I'm presuming the Turkish press don't get their stories from here, but I suppose you never know...

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i feel like it's almost pointless speculating about our midfield next season. It's blindingly obvious that there are going to be major changes, and we'll have targets in mind. Once those are in place we'll have a better idea of how it will be blended with what's left of the squad. With a full pre-season you'd have to think that the likes of Hughes, Olise, Eze will be starters from the beginning of the season.

I'd look At Sande Berge at Sheffield United, a real work horse

Thanks, you round up my original thoughts posted above where I suggest that our midfield is bang average. And just to add, I'm talking about the here and now, that is, in McArthur's case in particular, a player who for the past two seasons has spent as much time on the treatment table as on the pitch. Of course I recognise his role as an excellent servant for the club, but depending upon whether Vieira has a plan for McArthur for certain games, or wants to rotate the squad, then it's time to accept that McArthur won't be featuring prominently.
The one thing that brought the average ability of our midfield into acute focus was the arrival of loanee Conor Gallagher - so much better than what we already had (bar an in form Eze). Box to box stamina, all round enthusiam and positivity, and crucially, getting forward to score 8 priceless goals. Without Gallagher's contribution and ablity to tie the midfield together I suspect we would have finished far lower than 12th place.
Herein lies the challenge for the DOF and manager to appraise.

Edited by southnorwoodhill (31 May 2022 1.52pm)

The club had a clear strategy last year, spend the majority of the budget on two CB's and then use the loan spot for the midfield with a view to addressing it later.

I think we will adopt this same strategy again this summer but with the focus being on 2 CM's and utilising the loan spaces for other areas like RB, CB cover or up top.

I think on that basis, you can rule Gallagher out of any return and if he does it will likely be right at the end of the window and only done if we are willing to completely break the original budget.

I'd love to see us get Berge and Doucoure. Berge is of a similar ilk to Cabaye, deep lying centre mid, can break up play but more importantly is composed on the ball and can dictate the play. Doucoure would sit alongside him but is more high energy and can break forward to join the attack. he's less advanced than Gallagher was but that will suit our style for next season.

These two will offer protection to the back four, whilst also providing more composure, creativity and balance to the team. This then free's up the team to have Eze or Olise in the hole with less defensive responsibility and much more service.

If we can get a more complete RB that can overlap and contribute going forward as well as a striker, I think we'll be a real force next year.

I would love to see us use our loan spots for the likes of Liam Delap, Carlton Palmer, Colwill, Kaide Gordon, Harvey Elliot, Neco Williams.

I think if we can bring in two CM's this season, the following season will follow the same pattern and address further up the pitch with loans to cover off other areas and that being an ongoing pattern.

If we can replicate the success of Anderson and Guehi in central midfield, we then have an incredible spine to continue to build on.

----------------Guaita
Sambia---Andersen----Guehi----Mitchell
---------------Doucoure
------O'Brien-----------Eze
Olise------------------------Zaha
--------------Mateata