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Midfield has been our problem all season and no more than last night. Liverpool hunt in packs of 3 and 4 others play a pressing game. We have a complete lack of players to deal with this. We spent 100 mil on two players who do not cope with that style of play and add to that Silva, Navas, Yaya. For me this is also why the defence has been exposed this season. I hate to say it but in that style of game we miss Milner. To sum up we have a soft belly.

It wasn't just the midfield last night nor has it been most of the season, we were shit all over the pitch, bullied out of it time and again particularly when we got to the final third.

It appears to be strength (or commitment) in the Midfield area that is the problemwhen Yaya plays he always has the first, if not the second, and if he holds off the first rush of pressing players he has the skill to move the ball on and create space or chances. None of the others have this strength and that strength in Midfield is vital for us and that is why a Pogba type player is so important for us in the Summer as Yaya slows down or is missing like last night. Yaya is really the pivot of the team and we need a new pivot as he slows down or change the style to upgrade the defensive midfielders to be better ball players, F1 can probably do it with better support but F2 cannot. Silva has improved immeasurably in strength over the last 2/3 years but it is not his key attribute and Sterling is just not physically strong enough but he may get there with two summers in the Gym and being a support player until then.
My theory fails with Navas/De Bruyne as they manage to contribute without such strength but with speed and tenacity but that energy level is not in every player.
In my book we need a new pivot and/or a new partner for F1 and a stronger pair of wider players instead of Nasri and Sterling or (F1 takes one of these role and we need two new def mid).

We need a Vidal in my opinion.

Mase wrote:We need a Vidal in my opinion.

He is a player. None stop pressing....great tackler and good going forward.

gmercer1 wrote:

Mase wrote:We need a Vidal in my opinion.

He is a player. None stop pressing....great tackler and good going forward.

Someone that gives a shit but actually has a bit of quality as well.

Pretty much sums up my points we need players in the heart of the team who can mix it with energy when necessary but quality when allowed to play. Fern 1 is probably closest we have but he needs support, maybe Delph would have helped last night but this is definately where we are short and teams are exposing this.

Bit of a poser is this. With Delph and Fernando left off the tour to negotiate with new clubs and Aleix Garcia loaned to Girona we are a couple of CM/DMs short.
I wonder who is incoming - or is a conversion in prospect?

johnny crossan wrote:Bit of a poser is this. With Delph and Fernando left off the tour to negotiate with new clubs and Aleix Garcia loaned to Girona we are a couple of CM/DMs short.
I wonder who is incoming - or is a conversion in prospect?

We generally just play with one holding mid so we're well covered in Yaya, Fernandinho and Gundogan.

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

johnny crossan wrote:Bit of a poser is this. With Delph and Fernando left off the tour to negotiate with new clubs and Aleix Garcia loaned to Girona we are a couple of CM/DMs short.
I wonder who is incoming - or is a conversion in prospect?

We generally just play with one holding mid so we're well covered in Yaya, Fernandinho and Gundogan.

so we have one player who we can rely on to give us 90 mins week in week out to cover a key position? awesome.

Nigels Tackle wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

johnny crossan wrote:Bit of a poser is this. With Delph and Fernando left off the tour to negotiate with new clubs and Aleix Garcia loaned to Girona we are a couple of CM/DMs short.
I wonder who is incoming - or is a conversion in prospect?

We generally just play with one holding mid so we're well covered in Yaya, Fernandinho and Gundogan.

so we have one player who we can rely on to give us 90 mins week in week out to cover a key position? awesome.

No, we have three players who can rotate for one position. Do you not believe it would be a struggle to accommodate another?

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

Nigels Tackle wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

johnny crossan wrote:Bit of a poser is this. With Delph and Fernando left off the tour to negotiate with new clubs and Aleix Garcia loaned to Girona we are a couple of CM/DMs short.
I wonder who is incoming - or is a conversion in prospect?

We generally just play with one holding mid so we're well covered in Yaya, Fernandinho and Gundogan.

so we have one player who we can rely on to give us 90 mins week in week out to cover a key position? awesome.

No, we have three players who can rotate for one position. Do you not believe it would be a struggle to accommodate another?

They are three completely different players and none are the defensive pivot Pep has used in his previous teams. Two are well past their prime and the other is recovering from a series of serious injuries.

and one of them will spend even longer than last time on the sidelines due to suspensions

johnny crossan wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

Nigels Tackle wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

johnny crossan wrote:Bit of a poser is this. With Delph and Fernando left off the tour to negotiate with new clubs and Aleix Garcia loaned to Girona we are a couple of CM/DMs short.
I wonder who is incoming - or is a conversion in prospect?

We generally just play with one holding mid so we're well covered in Yaya, Fernandinho and Gundogan.

so we have one player who we can rely on to give us 90 mins week in week out to cover a key position? awesome.

No, we have three players who can rotate for one position. Do you not believe it would be a struggle to accommodate another?

They are three completely different players and none are the defensive pivot Pep has used in his previous teams. Two are well past their prime and the other is recovering from a series of serious injuries.

So what do you propose? I think we bring in another then we've too many.

I'll put it like this, Delph and Fernando played a grand total of 776 PL minutes combined last season, there's no room for another holding mid/DM/pivot or whatever you want to call it.

I do think it's risky going with them three but I also think 3 is the max number we should have to compete for one position.

If we dont sign a defensive midfielder/Number 6/Pivot/whatever you like to call it we will not win a thing.

Yaya and Fernandinho are our only two players who can play there. Both are nearly mid 30s and showed last year they will be over run against the better teams. Gundo is not a holding midfielder. The only one we had who could of stepped in was Alex Garcia and he is gone to Girona.

Luckily Delph and Fernando werent the answer either but the lack of links to players of this position is worrying. We are neglecting one of the most important positions on the field.

Dubciteh wrote:If we dont sign a defensive midfielder/Number 6/Pivot/whatever you like to call it we will not win a thing.

Yaya and Fernandinho are our only two players who can play there. Both are nearly mid 30s and showed last year they will be over run against the better teams. Gundo is not a holding midfielder. The only one we had who could of stepped in was Alex Garcia and he is gone to Girona.

Luckily Delph and Fernando werent the answer either but the lack of links to players of this position is worrying. We are neglecting one of the most important positions on the field.

Neither was Fernandinho before joining City.

Pep likes to move players about Company or Stones could play that roll

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

johnny crossan wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

johnny crossan wrote:Bit of a poser is this. With Delph and Fernando left off the tour to negotiate with new clubs and Aleix Garcia loaned to Girona we are a couple of CM/DMs short.
I wonder who is incoming - or is a conversion in prospect?

We generally just play with one holding mid so we're well covered in Yaya, Fernandinho and Gundogan.

No, we have three players who can rotate for one position. Do you not believe it would be a struggle to accommodate another?

They are three completely different players and none are the defensive pivot Pep has used in his previous teams. Two are well past their prime and the other is recovering from a series of serious injuries.

So what do you propose? I think we bring in another then we've too many.

I'll put it like this, Delph and Fernando played a grand total of 776 PL minutes combined last season, there's no room for another holding mid/DM/pivot or whatever you want to call it.

I do think it's risky going with them three but I also think 3 is the max number we should have to compete for one position.

Fabinho but looking unlikely now, more likely we'll end up with William Carvalho or similar

That rumoured move for Fabinho made sense to me because of his versatility but Carvalho doesn't, particularly if we intend on keeping the existing trio.

sniffer wrote:Pep likes to move players about Company or Stones could play that roll

Wont be enough. Its crucial to peps plans just as full backs are. Yaya is the best we have to play that role and hes 400 years old. And even if he was peak yaya im not sure his strengths suit that role.

Busquets would be my number 1 signing if i could choose any player in the world outside of Messi. He is what we need more than anything.