What is your preferred midfield?

[juice man]

Really surprised at the votes.

Wait till Joe puts in a 5/10 game, the knives will be out. Don’t get me wrong, happy for him to get minutes and experience, but I think we’re deluding ourselves if we think he deserves to have a bigger role than Xhaka for example.

Surprised that people are still this big on the Torreira bandwagon. Had a really good start to last season, but fell off sharply, and was downright average for periods. He’s still got a lot of work to even prove he belongs in this league IMO. Make or break season for him.

 

[LG10]

Torreira is best as a sole dm in a 433, him willock and ceballos is perfectly balanced. Guendouzi is just too poor off the ball to be a regular with us right now.

 

[Iceman10]

Won't vote on this for three reasons:

(i) What is your preferred CM would have been a question when we had first option on Cesc. There has to be squad depth/competition, and CM first-choice mix may vary based on the individual match. Seasons are long and arduous.

(ii) When you pick out a first choice CM in isolation, that is detached from what else is on the pitch. For example, if we play Auba-Laca-Pepe up front with overlapping full-backs (Tierney, Bellerin), there would be specific demands from the CM mix to complement that.

(iii) I might be able to make a call later on in the season once things settle down, with new players bedded in. Right now, IMO, it is too early to have a full picture of Willock and Ceballos.

The only one definitive I can provide is Douzi is a player with a potential high ceiling as a holding midfielder and by the end of this season Xhaka likely has no purpose in the first team squad. Hopefully Xhaka isn't a disaster this season (asset value), we can get some decent money for him, and that can go into a pot for Ceballos, and/or someone else (CM).

 

[Chaoz_Enigma]

CM Choices

1) If we implement counter attacking plans we need more runners
Willock - Torreira - Ceballos

2) Against low block compact teams we need two pivots and long passers to unlock teams
Özil/Ceballos
Xhaka - Guendouzi

3) Against mid-table high pressing team we need quick dribblers/turners at the base and some link up at the top
Özil/Willock
Ceballos - Torreira/Xhaka

4) Against City or Liverpool High pressing, we need all our CM to be well drilled and gelled.

Error404
Cesc
Gilberto-Vieira

 

[krackpot]

We won't be able to play 4-3-3 with our current midfield. Probably 4-3-2-1 with a pivot...Özil will play as a #10 or on the wings.

Will/Ceballos Torreira/Guen

Xhaka​

Xhaka starts by default. Because we have no one else.

If Xhaka is not in the team, we will probably play a double pivot of Guendouzi and Torreira and move Ceballos then becomes a stationary no. 8.

 

[ThlRama]

Won't vote on this for three reasons:

(i) What is your preferred CM would have been a question when we had first option on Cesc. There has to be squad depth/competition, and CM first-choice mix may vary based on the individual match. Seasons are long and arduous.

(ii) When you pick out a first choice CM in isolation, that is detached from what else is on the pitch. For example, if we play Auba-Laca-Pepe up front with overlapping full-backs (Tierney, Bellerin), there would be specific demands from the CM mix to complement that.

(iii) I might be able to make a call later on in the season once things settle down, with new players bedded in. Right now, IMO, it is too early to have a full picture of Willock and Ceballos

Very well said, so elaborate. This poll is kind of mistimed and beside the point really, no disrespect meant to the creator or the voters.

A poll on the ideal formation and starting eleven would be more meaningful.

 

[Bergkamp1988]

It depends on what team we're playing really. If we're playing Liverpool at Anfield then it's non of the above + another coach.

I tend to believe that any combination could do against most PL teams this season. Our squad has improved somewhat in all areas of the field.

My personal 'Fifa' favorite :

Torreira Ceballos
Özil

Torreira in the (peak) coquelin role
Ceballos as Cazorla
Özil as Özil when Özil was Özil.

 

[gunner4lyfe]

Torreira, Ceballos, Özil (if he actually cares)

 

[celestis]

Torreira/Xhaka/Willock
Ceballos/Özil.

I do notice that Willock -Ceballos are forming a good understanding.

 

[TornadoTed]

Torreira
Ceballos Willock/Guendouzi

Both Willock and Guendouzi are young so I would like them to share the minutes alongside Ceballos and Torreira. We saw what happened to Geundouzi's form last season when he was overplayed.

 

[Rex Stone]

Think AMN deserves to be starting when Bellerin is back, I think there’s enough about his game to be starting in the middle of the park.

It’s too big an ask for Willock to be starting consistently imo. There’s going to be massive consistency issues at that age, needs to be given time.

 

[Preacher]

After looking at Xhaka's votes, I started to rate AM higher. Well done fellow members.

 

[say yes]

At the moment, it’s Torreira, Ceballos and Xhaka for me.

Love both Willock and Guendouzi though.

 

[The_Playmaker]

Torreira is best as a sole dm in a 433, him willock and ceballos is perfectly balanced. Guendouzi is just too poor off the ball to be a regular with us right now.

Torreira is now in his second season. Has he actually played in his natural position for us yet? He was an anchor man in a diamond for Sampdoria and he plays there for Uruguay. Have we actually played him at the base of a three?

I don't think we have, which is pretty incredible.

 

[Gunner-Union]

Torreira is now in his second season. Has he actually played in his natural position for us yet? He was an anchor man in a diamond for Sampdoria and he plays there for Uruguay. Have we actually played him at the base of a three?

I don't think we have, which is pretty incredible.

He’s a dm so we should let him do that with cabellos and willock/douzie

 

[Impact]

Xhaka should still start the vast majority of games because he remains our most reliable option to progress play from midfield. Though owing to his limitations, I expect over this season and the next, we should be phasing him out for Guendouzi.

Torreira/Willock to compete for the other deep midfield role and Ceballos/Özil at #10 this season.

Different matches will call for different variations of those 6 but I think those are likely to be Emery's general views currently.

Will be interesting to see what happens with Maitland-Niles once Bellerín is fit.

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

Tricky one this, I’d like to see;

Özil
Ceballos Torreira

Reckon that’s an extremely exciting midfield.

 

[buji banton]

Anything without Xhaka

 

[Gooner Zig]

Torreira is best as a sole dm in a 433, him willock and ceballos is perfectly balanced. Guendouzi is just too poor off the ball to be a regular with us right now.

Guendouzi is a funny one - basically the entire team of the Arsenal Vision podcast are balls deep for Matteo, guy literally can't do anything wrong. Then there's AM where the overall vibe is much more circumspect.

 

[JoaoFelix]

Torreira Willock Ceballos, Period!