We need more craft and creativity in midfield

[trifficTotnum]

It is obvious aren't going to replace our 'Xavi' ie: Modric anytime soon but we need more creativity and craft in midfield. You look at our midfielders and they don't fit the archetype of the player you need to play fast, free flowing and attacking football.

Modric was a maestro , he had the ability to pick short and long range passes. His passes were such that it founded spaces and allowed us to keep posession. We looked at our current players, None of them possesses these attributes.
Capoue and Sandro are defensive midfielders, who are more renown for their defensive work. Paulinho is utilized by Brazil as a box to box/Defensive midfielder. While Fernandinho is their creative player. Dembele, the jack of all trades can do a bit of everything. But he is more renown for his dribbling into the box (often with poor end product) than for passing ability.

On the outskirts we have Holtby,Carroll and Livermore. I'd say Carroll is the mould of player we need in midfield but is he ready?.
I reckon once we get this sorted in midfield the quality of football will increase dramatically and we will unlock the potential of our attacking midfielders.

 

[Doom Funk]

It is obvious aren't going to replace our 'Xavi' ie: Modric anytime soon but we need more creativity and craft in midfield. You look at our midfielders and they don't fit the archetype of the player you need to play fast, free flowing and attacking football.

Modric was a maestro , he had the ability to pick short and long range passes. His passes were such that it founded spaces and allowed us to keep posession. We looked at our current players, None of them possesses these attributes.
Capoue and Sandro are defensive midfielders, who are more renown for their defensive work. Paulinho is utilized by Brazil as a box to box/Defensive midfielder. While Fernandinho is their creative player. Dembele, the jack of all trades can do a bit of everything. But he is more renown for his dribbling into the box (often with poor end product) than for passing ability.

On the outskirts we have Holtby,Carroll and Livermore. I'd say Carroll is the mould of player we need in midfield but is he ready?.
I reckon once we get this sorted in midfield the quality of football will increase dramatically and we will unlock the potential of our attacking midfielders.

Agree with what you are saying. Do you really think we are going to be competent enough in the transfer market to solve these problems though? We seem to buy players without considering how they would fit in with our squad and how we want to play.

 

[CJJ]

We've got a player from Denmark too....

Holtby has created plenty of chances at Fulham also. Add into a correctly utilised Bentaleb.

Coaching and tactics are easier to fix (and are blatantly at fault for stifling creativity) more than players.

Definitely need to offload though, too many similar players or indeed some with questionable input

 

[Anthony Beale]

No, we need to get the best out of the players we've got.

 

[Éperons]

Paulinho is utilized by Brazil as a box to box/Defensive midfielder. While Fernandinho is their creative player.

I wouldn't say that that is at all true. In the Confederations Cup (the only competitive matches Brazil has played in years), Paulinho and Fernandinho were never on the pitch at the same time. Luiz Gustavo was the DM, playing behind Paulinho and Oscar, for the most part.

 

[Hegarz]

Have we signed Moutinho yet?

 

[Tucker]

Have we signed Moutinho yet?

It would be a huge mistake if we didn't break the bank for him.

 

[gibbs131]

It is obvious aren't going to replace our 'Xavi' ie: Modric anytime soon but we need more creativity and craft in midfield. You look at our midfielders and they don't fit the archetype of the player you need to play fast, free flowing and attacking football.

Modric was a maestro , he had the ability to pick short and long range passes. His passes were such that it founded spaces and allowed us to keep posession. We looked at our current players, None of them possesses these attributes.
Capoue and Sandro are defensive midfielders, who are more renown for their defensive work. Paulinho is utilized by Brazil as a box to box/Defensive midfielder. While Fernandinho is their creative player. Dembele, the jack of all trades can do a bit of everything. But he is more renown for his dribbling into the box (often with poor end product) than for passing ability.

On the outskirts we have Holtby,Carroll and Livermore. I'd say Carroll is the mould of player we need in midfield but is he ready?.
I reckon once we get this sorted in midfield the quality of football will increase dramatically and we will unlock the potential of our attacking midfielders.

We are getting more points without Modric with 2 terrible managers.

It's almost like we are being trolled by managers. We have all the tools we need, we just have a tool in charge.

If you want empty passing stats, Dembeles passing accuracy is comparable to Modrics. I got sinbinned recently when I would not respond to posts, only post historically correct information. EG when people said his poor form at Madrid that got him voted worst signing was only for 3 months, I posted interviews he gave in march (6 months) apologizing for his poor form. When people say Modric assisted the assist, I provided vids of all goals scored by Tottenham in the prem and Modric was hardly involved in them. He was our creative lynchpin but his true worth to goal buildup is a myth, but he's much prettier to watch (not literally) so he gets a pass (sic).

There is life after Modders. Bale found that out when Modrat left and he doubled his goal tally. At least Eriksen can finish, create and help with set pieces.

 

[AtoubaMagic]

How do you replace Modric?!?! I wish I could hate that little fucker but I can't!

I would absolutely love to see a Holtby/Erickson/Sandro midfield. But then what about Carrol, Livermore, Siggy, Capoue, Dembele, Chadli, Bentelab? We are Bulging!

I agree entirely with the sentiments of the OP but I think the answer is in the list above. It may never be as good as Modric or to a lesser extent Carrick before him but it is there. What we don't have is a left side!

 

[cahspur]

So pleased to see people coming to such a realization (in response to OP).

Agree with what you are saying. Do you really think we are going to be competent enough in the transfer market to solve these problems though? We seem to buy players without considering how they would fit in with our squad and how we want to play.

I absolutely agree that we have not considered how players would fit into our squad and how we want to play. Absolutely and wholeheartedly agree. But I think we can rectify this in the near future, and that's why Broomfield was brought back. I have great hopes for this summer. These hopes do not include a vast overhaul, but essentially more prudent assessment of potential options. With such a senseful and judicious mantra for the window, I think we can acquire the lone addition we need in the central midfield and the immediately impactful left winger we need to get back to more efficient attacking and better defending through more effective possession.

 

[NorseYid]

We don't need new midfielders.

We just need to play the proper midfielders in their proper positions.

E.g. midfield 3 of Paulinho - Eriksen - Sandro behind a forward 3.

Not overly complicated.

 

[cahspur]

We don't need new midfielders.

We just need to play the proper midfielders in their proper positions.

E.g. midfield 3 of Paulinho - Eriksen - Sandro behind a forward 3.

Not overly complicated.

I sincerely hope you are correct, but as of now that combination looks concerning. I hope Sandro comes to fully recover from his knee injury. I hate he won't make the WC in his homeland, but a summer of focused therapy and rest will do him a world of good. I've made my stance perfectly clear on Paulinho, and yesterday he went out of his way to help out my case.

 

[NorseYid]

I sincerely hope you are correct, but as of now that combination looks concerning. I hope Sandro comes to fully recover from his knee injury. I hate he won't make the WC in his homeland, but a summer of focused therapy and rest will do him a world of good. I've made my stance perfectly clear on Paulinho, and yesterday he went out of his way to help out my case.

tbh Paulinho is the weakest link of that lot. No reason whatsoever that a fit Dembele wouldn't overtake him, really. So, yeah.

Either way this team should rightly be built around Eriksen. I doubted him, oh so very much. But he has taken the step up. This means not playing him on the left of a hugely dysfunctional 4-4-2 with strikers all over the place and a central midfield not knowing when to do what.

4-3-3. Three forwards, one conventional in the middle, two intelligent ones outside. 3 in midfield, headed by Eriksen in a mobile role. Traditional back 4 with quick, technical stoppers (hello Jan & Youness) and Walker along with a proper left back outside. And Hugo. So very much Hugo. That's it for me, really.

 

[cahspur]

tbh Paulinho is the weakest link of that lot. No reason whatsoever that a fit Dembele wouldn't overtake him, really. So, yeah.

Either way this team should rightly be built around Eriksen. I doubted him, oh so very much. But he has taken the step up. This means not playing him on the left of a hugely dysfunctional 4-4-2 with strikers all over the place and a central midfield not knowing when to do what.

4-3-3. Three forwards, one conventional in the middle, two intelligent ones outside. 3 in midfield, headed by Eriksen in a mobile role. Traditional back 4 with quick, technical stoppers (hello Jan & Youness) and Walker along with a proper left back outside. And Hugo. So very much Hugo. That's it for me, really.

Absolutely agreed. I don't particularly care how the wingers/forwards/striker are aligned as it's all intended to be dynamic and flowing anyway, but I'm a strong believer in a three-man central midfield. With the pace and movement of the modern game that has moved to be almost identical with a Total Voetbol standpoint, a three-man central midfield is a necessary requirement IMO in order to succeed.

 

[NorseYid]

Absolutely agreed. I don't particular care how the wingers/forwards/striker are aligned as it's all intended to be dynamic and flowing anyway, but I'm a strong believer in a three-man central midfield. With the pace and movement of the modern game that has moved to almost identical with a Total Voetbol standpoint, a three-man central midfield is a necessary requirement IMO in order to succeed.

Agreed.

It corresponds to the demands of sudden changes from deep holding positions => multiple stations for recieving first time passes to negate opposition pressure => multiple runners making it forward => having enough bodies to establish quick pressure when team loses ball.

Personally I don't consider it defensive, not nearly.

 

[cahspur]

Agreed.

It corresponds to the demands of sudden changes from deep holding positions => multiple stations for recieving first time passes to negate opposition pressure => multiple runners making it forward => having enough bodies to establish quick pressure when team loses ball.

Personally I don't consider it defensive, not nearly.

Indeed, it isn't more defensive. It is merely an appropriate adaptation to the modern game and the sheer stupendous fitness of the modern footballer.

 

[Spurs1985]

I'd love to see a midfield three off...dembele(dm), Paulinho(boxtobox) and eriksen(playmaker.

 

[VirginiaSpur]

 

[Lister]

We don't need new midfielders.

We just need to play the proper midfielders in their proper positions.

E.g. midfield 3 of Paulinho - Eriksen - Sandro behind a forward 3.

Not overly complicated.

Pretty much exactly what I was going to put. I think we have more than enough talent to have a very exciting team, it just needs to be utilised properly.

I think that would be my first choice midfield, and Im happy to consider Capoue/Dembele/Holtby as able to come in and replace Sandro/Paulinho/Eriksen as well. Its very complimentary.

 

[DarthVader]

We don't need new midfielders.

We just need to play the proper midfielders in their proper positions.

E.g. midfield 3 of Paulinho - Eriksen - Sandro behind a forward 3.

Not overly complicated.

Yeah, I agree with this. Hopefully next season Paulinho is in better form and hopefully we bring in a manager with an actual vision of how we should play rather than winging it as we have done under Sherwood.

But if there are any midfielders that are better than Paulinho, Eriksen and Sandro on the market in the summer (and I'm sure there will be), it would be nice if we tried to sign them and improve our squad (which we haven't really done over the last two summers).