Who is in your first choice midfield 3?

[Sprayleej3]

Given the current issues it seems like a trio containing a distributor (Rodri, Gundo), a Workhorse (Bernardo, Fernandinho), and a creative (KDB, Bernardo, Phil) would give a nice balance. I think the only league game where the attack looked fluid was wolves with Fern, Rodri, and KDB.

 

[Dirty Harry]

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?

His feet, reflexes/reactions and acceleration are too slow mate, spent ages trying to work that one out and that's my conclusion.

He's a very good player Rodri, there's no doubt about that, just unsuitable for that pivot role imo, what's of concern to me though, is that I remember Pep saying he was looking to evolve the players characteristics in that position, I have to ask why, Fernandinho's style was perfect, you only have to look at what we achieved with him there, he literally re-invented "The Makele " role, so, why change something that wasn't broke ?

 

[Cobwebcat]

Given the current issues it seems like a trio containing a distributor (Rodri, Gundo), a Workhorse (Bernardo, Fernandinho), and a creative (KDB, Bernardo, Phil) would give a nice balance. I think the only league game where the attack looked fluid was wolves with Fern, Rodri, and KDB.

You should have a career as an analyst. The above has been noted a couple of times from analysts using the same criteria and reaching the same conclusion.

The challenge though is to find the new Fernandinho. The same reports suggest Zakaria and Ndidi.

 

[Fame Monster]

Given the current issues it seems like a trio containing a distributor (Rodri, Gundo), a Workhorse (Bernardo, Fernandinho), and a creative (KDB, Bernardo, Phil) would give a nice balance. I think the only league game where the attack looked fluid was wolves with Fern, Rodri, and KDB.

We tried that at Spurs away in the Champions League and Anfield away, playing the Allardyce pivot with Gundo-Fernandinho and we were crap.

 

[Cobwebcat]

We tried that at Spurs away in the Champions League and Anfield away, playing the Allardyce pivot with Gundo-Fernandinho and we were crap.

Vs Spurs KDB was benched

 

[Fame Monster]

Vs Spurs KDB was benched

Yeah but we had a creative in David Silva on.

 

[SamBlue]

The game against Spurs, I would start Gundo - Rodri - Foden.