The Midfield Three

[IrishVilla10]

If Luiz is sold we need two midfielders, we cannot line up with Mcginn in the midfield next season. Even with Bissouma or anyone else we sign 

[Delphinho123]

It’s been 14 months since this thread started. 

F*** me, we’re poor in midfield. At least two central midfielders needed in the Summer (was the same last Summer).

[AV82]

John McGinn is the problem. Play him at #10 or don't play him at all.

[MaVilla]

1 minute ago, AV82 said:

John McGinn is the problem. Play him at #10 or don't play him at all.

he isnt good enough to be a 10 (in anything above mid table).

He just isnt good enough, unless its in a low possession, on the break, direct type of team.

Edited May 15, 2022 by MaVilla

[MaVilla]

2 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

It’s been 14 months since this thread started. 

F*** me, we’re poor in midfield. At least two central midfielders needed in the Summer (was the same last Summer).

i find it honestly mind boggling, how we have had this clear and obvious issue for so long, and we never solve it, its like self harm.

I agree we need two top level midfielders in the summer.

For me, Ramsey is the only one of our senior midfielders who i see as being part of a midfield progressing us up the league.

Namakba, Luiz, McGinn.......not good enough, at all.

[Guest av1]

3 minutes ago, AV82 said:

John McGinn is the problem. Play him at #10 or don't play him at all.

I’ve said it for ages, we will never keep the ball with McGinn in the side. 

[DCJonah]

Nakamba shouldn't start a game ever again. 

[VillaChris]

Think McGinn will still be starting majority of games next season tbh.

Obviously with Sanson and Luiz going we need two new midfielders.

I'd still like to see Buendia get a run in the middle trio but don't think this manager thinks he's capable in there.

[Delphinho123]

6 minutes ago, MaVilla said:

i find it honestly mind boggling, how we have had this clear and obvious issue for so long, and we never solve it, its like self harm.

I agree we need two top level midfielders in the summer.

For me, Ramsey is the only one of our senior midfielders who i see as being part of a midfield progressing us up the league.

Namakba, Luiz, McGinn.......not good enough, at all.

This. 

This idea that Luiz is the new 8 we need is also baffling. He might be more of an 8 than a 6, but he still isn’t good enough. 

We need to build around Ramsey, Buendia and Coutinho next season. 

[Delphinho123]

5 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

Think McGinn will still be starting majority of games next season tbh.

Obviously with Sanson and Luiz going we need two new midfielders.

I'd still like to see Buendia get a run in the middle trio but don't think this manager thinks he's capable in there.

That’s not where he does his best work. If we have a competent midfield 3, don’t worry about Buendia and Coutinho, they’ll be just fine. 

Two new defensive midfielders needed. 

[rbcuk]

Nakamba can’t pass a ball and McGinn can’t keep the ball, we need to get rid of these 2 replace with kamara and move Luiz in his better number 8 position, the amount of times today McGinn was near enough holding digne’s hand in the 1st half leaving so much space where he should have been

[Spoony]

I don’t care if all we do this summer is sort the midfield out, but sort the bloody midfield out pleeeeeease

[VillanousOne]

I would rather see Tim and Carney play than watch that midfield in the final games.

Nakamba was the worst I have seen him today, McGinn and Luiz weren't far off, how Sanson and Buendia is not getting game time is baffling, I know any plea for Sanson to play is utterly pointless as Gerrard has already decided he wants to sell him.

[useless]

When you look at it since promotion we haven't spent much money on the midfield, and Luiz is the only real regular started we've signed, McGinn was already with us before promotion, and Ramsey came through the academy.

Could say similar about the central defence.

[Made In Aston]

If we want to get the best out of Coutinho we need Ramsey in the midfield three. He seems like the only one of our midfielders who is on a similar wavelength to Phil. 

[Made In Aston]

We need two midfielders who can tackle, pass and retain possession under pressure. Ramsey would make up the midfield three then play Buendia, Coutinho and Watkins/new ST. 

[Sulberto21]

1 hour ago, Delphinho123 said:

This. 

This idea that Luiz is the new 8 we need is also baffling. He might be more of an 8 than a 6, but he still isn’t good enough. 

We need to build around Ramsey, Buendia and Coutinho next season. 

90% possession, 2 key passes (2nd highest), 100% crossing accuracy, Douglas Luiz is not the problem.

[Delphinho123]

3 minutes ago, Sulberto21 said:

90% possession, 2 key passes (2nd highest), 100% crossing accuracy, Douglas Luiz is not the problem.

He’s not the answer either. We’re not progressing with Luiz as a 6 or an 8. He’s a decent player, that’s it. 

[Hank Scorpio]

This is the reason we are failing. McGinn, Luiz, Nakamba, are all not the level needed.

So we need to replace them, but getting money for them and having money to replace them is another matter.

They cannot retain and control possession. When the time comes to make the correct decision in the final third, they make the wrong choice more often than not. And that's the main reason why we are going to finish where we will.

Wether its acceptable given the spend that we are below Brighton, Brentford, Palace etc is another matter. The owners were at the game today and must be wondering what they have spent the money on.

[ferguson1]

Sanson will go this this summer if anything remotely suitable is offered.

Luiz may force our hand to sell him, perhaps Carney also.

However, and this is probably a little controversial but I’d be willing to listen to offers for McGinn and Nakamba.

Not sure if we can have that much change from our crop of midfielders and with the squad as a whole but it’s needed.

Minimum of two new midfielders need to be found this summer, possibly three.

Crucial puzzle for Gerrard to solve that could ultimately be the difference between success and failure next season.