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Alonso-Mascherano

Royal Family

By Royal Family,
in FF - Football Forum

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Royal Family Proficient

Royal Family

Posted
Posted

Can you win the league (let alone the CL again) with two non-scoring central midfielders? (And yes, i know Xabi scored aginst Chelsea, but he's scored very few since his first season). The balance just isn't right, especially at home- and I'm afraid Xabi is the one who has to give as Masch offers so much more defensively. I still think Xabi is a luxury player despite a good start to the season (last two matches excepted!)

 

Discuss.

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Guest LFD

Guest LFD

Posted
Posted

Yes.

 

Arsenal won the league with two non scoring central players with Petit and Viera.

 

Blackburn did with Batty and Sherwood.

 

Our side this season with Mascherano and Alonso have beaten the best - United and Chelsea. When they have both played together we have dominated possession in all games. It is not their job to win us the games. It is their job to control games and allow our wide players and strikers to win the games. Yes they need to contribute at times, but it is not their main job.

 

I think Alonso and Mascherano are the best central midfield partnership in Europe at the moment. They boss the midfield no matter who they play and give our side the platform to win the game.

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Alias75 Apprentice

Alias75

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They're job isn't to score goals having the 2 of them in there in theory allows the front 4 players to attack with more freedom and it should also give the fullbacks more licence.

 

We're creating plenty of chance at the moment we just aren't taking enough of them. If the team wasn't creating maybe you could look at the central midfield 2 but all we're lacking at the moment is Torres up front and a bit more clinical finishing.

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Guest PaddyBerger15

Guest PaddyBerger15

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Mascherano was very ordinary again today. There's no way they're the best central midfield pairing in Europe on current form, or indeed on any form they've ever shown together. Alonso was good though.

 

Unfortunately, that is pretty much my take on things currently. I'm not sure whether the Chief needs a rest or whether he is carrying a knock, but he hasn't been at his rampaging best of late.

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Red Nick Grand Master

Red Nick

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in answer to the question you have more chance of winning the PL with Gerrard plus one of the other two and two wingers and two strikers IMO from the squad we have.

 

Slightly different if you have Chelsea style fullbacks then you can play the 3 with the width comming from the fullbacks, what Rafa intended to play this season

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SpeedyG Mentor

SpeedyG

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Our finishing is our problem, not our central midfield.

 

Xabi and El Jefecito absolutely owned that game. If only the front 4 could have finished a few of the 22 chances that platform afforded them. Hell AM couldn't get out of their own half in the 2nd half. That was a crushing machine type performance from those 2.

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Alias75 Apprentice

Alias75

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If theres a lack of attacking play from those 2 i think the responsibility falls squarely on Alonso's shoulders to add that. We know what Mascherano does for the team, he sets the tempo when we press and covers the ground defensively so others have more freedom to attack. Alonso is the more creative of the 2 and hes the bigger goal threat of the 2 he needs to get further forward knowing Mascherano is there covering.

 

People knock Lucas but when he plays as a defensive midfielder he manages to get into forward positions much more than Alonso does.

 

Just because we play 2 holding midfielders doesn't mean they can't contribute to the attacking play when we're dominating. But i do think for the balance of the team we're better playing 4-2-3-1 than 4-4-2 simply because i think it suits the wide players we have better and defensively it makes us much tougher to break down and less vulnerable on the counter.

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silverlining Grand Master

silverlining

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Mascherano was very ordinary again today. There's no way they're the best central midfield pairing in Europe on current form, or indeed on any form they've ever shown together. Alonso was good though.

 

Yeah, I have an aversion to two non-scoring midfielders, by nature, although it's nice to see Alonso playing well (and further up the pitch).

 

The Petit-Viera axis is interesting (and I made the pint about them in an Arsenal thread) but both of those are more dynamic than Alonso, Viera scored a few goals, and both Petit and Viera were far, far better passers of a ball than Masher.

 

Masher is, incidentally, having a poor season so far.

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