Defensive Midfielder

[red 2 hats]

It would be great to have an athletic dm but other priorities need addressed first.

Our problems stem from the wings. The wide players are not effective. We lose the ball in or around the oppositions penalty area and within 2/3 passes they end up with goal scoring opportunity.

A prime Fern could not fix this issue. It’s no wonder the defence looks all over the place and the midfield is bypassed.

Ball retention is a necessity in the pep system. The match yesterday was full of passing errors which led to our downfall.

What’s the answer? Stop relying so heavily on the wings to create next to nothing. Work on how we deal with the counter. Defenders and midfielders running back to goal is a recipe for disaster. Oh and stop playing Mendy.

I agree, a lot of our problems stem from the wings, but in my opinion it's more the inverted wingers that is causing the problems.
When was the last time one of our wingers took a defender on the outside, burn them for pace and whip a cross in, I'm struggling to remember. Yesterday, our wingers were Sterling and Mahrez, any good defender just needs to show them the outside and this then nullifies their effectiveness. Their natural instinct is to cut back inside onto their stronger foot which means joining an already conjested area of the pitch and in turn slows our play down to pedestrian levels.
We need to start stretching teams again and we need players in their natural positions, and Mendy nowhere near the team.

 

[Dr Jacoby]

Bissouma wouldn’t be the worst addition.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Yes, I tend to agree with that, yet at the same time Guardiola admitted that he was going to have younger players around the first team this season, and I naively hoped that might mean making the bench for league games. If we work on the basis that Bernardo and Laporte are possibly leaving, then we would still have space on the bench for younger players when regulars are out injured.

There was never a chance the kids would make the match squad/bench.It was all lip service from Pep,and very predictable.
Unless those kids get quality loans,we will see them stagnate and sold for peanuts.....rinse and repeat.

 

[Keeper!]

If we are losing two or three players, then let’s see Doyle and Lavia on the bench for games like Norwich at home. We’re not going to buy a defensive midfielder this window, probably not this season, so let’s get some meaningful game time in those two, especially Lavia.

Doyle is not good enough for me, if it wasn't for his surname and background fans would not be calling for him to be in the squad. He needs a season on loan at a good standard to see what he is about.

Lavia is clearly something special, a real talent.

 

[Blu1]

Crazy that we still need a dm, left back & 2 strikers. I’m sure we have had these issue for 2/3 seasons now.

i do see Grealish playing dm at some point. fern & Gundy are too slow & old. Great servants but we should not be relying on them now. Rodri has too many mistakes in him sadly

 

[Keeper!]

Bellingham, but his age might be a concern ....

Peaked already, maybe Jobe but needs another year

 

[uwe rosler 28]

Cancelo has no discipline and most importantly, no bottle to take that role.

WE need a leader and a hard player in the center of the park.

A matter of opinion I think he could be well suited to the role very mobile and a good passer of the ball and also a good reader of the game.

 

[wolviedinho]

I agree, a lot of our problems stem from the wings, but in my opinion it's more the inverted wingers that is causing the problems.
When was the last time one of our wingers took a defender on the outside, burn them for pace and whip a cross in, I'm struggling to remember. Yesterday, our wingers were Sterling and Mahrez, any good defender just needs to show them the outside and this then nullifies their effectiveness. Their natural instinct is to cut back inside onto their stronger foot which means joining an already conjested area of the pitch and in turn slows our play down to pedestrian levels.
We need to start stretching teams again and we need players in their natural positions, and Mendy nowhere near the team.

The problems started when we brought in Mahrez. He has been fantastic but losing a Sane type player and replacing him with a winger that cuts inside has shifted our attacking focus. We crowd the opposition box with numbers but lack the final pass to create a goal scoring opportunity.

The ability to stretch play with fast wingers was a dangerous weapon at our disposal and left the pitch wide for the Am to cause havoc.

Now we are left with slow wing play that breaks down easily, we get turned over and can’t recover to stop the counter. Pep may need to rethink how we attack and change the formation to suit the personal.

 

[Gabriel]

There was never a chance the kids would make the match squad/bench.It was all lip service from Pep,and very predictable.
Unless those kids get quality loans,we will see them stagnate and sold for peanuts.....rinse and repeat.

Guardiola has always struck me as someone who wants a three goal cushion before trusting anyone younger from the bench. Even when we have had kids on the bench, it’s been our inability to take our chances that’s meant they’ve stayed there.
I just hoped that 3-4 could be incorporated this season, not at the same time of course. But then again it’s the hope that kills you.

 

[Gabriel]

Doyle is not good enough for me, if it wasn't for his surname and background fans would not be calling for him to be in the squad. He needs a season on loan at a good standard to see what he is about.

Lavia is clearly something special, a real talent.

I’d agree with that assessment.