...aren't we forgetting to buy the damn cake?
i.e. that midfield lynchpin that all successful teams are built on?
i.e. that midfield lynchpin that all successful teams are built on?
Falcao really is the icing on the cake...but...
- Thread starter Sparky Rhiwabon
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I saw that quote somewhere else earlier.
------Blind--------
Herrera Di Maria
Will do in midfield for now, until we bring in someone in Jan, whoever that may be.
Herrera Di Maria
Will do in midfield for now, until we bring in someone in Jan, whoever that may be.
Herrera, Blind, Carrick, Fletcher will be fine
Mata can play in a midfield 3 aswell
Mata can play in a midfield 3 aswell
We've signed 2 central midfielders in Blind and Herrera, you can make that 3 with Di Maria. 3 central midfielders in 1 window is unheard of.
By the way, I hope this thread comes back to haunt me in the next few hours but its looking increasingly remote
Still a strong enough midfield to let the front men do their business. It's defence that I worry about.
Even though it's true, I'm so sick of these metaphors. Icing on a cake that hasn't been baked/bought yet, buying curtains for a house that has a hole in the roof or building the roof for a house without a foundation. Enough already!
Blind
Herrera - Di Maria
Pray we don't get injuries to them 3 and we'll be alright.Herrera - Di Maria
Enough of these shitty analogies.
Rafael-Jones-Rojo-Shaw. Let's hope they gel (and stay fit!).
All good players but not the sort of player I am referring to. The Schweinsteiger, the Busquets, the Matic, the Makelele, the Keane, the Khedeira, the Vidal
We've signed three midfielders in Herrera, Blind and Di Maria. That's an excellent midfield.
Yes we've actually signed three central midfielders. The problem is that people refuse to see Di Maria as a central midfielder despite him being one of the very best last season.
Good icing can mask a stale cake.
Buy all the Strikers!!! More more more!
Buy all the Strikers!!! More more more!
FFS, can't believe we only signed 3 central midfielders this summer.
I'm seriously pissed off.
I'm seriously pissed off.
Probably the hardest part that. It looks like it'd be a good back 4 on paper, but Rafael is always injured and we have no cover, apart from pushing Jones to right back and playing Smalling (to be fair its a viable option).
Yeah but Woodward really has made us all fur coat and no knickers.
There's a PhotoShop for you
You can only get who is available. It is not as simple of buying whoever you want!
With Carrick, Herrera and Blind in the middle we look stronger than last season. We also have Fletcher and Di Maria who can play in there with Fellaini to come back.
It is a long term plan of LvGs. We can't sign everyone in one go if the deals aren't there to be done. Personally I am delighted with our statement of intent in signing Di Maria and Falcao. Massive players.
With Carrick, Herrera and Blind in the middle we look stronger than last season. We also have Fletcher and Di Maria who can play in there with Fellaini to come back.
It is a long term plan of LvGs. We can't sign everyone in one go if the deals aren't there to be done. Personally I am delighted with our statement of intent in signing Di Maria and Falcao. Massive players.
Rooney might be dropping back into midfield.
If Liverpool could do it with Gerrard and Henderson then so can we with Blind, Carrick, Di Maria, Mata, Herrera, Fletcher and maybe Strootman in january. It's the defence that worries me.
Listen, I'm not greedy, it doesn't even have to be Vidal - I'd take Morgan Schneiderlin at this point
The next person I see ask whether Falcao can play cb is getting a box.
Di Maria is not a CM.
So we now must pray Blind hits the ground running. Otherwise we're still in deep shit after so much money spent.
And only one of them could be an actual midfielder that we need. Herrera and Di Maria - they both play better further forward.
So we now must pray Blind hits the ground running. Otherwise we're still in deep shit after so much money spent.
Top central midfielders who are established aren't always available. There's usually just one or two available every window. We couldn't get one, we got the another in Di Maria although he'd not pure central midfielder. For that we got what we could - two who we feel can get better at Manchester United and maybe become either top players themselves or very good players at least, in blind and Herrera.All good players but not the sort of player I am referring to. The Schweinsteiger, the Busquets, the Matic, the Makelele, the Keane, the Khedeira, the Vidal
Looking at our signings I think we need an experienced centre half much much more. Our defence is dodgy as feck
LvG himself called Di Maria a midfielder when he signed him and he started his first game in midfield. He also played most of last season in midfield for Real Madrid. We've still got Carrick to come back too. One bad season doesn't mean he's finished.
I think we are well covered in every department now, this summer has been amazing TBF, we have Herrera, Blind, Carrick and Fletcher who can play part of the midfield two, while in a Midfield three we can replace Blind/Carrick with Di Maria or Mata. While in tough away matches against City and Chelsea we can play three of them. In defence we have Rojo, Jones, Smalling, Evans, Blind and Blackett who can play CB, while Luke shaw, Rojo, Blind can play LB and Rafael, Valencia, Young and Lingard can play Fullback/Wingback if needed.
I'd love to see us bring in Vidal and Vlaar, then be done.
Vidal, world class destroyer/creator -- no one else on earth like him right now. Vlaar for depth, knows his way around the English prem.
Vidal, world class destroyer/creator -- no one else on earth like him right now. Vlaar for depth, knows his way around the English prem.
Icing is good in and of itself though
Agreed. Just eat the icing, and throw the cake in the bin. Cake is overrated anyway.
We're just icing 
Scousers will be along to point out how a fruitcake is much better than icing. See what I did there.
I like icing,icing is good.
Di Maria is a good CM, but if we play him there, we are going to need a Winger.
Blind/Carrick/Fletcher
Herrera/Fellaini - Di Maria/Mata
Herrera/Fellaini - Di Maria/Mata
Easily enough until we get Strootman in.
Di Maria is a midfielder. He's probably the best offensive central midfielder in the world, and he's better in that position than he is as a winger.
Really not sure why you're trying to play down Herrera and Di Maria, or why you think Blind is the only one we needed when he's the most dispensable of the bunch considering we have Carrick.
Herrera - Blind - Di Maria is a fantastic, balanced midfield.
It's all a matter of who becomes available, other circumstances it could have been Hummels, and Vidal that we got, but found Di Maria, and Falcao were out of reach, just circumstances and the dynamic of the market have driven these signings.
Next window lets hope it's Hummels, and Strootman that we get, my word what a team we'll have then.
Next window lets hope it's Hummels, and Strootman that we get, my word what a team we'll have then.
I don't agree. We'd be wasting him in midfield. We should be playing him as a left forward/winger where he belongs. Not using players like Young, Rooney or Welbeck (now gone).
Of course that is if we move away from that 3-5-2 nonsense. Otherwise Di Maria can only be played as a CM.
He doesn't belong there, it's not his best position.
A hybrid central midfield role like he had last year and for Benfica is much better for him. He wasn't at that level on the wing for Madrid. He was a frustrating player and it wasn't a surprise that he was dropped and then replaced with Bale.
In this position there isn't a better player in the world at the moment, he was arguably better than Ronaldo last season playing that role.
We shouldn't forget that our goal is top 4 this year. We have a squad capable of that.
Huge weaknesses, yes, but we can definitely get top 4. And remember we get to let Woody off of the leash once more in January, not to mention next summer when we hopefully get to look into adding depth for the Champions League.
Huge weaknesses, yes, but we can definitely get top 4. And remember we get to let Woody off of the leash once more in January, not to mention next summer when we hopefully get to look into adding depth for the Champions League.
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