New CM? Or stick with Mikel and Lamps

[Justin_3d 1,140]

I still say we need Modric.

Can't let him go to Madrid.

Those fools got a bigger squad then us. If they can make space, why can't we?

[Badboy 1,526]

We need Mikel because he gives us much needed stability in midfield. We really need a playmaker in midfield, someone like Montilivo would be perfect !

[Blue Armour 4,459]

I still say we need Modric.

Can't let him go to Madrid.

Those fools got a bigger squad then us. If they can make space, why can't we?

But they do make more money as well.

[Kisho 33]

We need a cm and I would love to see 1 of the 3 below:

1. Sahin- He is young and extremly talented, he is good going forward but needs some work on his defensive game, which one of the best cm can teach him, lamps

.He is a bench warmer at real so him and lamps sharing games will not be a problem. in 2 years or so lamps legs will be tired and sahin should start to peak, it would be perfect. If modric goes to Real then i think we could get sahin for a decent price.

2. Moutinho- He is looking very good in the euro's, he's got speed,skill, good passing ability, and decent defensive ability. one problem he plays for porto.

3. Modric- Excellent player going forward, decent defensive ability. but at 27 he is not young.

All three of these players can be attacking midfieder role or sit in the pivot as deep playmaker role

We need a CM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Matterz 67]

Bastian schweinsteiger anyone?

[Slam Dunk 1,442]

Bastian schweinsteiger anyone?

• I cant see Schweinsteiger leaving Bayern this summer, or ever if I'm being honest.
  
• Spurs won't let Modric go to another PL team.
  
• Madrid are very unlikely to let Sahin go so soon after signing him without him ever proving himself in Spain.
  
• Cabaye seems settled at Newcastle and would command a huge transfer fee.
  
• Moutinho would also command a fee of over £25/30m, which is well overpriced and I doubt Porto would be willing to sell anyway.
  

Personally I foresee another season with Mikel/Lamps as the starters, with Meireles, Ramires, Essien, Romeu and (loan permitting) Josh, rotating in the double pivot role, which I feel is strong enough. Frankly, I don't see anyone who; is available/on the market, or; doesn't come with a huge price tag.

[bababoom 4,478]

• I cant see Schweinsteiger leaving Bayern this summer, or ever if I'm being honest.
  
• Spurs won't let Modric go to another PL team.
  
• Madrid are very unlikely to let Sahin go so soon after signing him without him ever proving himself in Spain.
  
• Cabaye seems settled at Newcastle and would command a huge transfer fee.
  
• Moutinho would also command a fee of over £25/30m, which is well overpriced and I doubt Porto would be willing to sell anyway.
  

Personally I foresee another season with Mikel/Lamps as the starters, with Meireles, Ramires, Essien, Romeu and (loan permitting) Josh, rotating in the double pivot role, which I feel is strong enough. Frankly, I don't see anyone who; is available/on the market, or; doesn't come with a huge price tag.

So there's only 4-5 players in the world that we can buy who plays in that position? I'm pretty sure we're looking at alternatives.

Last year no one was talking about Cabaye as a potential backup to Modric.

[Term-X 7,891]

• I cant see Schweinsteiger leaving Bayern this summer, or ever if I'm being honest.
  
• Spurs won't let Modric go to another PL team.
  
• Madrid are very unlikely to let Sahin go so soon after signing him without him ever proving himself in Spain.
  
• Cabaye seems settled at Newcastle and would command a huge transfer fee.
  
• Moutinho would also command a fee of over £25/30m, which is well overpriced and I doubt Porto would be willing to sell anyway.
  

Personally I foresee another season with Mikel/Lamps as the starters, with Meireles, Ramires, Essien, Romeu and (loan permitting) Josh, rotating in the double pivot role, which I feel is strong enough. Frankly, I don't see anyone who; is available/on the market, or; doesn't come with a huge price tag.

Unfortunately this is what’s going to happen, Hazard being our only major signing doesn’t exactly reek of ambition though does it, considering where we ended up in the league last season. Cabaye turns 27 in January, paying over £20m for him would be insane. We need a Lampard replacement now, he can't be the first name on the team sheet for 38 games, as Meireles must remain a squad player.

[Slam Dunk 1,442]

So there's only 4-5 players in the world that we can buy who plays in that position? I'm pretty sure we're looking at alternatives.

Last year no one was talking about Cabaye as a potential backup to Modric.

I didn't say those were the only players though, did I? I merely commented on the players we've been linked to recently and some of the most common suggestions through the last couple of pages. I'm interested though, who do you see as a viable alternative to the players mentioned above? None come to mind.

Unfortunately this is what’s going to happen, Hazard being our only major signing doesn’t exactly reek of ambition though does it, considering where we ended up in the league last season. Cabaye turns 27 in January, paying over £20m for him would be insane. We need a Lampard replacement now, he can't be the first name on the team sheet for 38 games, as Meireles must remain a squad player.

I really believe that failure to secure a long-term replacement for Lampard could cost us. Obviously it'll be one of the more difficult decisions the club has to make, but it should've been done by now imo.

[Marvin123 539]

Alex Song goes under the radar a lot, sometimes his passing ability amazes me

e set up a sh*tload of chances for Mr VanPersie

[bababoom 4,478]

I didn't say those were the only players though, did I? I merely commented on the players we've been linked to recently and some of the most common suggestions through the last couple of pages. I'm interested though, who do you see as a viable alternative to the players mentioned above? None come to mind.

I agree, good thing you and i are not scouts, eh.

[Matterz 67]

What the fuck is a 'double pivot' role? Guys are just making stuff up, what ever happen to plain old midfielder?

[KonohasOrangeFlash 2,607]

What the fuck is a 'double pivot' role? Guys are just making stuff up, what ever happen to plain old midfielder?

So because you haven't heard of the well known double pivot role, it's made up? Ignorant piece of...

[Spike 12,049]

What the fuck is a 'double pivot' role? Guys are just making stuff up, what ever happen to plain old midfielder?

Unfortunately this is what’s going to happen, Hazard being our only major signing doesn’t exactly reek of ambition though does it, considering where we ended up in the league last season. Cabaye turns 27 in January, paying over £20m for him would be insane. We need a Lampard replacement now, he can't be the first name on the team sheet for 38 games, as Meireles must remain a squad player.

Xabi Alonso was 28 when he joined Real Madrid. I'm not saying Cabaye is at Alonso's level but 27 isn't too old just yet. Anyway the next best bet; Joao Moutinho is 26 soon.

[Kisho 33]

Just give porto 60mil and take hulk and moutinho, moutinho is 25 and is better than cabaye. Then we just need a young talented backup RB

[BlueLyon 9,359]

There needs to be balance in midfield.

Moutinho and Cabaye both play in system

Mvila/Veloso

Cabaye/Moutinho-Nasri/Meireles

No one is actual pivot, but they could play there. Also both are shorter and we need someone stronger and specificaly taller (PL plays high balls lot). Martinez or Witsel would be best along Mikel. But I guess Lamps can play that role for a year with kdb rotating.

Besides Martinez 40mio clause is only for spanish teams, Bayern is ready to spend around 25.

[EskWeston 696]

I think it is safe to assume that RDM will be employing the same formation that he did last season:

RB.............CB..................CB..................LB

..................CM.................CM......................

RW.......................AM.............................LW

.............................CF..................................

The attacking midfield position will be taken up by Mata, Hazard or DeBruyne. The CM positions we have Mikel, Lampard, Ramires, Romeu, Meireles, Essien so i think we are pretty well covered there.

[Kisho 33]

_{and out of all the cm's we have which is a excellent deep playmaker?}

[Matterz 67]

So because you haven't heard of the well known double pivot role, it's made up? Ignorant piece of...

Easy Mourinho, just because I dont play football manager religiously, does not make me ignorant. Ive been watching football for 20 years and this is the first time ive heard of it. And correct me if im wrong but it is just simply a central midfielder who does what a central midfielder is supposed to do which is link play between the defence and attack is it not?

[SeB 1,281]

What the fuck is a 'double pivot' role? Guys are just making stuff up, what ever happen to plain old midfielder?

It's a quite recent evolution in Football, in the past it was common to see teams (Chelsea until recently by example) playing with a midfield where roles are precisely shared between 2 or 3 players: in the case of 2, there's a DM who does the "windshield wiper" role whereas the other plays as a boc-to-box. In the case of 3, there's a real DM feeding another who relays to a third, creative or box-to-box

Double pivot means that there's a two man midfield and that roles aren't really shared. One player is a bit more comfortable defensively and the other, offensively. But the main thing to take into consideration is that both works on their weaknesses at training.

Because modern football can't allow a DM to be rash and untidy in terms of passing, we tend toward more complete players.

It's a bit like the central defense, it's rarer to see an old fashioned partnership between a solid CB, tough defensively etc... and his alter ego who's quicker and reads better the play, who is in charge of the distribution. Nowadays, CB are expected to be at least average in both parts of the play: purely defensively of course but also tactically and in their distribution.

Personally I'm not yet convinced by the double pivot system, especially because modern football is also the emergence of offensive full backs who inbalance the team if nobody except the CB cover them (the axis would be exposed). You expect the two midfielders in a double pivot to work together, cover them mutually ; you can't expect one to stay deep and cover the CBs because in that case, the link between the deep player and the liaison player can't etablish itself. If your double pivot shall stay deep, both players stays deep.

The way England played, the tournament was absolutely decent because they conceided 3 goals. But offensively it was poor because there was no link between Gerrard and Young (players too far on the pitch). Carroll provided to be a target, but with Young and Welbeck who are on ground relays and who likes to be feeded by a midfield (to launch counter attacks, especially Young), they couldn't have the service they needed to produce something decent