With all the recent additions meaning we have an incredible midfield, with many of them being in form, what is going to be our best midfield (even the subs) going forward? If we're sticking with 4-4-2 who'd you pick out to start and even put on the bench from Boyd, Arfield, Defour, Hendrick, Gudmundson, Brady, Barton, Tarkowski?

We signed Westwood yesterday, don't forget!

I think SD will look at each game individually, we should get to a stage where the front 6 get selected because it is what we think can get us something from the game. You missed out Westwood from the list. so you can select a 3 man midfield of Barton, Hendrick and Defour at home, in a game you hope to win West Brom, West Ham and Stoke. Against Spurs, Chelsea and Man U at home maybe Barton, Westwood and Hendrick. In both cases we now have great options of turning the formation into 4 3 3, 4 4 1 1 or simply 4 5 1.

Currently, i think its Hendrick plus one of Barton, Defour and Westwood in the middle, and Brady plus one of Boyd, Arfield and JBG out wide.

But there's tremendous competition for places and that can only be a good thing. Hendrick is the only one we dont really have a realistic replacement for.

My midfield 5 would be:

Gudmundsson, Defour, Barton, Hendrick, Brady

Arfield, Boyd & Westwood on bench.

If we play 4:

Gudmundsson, Barton, Hendrick, Brady

Defour, Westwood & Boyd make the bench

I'm glad it's a decision I don't have to make.
I think Tarks days as a midfielder are done and he'll come on to defend leads where needed.
You can't change last night's team at Watford, they were so good. Get a win there and we might have our midfield sorted.
Burnley don't pay £13m to sit someone on the bench so the problem comes out wide.
I can see George and Scotty getting us to season end and JBG and Robbie starting next year.

I don't have a clue, but I think the only guarantee is that Hendrick is in it.

It may take a while before Westwood is Dyche fit , apparently fitness levels are poor at Villa , although they have picked up under Bruce .

In a four its Brady, Hendrick, Barton, Gudmundsson.

In a five: Brady, Hendrick, Barton, Defour, Gudmundsson.

Boyd, Arfield and Westwood on the bench.

Let's hope he didn't go for pre-match kebabs like his boss

I think SD will struggle to leave Boyd out of that front 6, Boyd has an incredible desire to close people and spaces down which disrupt the oppositions patterns of play. He does the ugly stuff well. If I was a betting man it wouldn't shock me if China didn't take one of our best midfield players for an obscene sum of money in the future.

I think people underestimate the continuing role of Boyd and Arfield and their peril.

They're absolutely fundamental to the way we close down from the front and the ethos of the team. I expect to see at least one of them in the majority of teams we put out between now and the end of the season (and I expect us to stick with the 442 which has worked so well since we reverted to it).

vinrogue wrote:I think SD will struggle to leave Boyd out of that front 6, Boyd has an incredible desire to close people and spaces down which disrupt the oppositions patterns of play. He does the ugly stuff well. If I was a betting man it wouldn't shock me if China didn't take one of our best midfield players for an obscene sum of money in the future.

Couldn't agree more. He has been absolutely outstanding for the last 7-8 games. Stopping opposition attacks before they develop is so, so important and a massive factor in our success at home.

Our best 4 midfielders are Hendrick, Defour, Brady and Gundmunsson.

Boyd is not far away either.

When you consider what the situation was a couple of years ago when Marney was injured, to now have a number of permutations available in midfield shows how much stronger the squad/group now is. I'm just glad I don't have to decide who starts!

So are we saying Defour is either a luxury or not good enough?

I think Westwood will start with Hendrick. Then Barton an Defour rotate

Midfielders: Barton, Defour, Hendrick, Marney, Westwood, Boyd, Arfield, JBG, Brady

Those who have not been injured in last 6 weeks, did not go off injured last night, are Dyche fit, or not likely to be suspended anytime soon: Tarkowski

The only one who fits the bill isn't even really a midfielder! It's a real stark contrast though to 2 years ago where we were so thin on the ground. Despite the injuries we have had cover all year pretty much.

I'm not sure anyone knows what our best midfield is, but I think it will be horses for courses from here on in. Barton was outstanding last night, as was Hendrick. Boyd did his job excellently, and in the second half Arfield found the little hole he likes between the 2 banks of 4 where he played so excellently against Everton. JBG didn't even get a run out, and you could tell Defour was injured about 25 minutes in. Brady and Westwood are certainly going to have to wait to get in the team, Westwood might have to wait all season!

If all were fit, I'd play a 5

JBG Hendrick Barton Defour Brady

But all the others will be banging on the door

Superb strength in depth throughout all midfield positions.
The squads only 1 striker short in my opinion, and if the 3 we have stay fit, I'll happily wait until Summer

NRC wrote:So are we saying Defour is either a luxury or not good enough?

I'd give him a week off at least to get fit again

With an improved midfield I think we should be giving him the chance to go express himself. He's such a talent. But despite his people often ignore the pressing work he does high up the pitch

vinrogue wrote:I think SD will struggle to leave Boyd out of that front 6, Boyd has an incredible desire to close people and spaces down which disrupt the oppositions patterns of play. He does the ugly stuff well. If I was a betting man it wouldn't shock me if China didn't take one of our best midfield players for an obscene sum of money in the future.

The Chinese window is open for another month until the end of Feb.

Heaton
Lowton Keane Mee Ward

Barton Defour

JBG Hendrick Brady

Gray

claretspice wrote:I think people underestimate the continuing role of Boyd and Arfield and their peril.

They're absolutely fundamental to the way we close down from the front and the ethos of the team. I expect to see at least one of them in the majority of teams we put out between now and the end of the season (and I expect us to stick with the 442 which has worked so well since we reverted to it).

Whilst I see your point, and agree to a certain extent, these two aren't the only two hard grafters we have. All the rest can run a bit (maybe except Barton, who can do a pirlo, and defour who I think needs to be free to create and join in) and defend from the front closing down.

So I don't think it's necessarily these two individuals that are fundamental to the way we play. I think it's the whole team ethic and game plan.

bobinho wrote:
Whilst I see your point, and agree to a certain extent, these two aren't the only two hard grafters we have. All the rest can run a bit (maybe except Barton, who can do a pirlo, and defour who I think needs to be free to create and join in) and defend from the front closing down.

So I don't think it's necessarily these two individuals that are fundamental to the way we play. I think it's the whole team ethic and game plan.

They certainly aren't the only two grafters we have and Brady in particular should be able to do the leg work required. However, I'm not sure any of our other wide options have the stamina and engine, nor the physicality, of either Arfield and Boyd, who have over 4 and 3 years respectively become completely conditioned to the demands Dyche places on his wide players. It will be tough for Brady to hit those levels in mid-season, and whilst JBG is another real grafter, he also offers a little less in this regard than Arfield or Boyd.

I think we also underestimate what Boyd and Arfield offer us constructively too, incidentally. Arfield changed the flow of the game last night in my opinion - he has the ability to step into midfield, and receive the ball with his back to goal, and keep it moving, and he's also good at getting into pockets of space around the edge of the box (unfortunately for him every chance recently seems to have fallen on his left foot) - as is Boyd. Both he and Boyd carry the ball well (Boyd does so at some speed) which is really important to our counter attacking.

So my guess is that we'll see one of Arfield and Boyd, plus one of Brady or JBG, in many of our games. Its great to have these sorts of options.

It is great, yes. The quality on the pitch AND the quality of those to come on and CHANGE a game is indicative of just how far we have come.

Recently been thinking it doesn't get any better than this, but we have more good times ahead I think. Maybe our midfield can be so good we can actually let defour have the 90???

My midfield 4 would be. Boyd, Hendrick, Barton & Brady.

Midfield 5 would be. Boyd, Hendrick, DeFour, Barton & Brady

Don't know what people see in JBG he has shown little. Slow and poor distribution, way off the mark for me