The Midfield Destroyer - an endangered species?

[Ron Manager]

anyone else remember when Barcalona were the dirtiest side in Europe ?

tell kids today about it and they think your a nutter

I remember they had someone with the nickname The Butcher of Bilbao playing for them in the eighties nasty piece of work he was.

[garyshawsknee]

anyone else remember when Barcalona were the dirtiest side in Europe ?

tell kids today about it and they think your a nutter

I remember they had someone with the nickname The Butcher of Bilbao playing for them in the eighties nasty piece of work he was.

I may be wrong here as i usually am, but i think that was Rafa Nadals uncle who was known as that.

[Dave]

The more effective teams have all shown that pressing high up the pitch as a team is far more productive than having one stopper doing it on his own, as teams will just pass around him.

Southampton have shown this in their few games since the new guy took over. On our better performances,even we've done it this season.

It's useful, but most importantly you need to be able to adapt depending on who you're playing against.

Press Real Madrid high up the pitch and they'll tear you apart as they are built to counter-attack. Press ManYoo high up the pitch (as we did for 50 minutes) and you'll probably have quite a lot of success.

[garyshawsknee]

Very true, if it is done, its vital its done as a team, too many times weve had Delph or Holman tearing around,and the rest of our shape has gone awol.

[olaftab]

Destroyer, holding player, central midfielder, enforcer, player in the hole etc etc. all bollox. What's happened to the traditional all round midfielder? Get two of them in your midfield and job is done no fuss no muss!

[Dave]

anyone else remember when Barcalona were the dirtiest side in Europe ?

tell kids today about it and they think your a nutter

I remember they had someone with the nickname The Butcher of Bilbao playing for them in the eighties nasty piece of work he was.

I may be wrong here as i usually am, but i think that was Rafa Nadals uncle who was known as that.

That was Miguel Ángel Nadal, The Butcher Of Bilbao was Andoni Goikoetxea.

[olaftab]

Andoni Goikoetxea.

Random keyboard taps!

[Mister E]

anyone else remember when Barcalona were the dirtiest side in Europe ?

tell kids today about it and they think your a nutter

I remember they had someone with the nickname The Butcher of Bilbao playing for them in the eighties nasty piece of work he was.

I may be wrong here as i usually am, but i think that was Rafa Nadals uncle who was known as that.

That was Miguel Ángel Nadal, The Butcher Of Bilbao was Andoni Goikoetxea.

He was known as the Beast of Barcelona.

[paul_e]

The reason players like NRC are disappearing is because teams afre demnding more of their defensive midfielders.  To stick within the premier league the 2 to look at are Yaya Toure and, to keep the villa theme, Stan Petrov.

Toure has physically more like the traditional destroyer, but has the technique to also be a huge goal threat and creative influence.

Petrov is more a stand off and wait for an opportunity to get the ball player, which is the Barcelona model, again you have to offer something more though, NRC didn't really do that so is struggling to find a club.

[LeeB]

The reason players like NRC are disappearing is because teams afre demnding more of their defensive midfielders.  To stick within the premier league the 2 to look at are Yaya Toure and, to keep the villa theme, Stan Petrov.

Toure has physically more like the traditional destroyer, but has the technique to also be a huge goal threat and creative influence.

Petrov is more a stand off and wait for an opportunity to get the ball player, which is the Barcelona model, again you have to offer something more though, NRC didn't really do that so is struggling to find a club.

I think teams are demanding more from players in every position.

The specialists are being killed off everywhere, full backs who can't attack, goal poachers who do little else, wingers, you name it.

Players have to be all rounders.

[Concrete John]

Although it's an interesting debate about the model of the modern player being an all rounder, I still think NRC is more than good enough for sides in the bottom half of the PL.  He may not exactly be Messi, but some on here are quite unfair to him and I'm guessing it's wage demands that have kept him from finding a club.

[eastie]

Reo- coker has signed a 4 yr deal to play in the mls - will do ok over there.

[chrisw1]

Reo- coker has signed a 4 yr deal to play in the mls - will do ok over there.

What a wanker.  He is already a very wealthy man, he should have just taken a sensible wage and tried to get his career back on track at the very best level he was capable of.  Instead he takes the American gravy train.  Shows what a tosspot he is.

[Concrete John]

Reo- coker has signed a 4 yr deal to play in the mls - will do ok over there.

What a wanker.  He is already a very wealthy man, he should have just taken a sensible wage and tried to get his career back on track at the very best level he was capable of.  Instead he takes the American gravy train.  Shows what a tosspot he is.

He's accepted a (probably) better wage for an easier job with a better lifestyle surrounding it.  Before calling him names, ask yourself if you'd have done the same or not?

[chrisw1]

No John, I wouldn't.

He's already wealthy beyond comprehension for most of us and surely doesn't need the money.

You get one shot at this life, one shot to make the most of your career.  For a man who supposedly had aspirations to play for England a few years back, taking the lucrative easy way out just demonstrates pure greed and / or lack of backbone to me.