The Midfield

Maybe it's time to go back to total control with jack and bernie on the wings gundo kova and 1 of Phil or kdb Central. Doesn't give us a lot of attacking threat but will enable us to keep the ball better. Only problem there is the 2 wide players plus the 3 central are way out of form.
 
Marvin. said:
Do you all disagree with the club and Pep then in their decision to buy defenders? Do you not think playing Nunes as a make-shirt full back, or Dias going off at half-time is more relevant to the defeat? I am surprised that so many of you are obsessed with the midfield. It's not perfect but it will be perfect when Rodri returns. We have the Ballon D'or winner and the 2023-24 POTY in the squad and Bernardo who would grace any team in Europe. We lack power in midfield, largely because of KDB but the defence is a bigger issue. Marmoush might develop into a long term no. 10, allowing Foden to play centrally, and Bobb could play on the right side of attack.

This season depends on fixing the defence, and that depends of Khusanov and Reis. No one seems to get it, apart from Txiki and Pep, and they got it 6 months too late.
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None of our issues are in isolation. Yes we need a better defence but it would be under less pressure if we didn’t keep losing the ball and being piss-weak and slow in midfield.

We do need defenders, but the two new lads are for the future, no PL experience and just 19 and 20 years old. What we really need is two decent full backs, leaving us to pick any of Dias, Ake, Gvardiol and Stones at centre back. Buying two more, very young centre backs seems like buying a new windscreen when you have two flat tyres!

Secondly, we desperately need power and energy in midfield. Gundogan, Kovacic, KDB, all too slow and old now. Bernardo too weak. Nunes too shit.

Proper athletic top level players in their mid-20s are urgently needed at fullback and midfield.
 
Semper aggressus said:
None of our issues are in isolation. Yes we need a better defence but it would be under less pressure if we didn’t keep losing the ball and being piss-weak and slow in midfield.

We do need defenders, but the two new lads are for the future, no PL experience and just 19 and 20 years old. What we really need is two decent full backs, leaving us to pick any of Dias, Ake, Gvardiol and Stones at centre back. Buying two more, very young centre backs seems like buying a new windscreen when you have two flat tyres!

Secondly, we desperately need power and energy in midfield. Gundogan, Kovacic, KDB, all too slow and old now. Bernardo too weak. Nunes too shit.

Proper athletic top level players in their mid-20s are urgently needed at fullback and midfield.
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You will not get a midfielder like Rodri in the transfer market. It is the sprinkling of star dust that made this team special. Players like that are really rare.

I believe the flat tyres are in defence including the centre back positions and the right back position. As you say the entire team needs to be taken as a whole, and it's going to be a difficult introduction for the new defenders. That is where we are likely to see change in the coming weeks ahead regardless of whether some fans think it's the engine room that needs fixing. I don't see us fixing that until Rodri returns. We need proper full backs. Either through Khusanov or Reis or from AN Other in the transfer market because clubs will target Nunes.

The transfer market activity seems good to me. It's targeting exactly the areas we need, only it's late. But better late than never.
 
Lee the Blue said:
Absolutely this.

And we had 3 months advance notice that we needed at least 2 midfielders in - who can actually run - immediately. And we've responded by bringing in 2 kid centre halves and a striker.

Until new personnel is added in central
Midfield nothing will change and we simply can't beat good sides.

As for the current midfield - Gundo and KDB need to go to pastures new. They've both run out of legs and lungs; been wonderful servants but the time is right. Nunes will never be good enough and Kovacic can also move on to Saudi in the summer. Bernardo also remains a question mark as he's been a non-event this season and nothing like near his level.

One final thing - can we bin that effing awful monstrosity of a kit as well please.
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Agree they look like dinner ladies in those tabards!
 
Lee the Blue said:
Absolutely this.

And we had 3 months advance notice that we needed at least 2 midfielders in - who can actually run - immediately. And we've responded by bringing in 2 kid centre halves and a striker.

Until new personnel is added in central
Midfield nothing will change and we simply can't beat good sides.

As for the current midfield - Gundo and KDB need to go to pastures new. They've both run out of legs and lungs; been wonderful servants but the time is right. Nunes will never be good enough and Kovacic can also move on to Saudi in the summer. Bernardo also remains a question mark as he's been a non-event this season and nothing like near his level.

One final thing - can we bin that effing awful monstrosity of a kit as well please.
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Agree with almost all of this…about who should go..but what if the midfielders we want are not available at the moment….but will be at the end of the season.

We are not United and would prefer we play the long game and eventually get the right players in.
 
Looks like a massive overhaul incoming next 2 windows heard today 2 more this window and 7 in the summer!! How true I couldn't say kdb defo off and the players staying will all have long contracts atm.
 
uwe rosler 28 said:
Looks like a massive overhaul incoming next 2 windows heard today 2 more this window and 7 in the summer!! How true I couldn't say kdb defo off and the players staying will all have long contracts atm.
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Seems a lot but who knows. Maybe Pep thinks loads of this team are done and there's an almighty shake up under way. If so, hopefully those who think the existing players just need a bit of a rest and they'll be back firing won't be too upset.
 
lunebleu said:
Is Jacob Wright worth a punt.? I was talking to bloke who watches the academy regularly and he reckons he could do a decent job. Young legs if nowt else.
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Injured at the minute, i think
 
A few weeks after Rodri got injured Pep said he was going to come up with a plan of how to compensate the loss, and there were reports of the long hours he was spending in his office trying to plot the solution to our midfield

He hasn’t really done anything different bar play Kovacic, Silva and Gundogan in there, with Rico Lewis inverting into there when he plays and 1 game for Grealish.
 
Roachy said:
Seems a lot but who knows. Maybe Pep thinks loads of this team are done and there's an almighty shake up under way. If so, hopefully those who think the existing players just need a bit of a rest and they'll be back firing won't be too upset.
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.....but will the 'shake up' shake up the coaching staff.

Fish go off from the head first !!
 
wolviedinho said:
The players are living in a fantasy world were everything will be ok. We won so much I can hear them say, we used to pass to each other no problem and keep the ball. We have no Rodri…..

On and on and on it goes. All you hear after a defeat is that we need to do better and they don’t.

Reality check, stop living on past glories and admit you are now bang average players who were elevated for a few seasons due to pep. Now he is left with an aging squad who can’t pass the ball nor keep it under pressure. Never mind having the stamina to press anyone.

Let’s all pretend everything is going great.
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And what is the coaches role in all this....rinse & repeat week after week after week.

This is the first & only time in his career that he's faced a crisis & imo he's not coped or handled it well.

He looks and sounds confused and bereft of ideas & confidence.

Wednesday night was the crystallisation of many months of decline....it was shocking, a nadir !!
 
Gone for a Burton said:
And what is the coaches role in all this....rinse & repeat week after week after week.

This is the first & only time in his career that he's faced a crisis & imo he's not coped or handled it well.

He looks and sounds confused and bereft of ideas & confidence.

Wednesday night was the crystallisation of many months of decline....it was shocking, a nadir !!
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Pep gets a pass.

The players can’t even pass the ball or keep it under pressure. Really is nothing he can do about that. No amount of changes will suffice. Injuries have also caused havoc.

It really is a disgrace how the players fold under pressure.
 
Gray said:
No on-field leader to sort them out.
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Shouldn’t need it at this level.

Too many not doing the hard yards. Still stuck in the “we are the best” mode. When in reality they have become mediocre.
 
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