we are miles no light-years away from a total football midfield and even trying to go there would be a massive mistake we need some good players in midfield i.e sissoko, adam, m'vila (no im not suggesting we buy all 3) these are good players who are much better than lucas, spearing and poulsen total football it's just a pipe dream for us atm
I wasn't trying to suggest that we can utterly change our system with a few purchases, but I think it's fair to say that if we buy players in all positions who are good on the ball and are capable of reading the play, our ability to both attack and defend as a team can only improve. While not the sole philosophy behind total football, it is part of its core that an opposition team divided between defensive and offensive duties will lose far more often than win against a side that essentially outnumbers them in both attack and defense. I'm not suggesting we get a team of Dirk Kuyts, but a fit squad that covers a lot of ground every game and works hard at accurate ball distribution will be both effective on match days and more than merely pleasing on the eye. It's a long way off, but it's a goal worth building towards, and players capable of developing pass-and-move skills (or even "one-touch football" as we call it, where the ball does the work and no one is ever in possession long enough to lose it) should be at a premium in terms of our purchase strategy.
