Repped - also lets not forget that Clint used to play wide, now with age he's moved centrally...understandably so
At Seattle, both Martins and Dempsey were responsible for making goals. They complemented each other. The midfield last season was strictly utilitarian. It was the Sounders' biggest problem. Their midfield had no idea what to do with the ball. Which is better than this year's, where the midfield is just non-existent.
There have been times (particularly during this same stage of qualifying last cycle) when Dempsey was given the role over playmaker, where he would drop deeper and deeper to demand the ball. That coincided with a period of frustration and lack of chances generated for us.
I have no problems with how Coach Klinsmann uses Dempsey. He's gotten the best out of him this way. I have MASSIVE problem with how he's used Bradley, Mixx, Bedoya, Jones (whom I think is in too much of an attacking position when he plays that RM), and Yedlin. Fab Johnson to. Bradley simply shouldn't be spending this much time forward. Mixx needs to be carrying the midfield attack. Bedoya needs to be central, because he just turns into a work rate player on the outside as he doesn't have the attacking abilities to be an attacking outside mid, Bradley needs to be a deep lying playmaker, who job it is to get it to FJ, Mixx, and hopefully Nagbe or Dempsey. It should be something like this: --------------------------------------#6 (1)------------------------------------- -------------------Bradley (2)-------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------Mixx(3)------------------------------------ ------------Nagbe(4)------------------------------------Johnson (5)------------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------Poacher--------------------------------------- 1 - Defensive midfielder. Never strays far from the backline. 2 - Deep midfielder. Needs to defend, be an outlet for possesion and be able to maintain possesion, get the ball to attacking mids so they can create, keep the opposing midfield honest by making timely runs into the box 3 - Creative focal 4 /5 - width, box players, final ball players, goal scorers 6 - goal scorers Under Klinsmann, our #2 and #3 are the same damn player, while 5 & 4 are work rate players, and #3 doesn't exist unless it's Bradley doing two things at once
That's because he had no one to pass it to him @ Honduras in a WQC in 2013. USA : 1-Tim Howard (capt.); 2-Timmy Chandler, 5-Omar Gonzalez, 20-Geoff Cameron, 23-Fabian Johnson; 14-Danny Williams (7-Maurice Edu 58), 13-Jermaine Jones (19-Graham Zusi 67), 4-Michael Bradley, 18-Eddie Johnson (16-Sacha Kljestan 59); 8-Clint Dempsey, 17-Jozy Altidore Freakin 3 defensive minded midfielders, Eddie Johnson wide left, and Jozy Altidore. That's why Dempsey had to drop so deep.
Exactly. There were no creators. That was the very point that I was in fact making, largely in response to another poster who was trying to make the point that Klinsmann could use Mike however he wants to, because the chance-making onus was on Dempsey anyhow.
Bradley can play a variety of positions because he has already done so, excelling. This has nothing to do with any chance-making on the part of Dempsey. Dempsey drops down to initiate play because that is his style. He did this to great effect in the 2nd Guatemala match. The Honduran president declared a national holiday for the game which was moved close to noontime. The formation and selection were silly, but the temperatures clearly had an impact on the team. Also, when MB played in the 8/10 position at Roma he was frequently making early runs into the box and very much acting as a creator, a role he admittedly wasn't well suited for.
Remember that Mix only played the first half and the US chased the match the 2nd half so the average positions will be skewed. Mix played a #8 not a #6 and you can tell from his behavior at 0:29 of the video. As MB drops back you can see Mix look over and then move forward in a classic pulley action. If Mix was playing a #6 he would have dropped back to the tip of a triangle between his CBs Game states are also important. Here is Bradley and Cameron v Panama. This match is cited by most as the reason that GCam should partner with Bradley in the midfield. Their average position inside their half and together would suggest a double #6 formation but they in fact were also playing a BuLi double pivot. In any case, do you agree with the OP that Bradley was played out of position at Guatemala?
No, he was played as a b2b mid in both Guatemala games... he just had the wrong guys around him. I realize Mix and MB were played as double 8s, but I think Mix was the more defensive of the 2.