Two central midfielders conundrum

[RiddingsRam]

So it looks as though this is the way we're going to go for the foreseeable future . I briefly discussed this what @sage on another thread , but who do you feel our best midfielder pairing would be ? What qualities are vital for a two man midfield ? It's hard to see sometimes because we've been so used to a 3 . Plenty of teams have done it with great success in all sorts of combinations . 

[Angry Ram]

Hughes and Bryson..

[cannable]

If we're looking to dominate possession then Hughes and Thorne. If we're looking to soak up pressure and break I'd probably say Bryson and Johnson. 

[RiddingsRam]

For me the way we seem to set up , bryson and johnson would make a good pairing with will played in the role behind Vydra, were he can make things happen . 

[North East Ram]

Hughes and.....

[BranstonRam]

Hughes and Bryson for me. But think Johnson needs a run in the team. Was it this time last year he was unstoppable? 

[sage]

In the other thread, i cam up with a formula for qualities needed.

Both players need to be mobile, with at least one having an excellent engine, I would also suggest they need to be relatively strong,

Between the 2 of them, one needs to be decent in the air, one needs to be able to defend, one needs to be a good passer (the other one must be ok) and one needs to add goals to the game. Yes, i know that adds up to 4 but the players need multiple skill sets.

I would rate our CMs as having the following abilities. 

 

Hughes - Mobile but not a real runner, good passer, ok defensively,

Bryson - Good engine, scores goals. Not good aerially not great defensively,

Butterfield - scores goals, passes well, Not mobile not good defensively or aerially, Not a runner. 

Johnson - Strong, mobile but not a real runner. Scores goals, good aerially, Can't pass, not great defensively.

Thorne - Good passer, decent in the air and defensively. Can't run. Scores very few goals, Very good ones, but very few. 

 

Doesn't look good.  

 

[Ram a lamb a ding dong]

5 minutes ago, sage said:

In the other thread, i cam up with a formula for qualities needed.

Both players need to be mobile, with at least one having an excellent engine, I would also suggest they need to be relatively strong,

Between the 2 of them, one needs to be decent in the air, one needs to be able to defend, one needs to be a good passer (the other one must be ok) and one needs to add goals to the game. Yes, i know that adds up to 4 but the players need multiple skill sets.

I would rate our CMs as having the following abilities. 

 

Hughes - Mobile but not a real runner, good passer, ok defensively,

Bryson - Good engine, scores goals. Not good aerially not great defensively,

Butterfield - scores goals, passes well, Not mobile not good defensively or aerially, Not a runner. 

Johnson - Strong, mobile but not a real runner. Scores goals, good aerially, Can't pass, not great defensively.

Thorne - Good passer, decent in the air and defensively. Can't run. Scores very few goals, Very good ones, but very few. 

 

Doesn't look good.  

 

On that basis looks like we better get Barton on the blower.

[Philmycock]

Clayton & Leadbitter or

Kante & Drinkwater,

...over to you Mel, get your chequebook out again

[rammieib]

We don't have two good centre mids who can pass, run, challenge, dominate and control a game.

Any manager since Clough has seen this - I hope Pearson does and either addresses it with the formation (unlikely) or the personnel.

[jono]

9 minutes ago, sage said:

In the other thread, i cam up with a formula for qualities needed.

Both players need to be mobile, with at least one having an excellent engine, I would also suggest they need to be relatively strong,

Between the 2 of them, one needs to be decent in the air, one needs to be able to defend, one needs to be a good passer (the other one must be ok) and one needs to add goals to the game. Yes, i know that adds up to 4 but the players need multiple skill sets.

I would rate our CMs as having the following abilities. 

 

Hughes - Mobile but not a real runner, good passer, ok defensively,

Bryson - Good engine, scores goals. Not good aerially not great defensively,

Butterfield - scores goals, passes well, Not mobile not good defensively or aerially, Not a runner. 

Johnson - Strong, mobile but not a real runner. Scores goals, good aerially, Can't pass, not great defensively.

Thorne - Good passer, decent in the air and defensively. Can't run. Scores very few goals, Very good ones, but very few. 

 

Doesn't look good.  

 

For me it's Hughes and our new skandi midfielder Butjohnthornson 

 

[cannable]

Sad how our strongest asset, our midfield, has become an area desperately in need of addressing. 

[jono]

It would be a lot clearer if we had a natural right winger. 

[Millenniumram]

Johnson and Hughes- imo we need a balance of creativity going forward and someone to break up the play and start off attacks and since Thorne isn't fit the best option for this is Johnson- but once Thorne is fit he must come back in

 

[LeedsCityRam]

Bit of a no-brainer for me - Hughes & Johnson. We need a strong midfielder who can sit in front of the back 4, play it simple & break up play but more importantly, release Hughes to do his most effective work up the pitch. Leeds fans I speak to think defensive midfielder was Johnson's strongest position & are bemused by his recent conversion into a box to box midfielder.

Got a lot of time for Craig Bryson but he's just not the right foil for Hughes in a 2 man centre midfield & on the basis that Hughes is our most creative outlet, he has to be the fall guy.

[barnsley ram]

7 minutes ago, Millenniumram said:

Johnson and Hughes- imo we need a balance of creativity going forward and someone to break up the play and start off attacks and since Thorne isn't fit the best option for this is Johnson- but once Thorne is fit he must come back in

 

i wonder why np doesnt listen to the learned tactical pundits on here, or does he find it amusing how they congratulate each other on how they can pick a team

[TroyDyer]

You either need two CMs that can defend and attack, and are disciplined enough to sway, or you need a CDM and a CAM. Personally I think we need the latter. For all of Bryson and Hughes's attempts are discipline, eventually they get caught up field and we end up in trouble. Ipswich goal was prime example. Yes the defence should have stopped the shot, and Carson should have saved it, but the gap between defence and midfield was exploited. 

How we never got a CDM in August is beyond me. 

[Millenniumram]

11 minutes ago, barnsley ram said:

i wonder why np doesnt listen to the learned tactical pundits on here, or does he find it amusing how they congratulate each other on how they can pick a team

Well until Pearson has actually managed to win some games for the team, I remain totally unconvinced by his team selections- particularly in midfield considering how often the opposition cuts us open. This is a forum, a place for debate and we're just discussing our opinions on what we can do to solve our problems, just like I hope Pearson is trying to do- just because Pearson is a football manager doesn't mean he doesn't make mistakes that people on here would know how to sort, rather that he has gotten this far because, supposedly, he doesn't make many of those mistakes, which those on here probably would- given his job.

[RiddingsRam]

The thing is you can't have the perfect balance and every attribute covered . Especially at this level . There needs to be some compromise . 

[Anon]

18 minutes ago, barnsley ram said:

i wonder why np doesnt listen to the learned tactical pundits on here, or does he find it amusing how they congratulate each other on how they can pick a team

I genuinely reckon that a majority of the forum would've gleaned more than 6 points so far. Even if that's total ********, do you realise what the purpose of a football forum is? There wouldn't really be many threads if we all decided not to post our opinions because we have no professional experience.