Midfield leader

[Finley Parsons]

The difference between us and Wolves yesterday, was that Wolves had Neves who has the ability to play the forward and create opportunities. Obviously he wouldnt leave Wolves but someone like Ruben Loftus Cheek would be ideal and a good midfield leader

[st albans fox]

We have missed a midfield leader since August 2017 .......

[Foxes04]

Juan Mata?

[l444ry]

This weeks excuse if you ask me,  Kasper, Simpson, Wes and Evans have got enough experience between them to have settled everyone down. Just one thing after another with this manager. 

[UniFox21]

50 minutes ago, Tom12345 said:

That was just an excuse for Iborra. Had he been playing week in week out, I am sure he would have stayed.

 

He would have been exactly the CM we so desperately need now, but Puel stubbornness and blindness costs us - Iborra is gone; Silva (a European Champion) destroyed; Ndidi playing sunday football standard; team spirit down; team losing and losing.

But at the same time, the amount we recouped for him was great considering his age. 

He was great, maybe slightly too slow for how we like play and what we need. 

 

Jumping straight to Puel being blind is great and all; maybe he doesn't think those players are good, maybe there are other factors influencing selections?

Wilf playing sunday league but still having 4th highest tackles in the league? 

[Tom12345]

1 hour ago, HoustonFox said:

If the main reason he’s not really playing is for the sake of €5m, then that’s a joke. Yes, he’s not been firing on all cylinders since he joined but he had a rough start, and then got chopped and changed, he never got going. Any replacement that is decent would be at least 4x that fee, and with no guarantees. For those that say he is too weak, look how Mendy was bullied yesterday... 

 

We need someone calm in the middle who can play a pass, then just let Wilf destroy, so he doesn’t need to play passes like he did at the end of the game 

One difference between Kante and Wilf: Kante can pass and he can do so upfield quickly and creatively. Kante is world class. He didn’t need to do a sideway pass to another for a forward pass after winning the ball. Seconds count in counter attacking football. You can’t afford to have a Wilf to wait, pass sideways or backwards, and then hope the player he passes to is Mahrez like who can then pick a pass upfield.

 

I would say in fact Wilf pulled Mahrez down last season.

 

Solution is not to find a creative CM to partner Wilf. That is one part. The other part is to drop Wilf.

 

Do we not see? We tried that with Mahrez, Iborra, Silva last year. You can surround him with great players and Wilf will pull you down. He needs to practice for another year ball control and passing first.

 

The fact that Puel cannot see that says to me that he will never be great for us.

 

Look at the difference at Man Utd since Mourinho left. Often it is not about the players but about team selection, tactics and attitude. Puel’s insistence on Wilf and defensive CM is costing us just like how Mourinho was destroying Man U and their counterattacking football. They are bowing playing counterattacking football at pace and with purpose. Same players.

[HoustonFox]

1 hour ago, Finley Parsons said:

The difference between us and Wolves yesterday, was that Wolves had Neves who has the ability to play the forward and create opportunities. Obviously he wouldnt leave Wolves but someone like Ruben Loftus Cheek would be ideal and a good midfield leader

I see where RLC has potential, but really has he done much (not picking an argument, genuine question).  He's made ~50 appearances since he came on the scene in 2012, and is 22 now.  I guess we should be courting him, and he seems to be one of those Chelsea players that suffer with their policy - too good to let go, not good enough to really play - and so a move would probably be good.  That may appearances at his age, is not great.  Could be worth a punt, but would do it with tempered expectation

 

42 minutes ago, l444ry said:

This weeks excuse if you ask me,  Kasper, Simpson, Wes and Evans have got enough experience between them to have settled everyone down. Just one thing after another with this manager. 

 

Yes they should, but how is that the manager's fault that they didn't?  Are they snakes?  Or is it that (you can see from his reactions), that they didn't listen and panicked, despite his instructions.  I think that tells me more about their mentality (I'd say Evans was the calmest, and Wes was ok, more he got caught up in being pushed up, and isn't that rallyer) than Puel - but hey, if you have an agenda, why not go with it.  The fact most of those players had done that sort of stuff under Ranieri during his second season, and Shakespeare (and even Pearson sometimes) tells me more about them

 

15 minutes ago, Tom12345 said:

One difference between Kante and Wilf: Kante can pass and he can do so upfield quickly and creatively. Kante is world class. He didn’t need to do a sideway pass to another for a forward pass after winning the ball. Seconds count in counter attacking football. You can’t afford to have a Wilf to wait, pass sideways or backwards, and then hope the player he passes to is Mahrez like who can then pick a pass upfield.

 

I would say in fact Wilf pulled Mahrez down last season.

 

Solution is not to find a creative CM to partner Wilf. That is one part. The other part is to drop Wilf.

 

Do we not see? We tried that with Mahrez, Iborra, Silva last year. You can surround him with great players and Wilf will pull you down. He needs to practice for another year ball control and passing first.

 

The fact that Puel cannot see that says to me that he will never be great for us.

 

Look at the difference at Man Utd since Mourinho left. Often it is not about the players but about team selection, tactics and attitude. Puel’s insistence on Wilf and defensive CM is costing us just like how Mourinho was destroying Man U and their counterattacking football. They are bowing playing counterattacking football at pace and with purpose. Same players.

 

I agree that Wilf and Kante are totally different in terms of level, which is why I didn't make the comparison, and not sure why you did from my comment.  He (Wilf) is an out and out destroyer, and then lay it off player, with the odd wonder goal, or one off his kn** like last week v Southampton.  He needs the remit of tackle and lay off simple, and then he can work on his game. Maybe he will end up being a CB (like Amartey probably will), but for now, he is up there as one of the best DEFENSIVE midfield CDMs in the league, and dropping him is not the answer, he needs a wise head by him in my opinion (Riyad was never vocal, so not sure why you brought him into it, and how you said he was dragged down by Ndidi - he wanted to leave, pure and simple).  

 

If Ndidi focuses on water carrier role, something Mendy has taken, but isn't as good defensively, and is ebbing on confidence with his touch and passing (he needs a break for mental reasons), then he needs a passer and ball mover with him, plus someone to talk him through the game (something we miss) while he still learns.  

 

Per your last para, nice dig at Puel - clearly his fault that Wilf can't pass - yes, it is on him for selecting the team, and I agree, Ndidi and Mendy doesn't work (it should in theory for 4321 as there should be 3 attack minded players ahead, and Madders going off the boil big time hasn't helped us. Man U by the way, are not only playing counter attacking football, they play fast quick stuff, like under Fergie (clearly he is advising OGS), and their counterattacking goals v Spurs, were because Spurs were pressing too high looking for a goal.  

 

I genuinely think if we had a decent CM who could pass, we'd be on to something, under this manager... I'm just not sure we will get one this break due to availability, prices, and the new training ground.

[l444ry]

9 minutes ago, HoustonFox said:

Yes they should, but how is that the manager's fault that they didn't?  Are they snakes?  Or is it that (you can see from his reactions), that they didn't listen and panicked, despite his instructions.  I think that tells me more about their mentality (I'd say Evans was the calmest, and Wes was ok, more he got caught up in being pushed up, and isn't that rallyer) than Puel - but hey, if you have an agenda, why not go with it.  The fact most of those players had done that sort of stuff under Ranieri during his second season, and Shakespeare (and even Pearson sometimes) tells me more about them

 

 

 

Don't remember you or anyone else bring this nonsense up before yesterday. Just another excuse.

[Milo]

Did we need a calm midfield leader in the latter stages of yesterday's game?

 

I am no Puel fan, but having scored the equaliser I would have been pretty angry if he'd shut up shop and not gone for the win.

 

Our blood was up and the game was there for the taking - we lost, but did so trying to win. I have no problem with this.

 

 

 

If the OP was just about yesterday's game, then I don't think a midfield leader in the last few minutes would make as much of a difference as a Manager than can inspire and a defence that can defend. 

 

Do we need a better midfield is an entirely different question, though.

[nwl fox]

Please fix the title, it makes my eyes hurt.

[lcfc sheff]

Iborra or Silva aren’t the saviours for us either! We need some big investment in that area but certainly wouldn’t have been any more helpful to keep those two as they aren’t good enough for the job either.

[HoustonFox]

7 hours ago, l444ry said:

Don't remember you or anyone else bring this nonsense up before yesterday. Just another excuse.

You didn’t post anything about it before so I didn’t need to 

[MPH]

11 hours ago, Paddy. said:

If only we had an experienced midfielder with international caps and World and European cup campaigns to his name.

 

nah mate sorry. took the managers job at Huddersfield.