The players are there for ten Hag who can operate in the small spaces. Some are unfortunately injured but I'm not sure why he doesn't play Amrabat ahead of Casemiro who for some strange reason is making basic passing errors. Even sideways passes seem to be off which is unforgivable imo. Amrabat won't be here next season but I don't feel he's been utilised well at all and with Mount on the way back and Mainoo already part of the team, I feel we need to see a midfield 3 of Amrabat, Mainoo and Mount with Bruno in a wide playmaker role. If the aim is to implement more control in possession then a midfield 3 of the aforementioned players has to be given a chance.
We of course require better players in confined spaces and I'm sure we'll improve in that regard come the summer because unlike last summer where the GK and striker positions became priority, I feel this the priority has to be prioritise the deeper midfield areas and at CB with players who will allow us to sustain attacks in the opponent's half. We've bought technical players over the years like Pogba and even Lindelof was said to be a ball playing CB with ice running through his veins.
But what we have actually neglected are players who can operate in large spaces and control transitions against fast breaks. I don't think you can ignore the threat in transition the EPL poses and that threat has to be accounted for. And to account for that threat, I believe we must sign players who are technically good on the ball but without sacrificing the pace and power element which has become so important for teams who want to sacrifice defensive stability for goals and play the game in the opponent's half.
City has Ake, Akanji, Walker and Rodri who are adept at controlling large spaces.
Liverpool have Van Dijk, Konate and Endo who manage to control large spaces. Before that it was Van Dijk, Matip and Henderson, Wijnaldum who formed a 4 man rest defense to nullify the opponent's transitions in a higher defensive line in a 2-2 shape. With the midfielders containing the spaces centrally and the CBs nullifying the threat in the channels on either side.
Arsenal have Gabriel, Saliba and Rice who are strong at containing transitions whilst having the ability on the ball to make a difference. Gabriel isn't the best on the ball but his physicality and athleticism does make a difference.
So I do agree with you that we need players who are good on the ball in small spaces but I'm hoping we compliment those players by also creating a strong foundation behind them with players who have the ability and potential to control the large spaces out of possession. And when we fail to control the game out of possession because our rest defense as a collective doesn't have the pace and power to nullify transitions and we lose control of the game. Then it's assumed we need more players who are technically capable rather than what we actually need is players who have the physical, athletic and technical ability to nullify the opponent's transition and compact space higher up the pitch which makes the defensive, midfield and attacking lines closer to one another.
I want to see us sign players like Neves and even Alan Varela but I hope we compliment those players with players like Lukeba (LCB), Diomande (RCB) and Onana in midfield which will raise the level when it comes to physicality, athleticism and technical ability.
If our new owners are going to plan transfer windows based on appeasing fans then we'd be in big trouble.