A playmaker at CM

Lass and Khedira aren't playmakers. It's quite evident. We always lack in that central area because of it.

We need a playmaker there, not a B2B or DM.

I definitely wouldnt mind modric.

I wouldn't mind Banega :=)

though we just gotta wait for Sahin :/

I wouldn't mind Banega either, since he is a madrista, but he lacks consistency. WC class without a doubt though.

Sahin is the answer although if Mou would let Khedira play like he did in Germany he also could provide some. Definitely not lass nor Coentrao. We also need to play Ozil a little more back and coordinate with Alonso & Sahin. Other problems are more passes (than dribbling) from wingers AND Benz has to put the open net shots in.

i think against Levante we were completely dominant for 40 mins that Khedira played
he needs to be a fixture in the line-up and not do stupid things
he is a vital cog and shouldnt be replaced until Sahin comes back

Alonso is playing so far back its puzzling. He could be very creative if he wants to, maybe hes going through bad form. Anyway, we have Sahin, but he is injured. So Khedira is the natural solution, and playing Ozil deeper. Maybe we can even try Granero...

Granero's a bit too slow on the ball.

I would personally move Özil to CM. His style is quite similar to Iniesta so I don't see any reasons why he couldn't play there. Sahin should play next to him in Xavi role. Alonso would sit in front of defense (due to his speed) in the same role that he is doing now, spraying long passes and disrupting opponents attacks. And the point of this post is not to copy Barca's style or say we should play excatly like them. I was just comparing players styles.

Imho, Khedira doesn't bring anything so valuable that he should be guaranteed a starting position. Him, Coentrao and Granero should be the extra legs we sub in at the end of the games. Also, Alonso don't have proper backup which is why I would had kept Gago, but Lass has to do until January.

I dont think Mourinho is good enough of a coach to transform Ozil into a CM, just my 2 cents

Ozil at CM is a waste though. For one, he doesn't have the needed defensive positioning or the stamina to play the spot right now. Second, his offensive style is geared towards handling tight windows and making short to middle-range passes. He would need to add the long passes to his arsenal. Finally, he doesn't have the movements of a CM offensively... you need to keep moving towards the ball holder and offering passing lanes to yourself; that's not his style.

isnt ozil dropping deep the preview of him at cm? i dont think he will do good at cm...

It's not like Ozil scores 30 goals higher up the pitch though. We should keep our passing short possession wise.

mtfootball wrote:It's not like Ozil scores 30 goals higher up the pitch though. We should keep our passing short possession wise.

No, but he creates all the space with his quick passing and distribution. Right now, only Benz is trying to pass in the final 1/3 without Ozil there. CR7 is in his own world right now and Di Maria couldn't hit a parked bus with nothing in front of him, let alone try to be intricate amongst defenders. Ozil being moved low is the biggest reason we struggle offensively right now (in combo with Di Maria's shatiness)

sportsczy wrote:Ozil at CM is a waste though. For one, he doesn't have the needed defensive positioning or the stamina to play the spot right now. Second, his offensive style is geared towards handling tight windows and making short to middle-range passes. He would need to add the long passes to his arsenal. Finally, he doesn't have the movements of a CM offensively... you need to keep moving towards the ball holder and offering passing lanes to yourself; that's not his style.

It's a matter of coaching, if you ask me, he is smart enough to adapt to a deeper role and make use of his passing for the distribution in general. But like everything, you need to work on it.

The manager needs to drill the position in the player, im asking myself if mourinho is the kind to do it, but i dont think he is.

Reminds me of Diego for example, earlier in the summer, AS had infos about Manzano trying to sign him and planning to move into a 433 with Diego as the most advanced CM. By all accounts, Diego is an enganche who likes to stick behind the striker and playmake. He failed to adapt to change in Juventus, and was deemed unnecessary. Well, i watched few of Diego games so far, and he is displaying a very good aptitude at coming deep and picking up the ball, getting the ball moving and etc, while still making forward runs at the entrance of the box to look for a shooting opportunity or to make the final pass. It's working. Why? Manzano is making it happen. Sure he is going to be tested in big games and he is far from mastering the position but i am just trying to highlight that coaching is a huge part of it.

When i say that i have a feeling the team lacks direction, it's because sometimes, you see Ozil coming deep, another time he is way too high, and looks lost even. Well, he can be criticized for being poor, but we can also put the blame on the coach for the lack of directions.

Mou is simply not a purist, and it's showing.

Alonso and Sahin, what more could you want?

Seriously, try playing with our midfield. The most creative ones are Lampard and McEachran. And neither of them are anything compared to what you guys have.

I think many of you are thinking too narrowly when we talk about Özil and CM. Him and Sahin at CM would mean that there would a lot of forward runs from both of them. Those runs would create some unpredictability to our style instead of having Özil in that same space all the time. And while one runs forward other one is there to make through pass. Back in the days Guti was also good at making those runs and through passes. Nowadays Barca does those kind of passes all the time and they cause a lot of havoc with them.

sportsczy wrote:

mtfootball wrote:It's not like Ozil scores 30 goals higher up the pitch though. We should keep our passing short possession wise.

No, but he creates all the space with his quick passing and distribution. Right now, only Benz is trying to pass in the final 1/3 without Ozil there. CR7 is in his own world right now and Di Maria couldn't hit a parked bus with nothing in front of him, let alone try to be intricate amongst defenders. Ozil being moved low is the biggest reason we struggle offensively right now (in combo with Di Maria's shatiness)

When we're attacking he'll still be where he is right now. Except he will have Sahin near him.

kick mars wrote:Alonso and Sahin, what more could you want?

Seriously, try playing with our midfield. The most creative ones are Lampard and McEachran. And neither of them are anything compared to what you guys have.

Meireles isn't bad. Plus you can go for Modric in January or next Summer.

EPL doesn't really rely on technical ability as much as La liga does.

mtfootball wrote:

kick mars wrote:Alonso and Sahin, what more could you want?

Seriously, try playing with our midfield. The most creative ones are Lampard and McEachran. And neither of them are anything compared to what you guys have.

Meireles isn't bad. Plus you can go for Modric in January or next Summer.

EPL doesn't really rely on technical ability as much as La liga does.

Meireles has done well but he is by no means a creator.

We won't go for Modric, he is not needed anymore.

And you guys are calling for Modric and Benega, when Sahin returns, who goes to the bench? You will end up with 2 playmakers sitting on the bench, Coentrao all over again.

It's just a massive waiting to happen, chill out and be patient you guys DO NOT need anymore players.

The difference with Diego is he always had the ability to be a CM imo just he should be the most attacking out of the CMs. Not saying that Ozil can't do it but he is already a good player where he is.

St_Nick09_of_Goal wrote:I dont think Mourinho is good enough of a coach to transform Ozil into a CM, just my 2 cents

Agree 100%. Issue is Mou can't coach nor make any offensive schemes. He brillant when it comes to defensive tactics (and probably motivation), but he should let an assistant work out offensive tactics. You know my 2 cents, the CM they need has been sent to Valencia. Let's just hope we get Sahin playing soon enough before the whole season is blown.

IMO its natural and necessary that Ozil moves deeper. Not a proper CM, but deeper to help the midfield. We cant have four forwards. IMO an Alonso-Sahin-Ozil mid would be simply the best for us, if we can make it work. With Granero, Kaka, Lass, Coentrao backing it up. We have yet to see if such a thing is possible, but I hope for it.

Our tactics need tweaking. It is really time for Mou to step up, a crucial time. Our season and his legacy are on the line here.

@Magricos, What makes you say that Diego always had that ability?