To put this to bed

[edge275]

I keep hearing from people that Yaya is a defensive midfielder, he certainly isn't! The guy can create, defend, the lot. he's box to box.

Can you ever imagine De Jong doing this?

[youtube]<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Uq_bnrBl7PM&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Uq_bnrBl7PM&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>[/youtube]

[LookMumImOnMCF.net]

Richards-esque

[Vhero]

Quality goal.

[Mark (Blue Army)]

Really nice goal.

[Rag_hater]

From what I've seen of him given the chance I think he can be the creative player we are in need of.For me this really is exciting signing.Looking forward to him playing for us.

[CityGer]

Up there with the best Edge topic ever. Bang on the money.

This lad will do far more than just break up play.

[Grob]

Just because Barca employed him as a holding midfield player on a regular basis doesnt mean thats all he's good for.

[ayrshireblue]

To be fair to De Jong, we play him far more defensively than he's done anywhere else. He was used as an attacking full-back at Ajax and the Dutch used him as a midfield general but now use him as an enforcer like we do.

[CitizenYank]

Well, to be fair, I think City started using Nigel as an enforcer, when they
just how damn good he is at it!! Yaya was signed to fill the role that Stephen
lost and Vieira couldn't with age.

[colonel_muck]

de jong has gone on a few mad runs himself though and been let down by his shooting. he says his shooting is often good in training and he is working on it. one clip of yaya toure scoring a great goal and now he's 'the creative player we need'. madness.

[Ted Hughes]

There's only 1 person who's said 'he's the creative player we need'.

The thread about is pointing out the fact that Yaya Toure is not purely a defensive midfielder but has a lot more to his game. This is true. He just does that job if you ask him to. He'll also play CB if you ask him to. If you leave him to get on with his own game, he'll both defend & attack & be very good at both. I recon he'll score a few goals too.

Unfortunately even a thread started on the subject, won't stop people on here referring to him to him as a defensive midfielder, probably today, just as the 'experts' on Talksport are doing.

[colonel_muck]

well i think people are referring to him as a defensive midfielder, because thats what he's been doing for the last three or four years. nedum onuoha scored a few great goals from mad runs just last season and probably could be a decent midfielder, but he isn't, he's a defender. why would mancini take the risk of buying someone who has made his name as a defensive midfielder and turn him into a creative player when he has such huge resources to go out there and buy a fabregas or an alonso?

[Ted Hughes]

well i think people are referring to him as a defensive midfielder, because thats what he's been doing for the last three or four years. nedum onuoha scored a few great goals from mad runs just last season and probably could be a decent midfielder, but he isn't, he's a defender. why would mancini take the risk of buying someone who has made his name as a defensive midfielder and turn him into a creative player when he has such huge resources to go out there and buy a fabregas or an alonso?

FFS! I would be a better midfielder than Ned.

Why is it so difficult to understand? Yaya Toure is not Fabregas, nobody other than 1 deranged poster, is even trying to suggest that we should even think about playing him in that role or calling him a creative midfield player. Do you understand this point?

He is however a more multi talented player than DeJong who can ALSO get forward & help attacks & is actually very good at it, so doesn't have to be played as an out & out defensive midfielder but can be used as a general, quality midfielder who both compliments the playmakers & the defensive players.

In summAry: NOT FABREGAS. NOT DEJONG. SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO BOTH.

Edit: The kind of job Paul I**e used to do for the rags.

[Beefymcfc]

I think we've bought Yaya to do what he has been doing for years, just a little further forward. Although I don't think the illustration will say what I mean, I'll try anyway, based on a diamond formation and current/reported players:

[center]Boateng - Vince - Lescott - Bridge/Kolarov
V---------------------------------------V

Nigel/Barry

Milner/Barry<----------->Yaya

Silva

Carlos
Ade[/center]

It may look strange but hopefully you get the jist. We are reportedly in for Kolarov who is a fast attacking full-back, a bit like Cole but bigger and stronger, similar to what Boateng is, which brings me to believe that he wants to play a diamond with the full-backs doing the wings. Milner/Barry and Yaya are inter-operable from side-to-side/back-to-front, also giving assistance in the creative aspects with Silva. I suppose what I'm saying is that Mancio is covering all bases and going for a total football approach with most players having a disciplined but free role.

If you know what I mean?

[Florida Blue]

I think we've bought Yaya to do what he has been doing for years, just a little further forward. Although I don't think the illustration will say what I mean, I'll try anyway, based on a diamond formation and current/reported players:

[center]Boateng - Vince - Lescott - Bridge/Kolarov
V---------------------------------------V

Nigel/Barry

Milner/Barry<----------->Yaya

Silva

Carlos
Ade[/center]

It may look strange but hopefully you get the jist. We are reportedly in for Kolarov who is a fast attacking full-back, a bit like Cole but bigger and stronger, similar to what Boateng is, which brings me to believe that he wants to play a diamond with the full-backs doing the wings. Milner/Barry and Yaya are inter-operable from side-to-side/back-to-front, also giving assistance in the creative aspects with Silva. I suppose what I'm saying is that Mancio is covering all bases and going for a total football approach with most players having a disciplined but free role.

If you know what I mean?

I fail to see how AJ does not crack the lineup.

[Beefymcfc]

I fail to see how AJ does not crack the lineup.

AJ would be in there for different players/formation, he's already shown that he can seemingly play anywhere along the midfield line. However, this is how I see Mancini wanting to play whether it's with AJ or not.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Fucking hell.
Now it may well be that he is able to play as box-to-box midfielder or even attacking midfielder. Who knows. I have personally only seen him for Barcelona and some highlights when he was in Monaco and he was definitely defensive midfielder every time I saw him. For Ivory Cost he seems to be used in in more of a box-to-box role though. I have no idea if people saw him for Beveren, Metalurg Donetsk (Sorry about spelling to all the Ukrainians among us) or Olympiakos (he played in that friendly didn't he? People may have seen him on that) or if he played as central defender, left winger or striker there.

That goal is EXACTLY what I would love to see from De Jong or any other defensive midfielder every now and then. Pick the ball in his natural position on the pitch and bring it forward. Defensie midfielder does NOT mean you just stand in center circle and kick everything that moves.

[Ted Hughes]

Fucking hell.
Now it may well be that he is able to play as box-to-box midfielder or even attacking midfielder. Who knows. I have personally only seen him for Barcelona and some highlights when he was in Monaco and he was definitely defensive midfielder every time I saw him. For Ivory Cost he seems to be used in in more of a box-to-box role though. I have no idea if people saw him for Beveren, Metalurg Donetsk (Sorry about spelling to all the Ukrainians among us) or Olympiakos (he played in that friendly didn't he? People may have seen him on that) or if he played as central defender, left winger or striker there.

That goal is EXACTLY what I would love to see from De Jong or any other defensive midfielder every now and then. Pick the ball in his natural position on the pitch and bring it forward. Defensie midfielder does NOT mean you just stand in center circle and kick everything that moves.

His role was much more attacking at Monaco. It was Barca who turned him into a more cautious kind of player. He still hasn't lost the attacking ability if we choose to utilise it though. Personally I recon he's much better than Barry going forward.

[Beeks]

Seriously you lads...does it really fucking matter how he's labelled FFS?

I think what people are saying is that Yaya is far more likely to be more of an attacking threat than De Jong

Which is correct

next discussion please

[Ted Hughes]

Seriously you lads...does it really fucking matter how he's labelled FFS?

I think what people are saying is that Yaya is far more likely to be more of an attacking threat than De Jong

Which is correct

next discussion please

The difference is, that if required, he can play in front of DeJong rather than just alongside or instead of him, or as a more traditional central midfielder in a 4-4-2, so it does make a fair difference to the possible line ups Mancini could use. He's a fucking tremendous signing who makes a big difference to our chances imo. We've needed a player like that for years.