Our gutless, ineffective midfield

[GrandOldTeam]

Just spotted an interesting thread on Twitter.

I've been lazy and not fact checked it, but the summary of which is below;

André Gomes - 42 games - 1 goal - 1 assist.
Tom Davies - 100 games - 5 goals - 4 assists.
Bernard - 57 games - 4 goals - 5 assists.
Sigurdsson - 95 games - 19 goals
Delph - 16 Games - 0 Goals - 0 assists
Iwobi - 22 games - 1 goal - 0 assists
Walcott - 72 games - 9 goals - 5 assists

That is our midfield week in week out here are the stats combined.

Appearances - 404
Goals - 39
Assists - 26

I also see stuff like this and start to think it's not just my eyes deceiving me about how weak in the tackle this midfield is;



Stats aside, football teams with midfielders who don't score, or assist - aren't going to be good football teams.

In conclusion then - every pound we have to spend in the next window needs to be on midfielders. They'll all useless. Offer nothing off, or on the ball.

 

[chrismpw]

In summary - we need a better team.

 

[GwladysBlue]

We once had midfielders like Arteta, Pienaar, Fellaini, Cahill, etc.

Sad times.

 

[Saint Domingo]

The lack of pace is the key issue. Siggurdson covers ground but he’s not going to win the ball if he can’t get near it. Even when he makes a tackle he’ll often then lose it when trying to bring it away because he’s too slow. You can maybe carry one slow player in amongst a pact team but we exacerbate the problem by putting out midfield 4s where everyone is slow. Then you get the scenario we had against Chelsea were we couldn’t get the ball off them.

New midfielders with pace power and aggression have to be the order of the day in the transfer window before anything else.

 

[sageyefc]

Amen

 

[GrandOldTeam]

I mean, this was our midfield for the Anfield Merseyside Derby in the cup...

 

[rochdaleblue]

@Eggs spoke yesterday about the need for our midfield to contribute more. I knew it was bad, but I didn’t realise it was that bad. Those stats are quite damning.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

We once had midfielders like Arteta, Pienaar, Fellaini, Cahill, etc.

Sad times.

Mirallas walks into this team, and is comfortably the best midfielder in it.

Brands signed 4 of the midfielders in the first post.

For the love of god, let Ancelotti rebuild that midfield.

 

[orly]

Looks like Bernard is our most effective player out of that lot

5 goals, 4 assists from a non-tackling "box-to-box" midfielder in 100 games. Lol.

 

[GwladysBlue]

Mirallas walks into this team, and is comfortably the best midfielder in it.

Brands signed 4 of the midfielders in the first post.

For the love of god, let Ancelotti rebuild that midfield.

Ancelotti has to be given the same amount of money as Koeman was to sort that midfield out. It’s the only way we progress.

 

[Grinch]

Midfield is awful. Surprised we are sitting in the position we are. Need a complete overhaul

 

[billyblue80]

It's a disgrace it really is.

 

[Jebus_lives]

Two CM are an absolute must. One who can tackle and win possession and one who has a degree of creativity.

Watching our midfield bypassed and outmatched in almost every game is getting a bit old.

Gomes has just recovered from injury, so will hopefully improve and Gbamin should add to the squad when (if) he returns but two really quality CM are a must.

It's our most bloated position and yet obviously our weakest.

 

[DanEFC92]

Probably have worst in the league.

 

[Jim Hopper]

Says it all really when our highest assisting player and player who has created the most chances is Digne, a left back.