:lol:
As if Viera and Petit had no scoring or creative duties, man.
I agree with Hughesy. Both were excellent passers but neither genuinely creative or a consistent goal threat.
City moved to Fernandinho - Garcia double when Aguero went off. Fernandinho can be creative but in that system he's there to allow the two wide players and Yaya to create magic while keeping it tight.
Even 2002 Brazil had Gilberto Silva - Kleberson double pivot again - to allow the attacking 3 to do their thing.
I agree fully that most 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 formations tend to have two midfielders who don't have much responsibility to create or score. I'm happy with Tiote-Anita as long as there's genuinely an attacking midfielder in front of them and some wingers with some "threat".
Anita is mobile enough and moves the ball up the field fairly quickly to be part of that defensive two. I'd rather the other defensive midfielder was someone a bit smarter (and more aerially dominant) than Tiote, but he's not the first thing we need to fix in our lineup.