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Why this insistence on a defensive midfielder?


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Yeah fine if that player is decent- like Hutch or Melo.

 

But when you start picking inferior players just to fit a system I don't really get it.

 

Lopez and McGugan must be gutted at how things are panning out.

 

Lopez is coming back from injury and I think he has a big part to play this season. CC has quickly learned that LM can't play as the number 10 or carry out his defensive responsibilities successfully on a regular basis. The 'sympathy' for LM from owls fans is strange to say the least.

 

It is clear that the CC believes in this system and one defeat in fourteen isn't a bad return...

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Would like to see Lopez when anyone is out Semedo has been a good servant but always said he's a league 1 player

2 games aside Semedo has been pretty decent in this league for 3 seasons. He is a victim of our progression more than anything.

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How on earth the op can't see the value in a defensive midfielder is beyond me. 

 

Sam Hutchinson has been one of our top performers this season and he, believe it or not, is a defensive/holding midfielder. 

 

Lopez and McGugan, for me, would be too lightweight, regardless of their talent. 

 

Away from home in particular you need a bit of insurance. 

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Sod the defensive midfielder, defending set pieces properly is a bigger priority .

it's certainly as big a 'concern'...

a number of our 'old favourites' will have to fall from 'grace' as the team morphs from 'championship survivors' to 'championship promotion contenders', and onto 'title contenders'...

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How on earth the op can't see the value in a defensive midfielder is beyond me. 

 

Sam Hutchinson has been one of our top performers this season and he, believe it or not, is a defensive/holding midfielder. 

 

Lopez and McGugan, for me, would be too lightweight, regardless of their talent. 

 

Away from home in particular you need a bit of insurance.

There will be home games this year when the opponents come for a point or nick a breakaway goal. Then there is sense in playing a more attacking team.

Even Brighton barely tried to cross the hallway line, so (in hindsight) Hutch was unnecessary. There will be several home games where 2 centre backs and the holding midfielder would be marking nobody, so a more creative midfielder would be ideal.

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It's hard to play Lee in a midfield 2 unless he's with a CDM, he's not a typical box to box midfielder more of a creative attacking type - just the same as McGugan + Lopez.

Given the way we play, especially in this division most good attacking teams commit bodies forward...you're just more exposed without a holding player protecting the back 4, no reason to not have one.

Look at all the top top EU teams they all play with holding midfielders, a CDM, Busquets, Matic, Coquelin, Fernandinho, Xabi Alonso, Kroos..

 

I think it always makes sense if you have a player like Hutchinson that can stop play very well, reads the game and wins the ball back to send others players back on the attack. I would consider not playing a CDM perhaps at home games when we're having more of the ball, but other than that unless we desperately needed to score, a player like Hutchinson is a great asset in any side - no coincidence we've conceded every game he hasn't played this season.

Edited by Del_Liles
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I honestly feel a lot of people don't understand the role of a 'defensive' midfielder. To be honest, calling it a deep-lying midfielder is more accurate

It's not just about flying into challenges and / or getting blocks in, it's a critical position in starting attacking moves

Yes, it provides additional insurance with the fact there's an extra body in there, but just by holding shape, great anticipation and awareness this player could go through the whole game without needed to make a tackle

What is critical, is the ability to retain possession, the vision to pick a pass and the bravery to hold on to the ball when there are no available options.

This is why Semedo is struggling in this role. He isn't the defensive midfielder alongside Lee anymore, he's the deep-lying one

Had Lopez been fit for the last two games, he would have been the ideal replacement for Hutchinson

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Most teams have a defensive midfielder.

Carlos sees them in training everyday ffs.

Perhaps he's worried about how open we'd be with McGugan and Lopez.

The former isn't exactly well known for his tremendous workrate.

Pretty much this. Neither of them have the required work rate. We play the pressing game and I can't see either chasing ppl down
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