Vurnon Anita (now playing for RKC Waalwijk)

[Mole_Toonfan]

That set up would be ok with Tiote as well if for any reason you wanted a different type in there or just rotation purposes.

 

The biggest reason Tiote and Cabaye is so shit is because they basically stand on each others toes.

 

 

[Ronaldo]

I don't like this 'too small, will get bullied' patter. I don't think that many teams in the PL have really physical midfielders - e.g. Liverpool, Chelsea, Man U, Arsenal, Villa. I think it could work, and Cabaye/Siss are physical enough (in terms of putting the foot in).

 

What rubbish.

[duo]

He's not too lightweight for the league, that's bullshit. He's too lightweight for Pardew.

He's not Jonas that's the problem.

[Guest alijmitchell]

I don't like this 'too small, will get bullied' patter. I don't think that many teams in the PL have really physical midfielders - e.g. Liverpool, Chelsea, Man U, Arsenal, Villa. I think it could work, and Cabaye/Siss are physical enough (in terms of putting the foot in).

 

What rubbish.

 

I don't really see which of those sides have greater physicality than a 3 of Anita, Cabaye and Sissoko? Chelsea perhaps?

 

[Tisd09]

We have many technically gifted players at the club Anita is one of those, would love to see what a football playing manager could do with our players. I don't buy that you have up have this dominate ball winning midfielder in your team to win things. Man Utd did well enough last season without one. Yaya at Man City is more of a threat going forward, Arsenal hardly have that physicality in midfield these days. I am not saying a team doesn't need one but it is not essential that you have one if your midfield play as a unit and in the main keep hold of the ball.

[Ronaldo]

I don't like this 'too small, will get bullied' patter. I don't think that many teams in the PL have really physical midfielders - e.g. Liverpool, Chelsea, Man U, Arsenal, Villa. I think it could work, and Cabaye/Siss are physical enough (in terms of putting the foot in).

 

What rubbish.

 

I don't really see which of those sides have greater physicality than a 3 of Anita, Cabaye and Sissoko? Chelsea perhaps?

 

 

None of their players fail to compete in CM like Anita and Cabaye. That's the difference, mate.

[Chris_R]

I'd play Anita with Cabaye and Sissoko. Anita playing the "quarter back" position starting the attacks spraying the ball around like he used to do when he played at Ajax. Sissoko box to box and Cabaye in a bit more advanced position. Cabaye might not have the dribbling and powerful running but im sure he will still do really well there with Sissoko doing more of the running from midfield. That would give us great balance in midfield.

 

This doesn't mean that they can't switch during the game. But at least it's good basics to start from. Im confident that with this setup we'd be much much much better in possession and therefore not put under pressure as often as usual cause we can't keep hold of the f***ing ball for more than

5 seconds. f***ing annoying that the c*** in charge can't let the players do what they are best at instead of forcing them to do stuff that isn't their strongest attributes.

 

And that the snake prefers butchers and hard working players thinking that it will keep it tight instead of focusing on the players and what their strengths are. Attacking and defending as a unit, having some natural flow and movement. You don't drive a F1 car in the f***ing woods!

 

 

So frustrating knowing that he won't go for it, the massive mug that he is.

 

                                  Cisse

 

          Remy                                          HBA

 

                        Sissoko    Cabaye

                                  Anita

 

If I thought we were going to set up like this I'd be so excited for the season. As it is I'm full of 

 

That lineup is exactly what we should play. 100%.

 

Instead we all know it'll be:

 

                        Cisse or Remy

 

 

Sissoko                                                      HBA

 

                            Cabaye

                        Tiote    Jonas

 

 

 

Or even worse (and sadly probably more likely):

 

 

                Cisse    Remy

 

Jonas      Cabaye  Tiote      Sissoko

 

With HBA coming off the bench after 60 minutes.

 

[Ronaldo]

We have many technically gifted players at the club Anita is one of those, would love to see what a football playing manager could do with our players. I don't buy that you have up have this dominate ball winning midfielder in your team to win things. Man Utd did well enough last season without one. Yaya at Man City is more of a threat going forward, Arsenal hardly have that physicality in midfield these days. I am not saying a team doesn't need one but it is not essential that you have one if your midfield play as a unit and in the main keep hold of the ball.

 

I don't want us playing with a DM either. But in CM you need players who can keep the ball, win the ball and move it forward under pressure. Sissoko aside we've nobody I have real faith in to do this.

[Mole_Toonfan]

Its not really rubbish though.... Arteta-Ramsey-Rosicky/Wilshere is hardly the most physical of midfields and Arsenal had the 2nd best defense in the league last year, Man Utd's is hardly physical with Carrick and Cleverly, neither is Liverpool's with Lucas, Gerrard and Henderson or Swansea's with Allen, De Guzman and Michu i could go on and on really.

 

Is City's anymore physical with Yaya, Silva, Nasri and Barry? or is Chelsea's with Ramires and Lampard?

 

I'd accept Cabaye and Anita would be lightweight and a bit too passive but with Sissoko in there i really don't see the issue.

[Ronaldo]

I do. Given that two thirds of the midfield would be unable to do what I've alluded to above. Lightweight isn't a problem if you can hold your own and assert yourself. As the players you've listed all do.

[Guest alijmitchell]

I do. Given that two thirds of the midfield would be unable to do what I've alluded to above. Lightweight isn't a problem if you can hold your own and assert yourself. As the players you've listed all do.

 

I'm not sure I would say that Ramsey, Henderson or Allen are assertive, haven't seen much of Cleverly to say... I certainly think Cabaye is assertive in his play and I feel Anita could be, given the chance.

[Ronaldo]

They both go missing against the good players and get petulant in Cabaye's case. 

[Guest alijmitchell]

They both go missing against the good players and get petulant in Cabaye's case. 

 

I'd agree to an extent, especially on the petulancy side of things, although I'm not sure Cabaye is any more petulant in a game than Gerrard, or Wilshere. I do think Cabaye has a tendency to disappear, but I regard that as an issue of our current system, rather than what he is capable of achieving.

[Ronaldo]

Wilshere gets the ball and keeps it with his fast feet. It's a bad comparison. Cabaye isn't half the player.

[Tiresias]

Cabaye needs to cut out the nasty tackles before referees start carding him for anything as he has a reputation, not that he doesn't deserve it mind. I want some bite, I want the fight he has, but he has gone over the line with raking down back of ankles and such a few times.

 

As for disappearing in games, I think that came along with his out of form patch.

 

I still maintain he needs to run around and try and defend less, he needs hard workers along side him to protect him somewhat and be allowed to do more creating. Pardew seems to want him to do too much defending because a) he's willing to and b) he has to make up for what Tiote messes up. Cabaye isn't mobile enough to be all over hte pitch. Having a smarter player like Anita alongside rather than Tiote might help, thenagain cabaye may end up doing the tough tackling Anita isn't strong enough too, tough.

[Guest alijmitchell]

Wilshere gets the ball and keeps it with his fast feet. It's a bad comparison. Cabaye isn't half the player.

 

I wasn't really comparing Wilshere and Cabaye in terms of ability there. You picked up on the petulance of Cabaye, and I think that this is a hallmark of a lot of the midfielders mentioned above. Of course Wilshere is better, and that even if we played 3 three of Cabaye, Anita and Sissoko, we'd get beaten off the better teams, but I just think that many of the successful teams in the prem don't need physical midfielders, and we could make a better stab at a passing and pressing game than a lot of other teams in the prem with the personnel at our disposal.

[Tiresias]

I don;t think Cabaye is a Wilshere type player, he's closer to Alonso or Pirlo imo (not to say comparable in quality), he's looked good further forward too to be fair and is lethal around the box, but his feet aren't fast enough. Anita looks stronger at the quick fast close range passing.

[Guest alijmitchell]

I don;t think Cabaye is a Wilshere type player, he's closer to Alonso or Pirlo imo (not to say comparable in quality), he's looked good further forward too to be fair and is lethal around the box, but his feet aren't fast enough. Anita looks stronger at the quick fast close range passing.

 

I have to say that I have gone off Cabaye, perhaps this is a result of the system we play, but I have a similar feeling about him as I had about Emre, capable of a few good things, but something is not right.

 

[alexf]

He played his best football here while in the 4-3-3 with tiote jonas and occasionally guthrie. Strangely so did a lot of our players.

[loki679]

He played his best football here while in the 4-3-3 with tiote jonas and occasionally guthrie. Strangely so did a lot of our players.

 

Best make sure we never try that formation again then.

[rocksammy]

At least I like watching Anita play (:

[themanupstairs]

Not a DM. Shouldn't be the furthest one back of the middle 3. He should be the one looking to collect the ball, with an eye on for the forward pass. His technique is, unsurprisingly, brilliant. He's too weak however when he has to twist and turn to protect the ball.

[The College Dropout]

He's continuously been tripe man.

[themanupstairs]

He's continuously been tripe man.

 

No he hasn't. Not when he's played in and around the forward half of the center circle. He's not some talentless slob we picked up from a random no mark club in a dodgy deal ffs. There is a player in there. Not a spectacular one, but one who is a certain type of midfielder who needs used in the right way.

[Guest JS]

He's continuously been tripe man.

 

No he hasn't. Not when he's played in and around the forward half of the center circle. He's not some talentless slob we picked up from a random no mark club in a dodgy deal ffs. There is a player in there. Not a spectacular one, but one who is a certain type of midfielder who needs used in the right way.