If we work within the midfield system expectations, what are the options?

I feel one of the things that is crippling our mids is their understanding that they can't push to far upfield regularly because they know that our back four needs consistent protection. Our backline is the the real problem. If we manage to get that fixed, I think we'll see a less cautious and more dynamic midfield (either with different players or more freedom for the ones already there).

 

Jones pushes forward but Mike doesn't as much until near the end of games. You get the feeling watching him that JK told him that he needs pick and choose very carefully when to push forward as to not leave our backline in the line of fire.

 

I would love to see him in the DM role for a game to see how he handles it.

 

Jones needs to be the 6, period. He would free up the others to get forward and is better than Edu or Beckerman at every single thing.

Bradley has one of the 2 way spots locked down, the other should be an open audition for Torres, SK, etc. And/or we should rearrange some other spots to free Dempsey or Donovan up for that role.

 

It's kind of shocking Jones still hasn't been tried in the DM role. Obviously Klinsmann likes him further up and more active, but his track record as a DM at the club level is impressive, and playing him at DM would give us a chance to play a more attacking player with Bradley.

Holden, if and when he returns to health and form could likely play any of the midfield spots.

Against a less attacking team, it might be interesting to see a more distributing player like Torres or Kljestan as our deepest midfielder, if not starting, at least as a tactical subs. Bob often did a good job of shifting the dynamics of the midfield during the course of the game using just one or two subs, but I don't think we've seen much of that yet with Klinsmann.

 

I really wish I could hear what Klinsmann is asking of Bradley. This is definitely what it looked like the last three games. It is frustrating because with Edu as a sit at home #6, Bradley shouldn't be needed to do this, especially against A&B. Yes, our backline line is shaky, but that's what Edu is for, right? It's like the 4 goals by Brazil scared JK into turning back to the double #6. Or maybe it was just the MB was exhausted by the 2-a-days and couldn't exert his energy going forward. Something just wasn't right.

The use of Jones is very perplexing. He is the most accomplished D-Mid on the squad, yet JK has never played him there. He's even played some CB for his CL team. In 4 out of 5 of these games, Jones was played as an out and out Attacker. Just weird.

 

I could give a bunch of off the wall possible reasons, but frankly I have no real idea whatsoever. I am perplexed and frustrated that both JK and Bradley before him, have not used Jones once in his natural position. It is baffling.

I can tell you that I would like to see at least one soccer journalist ask what to me seems like the most obvious question in the world and at least get us an answer.

 

For the Guat game I am guessing JK needed a player to play RM. He had limited options because of bad roster selections, and Jones would do better at this then Edu. Maybe MB would have been a better RM?

Against Guat this is what it looked like:
----------- Gomez ----------
---- LD ----Demps ----- JJ ----
---------- MB -------------------
----------------- Edu -----------

Maybe this would have been better?
----------- Gomez ----------
---- LD ----Demps ----- MB ----
---------- JJ -------------------
----------------- Edu -----------

If JJ plays the #6 who plays RM (LD could play RM then FJ plays LM and then we need a LB) ...or maybe Jozy or Gomez plays LM or RM?
-------------- Jozy ---------------
-- Gomez? ----Demps ----- LD ----
----------- MB -------------------
------------------- JJ -----------


Basically as others have said many times there were not enough outside Mids brought in to camp.

 

That is a fine rationale for the Guat game and there is always some possible reason we can come up with for a specific game. My point is more the larger question, of why for every single one of Jones's 24 caps for us, he has been played out of position, in favor of guys who are not international caliber?

Apropos to this thread and the "midfield system expectations", the most obvious option is to start the guy with best club career in the position he is best at and fill the other guys in around him, no?

 

Could the answer be as simple as both BB and JK have a much better understanding of where Jones benefits the USMNT than do you? Maybe if you saw the pre injury JJ who is now just returning to that form the answer would be very clear.

 

The role that Edu has been playing is the exact role that Jones plays and excels in for Schalke and Blackburn before that and Schalke again before that and basically the same exact role he has been playing his entire career.

This more offensive minded role he is playing for us is the one that is foreign to him. Hence my frustration.

 

It is entirely possible. I have often when bringing this question up said that exact same thing myself, but at this point it seems to me that some of our problems could be addressed by making this switch. I would like for someone to explain the rationale though, because I don't get it.

 

Holden is perfect for the position Jones is currently trying to play. Not that Jones has been terrible, but he should be playing further back. Johnson could also be an option here, but his wide runs from LB are quite useful with 3 CM's. Put Jones or Williams as the 6 and the other as a CB, paired with Boca/Cameron/Ream/John or whoever improves. This puts the athleticism/ball skill combination at DM and CB that we are currently lacking. The front 3 are a whole new conversation.

RB---Jones/Williams--CB----Johnson
--------------Jones/Williams-----------
---------Bradley------------Holden

 

What problems would be addressed? We tried taking Edu off and replaced him with a striker against Canada remember. What did we get? There is a reason we went back to the Edu,Bradley,Jones trio for the WCQs.

 

Once again, I'd suggest Klinsmann's choice and use of the of the centermids is based primarily on the nature of the US pool. Williams, Edu, Bradley, Jones, and Torres are playing at the highest club and/or league levels compared to center-mids with more attack oriented skillsets.

Previous coach also relied heavily on these types of the players. During the '06 cycle there was a plethora of wide players available with Lewis, Beasley, Convey, Donvan, all being able to play out wide.

 

The one guy that I keep going back to in my head is Feilhaber. He is definitely on auto-pilot in New England, but can you think of a guy for the Nats that has always played up to the competition in big games / tournaments? The Gold Cup, the Confederations Cup and even coming on as a sub in a couple of World Cup games. The guy is a big-game baller.

I think that Jones should be used as the destroyer, with Bradley and Torres or Feilhaber as the box to box guys. Edu is the defensive-mid sub. This is assuming we're going to use a 4-5-1 / 4-3-3 (I still favor a 4-4-2).

------------Torres/Feilhaber--------------Bradley-----------------

-----------------------------------Jones-------------------------------

-----LB---------------LBC-----------------RCB-----------RB-------

 

Jones does not want to play in the Edu role, he fell out with Magath and got kicked out of Schalke for his insistence on being allowed to roam more.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...igstein/12/01/schalke.magath.wrath/index.html

​

I suspect as part of agreeing to play for us he let it be known that he would not show up if he was required to play as a destroyer.​

 

Now this is interesting, and the first time I've seen anything close to a logical explanation on the Jones issue. It's understandable under BB because he always played his 2 CMs in the way that Jones would get attacking freedom. But since Klinsmann moved away from that system I would expect him to be able to lay down the law to Jones, if dropping Edu or Bradley allowed a more effective attacking player to be used instead.