It looks that way, they won't want to miss out on the last day again.
Premier League Gameweek 25
- Thread starter Samid
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Yeah, very frustrating that they've managed to get him after Kante.
Both the kind of defensive midfielder - in the Essien / Makelele style - that I've been desperate for us to get for years.
Not at all.
Theyve also had loads of injuries, if anybody's jammy its us with practically no injuries all season
Essien and Makelele were completely different players in my mind.
the CDM issue wouldn't be such a concern if we had him as another creative midfield option and proper RW
Think we need one more CB, then as you say someone like Grealish and a Sancho. Although I still want to see what Amad Diallo offers. Depends what money we have, that we boast we have it when really we don't.
I despise 'CDM' for its FIFA-ness.
For there to warrant being a C in the DM, there'd have to be a LDM or a RDM
Ah, you think they were full backs? Wingers? #10's?
I thought all four were strong, energetic defensive midfielders great at breaking up oppositions attacks. With Essien and Kante maybe a little better on the ball than the other two.
They were totally different players. Essien would be more similar to Kante. Neither are anything like Makelele.
Makelele was positionally disciplined, barely moved from his zone in front of the back four, and played very simple passes into more adventurous players.
Essien was a box to box force of nature before injuries beset him, with fantastic technical capacity.
They were worlds apart in terms of their functions for the team.
Agreed. That said, I think Essien gave you more on the ball, while Kante has been phenomenal at pressing and winning the ball back.
Spot onI despise 'CDM' for its FIFA-ness.
For there to warrant being a C in the DM, there'd have to be a LDM or a RDM
Don’t give Mourinho any ideasI despise 'CDM' for its FIFA-ness.
For there to warrant being a C in the DM, there'd have to be a LDM or a RDM
Essien and Kante offer more on the ball than Makelele as defensive midfielders, and could get forward more. But all three's main role was offering brilliant energy and defensive work breaking up oppositions attacks.
They are / were three of the best defensive midfielders in the game, operating in the same area of the pitch - so to say they're totally different and nothing alike is wrong.
When you're discussing the best defensive midfielders ever to play in the PL they'll be three right up there in the conversation. Of course they're comparable. While, obviously, not being clones of each other.
Yeah I prefer the term DM as wellI despise 'CDM' for its FIFA-ness.
For there to warrant being a C in the DM, there'd have to be a LDM or a RDM
We’re still missing Justin and Fofana.
Slowly getting a full team back though.
Dean Smith seems to be getting back into his bad old ways from last season, we lose Grealish so chance to bring in another midfielder and close out the space. Instead we play with three attackers behind Ollie and give Barnes and Maddison freedom of Villa Park.
I sort of wrote off this game beforehand but we've made it far too easy for Leicester.
I sort of wrote off this game beforehand but we've made it far too easy for Leicester.
CGK
I've already covered all that in a previous post. Just to say: yeah, I know Essien and Kante get up and down more than Makelele. And offered more on the ball. But their main assets were being 3 of the best defensive midfielders ever to play in the PL. So I was just naming those, in a post about defensive midfielders, as being 3 who offered great defensive work and how I've wanted us to sign someone like that.
Yes, Kante and Essien also offered something on the ball. But I was only focusing on the defensive duties side of it, as that's what my post was about. And so I was saying I wished we'd signed defensive midfielders of the ability of Makelele, Kante, Essien. Not that all 3 were identical players.
That’s fair enough, I just don’t see Essien in any way shape or form a defensive midfield player.
The areas where they mainly operate on the pitch would tell you that they fall into a different category of midfielder, isn’t that how we identify a player’s role and function in team? Many defensive midfielders don’t provide energy and aggression but are still top class.
Kante and Essien belong to the same group of midfielders like Henderson, Fred/McTominay, Vidal etc.
Makelele is similar to players like Carrick, Matic, Busquets, Rodri, Fabinho.
Really?
I thought the only team to ever have injuries was Liverpool.
Nooooo, don't listen to them mr. Levy
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Traore pulls one back. 1-2.
It's on.
A. Villa 1
Fecking hell that's worse defending than some of ours, how much space did Traore have there
Even Traore isn't going to waste a chance like that, put on a plate for him.
I can understand the Kante/Makalele comparison. Essie wasn't anything like them though, Essein was a true CM. All rounder.
Kante and Makelele are pretty much only in the team for their defensive duties. To get the ball and play it off to someone else.
REALLY hope Leicester throw this away.
What is Kasper bitching about?
1-2
Traore
Traore
C'mon Villa, you fecks.
No idea!
Kante covers so much ground, whereas Makelele was all about that positional discipline in front of the back four.
I think they are both defensive midfield players but in totally different moulds.
Similarly, I would call Carrick and Busquets defensive midfielders, but nothing like the aforementioned names.
OK.
I guess, yeah, he was such a great, complete player that you can't just class him as a 'defensive midfielder' as he contributed box to box.
But, for me, his 'world class' attributes were his strength, energy and defensive work. He was also good on the ball, and got forward really well and linked up in attacks, but his attacking attributes, and goal and assist ratio, weren't world class level.
I saw him as a complete midfielder, who could play as a world class box-to-box player or world class defensive midfielder - but I never saw him as a world class attacking midfielder / #10.
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Maddison on target with a freekick, but good save.