2017/18 Morgan Schneiderlin

[Saaby]

I agree that if it is a call of one out of Gana and Morgan then Gana should be the one picked, but this idea that you can't play two defensive players in the middle of the park is a load of bollocks.

Chelsea are playing Kante and Bakayoko, Spurs sometimes play Wanyama and Dier, United are currently playing Matic and Fellaini.

The issues are that Everton are not currently creating enough threat out wide due to the central compression of the "wide" players, and also that when choosing who plays DM and who plays B2B between Morgan and Gana, for whatever reason Koeman is asking Gana to play B2B. At Southampton it was Morgan who pushed forward and Wanyama who sat back, so I'm unsure as to why Koeman has decided to swap the roles here.

You can play two DMs that's absolutely fine but how can we conceded so many goals playing two DMS

 

[cronullasharks]

You can play two DMs that's absolutely fine but how can we conceded so many goals playing two DMS

We've left so much space open in the middle of the park for quite a few seasons now, its just inviting pressure onto our goal.

 

[CahillsCornerFlag]

Gana and Davies isn't more balanced, though

How so? I'd say it's far more balanced.

 

[toffeejack]

i thought he would be better than he has been for us tbh, i think he likes to get too involved, when we need him to play a barry anchor role. The problems all arise from his unwillingness to drop back when we're attacking. That goal yesterday, that 25 yards king ran into should have been where snides was. With barry every time coleman or baines bombed on, barry would drop back into CB to make it a central 3. But snides doesn't do that. It's not gueye's job to, so i won't blame him for that. But yeah, we need him to be a proper DM, we already line up with enough attacking players, it's not his job to do that, well it shouldn't be.

The defence can be slated all they like, they are being isolated 2 on 2 and sometimes outnumbered 3 on 2, which is where they can't really commit to close down a player.

 

[Groucho]

This fella is a good player - just having a bad run of form.

 

[Stutheblue]

Nowhere near as good as he was last season. Needs to get back to that standard. Hopefully he will. Gets booked alot too.

 

[Caolam]

Yesterday was an improvement, getting booked probably restricted him a bit. I believe he is a better player than he has shown this season but then he is not alone in that.

 

[People75]

He is a class player, and we need him to get, back on his level.
Very important.

 

[BlueToff]

Weirdly enough I thought he played reasonably okay yesterday.

At least showed glimpses of form anyway.

 

[BlueToff]

I'm sure when Schneiderlin was at Southampton he got forward more than what he does for us. And in both cases he has had excellent defensive midfield partners to help do the dirty work (Wanyama and now Gueye).

Hopefully it's just a blip in form, he was excellent when he first came to us at the start of the year.

At Saints he did tend to play more as a box-to-box player, yeh.

But dunno. Think he's still better suited to that 'Barry' role, but he needs players making forward runs next to him

Gueye does it, but then then the movement of the front three is usually non existent.

Davies has to play now, and if that means dropping one of the signings then so be it.

 

[BlueToff]

How so? I'd say it's far more balanced.

Neither are players who are best suited to getting the balls off the CBs and spreading it wide.

When MS has options in front of him making runs he can do that just fine.

Gueye is best being the player sweeping up and getting about the pitch, and Davies is at his best 10 yards further up bombing forward.

I'd say the most 'unbalanced' we've looked in that particular area of the pitch this season was the second half vs Hajduk Split at home and the first half against Chelsea.

Both occasions, it was Davies and Gueye as the two central midfielders. They don't compliment each other well when played in a two.

 

[mkrudden]

Weirdly enough I thought he played reasonably okay yesterday.

At least showed glimpses of form anyway.

How mate? How did he do ok?
Because he was up against Dan Gosling?

 

[Azza]

How mate? How did he do ok?
Because he was up against Dan Gosling?

I wouldn't say he was up against Gosling because he rarely went over the half way line. lol lol

 

[kenada_blue]

James McCarthy in disguise.

*Runs away

 

[bluestevon]

Neither are players who are best suited to getting the balls off the CBs and spreading it wide.

When MS has options in front of him making runs he can do that just fine.

Gueye is best being the player sweeping up and getting about the pitch, and Davies is at his best 10 yards further up bombing forward.

I'd say the most 'unbalanced' we've looked in that particular area of the pitch this season was the second half vs Hajduk Split at home and the first half against Chelsea.

Both occasions, it was Davies and Gueye as the two central midfielders. They don't compliment each other well when played in a two.

Because neither are disciplined and when forced to do a very disciplined role they lose a lot of what stands them out as good players (Davies and Gueye), think myself Davies does well from a more right sided role as it frees him up from having to do a specific and relatively static role in the centre and it's more his natural game.

Possibly long term could see klassen if he settles playing alongside Gueye or Schneiderlin or maybe even Mccarthy doing that, either way it sure as shi. doesn't work with Schneiderlin and Gueye or Gueye and Davies as a combination

One of Schneiderlins best things - his ability to quickly switch the play out deep to the wings is kind of wasted when we don't have any width and neither fullback crosses the half way line most of the time as well. baines decline in this formation is very noticeable - not helped by having a player at cb next to him he knows can't defend the space if he does go forward either