We really need to start thinking about, or at least starting, to build a more reliable, younger midfield. We have great midfielders, but a few are aging or just not able to stay fit at all, even if you take Covid away, it was true for a few of them before.
CDM: Fabinho/Hendo
CM: Thiago/Keita/Oxlade/Jones/Milner
I'm not going to put Elliott in there because although he was playing well, he is still a forward in my eyes with a handful of CM performances. Same with Morton, not gonna count him as he's a kid who's main focus is cup games for progression right now.
Milner I'd say is in his last year of playing, at our level at least, Oxlade is done, Thiago, as wonderful as he is when on the pitch, is aging and only reliable for a half the games a season if that, Keita has it all to be a starter, and if he was to stay fit would surely be a weekly starter, but can he? Jones is up and coming, and I have all faith he could start many games, I'd more say if we want to be a serious contender, he's a bench player for the next year or so still...
That leaves Fabinho and Hendo, Fabinho will be our CDM for the foreseeable future, which is great because he's elite, even if a few injuries have started creeping in. Captain Hendo is fantastic, and although in a poor dip of form, you know out there you're getting 100% and for the most part he's reliable fitness wise, although he is past that 30 mark (I know, that's my FIFA brain working)...
So you have Oxlade and Milner who I doubt will play any part next year, Thiago who will be fit for, if we are lucky half the games, if he's still here, Keita who you have to watch through your fingers whenever a player goes close to him and Jones who's a sub at most... leaving Fabinho and Hendo as the only two reliable players, although like I said, still have a few niggles between them too, we can't go into another season like that.
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