Would we benefit from selling Modric this summer?

[mpickard2087]

I don't understand why Modric is being scapegoated. The problem is, as DefchenKo said, he is being played in the wrong tactical way. He isn't a holding midfielder or a water carrier, but that is the job he is being asked to do every time Redknapp plays a 4 man midfield. This problem is exacerbated when the wide players are Bale and Lennon - who Redknapp acknowledged last week "can't play the system".

When the alternative's are Livermore or Huddlestone, you seriously want to sell Modric ? Fuck in hell.

How easy do you think it will be to replace a player of Modric's ability ? I think you are all suffering from a touch of "take what you have for granted".

If we go back to 4231/433 we would start to see the best of the little fella, as well as those around him.

I dunno about anyone else but from my perspective the last few weeks he has looked disinterested when out on the pitch for us. His performance levels have noticeably dropped, I havent seen the stats but just from watching the games I would say he is seeing less of the ball and making less passes. And then when it comes to battling in the middle of the park, something he isnt very good at anyway, it seems non-existant right now with minimal effort.

I agree the formation is asking for trouble and it isnt right for him, but that shouldnt excuse his lack of effort and the demeanour that IMO he is giving off. Whilst im stopping short of saying he should be sold, I do think dropping him should be seriously considered, if only to give him a kick up the backside.

 

[teddyboy]

Its a tricky one - but he definitely went missing yesterday, and in a number of games prior to the semi-final. He might as well have had a blue shirt on yesterday...

For all his quality he doesn't score enough goals for me. I guess I would be happy to take £35m+ and see what else is out there...

I'd also be happy for the club to have a stern word with him, something along the lines of Joe Jordan telling him; "you're fucking going nowhere son - its about time you fucking put a shift in or I'm gonna fuck you up pal".

A bit extreme I know but I just can't understand why some players can be so lackluster...

 

[mattyspurs]

But what's the point BC if Harry isn't going to play that system on a regular basis? (forgetting England for the moment)...

Yes, he definitely needs to be part of a three, but I don't think he wants to be here regardless next season...he has the look of a player who doesn't give a fuck about our current plight.

I still think Harry thinks that 4-3-3 is best when we are low on confidence and he's trying to grind results out, its the only plausible explanation as to why he's deviated away from it again. He's still associating it with being negative.

I make BC right here Mr P. it's very hard to look as if you are giving a fuck when you are being played in a position that is blatantly not in your make up week in week out. He is not defensive minded. We have known that for three years, why are we turning on him now for this.

I'd be extremely pissed off if I were him, one week I'm being played in a position that's gonna get the best out of me, then I'm being played in a position that is not in my game at all.

It's gotta be difficult for the little fella. I'm not obsolving him here from any criticism, but let's look at what he is being asked to do.

 

[mpickard2087]

I make BC right here Mr P. it's very hard to look as if you are giving a fuck when you are being played in a position that is blatantly not in your make up week in week out. He is not defensive minded. We have known that for three years, why are we turning on him now for this.

I'd be extremely pissed off if I were him, one week I'm being played in a position that's gonna get the best out of me, then I'm being played in a position that is not in my game at all.

It's gotta be difficult for the little fella. I'm not obsolving him here from any criticism, but let's look at what he is being asked to do.

But he has played in a midfield four many times before for us and put in the performances and not given any indication of being annoyed/fucked off about playing there.... so why kick off now?

 

[nav007_2000]

Modric is good at keeping possession but attacking wise, his end product is poor. VDV would be better suited in that role and to be honest I would give Kranjcar a run out for the next 5 games

 

[Mr Pink]

I make BC right here Mr P. it's very hard to look as if you are giving a fuck when you are being played in a position that is blatantly not in your make up week in week out. He is not defensive minded. We have known that for three years, why are we turning on him now for this.

I'd be extremely pissed off if I were him, one week I'm being played in a position that's gonna get the best out of me, then I'm being played in a position that is not in my game at all.

It's gotta be difficult for the little fella. I'm not obsolving him here from any criticism, but let's look at what he is being asked to do.

Matty I'm in total agreement that he's best deployed in a three but hold on a minute. There was nothing wrong with his desire in the early part of the season when we were playing 4-4-1-1 and he was still running quite a few games in that set up. I think we need to be careful here, yes he's best in a three but to make out that he has never had an influential game in anything but is seriously misguided.

 

[Kingstheman]

Modric is good at keeping possession but attacking wise, his end product is poor. VDV would be better suited in that role and to be honest I would give Kranjcar a run out for the next 5 games

Point of order, Niko is out for rest of the season.

 

[EastLondonYid]

Hes pining for charlie .......ponce.

 

[felmani26]

Well after Harry saying how he wants 11 committed players now till the end of the season, it will be interesting if he picks Modric at QPR this weekend.

Personally, I would still choose him because we actually need him if we are to finish on a high at retain a Champions League spot - no point cutting our noses off at this crucial stage.

 

[Mr Pink]

Well after Harry saying how he wants 11 committed players now till the end of the season, it will be interesting if he picks Modric at QPR this weekend.

Personally, I would still choose him because we actually need him if we are to finish on a high at retain a Champions League spot - no point cutting our noses off at this crucial stage.

Pick him, but only if we go 4-3-3 - which we bloody better.

 

[felmani26]

Pick him, but only if we go 4-3-3 - which we bloody better.

That goes without saying!

 

[EastLondonYid]

Do you think the likes of Fergie wouldn't have dropped him by now, even your star men need a kick up the arse when they are clearly fannying about....all this formation crap is bollocks, he has been consistantly poor for weeks.

 

[ShelfSide18]

Not in a million years would it benefit us. I don't really know what else to say.

 

[brasil_spur]

£35m+ for Modric seems like an amazing deal based on his current form.

I also think that as long as we have Redknapp in charge, having Modric does cause us tactical/formation problems.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Matty I'm in total agreement that he's best deployed in a three but hold on a minute. There was nothing wrong with his desire in the early part of the season when we were playing 4-4-1-1 and he was still running quite a few games in that set up. I think we need to be careful here, yes he's best in a three but to make out that he has never had an influential game in anything but is seriously misguided.

Nobody has ever said he hasn't ever had an influential game in a 4 man midfield. But those games are usually softer games at WHL. How many great games has Modric had against top teams or away from WHL in a midfield 4, especially with Bale and Lennon in that midfield 4 as well.

This is all about Redknapp not making the right use of the resources on offer because he's trying to shoe horn what he believes is all the "best" players into 11, rather than making an 11 that better compliment each other's abilities.

This problem goes all the way back to the arguments we used to have about Jenas, and people not understanding the enormous difficulty in playing cm in a midfield 4 when you have people like Lennon and and Bale and a manager who doesn't coach a minimum level of work rate and responsibility into those players.

The ability to cover every blade of grass, put a foot in, go up and down, be reliable with your passing and chip in with 5-10 goal/assists a year is an enormous ask.

You get ninnies grumbling about Parker's positional discipline, even Redknapp appeared to be telling him to sit still yesterday, without realising it is his poor tactics that are forcing Parker's positional indiscipline. The week before Redknapp was quoted as saying "when we play that system (with Modric, Bale, Lennon in a midfield 4) the players don't get back and cover" - then against Chelsea in a semi at Wembley, he plays that system, and wonders why Parker ends up getting dragged all over the park and Modric is left twirling like stewed prune in a moulinex hairdryer.

To accommodate one player - Lennon in this case - we end up with a multi player clusterfuck. Parker has to do three peoples job, he gets yanked about and does't get to do what he does best, Modric ends up spending most of his time in front of our box fetching and carrying, VDV spends too much time dropping deep to receive the ball where Modric and Parker should be receiving the ball from Sandro, and all said and done is Lennon really worth the pay off ? I mean come on.

Also in this system there is no chance to make a real impact change. You've thrown all your cards on the table first hand, and the only option is to remove one of your supposed creatives (who will create something) and bring on a striker (who needs to be created for).

With Lennon (usually) or even Bale on the bench you can make a real change to a game.

 

[Mr Pink]

Nobody has ever said he hasn't ever had an influential game in a 4 man midfield. But those games are usually softer games at WHL. How many great games has Modric had against top teams or away from WHL in a midfield 4, especially with Bale and Lennon in that midfield 4 as well.

This is all about Redknapp not making the right use of the resources on offer because he's trying to shoe horn what he believes is all the "best" players into 11, rather than making an 11 that better compliment each other's abilities.

This problem goes all the way back to the arguments we used to have about Jenas, and people not understanding the enormous difficulty in playing cm in a midfield 4 when you have people like Lennon and and Bale and a manager who doesn't coach a minimum level of work rate and responsibility into those players.

The ability to cover every blade of grass, put a foot in, go up and down, be reliable with your passing and chip in with 5-10 goal/assists a year is an enormous ask.

You get ninnies grumbling about Parker's positional discipline, even Redknapp appeared to be telling him to sit still yesterday, without realising it is his poor tactics that are forcing Parker's positional indiscipline. The week before Redknapp was quoted as saying "when we play that system (with Modric, Bale, Lennon in a midfield 4) the players don't get back and cover" - then against Chelsea in a semi at Wembley, he plays that system, and wonders why Parker ends up getting dragged all over the park and Modric is left twirling like stewed prune in a moulinex hairdryer.

To accommodate one player - Lennon in this case - we end up with a multi player clusterfuck. Parker has to do three peoples job, he gets yanked about and does't get to do what he does best, Modric ends up spending most of his time in front of our box fetching and carrying, VDV spends too much time dropping deep to receive the ball where Modric and Parker should be receiving the ball from Sandro, and all said and done is Lennon really worth the pay off ? I mean come on.

Also in this system there is no chance to make a real impact change. You've thrown all your cards on the table first hand, and the only option is to remove one of your supposed creatives (who will create something) and bring on a striker (who needs to be created for).

With Lennon (usually) or even Bale on the bench you can make a real change to a game.

BC I think this has got lost in translation a little. I agree with all of that, as you well know, but I was just pointing out to Matty that's its not like he's been useless if he hasn't played in a 4-3-3.

However I still think he's been off the boil.

 

[14/04/91]

He's not influenced the big matches as much as he should do, especially if things are going against us. I want more from our main player. He's fine when he's got a lot of the ball but Arsenal away, Utd home & yesterday were classic examples.

I've always been surprised we don't try VDV in a deeper position. Not that I watch much of Holland, but he seems to play deeper for them? He can make things happen centrally with his ability and willingness to take the ball, although don't think he'd suit a 442.

I like Cabaye at Newcastle, I think he's been their best player. Keeps things ticking over, picks a pass and can get stuck in. Whether we could get him, who knows.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

BC I think this has got lost in translation a little. I agree with all of that, as you well know, but I was just pointing out to Matty that's its not like he's been useless if he hasn't played in a 4-3-3.

However I still think he's been off the boil.

But look at the circumstances. Modric's apparent "dip" in form has coincided with Redknapp's switch to 442 or 4411 with Bale, lennon, Modric.

And nearly all of Modric's worst performances come when we play away from him in similar tactics.

 

[Supersi32]

Modric doesn`t have a good enough range of passing to be a deep lying midfielder, compare Modric passing to that of Scholes or even VDV, there is a huge difference....

 

[wadewill]

I absolutely would not start him against QPR.

His effort is pathetic and an insult, he was terrible yesterday. We dont need him with Sandro and Parker in the middle and VDV in front, itll suit him better too.