Defensive midfield player.

sambaDTR

sambaDTR

Well-known member
It is obvious that we are lacking a Boateng type in midfield. Just look at the goals we have conceded this season. As we cannot get one until the summer then it is time for drastic measures. Stick Clarke back in alongside Fry and put VDB in the Boateng role. He is the best tackler at the Club, has pace and can pass the ball. We have to stop people running through the centre of our midfield. (y)
 
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sambaDTR said:
It is obvious that we are lacking a Boateng type in midfield. Just look at the goals we have conceded this season. As we cannot get one until the summer then it is time for drastic measures. Stick Clarke back in alongside Fry and put VDB in the Boateng role. He is the best tackler at the Club, has pace and can pass the ball. We have to stop people running the centre of our midfield. (y)
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Don't 100% agree with using a defender as a defensive midfielder until the end of the season but do agree we badly need to sign one in the summer.

We've needed to sign one ever since Morsy left, even though Morsy wasn't great here.
 
sambaDTR said:
It is obvious that we are lacking a Boateng type in midfield. Just look at the goals we have conceded this season. As we cannot get one until the summer then it is time for drastic measures. Stick Clarke back in alongside Fry and put VDB in the Boateng role. He is the best tackler at the Club, has pace and can pass the ball. We have to stop people running the centre of our midfield. (y)
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Just bin Barlaser
 
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I've been saying it for ages. Our defenders get little protection from those infront of them and by playing fullbacks who get forward we just make things worse. A proper, mobile centre mid would protect the centre backs and be able to cover the space left by the fullbacks. It's easier said than done to find one, but for me it should be our number one signing.
 
Somebody mentioned Dijksteel in another thread or maybe McNair? Whoever it is we need somebody who will stop the opposition running through the centre of our midfield unchallenged. (y)
 
Playing 4-2-3-1 is fine but the 2 have to be solid. If they aren’t then you have absolutely no control.

Don’t mind either trying to support the attacks, but their 1st priority should be maintaining good positions in the centre of the pitch and keeping the shape - especially if our full backs are getting forward. Our central midfield (and consequently the centre of our defence) is overrun in just about every game we play at the moment.

Oh, and they should be able to tackle.

Hackney obviously has to be one of them (though Carrick didn’t think that yesterday for some reason). Howson when fit next to him.

If HH or JH aren’t fit? I don’t know anything about Agyemang. Dijksteel or McNair possibly, McNair of the 2 preferably. Anything would be better than today.

Barlaser sadly just isn’t good enough. Despite having a good range of passing, he just doesn’t contribute enough. He needs far too long on the ball and is bypassed far too easily when we are defending.
 
we are basically playing Barlaser to sit right near Fry because he can’t play out. The two of them combined are dreadful.

If we want to play this way we need to get a better centre half who can pass quicker and a more mobile defensive midfielder.
 
Dave Doriva said:
we are basically playing Barlaser to sit right near Fry because he can’t play out. The two of them combined are dreadful.

If we want to play this way we need to get a better centre half who can pass quicker and a more mobile defensive midfielder.
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Barlaser is the problem not fry
 
Howson gets lots of praise on here, but he is our deep lying midfielder who offers no protection, can’t tackle, gives the ball away too easy and very rarely takes one for the team.

We do need someone rough & tough who can win and pass the ball to someone who can do something.
 
Our most recent (for longer than half a season) one was Clayton. Never the most gifted footballer but knew his job and carried it out effectively. No messing, player wasn't getting past - even if it needed a cheeky rugby tackle......

As mentioned above this player is top of the list in summer. Crack on with Hackney/Howson/Barlaser in CM and we will be having this conversation ad infinitum.
 
Dave Doriva said:
we are basically playing Barlaser to sit right near Fry because he can’t play out. The two of them combined are dreadful.

If we want to play this way we need to get a better centre half who can pass quicker and a more mobile defensive midfielder.
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This!
Fry with the ball at his feet is the very definition of static. So when we ultimately lose the ball whilst making our usual abortion of playing out from the back, Barlaser, the hard tackling defensive midfielder is right there to help out and win the ball back. :eek:
 
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