Silva injured

[ChicagoBlue]

Milner and Barry in two DM roles, with Nasri, Yaya and Tevez ahead of them and Dzeko up top. Sorted!

Rest Aguero and Mario for Ajax, then play Milner-Yaya-Barry in middle, with Nasri on right, Mario on left and Sergio up top. Carlos and Edin in constant state of warm-up ready to inject a change of thrust in attack, and Yaya ready to be unleashed forward with JM and GB staying home to counter any counter attacks.

Biggest issue will be how much cover the FBs get when we get countered. THAT is why Milner and Barry are so vital. Garcia and Rodwell still trying to get their feet under them in that central role. We need more than standing 5 yard passes that go nowhere in that position.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

yaya in that bloody stupid holding role again.

I would say that anyone who doesnt appreciate why this happens doesnt understand football.

He holds for 60 mins, we keep possesion, they tire, we bring on fresh legs, release Yaya and he destroys.

Simple concept done so often

A popular fan-myth upheld as truth because of 2 or 3 games at the end of last season where he got us out of jail.

He's been poor every time he's "held" for us this season because he can't tackle well enough and is not advanced enough to hurt teams.

Our two best performances this season? Fulham away and Sunderland home. Where did Yaya play? Did we control the midfield?

And our worst? Dortmund and Arsenal. Where did he play? Did we control the midfield?

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Yaya can't fucking play holding role, get this!

It's a ridiculous compromise which Mancini currently accepts and stupidly employs because we lack the personnel.

And to suggest we are so good that we can afford to coast and parry for 60 minutes, until teams get tired, is shown for what it is in the Champions League.

The top teams are able to exclude Yaya from the equation in that role, make him look stupid, close down the entire midfield.

He's too big, and not mobile or fit enough to stand square on whilst the best technicians out there leave him for dead.

He must always play further forward, let him burn himself out in the first hour, break the 10-man lines and do the damage, put us in the ascendancy.

Not chase games in the last half hour when the top teams could be out of sight.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Yaya can't fucking play holding role, get this!

It's a ridiculous compromise which Mancini currently accepts and stupidly employs because we lack the personnel.

That's exactly what it is, a compromise. It's the only way he can get Silva, Nasri and Ya Ya into the team as well as playing two of his forwards.

He must surely have realised this by now.

Ya Ya had a few reasonable (although not his best) games in that holding role in the first half of last season, but he had Milner playing in a wide role and prepared to track back to cover.

 

[OABAAB]

YAYA

Attacking Midfielder = One of the best in Europe
Defensive Midfielder/ Holding Role = Not even one of the best in the Prem

 

[jollylescott]

Yaya can't fucking play holding role, get this!

It's a ridiculous compromise which Mancini currently accepts and stupidly employs because we lack the personnel.

And to suggest we are so good that we can afford to coast and parry for 60 minutes, until teams get tired, is shown for what it is in the Champions League.

The top teams are able to exclude Yaya from the equation in that role, make him look stupid, close down the entire midfield.

He's too big, and not mobile or fit enough to stand square on whilst the best technicians out there leave him for dead.

He must always play further forward, let him burn himself out in the first hour, break the 10-man lines and do the damage, put us in the ascendancy.

Not chase games in the last half hour when the top teams could be out of sight.

You've convinced me Tolm. It has to be Gazbaz and Jimmy as DM's all the way. I agree with ChicagoBlue that we can't play Javi/Rodwell with the sideways passing in the games that count. It just goes to show how desperately short of mobile mids we are.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Yaya can't fucking play holding role, get this!

It's a ridiculous compromise which Mancini currently accepts and stupidly employs because we lack the personnel.

And to suggest we are so good that we can afford to coast and parry for 60 minutes, until teams get tired, is shown for what it is in the Champions League.

The top teams are able to exclude Yaya from the equation in that role, make him look stupid, close down the entire midfield.

He's too big, and not mobile or fit enough to stand square on whilst the best technicians out there leave him for dead.

He must always play further forward, let him burn himself out in the first hour, break the 10-man lines and do the damage, put us in the ascendancy.

Not chase games in the last half hour when the top teams could be out of sight.

You've convinced me Tolm. It has to be Gazbaz and Jimmy as DM's all the way. I agree with ChicagoBlue that we can't play Javi/Rodwell with the sideways passing in the games that count. It just goes to show how desperately short of mobile mids we are.

Forget De Rossi, it would be Montolivo and Marchisio all day for me.

 

[Latics Fan SJK]

Yaya can't fucking play holding role, get this!

It's a ridiculous compromise which Mancini currently accepts and stupidly employs because we lack the personnel.

And to suggest we are so good that we can afford to coast and parry for 60 minutes, until teams get tired, is shown for what it is in the Champions League.

The top teams are able to exclude Yaya from the equation in that role, make him look stupid, close down the entire midfield.

He's too big, and not mobile or fit enough to stand square on whilst the best technicians out there leave him for dead.

He must always play further forward, let him burn himself out in the first hour, break the 10-man lines and do the damage, put us in the ascendancy.

Not chase games in the last half hour when the top teams could be out of sight.

You've convinced me Tolm. It has to be Gazbaz and Jimmy as DM's all the way. I agree with ChicagoBlue that we can't play Javi/Rodwell with the sideways passing in the games that count. It just goes to show how desperately short of mobile mids we are.

Forget De Rossi, it would be Montolivo all day for me. Have been so impressed with his all-round game.

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

You should have gone for Alex Song.

 

[Mancio]

Yaya can't fucking play holding role, get this!

It's a ridiculous compromise which Mancini currently accepts and stupidly employs because we lack the personnel.

And to suggest we are so good that we can afford to coast and parry for 60 minutes, until teams get tired, is shown for what it is in the Champions League.

The top teams are able to exclude Yaya from the equation in that role, make him look stupid, close down the entire midfield.

He's too big, and not mobile or fit enough to stand square on whilst the best technicians out there leave him for dead.

He must always play further forward, let him burn himself out in the first hour, break the 10-man lines and do the damage, put us in the ascendancy.

Not chase games in the last half hour when the top teams could be out of sight.

You've convinced me Tolm. It has to be Gazbaz and Jimmy as DM's all the way. I agree with ChicagoBlue that we can't play Javi/Rodwell with the sideways passing in the games that count. It just goes to show how desperately short of mobile mids we are.

Forget De Rossi, it would be Montolivo all day for me. Have been so impressed with his all-round game.

you cant be serious, to compare montolivo to de rossi is like to compare cleverly to messi

 

[SWP's back]

Yaya can't fucking play holding role, get this!

It's a ridiculous compromise which Mancini currently accepts and stupidly employs because we lack the personnel.

And to suggest we are so good that we can afford to coast and parry for 60 minutes, until teams get tired, is shown for what it is in the Champions League.

The top teams are able to exclude Yaya from the equation in that role, make him look stupid, close down the entire midfield.

He's too big, and not mobile or fit enough to stand square on whilst the best technicians out there leave him for dead.

He must always play further forward, let him burn himself out in the first hour, break the 10-man lines and do the damage, put us in the ascendancy.

Not chase games in the last half hour when the top teams could be out of sight.

You've convinced me Tolm. It has to be Gazbaz and Jimmy as DM's all the way. I agree with ChicagoBlue that we can't play Javi/Rodwell with the sideways passing in the games that count. It just goes to show how desperately short of mobile mids we are.

Forget De Rossi, it would be Montolivo all day for me. Have been so impressed with his all-round game.

But what about for Mancini?

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

You've convinced me Tolm. It has to be Gazbaz and Jimmy as DM's all the way. I agree with ChicagoBlue that we can't play Javi/Rodwell with the sideways passing in the games that count. It just goes to show how desperately short of mobile mids we are.

Forget De Rossi, it would be Montolivo all day for me. Have been so impressed with his all-round game.

But what about for Mancini?

Who cares what he thinks!

 

[Latics Fan SJK]

You've convinced me Tolm. It has to be Gazbaz and Jimmy as DM's all the way. I agree with ChicagoBlue that we can't play Javi/Rodwell with the sideways passing in the games that count. It just goes to show how desperately short of mobile mids we are.

Forget De Rossi, it would be Montolivo all day for me. Have been so impressed with his all-round game.

you cant be serious, to compare montolivo to de rossi is like to compare cleverly to messi

Whilst De Rossi is class, so is Montolivo. Plus he's younger, cheaper and has a better eye for a forward pass.

That's the angle he might be coming from. Plus, the gap between De Rossi and Montolivo isn't that big, whereas your ridiculous comparison to Cleverly and Messi is huge.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

You've convinced me Tolm. It has to be Gazbaz and Jimmy as DM's all the way. I agree with ChicagoBlue that we can't play Javi/Rodwell with the sideways passing in the games that count. It just goes to show how desperately short of mobile mids we are.

Forget De Rossi, it would be Montolivo all day for me. Have been so impressed with his all-round game.

you cant be serious, to compare montolivo to de rossi is like to compare cleverly to messi

I mean with regards more replacing Barry and Milner in the years ahead!

De Rossi is a crackpipe dream.

What do you think of the lad Marchisio at Juventus? I love their midfield. He seems very comfortable in sitting, although Tardelli, he aint!

 

[waspish]

Mancini is stubborn in ways that's a good thing but with this Yaya holding midfield it will cost us that team that played against Sunderland is how we should set up our team always

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Forget De Rossi, it would be Montolivo all day for me. Have been so impressed with his all-round game.

you cant be serious, to compare montolivo to de rossi is like to compare cleverly to messi

Whilst De Rossi is class, so is Montolivo. Plus he's younger, cheaper and has a better eye for a forward pass.

That's the angle he might be coming from. Plus, the gap between De Rossi and Montolivo isn't that big, whereas your ridiculous comparison to Cleverly and Messi is huge.

Nobody can be certain when the downturn will come with De Rossi.

It could be another five years, but I'm not so sure even he can stave it off playing in the Premier League every week?

It was all about Mario and Pirlo this summer, but I think Montolivo was Italy's outstanding grease wheeler.

 

[nwanda]

You've convinced me Tolm. It has to be Gazbaz and Jimmy as DM's all the way. I agree with ChicagoBlue that we can't play Javi/Rodwell with the sideways passing in the games that count. It just goes to show how desperately short of mobile mids we are.

Forget De Rossi, it would be Montolivo all day for me. Have been so impressed with his all-round game.

you cant be serious, to compare montolivo to de rossi is like to compare cleverly to messi

This is getting silly now Messi will never be as good as Cleverley

 

[Mancio]

Forget De Rossi, it would be Montolivo all day for me. Have been so impressed with his all-round game.

you cant be serious, to compare montolivo to de rossi is like to compare cleverly to messi

Whilst De Rossi is class, so is Montolivo. Plus he's younger, cheaper and has a better eye for a forward pass.

That's the angle he might be coming from. Plus, the gap between De Rossi and Montolivo isn't that big, whereas your ridiculous comparison to Cleverly and Messi is huge.

montolivo is 15 months younger than de rossi , not really a big deal. plus , de rossi is a complete midfielder , better defending better attacking better vision and passing better stamina than montolivo. plus de rossi has got personality , character and charisma , 3 things montolivo has always completely lacked.

 

[BoyBlue_1985]

you cant be serious, to compare montolivo to de rossi is like to compare cleverly to messi

Whilst De Rossi is class, so is Montolivo. Plus he's younger, cheaper and has a better eye for a forward pass.

That's the angle he might be coming from. Plus, the gap between De Rossi and Montolivo isn't that big, whereas your ridiculous comparison to Cleverly and Messi is huge.

montolivo is 15 months younger than de rossi , not really a big deal. plus , de rossi is a complete midfielder , better defending better attacking better vision and passing better stamina than montolivo. plus de rossi has got personality , character and charisma , 3 things montolivo has always completely lacked.

I dont know about you lot but this is top of my list when im looking at midfileders

 

[Mancio]

Forget De Rossi, it would be Montolivo all day for me. Have been so impressed with his all-round game.

you cant be serious, to compare montolivo to de rossi is like to compare cleverly to messi

I mean with regards more replacing Barry and Milner in the years ahead!

De Rossi is a crackpipe dream.

What do you think of the lad Marchisio at Juventus? I love their midfield. He seems very comfortable in sitting, although Tardelli, he aint!

replacing milner with montolivo ? LOL AFAIK montolivo is older than milner

marchisio is very good but still not in de rossi class , and never will be. anyway he's a lot better than montolivo.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

you cant be serious, to compare montolivo to de rossi is like to compare cleverly to messi

Whilst De Rossi is class, so is Montolivo. Plus he's younger, cheaper and has a better eye for a forward pass.

That's the angle he might be coming from. Plus, the gap between De Rossi and Montolivo isn't that big, whereas your ridiculous comparison to Cleverly and Messi is huge.

montolivo is 15 months younger than de rossi , not really a big deal. plus , de rossi is a complete midfielder , better defending better attacking better vision and passing better stamina than montolivo. plus de rossi has got personality , character and charisma , 3 things montolivo has always completely lacked.

I wish Yaya and Barry were 15 months younger than they are, a huge leap when you are either approaching 30 or over.