Answer to Midfield Problem..predictions & options - Merged

[ScalleysDad]

The brainstrust will not allow depression ................ it gets in the way of the madness and senility. The 'royal we' are quite upbeat although saying that Upton Park will be buzzing today we will either compete in midfield or go down to ten men. Ruiz is out now so hopefully we have a plan B.

[bulgariawhite]

Berbatov will succeed. Defence needs sorting out!!!! With all the possession we need a creative Mid field to convert. Kaka should have started. With a two week break I think we will get it sorted.
Don't despair

[ffcbulgaria]

Agree on Kacaniklic - should've started cause at least he knows our game which was obvious when he came on. Richardson spent 80% of the time in the middle which isolated Riise for the whole first half. Will let the others talk about Berbatov since we're supposedly a bit biased as well :D

[Snibbo]

Thought Kaca was patchy. Berba and Rodallega seem to be on the same wavelength. Duff rarely misuses the ball. Diarra was solid. The defence uncharacteristically poor, though I think Brede has not been himself since being made captain.  Sidwell, Richardson both substandard.

[GodfatherJol]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/september/01/manager-reaction

"I don't really see him as a winger, I see him more as a central midfield player or even a number 10. He can play left-back as well."

Jol seems to think he's a better CM than a winger. Thoughts?

[alexbishop]

Jol only sees him as a central midfielder now as we failed to buy one yesterday haha.

[MJG]

I thought he said yesterday he came as a winger!! Reading the end of the article worried me a bit.
Its clear he was excepting Dembele to stay and if not get that CM in. It has not played out that way and he talks about 'coming up with something'. Sounds to me as if its back to the drawing board with formation and style.

[jelmo]

Didnt look like a footballer to me. Wonder if the Dejagu guy can play cm

[The King]

Hoping for Reo-Coker a la Diarra.

[alexbishop]

If anyone can transfer a player into a central midfielder Jol can as we know!

[GodfatherJol]

All this talk of signing Reo-Coker on a free really is an indication of how badly we did in some aspects of the transfer window. When the idea was originally raised we all slammed it and wished it wasn't true, and just a few short weeks later we're begging for it to happen. Even if Richardson does move to CM, we need to sign at least one, if not 2 or 3 in January.

[berbafan]

Since apparently you guys have too many strikers and too few decent midfielders, Berba should be played in midfield.  He actually enjoys it and is pretty good at this.  In his first year at United he played behind Tevez and Rooney, in his second - always behind Rooney.  Here is a link to his very last United game where he plays with a bunch of United kids in midfield, in a 4-4-2 (with Chicharito and Macheda being the strikers).  Just watch the full video of him channeling his inner Scholes - you can't play much better than this in midfield:

Dimitar Berbatov Vs AmaZulu

(If the link does not work search "Dimitar Berbatov Vs AmaZulu" on youtube)

Cheers!

[BlaWhiArmyyyyyy]

Hes a goalscorer and we need goals. Ruiz in the hole Diarra and Sidwell at the base. Berba has too much class and will get us many fouls around the box!

[General]

It's a thought - and tbh if everything goes awol then it's worth a try but apparently Dejagah and Richardson are going to be fighting it out for that position in the 3 CM roles with Diarra and Sidwell so not necessarily panic stations just yet..

That said, does anyone know when we're expected to see Dejagah play? Heard he may have signed for us whilst injured which doesn't bode well - also, whilst I've heard good things about his time at Wolfsburg etc, does anyone know any better? I've seen a few videos and he looks more of a defensive minded attacking player if that makes sense but It'd be good to hear a bit more from someone who knows more...

[BillNRoc]

Reading this long after the match ended, it's almost amusing to see how optimistic some were about a Diarra-Sidwell partnership before it crashed and burned at Upton Park. Most have flayed Sidders, but Diarra errs a lot, too. And Richardson looked pretty awful, didn't he? I feared the consequences of losing Dembele long before it happened, and I just can't imagine Ruiz will ever fit into those boots. Too fragile, too easily bossed off the ball.

So you have to wonder: who would have sat if Ruiz had played today, and how would that have unfolded? will Richardson improve if/when fit, and where will he play? could Berbatov do well as a 10 with Petric and/or Hugo up top? do we have any midfielders with quickness of mind and pace? where will the freaking goals come from without the Dems? We really only scored one last week, with Dembele, and none today without him. Where will the freaking goals come from?

[Lighthouse]

Yes a real shock that Jol now sees Richardson as a central midfielder. Where did that come from? No wonder he looked confused. We have NO forwards so to suggest Berbatov play midfield seems a waste. He looked fine and struck up a partnership of sorts with Rodders. It was one game but the problems we all saw before and to be fair so did Jol are still going to be there.

Ruiz behind Berbatov will work but I think Jol will have to play two up front. Ironic since we now have only three real forwards in the whole squad. Ruiz up front with Berbatov behind? Point is we have a poorer squad now. Shame and a case of what might have beens. Jol will have to really pull something special out of the bag.

[ScalleysDad]

Not wishing to bale Jol out here but he was characteristically honest in his summing up and also seems to have been caught out by both D's going. A tad naive that as somebody was going to stump up 15 million for Dembele but to balance the judgement on Jol both seemed to linger for a while before finding the door late yesterday.
Midfield was a sorry mess but its the back four for me. Hangaland is getting a fair amount of criticism but he is still featuring in selections for WBA and Hughes is labelled slow and mostly out of position but still features in most selections. One of the zillion reasons I would not want Jols job is that I have got them in my line up too simply because its too far back for Baird, Senderos is out and we have no cover. I honestly think some of the players know the barrier is creaking which is why the midfield looks far too deep and there is often green pasture between ball winners, Sidwell and Diarra, and attacking options, a lonely Petric last week and a lightweight Rodders this week. Late in the game we managed to pass through West Ham a couple of times but that had more to do with their shape than our flair. Berbatov and Rodders work in progress and worth another go but how long with Hangaland hang on to his spot.

[perry geyton]

We should of kept Murphy for another year, it was quite obvious that Dembelle was gonna get poached, i quite liked what i saw of Gecov in the few measily moments that they gave him, bad planning by the club,  we need a creative midfielder bad !

[perry geyton]

Not wishing to bale Jol out here but he was characteristically honest in his summing up and also seems to have been caught out by both D's going. A tad naive that as somebody was going to stump up 15 million for Dembele but to balance the judgement on Jol both seemed to linger for a while before finding the door late yesterday.
Midfield was a sorry mess but its the back four for me. Hangaland is getting a fair amount of criticism but he is still featuring in selections for WBA and Hughes is labelled slow and mostly out of position but still features in most selections. One of the zillion reasons I would not want Jols job is that I have got them in my line up too simply because its too far back for Baird, Senderos is out and we have no cover. I honestly think some of the players know the barrier is creaking which is why the midfield looks far too deep and there is often green pasture between ball winners, Sidwell and Diarra, and attacking options, a lonely Petric last week and a lightweight Rodders this week. Late in the game we managed to pass through West Ham a couple of times but that had more to do with their shape than our flair. Berbatov and Rodders work in progress and worth another go but how long with Hangaland hang on to his spot.

cant put it on Hangeland or Hughes, its our shoddy midfield thats the problem "thus" creating problems for our defense.
i like Diarra but we need another decent central midfielder bad.

[whiteburp]

we have some problems in midfield definately i see a solution but it wont click immediately.until it does i think we should not look further than a CC win rate.i am smileing at berba,petric rodders ruiz,duff been in the same line up !