Hughes' defensive midfield system. Isn't 1 enough? Why use 3

[masterwig]

Next season I think we will see a different system because we will have better players and more choice.

 

[Project]

If we are gonna continue to play the lone striker,then we need a top quality box to box midfielder who can defend and attack.Daniele de Rossi,Gareth Barry,Miguel Veloso or Xabi Alonso to name but 4.

Got it in one. And Michael Johnson can easily be that player if he overcomes his demons.

 

[bluetonium]

I can see why you'd employ a couple in some (away) games - a lot of clubs have success by letting 2 midfielders sit deep and then catch the opposition with a quick break away. Given how busy our season has been at times, and the fact that the way it panned out meant virtually every game counted for something , I can kind of understand it. Plus, away from home we have been pitiful for most of the season, so stout defensive work coupled with fast counter attacks may have seemed sensible. But it didn't always work.

I do agree though - 3 is excessive, and means that away from home the opposition know you have 4 defenders + 3 midfielder who will hardly step in your half. That leaves the striker and two fast but fragile creative players to mop up. And all too much we have seen the effects of that in that we end up relying on a bit of magic, counter attack or Ireland deep runs.

Next season I think we need to be looking at either a box to box midfielder or another striker in some games. Some teams can be caught on the break and other than that it is a case of defending like your life depends on it, but we're good on the ball too and if we have the possession we can be dangerous home or away.

 

[Nixon_The_Bike_Thief]

must admit other than Liverpool I struggle to remember us playing 3 ? Zab has been in with Kompany and De Jong but usually at RB or LB I thought

 

[staffs_blue]

If we are gonna continue to play the lone striker,then we need a top quality box to box midfielder who can defend and attack.Daniele de Rossi,Gareth Barry,Miguel Veloso or Xabi Alonso to name but 4.

Got it in one. And Michael Johnson can easily be that player if he overcomes his demons.

Lets hope he can.

 

[M22_blu]

they have only played together in midfield once and it was quite effective I may add

 

[Luke The Blue]

If we are gonna continue to play the lone striker,then we need a top quality box to box midfielder who can defend and attack.Daniele de Rossi,Gareth Barry,Miguel Veloso or Xabi Alonso to name but 4.

When we play both VK and NdJ they never venture more than 10 yards inside the opositions half,cutting down our attacking options.

I'd move Kompany to centre back,have de Jong as the holding player and then de Rossi/Barry/Veloso/Alonso to accompany Ireland in the middle.

..........................Given

...Zabaleta...Onuoha...Kompany...Bridge

.......................De Jong

...............Ireland.........De Rossi/Barry/Veloso/Alonso

...SWP...............................Robinho

...................Bojinov/Tevez :P

AGREED!!!!

 

[Project]

I can see why you'd employ a couple in some (away) games - a lot of clubs have success by letting 2 midfielders sit deep and then catch the opposition with a quick break away. Given how busy our season has been at times, and the fact that the way it panned out meant virtually every game counted for something , I can kind of understand it. Plus, away from home we have been pitiful for most of the season, so stout defensive work coupled with fast counter attacks may have seemed sensible. But it didn't always work.

I do agree though - 3 is excessive, and means that away from home the opposition know you have 4 defenders + 3 midfielder who will hardly step in your half. That leaves the striker and two fast but fragile creative players to mop up. And all too much we have seen the effects of that in that we end up relying on a bit of magic, counter attack or Ireland deep runs.

Next season I think we need to be looking at either a box to box midfielder or another striker in some games. Some teams can be caught on the break and other than that it is a case of defending like your life depends on it, but we're good on the ball too and if we have the possession we can be dangerous home or away.

As has already been mentioned, we only deplyed 3 versus Liverpool - a team that simply dominates the opposition every game but didn't manage to against us.

But then its criminal to defend Hughes tactically on this board, lol.

 

[pissedagain]

dont forget he played micah as an attacker at boro and when boro came down and scored, his answer...do the same the week after

 

[bluemoon05]

We've played 3 DMs once, against Liverpool. We've played 2 DMs in practically every other game like quite a few other teams have.