The Midfield Conundrum

[fox_up_north]

Really unpleasant watching tonight. Soumare put in a bit more effort to start the second half but was very much walking around aimlessly by the end. 

 

Skipp seems like he tries but just isn't good. 

[Phil Mitchell]

We need to **** off the idea of having two central midfielders, too tempting to play sideways to each other, have one sat in front of the back four and he has to play it forward, simple as that. If he has to run around a bit more then he can wipe the tears away with some paper that’s got the kings face on it. Phil

[Dan]

It's completely ****ed.

 

Soumare shouldn't be near the pitch for us. Skipp shouldn't be near the pitch for us. Both should be shipped out immediately.

 

Winks after last year, and with his contract situation should also be gone. But the other two are so terrible that he holds all the cards.

 

This is why I was kicking off all summer about the lack of action. The ****ing arrogance of our board thinking we could just walk it again with no changes. Sorry Aiyawatt, you fool, you don't get the luxury of going down with the strongest squad to ever go down every time you do it. That's not the case anymore thanks to the decline you've overseen.

 

We should've gone absolutely militant. No amount of fines or points deductions are worse than having these lot shaming us every game. They're a disgrace. You compare them to what Wednesday have done tonight - that's a worse squad with genuine fight about it. This lot would flounder and get hammered in their situation.

 

We should've gotten rid of the lot of the midfielders and rebuilt the whole thing.

 

As of now, there has been nothing. An overhaul is needed and we have no time to do it. Well we did, we just squandered it doing.... what?

 

It's ****up after ****up. I cannot bare them.

[MaidstoneFox]

On 11/08/2025 at 14:51, Muzzy_no7 said:

Asmir Gigovic.

 

Iker Munoz.

 

Jan Schoeppner.

 

3 realistic options all suited to Marti-ball.

 

Will Rudkin know them? Naaaah

Are these regens?

 

What about:

Josep Kuntz

Karim Al-Fannie

Larry Schlong

[pmcla26]

11 minutes ago, Phil Mitchell said:

We need to **** off the idea of having two central midfielders, too tempting to play sideways to each other, have one sat in front of the back four and he has to play it forward, simple as that. If he has to run around a bit more then he can wipe the tears away with some paper that’s got the kings face on it. Phil

I think with Ricardo in the side we’ll see two 8s and one 6 more often. I was surprised we didn’t start the game that way with Hamza at right back giving the option for him to invert.
 

In hindsight we should have started Page and Winks as 8s over Alves as a 10 and Skipp as a part of a double pivot.
 

Giving Marti the benefit of the doubt as we were always going to rotate and he’s still learning the squad. 

Edited 13 August 2025 by pmcla26

[Pita]

12 minutes ago, fox_up_north said:

Really unpleasant watching tonight. Soumare put in a bit more effort to start the second half but was very much walking around aimlessly by the end. 

 

Skipp seems like he tries but just isn't good. 

Poor performance with half the players don’t give a toss only want their big pay packets

[BenTheFox]

I think you'd have to go back at least 17 years for the last time we have a midfield pairing as bad as Soumare and Skipp.

[Winstonthedog]

24 minutes ago, Old Fox said:

We need midfielders more than a striker imo - getting the ball to a striker and having the balance defensively and attack wise we have no options at all - send Soumare on loan, sell winks if he does not want to be here and take Skipp and put him in one - we need 2 midfielders at least !!

We need a leader on the pitch .... someone who can grab hold of the game and dish a bollocking out when it's needed ... you could put the entire playing staff in a bag ... give it a good shake and we still wouldn't have one ... he doesn't have to be a prolific footballer he just needs to have presence and leadership 

[South Shire Fox]

Winks and Ricardo for me when hes fit. El Khannous in the 10

[kingfox]

Our midfield options are just a jumbled up mess. 
 

Whoever plays in the 6 role needs to be able to control the tempo and progress the ball, of course our best option at this is Harry Winks, yet Marti has been playing him further forward as an 8. 
 

Soumare at Lille had Benjamin Andre alongside him, who happened to be one of the best players in Ligue 1 for tackles and interceptions. Soumare has no partner like that currently at Leicester City. Marti is currently playing him as a dictating 6, but as we know on the defensive end, he is just far too casual and lazy. 
 

Skipp has history of being better as a 6, but during his spell at Norwich and last season with us, he is very meh when it comes to progressing the ball. Also from what we’ve seen with him in a Leicester shirt, it’s difficult to say what his rightful position is. 
 

The right solution imo is Winks as the 6, then sign a box-to-box 8 who is adept on the defensive end. 
 

If we end up selling Winks, then we’ll need a whole new CM pairing. Persisting with Soumare and Skipp would just be criminal.