Modric maps a future for the old-school playmaker...

[sloth]

Classic No10s such as Riquelme may remain a glorious anachronism in the best Argentinian tradition but Croatia's creative figurehead points the way ahead in Europe. Read more...

Source: the Guardian

 

[nickspurs]

Cheers for sharing. Good read. So pleased we got him.

Keep reading about his frail statue though. Hope Alvarez and Ramos bulk him up in the summer! Protein shakes and whole chickens for breakfast then core strength exercises all morning?

 

[Dan Ashcroft]

Classic No10s such as Riquelme may remain a glorious anachronism in the best Argentinian tradition but Croatia's creative figurehead points the way ahead in Europe. Read more...

Source: the Guardian

I'm quite sure he'll play out left for us in the same way as all the other playmakers in the premiership - Rosicky, Hleb, Arteta, Elano and Malbranque - do. Only with powerful driving playmakers like Gascoigne do you not have to do this in a 4-4-2 IMO. Box-to-box ACMs are essential in the modern game.

 

[yanno]

I'm quite sure he'll play out left for us in the same way as all the other playmakers in the premiership - Rosicky, Hleb, Arteta, Elano and Malbranque - do. Only with powerful driving playmakers like Gascoigne do you not have to do this in a 4-4-2 IMO. Box-to-box ACMs are essential in the modern game.

I'm not very keen on Modric playing wide left when we're defending and then drifting inside when we're attacking - like Arteta at Everton or Krancjar (and D'Alessandro before him) at Pompey.

Call me old-fashioned, but I like my creative playmakers to play centrally - where they can see 180 degrees of the pitch going forwards and pass left, right or centrally. Barca messed around with Riquelme as a LM and he failed there, dismally.

Also, if Ramos did play with Modric at LM, this would be quite a radical change of philosophy for him. His Sevilla team was based on wide midfielders and FBs who would get down the line and cross - Navas, Puerta, Adriano, Capel, Alves etc - rather than cutting inside.

It is possible that he may change system and get the width coming from attacking FBs like Hutton, Gilberto & Bale. Or switch to a 4-2-3-1 with two holding C/DMs like Liverpool with Mascherano and Xabi Alonso.

The Guardian article is interesting in that it confirms that Modric has played as an "all-round" CM for Croatia:

"For Dinamo he plays in the hole but for the national team he's another midfielder, playing in the middle with Niko Kovac," Kranjcar explained. "He showed against England when he played against Barry, Lampard and Gerrard that he can cope in the middle of the pitch against English opposition. I don't think it will be a problem."

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

I'm quite sure he'll play out left for us in the same way as all the other playmakers in the premiership - Rosicky, Hleb, Arteta, Elano and Malbranque - do. Only with powerful driving playmakers like Gascoigne do you not have to do this in a 4-4-2 IMO. Box-to-box ACMs are essential in the modern game.

I would tend to agree with this.

I see Modric on the left, with deeper stronger central midfielders.

 

[DC_Boy]

good find Sloth

I remember quite a few of the JJ bashers barely containing their glee that Modric meant the end of him -I disagreed at the time and disagree still

 

[van_Pommel]

Fascinating article. Nice to read something like this rather than some of the lazy stories you read thease days with journos getting players positions wrong and saying players will be coming in to replace players who do completely different roles.

I reckon Modric will play Steeds role to be honest. The alternatives being that we could change formation and drop a striker, or he could play centrally. If you take a look at Fabregas' role in the Ar5ena1 team, he is their creative outlet, and is by no means a defensive midfielder. He does get stuck though, despite his smaller frame. It is possible that Modric could play this role, but we would probably get overrun by the stronger teams.

 

[tRiKS]

disgusting article. King wasn't "embarrasssed by Riqueleme" England played a diamond but as it was a friendly neither Lampard or Gerard or Beckham pressed hard or high enough. Argies had free runners all over and the one time Riquellem got free centrally was when King had to come across to closed down a break out wide. WE didn't play M for man so riquelleme went very deep and oftern wide to get the ball totally away from King... actually throughout the game Riquelleme was ok but nothing more. and in the second when we pressed them and prevented them getting more than one runner through we were very comfortable. rant over. wanker.

the stuff about Modric as a no.10 mirrors what i said about him before we even signed him and how a signing like that would IMO be more evidence that Berb was leaving as it would be a no.10 with two wingers and a striker in front of him we were planning on. I alos said If we were gonna do that i'd like to see Riqulleme at WHL.

 

[hodspurs]

from the clips on youtube he seems to play from the left side.i expect him to play there for us.

 

[DEFchenkOE]

For me Riquelme is an amazing player and if Modric can get anywhere near his standard I'd be happy. As someone mentioned earlier Riquelme was a failure at Barca because he was played out wide, as soon as he went to Villarreal and was played centrally behind 2 strikers, he played superb and they made the semi-finals of the CL. Even now when I watch Boca Riquelme pulls the strings like only a few players can.

It's true what the article says about classic no 10's being non existent especially in England. Look at players like J Cole, Le Tissier, and I'd even say Bentley now. These guys are real no 10s but are either forced to play on the wing or in Le Tissier's case made to stay at a smaller club as other teams were reluctant to give him such freedom.

On the face of things Modric doesn't seem like a Ramos type of signing so I can only imagine us playing with a different system next season. I really hope he is not forced out wide and can play centrally where he would do most damage.

 

[gavspur]

from what i've seen of Modric, he likes to get down the left wing, and also is hard working enough to come back and help the left back out, plus he aint afraid to get stuck in.. I think, as said, he will take steeds role in a 442 formation, the difference being that Modric is confident/good enough to actually go outside the right back and still get the ball in for the forwards.. He doesn't cut in ala Steed and leave a big gap, in that sense he's a definate leap up in what we already have.. He also gives us options as he can play centrally or off the strikers, seriously, he reminds me of Cruyff, not just looks, but intelligence/awareness/composure and flair..Cant wait to see him in our no.14 shirt as soon as.

 

[Dan Ashcroft]

disgusting article. King wasn't "embarrasssed by Riqueleme" England played a diamond but as it was a friendly neither Lampard or Gerard or Beckham pressed hard or high enough. Argies had free runners all over and the one time Riquellem got free centrally was when King had to come across to closed down a break out wide. WE didn't play M for man so riquelleme went very deep and oftern wide to get the ball totally away from King... actually throughout the game Riquelleme was ok but nothing more. and in the second when we pressed them and prevented them getting more than one runner through we were very comfortable. rant over. wanker.

the stuff about Modric as a no.10 mirrors what i said about him before we even signed him and how a signing like that would IMO be more evidence that Berb was leaving as it would be a no.10 with two wingers and a striker in front of him we were planning on. I alos said If we were gonna do that i'd like to see Riqulleme at WHL.

I love King a lot, but he was cack in that game. One of the top 10 centre halves in the world but an average DM.

 

[chinaman]

The picture of him posted by someone a couple of days back with a pale complexion. And he's been described as frail.

Does any old fan see a John White in him? I certainly won't complain if he would be as effective as our late legend.

 

[robin09]

I'd rather he played centrally with a holding CM alongside. With Steed (or an upgrade) sticking to the wing on the left, with Bale in support. And likewise with Lennon and Hutton on the right.

Maybe its too attacking, but to me it looks better balanced.

 

[remember91]

The article seems to be suggesting that he is the first kind of a new playmaker, i.e. playmakers who also put in the work rate for 21st century football. Wouldn't you describe Paul Scholes as that kind of player, almost a decade before Modric, or even Paul Gascoigne, he was the creative fulcrum of both our side and of the Rangers side and he was never frightened of putting his boot in. I could imagine Modric playing a kind of scholes role alongside someone like Zok, but more likely as a kind of wide playmaker, drifting allover the pitch whilst Hutton/Bale/Chimbonda/Gilberto cover the flanks.