Dissecting the midfield

[Coyboy]

A mostly accurate assessment and an interesting read. I disagree with a few points but in general you seem to have got to the crux of our problems, that none of our midfielders seem to be ideal solutions either individually or as a group to make an effective midfield.

I think you have been a little harsh on Zokora's passing. I see to often people slate his passing ability, but it actually isn't that bad the majority of the time. The biggest worries I have about Zokora are that positionally he can go walk about, defensively he isn't that secure and he panics on the ball. Combine that with a footballing brain that isn't that great he struggles to be effective enough. I also don't think he uses his physical ability enough.

I'm also not sure that Modric can't play in a 442. I watched him pretty closely during the Euro's where he played as many games in a 442 as he has in a true 442 for us this season and he was exceptional. We have to get the balance in midfield right if we play a 442 to make sure that it isn't too flat as Modric has to be able to get into areas further up the field where he can do more damage and we have to get the ball into his feet. I think he can be decent enough defensively although we haven't seen it yet, but he needs to hustle and harry far more. His positioning is intelligent enough that he can always find space and we need to make better use of that to keep possession and move it forward more effectively.

I also think O'Hara's ability is underrated by many. He had a habit of being a bit negative with his passing and going backwards or sideways too often, but he actually has decent technique and a nice left foot. I think sometimes with his passionate attitude he gets mistaken as just being a worker but that is a bit unfair. He is confident at the moment as even though things aren't going well for the team, for him personally he is in a good spell of form. He probably deserves a spot in the midfield in the absence of any better options.

Good post, especially regarding Zokora and O'Hara. I think people think the latter has poor technique and ability and the former is a bad passer because it would fit in with stereotype. Jamie O'Hara is not Paul Scholes and Didier Zokora is not a tremendous passer. O'Hara, though, wouldn't have been called up from the reserves by Ramos if he was just a fighter. Against Burnley, I loved seeing him being passionate but I loved even more his two set pieces which produced goals and his goal, awful keeping acknowledged.

Didier Zokora has too good passing traits which are missed by, I would say the majority of fans. He spreads play well and gets the ball to Lennon, Bentley or whomever is on the wing. He does this with good enough technique. He also has an eye for a good vertical pass but, for whatever reason, we haven't seen that enough. He was best at it in his first season where perhaps he was helped by having the intelligent runs of Keane, and Berbatov less.

As you noted, what Zokora fails on or struggles with when on the ball is the pressure and lack of a innate footballing brain. When he is under pressure in his own half, he is prone to giving the ball away or falling over, sometime legally drawing a foul, sometimes not. This gets fans on his back. Further up the pitch, he has the same problem and yet as it is not in a dangerous area it provokes frustration from fans rather than wrath. What he was doing on Sunday from the far right, trying to score, I do not know. It is a great shame, and deeply ironic, that his pressure easing and skillful runs end with nout because he comes under pressure himself and lacks ideas.

To be fair to him, if he had a creative force near him from a defensive standpoint, he would do a lot better. Makelele was superb, but Frank Lampard was never too far away. Against Burnley, by Harry's admission, we struggled because we made the pitch too big and our players were too far away from each other. If Zokora and Modric are twenty five yards apart with four opposition players in between, passes are going to be incomplete. But if Modric and Zokora, or whatever the partnership is, work together and stay closer together we will do better. Surely a central midfield partnership is like a centre back two or a front two, they have to know each other and be close together.

These partnerships take time and that has been our problem from the get go. We have changed teams a little but Modric and Zokora don't know each other, probably don't speak the same language, Bentley is new, Pav is new, Corluka is new. Everton and Villa have pretty much the same teams as last year.

As for O'Hara, swinging this post back from a wide tangent, I don't have any problems with his ability and think he can only get better. He is not a winger but can do well playing inside on the left or in the middle. I like the idea of playing two out and out wingers, two strikers and Modric but I am not sure that is right currently because of the youth of this team. I would prefer two strikers, Modric, Lennon, O'Hara and Zokora. I think there is enough flair, grit, determination and pace to win games.

 

[Michey]

no skill? BAHAHAHAHA

''lennon backheels a volley into tainio's path.... what a goaaaallll!!!'

Players with skills can do skillful things again and again....otherwise it's called luck.

Lennon has big problems to complete two good crosses in one game. But if it makes you feel better to lie about this...be my guest.