Who is in your first choice midfield 3?

[FantasyIreland]

Rodri makes too many blind passes and I think he is regressing at a worrying rate, having rightly been afforded the benefit of the doubt in his first season.

If Fern was fit, I'd still have him at the base with Foden and KDB.

I don't think he's been afforded the best opportunity to show consistency,as Pep persistently rotates his teammates,bizarrely having a perverse preference towards Gundogan as his partner.

Pep needs to find his best 11 and,as much is possible,allow them to form a consistent understanding.

 

[ninjamonkey]

Not true,we have looked balanced and cohesive when he plays alongside KDB,Foden and Bernie.He offers far more in the defensive role than Gundogan ever could.

Disagree. Gundogan wasn’t involved in our first few games because of covid, we didn’t look any more balanced and cohesive against wolves Leicester or Leeds, in fact we looked a lot worse.

The best our midfield has been this season was Olympiacos, the only game Rodri didn’t start. granted they’re a much weaker side and it’s just the one game but I’m convinced Fernandinho or Gundogan in the 6 role sees a dramatic upturn in performances

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

I don't think he's been afforded the best opportunity to show consistency,as Pep persistently rotates his teammates,bizarrely having a perverse preference towards Gundogan as his partner.

Pep needs to find his best 11 and,as much is possible,allow them to form a consistent understanding.

I noticed Liverpool had a deliberate gameplan to force Rodri to shield the ball inside and then wait for him to panic and release the ball.

It was the same tactic deployed by teams for so long in Champions League up against Toure. Don't let the big man rely on his physical strength to turn and get the ball out of his feet.

Rodri actually thrives on the physical touch tight contact because he knows if the ball runs away from him, he's done from a recovery tackle point of view.

What Liverpool and Leicester have done is get men around him, forcing Rodri to rush or keep his head down facing the floor.

This is where Fernandinho was so magnificent.

Dropping in to receive the ball and link up the defence and attack.

Rodri and Gundo are good players in the right team, but we need to evolve if the onus is now on making us more defensively solid.

And that's before Fern also had the recovery ability to get back in and tackle.

I can't decide if Rodri is just slow or not fit, as he seems to jog back and watch people run off the back of him and Gundo?

 

[HelloCity]

Disagree. Gundogan wasn’t involved in our first few games because of covid, we didn’t look any more balanced and cohesive against wolves Leicester or Leeds, in fact we looked a lot worse.

The best our midfield has been this season was Olympiacos, the only game Rodri didn’t start. granted they’re a much weaker side and it’s just the one game but I’m convinced Fernandinho or Gundogan in the 6 role sees a dramatic upturn in performances

Weren’t we missing several of our first choice defenders in those first few games? I’d say yesterday’s defence was our strongest.

 

[Akpowell]

How long is Fernandinho out for ?

 

[GBrannan]

Gundogan
Bernard
KDB

Play Phil on the right and Raheem on the left.

Over the past few months, including the end of last season, individually these players have played these positions better than other people that have been tried there.

Gundogan, this season, gave the best performance of anyone tried at 6 against Olympiacos. He’s also had his best performances for us there in recent years. He passed forward, broke the lines, created tempo. He’s by no means perfect but he brings much more than Rodri and apart from aerial ability there’s no massive drop off defensively.

I think Bernardo gave the best performance of anyone this season as a deeper 8 against Arsenal. He links the defence and attack with his ability to run with the ball. He brought industry and helped control the pace of the game.

KDB looks knackered but is undoubtedly our best attacking option in central midfield and should be our most advanced 8.

Outside of that, Sterling scored 30 goals from left wing. Foden was our most effective right sided attacker post lockdown but that knowledge just seems to have been abandoned for some reason this season.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I noticed Liverpool had a deliberate gameplan to force Rodri to shield the ball inside and then wait for him to panic and release the ball.

It was the same tactic deployed by teams for so long in Champions League up against Toure. Don't let the big man rely on his physical strength to turn and get the ball out of his feet.

Rodri actually thrives on the physical touch tight contact because he knows if the ball runs away from him, he's done from a recovery tackle point of view.

What Liverpool and Leicester have done is get men around him, forcing Rodri to rush or keep his head down facing the floor.

This is where Fernandinho was so magnificent.

Dropping in to receive the ball and link up the defence and attack.

Rodri and Gundo are good players in the right team, but we need to evolve if the onus is now on making us more defensively solid.

And that's before Fern also had the recovery ability to get back in and tackle.

I can't decide if Rodri is just slow or not fit, as he seems to jog back and watch people run off the back of him and Gundo?

He's slow & probably not 100% fit.

As it stands, one of Gundogan or Rodri probably have to play, until we find better. So it's pretty obvious that the other two need to be fit, quick & able to run imo. That could be Foden, Bernardo, with Tommy Doyle etc to come on & maintain the energy level. KDB, fit can do it of course, but isn't fit.

An unfit KDB in a 3, loses most 2nd balls & just adds to the problem & actually wastes a lot of possession.

He could play attacking right side, in a game like yesterday, or front of a diamond.

The good thing about yesterday was that although Pep got his arse well & truly kicked tactically by Klopp & Liverpool's 4 were able to take as much time as they wanted in the big holes left by the twins, they couldn't get through the back 4 & in the end ran out of ideas, like we do. A few weeks ago, they would have scored 8 vs our back 4 then.

If we find a proper centre mid, we will be pretty solid & can get back to playing football.

 

[Fallingbostel Blue]

Rodri
DeBruyne Foden / Bernardo

 

[PragueBlue]

Rodri/Gundogan (depending on opposition)

KDB....Bernardo

I'd put Foden on the left and Sterling on the right (they can switch at times) with Jesus up front. Torres and Mahrez on the bench. We can then attack with 5 and should have a front 5 who can effectively press.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Disagree. Gundogan wasn’t involved in our first few games because of covid, we didn’t look any more balanced and cohesive against wolves Leicester or Leeds, in fact we looked a lot worse.

The best our midfield has been this season was Olympiacos, the only game Rodri didn’t start. granted they’re a much weaker side and it’s just the one game but I’m convinced Fernandinho or Gundogan in the 6 role sees a dramatic upturn in performances

Rodri isn't the answer to our deficiencies i agree,but at least he can win a challenge and compete in the air.....playing Gundogan gives us almost nothing defensively.

We need a proper DM,not one that can only offer us 50% of what is required.