Need to completely overhaul the midfield

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,779]

I think Vrancic is the sort of player who shines in a 'front foot' team yet struggles in one who spends most of a match defending. His career seems to be littered with both promotions (three) and relegations (soon to be four).

[shaunieboy77 73]

5 minutes ago, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

I think Vrancic is the sort of player who shines in a 'front foot' team yet struggles in one who spends most of a match defending. His career seems to be littered with both promotions (three) and relegations (soon to be 

I think he should have started more than 4 league games.

[Mason 47 1,373]

15 minutes ago, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

I think Vrancic is the sort of player who shines in a 'front foot' team yet struggles in one who spends most of a match defending. His career seems to be littered with both promotions (three) and relegations (soon to be four).

I think you could say the majority of our squad are 'front foot players' 😅

In all seriousness I would have Vrancic given a go as #10. He has a knack of laying on goals through the defence from about 20-25yds that I don't feel we've really exploited, and we all know he can shoot from that range. He seemed to be playing there v Bournemouth in the cup last year and was constantly finding holes to get Hernandez and Srbeny through. As others have noted, the reason he doesn't get selected is he just can't keep up with the athletes at this level- Iwobi for Everton had spent 70 minutes sprinting in the sun when Mario came on and it still looked like a racehorse v a rocking horse.

[Petriix 2,834]

I'd go so far as to say that the midfield have been responsible for our problems at both ends of the pitch. With the exception of Cantwell the midfield have barely scored all season. Since the restart they've barely created a chance going forward and are too often sliced through in defence.

We keep conceding goals where the centre backs are drawn out of position and the midfield simply don't track the runners. It's pretty basic stuff.

Unfortunately we don't have the luxury of being able to afford (fee or wages) new midfielders of Premier League quality so we have to hope that players like Kenny McLean will be able to step up. So far that's not working. I sincerely hope that there are a couple of midfielders about to break through from the youth team.

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,779]

1 hour ago, Mason 47 said:

I think you could say the majority of our squad are 'front foot players' 😅

Correct, and that is why we have such a soft centre that concedes a lot of goals. 

[ridgeman 130]

At the start of the seson I was hoping that the defence would be strengthened as it was pretty porous last season - but it wasn't to be. We now have three injury prone central defenders who will need to be upgraded before next season starts. I am another that thinks Godfrey would be better used in midfield. We certainly need much more muscle in midfield as we are so lightweight.

Do I think Webber can deliver - not certain.

It is unfortunate because when the season started I genuinely felt this was the best team we had taken into the Premiership but it is so disappointing the number of games we haven't turned up or the half hearted displays we have seen, the lack of substitutes or the inability to change the course of a game.

 

[ged in the onion bag 854]

That's not the point.   Not at all.    He is playing in a side that has lost it's dynamic, it's pattern of play, its confidence.   He is playing out of position, he  works hard, recovers the ball plenty, is tenacious and he doesn't do that role badly, (he had the most turnovers of anyone in the championship, if i recall).... but he is having to do that far deeper in the EPL and it leaves him in the wrong areas of the park to be effective, i.e. when we turnover possession he (and Cantwell) quite often, are too deep to use their abilities where it counts.   Teams in this league recover defensive positions as a unit so quickly (and they are specialists at it).   That's why we struggle to find forward passes.... and thus another argument, our midfield don't possess the quality to find him quickly so that he has time to turn and have a go at opponents.       Hernandez tends to get further forward but at the expense of the defensive side.      

As for EPL managers, that depends on the price really.    It may be that clubs aren't prepared to pay the price and I hope that is the case.    Buendia is a special talent.   We need to build a side that can bring that talent out. 

[Lewis DW 11]

Emi Buendia has been a frustrating player to watch this season. Too many errors when defending and not enough output in attack - this hasn't been helped by Farke's reliance on one un-supported striker.

Norwich were always going to struggle in the PL with a team that over-performed in the Championship. 

[Samwam27 519]

I'm with those who, if we get our defenders fit, would want to see Godfrey freed up to the natural CDM role he's born to play. It's such a shame our defence has been so ravaged all season. With Zimm, Klose & Hanley, I think Godfrey would be a revelation, and a huge strength in midfield, which would allow either Maclean, or preferably Vrancic to thrive in a more creative role

Sorry, but defenders are defenders, and with Afimewo etc coming back we have enough for the Champs. It's whether Farke, who I hope stays, will ever reverse his decision and try him there.

Its a natural solution that means we don't have to spend money on that area (we have enough attacking midfielders), freeing up funds on wingers or strikers to get the goals