De Jong

[Dribble]

It's not one bad game though is it? It's a string of games where we've relied on him dominating the midfield and he's failed. His position is too important to turn in performances like todays.

It doesn't help him playin alongside another midfielder who doesnt drive forward. De jong does the job he's there to do imo better than most other defensive mids in the league (win the ball and play it short). the problem seems to be that nobody then carries the ball forward, it always goes backwards to our full backs and so any counter attack we may have had is over before its started! With a creative box to box midfielder next to him De Jong would be awesome

^^This^^

When you think of De Jong, Think of Claude Makelele.

If Chelsea or Madrid played with 3 Makelele's in their teams, yes they'd scrap for the ball and win it most times, but then what? We need 2 all-round box to box playmakers; a Gerrard, an Alonso, a Lampard, a Scholes, a Fabregas and dare I say it, a Fletcher to control the midfield and not allow us to be bullied & pushed around like little boys lost!!! Let's just hope Vieira can stay fit & turn the clock back & come to our rescue!!

I thought the box to box playmaker would have been Barry, but clearly not. The closest we've got to a creative box to box player is Michael Johnson and he's hardly played during the last 2 years!!!