Yaya Toure has been available at times in the past, while others like Lassana Diarra and Alex Song looked at points like maybe they could do the job, but the current crop of players like Mikel Arteta and Jack Wilshere who have been
used in defensive midfield just aren't fit to lace Vieira's boots.
Not exact matches
obviously I would prefer to have a much more suitable alternative
in the
defensive midfielder positions but if they focused more on
defensive end and the occasional long - ball, this would allow Bellerin and Sead ample opportunities to bomb forward on their respective wings while still having enough cover to maintain their
defensive shape... it would likewise allow for overlapping runs on both wings, thereby letting both Sanchez and Perez to cut inside and get shots away
in and around the top of the box with their most dominant feet... if goals were needed I would sub Bellerin for OX and bring Ramsey
in for Elneny then switch to a 3 -2-4-1 (more of a 3 -1-5-1 with Ramsey playing higher up the pitch) and I would only
use Giroud as a sub when the game dictated it for tactical reasons... this would allow us to be a high energy team with incredible link - up play and a much more direct approach
in the offensive end
Coutinho is the real problem for me
in that Liverpool team.He can destroy
midfield strategies.That's why I worry when I see us with no DMF.Years back (14/15) I remember Coquelin back pocketing Coutinho yet it's likely Wenger will bench him for no reason.That guy has so much potential if only he's
used wisely.He has the abilityto mark players out of a game and intercept many passes.I know many of you will call me stupid and say he's average but imagine if Coquelin was
used in a very
defensive sense.Being brilliant tactically is all about producing the best system with the players you have and clearly that's not what's happening.I already lose hope when I see Kolasinac and Bellerin at WB whsn clearly it doesn't suit them.WB's are so important
in a 3 back but clearly we've ignored that.
Unable to make a difference
in a creative forward thinking role and too inconsistent to
use in a holding or
defensive midfield role.
Bellerin and Monreal is always almost on the corner line crossing ball's, we are always leaving defense bankrupt and vulnerable for a take over, by the time Monreal and Bellerin return to their station they have just sprinted the whole of the pitch to make a
defensive tackle sometimes coming
in from behind the player
in our box without giving a penalty or just outside for a free kick which we can not defend set peaces, if we are to
use them some
midfield players have to drop back which is not happening at the moment
Chelsea were spotted
using an unorthodox 4 -2-4 formation during pre-season — a system Conte is yet to deploy
in the Premier League — and Luiz could easily play as a central defender or as a
defensive minded central
midfielder.
Using him
in a position which demanded his
use of his toughness vis - a-vis tackling made for his red cards (though they were not all
in defensive midfield positions.
So wait a minute.Are Arsenal looking for a
defensive midfielder or a box to box player.I'm really disappointed
in Xhaka's defending.He's very good with his long passing but I don't think he's the best option when it comes to box to box.
In Arsenal he's normally
used as the
defensive midfielder particular deep lying playmaker and this actually means that we need someone who is fantastic at attacking and can also do very well defensively so as to compliment for Xhaka's
defensive short comings.Ludo Goretzka is very good defensively from the little I've seen but I don't really know much about his attacking qualities.But I also hope Arsenal does not forget about Mario Lemina.He's a complete
midfielder and to me has the capabilities to be one of Europe's best if given the chance.He can defend very well and attack very well.He's a player Juventus would regret selling.As for Goretzka I know he's very good defensively but have» t seen much of him
in terms of attack.If he's as good as
in attack I'd sign him.
A
defensive minded
midfielder would suit the team
in breaking down the attack and give Ozil license to attack further up the pitch.A tactic
used by Chelsea to force teams into sideways passing.
He pointed out that we had too many
defensive midfielders wanting to bomb forward and leaving space behind for potential counter attack, and if you read between the lines and
use it as a source of info for analysis, you can clearly see he is implying we need to be stronger
in the
midfield by not losing ball possession, pressing more when we don't have the ball and not let ourselves exposed.
This is an incredibly difficult question to answer for a variety of reasons, most importantly because over the years our once vaunted «beautiful» style of play has become a shadow of it's former self, only to be replaced by a less than stellar «plug and play» mentality where players play out of position and adjustments / substitutions are rarely forthcoming before the 75th minute... if you look at our current players, very few would make sense
in the traditional Wengerian system... at present, we don't have the personnel to move the ball quickly from deep - lying position, efficient one touch
midfielders that can make the necessary through balls or the disciplined and pacey forwards to stretch defences into wide positions, without the aid of the backs coming up into the final 3rd, so that we can attack the
defensive lanes
in the same clinical fashion we did years ago... on this current squad, we have only 1 central defender on staf, Mustafi, who seems to have any prowess
in the offensive zone or who can even pass two zones through so that we can advance play quickly out of our own end (I have seen some inklings that suggest Holding might have some offensive qualities but too early to tell)... unfortunately Mustafi has a tendency to get himself
in trouble when he gets overly aggressive on the ball... from our backs out wide, we've seen pace from the likes of Bellerin and Gibbs and the spirited albeit offensively stunted play of Monreal, but none of these players possess the skill - set required
in the offensive zone for the new Wenger scheme which requires deft touches, timely runs to the baseline and consistent crossing, especially when Giroud was playing and his ratio of scored goals per clear chances was relatively low (better last year though)... obviously I like Bellerin's future prospects, as you can't teach pace, but I do worry that he regressed last season, which was obvious to Wenger because there was no way he would have
used Ox as the right side wing - back so often knowing that Barcelona could come calling
in the off - season, if he thought otherwise... as for our
midfielders, not a single one, minus the more confident Xhaka I watched played for the Swiss national team a couple years ago, who truly makes sense under the traditional Wenger model... Ramsey holds onto the ball too long, gives the ball away cheaply far too often and abandons his
defensive responsibilities on a regular basis (doesn't score enough recently to justify): that being said, I've always thought he does possess a little something special, unfortunately he thinks so too... Xhaka is a little too slow to ever boss the
midfield and he tends to telegraph his one true strength, his long ball play: although I must admit he did get a bit better during some points
in the latter part of last season... it always made me wonder why whenever he played with Coq Wenger always seemed to play Francis
in a more advanced role on the pitch... as for Coq, he is way too reckless at the wrong times and has exhibited little offensive prowess yet finds himself
in and around the box far too often... let's face it Wenger was ready to throw him
in the trash heap when injuries forced him to
use Francis and then he had the nerve to act like this was all part of a bigger Wenger constructed plan... he like Ramsey, Xhaka and Elneny don't offer the skills necessary to satisfy the quick transitory nature of our old offensive scheme or the stout
defensive mindset needed to protect the
defensive zone so that our offensive players can remain aggressive
in the final third... on the front end, we have Ozil, a player of immense skill but stunted by his physical demeanor that tends to offend, the fact that he's been played out of position far too many times since arriving and that the players
in front of him, minus Sanchez, make little to no sense considering what he has to offer (especially Giroud); just think about the quick counter-attack offence
in Real or the space and protection he receives
in the German National team's
midfield, where teams couldn't afford to focus too heavily on one individual... this player was a passing «specialist» long before he arrived
in North London, so only an arrogant or ignorant individual would try to reinvent the wheel and / or not surround such a talent with the necessary components...
in regards to Ox, Walcott and Welbeck, although they all possess serious talents I see them
in large part as headless chickens who are on the injury table too much, lack the necessary first - touch and / or lack the finishing flair to warrant their inclusion
in a regular starting eleven; I would say that, of the 3, Ox showed the most upside once we went to a back 3, but even he became a bit too consumed by his pending contract talks before the season ended and that concerned me a bit... if I had to choose one of those 3 players to stay on it would be Ox due to his potential as a plausible alternative to Bellerin
in that wing - back position should we continue to
use that formation...
in Sanchez, we get one of the most committed skill players we've seen on this squad for some years but that could all change soon, if it hasn't already of course... strangely enough, even he doesn't make sense given the constructs of the original Wenger offensive model because he holds onto the ball too long and he will give the ball up a little too often
in the offensive zone... a fact that is largely forgotten due to his infectious energy and the fact that the numbers he has achieved seem to justify the means... finally, and
in many ways most crucially, Giroud, there is nothing about this team or the offensive system that Wenger has traditionally employed that would even suggest such a player would make sense as a starter... too slow, too inefficient and way too easily dispossessed... once again, I think he has some special skills and, at times, has showed some world - class qualities but he's lack of mobility is an albatross around the necks of our offence... so when you ask who would be our best starting 11, I don't have a clue because of the 5 or 6 players that truly deserve a place
in this side, 1 just arrived, 3 aren't under contract beyond 2018 and the other was just sold to Juve... man, this is theraputic because following this team is like an addiction to heroin without the benefits
Much was made about Arsenal's Jack Wilshere being
used as a
defensive midfielder for England's two European Championship Qualifiers last week, but Arsene Wenger is adamant that Hodgson is definitely
using him
in the wrong position.
Wenger shld get a very strong
defensive midfielder to replace Ramsey
in midfield if he wants to be
using OZIL.
Jose Mourinho has been
using Pogba less
in recent games, suggesting perhaps that there's a lack of trust
in the player after his struggles to adapt to a more
defensive midfield role for the Red Devils.
I see our priorities
in the transfer market
using this formation being a new left and right wing back, a center back, a
defensive midfielder and a striker.
My suggestion is that if Sanchez can learn that, he has the potential to do it much better than giroud does because he is faster off the mark and can dribble.he's too honest
in his running so I disagree with those that think it's the set up of the team that failed him.his movement is still a little naive for the premier league Secondly on the left wide argument.Wenger is jamming attacking
midfielder out there so as to provide cover for the
defensive midfielder using two box to box battlers.it only makes sense because we have lots of them and it can be effective if well mastered.the catch is sacrificing a winger for the the attacking
midfielder.if your memory serves you well you'll remember that artetas downward spiral began when teams noticed he was the hub for our possession and started deploying their number 10 to press him.it's been working for ages and can be
used on any
defensive midfielder regardless of the size so You'll end up with your much cried for cavarlho, kedihra, bender, schneiderline, and every other one passing sideways and backward because of the pressure so I personally appreciate the innovative move but Again appeal to Ramsey and Wilshire to take their job more serious.
Used in a variety of different positions
in Arsene Wenger's side, it is not clear if Wilshere truly specialises
in any of them, and it now looks as though he will be allowed to make way as the Gunners eye a more experienced and expert
defensive midfielder.
Wenger has done a wonderful job and should be praised at times, but also should be cuss out when he tampers with his own team, for years this team have suffered due to his negligence of not buying or
using a proper
defensive midfielder, if it was not for the accidental emergence of Coquelin we would be further down
in the table
Of course
midfielders have some
defensive duties and a CF should hassle the oppositions back four but let's
use our chess pieces (arsenal)
in the most effective way.
Also, we know that Wenger has not really agreed with our need for a tough tackling
defensive midfielder, as proved by his
use of Mikel Arteta
in the role.
Sanchez / Welbeck Lacazette I want us to play 4 -3-3 so that we can match Liverpool
in the
midfield as I don't want us to be overrun.Xhaka can't defend and he should not start this match and if possible all other matches for the rest of the season.Coquelin's tackles has caused us to score some goals every single season he's been here and I think we've missed that this season.I just don't know why he's been left on the bench because if paired with the right partner can be
used in a very
defensive sense to great effect.Our team is so poor tactically.
I didn't watch the match last night as I was on the field playing I ran my heels off I was
in their faces I was angry I got a well - deserved yellow and could have been sent off later on I intercepted a good few balls and assisted with 2 goals and won the match From the highlights and the analysis I understand the Arsenal were weak
in midfield the Arsenal needs an enforcer someone just like me a motivator and
in the face of the opponents a thorn
in the side I also believe MR wenger was at fault we all knew we would be weak
in defence the least MR wenger should have had is a strong fresh
midfield after all we had a tough encounter with city + traveling why didn't he
use Rosciky, Carzola and Campbell On a different note I like chamberland stature he is tall and has pace and energy why not adapt him to the
defensive midfield position with clear emphasis to be
in the opponents face The arsenal and Mr wenger need to wake up fast now we have this weekend to prepare for Chelsea if we believe we are title contenders
The Bosnian international is mainly
used as a left back but also has the versatility to play
in any
defensive role as well as
in midfield, so he sounds like a fantastic asset for Arsenal to have.
Wenger has been
using veteran skipper Mikel Arteta
in a holding role which arguably doesn't suit him and failing that has turned to Mathieu Flamini to provide an out and out
defensive midfield option, with the Frenchman some way past his best.
Xhaka, who I like, or at least I like the Xhaka who plays for the Swiss national squad, has shown to be
in way over his head
in the premiership... of course he showed late
in the year that he can stretch the field with the long ball but our squad isn't really set - up for that style of play... most of his long passes are
in the air not on the ground and our squad without Giroud, which should have been sold the minute the transfer window officially opened, is one of the smallest
in England... we need someone who can pick out the runs of our forwards
in the lanes and who is fast enough to come forward into space without conceding his
defensive responsibilities... we rarely see him shoot or even be
in a position on the field to do so, we rarely, if ever, see him
used for set pieces and it appears that the only person at the club who has ever coached him up when it comes to tackling is Coq, which explains his atrocious disciplinary record... maybe it's me but didn't you see him coming
in and contributing more from an offensive perspective, with his killer left foot, than a deep - lying
midfielder... if that wasn't the case we are the stupidest team alive for taking him over Kante
I see Jack Wilshere coming good for us now that we have the semblance of a
defensive midfielder in Coquelin, losing the ball while taking on players wouldn't be as much of a disaster as it
used to be.
The Englishman has been
used in the right - back and centre - back position, Dier has already gained a guaranteed start
in the line - up as a
defensive midfielder.
Today has brought bad news on the Arsenal rumour front as it has been reported that the Barcelona starlet Sergi Samper is definitely NOT on his way to the Emirates, which only goes to show that Arsene Wenger is probably not looking for any extra cover
in the
defensive midfield position, so we will have to get
used to the idea and deal with it.
This would have been an ideal game to
use hayden
in the
midfield with flamini, now we have less
defensive cover, because wilshere is not the solution
in that position
Although maybe the phrase
defensive midfielder is a bit of a misleading one, as Arsenal fans have got
used to the fact that our manager is not all that keen on an out and out
midfield warrior and we only have only had the brilliant and combative Francis Coquelin
in the first team because another injury crisis forced Wenger's hand and then Coquelin proved his worth and made himself undroppable.
The player isn't an out - and - out
defensive midfielder,
in fact, he
used to be more of a no. 8.
He too preferred to
use a
defensive midfielder in front of the back four and the standout under his management was winger Adama Traore.
The Dutchman sees his compatriot playing
in defensive midfield, although he will also
use him at the back as well.
He kept possession as the
defensive element
in midfield and moved the ball on into areas of the field for his more advanced teammates to
use to hurt their opponents.
Mostly
used as a full back
in his career either on right back or left back position but he also played as a winger and
defensive midfielder.
When the opposition have set their
midfield platform Liverpool will press the player on the ball
in defensive triangles
using the Center Forward, Central
Midfielder and Wide Attacker to close down the space.
Fabian Johnson was a notable omission and, with the team crying out for extra energy
in the
defensive midfield areas, more
use could have been made of Danny Williams (recently
in the Huddersfield team that beat Manchester United).
We need new players, y not
use kosh as a
defensive midfielder and buy attacking players
in midfield amd up front
Barca's first statement on Tuesday read: «Although he was originally signed as a
defensive midfielder, he was
used at centre - back to cover for the many injuries
in that area of the pitch and did such a good job that he would go on to play just as often
in that position as he did
in the middle of the park.
Obiang is the best
defensive midfielder that we have had at club for a good few years; as well as breaking up play he
uses the ball well with intelligence and a vision lacking
in our other central
midfield players.
Carlo Ancelotti has probably figured that
using the Ghanaian
in the
defensive midfield position, causes him to lose a fascinating dimension to Chelsea's attacking prowess.
A tough - tackling youngster who can operate as a centre - back or a
defensive midfielder, Hayden started the season as a key player for Hull but has been
used sparsely by the Championship side
in recent weeks.
That exposed my
defensive side of the game (and the start of the end of my playing days) As a gymnast and a martial artist (not too good, but for my size I had to learn the stuff to protect myself), and a basketball player for my highschool, and sprinter (I did 100 mts
in 12 seconds), I won most of the 2 v 1, and almost all 1 vs 1s so they
used me first
in RB and LB, where I had to go forward to get some action, I found myself being
used again
in Left and Right
Midfield.
Danilo brought versatility, too, and has played
in either wing - back position, as a
defensive midfielder, and has even been
used at centre - back
in a back three at City.
He can comfortably fit into a
defensive midfield role when needed and was sometimes
used in that position when José Mourinho was manager of Chelsea.