For so long now, posters have lamented we need a new (or more than one) central midfielder. In a 442
- WHAT is this midfielder doing that our current bunch doesn't?
- HOW does he do it that creates improvement rather than risk in a 442 and/or with our current squad choices as the pool for a partner
- WHO is exactly this player? Name viable examples

NRC wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 19, 2022 3:50 pm

For so long now, posters have lamented we need a new (or more than one) central midfielder. In a 442
- WHAT is this midfielder doing that our current bunch doesn't?
- HOW does he do it that creates improvement rather than risk in a 442 and/or with our current squad choices as the pool for a partner
- WHO is exactly this player? Name viable examples

Just go over the transfer pages for the last 3 years you will find all of the above information discussed in depth.

beat a man
drive forward
pass to a claret shirt

righty-ho then, because I'm sure identifying the missing effectiveness, concluding that it can be applied without creating a new deficiency, and the name of multiple players that are viable is concisely addressed over there

Put a foot on the ball and pick out a pass.
Carry the ball forward
beat a man, occasionally

It's not a lot to ask is it.

P.S. a bit of pace, essential even in the championship, never mind the Prem

Some creativity centrally that will benefit our forwards as well.

Being better at what they do than our midfield has delivered this season doesn’t mean a deficiency must be created elsewhere.

Substituting, as an example, Westwood’s hooked deliveries to the channels for more incisive passing would be a massive plus. I’m not against mixed football as Dyche likes to call it, what I don’t like is what we saw against Brentford which was more long ball than mixed football.

NRC wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 19, 2022 3:50 pm

For so long now, posters have lamented we need a new (or more than one) central midfielder. In a 442
- WHAT is this midfielder doing that our current bunch doesn't?
- HOW does he do it that creates improvement rather than risk in a 442 and/or with our current squad choices as the pool for a partner
- WHO is exactly this player? Name viable examples

Watch virtually every other Premier League team and you should get a good idea of what we require

There are two types of central midfielder who suit our system.

1. A Defour type, incisive passing through the lines, composure, ability to draw opposition players out with the ability to turn on the ball / dribble past them, vision to see passes which others may not

2. A Marney type, incredibly athletic, dynamic, willingness to run box to box, think Bissouma at Brighton or Sissoko when he was at Newcastle

None of our current midfielders directly fit either profile

Ryan Christie would have been good,but he didn't fancy playing Dycheball,so went to Bournemouth for less wages than we were offering.

randomclaret2 wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 19, 2022 4:17 pm

Watch virtually every other Premier League team and you should get a good idea of what we require

That seems to be a fairly solid ending to the thread.

The ability to use both feet would be a bonus, nay an necessity, for a professional footballer
on 30/40/50 thousand quid a year.

Not too much to ask, surely to goodness.

We just needed someone who was technically sound and had the ability to get up and down the pitch.

Will Hughes would have done very nicely - he was available and mentioned on here a few times.

Of course I meant 30/40/50 thousand quid per week !!!!!

The loss of the editing function is inconvenient.

NRC wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 19, 2022 3:50 pm

For so long now, posters have lamented we need a new (or more than one) central midfielder. In a 442
- WHAT is this midfielder doing that our current bunch doesn't?
- HOW does he do it that creates improvement rather than risk in a 442 and/or with our current squad choices as the pool for a partner
- WHO is exactly this player? Name viable examples

pay me 200k per year and I'll get you some names. Not our job

It's tricky to spot what's wrong with our current team because we're not doing much wrong. We're just not getting enough right.

Someone with Brownhill's energy and industry but a bit better on the ball.

Someone with Cork's passing ability but a bit quicker and better energy.

I’m even thinking nostalgically of Gareth O’ Connor when he first joined us…

Middle-agedClaret wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 19, 2022 5:07 pm

I’m even thinking nostalgically of Gareth O’ Connor when he first joined us…

That name just reminded me of Gifton’s penalty against Coventry

The Gifton that never gave. I know he had his health problems but by hell that was a **** signing.

We need someone to collect the ball from deep (GK or defenders), play through the park with short passes.
Chip in with the odd goal from 30 yards.
And he needs to protect the centre-backs.
Nothing £60 million wouldn't get us.

boatshed bill wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 19, 2022 5:50 pm

We need someone to collect the ball from deep (GK or defenders), play through the park with short passes.
Chip in with the odd goal from 30 yards.
And he needs to protect the centre-backs.
Nothing £60 million wouldn't get us.

Bissouma cost Brighton £15mil. The issue has been our glorious leader not signing players from initially Stoke then the Championship.

John Swift at Reading can tackle ,pick a pass and score goals including free kicks
Why we've not gone in for him is a mystery
Turned down a move to Leeds.
OOC in June

Steven Defour.

"How come it seems to go, that you don't know what you had till its gone......"

Some taller midfielders who can win a second ball in the air and who can muscle opposing players off the ball. I am fed up of watching Ken Dyche Dodd's diddy men being outrun,outfought out muscled.

So, of the two players actually cited, neither are really an option….. does this unicorn exist??

It’s all well and good bleating about what we need, but I’m not hearing any fan opinion, so far, that actually solves who this player is

Yeah, you're right. There's nobody in world football that would improve our midfield, who we could afford or who would lower themselves to play for 20k a week.

Extend Dale Stephen's contract immediately.

In all seriousness it sounds like a top six loan player to me

NRC wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 20, 2022 6:05 pm

So, of the two players actually cited, neither are really an option….. does this unicorn exist??

It’s all well and good bleating about what we need, but I’m not hearing any fan opinion, so far, that actually solves who this player is

There were countless suggestions on the transfer thread. Patrick Berg from Bodo Glimt who went to RC Lens for 4.5m. Lewis O’Brien at Hudd was available for 10m. Cheick Doucare from RC Lens another. They are 3 off the top of my head. Ultimately, the point is that there is an entire recruitment team who should have the ‘names’ in abundance, but this position clearly hasn’t been prioritised over the past few windows.

NRC wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 20, 2022 6:05 pm

So, of the two players actually cited, neither are really an option….. does this unicorn exist??

It’s all well and good bleating about what we need, but I’m not hearing any fan opinion, so far, that actually solves who this player is

Again go read the numerous threads.

There were plenty of players put forward.

All the attributes people are mentioning need to be covered by two players.
We can't afford an all round player who is very good at everything.

We need a very good passer who is also good at closing down the oppo. With a football brain like Inchy.

The other player could then be Brownhill or someone like him, but quicker with a better shot.

RVclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 20, 2022 6:16 pm

There were countless suggestions on the transfer thread. Patrick Berg from Bodo Glimt who went to RC Lens for 4.5m. Lewis O’Brien at Hudd was available for 10m. Cheick Doucare from RC Lens another. They are 3 off the top of my head. Ultimately, the point is that there is an entire recruitment team who should have the ‘names’ in abundance, but this position clearly hasn’t been prioritised over the past few windows.

Brownhill was our last midfield signing, and although he's showing signs of improvement, and in the Championship he'll shine I feel, we've not addressed the glaring issue of a creative centre mid.

Conor Gallagher was heavily mentioned on numerous transfer threads as I recall, and he's been a fantastic loan signing for Palace, but sadly we don't appear to know how to utilise the loan system effectively.

Like you I'm baffled whether it's the recruitment team or the manager who for whatever reasons don't seem to think this was an area of priority, when countless posters highlighted this glaring hole in our first XI.

Defour left in August 2019, and yet he's still not been adequately replaced. Hence why we're heading towards the Championship at a rate of knots I'm afraid.

NRC wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 20, 2022 6:05 pm

So, of the two players actually cited, neither are really an option….. does this unicorn exist??

It’s all well and good bleating about what we need, but I’m not hearing any fan opinion, so far, that actually solves who this player is

The bottom line is we have the worst midfield in the Premier League, and it is up to the club, not the fans, to rectify that.

The club does not seem to realise that players signed in their mid and late twenties slow down as they approach and go over 30. How many years have Cork & Westwood been here-they just cant keep being at the top of their game particularly at times when you have 3 games over 7 or 8 days. Name me another club that have the same 2 or 3 midfielders that they had 5 years ago. Our failure to exploit the loans market has cost us, when you see what players like Mount, James, Gallagher, Tomori, Elliott did at lower Championship clubs. There are some cracking young midfielders on the fringe of squads in the top 6 or so clubs, gagging for first team PL experience. In fact its that experience that has fast tracked players like Mount, James and Elliott

Guller Bull wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 19, 2022 5:24 pm

The Gifton that never gave. I know he had his health problems but by hell that was a **** signing.

Short memories some folk! Didn’t he score a hat trick once?

chekhov wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 21, 2022 12:15 pm

Short memories some folk! Didn’t he score a hat trick once?

Did or didn't - I can't remember.