Neil McNab said:
In total agreement, Barry & Vieria are not barn storming marauding midfielders but they bring some posetive contribution to the team going forward. De Jong seems to have very little ability, slow and one has to ask how much attacking play does he manage to stop seeing as the pitch is 50 times wider than him, no player can be so one dimensional and be of any use. He stops more of our attacks than the opposition's! He seems immune to criticism but as far as I can see he's the problem.
The reason he's immune from criticism as you rightly point out is what I call the 'Claude Makelele effect.' Football fans have been creaming over this idea of a one dimensional defensive midfielder who just sits there and screens the back four. People forget however, that Makelele had world class players around him Real Madrid, Chelsea and France. He could sit there whilst Zidane and the rest did the business,
We can't afford to carry such a limited player and why on earth shouldn't your midfielders be able to tackle, track back and offer something going forward too? Because some idiots read Henry Winter saying every top side needs a holding midfielder!!
We need far more dynamic midfielders, the likes of Fellani, Essien or players in that mould. Why on earth do we need De Jong against the likes of Wigan when he offers so little? We'll see an improvement when Barry starts in there with Viera or Ireland. De Jong is a clear cut case of the emperor having no clothes.