Crying out for a creative midfielder

[shefcanary 2,956]

I know it''s a tad off topic, but just watched the 3/4 playoff at World cup, and the consensus of the pundits was England needed something extra in midfield. Could Maddison be that man? None of the pundits could come up with a name so he has the opportunity. If he grasps it that sell on fee after his transfer to Barcelona could come in really useful for us.

[KeiranShikari_2 0]

Maybe if he steps up at Leicester. I think he can.

Also thin we need somebody that can put their foot on the ball and dictate from deep. Granted England never have anything like that.

[Bethnal Yellow and Green 2,424]

If he does well at Leicester there is no reason why not. However, the way the England team works now means those that have been through the youth teams will be looked at first - due to the whole ‘England DNA’ thing.

Players like Lewis Cook and Harry Winks will be ahead of him in the queue, although they both like playing deeper.

The current formation England play doesn’t really suit Maddison, who is a 10 rather than the two 8s England used.

Watching the tournament it really struck me how much England could have used Wilf Zaha - such a shame that was so poorly handled.

[If wed only kept Howie.. 3]

yep - dead right on Zaha.. especially in the form he was in at the end of the season..

Maddison could be a future england player.. time will tell.. in terms of competition: Grealish? Field? Mount? Palmer? Brereton?

Hopefully he’ll be kept out by Cantwell!

[Move Klose 303]

Luckily England have wealth of players coming through, if they develop the way they are England could have some very handy players at there disposal. Also having a manager who seems to want to look at these younger players helps.

Winks

Grealish

Mount

Foden

Sancho

Lookman

Maddison

Spot on about missing out on Zaha, had Southgate been in charge a year or 2 earlier he would probably be an England player now.

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 2,035]

Somebody needs to get hold of ross Berkeley and give him a damned good kick up the ar $e......he had all the talent and should be standing out at these tournements and approaching his best years.

He''s in danger of pi $$ing it all away

[Jim Smith 2,610]

[quote user="Bethnal Yellow and Green"]If he does well at Leicester there is no reason why not. However, the way the England team works now means those that have been through the youth teams will be looked at first - due to the whole ‘England DNA’ thing.

Players like Lewis Cook and Harry Winks will be ahead of him in the queue, although they both like playing deeper.

The current formation England play doesn’t really suit Maddison, who is a 10 rather than the two 8s England used.

Watching the tournament it really struck me how much England could have used Wilf Zaha - such a shame that was so poorly handled.[/quote]

Players like Lewis Cook and Harry Winks are also nowhere near the level/ability of Maddison.

[GJP 79]

Well they are though, aren''t they? Cook is slightly younger than Maddison but already has a more impressive CV.

Not saying there''s masses in it but Maddison has more to prove.

[Bethnal Yellow and Green 2,424]

If that was true Jim he would be at a top 6 club and not Leicester. Maddison needs to prove himself at the Premier League level before it is possible to make such claims. Something Winks and Cook have already done.

England have an incredible amount of talent in their youth teams at the moment, I can’t ever remember seeing such depth across the groups. There will be some players who would have normally picked up 20-30 England caps who only end up with a handful at most.

When you add in players like Jack Grealish, Tom Davis, Sam Field, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Izzy Brown, Kasey Palmer, Mason Mount, Kieran Dowell and Dele Ali etc - who are all between 20 and 22 - there is going to be a huge amount of competition.

[Jim Smith 2,610]

Yes he has more to prove but I’m talking about ability. Winks and Cook are tidy little players who have proven they can play at premier league level but neither is a match winner with that extra sprinkling of creative quality. Maddison is.

[Indy_Bones 444]

[quote user="GJP"]Well they are though, aren''t they?

Cook is slightly younger than Maddison but already has a more impressive CV.

Not saying there''s masses in it but Maddison has more to prove.[/quote]What?

2 years at Leeds where he managed just TWO goals and 5 assists, followed by 2 years at Bournemouth with ZERO goals and 3 assists, is apparently a more impressive CV than Maddison with his 24 goals and 26 assists...

Last season was the first season that Cook got any substantial playing time for Bournemouth, and he returned them almost nothing (of course he plays further back than Madders) in terms of goals or assists.

Maddison is so much better than Cook that it''s not even a funny comparison, and he''s still better than Harry Winks for that matter as well, had Madders been at a prem side like Spurs, he''d already have been given more attention and playing time for England.

[GJP 79]

Had Madders already been in the Prem then maybe. But he hasn''t been. And he has a much lesser record for England at youth level.

So, again, he has more to prove.

[Guest]

If we could unearth a Hazard type player that could go a long way to creating something out of little or nothing.

Maddison has the ball skills but not the pace.

Maybe he could become a Modric type as long as he has a minder in midfield like Modric had with Parker at Spurs and Casimero at Madrid.

Possession football can cancel itself out at times and just that little flair and unexpected can change a game.

[Jim Smith 2,610]

It’s not about who has more to “prove” though is it. It’s about which of these players are the type of creative midfielder who will make a difference to the England side and if you identify them then there is a case for fast tracking them rather than saying they need to prove themselves for two years before you consider them. In my view those players have the sort of natural and technical ability you see in say the Croatian midfield and more than say Loftus Cheek or even Ali (although the latter has other attributes).

I’ve not seen all the players Bethnal has listed above but if those I’ve seen Maddison and Foden are the type of player who could offer something g different and who have that extra level of creative talent and technical ability. Winks and Cook are tidy players but would putting them in the team potentially give us an extra layer to our game, I’m not convinced they would. Even Sessegnon, great player that he is, is quite similar to other options we have in that he is fast and direct rather than someone who will put his foot on the ball when needed and calm things down.

[GJP 79]

It is about proving it. Maddison has proven he can bang in some goals in the Champs.

He now has to prove he can do the business up a level.

[Jim Smith 2,610]

Course he will have to prove he can play in the premier and he will. I was however talking about players with the ability/potential to make a difference if they realise their talent. Cook and Winks are good players but Maddison and Foden have the ability and potential to be on another level if they can break into the squad.

Any Norwich fan who has watched Maddison in the last season and doubts whether he can play in the premier league needs their eyes tested in my opinion.

[GJP 79]

Foden is outstanding though. He is a truly outstanding prospect.

[king canary 8,763]

Foden has more to prove than Maddison though...

[lake district canary 4,836]

Maddison is totally the player who can do the job for England.  This season he will almost certainly show the PL he is the man for the job. Leicester are a very lucky team imo and England will benefit too in due course.

[Guest]

Maddison''s contribution at Leicester will be determined by their style of play of course.

Mahrez has gone and I assume Maddison is seen as his natural successor. If he is used as their main midfield player it is up to him to seize the day and establish himself as the main man.

I think he has the confidence that he will need alongside his obvious ability but he will be up against some tough opponents and how well will he contribute when you play the likes of Man City and don''t have the ball for long periods.

[GJP 79]

King, hence use of word "prospect".