd like to make changes there too ideally someone who could dominate the game more but I think we could do fine with 2 of Gerrard, Lucas, Meireles and (possibly) Aquilani for a year if we had other players wanting the ball and being able to create things in the final third.

[Angry Dan]

We don't have a single out and out wide player but we play 4-4-2 almost every game.

It's not only down to the lack of quality players. You must play the players in their right position. Play 4-4-3 instead of 4-4-2 would be a good start.

Aside from the slight mistake I do agree with you.

[yamiedo]

My choice would be:

IN: Scott Parker
Charlie Adam
Ashley Young
(Another Quality Winger)

Out: Poulsen
Jovanovic
Cole
Possibly Maxi
(Spearing on Loan to a Newly promoted team in the prem maybe?) - Just to see if he can really cut it.

Oh and if we can't get Adam try to bring back Aquilani or even both, that would give a lot of competition for places.

[Charly]

Aside from the slight mistake I do agree with you.

I reckon a 4-4-3 would be the edge we need...

[Arn]

I wondered how long time it would take before someone mention the mistake

Only Scum with Webb as the ref would get away with playing an extra man.