English Premier League: Ranking the Best Midfield Duo This Season
The English Premier League is certainly the best league in the world right now. The Serie A has been left in the dust, while La Liga has been a two-horse race for the past decade. The Bundesliga comes in at second in my books.
In this article, I shall try to rank the midfield duos of the top six teams of the English Premier League: Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. The criteria that have been taken into account are the skills possessed, contribution to the team, potential for growth and chemistry between the two players.
6. Liverpool: Charlie Adam and Lucas Leiva
1 of 7I was a great admirer of Charlie Adam during his Blackpool days. Therefore, I was exuberant when I heard he was joining Liverpool.
However, despite flashes of brilliance and a couple of worthy goals and assists, has been absolutely horrendous when it comes to turnovers. He gives away the ball too often and makes too many reckless challenges after the ball has been lost.
Nevertheless, I am hopeful that he will refine his game and minimize giving the ball away.
At the other end is Lucas, who was absolutely reviled during his early playing days but has won the hearts of all the Liverpool faithful. He has been in sensational form this season. His injury is a devastating blow for the Kops.
Charlie Adam: 6/10
Lucas Leiva: 8.5/10
Total Score: 14.5/20
5. Manchester United: Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick
2 of 7Michael Carrick doesn’t put a pass wrong, yet he is always criticized. He is the scapegoat for every lackluster performance by Manchester United.
His distribution of the ball is almost flawless, and his passing (his season his passing success percentage is 89.9) and crossing abilities are fantastic. Several fans, particularly those of United, believe that he is not of world-class mold, but this goal exemplifies his capabilities.
United's midfield is always changing, and with injuries plaguing them, I have gone with Wayne Rooney.
Rooney is a striker—we all know that. However, when he was put in as an almost attacking midfielder, playing a more withdrawn role, he was quite effective in filling the hole left by Paul Scholes. Unfortunately, there was no other player who had Rooney’s ability up front, and as a result a goal drought occurred. Now he has been switched to his favored position once again, although he still drops deep from time to time.
Michael Carrick: 7.5/10
Wayne Rooney: 8/10 (9 as striker)
Total Score: 15.5/20
4. Chelsea: Juan Mata and Oriol Romeu
3 of 7Juan Mata has breathed a new life into a decadent Chelsea squad filled with old-timers. His vision, passing ability and overall skill set has allowed Chelsea to look like the same formidable force they were a while ago. With key assists and goals, Mata has single handedly transformed the Chelsea squad.
I can’t get my head around why Villas-Boas plays him out of position though.
"When I see Mikel Obi, he reminds me of players like Frank Lampard, Zinedine Zidane, Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes," proclaimed Austin Eguavoen, then coach of the Nigerian U-17. And he was not alone in bestowing such praise on Obi Mikel.
But what a disappointment he has been.
After being played out of position and in a diminishing role, he has had to pave the way for Oriol Romeu. Romeu has developed incredibly and has provided glimpses of the tremendous amount of talent he has to offer. His interception, passing skills and tackling are all good, and I see him becoming a major force to be dealt with in the future.
Juan Mata: 9/10
Oriol Romeu: 7/10
Total Score: 16/20
3. Arsenal: Mikel Arteta and Alex Song
4 of 7Who knew bringing in an aging playmaker would pay such dividends. I had always loved Arteta at Everton but wished he had transferred a lot earlier. I had my share of doubts when Arsenal signed him, given his recent injuries. However, he has proved me completely wrong.
He has not only brought in a sense of calmness to the Emirates, but also leadership qualities. He is fantastic at set pieces and holding the ball. His crossing is also superb; perhaps Theo could use a lesson or two.
After a host of inconsistent performances during the early years, finally, Alex Song’s name in the starting roster is a pleasing sight to behold. He has made great leaps in improving his playing style, particularly breaking the play up effectively and then setting his teammates for the counterattack. He is a commanding presence in front of the back four and shields them excellently.
Mikel Arteta: 8.5/10
Alex Song: 8/10
Total Score: 16.5/20
2. Manchester City: David Silva and Yaya Toure
5 of 7Perhaps most of you reading this article were expecting this dynamic duo to be at No. 1. It’s not surprising that you held such an assumption. These two players have been in great form, and to call them sensational would be an understatement.
In David Silva, Manchester City have perhaps the best playmaker in the EPL. He has led City to countless wins by dictating the style of play and has scored a plethora of assists and also a handful of goals. He has a great ability to create space which renders him almost unstoppable, and despite his size has succeeded quite well in the Premier League.
On the other end, you have Yaya Toure, an intimidating physical presence that strikes fear into the heart of every opponent. Toure has played a vital part in the midfield for City. No wonder City were willing to pay out the highest wage for him in the entire league.
David Silva: 9.5/10
Yaya Toure: 9/10
Total Score: 18.5/20
1. Tottenham Hotspur: Luka Modric and Scott Parker
6 of 7You don’t get chased by Chelsea for a large sum of money for no reason. To reject £40 million for one player shows how much of an influence Modric really is. His dribbling skills are world class, and he is the creative spark that has led Spurs to such a great run in the recent years. He was voted Hotspur Player of the Season in 2010-2011, and has been equally impressive this season as well.
However, it his compatriot in Scott Parker that deserves the highest praise. Parker was last year’s FWA Player of the Year, and he was purchased for a diminutive sum of £5.5 million on the very last day of the transfer deadline and has to be the signing of the season. Sure there have been a host of great summer signings - Aguero is firing on all cylinders, Arteta has brought a sense of calmness around the Emirates and Mata has lit up Chelsea, but they all came at a tremendous price. Parker has been an immense member of the Hotspur squad and made an immediate impact upon the team and was also voted their Player of the Month for September and October. For me, he has been the most outstanding player this season after Robin Van Persie.
Luka Modric: 9/10
Scott Parker: 10/10
Total Score: 19/20
Conclusion
7 of 7What did you think of the rankings? Which other midfield duos have impressed this season? Leave your comments and opinions. Also, it would be good to have midfielders from the the Bundesliga, La Liga and Serie A for comparison.
Please also read:
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
