Modric

[ThorntonSpur]

it is quite clear to me that the little fella is the key instrument in our relative progress so far under harry boy.

His vision awareness and ability to read the game have him as one of the stand out players this season.

however on saturday at wigan I thought he had possibly his poorest game for spurs this season, which i put down to the postion he was playing.

I have noticed on here when teams are picked for forthcoming games many put modric as the natural replacemetn at wide left if bale is not available especially when also many wonder why nico does not get a game.

for me he has to play in CM or at a push in the supporting role behind one striker but never wide left.

it is a classic example of square pegs round holes when this happens.(now im sure soemone can pluck out a performance at LM which was was good)

But i jut wondered why so many see him as an option as a wide left man when he clearly does his most effective work i t he middle of the park?

I just cannot understand why harry plays him wide left wigan obvious most recent example.

Any thoughts

 

[dav3j]

IMO he works well on wide left with Bale behind him to overlap and provide pace - when Bale does this he can drop in to a more central role. I may be wrong, but isn't this how we played for a while when BAE was out and Bale got his place in the squad back?

 

[dav3j]

I should add though, I agree he should be played in CM.

 

[mabolsa_ritchey]

Id put him wide left in the situation where Bale is unavailable and I wanted to use two strikers. It worked for a lot of last season. Modric is far better than Kranjcar (at everything) but especially in a wide role. Luka has the restraint to keep the width in games better than Niko. If I was to try to accomodate both in the same midfield I would have Niko in the central role with Luka wide.
Although I dont play football manager so I dont think my opinion is valid!

 

[$hoguN]

He has looked fantastic in CM all season and really changed my opinion on his best position. However, if we do want to accomodate Huddlestone back into our side the most obvious way of doing this is playing Modric at LM (giving him a lincense to drift into CM), Bale at LB and Huddlestone next to Sandro in the centre.

Dav3j has it spot on though, this only works if we play an attacking LB who will run past Modric allowing him to drift, otherwise he is somewhat wasted outwide, especially if we do not play Crouch as it takes away his ability to use his skill to beat a man and whip in a cross.

 

[Mr Pink]

Id put him wide left in the situation where Bale is unavailable and I wanted to use two strikers. It worked for a lot of last season. Modric is far better than Kranjcar (at everything) but especially in a wide role. Luka has the restraint to keep the width in games better than Niko. If I was to try to accomodate both in the same midfield I would have Niko in the central role with Luka wide.
Although I dont play football manager so I dont think my opinion is valid!

This isn't actually true, yes he's the better player alright, thats not disputable whatsoever, but I tell you what Kranjcar has more composure infront of goal and has a significantly better shot than Modric...albeit its improving gradually.

Its the one area of his game he should impove on.

 

[Mr Pink]

He has looked fantastic in CM all season and really changed my opinion on his best position. However, if we do want to accomodate Huddlestone back into our side the most obvious way of doing this is playing Modric at LM (giving him a lincense to drift into CM), Bale at LB and Huddlestone next to Sandro in the centre.

Dav3j has it spot on though, this only works if we play an attacking LB who will run past Modric allowing him to drift, otherwise he is somewhat wasted outwide, especially if we do not play Crouch as it takes away his ability to use his skill to beat a man and whip in a cross.

Its certainly an option but we have other options and thats looking at the opposition and depending whether we are home or away for some games, we can mix up the combinations of Hudd, Modric and Sandro for central midfield.

 

[CosmicHotspur]

Modric is class and a key player. I think he is better as a midfield player, rather than playing wide.

I'd love to see him surging forward from that position and scoring a few goals again soon.

 

[$hoguN]

Its certainly an option but we have other options and thats looking at the opposition and depending whether we are home or away for some games, we can mix up the combinations of Hudd, Modric and Sandro for central midfield.

Obviously I would not advocate that selection away to Real or Barca, but at home it is most definently an option for some of our games this season.

 

[dav3j]

This isn't actually true, yes he's the better player alright, thats not disputable whatsoever, but I tell you what Kranjcar has more composure infront of goal and has a significantly better shot than Modric...albeit its improving gradually.

Its the one area of his game he should impove on.

I've often wondered why Kranjcar has never really had a shot at the VdV position, he could score a shedload from there.

 

[felmani26]

Previously, the majority of us viewed our best combination in mdifield as Modric and Huddlestone which came into great effect last season, however with the emergence of Sandro and what he brings to the side, you'd have to say if he continues on his upward trend that he must be included which would then in all honesty be in place of Huddlestone.

To accomodate all three would require a reshuffle of sorts and I would want probably our most influential player in Modric in a position where he can dictate the most which I would say slightly ahead of Huddlestone and Sandro.

In saying that, I am in the camp of supporting having two designated strikers which playing a midifield three wouldn't be a realistic possiblity as I don't see where the width would come so something has to give in order to create the best team shape and not necessarily to include what we deem the best players in placing square pegs in round holes.

 

[$hoguN]

I've often wondered why Kranjcar has never really had a shot at the VdV position, he could score a shedload from there.

Equally the game could pass him by as he is not the type of player who will drop deep and float outwide very often which I guess is the reason Harry has not tried this.

However with our strike force being pretty much awful it wouldn't hurt to give it a try at some point.

 

[Mr Pink]

Equally the game could pass him by as he is not the type of player who will drop deep and float outwide very often which I guess is the reason Harry has not tried this.

However with our strike force being pretty much awful it wouldn't hurt to give it a try at some point.

It certainly wouldn't and he's very dangerous floating around the edge of the box....I would of tried it by now given our drought in the League has been going on for ever.

 

[StartingPrice]

Modric is class and a key player. I think he is better as a midfield player, rather than playing wide.

I'd love to see him surging forward from that position and scoring a few goals again soon.

Going from the look on his face after every failed effort, I would say 'so would he':wink:

I've often wondered why Kranjcar has never really had a shot at the VdV position, he could score a shedload from there.

Which has been debated on here previously...

Equally the game could pass him by as he is not the type of player who will drop deep and float outwide very often which I guess is the reason Harry has not tried this.

However with our strike force being pretty much awful it wouldn't hurt to give it a try at some point.

...and I think this is the answer.

Including the bit about it not hurting to give it a go (c'mon 'Arry!).

Kranks is a talented footballer, he just seem even harder to accomodate than VDV, and no team can afford more than one of those in the line-up.

 

[jazz15c]

The lad (still only 25...years from his peak) is utterly pivotal to our future, and needs to be played in his best, most influential position - CM.

IMO he should not be sold at any cost. He's our Scholes, our Iniesta, priceless.

 

[tooey]

Still has our best performances last year with him absent..........jus' sayin'

 

[ThorntonSpur]

Still has our best performances last year with him absent..........jus' sayin'

which just shows its a team game

 

[Black]

What position does niko play for croatia

 

[defoe18]

sadly an off night against Madrid

 

[agrdavidsfan]

Out Of his depth tonight