surprisingly, haven’t missed football too much but am looking forward to seeing those 3, behind Rashy/Martial/Greenwood
The best midfield combinations: Any specific choice?
- Thread starter simplyared
- Start date
Hopefully it delivers. Im getting just a bit more excited with each day
Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets were the first to come to my mind a well, but when you think a bit more about them they were, while all being amazing individually of course, an incredibly imbalanced trio. They fit perfectly into Pep's and Spains approach, which shielded them with pressing and possession. But I wonder how well they would have worked together in a less extreme, less dominant setup.
Giggs+Scholes+Keane+Beckham
Is probably the only midfield combo that (1)has everything at top levels -- attack and defend, chemistry, goals, possession, speed, aggression, physical, drive, control, tempo, creativity, width, support forwards and defenders well, etc etc. It's (2)well balance and (3)easily fit into all sorts of football systems and formation.
Is probably the only midfield combo that (1)has everything at top levels -- attack and defend, chemistry, goals, possession, speed, aggression, physical, drive, control, tempo, creativity, width, support forwards and defenders well, etc etc. It's (2)well balance and (3)easily fit into all sorts of football systems and formation.
If I had had prime Giggs, Beckham, Keane, and Scholes in 2020, I would have played 4-3-3 with Scholes in Pirlo spot, Keane - as left CM (box to box), and Beckham as a right CM with the license to drift wide (mezzala?). I would have played Giggs as right inside forward.
Pogba breathing heavily and fecked off.
Makelele Essien Lampard were a pain in the arse.
Alonso - Mascherano - Gerrard
Cambiasso - Motta/Stankovic/Zanetti - Sneider
Pires - Gilberto - Viera - Ljunberg
Cambiasso - Motta/Stankovic/Zanetti - Sneider
Pires - Gilberto - Viera - Ljunberg
Kroos - Casemiro - Modric
(Mainly cause they haven’t been mentioned yet)
(Mainly cause they haven’t been mentioned yet)
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They were not outdone at what they were good at though, they still maintained posession well in those matches. Bayern counter attacked very well.
Both games in the 2012/2013 CL semi finals.
I'll mention some I haven't seen mentioned that were also quality
Pirlo, Marchisio, Pogba, Vidal
Costinha, Maniche, Mendez, Deco
Diarra, Essien, Juninho
Fernandinho, KDB, Silva
Pirlo, Marchisio, Pogba, Vidal
Costinha, Maniche, Mendez, Deco
Diarra, Essien, Juninho
Fernandinho, KDB, Silva
Xavi was clearly on the wane then and Messi was injured in that 1st leg.
Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf, Rui Costa, Kaka in a 4-3-2-1 in 2003/04.
It's a strange feeling. I always considered Beckham as a midfielder while I considered Giggs an attacker, despite the fact that (on paper) they played equally deep.
If they played today. Keane would be used as holding mid, Scholes as LCM with creative license, Beckham a box-to-box RCM, and Giggs a winger on either flank.
Best midfield 4: Giggs, Keane, Scholes, Beckham
- perfect balance
Giggs - pace, dribbling, creativity, high no. of assists
Keane - aggression, ball winning, midfield engine, box to box, leadership
Scholes - intelligence, quality/wide range of passing, long range shooting, good technique
Beckham - accuracy, good work rate, perfect crossing/long ball, setpiece/freekick expert
Best midfield 3: Xavi, Iniesta, Bisquets
- tika taka, total control
- perfect balance
Giggs - pace, dribbling, creativity, high no. of assists
Keane - aggression, ball winning, midfield engine, box to box, leadership
Scholes - intelligence, quality/wide range of passing, long range shooting, good technique
Beckham - accuracy, good work rate, perfect crossing/long ball, setpiece/freekick expert
Best midfield 3: Xavi, Iniesta, Bisquets
- tika taka, total control
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Italy was already losing 2-0 when they lost Motta to an injury and had to play with 10 men because they had already made their 3 substitutions. And in my humble opinion, they were never going to come back even with 11 men...
They might have held Spain 1-1 in the group stage, but we have to consider the fact that it was the 1st time Spain tried the 4-6-0 formation. So we can also imagine that by the time they got to the final, they had settled into the formation and went into the game with a different state of mind (they played more directly from the beginning of the game).
That final did only get one sided later after the injury though. Chiellini was also playing injured was he not and badly at fault for one of the goals?. Probably typical competitive but deserved 1-0/2-0 for Spain without the injuries and substitiion problem Italy had.
Chiellini got injured while trying to defend against Cesc in the action that led to the first goal.
As for the game being one sided, that was already the case after Spain scored the 2nd goal and before Motta's injury.
Italy did not play well that day, and Spain did, and no matter what Italy weren't coming back. I agree with all that. But a competent, full-strength Italian team would have done much better.
For some reason, Italy abandoned the 3-man defence (3-5-2) which had worked so well in the group game in favour of a diamond, which left Pirlo more vulnerable.
Straight-away during the game, Chiellini is hobbling. For the first goal, Spain go right through him and score. He gets subbed off, and they have lost probably their best defender already. After that the match is a slog and for some reason they persist with the diamond. Everything falls apart midway through the second half when injuries force them to play with 10.
4-0 is a great headline but is not a reflection of the actual gap between the teams, it is a result of unlucky things that happened on that day.
Spain were good that day, but a better and/or luckier Italian team would have kept it down to 1-0 or 2-1 for Spain.
Motta-Xavi-Deco-Ronaldinho
I’m struggling to recall Motta ever establishing himself in the Barcelona team. More like:Motta-Xavi-Deco-Ronaldinho
Xavi-Edmilson-Deco
(With Ronaldinho left wing).
Van Bommel (for his one season) and Marquez both seemed to be more viable options for the deeper midfield roles as well.
Xavi-Cocu-Davids was as good, and turned Rijkaard’s and Barcelona’s fortunes in the second half of his first season.
Iniesta-Xavi-Deco didn’t work. Too samey.
I can see that. At the same time though Keane wasn't just a solid defensive midfielder, he was a world class box to box midfielder and it could have worked just as well with someone else sitting and Keane getting up and down the pitch. I vaguely recall someone trying to play Beckham as a "quarterback" in the middle of the midfield with his range of passing, but I can't remember who. I possibly imagined it, but that could also be interesting with Beckham being the one deeper.
On a club level, Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets are the best I’ve ever seen. Madrid come a very close second with Modric, Kroos and Casemiro.
It goes without saying on United’s strongest midfield. As for others, I envied that Chelsea midfield under Jose when United were lacking options. Lampard, Essien and Makalele were class. The dippers also had a brief spell of a strong midfield with Gerard, Xabi and Mascherano.
It goes without saying on United’s strongest midfield. As for others, I envied that Chelsea midfield under Jose when United were lacking options. Lampard, Essien and Makalele were class. The dippers also had a brief spell of a strong midfield with Gerard, Xabi and Mascherano.
Don't want to create a new thread for this, but everyone was talking about Balance with a Matic, Bruno and Pogba midfield. I think it's an utter nightmare for any team that wants to park the bus and stay very deep.
The big question will be with a top team, how would it fare?
Maybe a 3-5-2 with them in there, and Luke/Williams and Bissaka on the wing, Lindelof, Bailly and Maguire, and then Tony and Rash upfront.
The big question will be with a top team, how would it fare?
Maybe a 3-5-2 with them in there, and Luke/Williams and Bissaka on the wing, Lindelof, Bailly and Maguire, and then Tony and Rash upfront.