The Mail Bag
Central Midfield
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I wonder why are we constantly being linked with central midfielders when it's plain to see that out wide is where our problems lie?
Personally, my prefered central midfield partnership is Mikel Atreta and Tim Cahill with Marouane Fellaini playing just in front of them behind the striker. That leaves us Leon Osman and Jack Rodwell as back up.
However out wide we only have Steven Pieenaar and Dan Gosling and the latter is not yet ready to be a regular starter. So we need a decent back-up left winger plus another winger to come into the first team, it doesn't really matter which side as Pienaar looks comfortable on either side.
Karl Graham, Posted 20/06/2009 at 06:59:48
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Let's hope Moyesy is not thinking of reverting Arteta back to the wing.
With regards to the flanks, I think Pienaar has something good with Baines on the left, we need something similar on the right, and we are atleast two signings away from this as we need a right-sided ’Baines’ and an out-and-out right winger.
Interesting to see us linked with Miguel and Naughton recently as both would offer something different at right full-back, but as for this elusive right-winger, I have no idea who he could potentially be.
There has been a lot said recently about Mbia but to be honest I am put off by the fact he is a part of the African contingent who would be leaving us for the ACoN. For a potentially pivotal signing, ie someone who will sit and stifle opposition attacks infront of the defence, i’d rather have someone who is going to stick around for the majority of the season, Cana would be my preference.
In the first place, you say that we need a powerful central midfield player, and that Cahill/Fellaini/Arteta is not good enough. In that case if they are not good enough, I don?t really see what we can do about it given our limited transfer funds. I think each of them is worth at the very least 12 million pounds. Anyone we got as a replacement would almost necessarily be inferior.
Possible injuries notwithstanding, I feel that the better approach to building our squad would surely be to ensure that we have at least one player whom we trust entirely for every position before we start trying to bring in players who would be better than our current stars.
On another note, if we do invest heavily in a midfield enforcer, I wonder what role Neville would have? Do we want the captain to not be commanding a place in the XI or do we then play him at right back?
Keep Arteta happy, keep him central.
1/ He’s looking for a club ,esp with the world cup next year and we would offer regular 1st team football
2/ He’s still decent enough to improve the team.
3/ The marketing revenue would pay his wages.
4/ He would raise Evertons profile not just at home but worldwide.
He is the one player in the world who could put us in the realms of the "top 4" i read a lot posts reguarding our media coverage and it certainly appears that we are not fashionable or media darlings and it does piss me off that even when playing decent opposition we get 5mins at the end of MOTD whereas Manure playing Bolton will be the featured game ,Beckham could change that overnight, and as i pointed out before as a player he would improve our team, so come on Davey boy sign him up £120k a week [ we would make that back in shirt sales and a full house every home game ] he could be our Cantona
Anyway, I have say I think we have a fairly solid central midfield (although lacking depth) but this is no good at all if we are very lopsided and time and again get our ass kicked down the right. We were found out against Chelsea and it won't take long for other teams to follow suit (Villa last season).
I would love to see Moyes bring in M?bia and Moutinho if we had also already strengthened our right hand side with a good pacey winger a?la Kanchelskis.
We have a few excellent midfielders: Arteta, Cahill, Pienaar and Fellaini with a couple of good young lads who look to have what it takes in Rodwell and Gosling (provided they carry on developing). The problem is that all these players, bar Gosling are central midfielders.
I know Pienaar plays very well wide right or left but his best position is central. Watch him control the game from the middle and then think with Arteta there as well how great that would be.
I don?t have the answers, I wish I had the money to bank roll a massive spending spree but alas the wedding has stripped away what little I had. I do know a man who tends to have the answers though. He has proved my knowledge wrong on a fair few occasions and he is called David Moyes.
I?m sure that he will once again pull a rabbit or two out of the hat and we will, with a bit of luck, smash through the all important glass ceiling. If not, we will give it a bloody good go because, if this season gone has taught us nothing else, it's shown we should never doubt that a small group of committed players can change the world ? in fact, that?s the only way it's ever been done! COYB
In my view, DM will be preparing to battle off possible rivals for fifth place, as well as expanding the squad to cope with, hopefully, many more games next season.
Only one of them has tried to break his leg so far ? someone called Riera.
I still think we need another keeper. I watched the highlights of USA vs Brazil and honest, Timmy made one great save and two howlers!!
Steven was a cut above - and I don’t think the Spanish players were saying ’swap shirts’ at the end, I think they were saying ’talk to my agent’. Whatever it was, Steven was saying no.
A: Lazy journos
I’ve also been watching the US games...poor Tim has been left out to dry by his shitty defenders. However I was pretty impressed by that guy we were linked with last summer (or was it January?...I can’t remember) Michael Bradley. He’s got a good eye for forward passes and a good tackle. And their forward Jozy Altidore...he’s only 19 and plays for Villareal. He’s strong, he’s fast, and he’s got a decent goalscoring record.
Personally, my prefered central midfield partnership is Mikel Atreta and Tim Cahill with Marouane Fellaini playing just in front of them behind the striker. That leaves us Leon Osman and Jack Rodwell as back up.
However out wide we only have Steven Pieenaar and Dan Gosling and the latter is not yet ready to be a regular starter. So we need a decent back-up left winger plus another winger to come into the first team, it doesn't really matter which side as Pienaar looks comfortable on either side.
Secondly, many correspondents have referred to the African Cup of Nations and Pienaar's participation therein: South Africa has not qualified for this competition, therefore Pienaar will not be absent in Jan/Feb 2010.
Your second point has been cited by many, but them as cannot type are bested only by them as cannot read! ... Just Kidding! Don?t take offence now, please!
We are linked with everyone, the agents are now getting in on the act using us to try and get interest in their players.
On a side point, I am unsure why so many sites/forums are so obsessed with spelling mistakes, if you can understand what the poster meant, what?s the issue? We are not here studying A-Levels, we are here discussing football, which you don?t need to have a masters to do. It?s a strange one!
We play three in central midfield ? one holder, one playmaker and one attacking midfielder to support the striker. Mikel Arteta is our playmaker; Cahill is our attacker, Osman is our back-up to Arteta and Fellaini should be our back-up to Cahill.As for the holder, we have Rodwell.
The only central midfielder we need is another holder as Rodwell is so young (Neville should be full back). I?d sign Delph from Leeds or M'Bia.
Our priority has to be the wings, especially right wing. We need someone in the mode of Aaron Lennon ? fast and a threat. Off the top of my head, the potential targets I can list are: Jonas Guiteriez, Lennon, and Johnson from Boro.
I agree with Delph and M?Bia as they are achievable and are better options than what we currently have, but seriously ? Guiteriez over Beckham? Get real.
Any chance (since we?re on the subject of CMs) that we can finally secure the signature of Fernandes at a major discount? :)
Would be good to see Manny back for good!
A quality combative yet skilfull player to create play alongside Arteta has been a must for several years... Moyes thought he?d bought Fellaini for that position ? but that didn?t exactly go to plan.
Interesting to see that Pienaar is enjoying his attacking central midfield role for his country... we now have at least four first teamers (which is a bit contradictory as there?s only one position) whose most effective position is behind the striker. Get the quality central player followed by a quality right winger and we could really make strides.
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1 Posted 20/06/2009 at 15:31:22
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