And it was the same system Chelsea started the season with where he didn't work until they did switch it up.
Easiest CM to build around
- Thread starter MounchesterUtd
- Start date
Agree with this.
Someone like Vieira, Keane, Vidal, Essien etc could play in any formation or system.
Modric is the one I can think of playing nowadays.
Yeah great shout. Made a 4-4-2 work with Kroos and won a CL final with a midfield of Khedira and Di Maria alongside him.
Neeskens, Rijkaard, Scholes, Xavi, Pirlo, Keane
you cant blend into a team if there isnt one from the start...
Good shout mate. Excellent player who is very very versatile.
Don't get why Pirlo was mentioned multiple times. He is one of the most demanding players to build a side around, completely opposite of what's required here.
Surely the struggles England had shoehorning Gerrard and Lampard into the same side would disqualify him from such a list?
If he was one of the easiest CMs ever to build around, why did England have such poorly balanced midfield for so long?
Owen Hargreaves.
He would fit any bench, no matter the system
He would fit any bench, no matter the system
Exactly, some bizarre picks mentioned.. and don't get me started on Gerrard. Even Liverpool struggled to build a team around him at times.
Yep, was going to say Modric as well. He's been far and away the best MF in the world for the past 3 years. Just an all round wonderful player, he controls any midfield he plays in and can totally transform a team by his presence.
I know we were interested when he was leaving Spurs. Shows how good he is, not just technically, but mentally considering Fergie rated him (the man who didn't buy midfielders). Just such a fecking shame we didn't get him. Convinced we would have won another CL with him in our midfield during Fergie's latter years.
You have to go with Roy Keane in his prime.
Even Vieira needed Petit, Gilberto Silva, Edu or whoever to back him up. Keano in opposite could do it all by himself regardless of the outside environment (system, other players etc).
Even Vieira needed Petit, Gilberto Silva, Edu or whoever to back him up. Keano in opposite could do it all by himself regardless of the outside environment (system, other players etc).
Redondo,was able to cover a lot of space in the field,good to defend and with technique to start the play in a good way.
Talking about available players I would say Saúl,Weigl or Alli
Talking about available players I would say Saúl,Weigl or Alli
This thread has got me thinking about the endless possibilities of hypothetical midfield 3's throughout history... 
Keane yes to a point, but again his partnership with Veron didn't really click. Now while Veron may need more careful 'wraparound' planning, but there are a few names on this thread who could dovetail off a player like Veron a lot more cohesively.
I don't think there is one alone. It's popular to say Xavi but Xavi was actually part of some average Barce sides. Obviously an ATG playmaker but he's not a great ball winner and won't win you games alone.
Matthaus, Rijkard, Vieira, Gullit, Alonso, Schweinsteiger, Redondo, Toure.
Of players today... Vidal, Fernandinho, Busquets.
Of players today... Vidal, Fernandinho, Busquets.
I take your points, back in them years my memory is not good as I looked at football is a different way (I was only a kid) I just assumed Perrotta was somewhere in the midfield 3 as hes not a winger in the usual sense, im sure a young De rossi was in there too before his suspension.
I didn't follow Xavi then but knew his reputation at that time wasn't anywhere near as it was a few years later under Pep (perhaps english snobbery) I do remember him playing brilliantly against England in a 2004 friendly clearly because I remember without really knowing how good he was saying to a friend before the game that people are going to take notice of him and realise how good this guy is and he will control the game which he did, but I actually didn't really know how good he was! But yes I didn't know his reputation or his real ability in Spain.
Like I said I don't believe Carrick can match these two but at the same point I don't think he's a million miles off, just my opinion, iv always rated Carrick high though whether people think thats misguided or not but that's just my opinion as others have theirs.
Toure? That's a strange one. Immensely talented (arguably the most talented midfielder in PL, definitely one of), but his attitude and non-existing workrate makes him quite a tough player to fit in your side. For City he was always best when they freed him from any defensive responsibility and played him as a Lampard of sorts.
Also can't see Busquets working in a two man midfield
Roy Keane for me, it should be the type of player who played his game and imposed himself the same way regardless of the quality of those playing alongside him be it treble winning United or First-Division-esque Irish teams. He wasn't nullified by opponents parking the bus either as can happen with some playmakers.
United players also worthy a mention: Owen Hargreaves and Darren Fletcher.
Modric is the most complete midfielder of all time so whatever you build, it's easiest to build around him. The fact he didn't accomplish much in his career doesn't change anything.
He became lazier with time.
The fact that he was able to carry water in a tiki taka barcelona side and boss the final third in england shows to me that he would have worked in pretty much any setup in any role.
They did a play a 4 of sorts, but it was more akin to the narrow and staggered way that Atletico play a 4-man midfield with both wide players, Perrotta in particular, staying tight and working hard.
Yes, but in his time at Barcelona he didn't have the same attacking oomph. There were two parts of his career, a defensive midfielder in Barca's system and an attacking powerhouse at City, but those two phases were separated.
It's like saying that Scholes could've dictate the game from the deep while scoring 15-20 goals a season. He could, but not at the same time.
Not sure about that. Modric is the best around at the moment, I think, but historically speaking, there are quite a few who you could rank above him.
Won the champions league twice, wouldn't say he didn't do much.
One modern player I think would fit nicely into most teams is Khedira.. Not the most skillful player but has great work rate and does exactly what's asked of him. I dunno if you'd say you were building a team around him but he's reliable and you can't really argue with the clubs he's played for and the success he's had with each of them (plus Germany) despite playing a bunch of different systems.
Makelele, Seedorf and Davids at their peak also had success with multiple big clubs and were able to adapt to various systems through their careers (just forget about Davids' time at Barnet
). I don't think it's necessarily about being individually brilliant - if the player can improve the team no matter what system then you can quite easily build around them with no worries about whether or not they will perform. Consistent, reliable players win out here.
Makelele, Seedorf and Davids at their peak also had success with multiple big clubs and were able to adapt to various systems through their careers (just forget about Davids' time at Barnet
). I don't think it's necessarily about being individually brilliant - if the player can improve the team no matter what system then you can quite easily build around them with no worries about whether or not they will perform. Consistent, reliable players win out here.OUt of the recent players I'd say prime Schweinsteiger.
Some strange choices being called out ahead of a prime Roy Keane. Build your team around him and he's literally the heart of the team, dragging performances out of the others. He'd make the likes of Xavi, Iniesta etc reach yet another plateau
It seems that Keane is very popular in the forum these last weeks
Why shouldn't he be? He is probably the best United player of SAF era bar Ronaldo.
And it is not only "last weeks".
How did you come up with that?
There are at least few in his generation that were better/more complete/whatever.
I don't think he's the 'best' but he's the only player I've ever seen play that well in essentially a one man midfield-and at Old Trafford too-so I'm going for a pick I don't think anyone else has said in Fernando Redondo.
Scholes. he's played as an attacking midfielder, a supporting striker, a box to box and a deep lying playmaker and excelled in every one of those positions.
I mean that I saw him in several threads, in "if you could pick a United player",in a comparison with Gerrard and here.
Of course a good player but I don't rate him so high like you
But, he was great at pressing the ball and had great work rate. He was able to nullify Pirlo in the Euro 2012 final and routinely had some of the best distance covered stats.
I'm obviously biased but Colin Bell should be part of this discussion.
Had the lot that lad.
Had the lot that lad.
He's showed he can do it all, in England, in Spain, in the CL. He's showed he can score, tackles, pass, dictate and drive games. He'd start for any team in the world without a single doubt.