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Two central midfielders conundrum

RiddingsRam

By RiddingsRam
in Derby County Forum

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Anon

Anon

Posted
Posted
1 hour 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.  

 

That's frightening to look at. We simply don't have players who benefit from playing in a midfield 2. Hendrick was the strongest candidate for a 2 man midfield, but he's gone. I'd say Johnson is the next best suited, but his form has been in the toilet for 8 months and shows little sign of improving.

If it absolutely has to be 4-4-2 I'd go with Hughes and Johnson.

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i-Ram

i-Ram

Posted
Posted
6 minutes ago, valleyram said:

It will be bryso and one other , I'd prefer Johnson sitting in front of back 4 with Will n Bryso 10 yards further forward , I just don't understand why it's not happened already , but I'm sure big nige will read this and change the shape of the team !! ?

You look after that eye of yours Valley.

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Van der MoodHoover

Van der MoodHoover

Posted
Posted
1 hour 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.  

 

You've just done more in depth analysis right there than it looks as though our management team managed all summer.

And that is why we are in a bit of a pickle. 

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Matt_DCFC

Matt_DCFC

Posted
Posted

Personally, I'd prefer it we went back to a three man midfield as I think that's what suits our players best. However, if we're to stick with a two man midfield I always think the midfielders need an element of being fairly well-rounded. Now I don't necessarily mean a pure jack of all trades, but a) a defensive minded player who can chip in while attacking and b) an attacking minded player who can chip in while defending. For me that leaves the following combinations:

Thorne + Hughes

Johnson + Hughes

Thorne + Bryson

Johnson + Bryson

I'd personally love to see Thorne and Hughes in the middle, but that depends on how well Thorne comes back from his injury - hopefully he can get fit this year and really kick on!

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lrm14

lrm14

Posted
Posted

We have the attacking minded players for a two man midfield but we don't have any of the defensive minded ones. Thorne isn't mobile enough and Johnson has 0 defensive awareness, his only defensive strengths being he can run around a lot and he's strong. If we want to persist with a two man midfield (which I really don't) we need to sign someone in January, otherwise we're always going to be either too lightweight or too immobile defensively.

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Sparkle

Sparkle

Posted
Posted

Based on effort and ability Hughes and Bryson by a country mile ( Thorne would be considered but he is hardly ever fit and hasn't played for us really in a two)

that said we generally get over run in midfield this season which is why Hughes and Bryson are not able to show their qualities better.

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TroyDyer

TroyDyer

Posted
Posted

Sad truth is that if Thorne is still using crutches, as has been mentioned, then that could be that. 

I wasn't using crutches 4 months later and my leg was hanging off and fixed by the national horror service. 

If he isn't anywhere near showing signs of coming back, that's worrying. 

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Ninos

Ninos

Posted
Posted
11 hours ago, LeedsCityRam said:

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.

Agree. Johnson may never have the playmaking ability of George Thorne in that role but he could be very special there. johnson is a player I enjoy watching because although he makes errors, he's fierce, dominant in the air, and the opposition can never handle him. 

I do think that all those 3 need to be playing though, and Pearson should fit a system around them. 

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May Contain Nuts

May Contain Nuts

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Ninos said:

johnson is a player I enjoy watching because although he makes errors, he's fierce, dominant in the air, and the opposition can never handle him. 

They had very few problems handling him last season. 

When not in possession - Let him have the ball as much as possible, wait for him to **** up, take possession and run at us.

When in possession - apply the most basic of pass and move play, watch as he attempts to chase the ball (but doesn't have the acceleration to get anywhere near it), showing a lack of discipline and taking himself out of position, pass it around him and run at us.

BJ is no DM, he may have been when younger and lighter, but no more.

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RadioactiveWaste

RadioactiveWaste

Posted
Posted

I got the impression when we signed him he qas a bit of a "Bucko" type of figure in tge Norwich team. 

Perhaps more than ability, he might bring that to the side, its certainty something they coukd do with. 

Id be tempted to go hughes johnson, but Bryson doesnt deserve to be dropped at present. However, hes not a lot of book i ngs away from letting brad back in. 

 

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