Our Midfield

[the_georgian_genius]

Have you actually watched City recently?
What those players did last years and what they are doing now are different animal mate.

Or should we go out and resign Tuearet, bell Lee and Summerbee?...They played well some years ago too.

What's that last comment got to do with anything? I put them stats up as you can't be labelled a defesive midfielder if you have scored more than 50 goals in your career, there are some wingers that haven't achieved that!!

Defensive midfielders get nowhere near the goal and when they do it is a one off.

Claude Makelele, Gennaro Gattuso,Javier Mascherano, Marcos Senna and Owen Hargreaves hardly ever get over the 'D' in the opposition's half, they do what a defensive midfielder does and sits and wins the tackles.

Gareth Barry and Patrick Vieria get about, you will never see them standing side by side with Nigel De Jong when we are attacking.

Us playing with 3 defensive midfielders is a HUGE myth.

The only thing negative about Manchester City at the minute is the fans and there is fuck all reason for it.

[john68]

My last comment was as releveant as yours.
Have you actually watched City play recently?
Have you actually seen the defensive shape that we have set up in the last few games?
Have you seen how close our midfield have pushed to our defence?
Have you seen how deep we have pushed back to our own area?

Now tell me again it was a myth.

[Fidel Castro]

Have you actually watched City recently?
What those players did last years and what they are doing now are different animal mate.

Or should we go out and resign Tuearet, bell Lee and Summerbee?...They played well some years ago too.

you don't deserve to be a City fan...

I heard this through the grapevine from Marvin Gaye via georgian_genius, so it must be true cos he is the ultimate City fan!

[the_georgian_genius]

My last comment was as releveant as yours?
Have you actually seen the defensive shape that we have set up in the last few games?
Have you seen how close our midfield have pushed to our defence?
Have you seen how deep we have pushed back to our own area?

Now tell me again it was a myth.

Listen, if you want to class Patrick Vieria an Gareth Barry as defensive midfielders then that's upto you but it is frankly bollocks.

Seeing as you think i don't watch any of the games and obviously you do, can you tell me the last time Nigel De Jong was in the 18 yard box? For so called defensive midfilders Barry and Vieria don't half pop up in the box often.

[Fidel Castro]

The only true fan on here is correct, we have been playing free-flowing attacking football and created 38 chances in our last match. We have not been negative boring twunts at all

[the_georgian_genius]

The only true fan on here is correct, we have been playing free-flowing attacking football and created 38 chances in our last match. We have not been negative boring twunts at all

Once a fucking gain, please tell me where i sad we have been playing free flowing attacking football and created so many chances in our last match?

This will be fun.

[Im_Spartacus]

My last comment was as releveant as yours?
Have you actually seen the defensive shape that we have set up in the last few games?
Have you seen how close our midfield have pushed to our defence?
Have you seen how deep we have pushed back to our own area?

Now tell me again it was a myth.

Listen, if you want to class Patrick Vieria an Gareth Barry as defensive midfielders then that's upto you but it is frankly bollocks.

Seeing as you think i don't watch any of the games and obviously you do, can you tell me the last time Nigel De Jong was in the 18 yard box? For so called defensive midfilders Barry and Vieria don't half pop up in the box often.

Explain Barry then - he gets the ball back to goal, in our half, passes it sideways then moves into a position where he cannot possibly receive it back - always

He scored the other day - and that is the ONLY time I remember him ever being in the box

[Moonchesteri]

Explain Barry then - he gets the ball back to goal, in our half, passes it sideways then moves into a position where he cannot possibly receive it back - always

He scored the other day - and that is the ONLY time I remember him ever being in the box

He does come forward every now and then if I'm mistaken. But he just seems to be always in the wrong place every time because of which his runs go unnoticed.

[LCBblue]

Basically, our midfield fail to dominate a game and until we do, especially away from home, we wont be contenders for cups and definitely not title contenders. (Not that we ever really were this season anyway).

Our midfield should line up as follows in a 4-3-3 formation:

--------------De Jong-----------------

----Ireland-----------Barry-----------

Perhaps if we're away against a decent team, then shift Barry back next to De Jong and have Ireland in his preferred position. Vieria proved against Stoke he is only a squad player. No more than that.

[john68]

I don't think it is as much "our midfield fail to dominate" as much as we seem to treely yield the midfield space and knowingly drop back to a deeper defensive line.
We seem to be content to that and defend our box rather than defend the space further upfield.

[LCBblue]

I don't think it is as much "our midfield fail to dominate" as much as we seem to treely yield the midfield space and knowingly drop back to a deeper defensive line.
We seem to be content to that and defend our box rather than defend the space further upfield.

The text in bold/italic worries me deeply. To be at home against the likes of Stoke and even Bolton where we sat back, and allowed them to have the ball freely in the midfield with rarely a challenge put in on them.

It isn't good enough, look at the well established, "top 4" (or top 3 I should say now...) Arsenal, Chelsea and the red lot from Stretford all dominate the midfield, whether they're away or at home. Our midfield need to do similar, Barry, De Jong and Ireland all have the quality to do so. So let's see them do it!!!

[btajim]

Listen, if you want to class Patrick Vieria an Gareth Barry as defensive midfielders then that's upto you but it is frankly bollocks.

Would you class either Vieira (spell his name right, please) and Barry as attacking midfielders? Neither have played classic roles along the lines of Lampard or Gerrard. What some of the Lads are saying is that Barry and Vieira are playing more defensively minded roles whilst wearing City Shirts - and I make them 100% right. They don't get anywhere near as forwards as they should be IF they're playing as attacking midfielders. The performances are subsequently very boring.