Best Centre-Midfielders over the last 20 years - Poll of the Day (3rd Oct)

Post by **1964white** » Sat Oct 03, 2026 7:23 am

Best Centre-Midfielders over the last 20 years

Please add comments to keep the thread moving.

Team so far
Trafford
Kelly
Rodon
Bijol
Muharemovic
Dallas
Ampadu
Hernandez
Raphinha

Post by **hector** » Sat Oct 03, 2026 9:20 am

Between 3 for me
Howson
Delph
Klich

The Subhuman · Post by **The Subhuman** » Sat Oct 03, 2026 9:42 am

This is Klich, no one else comes close for me ...

Carrick Dave · Post by **Carrick Dave** » Sat Oct 03, 2026 10:19 am

Klich for me too, but honourable mentions to Tanaka, Stach and Jonny Howson.

Delph was a great player but alas his finest years were not spent at Leeds.

Post by **1964white** » Sat Oct 03, 2026 11:58 am

Klich for me too.

Love his song as well, other clubs have copied it of course!

The Subhuman · Post by **The Subhuman** » Sat Oct 03, 2026 12:27 pm

Carrick Dave wrote: ↑Sat Oct 03, 2026 10:19 am Klich for me too, but honourable mentions to Tanaka, Stach and Jonny Howson.

Delph was a great player but alas his finest years were not spent at Leeds.

Only really remember Delph being injured a lot for us... punctuated by wonderful moments... No clue if that stands up to scrutiny but it's my impression looking back

Post by **1964white** » Sat Oct 03, 2026 12:30 pm

The Subhuman wrote: ↑Sat Oct 03, 2026 12:27 pm Only really remember Delph being injured a lot for us... punctuated by wonderful moments... No clue if that stands up to scrutiny but it's my impression looking back

Delph was injured a lot at Leeds and after he left us for Villa & Citeh

Finnatic · Post by **Finnatic** » Sat Oct 03, 2026 2:18 pm

Klich, great to watch at times and also a top wind-up merchant which endeared him to the fans as a bonus.

Cjay · Post by **Cjay** » Sat Oct 03, 2026 2:47 pm

Klich

But Tanaka, Stach and Howson ran him very close

Post by **1964white** » Sat Oct 03, 2026 7:41 pm

Only ten votes in this poll.

Have some of you gone into hibernation.

Post by **1964white** » Sun Oct 04, 2026 8:01 am

Any more votes?

DDB220 · Post by **DDB220** » Sun Oct 04, 2026 9:10 am

1964white wrote: ↑Sat Oct 03, 2026 11:58 am Klich for me too.

Love his song as well, other clubs have copied it of course!

Klich was great in the Championship - for me he struggled in the prem. Another player who was lethal with time and space but struggled against an organised the press.

But the options are not great. Lots of very good players at EFL standard.

I would opt for Stach on that basis as he does not look out of place at this level and would probably have murdered teams in the championship.

Post by **1964white** » Sun Oct 04, 2026 9:29 am

DDB220 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 04, 2026 9:10 am Klich was great in the Championship - for me he struggled in the prem. Another player who was lethal with time and space but struggled against an organised the press.

But the options are not great. Lots of very good players at EFL standard.

I would opt for Stach on that basis as he does not look out of place at this level and would probably have murdered teams in the championship.

Absolutely he would of in the championship.

DDB220 · Post by **DDB220** » Sun Oct 04, 2026 9:38 am

1964white wrote: ↑Sun Oct 04, 2026 9:29 am Absolutely he would of in the championship.

There is sign of romance attached to players who did well in the Bielsa system. But to coin a phrase - which many have used - they only shone in Bielsa’s system and were deemed average players until he arrived. None more so than Phillips, Dallas and Klich.

Struijk was the only player who actually improved post Bielsa. Bielsa did not use Summerville in the 1st team as far as I can recall.

Post by **1964white** » Sun Oct 04, 2026 10:03 am

DDB220 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 04, 2026 9:38 am There is sign of romance attached to players who did well in the Bielsa system. But to coin a phrase - which many have used - they only shone in Bielsa’s system and were deemed average players until he arrived. None more so than Phillips, Dallas and Klich.

Struijk was the only player who actually improved post Bielsa. Bielsa did not use Summerville in the 1st team as far as I can recall.

Indeed.

Others.....

Cooper in League One at Sheff Wed

Ayling at Middlesbro'

Bamford, Phillips & Shackleton at Sheff Utd

Klich & Harrison in the MLS

Roberts at Mansfield

Alioski in Switzerland playing for some tinpot team Lugano

Gelhardt on the bench at Hull

Meslier 3rd keeper at Arsenal

Forshaw at Blackburn

Greenwood at Bristol City

I suppose age has caught up with some of them.

foxy · Post by **foxy** » Sun Oct 04, 2026 2:12 pm

I went for howson as some of his passing was breathtaking and he performed in a below average team without the inspirational management that improved klich and so many others.

DDB220 · Post by **DDB220** » Sun Oct 04, 2026 4:11 pm

1964white wrote: ↑Sun Oct 04, 2026 10:03 am Indeed.

Others.....

Cooper in League One at Sheff Wed

Ayling at Middlesbro'

Bamford, Phillips & Shackleton at Sheff Utd

Klich & Harrison in the MLS

Roberts at Mansfield

Alioski in Switzerland playing for some tinpot team Lugano

Gelhardt on the bench at Hull

Meslier 3rd keeper at Arsenal

Forshaw at Blackburn

Greenwood at Bristol City

I suppose age has caught up with some of them.

My recollection of Klich in the prem, ok first season, awful in the second and had 14 sub appearances in the relegation season. His stats in the prem across all data is no where near his championship level.
Healthy dose of Romanticism for me to suggest he is the best we have had in the last 20 years.

DDB220 · Post by **DDB220** » Sun Oct 04, 2026 4:13 pm

foxy wrote: ↑Sun Oct 04, 2026 2:12 pm I went for howson as some of his passing was breathtaking and he performed in a below average team without the inspirational management that improved klich and so many others.

Aye he was good for us but we missed his best years as he pissed off to Norwich.

Post by **1964white** » Sun Oct 04, 2026 4:17 pm

DDB220 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 04, 2026 4:11 pm My recollection of Klich in the prem, ok first season, awful in the second and had 14 sub appearances in the relegation season. His stats in the prem across all data is no where near his championship level.
Healthy dose of Romanticism for me to suggest he is the best we have had in the last 20 years.

He lost his edge latterly.

The Subhuman · Post by **The Subhuman** » Sun Oct 04, 2026 4:19 pm

Summerville played 6 times under Bielsa.. but he was very young when Marcelo was manager, 18-20 and we got him as one for the future...