Finding the right balance in midfield

[Tricky_Trev]

I can't make my mind up what's best for the team! Yaya's passing compliments Silva and Nasri very well, but on the flip side, he offers absolutely nothing defensively, which exposes Barry and the back 4. I don't feel we have the right balance when Yaya's in a 2-man midfield. He's more suited to being in a 3, as is De Jong.

So if we are going to persist with playing Silva and Nasri behind Aguero and Dzeko, is there an argument that our best midfield pairing is Barry and Milner? We'd be less exposed defensively, Barry would have someone to share the workload with (he's doing 2 players' jobs at the moment) and Milner's tireless running will both be a driving force in attack (see Bolton away) but more importantly, help nullify potential counter attacks as they are developing.

If Mancini wants to keep Yaya in the team, for me it would have to be at the expense of Nasri, with us reverting to a similar formation to what we played last season. These 2 options are the only way i can see us having the right balance.

I want us to keep the current front 4 as it is though, so my biggest hope when Milner is back from injury is that he gets a long run in the team at the expense of Yaya. I think that's our most balanced team.

What are everyone else's thoughts on how we set up the midfield when everyone's fit? Would you prefer a 2 or a 3-man midfield?

 

[Mancio]

we cant think to play silva 60 games. nor nasri

silva and nasri have to be rotated both for being rested and becouse for the team to be able to support a "front four" of silva nasri + 2 strikers would require a continue utilisation of a couple of rested and fully fit DM , a thing that we seem we cant have cause iniuryes.

so we should play many games with a 3 "DM" midfield , unfortunally we are short of that kind of players

 

[King Geedorah]

Balance is relative to the game being played for me, against Wigan at home we can afford more going forward than Fulham away.

Yesterday I feel Mancini's hand was forced by injury, in an ideal world he would have set up like last season with Yaya in the hole and only one of Dzeko/Aguero. This gives us the flexibility for Yaya to drop back when we're under pressure and also we keep the ball better like this imo. But obviously we didn't have the players to do that.

The elephant in the room for me is that although Silva and Nasri work hard, the attacking positions they take up combined with the lack of true defensive intelligence means we simply cannot set up with those two in the side and only 2 in midfield away from home. It's not a flat forward line but for me it's closer to 4-2-4, with attacking full backs as well it would be a struggle for any 2 man midfield to contain Fulham.

 

[robbieh]

Personally I have always thought a front four is a luxury that very few teams can afford.

Madrid yesterday played two strikers and Concentrao and di Maria wide. Both of these guys offer a lot more defensively than Nasri and Silva. Throw into the mix that Alonso and Khedira are a lot more solid than Yaya and Barry and you can see that we might be a bit light in the middle of the park.

As mentioned in this thread if your fullbacks are also bombing on then defensive frailties will appear.

Yaya uses the ball well and rarely loses it. But he does also offer a threat when moving forward.

When de Jong is back I would always play him. With Barry alongside him. Push Yaya forward where he caused problems for the opposition last year.

front three Silva, Aguero and either Nasri or Edin depending on game.

 

[mancityscot]

personally think we are too narrow with that formation like yesterday, and personally i think nasri's hand is still bugging him, for obvious reasons and understandably too.

i'd still like to think we can play dzeko a lot so he gets into a good run of games, and then still play aguero behind him.

yesterday was just a blip imo after playing midweek and fulham closed us down too quickly

 

[keemcfc]

_______________Hart_______________
Richards__Kompany__Lescott___Clichy
__________________________________
______Yaya Touré____de Jong________
____Nasri______Agüero_____Silva_____
______________Džeko_______________

It will be fine when this happens ;)

Plus, it was the first bad 30 mins we've had all season ffs!!!

 

[Didsbury Dave]

I've banging on about for a full season and I'll bang on about it again.

Ya Ya gives us a big problem. He's one of the wierdest players I've ever come across. He's fast but slow, athletic but unfit, strong but not in the tackle.

He's not the answer in the holding role. He can't help but look for the forward run. De Jong and Barry win the ball, look up and release. That is perfect for the likes of silva, Nasri and Aguero. Ya Ya doesn't, he takes time on the ball or gets himself forward looking for a return pass. It doesn't work against teams with a pressing midfield, it leaves the back four exposed. That's what we saw at the weekend.

Has to be Barry and De Jong for me behind the "fab four" attackers.

I suspect Yaya might play back in the "hole", or as a third central midfielder, in some of the biggest games to shore us up.

Barry and De Jong holding in every game for me. I woundn't play Ya ya every week. Not Milner, either. Not good enough on the ball.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

I've banging on about for a full season and I'll bang on about it again.

Ya Ya gives us a big problem. He's one of the wierdest players I've ever come across. He's fast but slow, athletic but unfit, strong but not in the tackle.

He's not the answer in the holding role. He can't help but look for the forward run. De Jong and Barry win the ball, look up and release. That is perfect for the likes of silva, Nasri and Aguero. Ya Ya doesn't, he takes time on the ball or gets himself forward looking for a return pass. It doesn't work against teams with a pressing midfield, it leaves the back four exposed. That's what we saw at the weekend.

Has to be Barry and De Jong for me behind the "fab four" attackers.

I suspect Yaya might play back in the "hole", or as a third central midfielder, in some of the biggest games to shore us up.

Barry and De Jong holding in every game for me. I woundn't play Ya ya every week. Not Milner, either. Not good enough on the ball.

Perhaps Yaya at centre-back?

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Perhaps Yaya at centre-back?

I know he's played there but he doesn't look like a CB to me either, Tolm. He's a conundrum to me, in fact I'd go so far as to say he's a 4-4-2 midfielder, like Milner, who's been a bit left behind by modern formations.

At the end of last season he learnt how to play in the hole, and was deadly there on occasions, not least at Wembley v United. But then you are looking at dropping Nasri, Aguero or Dzeko. You can't drop Silva of course.

May seem sacriledge to some after his goals but he's not a regular starter in my mind.

 

[Rammy Blue]

Perhaps Yaya at centre-back?

I know he's played there but he doesn't look like a CB to me either, Tolm. He's a conundrum to me, in fact I'd go so far as to say he's a 4-4-2 midfielder, like Milner, who's been a bit left behind by modern formations.

At the end of last season he learnt how to play in the hole, and was deadly there on occasions, not least at Wembley v United. But then you are looking at dropping Nasri, Aguero or Dzeko. You can't drop Silva of course.

May seem sacriledge to some after his goals but he's not a regular starter in my mind.

I'd still like to have a proper look at NDJ and Yaya in front of the back 4; seems a bit ridiculous, to me, to think that anyone would rate Barry above Yaya - I know they have different qualities but I certainly can't see Bob benching Yaya whilst keeping Barry in the side.

If you remember pre-season it looked like Barry was already being relegated to acting as cover as Milner was ahead of him.