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If you were given £15m to spend on one player in January?


lordswoodsaints

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A true box-to-box midfielder. Someone in the Bastian Schweinsteiger mould, an old school central midfielder who can actually link the defence to the attack through the middle of the park, arrive late in the box, shoot from distance as well as get stuck in and win it and give it.

 

The main problem with us at the moment is that we don't have any central midfielders.

 

We have two good defensive midfielders who can't attack and three good attacking midfielders who can't defend.

 

I'd give anything to have somehow screenshotted the moment against Sunderland with about 15 minutes to go when our shape/formation LITERALLY changed to a 5-0-5 as Schneiderlin won the ball and immediately rolled it back to Fonte with no pressure on the ball or any real reason to hit it long. Immediately Cork and Schneiderlin dropped back to receive a square ball and Ramirez/Punch/De Ridder just ran up level with Lambert with no-one taking any real creative responsibility. Obviously the ball was hit long and Sunderland quickly regained possession in the middle of the park with no pressure on the ball.

 

Footballing "courage" isn't just about effort/running around and putting your body on the line when winning the ball back, its also about everyone in the team taking responsibility to use the ball as constructively as possible going forward. We need a real leader in central midfield who can do this. Possibly even more than a centre-back.

 

Like I've said previously, if we concede the opening goal against Fulham tomorrow, the stats so far say that 8 times out of 9 we've already lost the game.

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Michael Carrick although he would never come. Great passer of the ball & would add a wise head and steel into the midfield. There is a massive mis conception that he just passes the ball sideways, not the case!

 

Yeah, sometimes he passes it into touch too.

 

For me it'd be Shawcross. Very solid, strong and a massive threat from set-pieces. Just what we need imo.

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We have two good defensive midfielders who can't attack and three good attacking midfielders who can't defend.

 

Morgan has a decent brain on him, he can attack. Remember him popping up on a few occasions this year inside the box, he's got a couple of goals and even a couple of assists IIRC. He's shown a bit of variety to his game this year.

 

But what you describe is pretty much par the course in any team. Attacking midfielders, and defensive midfielders. Some attack, some defend - all rounders are rare, and are at the big, big clubs. (i.e Yaya Toure). What most teams at our level do is have 2 of each, and alternate them around to suit the situation and game.

 

If anything, we need another defensive midfielder who has a bit of baulk about him. Other than that we're fine there, we've got the ''crafters'' and the passers in there.

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No that's wrong, we know they can attack, we've seen them do it, the Manager does not want them to attack therein lies the problem

 

I wouldn't call it a problem though, if anything it's part of our new-found defensive solidity.

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I've heard good things about Simon Kjaer, although reading recent reports it may be possible to get him for less than £15 million. Apparently unsettled at Wolfsburg, 6'2'', centre back and he's only 24. Any centre back for £15 miillion would do, as I figure that's the position that most concerns me. Ryan Shawcross for £15 million? In today's market that would be cheap.

 

As has been said, I'd rather split that £15 million and buy 2 or 3 players, but that's not what the OP asked.

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I would sign a top striker as a Lambert replacement - would need to be strong, good with both feet, an aerial threat and above all else very mobile. Someone like Michu. If there's money to spare, then a CM in the mould of Yaya Toure would be superb.

 

Diame would have been perfect. Like Michu we had our chance and blew it, especially having been promoted a month or so earlier than West Ham.

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Man U are sniffing around, Celtic will wait until they come calling.

 

Wasn't he loaned to Celtic from Newcastle last season? Wonder how much Celtic paid to make it permanent, bet Newcastle are kicking themselves as it won't be anywhere near what props are saying he's worth now

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