With Shelvey the next midfielder to sign with us, and the option of Chadli as well...Our midfield competition will be hot this season! Lets look at our options. Britton Canas Ki Augustien Pozuelo De Guzman Michu Shelvey Routledge Henandez Dyer Chadli Lamah Have I missed anyone. So if we break that list down. Defensive Midfield option aka The Makelele Role: Leon Britton has been holding this role for sometime. He is now 30, and with a lot of games to play this season, he wont have the starting spot every week. So in comes either Canas, or Ki, or Augustien, or maybe Shelvey...Canas is probably the one who will be the most competition with Leon for this role. Ki is there, and we spent a lot of money on him as well! But he can also play the 'Pratley Role' or the 'Gomez Role' (more to come on them later) It's not 100% clear where Augustien will play his football next season...Undoubtedly a talented player, but inconsistent and injury prone. He has been here long enough and been fairly underwhelming...Maybe time to move him on. I don't know much about Shelvey, but he is big and strong, so could play 'The Makelele Role', but maybe is more of a 'Pratley Role' sort of player. 'The Pratley Role' Box to box, covers the pitch, helps out in defense as well as attack and generally does a lot of running. Joe Allen also filled this role. We have De Guzman, Shelvey,Ki, maybe Pozuelo. So really, re-signing De Guzman was a good call, he is good cover for this role, and could take it at home matches when against the smaller teams. 'The Gomez Role' The attacking midfielder, who helps in midfield every so often but most of his job is attacking and being the link to the striker, and arriving in the box at the right time. Ideally this role should go to Michu. His work rate means he helps out defensively a lot, but also arrives on time, and has a good range of passing and a good first touch. Other players to play there, De Guzman, Pozuelo, Ki, Hernandez, Routledge, Chadli. So there is plenty of cover there! 'The Shaun Macdonald Role' I do feel we need 1 more winger, so lets hope we get Chadli, or someone similar. Really our 3 wingers last season Dyer, Hernandez and Routledge, did very well. And there was always one in form...It is possible that because we have strengthened our AM position, these 3 will only play on the wings this season. I hope Lamah isn't here this season, waste of space on our team sheet, and money. So, right now i'm pretty happy with our midfield. We do need 2 new strikers...Don't know whats happening with Moore. Our defense is strong. Taylor can cover both Fb positions...Amat and Monk are decent cover for CB and maybe even Ben could step in there. And there is Jazz. Sorted
Shaun MacDonald ..... there's a name we haven't heard around these parts. If I remember correctly - all flash in training but no delivery in a match.
I personally like the idea of having more midfielders. I liked that we have this many, why..... Well there is nothing worse than setting your team up in a certainw ay, say to play Man Utd. Half time comes and your behind, we now have more options to change our shape. Change the way we go at the opposition. Whilst also being able to have the numbers to fulfil other competitions too. Our midfield is the engine to how we play. Better make sure we have plenty of spare parts just in case.
We might have one less shortly. Report in the Sun says that Martinez wants to take Dyer to Everton for £5 million. Not as daft as it sounds. We are signing a British mid when we seem inundated in the centre of the park. Perhaps Dyer leaving is making space for Shelvey to come in..... and Martinez always liked Dyer. For me, the values are the wrong way round. I see Shelvey at no more than £4 million with Dyer at £6 million - makes sense when Ince, with no PL experience, is valued at £8 million. Apart from his cost, I'm not put out by the Shelvey signing. He is young and can learn from Michael Laudrup; he'll give us bite in midfield where we definitely need it and adds to the home-grown quota. It could work.
He's playing well at Bournemouth now, as a centre mid going forward. He's kind of like Bournemouth's Ki.
13 midfielders and not one decent bloody striker! Jenkins needs a kick up the arse.......................
I am sure Huw has done this(shelvey) deliberately just to show that he may have a slight flaw, it will delay his impending sainthood
Wasn't Lamah an 18month loan? Surely we can cancel that. Agustien must be well on the fringes now. He doesn't look to have slimmed down much in the summer
It's worth noting that as an attacking midfielder (he can't defend for ****, ask any Liverpool fan) one of Shelvey's roles may be as a backup to Michu. If our new striker gets injured or tired or something, we might see Michu up front with Shelvey behind him sometimes.
