Midfield

[jcrawfor]

When all fully fit here are the midfield line ups (from best I can tell) for the top 8 clubs. (assuming a 4-5-1)

 

Everton: Bilyaletdinov, Cahill, Arteta, Fellaini, Pienaar

 

Arsenal: Arshavin, v. Persie, Nasri, Fabregas, Walcott

 

Chelsea: Malouda, Essien, Lampard, Mikel , Zhirkov

 

Spurs: Lennon, Bentley, Huddlestone, Kranjcar, Modric

 

Red Shite: Babel, Gerrard, Kuyt, Aquilani, Benayoun

 

Man U: Valencia, Scholes, Giggs, Fletcher, Nani

 

Villa: Petrov, Milner, Downing, Sidwell, Young

 

City: Johnson, Barry, Bellamy, Viera, SWP

 

Can't see our midfield being outplayed by a single on of those line-ups, except for perhaps Chelsea and Spurs. Clearly every team on this list has its day, but on most days I can't see us being bossed about in the middle of the park. So I guess the real question for next season is how to seal up our back line. Here's to some beautiful football next year!

[Ian C]

In order for me:

 

Chelsea

Spurs

Arsenal

Everton

United

City

Villa

Liverpool

 

 

Arsenal is hard to judge as you don't know if they'll turn up on the day. Scholes and Giggs will be even older next season so that's how I've judged theirs. And Liverpool's is awful, but Gerrard can single-handedly beat every midfield on that list on his day.

 

 

I think it's a bit unfair of you to force every team into a 4-5-1 so here's the alternative midfields for the ones I disagree with too!

 

Arsenal: Arshavin, Fabregas, Song, Nasri, Walcott

Spurs: Bale, Huddlestone, Modric, Lennon

Villa: Downing, Milner, Young, Petrov

City: Johnson, Barry, De Jong, Viera, Bellamy (Impossible to pick here as City can barely pick a stable formation, let alone a stable first 11)

 

 

Of that list I think we have the second best (arguably) defensive midfielder in Fellaini (after Essien), probably the second best playmaker in Arteta (after Fabregas), the second best inside forward in Pienaar (after arshavin) and the third best goal scoring midfielder in Cahill (After Lampard/Gerrard). I think we're weakest by far at right-wing but I think Billy will improve.

 

We're certainly a match for any of the top 8 man for man at every position on the pitch except for Striker, Right-wing and Right-back.

 

Hopefully Billy and Coleman can step up next season, eh?

[jcrawfor]

I do agree that the forcing each team to 5 mids is a bit unfair, especially as City, Chelsea and Man U rarely play. I suppose it would have been better stated as these are who I see as the 5 best mids from each team and not necessarily a line-up. Clearly, if we had strikers the quality of Adebayor and Tevez, I'd have used 4 mids and not 5, but I can't think of the last time DM started a match with 2 recognized strikers.

[Ian C]

I prefer our inside forward/wing back formation anyway

 

---------------------- Howard -------------------

----------- Jagielka ---------- Heitinga --------

-----------------------Fellaini -----------------

Neville --------------- Arteta ---------------- Baines

----------- Billy ----------------- Pienaar ---------

------------------- Cahill --------------------

----------------------------- Saha -----------------

[jcrawfor]

Put Coleman in Neville's spot and Donovan for Bily and that's a hell of a team.

[Romey 1878]

Put Coleman in Neville's spot and Donovan for Bily and that's a hell of a team.

 

 

It'd be a very exciting team too - we'd have balance on both sides (in terms of attacking) of the pitch so the opposition would have to think about both sides of our team, rather than just the left.

[Bill]

I prefer our inside forward/wing back formation anyway

 

---------------------- Howard -------------------

----------- Jagielka ---------- Heitinga --------

-----------------------Fellaini -----------------

Neville --------------- Arteta ---------------- Baines

----------- Billy ----------------- Pienaar ---------

------------------- Cahill --------------------

----------------------------- Saha -----------------

 

 

A very complex formation Ian, 1-2-1-3-2-1-1

[Ian C]

A very complex formation Ian, 1-2-1-3-2-1-1

 

 

That's how we play when we're attacking at the moment

 

That formation drops into a 4-1-4-1 on defence though.

 

--------------------- Howard ---------------------

Neville ------ Jagielka ---- Heitinga ------- Baines

-------------------- Fellaini -------------------

Billy ---------- Cahill ----- Arteta --------- Pienaar

-----------------------------------------------------

----------------------- Saha -------------------------

[EFC-Paul]

I work in Blackpool so have to put up with a few jibes from the donkey lashers as i am from Preston but have been talking to quite a few who have season tickets about Coleman and they are very impressed with him which i told them they would be and nearly all of them think he would be a great winger a few compare him to Rodwell's uncle Tony? So based on their views and my own i'd like to see him play on the wing but if we brought Landon back i would play him outwide and have Coleman at RB.

 

I'd also like to see Bily playing where he is more effective just behind the striker/s

 

-------------Howard

 

Neville---Jags-----Heitinga---Baines

 

------------Fellaini

 

Coleman------Arteta-------Pienaar

 

----------Bilyaletdinov

 

----------Yak

-----------------Saha

 

 

-------------Howard

 

Coleman---Jags-----Heitinga---Baines

 

------------Fellaini

 

Donovan------Arteta-------Pienaar

 

----------Bilyaletdinov

 

----------Yak

-----------------Saha

[jcrawfor]

I quite like that second formation there. Bily/Cahill could probably be interchangeable. Would be nice to give Cahill more rest after the WC (not that he'll have to play more than 3 matches in SA) and give Bily a solid preseason. I imagine he'll come good next year, as long as he puts on 3-4kg worth of strength and cleans up his last touch.

[carlmc25]

At this moment in time I wouldn't put Bily anywhere near our first choice eleven, put Ossie, Rodwell or possibly even Anichebe in there and I think we have a midfield as good, if not better, than any other in the Premiership. We still haven't seen them all play together yet but I would assume that the football played by the likes of Arteta, Pienaar, Osman and Fellaini in the same team would be rather lovely, combine that with the master poacher Cahill and teams will be scared of us next season.

[nogs]

Our midfield is as good as anyone's in the Prem, even without an obvious first choice on the right we've got a fantastic mix of touch, vision, technique, tenacity and strength which has seen us outplay pretty much all of the teams above us in the league at some point this season. What we've got to do is stop leaking goals and start getting a lot more from our strikers and we can do something very special next season.

[Memmaclub]

I think in reality it's like any of the top clubs (Which I think we are one of) they all have a world class midfield and on paper you may pick one out over the other but in reality the best midfield this season has to be chelsea Man U and aresenal the top 3. Ithey are the most consistent at scoring defending and creating chances so they are the best. I jsut think we don't have the consistency these teams have and that is down to inconsistent players. Cahill in and out. Piernar 90% in 10% out. Arteta 90% in 10% out Osman 20% in 80% out Felli 50/50

[MikeO]

At this moment in time I wouldn't put Bily anywhere near our first choice eleven, put Ossie, Rodwell or possibly even Anichebe in there and I think we have a midfield as good, if not better, than any other in the Premiership. We still haven't seen them all play together yet but I would assume that the football played by the likes of Arteta, Pienaar, Osman and Fellaini in the same team would be rather lovely, combine that with the master poacher Cahill and teams will be scared of us next season.

Spot on.

 

Think 20/80 is a bit harsh on Ossie Memma....he plays well if the team's playing well imo. Can't turn a game on his own like some of the others but I think if we play as well as we hope we're going to as a unit next season he'll thrive.

[iggy]

Our midfield is as good as anyone's in the Prem, even without an obvious first choice on the right we've got a fantastic mix of touch, vision, technique, tenacity and strength which has seen us outplay pretty much all of the teams above us in the league at some point this season. What we've got to do is stop leaking goals and start getting a lot more from our strikers and we can do something very special next season.

 

In agreement there, particularly the bold bit.

[CraccerC]

proper football manager thread this, pushing into a 5 man mid which has been mentioned is unfair and ontop of that the original lsit only probably the united team is accurate...no point really considering any similarities when there's 2 glaring faults to begin with.

[jcrawfor]

point taken. I really tried to make the lineups for the other squads as accurate as I could...I did a bit of sniffing around other fan forums and looked at their line-ups for the bigger matches. I feel the lineups were accurate-ish. But the point remains, our mid-field is boss.

[CraccerC]

yeah i wasn't having a go or anything, and i agree our mid is good when fit

 

but for example van persie isn't a midfielder probably diaby there. swp doesn't start nor does vieira. bily doesn't usually start when peopel are fit. sidwell doesn't start. zhirkov is only playing with cole out injured an although he's a good player if chelsea have a 5 man mid it's allabout malouda on the left. there's more chance of lucas playing than babel, generally. bentley has only played with lennon out, palacios is the man you need in there.

[Thorny]

When all fully fit here are the midfield line ups (from best I can tell) for the top 8 clubs. (assuming a 4-5-1)

 

Everton: Bilyaletdinov, Cahill, Arteta, Fellaini, Pienaar

 

Arsenal: Arshavin, v. Persie, Nasri, Fabregas, Walcott

 

Chelsea: Malouda, Essien, Lampard, Mikel , Zhirkov

 

Spurs: Lennon, Bentley, Huddlestone, Kranjcar, Modric

 

Red Shite: Babel, Gerrard, Kuyt, Aquilani, Benayoun

 

Man U: Valencia, Scholes, Giggs, Fletcher, Nani

 

Villa: Petrov, Milner, Downing, Sidwell, Young

 

City: Johnson, Barry, Bellamy, Viera, SWP

 

Can't see our midfield being outplayed by a single on of those line-ups, except for perhaps Chelsea and Spurs. Clearly every team on this list has its day, but on most days I can't see us being bossed about in the middle of the park. So I guess the real question for next season is how to seal up our back line. Here's to some beautiful football next year!

 

 

 

Arsenal is hard to judge as you don't know if they'll turn up on the day. Scholes and Giggs will be even older next season so that's how I've judged theirs. And Liverpool's is awful, but Gerrard can single-handedly beat every midfield on that list on his day.

 

 

 

 

Liverpool has Lucas...

 

 

hahaha

[jcrawfor]

yeah i wasn't having a go or anything, and i agree our mid is good when fit

 

but for example van persie isn't a midfielder probably diaby there. swp doesn't start nor does vieira. bily doesn't usually start when peopel are fit. sidwell doesn't start. zhirkov is only playing with cole out injured an although he's a good player if chelsea have a 5 man mid it's allabout malouda on the left. there's more chance of lucas playing than babel, generally. bentley has only played with lennon out, palacios is the man you need in there.

 

I stand corrected. I don't get to see enough non-Everton matches to know too terribly much about the other squads. Nice to get a more informed view.

[CraccerC]

I stand corrected. I don't get to see enough non-Everton matches to know too terribly much about the other squads. Nice to get a more informed view.

 

i'm maybe wrong about vieira because he's started a few, but with injury and suspension he's also missed a few, coupled with the fact he's on loan though and i wouldn't put him in...but no worries. do you watch any other leagues? any spanish?

[jcrawfor]

English and Champs is about all I've got time to watch with school and work. I watch a Barcelona match here and there but not with any regularity. It's all about Everton matches for me.