Who's currently the best central midfielder in the EPL?

Zokora for Spurs has played 4 good straight good games for Spurs even if they are losing he could turn out to be a good find for them.
LRD.......... Contrats your on top of the FF league.....FOR NOW........

The best allround Central Midfielders in the EPL are Essien, Alonso, Fabregas, Ballack, Carrick & Zokora.

Essien and Alonso are the best 2 - tough to decide.

Nah for me Essien is a long way out in front then Fabregas just ahead of the other pack

I went for Ballack

TeamSpirit wrote:The best allround Central Midfielders in the EPL are Essien, Alonso, Fabregas, Ballack, Carrick & Zokora.

Essien and Alonso are the best 2 - tough to decide.

What exactly is that based on? His form for St Etienne or his performaces at the world cup? Either way it's not enough to be called one of the best midfielders in the premiership.

Kimbo wrote:

TeamSpirit wrote:The best allround Central Midfielders in the EPL are Essien, Alonso, Fabregas, Ballack, Carrick & Zokora.

Essien and Alonso are the best 2 - tough to decide.

What exactly is that based on? His form for St Etienne or his performaces at the world cup? Either way it's not enough to be called one of the best midfielders in the premiership.

Its based on club bias Kimbo.

Definately not based on premiership form at least

Zakora was actually one of the best players on the park for either side today. Best player of the first half by a considerable distance.

Deserves to be up there ahead of garbage like Parker.

Alonso is the best midfielder in the Premiership. I've decided. When he's on form, he's just amazing. His touch, his vision, his tackling.

...In his last two games...Just can't put it into words. Every time I go to anfield, you just realise how good he actually is. Every touch he makes draws applause.

IMHO: (as a central midfielder)

Xabi>Stevie>Fabregas>Essien>Makelele>Ballack>Lampard>Scholes>Parker>Cahill

l r d wrote:

Brian3-5-2 wrote:West ham are playing worse since the arrival of the argies. Have they upset the balance of the squad?

It is, i saw Zamora say, his name is spanish, but he cant speak the language, maybe if he could he would get an automatic starting place

Or if he was any good and his last 3 goals hadn't been a bounce off the knee, a lucky cross and ball he couldn't get out of the way of.

Why do people go for the obvious "foreigners have upset the balance of the team" line when (this season) they were shite before their arrival ?

They punched above their weight last season and have now been found out a bit.

They have enough quality to be ok though.


* If an EPL team were ever to be found guilty of match fixing, which punishment do you think would be best?

a) 15 point deduction

b) The guilty team would have to play Paul Konchesky in their starting line up.

All amounts to the same thing I suppose.


* COTR and LRD - for all the laughs and sarcastic comments, when has Gerrard proved he can cut the mustard against top class opposition at CM ?

Zokora is makelele with pace but isn't as good tactically/positionally as maka

Kimbo wrote:

TeamSpirit wrote:The best allround Central Midfielders in the EPL are Essien, Alonso, Fabregas, Ballack, Carrick & Zokora.

Essien and Alonso are the best 2 - tough to decide.

What exactly is that based on? His form for St Etienne or his performaces at the world cup? Either way it's not enough to be called one of the best midfielders in the premiership.

Well it's based on attributes.

Does he have good attaking & defensive instincts? YES.

Once we find our form - you'll see.

@ Obi how did it feel to have a team give you a challenge at home?

Even if we concede a goal more, we were far more threatening than team 4-6-0.

Crouching Tiger wrote:Alonso is the best midfielder in the Premiership. I've decided. When he's on form, he's just amazing. His touch, his vision, his tackling.

...In his last two games...Just can't put it into words. Every time I go to anfield, you just realise how good he actually is. Every touch he makes draws applause.

IMHO: (as a central midfielder)

Xabi>Stevie>Fabregas>Essien>Makelele>Ballack>Lampard>Scholes>Parker>Cahill

*cough*club bias*cough*

Tweedledum wrote:

Crouching Tiger wrote:Alonso is the best midfielder in the Premiership. I've decided. When he's on form, he's just amazing. His touch, his vision, his tackling.

...In his last two games...Just can't put it into words. Every time I go to anfield, you just realise how good he actually is. Every touch he makes draws applause.

IMHO: (as a central midfielder)

Xabi>Stevie>Fabregas>Essien>Makelele>Ballack>Lampard>Scholes>Parker>Cahill

*cough*club bias*cough*

it's IM(Honest)O.

Agooner wrote:Zokora is makelele with pace but isn't as good tactically/positionally as maka

He's more like an Essien.

If people analysed Coté 'de Ivoire play at the WC - It was Yaya Toure who was the more deep sitting of the 2.

TeamSpirit wrote:
@ Obi how did it feel to have a team give you a challenge at home?

Even if we concede a goal more, we were far more threatening than team 4-6-0.

It was nice to see a team attack. After what felt like a lifte-time, just watching 50 minute highlights of Newcastle demonstrating several effective forms of capitulation, it was nice to get to watch another team who wants to play football.

We deservedly won, but 3-0 was really harsh on you I think. It confirmed something though that Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea have done for years now - when we up our tempo, like we did second half, on the rest of the big 3 can cope. the quality of passes zipped around by Alonso took Zakora - who was playing really well - out of the game.

Pierre Littbarski wrote:

l r d wrote:

Brian3-5-2 wrote:West ham are playing worse since the arrival of the argies. Have they upset the balance of the squad?

It is, i saw Zamora say, his name is spanish, but he cant speak the language, maybe if he could he would get an automatic starting place

Or if he was any good and his last 3 goals hadn't been a bounce off the knee, a lucky cross and ball he couldn't get out of the way of.

Why do people go for the obvious "foreigners have upset the balance of the team" line when (this season) they were shite before their arrival ?

They punched above their weight last season and have now been found out a bit.

They have enough quality to be ok though.


* If an EPL team were ever to be found guilty of match fixing, which punishment do you think would be best?

a) 15 point deduction

b) The guilty team would have to play Paul Konchesky in their starting line up.

All amounts to the same thing I suppose.


* COTR and LRD - for all the laughs and sarcastic comments, when has Gerrard proved he can cut the mustard against top class opposition at CM ?

Actually West Ham were doing quite well before they arrived

Dirty foreigners!

Tweedledum wrote:

Crouching Tiger wrote:Alonso is the best midfielder in the Premiership. I've decided. When he's on form, he's just amazing. His touch, his vision, his tackling.

...In his last two games...Just can't put it into words. Every time I go to anfield, you just realise how good he actually is. Every touch he makes draws applause.

IMHO: (as a central midfielder)

Xabi>Stevie>Fabregas>Essien>Makelele>Ballack>Lampard>Scholes>Parker>Cahill

*cough*club bias*cough*

What a load of Bollocks

TeamSpirit wrote:

Kimbo wrote:

TeamSpirit wrote:The best allround Central Midfielders in the EPL are Essien, Alonso, Fabregas, Ballack, Carrick & Zokora.

Essien and Alonso are the best 2 - tough to decide.

What exactly is that based on? His form for St Etienne or his performaces at the world cup? Either way it's not enough to be called one of the best midfielders in the premiership.

Well it's based on attributes.

Does he have good attaking & defensive instincts? YES.

Once we find our form - you'll see.

So in other words it's club bias.

poiuy1 wrote:

Tweedledum wrote:

Crouching Tiger wrote:Alonso is the best midfielder in the Premiership. I've decided. When he's on form, he's just amazing. His touch, his vision, his tackling.

...In his last two games...Just can't put it into words. Every time I go to anfield, you just realise how good he actually is. Every touch he makes draws applause.

IMHO: (as a central midfielder)

Xabi>Stevie>Fabregas>Essien>Makelele>Ballack>Lampard>Scholes>Parker>Cahill

*cough*club bias*cough*

What a load of Bollocks

What's a load of bollocks?

poiuy1 wrote:

Tweedledum wrote:

Crouching Tiger wrote:Alonso is the best midfielder in the Premiership. I've decided. When he's on form, he's just amazing. His touch, his vision, his tackling.

...In his last two games...Just can't put it into words. Every time I go to anfield, you just realise how good he actually is. Every touch he makes draws applause.

IMHO: (as a central midfielder)

Xabi>Stevie>Fabregas>Essien>Makelele>Ballack>Lampard>Scholes>Parker>Cahill

*cough*club bias*cough*

What a load of Bollocks

You think Xabi and Stevie are the best as well?!

Ballack > Xabi > Essien > Makelele > Fabregas > Scholes > Lumps/Cahill > Brown > Fletcher > Smith > Parker.

Problem is that Ballack hasn't fully adapted yet, so I'd say Xabi is the best in the premiership at the moment. Though there's so little to choose in between him and Essien.

I dont think so pierre.
They looked great last season in most games, beat arsenal, got to the f.a cup final very unlucky not to win it.
Started this season pretty well, then the two major signings happenend and it's all gone wrong.
If it was beckham and another, still probably would of upset the balance not about being foreigners.

Zamora scored numerous goals because some were lucky does not matter, in his mind he cannot be dropped. a big signing arrives, not fully fit match fit gets straight in the team, obviously the players are not so happy.

on gerrard had many great seasons as a cm, he made his name as a cm. 1 good season as rm and suddenly he was a shit cm?

Tweedledum wrote:

Pierre Littbarski wrote:

l r d wrote:

Brian3-5-2 wrote:West ham are playing worse since the arrival of the argies. Have they upset the balance of the squad?

It is, i saw Zamora say, his name is spanish, but he cant speak the language, maybe if he could he would get an automatic starting place

Or if he was any good and his last 3 goals hadn't been a bounce off the knee, a lucky cross and ball he couldn't get out of the way of.

Why do people go for the obvious "foreigners have upset the balance of the team" line when (this season) they were shite before their arrival ?

They punched above their weight last season and have now been found out a bit.

They have enough quality to be ok though.


* If an EPL team were ever to be found guilty of match fixing, which punishment do you think would be best?

a) 15 point deduction

b) The guilty team would have to play Paul Konchesky in their starting line up.

All amounts to the same thing I suppose.


* COTR and LRD - for all the laughs and sarcastic comments, when has Gerrard proved he can cut the mustard against top class opposition at CM ?

Actually West Ham were doing quite well before they arrived

Finally over running a piss-poor Charlton team that had been down to 10 men since the 25th minute, getting outplayed by a newly promoted side and being grateful for the draw and losing to an out of sorts Liverpool.

Yeah, they were fantastic.

I don't see how there is any debate as to who is the best all round midfielder ......it's Essien by a mile

Also i don't think on current form Ballack is up there either or will ever be in Chelsea's system..

for me on current form

Essien>Fabregas>Zokora>Scholes>Sissoko

Is it just me or has Alonso been off form for most of this season?

l r d wrote:

on gerrard had many great seasons as a cm, he made his name as a cm. 1 good season as rm and suddenly he was a shit cm?

Great or good ?

I was talking about games against top-class opposition.

eg: France, Portugal, Milan, Benfica, Arsenal.

@ pierre and your when has gerrard proved he can cut the mustard at CM comment.....


the very thought of even answering this question fills me with depression..

so ill just say gerrard was not a very good player until benitez moved him to a roaming right/central midfield role a year ago and we can all remain happy

TeamSpirit™ wrote:

Agooner wrote:Zokora is makelele with pace but isn't as good tactically/positionally as maka

He's more like an Essien.

If people analysed Coté 'de Ivoire play at the WC - It was Yaya Toure who was the more deep sitting of the 2.

I have watched more than 12 IC games over the past year and in none of them was he the sitting midfielder. They usually play something like this:

-------zokora

---yaya-----romaric/faye


Yaya toure is also not a holding midfielder , he is box to box- more like vieira.

COTR wrote:@ pierre and your when has gerrard proved he can cut the mustard at CM comment.....


the very thought of even answering this question fills me with depression..

so ill just say gerrard was not a very good player until benitez moved him to a roaming right/central midfield role a year ago and we can all remain happy

It was "when has gerrard proved he can cut the mustard at CM against top-class opposition" actually.

Obispo wrote:

TeamSpirit wrote:
@ Obi how did it feel to have a team give you a challenge at home?

Even if we concede a goal more, we were far more threatening than team 4-6-0.

It was nice to see a team attack. After what felt like a lifte-time, just watching 50 minute highlights of Newcastle demonstrating several effective forms of capitulation, it was nice to get to watch another team who wants to play football.

We deservedly won, but 3-0 was really harsh on you I think. It confirmed something though that Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea have done for years now - when we up our tempo, like we did second half, on the rest of the big 3 can cope. the quality of passes zipped around by Alonso took Zakora - who was playing really well - out of the game.

Xabi was excellent today - but our belief died in the 60-second span between Jenas' miss & Gonzales' goal.

I actually thought we were good defensively - King's tackle on Bellamy, despite the worthy penalty claims for handball, was class. Jol just needs to find the right balance, and we'll be ok. Of the games we've lost - only the defeat to the 10-man Everton has really upset me.

We're actually ionly 4 points down on corresponsding fixtures from last year (Sheffield United replacing Wigan as the Championship runner-up.)