The Midfield

MCFC1993 said:
Ultimately this is what has cost us this season, we're too slow, not passing the ball well enough and don't have the legs to compete.

So, how do we set up the midfield for the next 5/6months?

At the moment in my opinion we have:
-------------Gonzalez
-----?????--------------?????

Gundogan - Legs have gone
Bernardo - Legs have gone
De Bruyne - Legs have gone
Foden - Level has dropped significantly
Kovacic - Not good enough
Rodri - Out until at least May (in my opinion)

At the end of 2016/17 which was our worst season under Pep we finally found a way of playing that worked, I think this is what we have to try and do now and it starts in the middle.

I'd play rotate the lads with no legs in 1 position, no more than 45mins each and get a young lad in there who can fucking run.
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Sadly the analysis above is true, however maybe Kovacic is OK as an 8 and possibly Silva the most legs from the gone legs. Still, the cupboard is bare
 
MCFC1993 said:
Ultimately this is what has cost us this season, we're too slow, not passing the ball well enough and don't have the legs to compete.

So, how do we set up the midfield for the next 5/6months?

At the moment in my opinion we have:
-------------Gonzalez
-----?????--------------?????

Gundogan - Legs have gone
Bernardo - Legs have gone
De Bruyne - Legs have gone
Foden - Level has dropped significantly
Kovacic - Not good enough
Rodri - Out until at least May (in my opinion)

At the end of 2016/17 which was our worst season under Pep we finally found a way of playing that worked, I think this is what we have to try and do now and it starts in the middle.

I'd play rotate the lads with no legs in 1 position, no more than 45mins each and get a young lad in there who can fucking run.
Click to expand...
Well we can't get rid of everyone at once. So Foden class is permenant and form temporary the saying goes, so no issues there.

Rodri we still don't know what shape he will come back or whether he can come back at all following his injury. But we have to see how that pans out.

Kovocic I feel has been unfiarly critiised on here at times, but I think he's done ok and he should never have been the main go to guy, so we have to keep him, as a squad player not a starter.

But Gundo, KDB, and Silva unfortunately their time I feel has come to an end, and I hope at least one maybe two of them end up at the club as a coach in the future.
 
Mr Ed (The Stables) said:
Well we can't get rid of everyone at once. So Foden class is permenant and form temporary the saying goes, so no issues there.

Rodri we still don't know what shape he will come back or whether he can come back at all following his injury. But we have to see how that pans out.

Kovocic I feel has been unfiarly critiised on here at times, but I think he's done ok and he should never have been the main go to guy, so we have to keep him, as a squad player not a starter.

But Gundo, KDB, and Silva unfortunately their time I feel has come to an end, and I hope at least one maybe two of them end up at the club as a coach in the future.
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No we can't lose them all but we have to be thinking 2 midfielders in the summer, Wirtz or Musiala at least ideally.

Kovacic goes, doesn't fit Pep's style of play. Gundo moves to an easier league or ideally becomes a coach for us.

Rodri will take 12months post injury but his game isn't speed so he'll be fine.

Foden is young, trust he comes good again but needs to pull his finger out.

Ideally I'd keep Bernardo and Kev or just 1 for the dressing room but understand if they got an offer to go elsewhere, Saudi etc...
 
MCFC1993 said:
No we can't lose them all but we have to be thinking 2 midfielders in the summer, Wirtz or Musiala at least ideally.

Kovacic goes, doesn't fit Pep's style of play. Gundo moves to an easier league or ideally becomes a coach for us.

Rodri will take 12months post injury but his game isn't speed so he'll be fine.

Foden is young, trust he comes good again but needs to pull his finger out.

Ideally I'd keep Bernardo and Kev or just 1 for the dressing room but understand if they got an offer to go elsewhere, Saudi etc...
Click to expand...
It won't be Musiala. Hopefully Viana has a few alternatives lined up.
 
We used to have a front 5 that put real pressure on any team who tried to play around at the back. That doesn't happen anymore. Most of the squad is old, ageing and knackered . The recruitment has been woeful and led to a lot of our injuries. Tonight Madrid barely broke sweat, they had us sussed. Tonight was a lesson, doubt anything will have been learnt.
 
MCFC1993 said:
No we can't lose them all but we have to be thinking 2 midfielders in the summer, Wirtz or Musiala at least ideally.

Kovacic goes, doesn't fit Pep's style of play. Gundo moves to an easier league or ideally becomes a coach for us.

Rodri will take 12months post injury but his game isn't speed so he'll be fine.

Foden is young, trust he comes good again but needs to pull his finger out.

Ideally I'd keep Bernardo and Kev or just 1 for the dressing room but understand if they got an offer to go elsewhere, Saudi etc...
Click to expand...
I think Kev and Bernie have had their day here, been superb as well. Gundo is well past it, Kovacic not doing much. I'm sure Phil will turn it around, but he needs a bit of a rocket ATM.
 
Pep won’t have too much sentiment this summer to purge the midfield as he did our fullbacks when we let Zab, Sagna and Kolarov go all in one summer. The above needed to play in pep’s first year because there wasn’t an option but he knew come the summer drastic action was required. Over the first 2 summer windows we brought in 10 first team squad players, combined with this Jan window I’ll be amazed if we don’t surpass that number

This summer I’d be amazed if 3 new midfielders were not bought to supplement Foden, Rodri and Gonzalez
 
Need a RB, at least two quality AMs (for KDB, Gundo & Bernie, whether they leave or not!), another striker, and to bring Doyle back as a back up CB.

Then, integrate Echi, sell Perrone if he wants to stay at Como, and decide which Academy players can move up as our 3rd striker…and play them 10-20 mins as often as possible.

Do that, then see how things progress next season.

Btw, Gundo has now played enough games to trigger season 2 of his new contract, so I doubt he’s leaving unless a cherry deal lands in his lap from somewhere!
 
You can't play a Guardiola pressing system when you don't have the Guardiola players to do so.

Sadly KDB, Gundo, Kovacic and Bernies legs look like they have sadly gone. Father Time beats all I'm afraid.

We've absolutely got to deploy Foden centrally in every game for the rest of the season, as he's one of the few who can actually run and get up/down the park. Gonzalez behind him, Savinho on the right and either Grealish or Marmoush on the left depending on the opponent. KDB/Gundo can then be rotated in/out of the other slot to get the best out of them with the younger legs alongside them, without them having to play every 3 days.

In summer we need 2-3 new faces in central midfield minimum - in the 22-25 age bracket as well.
 
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VOOMER said:
We used to have a front 5 that put real pressure on any team who tried to play around at the back. That doesn't happen anymore. Most of the squad is old, ageing and knackered . The recruitment has been woeful and led to a lot of our injuries. Tonight Madrid barely broke sweat, they had us sussed. Tonight was a lesson, doubt anything will have been learnt.
Click to expand...
Ancelotti top coach…..except with the Toffees
 
Does Pep have time to integrate and overhaul our midfield? Assuming he only stays next season, there are a number of players that need to be refreshed, most would agree KDB, Gundo, Nunes. Probably stones and Bernado also, jurys out on Kova, Grealish and maybe even Doku.

Very few hit the ground running under Pep and we are looking probably at an absolutely minimum of 3 replacements so the clock is most definitely ticking
 
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