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Morgan Schneiderlin

Chris12

Well-Known Member
Mar 6, 2013
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Got some information today in the ITK thread saying that interested in Morgan Schneiderlin so thought would start thread if ok with A&C.. If not, my apologies..

I have seen people banging the Schneiderlin drum recently and have been wondering why.. Don't know too much about him but what makes him better than our other options such as Capoue or Sandro? Just interested as too why seems to be a popular choice
 

wiggo24

Well-Known Member
Jan 5, 2013
5,091
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http://eplindex.com/28374/morgan-schneiderlin-unsung-hero.html


Also has the most tackles+interceptions overall in the Prem over the last 2 seasons. Underrated, but very good at breaking play up, and then distributing the ball quickly.

If anything, he's technically a better player than Sandro, although not quite as physically powerful.

Will definitely do a very good job imo.
 

CJMurray

****
Aug 3, 2011
3,565
10,563
Waste of time and money. We don't need another DM, we need a CM that can dictate games.

He's a fine player, but would be a stupid signing IMO.
 

Japhet

Well-Known Member
Aug 30, 2010
19,232
57,385
Do what everyone else does - go and watch him on Youtube, then make out you've been watching him for ages.;)
 

Snarfalicious

Well-Known Member
Jul 15, 2012
15,709
71,934
Would love to have him. In my opinion, he's comparable to Sandro in how he defends but with the added bonus of being able to distribute the ball around the pitch quickly and accurately. Very, very good player who can function in many different roles from a central midfield position.
 

mpickard2087

Patient Zero
Jun 13, 2008
21,886
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I presume one of them was me... I think he is a very good player who offers many different things.

Defensively he is very intelligent. His positioning and reading of the game in the centre of the park is good which allows him to break up the play and make a lot of interceptions. He also covers across well for his fullback, who is expected to bomb up the flank and so can get caught ahead of the ball.

With the ball his passing is varied. He is adept at switching play and hitting long range passes, but is also equally comfortable with fast paced one touch stuff. With either foot and with good vision/decision making. He also has the ability to carry the ball and drive forward with it. He is the guy who starts things and moves the ball from the defence, through the middle third of the pitch and forwards into the final third.

Whilst he primarily plays as one of the two sitting midfielders, I have also seen him burst forward at times and make late runs into the box.

Basically he is a very intelligent player who does a lot of things well and has a great balance to his game, in what he offers in attack and defence. I really rate him.

I think personally we are crying out for someone like him. Now, how to use him... I think Southampton had it well set-up with him and a ball winner like Wanyama (so for us, Sandro comes into it nicely)... With the ball, Schneiderlin gets on it and if the opportunity presents itself, can get forward knowing there is still another sitting midfielder to cover. Without it, his defensive work means he can sit and look to intercept whilst the ball winner is free to go and break up play.

Edit: Meant to add, there have been games where through players missing he has functioned as the most defensive midfielder. Whilst he can do this, allowing other more attack minded selections, I think it is better if a ball winner is alongside him.
 
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DaSpurs

Well-Known Member
Jan 20, 2013
11,816
13,655
I presume one of them was me... I think he is a very good player who offers many different things.

Defensively he is very intelligent. His positioning and reading of the game in the centre of the park is good which allows him to break up the play and make a lot of interceptions. He also covers across well for his fullback, who is expected to bomb up the flank and so can get caught ahead of the ball.

With the ball his passing is varied. He is adept at switching play and hitting long range passes, but is also equally comfortable with fast paced one touch stuff. With either foot and with good vision/decision making. He also has the ability to carry the ball and drive forward with it. He is the guy who starts things and moves the ball from the defence, through the middle third of the pitch and forwards into the final third.

Whilst he primarily plays as one of the two sitting midfielders, I have also seen him burst forward at times and make late runs into the box.

Basically he is a very intelligent player who does a lot of things well and has a great balance to his game, in what he offers in attack and defence. I really rate him.

I think personally we are crying out for someone like him. Now, how to use him... I think Southampton had it well set-up with him and a ball winner like Wanyama (so for us, Sandro comes into it nicely)... With the ball, Schneiderlin gets on it and if the opportunity presents itself, can get forward knowing there is still another sitting midfielder to cover. Without it, his defensive work means he can sit and look to intercept whilst the ball winner is free to go and break up play.

Good stuff here.

For me though, I would still like to see him share time with Capoue (assuming Sandro is to be sold) as the designated ball-winner. I think this coupled with a higher energy player capable of getting forward such as Paulinho or Holtby, who aren't poor at defending themselves with their own various abilities (Paulinho reading the dribble, Holtby reading the game), would be immensely effective in terms of possession, mobility, intense press, and dynamic play.

Also, considering the field is so short under such a system, I think it allows the No 6 more leeway to get forward and interact should they desire. Both Capoue and Schneiderlin are very forward-thinking defensive central mids, so I think they'd offer yet another excellent option in ability of getting forward in influencing attack, without really sacrificing much in terms of defense given the nature of the system.
 

SFCS

Well-Known Member
May 17, 2013
598
1,285
Another midfielder and one that doesn't score many at that? Hmm. I think we should be more concerned with selling midfielders than signing them at the moment. A new midfielder would be fairly low down my list of priorities for the summer but hey, I'm no manager.

If he's what Pochettino wants then he's someone we should try hard to get. We missed a trick when AVB signed with not signing Moutinho or Hulk, a player who he's familiar with and one that knows the manager well and believes in him. When 'Arry came in he was allowed to bring in a few Portsmouth players and I think that helped speed up the success we had with him.
 

wiggo24

Well-Known Member
Jan 5, 2013
5,091
36,808
Good stuff here.

For me though, I would still like to see him share time with Capoue (assuming Sandro is to be sold) as the designated ball-winner. I think this coupled with a higher energy player capable of getting forward such as Paulinho or Holtby, who aren't poor at defending themselves with their own various abilities (Paulinho reading the dribble, Holtby reading the game), would be immensely effective in terms of possession, mobility, intense press, and dynamic play.

Also, considering the field is so short under such a system, I think it allows the No 6 more leeway to get forward and interact should they desire. Both Capoue and Schneiderlin are very forward-thinking defensive central mids, so I think they'd offer yet another excellent option in ability of getting forward in influencing attack, without really sacrificing much in terms of defense given the nature of the system.

Agreed, I don't think we'll go for Schneiderlin unless Sandro leaves.
 

mpickard2087

Patient Zero
Jun 13, 2008
21,886
32,512
Good stuff here.

For me though, I would still like to see him share time with Capoue (assuming Sandro is to be sold) as the designated ball-winner. I think this coupled with a higher energy player capable of getting forward such as Paulinho or Holtby, who aren't poor at defending themselves with their own various abilities (Paulinho reading the dribble, Holtby reading the game), would be immensely effective in terms of possession, mobility, intense press, and dynamic play.

Also, considering the field is so short under such a system, I think it allows the No 6 more leeway to get forward and interact should they desire. Both Capoue and Schneiderlin are very forward-thinking defensive central mids, so I think they'd offer yet another excellent option in ability of getting forward in influencing attack, without really sacrificing much in terms of defense given the nature of the system.

I added a bit to the bottom of my previous post. Personally I think him alongside Sandro/Capoue is the best way to go. Capoue shares some similarities to him, but isn't as agile nor can carry the ball like he does. I prefer him in a 'simpler' role, breaking up play (but still having the plus point of being able to pick a pass). Two nominally sitting midfielders (but with different qualities and roles, as I outlined in previous post) allows the fullbacks to bomb forward then. Of course there may be games where we can get away with it and play another, more attack minded centre mid, but for me its better balanced this way.

Holtby I see in the No.10 role competing with Eriksen, I don't know where Paulinho will fit in.
 

Barry Mead

Well-Known Member
Jan 31, 2013
3,083
4,078
Good player but with Sandro and Capoue as DM options and Paulinho as a box to box we need a more attacking, creative player in the mix, really a cm playmaker, it's not about pass rate percentages but seeing and playing the balls forward early. If we are going to get a mid far better a Clasie, Banega, Pastore or a Kovacic depending on quite how attack balanced/creative balanced we want to be
 

DaSpurs

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Jan 20, 2013
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Another midfielder and one that doesn't score many at that? Hmm. I think we should be more concerned with selling midfielders than signing them at the moment. A new midfielder would be fairly low down my list of priorities for the summer but hey, I'm no manager.

If he's what Pochettino wants then he's someone we should try hard to get. We missed a trick when AVB signed with not signing Moutinho or Hulk, a player who he's familiar with and one that knows the manager well and believes in him. When 'Arry came in he was allowed to bring in a few Portsmouth players and I think that helped speed up the success we had with him.

Is it fair to evaluate holding midfielders evaluated on a basis of how many goals they score? And I think you're right, we should be more concerned with selling some midfielders, and I have no doubt the club has already taken steps towards doing so.
 

mpickard2087

Patient Zero
Jun 13, 2008
21,886
32,512
Another midfielder and one that doesn't score many at that? Hmm. I think we should be more concerned with selling midfielders than signing them at the moment. A new midfielder would be fairly low down my list of priorities for the summer but hey, I'm no manager.

If he's what Pochettino wants then he's someone we should try hard to get. We missed a trick when AVB signed with not signing Moutinho or Hulk, a player who he's familiar with and one that knows the manager well and believes in him. When 'Arry came in he was allowed to bring in a few Portsmouth players and I think that helped speed up the success we had with him.

We don't have anyone in the squad who always offers an outlet in the centre of the pitch and can effectively dictate the game from deeper in midfield. I'd have him with Bentaleb (learning his trade) as his understudy for this role.
 

DaSpurs

Well-Known Member
Jan 20, 2013
11,816
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I added a bit to the bottom of my previous post. Personally I think him alongside Sandro/Capoue is the best way to go. Capoue shares some similarities to him, but isn't as agile nor can carry the ball like he does. I prefer him in a 'simpler' role, breaking up play (but still having the plus point of being able to pick a pass). Two nominally sitting midfielders (but with different qualities and roles, as I outlined in previous post) allows the fullbacks to bomb forward then. Of course there may be games where we can get away with it and play another, more attack minded centre mid, but for me its better balanced this way.

Holtby I see in the No.10 role competing with Eriksen, I don't know where Paulinho will fit in.

Fair enough, but I would actually argue against such a setup as balance. People often mistake "symmetry" for "balance," and on a football pitch (especially from the controllers in central midfield), that symmetry can sometimes eliminate balance due to how static it becomes. You became less able to adapt, flex, and roll with the punches as they come at you, and you yourself are far too predictable in such a situation because you've sacrificed more pace and energy.

In fact, I view this use of two holding CM's as a contributor to why Saints lost so many points late. Not enough energy, variability, and pace to close out the game. Poch didn't really have a more effectively disperser of the ball to play in the position, so I believe he made it work to the best of what they had by playing Schneiderlin there and giving him some freedom. There were very strong rumors of him going after Banega in January, so I think it's possible he may have actually intended to rectify this issue.

Holtby will see very little time if he only competes with Eriksen for such a position, but as he himself prefers to play a bit deeper, and in such a high press he wouldn't be too far behind Eriksen in his cameos in the No 8, I think he'd also be very effectively used sharing time with Paulinho in the position.
 
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