Wisdom from Tufty

[Pinchy]

“It does my head in when people talk about sitting midfield players, attacking midfield players and all of that. Most of it doesn’t mean anything at all.

“Do you know what? Just be a midfield player. Tackle, get on the ball, pass it and get forward. Simple.

“Seriously, I hear a lot of nonsense spoken about what people have got to do in there. Really, all a midfielder should be focusing on is doing what a midfielder is supposed to do. Including those four things for a start.”

Perhaps one or two of our contributors will read, digest and learn?....

 

[Slim Man]

At this level fine but further up the echelons the midfield players are a lot more specialist.

 

[TonyAgana]

“It does my head in when people talk about sitting midfield players, attacking midfield players and all of that. Most of it doesn’t mean anything at all.

“Do you know what? Just be a midfield player. Tackle, get on the ball, pass it and get forward. Simple.

“Seriously, I hear a lot of nonsense spoken about what people have got to do in there. Really, all a midfielder should be focusing on is doing what a midfielder is supposed to do. Including those four things for a start.”

Perhaps one or two of our contributors will read, digest and learn?....

Sounds a lot like something "Dinosaur Dave" would say.

 

[David Lee's first touch]

“It does my head in when people talk about sitting midfield players, attacking midfield players and all of that. Most of it doesn’t mean anything at all.

“Do you know what? Just be a midfield player. Tackle, get on the ball, pass it and get forward. Simple.

“Seriously, I hear a lot of nonsense spoken about what people have got to do in there. Really, all a midfielder should be focusing on is doing what a midfielder is supposed to do. Including those four things for a start.”

Perhaps one or two of our contributors will read, digest and learn?....

I wish we could find a couple of these elusive beasts.

 

[Pinchy]

At this level fine but further up the echelons the midfield players are a lot more specialist.

Well they should stop doing half a job and join in the game...

No wonder you lot put up with that useless article Montgomery for ten excruciating years.

 

[Pinchy]

Sounds a lot like something "Dinosaur Dave" would say.

Far from it. "Get on the ball...pass it.." never featured in old Diplodocus's team talks.

Nice try but no cigar...

 

[sheffielder]

No wonder he's getting rid of coutts then by Pinchy ?

 

[St Annington]

Ch-a-a-a-a-a-a-rge!!!!!

 

[David Lee's first touch]

View attachment 18447

Ch-a-a-a-a-a-a-rge!!!!!

Must be boiling in la manga little Louis and scougs have a reyt tan

 

[Chali 2na]

Well they should stop doing half a job and join in the game...

No wonder you lot put up with that useless article Montgomery for ten excruciating years.

The only players that get away with only having one side to their game (either going forward, or defending) are those where the players are so talented in one discipline that they would be wasting their energy in the other. Ozil being a prime example.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

“It does my head in when people talk about sitting midfield players, attacking midfield players and all of that. Most of it doesn’t mean anything at all.

“Do you know what? Just be a midfield player. Tackle, get on the ball, pass it and get forward. Simple.

“Seriously, I hear a lot of nonsense spoken about what people have got to do in there. Really, all a midfielder should be focusing on is doing what a midfielder is supposed to do. Including those four things for a start.”

Perhaps one or two of our contributors will read, digest and learn?....

Sounds like he's talking about Monty.

 

[Ricky]

Just because Wilder says it doesn't mean it's right.

I agree it's not always necessary to have specialists in the lower divisions though. Athleticism can make up for it.

 

[Pinchy]

Sounds like he's talking about Monty.

"Get on the ball...pass it" was beyond the lad I'm afraid...

Again, close but no cigar.

He's talking absolute sense but it is desperately difficult to understand for people who take their football knowledge from video games and Sky Sports...

 

[St Annington]

Just because Wilder says it doesn't mean it's right.

I agree it's not always necessary to have specialists in the lower divisions though. Athleticism can make up for it.

Or that he actually believes it.

 

[Pinchy]

Just because Wilder says it doesn't mean it's right.

I agree it's not always necessary to have specialists in the lower divisions though. Athleticism can make up for it.

No, it's right because it's right.

 

[Lane Ender]

“It does my head in when people talk about sitting midfield players, attacking midfield players and all of that. Most of it doesn’t mean anything at all.

“Do you know what? Just be a midfield player. Tackle, get on the ball, pass it and get forward. Simple.

“Seriously, I hear a lot of nonsense spoken about what people have got to do in there. Really, all a midfielder should be focusing on is doing what a midfielder is supposed to do. Including those four things for a start.”

Perhaps one or two of our contributors will read, digest and learn?....

I,ll buy that but it still needs organisation.

 

[Pinchy]

Or that he actually believes it.

Forgive me, but why would he say it if he doesn't believe it? To what possible point or purpose?

 

[Pinchy]

Good Pele. I've struck a raw note amongst those who don't realise that football existed before Sky Sports, the Premiership and the nonsensical "Champions" League, haven't I?

 

[sheffielder]

Good Pele. I've struck a raw note amongst those who don't realise that football existed before Sky Sports, the Premiership and the nonsensical "Champions" League, haven't I?

Just admit you're wrong about Coutts and we can move on

 

[St Annington]

Forgive me, but why would he say it if he doesn't believe it? To what possible point or purpose?

Because he can't be arsed to spend the next hour debating tactics with a journo?

or

Because he doesn't wan't to reveal his hand to the opposition?

or

Because he's conscious of what his players might read into it and considers it good man management?

or

Because he enjoys lying?

or

(insert a million and one other reasons)

 

[TonyAgana]

Good Pele. I've struck a raw note amongst those who don't realise that football existed before Sky Sports, the Premiership and the nonsensical "Champions" League, haven't I?

Are you masturbating right now?

 

[Woodwardfan]

Largely agree with Wilder that midfield players need to do all four things but I'd add ' have positional awareness'; if all four midfield players push forward it can be naive and suicidal, particularly if a full back has bombed forward too. That's the 'holding' part of the role but I couldn't agree more that the role is not just for one player who spends his whole time 'holding back', often for something that never comes and invariably that player has no thought for forward play.

Midfield is all about a blend of skills and attributes and players playing together.

England played Dier alongside Rooney in central midfield which is OK when the full backs are bombing on but when they're not, like against Iceland, those middle two just don't get up and down and all the pressure falls on Sterling, Sturridge and Ali to support Kane. Sorry just the four players in the final third is not enough, no matter who they are. It's not good enough for Dier to do zero going forward and for Rooney to amble around spraying balls around in the middle third of the field where it does no damage.

Last season we sometimes had all four midfielders not interested in getting in the final third. Hammond alongside Coutts, Hammond alongside Basham, with Woolford out wide ;give us strength.

Pass and move, I fully agree, but don't everybody move too far all at once! Added to that, look to make central midfielders show for the ball in the final third; all down the wings becomes too predictable. 5 goals each per season minimum, I agree with somebody who posted that yesterday.

 

[BushBlade]

It's a more articulate version of 'nowt fancy'.

 

[Barney]

I do believe that one or two on here are guilty of over complicating a simple game at times.

 

[Bladeloyal]

When I played cm my aim was to break up play get the ball moving ,support the attack ,then when it broke down get my arse back behind the ball and win that round thing again . And start again . It's not rocket science .

 

[Pinchy]

It's a more articulate version of 'nowt fancy'.

You Neanderthal S2 hoofers would love that to be the case but sadly it doesn't fit the plain words "get on the ball...pass it". Your hero Diplodocus thinks midfield is a 70 yard desert for the ball to fly over.

Midfielders are there to pick up the 50/50 scraps from a constant stream of agricultural launches in the general direction of the other end of the pitch.

Pass, in DD's philosophy, is something to be found Up the Khyber, which is precisely where his and your outdated, thoroughly discredited, anti-football belongs.

 

[Grizzly blade]

If only life and everything else was so simple.

I agree entirely that a midfield player should be able to do all four of those things,,.,I've been saying it for years. And it's not rocket science....but this is where we are at.
1. Scougs can tackle.....Reed can tackle....but not as effectively as say Monty could. Or in the current squad as maybe Basham can. Size, strength and not as good timing play a part. Some people tackle better than others.
2. Scougs can buzz around and run all day...he's got no weight to lumber around, he's nippy over ten yards, young....whereas others aren't built the same and can't do that....but might be able to tackle.
3. Coutts looks after the ball really well, he can tackle, he can run...just not as well as Scougs or Bash...but on the ball one of the best we have.

I could bore on...but the point is this.
A player that is great at all of those is rare, and thus expensive. They are the Scweinsteigers, the Pogbas, the Keanes etc etc of the world. So due to that they have to build squads with players who are bits and pieces of those things..,weigh up what they can do and play them to their strengths. That's where tactics come in.
So I'm not going to say Jose M is right because he wanted a bloke to sit in front of the back four and clear up, win the ball and give it to his flair players....I'm not going to say Wilder is right either for wanting to play 2/3 in the middle of the park that can do it all to a reasonable standard.
That's his tactic, his way of doing it. And if he can find me a few Keanes, Pogbas or whatever then fantastic....but I doubt he will.
So in reality, if we are going to go up and up, tactically he may have to amend his view to suit.

 

[Grizzly blade]

When I played cm my aim was to break up play get the ball moving ,support the attack ,then when it broke down get my arse back behind the ball and win that round thing again . And start again . It's not rocket science .

Me too, and at 43 I can remember a time when it was simple.

However the game has changed. Sneeze near players these days they roll around holding their face, the art of tackling is going because good fair strong tackles see players booked and sent off. So sides are adapting and doing the job differently. Midfielders have roles, they stick to those and do their job for an organised side.

 

[Slim Man]

Well they should stop doing half a job and join in the game...

No wonder you lot put up with that useless article Montgomery for ten excruciating years.

N'Golo Kante and Calude Makelele are two examples of specialist defensive midfielders. Kevin De Bruyne and Mesut Ozil two examples of specialist attacking midfielders.

 

[Bladeloyal]

Me too, and at 43 I can remember a time when it was simple.

However the game has changed. Sneeze near players these days they roll around holding their face, the art of tackling is going because good fair strong tackles see players booked and sent off. So sides are adapting and doing the job differently. Midfielders have roles, they stick to those and do their job for an organised side.

Tell me about it in the last ten years of me playing I kept the county fa in champagne and cigars ,I'd have been a rich man if I hadn't played my brand of football .