Central midfield........

[HammersmithR]

in my opinion is the part of the pitch where games are won or lost.

We have only 2 central midfielders at the moment in Barton and Henry who are both so average for the Premiership. Henry knows his limitations, but won't win you games whilst Barton thinks he's Steven Gerrard half the time and does things he cannot do.

Sandro is forever injured.

Whenever Fer and Mutch have gone into the middle in a 4 man midfield they lack the discipline to play there.

Kranjcar is either unfit or currently injured.

This is an area that needs seriously addressing this month.

All these problems go back to the Summer when Redknapp based all his thinking on this 3-5-2 and his signings of Isla, Ferdinand, Fer and Mutch showed this. They were brought into play in this formation and it was a disaster. We then revert quickly back to 4-4-2 and we simply have too few players who can play in this formation.

[Alanwycombe]

Mutch. I can hear them laughing in Cardiff from my house in High Wycombe. Probably not as loudly as his bank manager.

[kenthoop]

Mutch. I can hear them laughing in Cardiff from my house in High Wycombe. Probably not as loudly as his bank manager.

Think people are being harsh on Mutch, he actually tries to travel with the ball and make things happen. I'd either play him wide right or the furthest forward in a midfield 3.

[Alanwycombe]

Sorry kenthoop, couldn't disagree more. He hides by marking space not opponents, he never gets forward, he rarely goes for a tackle, he's not athletic so players run off him with ease, he's usually in the wrong place (like Fer - but that's down to a lack of coaching ability or interest at the club so we'll let them off that one eh?) and he wouldn't get in the Sheff Utd team that played on Sunday. A complete waste of a very lot of money. We only got £10m for Remy so that puts it in prospective.

[Alanwycombe]

Freudian slip that....no prospect as far as I'm concerned.

[Bigdave]

in my opinion is the part of the pitch where games are won or lost.

We have only 2 central midfielders at the moment in Barton and Henry who are both so average for the Premiership. Henry knows his limitations, but won't win you games whilst Barton thinks he's Steven Gerrard half the time and does things he cannot do.

Sandro is forever injured.

Whenever Fer and Mutch have gone into the middle in a 4 man midfield they lack the discipline to play there.

Kranjcar is either unfit or currently injured.

This is an area that needs seriously addressing this month.

All these problems go back to the Summer when Redknapp based all his thinking on this 3-5-2 and his signings of Isla, Ferdinand, Fer and Mutch showed this. They were brought into play in this formation and it was a disaster. We then revert quickly back to 4-4-2 and we simply have too few players who can play in this formation.

I agree with your views but our lack of wingers with a bit of pace and creativity is more alarming and needs addressing IMO. Hoillett is just sh it, SWP is a w@nker, and Philips has lost all confidence and now cannot do what we bought him to do.

[Rangers77]

in my opinion is the part of the pitch where games are won or lost.

We have only 2 central midfielders at the moment in Barton and Henry who are both so average for the Premiership. Henry knows his limitations, but won't win you games whilst Barton thinks he's Steven Gerrard half the time and does things he cannot do.

Sandro is forever injured.

Whenever Fer and Mutch have gone into the middle in a 4 man midfield they lack the discipline to play there.

Kranjcar is either unfit or currently injured.

This is an area that needs seriously addressing this month.

All these problems go back to the Summer when Redknapp based all his thinking on this 3-5-2 and his signings of Isla, Ferdinand, Fer and Mutch showed this. They were brought into play in this formation and it was a disaster. We then revert quickly back to 4-4-2 and we simply have too few players who can play in this formation.

Excellent post. But bear in mind that we're also playing 442 to accommodate Charlie because he cannot play up front by himself. We need to play five in the middle in a diamond. But we need to play Charlie so have to play four...... Catch 22. I'm not sure what the solution is to be honest. Charlie often does little, but he scores the goals without which we'd be well and truly f acked already so, with the present personnel we have, he has to play.

[CroydonCaptainJack]

Excellent post. But bear in mind that we're also playing 442 to accommodate Charlie because he cannot play up front by himself. We need to play five in the middle in a diamond. But we need to play Charlie so have to play four...... Catch 22. I'm not sure what the solution is to be honest. Charlie often does little, but he scores the goals without which we'd be well and truly f acked already so, with the present personnel we have, he has to play.

Good post mate.

[Bigdave]

Excellent post. But bear in mind that we're also playing 442 to accommodate Charlie because he cannot play up front by himself. We need to play five in the middle in a diamond. But we need to play Charlie so have to play four...... Catch 22. I'm not sure what the solution is to be honest. Charlie often does little, but he scores the goals without which we'd be well and truly f acked already so, with the present personnel we have, he has to play.

The thing is Charlie prob could play up top on his own if we had wingers who had pace and could get beyond their full back and if we had central midfielders that could pass or keep the ball. Unfortunately we have neither so we resort to lumping the ball up top to Zamora.

[Rangers77]

The thing is Charlie prob could play up top on his own if we had wingers who had pace and could get beyond their full back and if we had central midfielders that could pass or keep the ball. Unfortunately we have neither so we resort to lumping the ball up top to Zamora.

A very interesting post, Dave. What Charlie can't do is play by himself with his back to the goal. He can't hold it up. Nor has he the pace to give it and go. Players running past him with the ball or putting crosses in from the wing would help. Think Fer ought be moved to the centre with Joey and Kelvin behind him. Phillips, OKish on Fer's right, and Vargas, while right sided, could play on the left. If we play four in midfield we will be beaten by Burnley. Bob ought be brought on there if/ when needed.

[West Acton]

Think people are being harsh on Mutch, he actually tries to travel with the ball and make things happen. I'd either play him wide right or the furthest forward in a midfield 3.

Shocking player Kent, he's made nothing happen for us that I can recall and has demonstrated nothing that you refer to.

Might just be the case of good player wrong club but I suspect that's not the case and what we are witnessing is actually what he has in his locker which in stealing the words of Paul Daniels is not a lot

[72bus]

midfield a massive problem for us , the only players with any pace are forever giving the ball away

[Shania]

Not sure he is this bad? He played quite well Cardiff last year. Many assists and a few goals for a struggling prem team is quite good, I think. We obviously need a playmaker who can command the midfield. The Whole team is suffering from the lack of a spielfuhrer. Mutch is one of them.

[Shepherds Mush]

A very interesting post, Dave. What Charlie can't do is play by himself with his back to the goal. He can't hold it up. Nor has he the pace to give it and go. Players running past him with the ball or putting crosses in from the wing would help. Think Fer ought be moved to the centre with Joey and Kelvin behind him. Phillips, OKish on Fer's right, and Vargas, while right sided, could play on the left. If we play four in midfield we will be beaten by Burnley. Bob ought be brought on there if/ when needed.

Get Austin in the box and get the ball to him. Doesnt need to do any hold up play with 5 in midfield.

[nasser95]

Shocking player Kent, he's made nothing happen for us that I can recall and has demonstrated nothing that you refer to.

Might just be the case of good player wrong club but I suspect that's not the case and what we are witnessing is actually what he has in his locker which in stealing the words of Paul Daniels is not a lot

I actually agree with kent. He is no defensive player, he can't do it. What he does is try and push forward. The issue is that who else in the team does? We don't have wingers with quality and ability to move past him and allow him to actually play them through so he is forced to pull back and try playing from deep, which doesn't work.