- May 20, 2005
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Second of all, you show lack of understanding of the role he occupies. When will people figure out he's not a like for like replacement of Carrick (only a handful of players in the world are...). He's not meant to make searching passes forward or anything other than a 100% pass to safely distribute the ball to our attacking channels. If he plays a ball behind him, it's because there isn't a 100% pass on anywhere else. We can't afford to lose the ball in such a key area by making less than certain passes. Those lateral balls you complain so much about are generally to to our FB's or LM/RM who then make searching runs forward and/or initiate an attack. A damned sight better than just hoofing it forward or trying risky passes just so we can get it forward even quicker.
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But is the type of player you are describing here, really a serious option in a 442 Prem team with top 4 ambitions? It sounds to me like you are describing a Makelele type and i don't really see how such a player can be utilised with any real effect in a 442 formation. Even at his pomp, when at Madrid, Makelele played in a 4132. But to play that way you have to have some pretty special players to play the 3 part (at Madrid Figo, Zidane and Solari). To play a pivot or anchor role in a 442 the DM really has to have the ability to run a game, spread the play with a range of passing and set a tempo etc. If not the team becomes slow and predictable. The last two games surely have to be evidence of that. I don't think we really created or even looked like creating anything in the first half. But when moved a more creative player into the middle and dropped Zokora back things looked better (certainly on thursday at least). I've always said Zokora could play in a 3 CM. I think recently this has been proved right. But i can't see how we can realistically expect to compete with the top sides playing a 442 system with such a limited player at the hub of things.