Watching us this season made me think time and again that our biggest problems lie in the middle of the pitch. We desperately need a midfielder that can run at the opposing defenses with the ball. We used to have giants like Lampard, Ballack (albeit past his prime), Essien back in the day, that could easily intimidate the opposing midfield and dictate the tempo. It also helped to relieve the pressure on our own back four. Nowadays we're being cut through like we have no CM at all and any decent side creates problems for our backline because they're not protected properly. 

 

Mikel is solid at best and he's useful, but he knows his limitations. Matic looked like the real deal last year but he's been probably our worst player so far this season and I don't even know what to expext from him in the future, he went from being a great buy to an absolute failure. Neither can carry the ball forward like a true dominant CM should do (Yaya Toure in his younger years as an example) and neither can dictate the tempo because their passing ability is quite limited, too. As a result, we're too slow and stagnant in this vital area and we're losing the center of the pitch before we even start playing so the whole team has to compensate by working at the back and wasting time, strength and energy helping them out.

 

Are there quality dynamic midfielders out there, that are actually fast, athletic, can pas the ball and make purposeful runs with or without the ball (Super Frank)? I'm not asking for them to be goalscorers, too since players like Lamps are an exception, but surely we could do better in that department?

Edited February 8, 201610 yr by abramovich

Totally agree. Like most I thought RLC was this player but I'm not sure he's quite ready. We need someone who can do the job now and also Ruben can learn from too.

That's pretty much a description of RLC. Give him time. 

Yeah this was evident last season and the only thing the board has done in that area since is sell Ramires. Loftus-Cheek is a huge prospect but so was Chalobah. He needs time and he needs minutes but doing that when you're struggling isn't the best for his development and we needed someone else. Pogba would've been ideal but even someone like Imbula would have been a good bet.

 

We needed new money invested in the defence, in midfield and up-front and in attacking midfield. We didn't get it.

I like the look of RLC, but I wonder if he's mobile enough. He certainly has a good touch and is well built, but what about speed?

I wouls like to see us go for andre gomes of valencia or/and koke in summer. I am still not sold on fabregas atm too inconsistent and lets games pass him by too much.

Loftus-Cheek should be given a chance.

Hopefully we still after gundogan. We gotta show some serious ambition in summer window and make big noise otherwise we'll be left behind next season again. Couple new centre mids, maybe a new cb and a couple more attacking players, especially if eden leaves.

I like the look of RLC, but I wonder if he's mobile enough. He certainly has a good touch and is well built, but what about speed?

 

He's not a sprinter but he's got a big frame and can eat up the ground when he needs to. There's a great goal he set up in the under-21s where he brings the ball out of defence and forward 70 yards in no time. For me it's his workrate that needs to improve.

He's not a sprinter but he's got a big frame and can eat up the ground when he needs to. There's a great goal he set up in the under-21s where he brings the ball out of defence and forward 70 yards in no time. For me it's his workrate that needs to improve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCYla31w0QE

 

This one from November against Liverpool.

If we need a dominant Midfielder in the Yaya mould, we need him to dovetail with Cesc, ffs he is our Pirlo, just check that liitle dinked pass with the outside of his foot to Costa, he is our best "Footballer" by miles...

Cesc brings an aspect to our team that very few players in the world can accomplish.  As the poster above said, our "Pirlo."  We asked far too much of him defensively under Jose.  Guus has let him roam and dictate play with less defensive responsibility, and he has started playing very well.  

 

Matic and Mikel partnership is hurting.  Like others have mentioned, I want to see RLC given an opportunity, but I don't thnk he shows enough at the training ground.  Two managers now have come to the same conclusion on him: he's not ready.  His workrate appears to be low which is concerning for a brick in the middle of the pitch.  At the moment he isn't an end-to-end midfielder.  I hope it changes, and changes soon.

 

Last year I thought we should have made a bid for Vidal.  This year I'd like to see us go after someone like Jordan Henderson.  Stefano Sturaro from Serie A.

Scour the Planet for a Lamps MKII.

Scour the Planet for a Lamps MKII.

 

Dele Alli?

 

Otherwise there's Kasey Palmer in the Academy but he won't be given a shot.

Can you see the Spuds seling their best asset to us, i like that West ham destroyer

Watching us this season made me think time and again that our biggest problems lie in the middle of the pitch. We desperately need a midfielder that can run at the opposing defenses with the ball. We used to have giants like Lampard, Ballack (albeit past his prime), Essien back in the day, that could easily intimidate the opposing midfield and dictate the tempo. It also helped to relieve the pressure on our own back four. Nowadays we're being cut through like we have no CM at all and any decent side creates problems for our backline because they're not protected properly. 

 

 

Ruben. Loftus. Cheek.

Can you see the Spuds seling their best asset to us, i like that West ham destroyer

Payet? Linked with him a few seasons back but not a big enough name then. Now look at him, quality but Wet Spam will want £20-30mil for him

Newcastles Sissokho, i remember that beast tearing us apart not long ago, thought he might be what weneeded then?

that's the thing, people talk about dele alli but forget we have musonda on loan, baker at vitesse, rlc etc. the reason alli is doing well is because he's getting consistent opportunities to play. at that age (18/19) you need a run of games at a good level otherwise they just stall like some have done after being in the youth system for so long. 

Starts and ends with Neves

 How many of our 355 players out on loan fit the description?  Probably a few.

Quite like the look of xhaka. Only seen him a couple of times though.

If it were up to me I'd make a totally unsurprising move by trying to take apart the small team that is the flavour of the season. People are always talking about Vardy and Mahrez but I'm a huge fan of Kanté and he would be my first pick from Leicester.

How many of our 355 players out on loan fit the description?  Probably a few.

Pasalic has been very good at Monaco.

  

Quite like the look of xhaka. Only seen him a couple of times though.

 

Rate him highly also and I wonder why we didn't go for him in the summer instead of trying to buy Pogba.

 

If it were up to me I'd make a totally unsurprising move by trying to take apart the small team that is the flavour of the season. People are always talking about Vardy and Mahrez but I'm a huge fan of Kanté and he would be my first pick from Leicester.

Unless we are going to play the Leicester way (which am a fan of btw), I don't see any of their players fitting in here.

^ Are you saying that all their players are one dimensional who couldn't fit any other tactic? I strongly disagree.