The Central Midfield Thread

Do we have a midfield thread?

Asking for a friend.

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Does it matter? Window is closed

Obviously not to you

Can Camara pass though? That’s what I’d like to see.

I think so, based on what I’ve seen, but it depends what you’re looking for.

The stats people seem to like him, so I’m guessing he’s high up on the percentiles they look at.

It’s so strange that it’s become difficult to find top class midfielders today. Guys who can tackle, read the game, run around relentlessly and most of all, pick out a pass. Suddenly, they are a vanishing tribe. There must be a reason. When you think of the maestros of the past, can you think of even one player today that matches up to them?

Because the supposed funk nowadays is to have midfielders who are special or specialised :winking_face_with_tongue:

Give me a Stevie G, Roy Keane or Patrick Viera or a later-day a Kante or Rodri over any of these specialists!

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I have posted this in post match but just saw this thread. We have 4 starter midfielders who are very very talented. But its also fair to say, midfield has been the section that has been underperforming thus far. I only hope its only a matter of time where the coaching team can find the balance and coach these 4 into what is needed from them.

Dom and Wirtz like to play too much in the same area. And if I have to be honest, Wirtz is overall better in this area even if he himself has not been fantastic either. The problem I think with Dom was never his running, he has been willing to run but tend to give up at times and stamina wise not good enough to last the whole match with that kind of running (that is why his hybrid RB seem to work for him). His problem is knowing what to do and where to go with his running, his freedom to roam across, he looks clueless at times where to go and why he is there, in that aspect Wirtz do come across as more intentional. But Dom is best at getting the ball at 35 yards, getting in space and pulling off that shot. But as a top class midfielder, that cannot be your only contribution. He needs to make more runs into the box and know when to make those runs.

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It“s the opposite in my opinion.. Teams go for all-rounders now. Specialists was what happened until roughly 2020. Rice would be a good example of a player considered top class now in England and is an all rounder.

Funnily enough, Stevie“s best season in midfield came with a specialised midfield ahead of Alonso and Masch:D

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It’s what Mourinho is doing with Jude right now, playing him closer to the opposition goal. And he’s back to scoring for Madrid.

It’s an unpopular opinion, but as much as that midfield of Mascherano, Alonso and Gerrard was a group of high quality midfielders, I didn’t think in that structure it was the best combination or that it would age well, if it had continued to be together for the next couple of years.

Especially as pressure grew on us to become a more dangerous protagonist team, breaking teams down with more ease and more consistently, etc. When you add Kuyt, whoever was in the best form on the opposite side of him and Torres… I felt we lacked a ā€œSilvaā€ type of player somewhere in there.

That team lacked quality on the flanks though, so that is presumably where the team could look to improve while retaining that midfield 3?

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Sure, but I don’t think only that. I felt Gerrard was at times too high. Almost felt sorry for him at times, him watching the game build and the real action with his back to goal. Maybe a change of midfield structure.

Yeah good point and I think it makes sense as Bellingham is a good goal threat but he can“t run a game with the ball further back.

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We had no problem creating and scoring with a midfield of Hendo, fabinho and wijnaldum as all the creativity came from Salah, firmino and mane. Imagine that attacking trio in front of Alonso, Gerrard and mascherano instead of kuyt and reira.

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Gini is what we need right now.

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Or Fabinho.

Or… Alonso.

:wink:

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Don’t forget Trent and Robbo

We’d also have to replace that era’s defence. Prime Reina could stay and maybe Dagger. Not the rest.

Or both!

Imagine those two in our midfield with the rest of what we have.