The Massive Hole In Midfield Tonight

[Heart.net]

De Jong can't play in a two man midfield.

He doesn't offer enough in his game for our system.

Essentially, he does what Gareth Barry does but Barry offers more.

This. Regardless of what Nasri the other night, i thought he should've started. Its just, we all say that we should learn from our mistakes but mancini really should've known that a midfield trio of milner, barry, and dejong will do nothing but hustle and create nothing. They're all too similar in that they offer zero creativity.

 

[bluethai]

De Jong can't play in a two man midfield.

He doesn't offer enough in his game for our system.

Essentially, he does what Gareth Barry does but Barry offers more.

This. Regardless of what Nasri the other night, i thought he should've started. Its just, we all say that we should learn from our mistakes but mancini really should've known that a midfield trio of milner, barry, and dejong will do nothing but hustle and create nothing. They're all too similar in that they offer zero creativity.

That what I thought when I first saw the team sheet last night as well. Mancini seems to forgot what didn't work in the past.

 

[Bill]

Tonight i expected to see this:

---------De Jong----Barry

Johnson-------Nasri-------Milner

But instead we saw this:

-------------De Jong------Barry


Johnson/Nasri------------------Milner/Nasri

Nasri has little chance to really do what he does, because Silva is in the team. Silva will get more touches and certainly be the man who will create. so Tonight i'm thinking put Nasri in the Silva role where he's best, he'll have the ball for a majority of the night and he will show us what he can do. No Silva on the pitch Nasri can show us his Arsenal form and his creativity and attacking force.

Instead we find him on the right wing/left wing, Mancini calling him over numerous times as always. Don't know what he tell's him or want's him to do. There was no movement, no one creating space, absolutely nothing.

Anyway Liverpool wanted us to pass sideways and down the wings, so they could retain possession, not having to worry about what's behind them cause there was no city player there, just a massive hole. We passed sideways attack after attack and that's what they wanted.

About the 76th minute - De Jong finds Barry in midfield, instead of passing to Richards, he plays a forward ball to Nasri. He turns and drives and carries it and surprisingly finds hismelf in a ridiculous amout of space, plays a great ball to Aguero and we create a chance and nearly score - that was the first time for most of the game we ran at them from a central position. For the next 5-10 minutes we continued that passage and suddenly played some good football.

I'm not claiming to be a Jose Mourinho, but it was blatant where the problem was and i noticed it after 15 minutes. I'm very disappointed that Nasri was not given a Silva role. Once again i still ask myself and find myself wondering just what did we buy him for? he's a quality footballer and i like him, i just don't think he's gonna be the sort of player who fit's to our style. Unless he get's a Silva role, which tonight it had his name written all over it.

Totally agree, I was so pleased to get nasri thinking like you he'd drop into the silva role if reqd.
Strange selection last night bob.
On another note how poor was nige Johnson and savic?

 

[Akira]

Nasri should have started. But I think it's a matter of Bobby still getting to grips with his players.

It was pointed out that Nigel cannot work in a two-pivoted midfield. Similarly, and possibly, Nasri shone against Liverpool because he was made to be the prime playmaker. Suggestively, Nasri WORKS BEST as the prime playmaker where he did not have to play off another playmaker.

Also, we had an over-reliance tonight on Johnson to fill that creative void. Obviously, Johnson by nature is a winger, he would not have the ability and instinct to drift between the lines, move into spaces and playmake from there.

Currently, without Yaya nor Silva, Nasri should be an important piece of our puzzle. Observing the match, I realize our attacks usually start with the two centre backs passing the ball around until a midfield drops deep, collects the ball, and moves it forward with his holding midfielders; a la Silva and Yaya.

Without Nasri, most of the time Lescott and Savic was moving the ball between themselves and the full backs were unable to take the ball forward because the opposition wingers were on them.

Verdict, the playmaker is essential to our playing style. Without Yaya nor Silva, we need Nasri. Needless to say, without Nasri, we need another backup and I believe the next man to step up to the plate as playmaker is Milner.

 

[Sixone]

Ffs he messes Milner around like no other player and then muppets on here accuse jimmy of being not creative -despite the significant assists he gives when playing in a normal midfield role. V Liverpool he started on left, moved him supporting aguero for 10 mins then later had him playing right wing back and then holding midfield and clowns on here say Milner isn't creative!! Watch him when he plays in centre mid ( not holding) and then comment.

 

[TVI]

I agree that Nasri should be a shoe-in if Silva isn't playing.

Without a proper ball player we had to resort to a different style of game that we looked uncomfortable with.

 

[Freestyler]

Without a proper ball player we had to resort to a different style of game that we looked uncomfortable with.

That one line kind of sums it all up really.

 

[Fame Monster]

You must have been sat next to me at the match because that's all I was saying for the entire game. And that's where we went wrong and why we lost the game.

After 10 minutes, it was obvious that the midfielders couldn't receive the ball in the middle, purely because Liverpool had plugged all those spaces completely and we didn't have anyone technically good enough to retain possession in such tight areas. That meant they had to go wide doing more harm than good because it allowed Liverpool to shuffle across and leave our wingers with very little space to operate.

A few minutes before the change actually happened, I said that Balotelli has to come off for Nasri.

When Nasri came on, he was able to stand in the middle and ask for the ball because his feet are good enough to get him out of tight areas. When he gets and holds onto the ball, he invites the marking defender/midfielder to make a challenge on him. If the defender doesn't get the ball, Liverpool have to tuck in to fill the gap vacated by that defender which means we can get the ball wide, meaning our wingers can have a one on one with the defender.

As a result of Nasri coming on, we were noticeably better in the second half. Though, last night, I thought Liverpool were excellent and were quite content to conserve energy.

I worry about us at Anfield.