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What about the Midfield?

What should be our priority?


  • Total voters
    22

krackpot

Established Member
Trusted ⭐
We actually have not replaced Vieira even after more than a decade. The CM situation is dire really:

Xhaka, Wilshere are Barely Adequate

Ramsey, El-Nenny are on the way out

I did not include AMN as he has barely played there.

Apart from the above, we do not have anyone. On current form, Championship quality, apart from Ramsey.

Even if we manage to keep Ramsey, we would need another outstanding CM to maintain the minimum number of bodies.

Who do you think we could get/promote to even think about being competitive? Or do you guys think Defense in a greater priority?
 

marting

Active Member
Priority? Well thats easy, Its the manager. His the priority, Lets not waste more money on him as he will buy square pegs for round holes. Once you put Elneny in a back 3 then you have lost all touch with the real world and what is actually required from a defender.
 

mavelous

Tinfoil hat aficionado
Ramsey possibly leaving, Wilshere uncertain, Elneny and Xhaka disappointing, it could mean that we are looking at signing two CM's, or possibly converting someone like Iwobi or Mkhitaryan. If we manage to get Meyer on a free, why not? especially sales generated from 2-3 players could cover the transfer of the second guy.

wishlist aside, our midfield woes stem from our lack of ability in wide areas. most of this season and last season, we have relied even more on fullbacks to provide width. now that's all fine and well if you have lahm and alaba as your fullbacks, but bellerin is excruciatingly one-footed, and our of form on top of that. most of our technical guys are in the middle, which is why opposition packs the middle and crowds them out, creating panic and disrupting our flow.

and if we do manage to get it to wide areas in final third, we get found out for our lack of ideas and cutting edge, and most often we just barely manage to keep possession or worse, just lose it while trying to force an unlikely dribble or an intricate play.

we've become just so easy to defend. when teams press us, we can't exploit the space in behind and succumb to pressure. when they sit back, we can't break them down and concede on the counter instead.
 

field442

Hates Journalists Named James
Trusted ⭐
The whole midfield needs a revamp. Wilshere and Ramsey probably won’t be here next season. Elneny is ****. That just leaves us with Xhaka. We need a DM and two more. Meyer should be a priority.
 

HBL

Established Member
Wilshere/Ramsey should be competing for one spot in the midfield.

Need a quality dm that's good on the ball for the other spot. Then Max Meyer for free would add great squad depth.

Pavard and Koulibaly in for Chambers and Mustafi. Send holding out on loan or sell if we can get £10m for him.
 

Aussie_gunner123

Established Member

Country: Australia
Our Defensive Midfield looks very bad & we certainly need upgrading but I personally think our central defence needs more working on. Koscielny is getting on a bit, Mustafi needs to move on I think, Holding needs a loan before he is ready, Monreal is getting on a bit aswell. We certainly need a wc central defender. Mustafi may be able to get better if we get a proper defensive coach who will improve him in training.
 

krackpot

Established Member
Trusted ⭐
we've become just so easy to defend. when teams press us, we can't exploit the space in behind and succumb to pressure. when they sit back, we can't break them down and concede on the counter instead.
We need a ball shield who takes the ball off the goalkeeper of defenders, turns and feeds it to his partner. Wilshere used to do that (turn on the ball) but hasn't done it once this season.

Xhaka is an intermediate. He doesn't shield or play well with his face towards his goal. if we can keep him facing the right side, he can potentially hit wonderful long balls.

Ramsey would be perfect as the third guy , who stays a bit further up the field, and fulfills the Lampard role.
 

Big Poppa

Established Member
Trusted ⭐

Country: USA

Player:Saliba
Our Defensive Midfield looks very bad & we certainly need upgrading but I personally think our central defence needs more working on. Koscielny is getting on a bit, Mustafi needs to move on I think, Holding needs a loan before he is ready, Monreal is getting on a bit aswell. We certainly need a wc central defender. Mustafi may be able to get better if we get a proper defensive coach who will improve him in training.

They both need working on desperately. Our CBs are exposed on turnovers because we use our full backs like wingers and don't have enough presence in CM to compensate for the space they leave behind.

If you have players who win the ball in attack it takes the pressure off, but we don't. They are all players who rely on service from deep. Pick this apart and it's a giant big stinking mess.
 

dashsnow17

Doesn’t Rate Any Of Our Attackers
Trusted ⭐
Our Defensive Midfield looks very bad & we certainly need upgrading but I personally think our central defence needs more working on. Koscielny is getting on a bit, Mustafi needs to move on I think, Holding needs a loan before he is ready, Monreal is getting on a bit aswell. We certainly need a wc central defender. Mustafi may be able to get better if we get a proper defensive coach who will improve him in training.

The thing is you can have world class defenders but there's only so much they can do if there's no midfield in front of them. You can defend from the front, by competing in midfield and obviously the last line of defence is the defence. We're not defending well in any of those areas.
 

Country: Iceland
I think at this stage it is coaching problem.

For example against Brighton I counted twice when Özil was deep lying midfielder, Xhaka was running up left field into the final third with his back towards the ball he was furthest forward of our midfielders. Wilshere was also out of position moving up the field. Guess who had the ball. Koscielny.

Im no expert but Xhaka with his back against the ball almost in the final third when defender has the ball? Hmm....

But even so, Im not a huge fan of our midfielders. I think we only have space for one of Wilshere and Xhaka but both needs to be coached better.

Elneny is not good enough and Cazorla is done I think.

We need solid signing there in the summer but I also would like us to look at the academy and stop being scared giving the youngsters a real chance in the midfield position!
 

asukru

Established Member

Country: Canada

Player:Martinelli
I think at this stage it is coaching problem.

For example against Brighton I counted twice when Özil was deep lying midfielder, Xhaka was running up left field into the final third with his back towards the ball he was furthest forward of our midfielders. Wilshere was also out of position moving up the field. Guess who had the ball. Koscielny.

Im no expert but Xhaka with his back against the ball almost in the final third when defender has the ball? Hmm....

But even so, Im not a huge fan of our midfielders. I think we only have space for one of Wilshere and Xhaka but both needs to be coached better.

Elneny is not good enough and Cazorla is done I think.

We need solid signing there in the summer but I also would like us to look at the academy and stop being scared giving the youngsters a real chance in the midfield position!

This just screams for Jardim!!
 

progman07

Established Member
The problem is, we have a team full of players who come towards the ball and want it played into feet.
I agree, this is a huge weakness in our attack, however I believe it is due to the lack of ideas, and understanding on the pitch - the players do not look like they knew where to run, when to run, and whether anybody will provide the pass.
 
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Wilshere1010

Active Member
The problem is, we have a team full of players who come towards the ball and want it played into feet.
And it has a serious effect on our spacing on the pitch. City are so effective because their wide players actually stay wide and stretch the pitch. Even Bernardo, who's not a winger in that sense, has done so in Sterling's absence. They pick their moments to come infield, and then you'll see Silva or KDB drift wide at times, full backs coming in field. They have much better technical players than us, guys you would think would be naturally inclined to come to the ball, but they all know the importance of positioning.
 

Rimaal

Mesmerised By Raccoons
Trusted ⭐
We don't really have a midfield that functions as a midfield. We have a 2nd attacking line.
 

afcb

Member
Gk
2 cb
1 dm
1 b2 cm who can actually defend also
1-2 winger with pace who stay wide
Give nelson a chance though im not sure he haas the pace
Also may need full backs

Also think 4–3–3 may be better
 

YeahBee

Terrible hot takes
Jack, Xhaka, Ramsey
Özil

together they have everything you need from a midfield

they compliment each other nicely, neither of them are out and out ballwinner but they won't be bossed around and can all get stuck in

Ramsey can bomb forward and not leave the midfield exposed

Xhaka doesn't have to go forward and have his lack of speed be seen
he stays in the middle, drops down if needed

Jack tie everything together

a solid almost purely ballwinning midfielder to compliment sure up the defensive against the big sides , and could play with 2 of any the 3

Mkith can cover for either Jack or Ramsey (and obviously for Özil)

Wingbacks can provide width, either striker can drift out and there is still one left (plus Özil and someone from midfield

Jack can go doen the wing if needed and ramsey to

4-3-1-2 does anybody have a logical argument against it?
 
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