Koke

[MrBlueGuy 1,552]

Might as well get Tiago, Arda Turan and Griezmann too while we're at it. Atletico de London?

Would become the best defensive team in football history 1st team in history to win every single competition without conceding a single goal

[The Chels 2,502]

Would become the best defensive team in football history 1st team in history to win every single competition without conceding a single goal

Courtois

Azpi Godin Terry Luis

Cesc Matic Koke

Turan Costa Hazard

Tiago to alternate with Cesc depending on opposition (and time of year ) and Griezmann with Arda Turan. Make it happen Roman!

[supporter 3,088]

I think you guys value the workrate of Koke, I do too he seems to be the type of guy who will do whatever the team asks of him. My problem is I don't think Fabregas and him give us enough pace and strength to work a midfield 3 effectively. He can pick a pass and is decent in counter attack but he isn't exceptional in possession and doesn't really offer the type of pace that I think Jose values in the midfield.

We're not gonna be able to sign both Pogba and Koke and for my money Koke doesn't offer enough both ways. For the money he's not a perfect Jose player like Pogba is.

Hi friend!

I repeat, whether we signed Pogba as if we signed Koke I will be very happy. They must be our priority objectives for the midfield.

It is true that Pogba is a player tailor made to Mourinho. Perhaps the biggest problem is its price.

I prefer Koke because this season we have had many problems to bring the balloon from behind and have also had problems with the speed of the movement of the ball with very slow and predictable possessions.

Another factor that makes me opt for Koke is that we have Ruben Loftus-Cheek and signing of Koke would be complementary to RLC.

Although I agree with everything you say about Pogba, but I get the feeling that this summer many teams are going to bid on it and his final price will be the most high. It would be a shame to stay without a player like Pogba because he will be one of the best players in the next decade.

Regards.

[DH1988 1,198]

The reason I want to sign Koke other than my views on Pogba.

Matic

Koke-Fab

Even Fabregas says he prefers playing deeper but its a learning curve for him, yeah dip in form this late in the season but he's miles above expectations from when we signed him, I had my doubts. With Koke in the middle with him I think it will provide so much more tandem and freedom, not freedom in the sense of go where ever you want because this is a Jose team, but alot more flexibility in the middle of the park.

At the moment the bigger teams stick a man onto Fab and its essentially 50% of our creativity gone, then the other 50% gets kicked off the park = Eden.

[chrismada9 1,948]

Sell Oscar and get this guy.. I think him and Fabregas would work as well as Xavi and Iniesta at Barca!

Like Clockwork!

[lionsden 4,689]

Koke or Veratti would do. The latter, as much as I can't stand him, would be my first choice as he's more suited to our needs as he's by far the best DLP in the game now that the old guards Xavi,pirlo et al are literally on their way out and Modric hasn't played much footie this season thanks to injuries. nevermind how extremely scarce this sort of players are.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

The reason I want to sign Koke other than my views on Pogba.

Matic

Koke-Fab

Even Fabregas says he prefers playing deeper but its a learning curve for him, yeah dip in form this late in the season but he's miles above expectations from when we signed him, I had my doubts. With Koke in the middle with him I think it will provide so much more tandem and freedom, not freedom in the sense of go where ever you want because this is a Jose team, but alot more flexibility in the middle of the park.

At the moment the bigger teams stick a man onto Fab and its essentially 50% of our creativity gone, then the other 50% gets kicked off the park = Eden.

This is true but there is no question that on the flip side of things that midfield you've constructed is too slow to deal with teams who can run at us and play football. Koke gets after it but he's not exactly a box to box midfielder and that is PRECISELY what is needed next to Fabregas for him to be given freedom. Pogba is without question the perfect buy for this midfield and not only because he scores goals.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

Koke or Veratti would do. The latter, as much as I can't stand him, would be my first choice as he's more suited to our needs as he's by far the best DLP in the game now that the old guards Xavi,pirlo et al are literally on their way out and Modric hasn't played much footie this season thanks to injuries. nevermind how extremely scarce this sort of players are.

Modric...

[lionsden 4,689]

Modric...

"and Modric hasn't played much footie this season thanks to injuries" I acknowledged him in that post

[Bir_CFC 3,455]

Koke or Veratti would do. The latter, as much as I can't stand him, would be my first choice as he's more suited to our needs as he's by far the best DLP in the game now that the old guards Xavi,pirlo et al are literally on their way out and Modric hasn't played much footie this season thanks to injuries. nevermind how extremely scarce this sort of players are.

I don't rate Veratti at all. Not even on the same planet as Koke. He gets babysat by Matuidi and Motta like how Matic does for Cesc. Cesc and Veratti in the same midfield will get dominated, way too weak.

And he plays in a 3 man midfield while we only play 2 and he's nowhere near dynamic enough to play in a 2 man mid.

DLP isn't a good idea in a 2 man midfield, you want dynamism if you're only playing with 2.

Koke or Pogba are best options imo. And if we're going to switch to 3 then I rather give some freedom to Cesc instead of Veratti.

[chrismada9 1,948]

I could see this working next season (including Hummels in this side because I feel we should sign him since we are severly lacking a gritty centre back, probably a much better option I feel than Varane, who is insanely priced at £40m, and will probably be as much of a donkey as Mangala has been at Man City)...

---COURTOIS---

---IVANOVIC---HUMMELS---CAHILL/TERRY---AZPILICUETA---

---MATIC---

---KOKE---FABREGAS--

---WILLIAN----------------------------------HAZARD---

---D. COSTA---

I've made this look like the Barcelona set-up because this is demonstrating what our midfield could look like if we had two creative central mids in Koke and Fabregas operating in the middle, while having a solid DM covering the back four. Koke and Fabregas can operate freely, just like the sort of flow that Iniesta and Xavi had/still have at Barcelona. It looks menacing, yet slick, and we should leave the defensive duties in midfield to Matic, since we already know his strengths in that position.

Matic is like an Ox, he can shrug the ball off anyone on his own, effortlessly.. and re-create play (remind you of anyone? .. French and wore number 4? DID play under Mourinho and won us 2 titles? has a position named after him because he was so good at it?). If we have two mids playing deep, it makes it seem like we're playing too defensively, which is fine, but we also need a bit more creativity. Yes we have Hazard and Willian, but I feel our side relies too much on them to make runs and create, and it feels as though our middle isn't doing enough (pointing towards Oscar in this sense).

Oscar has to be a profitable casualty this summer, if this ends up being our approach to games next season, because as I have explained numerous times.. A ) he lacks a football brain; and B ) when you consider other clubs who bear gritty midfielders, Oscar is lightweight compared to these, and in a physical league like the BPL, players that are too lightweight struggle to operate. I'm not saying it happens the entire season, but during times when points needs to be gained, and trophies need to be won, the pressure can get to players like him at times, and bigger players can mark him completely out of the game.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

"and Modric hasn't played much footie this season thanks to injuries" I acknowledged him in that post

I have no idea how i didnt notice that

Still, injuries or not, Modric is better playmaker no matter how you look at it ATM.

[Siwy_CFC 7]

This move make sense if we'll start to play by 4-3-3 formation with 2 good ball operators in shape of Cesc and Koke, thats mean Hazard and second winger(Willian? or i hope Sterling?) will have more ease in front but it's mean we play offensive football and i dont think that Jose is in to do this. In my opinion if we change formation it will be 1 def mid (Matic), 1 playmaker (Cesc) and 1 B2B (Ramires/Khedira?)

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

This move make sense if we'll start to play by 4-3-3 formation with 2 good ball operators in shape of Cesc and Koke, thats mean Hazard and second winger(Willian? or i hope Sterling?) will have more ease in front but it's mean we play offensive football and i dont think that Jose is in to do this. In my opinion if we change formation it will be 1 def mid (Matic), 1 playmaker (Cesc) and 1 B2B (Ramires/Khedira?)

Ramires is not a B2B, and as seen vs QPR once Oscar replaced him, he completely debalances the midfield.

I know Jose won't like it but maybe he just needs to trust RLC.

[didierforever 7,349]

people underestimate how good koke is defensively!!!

[Waterfall 893]

And people underestimate how much he loves Atletico. This guy ain't leaving.

[nadavTKL 1,787]

And people underestimate how much he loves Atletico. This guy ain't leaving.

So you think people should stop talking about him here because it's possible he won't leave? I think we all know that.

[didierforever 7,349]

And people underestimate how much he loves Atletico. This guy ain't leaving.

he has a buy out clause. if we trigger that, he will have to leave ATM. if not, he WILL, end up at barca which will be way worse.