Of those 3, Arter would be the one Iād pick for the holding role. I think heās a nice footballer, and I donāt think heās reached the levels that he can for Ireland yet.
To be honest, I donāt know if heās had a clearly defined role in the midfield and has looked a bit lost at times.
I donāt think heās ideally suited to the holding midfield role like Meyler is but I think giving him a clear role might get him involved more. Heās a nice passer of the ball and is well able to get stuck in. Is he a bit indisciplined for that role when you have someone like Eriksen floating around? Maybe.
Whelan is relatively effective at times but he doesnāt impose himself the way Meyler does. Game can pass him by.
Arter was like a headless chicken against Georgia away, I donāt know if he can be trusted in such a key role. Anything but a defeat would be a decent result on Saturday, so Iād tentatively give the nod to Whelan in the holding role.
Any Villa fans been watching Houihane closely this season.
Could he play a role in a midfield 3 (assuming we play 5 midfielders with 2 wide).?
If Christie gets a yellow is Matt Doherty in for a start.
Whelan starts as deepest midfielder (apologies to John Giles)
Brady and Arter side with McClean and Hendrick wide.
Murphy to rough then up (get it in the mixer)
Wales away was a 4-2-3-1 shape with Meyler and Arter deeper, Hendrick as the advanced central one and Brady and McClean on the flanks. We took a good while early on to get to grips with the Welsh midfield. Hendrick wasnāt getting close enough to Allen and he was finding Ramsey in space as their attacking central midfielder. But Meyler and McClean crunching Allen solved both problems in one go. Hendrick came onto a game and his pressing of Ashley Williams led to the goal.
We can go that way or with more of a diamond shape. Weāve gone for diamonds along with only one out and out winger and a lone striker in several away games. Whelan at the back of the diamond, Arter narrow to his left and quite disciplined, Hendrick to the right but with more licence to get up and down and with responsibility to fill in out wide when they have the ball and then Brady at the apex of it. McClean playing high up on the left and Slab through the middle.
The best coaches barely use āformationsā anymore is the first thing. Not that Martin OāNeill is a good coach, but anyway.
Tell us what a top coach does within weeks so. One sunday he has to play defensively against a technically better and dangerous side.
The following week he is playing a team of equal standing but brilliant on the counter.
