Who's gonna win the ball for us in midfield?

[TURKISH]

Listening to paul merson on soccer saturday and he had a point imo. If we continue to play lennon, modric, bentley in a 442 who will win us the ball? Even if you add joh to left wing it still leaves us very naive away from home. Even a water carrier won't solve our problems, appiah is a cm not dm and you can't expect one man in zok/appiah to win the ball against four players in a midfield.

We looked so poor in the first half against burnley and if that was against a prem side i think we would of been in serious trouble. Mod didn't look great against them and nor did bentley/lennon.

We are in a relegation fight and i think we would have a better chance winning games with a midfield of joh, jj, zok/appiah and then lennon or bentley for right wing.

We could be in serious trouble if we don't start picking up wins soon we have had a good run of fictures against teams around us and lost or dropped points and its not good enough.

[berbzy 'G']

Listening to paul merson on soccer saturday and he had a point imo. If we continue to play lennon, modric, bentley in a 442 who will win us the ball? Even if you add joh to left wing it still leaves us very naive away from home. Even a water carrier won't solve our problems, appiah is a cm not dm and you can't expect one man in zok/appiah to win the ball against four players in a midfield.

We looked so poor in the first half against burnley and if that was against a prem side i think we would of been in serious trouble. Mod didn't look great against them and nor did bentley/lennon.

We are in a relegation fight and i think we would have a better chance winning games with a midfield of joh, jj, zok/appiah and then lennon or bentley for right wing.

We could be in serious trouble if we don't start picking up wins soon we have had a good run of fictures against teams around us and lost or dropped points and its not good enough.

O'hara and Jenas are good tacklers. Jenas has a problem with giving the ball away. But O'hara can go into tackles and win us the ball when he is in his prefered position, and thats not LW. O'hara needs to be able to play central midfield. He sometimes even works harder at winning the ball than Zokora I've noticed.

[TURKISH]

For me zokora wins the ball back for us but i believe you need at least three good ball winners in there and we only have one. Even two is no good.

[choda]

Well working as a team is the main thing. United won the league two years ago with a midfield of Carrick, Scholes, Giggs and Ronaldo. That's not a very physical midfield at all.

But they all worked hard except Ronaldo and very hard as a team.

Bentley is not working and not playing well so he should be dropped for a start. Having one strong player sitting should be enough for Modric based on his last performances and for Croatia. He's more dynamic than he gets credit for, he's a very resilient fit little fella that gets about.

Lennon is working his socks off, no problem there.

I wouldn't play JoH unless it is in the middle but he will work very hard and provide some bite if you play him on the left too.

An alternative is to play Appiah/Zok, JoH and Modric as a three and play someone in the hole behind two strikers or two in the hole behind Pav, Lennon/Gio.

Another is to go to wing backs with those three central and lennon and bale on either side.

Basically I thought I had the best system until they signed Defoe, the christmas tree with that three in midfield and two of Gio, Lennon or Taarby in behind Pav. And they could also then go to wing forwards as well if you need width.

Now I wouldn't know what to do.

My priority in the window would have been left back and central midfield after Pav started to come good and before that I'd have been looking at someone who could hold the ball up like Cavenghi as Pav wasn't doing it.

I'm happy about Defoe but it puts pressure on 442 with Modric working. I don't see why it can't though, it's up to the players to give 100% and then it should work. Many winning teams that work hard only have one out and out defensive midfielder.

A few weeks ago we were complaining we didn't have attacking impetus. 442 should be fine. Even bringing in Gio to the left should be fine IF he works like Lennon does and Modric keeps putting himself about.

[choda]

For me zokora wins the ball back for us but i believe you need at least three good ball winners in there and we only have one. Even two is no good.

That's not true. If you have three out and out ball winners you are too shit on the ball.

What you need is a team ethic and at least one sitting. It's about getting the balance right. Jol often put out too many ball winners and it was out of whack.

If you err on one side it should be to footballers and getting them putting in a great shift every week.

Arsenal do have a big problem in midfield as they are often playing with no one who's main job is to win the ball back.

[TURKISH]

That's not true. If you have three out and out ball winners you are too shit on the ball.

What you need is a team ethic and at least one sitting. It's about getting the balance right. Jol often put out too many ball winners and it was out of whack.

If you err on one side it should be to footballers and getting them putting in a great shift every week.

Arsenal do have a big problem in midfield as they are often playing with no one who's main job is to win the ball back.

Well what i mean is players who have good engines, can tackle and can battle. I don't mean three zokora's across midfield but i do feel we need players with that battling attitude. Tomorrow will be the big test more modric imo, but i feel we miss what steed gave us as a attacking force and protection wise.

Jol had a good balance at first he had davids left wing, jj, carrick and lennon. But than he started putting dm everywhere in midfield.

Maybe im panicking but for sure bentley needs to be droped but the jurys out of modric for me unless he can perform against your wigans ect in the league.

[Rojoknapp]

I think away from home the 4-4-1-1 is still the best option. Midfield of Lennon Zokora Appiah/Jenas (depending on how well Appiah plays) and O'Hara. I would have O'Hara in the middle, I think he deserves it, but we need him on the left at the moment, Bentley/Bale just aren't good enough right now. And then of course Modric ahead of them with Pav/JD/Bent up front, mostly Bent, with Pav an JD much more involved at home. However it looks like Bent is leaving thanks to JD's arrival.

[olly27]

Well what i mean is players who have good engines, can tackle and can battle. I don't mean three zokora's across midfield but i do feel we need players with that battling attitude. Tomorrow will be the big test more modric imo, but i feel we miss what steed gave us as a attacking force and protection wise.

Jol had a good balance at first he had davids left wing, jj, carrick and lennon. But than he started putting dm everywhere in midfield.

Maybe im panicking but for sure bentley needs to be droped but the jurys out of modric for me unless he can perform against your wigans ect in the league.

Your not panicking at all. We have Wigan (away), Pompey (home), Stoke (home) and Bolton (away) all before the Arsenal game. Pompey and stoke at home simply have to be 6 points or we are in serious trouble - big time.

We do need more determination and grit in our side - no doubt. These next four or five games will determine if we are going to be in a very dangerous dog fight all season. We have a chance to seriously push up the table, whether we take it or not is anyone's guess at the moment.

[berbzy 'G']

I think away from home the 4-4-1-1 is still the best option. Midfield of Lennon Zokora Appiah/Jenas (depending on how well Appiah plays) and O'Hara. I would have O'Hara in the middle, I think he deserves it, but we need him on the left at the moment, Bentley/Bale just aren't good enough right now. And then of course Modric ahead of them with Pav/JD/Bent up front, mostly Bent, with Pav an JD much more involved at home. However it looks like Bent is leaving thanks to JD's arrival.

Bent will be off in the summer if we buy another striker. But right now I would stick with Defoe and Pavlyuchenko upfront.

[Rojoknapp]

Bent will be off in the summer if we buy another striker. But right now I would stick with Defoe and Pavlyuchenko upfront.

So would I, when we're at home. But away from home I would go one up front, as we did with success against City and West Ham, with Pavlyuchenko or Bent up top, I don't think Defoe is the man to play up front on his own. And judging by some reports I've read, it looks as though we might not have to wait until Summer for Bent's departure.

[Apples]

I think we should just play simple 4-4-2 - don't know what team to play to be fair>..........we need more attacking options than against Wigan.

Lennon and Bale would be on the wings for me

I think even though how much u hate him Huddlestone can be a key player for creating service when he plays. Balls out to Bale and Lennon...I think you need that in midfield.

[MiloMinderbinder]

Dare I suggest that Ghaly is worth a look? Yeah go on then, Ghaly could be the short term solution, at least he may find a white shirt a bit more often than the Zok.

This also once again raises the question, why did we sell Steed? One of the top tacklers in the league last year.

[Rojoknapp]

Dare I suggest that Ghaly is worth a look? Yeah go on then, Ghaly could be the short term solution, at least he may find a white shirt a bit more often than the Zok.

This also once again raises the question, why did we sell Steed? One of the top tacklers in the league last year.

But that's the whole problem with Ghaly. He gives the ball away so much. The Summer we signed him, I went to a pre-season friendly at Stevenage, and he was even giving the ball away against them. He shows some good stuff, but he loses possession way too often.

[choda]

Dare I suggest that Ghaly is worth a look? Yeah go on then, Ghaly could be the short term solution, at least he may find a white shirt a bit more often than the Zok.

This also once again raises the question, why did we sell Steed? One of the top tacklers in the league last year.

More pertinently why did we say to Steed that he wouldn't be playing because of Bentley?

I don't think Steed is amazing but I wouldn't have let him go unless we had someone better coming in.

Granted Lennon is buzzing again and hopefully Gio will do well on the left (started his barca b career there btw) and you'd imagine both will be well above Steed now or later.

Lennon is already much better as far as I can see and works hard. Steed lack real pace for a winger and he often runs into traffic, but good player with a top attitude.

[TURKISH]

More pertinently why did we say to Steed that he wouldn't be playing because of Bentley?

I don't think Steed is amazing but I wouldn't have let him go unless we had someone better coming in.

Granted Lennon is buzzing again and hopefully Gio will do well on the left (started his barca b career there btw) and you'd imagine both will be well above Steed now or later.

Lennon is already much better as far as I can see and works hard. Steed lack real pace for a winger and he often runs into traffic, but good player with a top attitude.


Lennon for me has been poor for a number of games now. I can't remember the last game he played well in?

[choda]

Lennon for me has been poor for a number of games now. I can't remember the last game he played well in?

Well he's been rested a few times and also had a slight dip in form. Everyone is entitled to a dip in form, even Messi and Ronaldo. He's still da man to fear in our midfield and he will be backing ripping defences a new asshole before you can say, 'he be quick'. :wink:

Overall, he's definately been one of the bright sparks of our season and even when off form he's still a person that can create space and havoc to exploit.