Quote Originally Posted by Terry Tuffnutz View Post
always said the merts should be first choice to anchor the defence. only seen one game but by the sounds of things his presence seems to be making the difference.

with a defence that sits a little deeper, it draws back everyone in front of them and creates a better shape.

everyone is obsessed with pace and being fast. it really is not the decisive factor. it helps of course but you can still be a great defender without it.
the only positive i can find of not replacing song is the positive impact it can have on the defence.

when you play a DM the other midfielders instantly assume they can bomb forward and the DM will stay back to take care of opposition attacks. its a psychological mindset triggered by having a player like song in the team. without a DM the whole team defends as a unit and all the midfielders do their part.