Diarra v Khedira

I've not heard anything about that mate. Doesn't fit the player Hodgson goes after. Roy prefers the 30 year old journeyman. Am half expecting Danny Murphy to return. Diarra is a great player who i would love at anfield.

 

Diarra is a great player, when Madrid signed him from Portsmouth for that amount of money I thought it was hugely over the top but fair play to him he's won me over. Him, Khedira, Mascherano and Fletcher are all great players but I think the best DMF/holding role/ball winning midfielder is Essien.

 

surprised at how many people said Diarra, Khedira was a stand out at the WC and suits Alonso better imo.

Diarra hasn't come close to fulfilling his potential and i doubt he ever will. Khedira mightn't see as much of the ball as Diarra but he gets through a mountain of work for the team every game.

 

agree, essien by far tbh

 

Khedira

 

Essien when fit. Seems to be a rare thing these days.

 

Spot on mate.

 

I'd go with Diarra, purely for his work rate

 

Diarra!

He is a machine

 

I'd have both of them over that robot Alonso.

 

This instantly rules out any opinion you have on football, ever.

 

Quite clearly you do not understand the complexities of football.

 

You don't find Xabi Alonso a good football player and you say I don't understand it? Nah mate you're a wind up merchant.

 

He's one dimensional and offers Madrid next to nothing, they would be far better off with a dynamic midfield pairing in Khedira and Diarra IMO.

 

In what way is he one dimensional?

 

Give him space and time and he can put the ball right on your toes, pressure him and get close to him and he is completely ineffective. If you contrast to other deep lying playmakers like Pirlo, Xavi, Pizarro etc. they all have that elusiveness where they can drop the shoulder and turn out of trouble and play with fluidity. Alonso is regimented in his approach, his movement is robotic and when the game is played at a high tempo his pattern is deeply effected.

Khedira and Diarra are high intesity players who offer far more from a defensive standpoint, breaking up the play and winning back the ball and they also offer much more of a goal threat.

 

Statistically Xabi Alonso has put in and won the most tackles for Real Madrid out of all there midfielders last year.

Xabi Alonso is the key to the full of Real Madrid's game, he is the link between defence and attack. He is the one that feeds the balls into Ronaldo and co.

He is a bit straight backed but that doesn't stop the way he plays; consistantly has more than 90% pass rate in a match and with the amount of passing Real Madrid do that is fantastic.

There is a reason he keeps the likes of Fabregas out of the Spanish National Team. Both Diarra and Khedira are faboulous work horses but it's like seeing Darren Fletcher and Ji Sung Park in the Man Utd midfield together. With no Paul Scholes theres no creative link between attack and defence.

Xabi Alonso offers this and a bit of steel.

I think you are very hard pushed to describe Xavi as a deep lying playmaker as well.