Midfield - two trains of thought

A subject that has been discussed many times on here and with my son, who just happens to have an opposite viewpoint to my own. No surprise there !

Being 2 midfielders down on last year - Bryson and Grujic, I think it is essential, nay critical that these positions are filled with quality Premiership-hardened players before the season starts. Gosling and Arter have been mentioned and these players would fit the bill perfectly.

The counterpoint to this argument and one I don't subscribe to is that by bypassing midfield playing more direct football, why waste good money on midfielders who would struggle to see much of the ball.

I think that although this style of football may give us a modicum of success in some games, we surely can't rely on it to acquire the number of points required for safety.

NW is a canny old so and so and I don't for one minute think that he would be so blinkered as to believe that what succeeded last season would suffice this.

I would imagine he wants to combine a fast, aggressive style of play with much better ball retention this time around, which brings me back to those all important missing midfielders.....

I totally concur, Plan A) bypass midfield and lump it long QUICKLY up to Zohore/Madine with Reid latching onto the second balls.
Plan B) Play a HOLDING midfielder allowing Ralls the freedom to find wingers to break at pace.
Either way, it's gonna be pretty much surrendering possession and playing counter attacking football, carbon copy of last season.
Main difference this season is with the acquisition of Reid and Murphy there's pace to burn and hopefully more of an attacking threat.
NW is a very astute manager and his backroom staff are pretty savvy. I think they will adapt defensive tactics to best nullify the particular opposition, but offensively the die has been cast.
That's why the signings have been as they have, it's all about pace.
IMO,there won't be any more than one midfielder (holding DMF) signed, but that signing could be the key to the season.

I think there might be two midfielders coming in...we are too light there a couple of injuries or a suspension and we will be in trouble... it will be interesting over the next week to see what happens....if those going out do go then i see three coming in

We are three down on last season if you include Halford.

As a minimum we would need as good or as strong as last year if not better.

NW and the club know this so I would expect 4/5 players lined up as a minimum inc a striker.

is that you Mo?

3 down, halford.

I totally concur, Plan A) bypass midfield and lump it long QUICKLY up to Zohore/Madine with Reid latching onto the second balls.
Plan B) Play a HOLDING midfielder allowing Ralls the freedom to find wingers to break at pace.
Either way, it's gonna be pretty much surrendering possession and playing counter attacking football, carbon copy of last season.
Main difference this season is with the acquisition of Reid and Murphy there's pace to burn and hopefully more of an attacking threat.
NW is a very astute manager and his backroom staff are pretty savvy. I think they will adapt defensive tactics to best nullify the particular opposition, but offensively the die has been cast.
That's why the signings have been as they have, it's all about pace.
IMO,there won't be any more than one midfielder (holding DMF) signed, but that signing could be the key to the season.

Totally agree our possession stats next season are going to be abysmal

However, like you say we have got extreme pace up front which is going to cause every defence problems

What Warnock and his management team have got to do is make sure our midfield gets the ball to the them quick enough and often enough, we need at least one maybe 2 more central midfielders I think we all agree on that

Personally I think Ralls will flurish with the right player beside him (I would love to get Ampadu on loan but that’s not going to happen) and I think Gunner will be a decent back up option when required

Lump it forward to Madine, can’t wait

Maybe deals are in place for loan signings also this week is when world cup players come back

Lump it forward to Madine, can’t wait

The likes of Man City, Liverpool, Spurs &, United must be shitting themselves

Lump it forward to Madine, can’t wait

The likes of Man City, Liverpool, Spurs &, United must be shitting themselves

But they aren’t our rivals in the Premier League. It’s those down the bottom that are our rivals.

No matter how we play midfield is crucial even if we are lumping it forward we still need the midfield to keep pressing and closing down otherwise we will get run ragged.

You have to have a plan B in the Premiership.

The more creativity you have in a team the better chances of winning games. Every team will work Cardiff out in that you mark out Hoilett & Murphy and we are unlikely to score many goals. We may be totally dependent on set pieces.

Pointless being a one dimensional team that all of your opposition will work out.

You have to have a plan B in the Premiership.

The more creativity you have in a team the better chances of winning games. Every team will work Cardiff out in that you mark out Hoilett & Murphy and we are unlikely to score many goals. We may be totally dependent on set pieces.

Pointless being a one dimensional team that all of your opposition will work out.

That was certainly our problem under Malky but I think the signings of Reid and Murphy show that NW is going to have more than just plan A.

You have to have a plan B in the Premiership.

The more creativity you have in a team the better chances of winning games. Every team will work Cardiff out in that you mark out Hoilett & Murphy and we are unlikely to score many goals. We may be totally dependent on set pieces.

Pointless being a one dimensional team that all of your opposition will work out.

That was certainly our problem under Malky but I think the signings of Reid and Murphy show that NW is going to have more than just plan A.

Reid definitely adds something but I would like to see a creative midfielder signed up who can put a ball on a sixpence/through ball like Whitts. Unfortunately I don’t think Ralls can do that at the moment.

A player like Aaron Mooy of Huddersfield would fit the bill perfectly. A fine player and how I wish we could find a gem like that. He even impressed at the World Cup in an otherwise average team. We can dream !

I can't remember the last time we had a midfielder with a wow factor. Whitts was great at what he did but there was no dynamism to his game, especially later on in his time with us. Ian Gibson had it, so did Gary O'Neill and Jason Koumas. After that I'm really struggling.

A player like Aaron Mooy of Huddersfield would fit the bill perfectly. A fine player and how I wish we could find a gem like that. He even impressed at the World Cup in an otherwise average team. We can dream !

I can't remember the last time we had a midfielder with a wow factor. Whitts was great at what he did but there was no dynamism to his game, especially later on in his time with us. Ian Gibson had it, so did Gary O'Neill and Jason Koumas. After that I'm really struggling.

Agree about Whitts. I mean a Whitts type player ( I.e. has the passing ability) but a more of an energetic terrier in the middle of the park.

A player like Aaron Mooy of Huddersfield would fit the bill perfectly. A fine player and how I wish we could find a gem like that. He even impressed at the World Cup in an otherwise average team. We can dream !

I can't remember the last time we had a midfielder with a wow factor. Whitts was great at what he did but there was no dynamism to his game, especially later on in his time with us. Ian Gibson had it, so did Gary O'Neill and Jason Koumas. After that I'm really struggling.

Aaron Ramsey?

A player like Aaron Mooy of Huddersfield would fit the bill perfectly. A fine player and how I wish we could find a gem like that. He even impressed at the World Cup in an otherwise average team. We can dream !

I can't remember the last time we had a midfielder with a wow factor. Whitts was great at what he did but there was no dynamism to his game, especially later on in his time with us. Ian Gibson had it, so did Gary O'Neill and Jason Koumas. After that I'm really struggling.

Aaron Ramsey?

yep thats the sort of player that gets described on here day after day ,boy it would be nice, but in the real world we aint spending that sort of money..

Kimble it is Mo, who are you?

A player like Aaron Mooy of Huddersfield would fit the bill perfectly. A fine player and how I wish we could find a gem like that. He even impressed at the World Cup in an otherwise average team. We can dream !

I can't remember the last time we had a midfielder with a wow factor. Whitts was great at what he did but there was no dynamism to his game, especially later on in his time with us. Ian Gibson had it, so did Gary O'Neill and Jason Koumas. After that I'm really struggling.

Aaron Ramsey?

yep thats the sort of player that gets described on here day after day ,boy it would be nice, but in the real world we aint spending that sort of money..

Most definitely not.

That was my answer to midfielders who had the wow factor.

A player like Aaron Mooy of Huddersfield would fit the bill perfectly. A fine player and how I wish we could find a gem like that. He even impressed at the World Cup in an otherwise average team. We can dream !

I can't remember the last time we had a midfielder with a wow factor. Whitts was great at what he did but there was no dynamism to his game, especially later on in his time with us. Ian Gibson had it, so did Gary O'Neill and Jason Koumas. After that I'm really struggling.

Aaron Ramsey?

Wasn't he the guy with the bleach blonde hair at the Euros ?!

A player like Aaron Mooy of Huddersfield would fit the bill perfectly. A fine player and how I wish we could find a gem like that. He even impressed at the World Cup in an otherwise average team. We can dream !

I can't remember the last time we had a midfielder with a wow factor. Whitts was great at what he did but there was no dynamism to his game, especially later on in his time with us. Ian Gibson had it, so did Gary O'Neill and Jason Koumas. After that I'm really struggling.

Aaron Ramsey?

Wasn't he the guy with the bleach blonde hair at the Euros ?!

Our best player? Yep he was.

Just a minor oversight on my part but in my defence, he was an unproven kid when he signed for Arsenal and recovering from injury during his loan period with us.

Just a minor oversight on my part but in my defence, he was an unproven kid when he signed for Arsenal and recovering from injury during his loan period with us.

Fair enough.

I remember him playing right midfield most often for us and he would glide past players like they weren’t there. Koumas was top class for us. Why didn’t he make in the Prem I wonder.

Koumas probably needed guidance from the right manager, as he had the technique to make it to the very top. Maybe his attitude wasn't spot on, who knows ?