The midfield 3.....

[Rammy Blue]

I have said it for a good few weeks now but we are not a threat through the middle which means we become very predictable when going forward, it was staggering today how many times our midfield slowed the game down when there were good easy forward balls available.

 

[stonie]

our midfield was utter shite today,i wAS disgusted that a team as shite as portsmouth was able to intercept and at times walk right through at ease,maybe just an off day and a hangover from wednesday ut how i wish we had a player like kinky or bernabia to link defence to attack..

 

[Somud]

I have said it for a good few weeks now but we are not a threat through the middle which means we become very predictable when going forward, it was staggering today how many times our midfield slowed the game down when there were good easy forward balls available.

But what about this:

---- De Jong -----
Vieira ---- McDonald

I think this could really be something for us.

 

[bellwhaft]

What we are missing is that genuine spark of creativity ala Benarbia. This has been a deficiency for a while imo.

 

[Tevez Head Glue]

I agree, Barry must deffinitely need his op, not seen anything from him for us yet that he has shown he is capable of in previous seasons

 

[ono]

Well it actually becomes a midfield 2 when you take away the fact that De Jong is purely an achorman who offers little except steel.

So it leaves Barry and Ireland. Barry is very one footed and Ireland doesn't seem able to control a game. He tends to drift in and out.

If we're going to persist with playing De Jong, then we need to play 4-4-2 imo.

 

[BufordUSABlue]

The midfield sits way too gar back, the opposition always has 20-30 yards to run into when they have the ball. This in turn means our back 4 is playing at the edge of our own area a lot of the time and on top of Shay, which just invites teams onto us..

Also, we shouldnt need a holding midfield player at home against the bottom of the league FFS, 4-4-2 would be fine as long as one sits and 2 break forward, leaving 1 free to roam.

 

[simundo]

I have said it for a good few weeks now but we are not a threat through the middle which means we become very predictable when going forward, it was staggering today how many times our midfield slowed the game down when there were good easy forward balls available.

But what about this:

---- De Jong -----
Vieira ---- McDonald

I think this could really be something for us.

I defy anybody, who lives local, who believes they have seen enough of Parma, to be sure that this previously unknown 22 year old Kenyan is already good enough to displace one of the prem most experienced midfielders in GB. I would love to be proved wrong but it just seems everyone assumes gold dust. Who is to say Mancini is buying him for 'now'

Nigel Gleghorn made a good point on GMR .... early in the season it was Barry that held our midfield together along side side Ireland (I think). Those two complimented each other as they both had clear roles in the sense Ireland got up around the strikers while Barry sat in the middle and kept it all ticking over. Is anybody sure whether Barry is now supposed to be holding position, or pushing on. Is he supposed to Link play up or look to carry the ball and play the killer pass?

Just like Ireland I think Barry plays on instinct and Mancini because is trying to give them a disciplined role. this is IMO is stifling his natural game.

 

[Alanm1980]

I thought we played 4-4-2 today with Barry on the left first half and Ireland on the Wings in the second.

 

[Rammy Blue]

I thought we played 4-4-2 today with Barry on the left first half and Ireland on the Wings in the second.

nah, it was this initially....

.......Ireland.........NDJ.........Barry........

........................Petrov.....................

................Tevez........Ade..................

and then it switched to this....

Petrov........Ireland........NDJ.........Barry

.................Tevez........Ade.................

and after Petrov went off it became this....

Ireland.........NDJ...........Barry.......Bellamy

..................Tevez........Ade..................