Defensive Midfielder

[brite blu sky]

Agree with Hazy's analysis as long as the CF is a good one able to do that stuff, positioning particularly.

[Mase]

Let me get this right, you’re saying we don’t need a DM because that’s what Kane does? I’m so confused.

Kane would have stopped these counter attacks?

We had Aguero but still needed Fern.

[zuricity]

I don't accept for one minute that Rodri is out of form .
He had a very good game monday night .

[Hazy2]

Let me get this right, you’re saying we don’t need a DM because that’s what Kane does? I’m so confused.

Kane would have stopped these counter attacks?

We had Aguero but still needed Fern.

Different Mase, look at Liverpool if your CF is sloppy loses possession that is the trigger for a CA.The whole Klopp game plan is nick it with 2 in there they target the ball turned over feed the forwards. Aguero amazing but not safe to gamble a run of him emptying the MF. Rodri at times is on his own, if we had say just for argument’s sake Eddie Dias Rodri and Kane all departments are safe as houses. Kane would change us on 2 fronts his goals offer an efficiency we just don’t have that ends plan A for the opposing team he also drops into a 10 like did v us the man is the best in the world at it, put our MF behind him it would be like shelling peas. Haaland likes the ball in front of him Lewdowski like Kane is the point of the attack it is only precision defending that stops him which leaves space for the MF. The holder we employ with less graft. Rodri like Ferna is flogged mate. That’s why Pep wants CF who can play not just score all be it for me crucial for a 9.

[Mase]

Let me get this right, you’re saying we don’t need a DM because that’s what Kane does? I’m so confused.

Kane would have stopped these counter attacks?

We had Aguero but still needed Fern.

Different Mase, look at Liverpool if your CF is sloppy loses possession that is the trigger for a CA.The whole Klopp game plan is nick it with 2 in there they target the ball turned over feed the forwards. Aguero amazing but not safe to gamble a run of him emptying the MF. Rodri at times is on his own, if we had say just for argument’s sake Eddie Dias Rodri and Kane all departments are safe as houses. Kane would change us on 2 fronts his goals offer an efficiency we just don’t have that ends plan A for the opposing team he also drops into a 10 like did v us the man is the best in the world at it, put our MF behind him it would be like shelling peas. Haaland likes the ball in front of him Lewdowski like Kane is the point of the attack it is only precision defending that stops him which leaves space for the MF. The holder we employ with less graft. Rodri like Ferna is flogged mate. That’s why Pep wants CF who can play not just score all be it for me crucial for a 9.

Cheers for explaining. We’re not getting Kane mate. What do we do then?

[Hazy2]

Let me get this right, you’re saying we don’t need a DM because that’s what Kane does? I’m so confused.

Kane would have stopped these counter attacks?

We had Aguero but still needed Fern.

Different Mase, look at Liverpool if your CF is sloppy loses possession that is the trigger for a CA.The whole Klopp game plan is nick it with 2 in there they target the ball turned over feed the forwards. Aguero amazing but not safe to gamble a run of him emptying the MF. Rodri at times is on his own, if we had say just for argument’s sake Eddie Dias Rodri and Kane all departments are safe as houses. Kane would change us on 2 fronts his goals offer an efficiency we just don’t have that ends plan A for the opposing team he also drops into a 10 like did v us the man is the best in the world at it, put our MF behind him it would be like shelling peas. Haaland likes the ball in front of him Lewdowski like Kane is the point of the attack it is only precision defending that stops him which leaves space for the MF. The holder we employ with less graft. Rodri like Ferna is flogged mate. That’s why Pep wants CF who can play not just score all be it for me crucial for a 9.

Cheers for explaining. We’re not getting Kane mate. What do we do then?

Wait until Summer.

[patrickblue]

It seems that a lot on here don't really get what Pep's about with comments about Cancello not being able to defend and Rodri not being a defensive midfielder.
That's not what Pep wants them to do.
Defence in his eyes consists of two centre backs and a goalkeeper. His idea of fullbacks is extra wingers. his idea of a DM is a box to boxer.
In his eyes, everyone is a defender when they need to be,
I'll no doubt get shit for saying it, but I rate Cancello as the best technical player in the side, with Rodri not that far behind.
But judging them in terms of being a full back and a defensive mid is totally missing the point IMO..

[brite blu sky]

It seems that a lot on here don't really get what Pep's about with comments about Cancello not being able to defend and Rodri not being a defensive midfielder.
That's not what Pep wants them to do.
Defence in his eyes consists of two centre backs and a goalkeeper. His idea of fullbacks is extra wingers. his idea of a DM is a box to boxer.
In his eyes, everyone is a defender when they need to be,
I'll no doubt get shit for saying it, but I rate Cancello as the best technical player in the side, with Rodri not that far behind.
But judging them in terms of being a full back and a defensive mid is totally missing the point IMO..

I get it. i'm not necesarily 100% convinced by Pep's style, it comes with shortfalls and there will always be games like Palace.

But you're right, his teams and players cannot be judged in the trad sense, cos they don't operate in the trad sense. Pep is all or nothing, we play one way and that's it (give or take a tiny bit). So if it doesn't work we are fucked and it comes with risk factors like 'defenders' who are not the best defendrs in the world.

When it is super slick it is like a titanium machine and fascinating to watch, but then when a part is not completely perfect you notice it like a handmade wooden cog.

[Nigels Tackle]

push ederson further up the park?

[salford city]

Some good análisis in here that correctly identifies the DM position in our system as a thankless task.
Stopping counters against us is the aim in the main but the DM also needs to be able to link defence to attack quickly. Rodri does the link part but is not too hot on the stopping counters. Technically, I'd say he was better than Rice but I think Rice is more politically aware and would suit our system better. Stick Haaland in front of Rice and we would be setting records for fun.
Sort it out Spafia

[sheblue]

I would love Rice, but reckon he's of to the Rags.

[Dimples]

It seems that a lot on here don't really get what Pep's about with comments about Cancello not being able to defend and Rodri not being a defensive midfielder.
That's not what Pep wants them to do.
Defence in his eyes consists of two centre backs and a goalkeeper. His idea of fullbacks is extra wingers. his idea of a DM is a box to boxer.
In his eyes, everyone is a defender when they need to be,
I'll no doubt get shit for saying it, but I rate Cancello as the best technical player in the side, with Rodri not that far behind.
But judging them in terms of being a full back and a defensive mid is totally missing the point IMO..

I get it. i'm not necesarily 100% convinced by Pep's style, it comes with shortfalls and there will always be games like Palace.

But you're right, his teams and players cannot be judged in the trad sense, cos they don't operate in the trad sense. Pep is all or nothing, we play one way and that's it (give or take a tiny bit). So if it doesn't work we are fucked and it comes with risk factors like 'defenders' who are not the best defendrs in the world.

When it is super slick it is like a titanium machine and fascinating to watch, but then when a part is not completely perfect you notice it like a handmade wooden cog.

Pep is an innovator. The normal rules do not apply i.e. LB, DM, etc...
Rodri has had an excellent season IMO.
I say it again, our issue this season is clinical finishing. If we had bought a clinical CF in the Summer we would have the PL wrapped up at this point.

What other manager could do what we have done over the past two seasons without a CF? None IMO.
Rodri is not the problem. Kun getting old and not being replaced is the issue.

[Mase]

Fern got a lot of praise and was considered one of the best in the world at what he did. I don’t follow the notion that position is a thankless. We’ve just been spoiled with him.

[stupot]

Fern got a lot of praise and was considered one of the best in the world at what he did. I don’t follow the notion that position is a thankless. We’ve just been spoiled with him.

Totally agree with this, Fern was the best by a mile for me. He could tackle, was good in the air and his passing is brilliant. Rodri has improved a lot this season but he's not in that league. Rice is and will only get better as he's still really young.

[PeterParker]

Fern got a lot of praise and was considered one of the best in the world at what he did. I don’t follow the notion that position is a thankless. We’ve just been spoiled with him.

Totally agree with this, Fern was the best by a mile for me. He could tackle, was good in the air and his passing is brilliant. Rodri has improved a lot this season but he's not in that league. Rice is and will only get better as he's still really young.

Fern, IMHO, is very underrated. He is one of the best defensive mids the Premier League ever saw. I think Paddy V and Makelele were a bit better than him, but he was a monster.
Not just what you mentioned, but also a dirty fucker when needed. I recall he is the only player that elbowed that cunt Costa, or how he provoked Tia Maria vs PSG in the semi.

Very smart player.
But as mentioned, the biggest difference between Rodri & Fern is that Dinho did some tactical faults that brought us a lot of points, something that Rodri is still missing.

[CTID Hants]

Fernandinho quality is undisputed, unlucky for us age got the better of him and tbf age took a while to catch him up!!

Sorry Mase pls don't shoot the messanger......

https://www.mcfcreport.com/post/reports ... eplacement

[Mase]

Fernandinho quality is undisputed, unlucky for us age got the better of him and tbf age took a while to catch him up!!

Sorry Mase pls don't shoot the messanger......

https://www.mcfcreport.com/post/reports ... eplacement

I like Rodri and I feel like he’d do well in a Gundo type role. But similar to Gundo I don’t think that is DM.

I genuinely thought this Lavia kid we brought in was Fern’s long term replacement.

[blues2win]

We’re not going to get Rice and Haaland in the same window. Haaland is the complete focus.

[Mase]

We’re not going to get Rice and Haaland in the same window. Haaland is the complete focus.

Haaland is €65m. We’ve sold Torres since last summer which comes close to covering that fee.

Why couldn’t we get both in the same window?

[CTID Hants]

Fernandinho quality is undisputed, unlucky for us age got the better of him and tbf age took a while to catch him up!!

Sorry Mase pls don't shoot the messanger......

https://www.mcfcreport.com/post/reports ... eplacement

I like Rodri and I feel like he’d do well in a Gundo type role. But similar to Gundo I don’t think that is DM.

I genuinely thought this Lavia kid we brought in was Fern’s long term replacement.

There in lies the issue with Lavia, DM is a very responsible position.

Top DMs to start flourishing around 23-24 sometimes layer than that.

Lavia, not that I know much about him is still only 18 putting in that role in one of the best teams in the best league in the world could suck the sole out of him. Its not Phil where he has been given the chance to make an impact but if he doesn't there is less chance of us conceding goals.

DM has one primary job to protect the defence behind him. That is a big ask for an 18 Yr old when we are still fighting 3 fronts.

We can only for a ground running top DM after we have bought a striker.

So if we bag Haaland before the season has ended then fill your boots we can look DM and anything else we need sorting.

There are probably only 2 other teams in the prem where Rodri wouldn't be a starter as DM I reckon