Originally Posted by
jackal2
If Neal Ardley re-signed Michael Doyle with the intention of playing him as one of two central midfielders in a 4-4-2 system, then both are headed for disaster.
If, on the other hand, he envisages playing Doyle as a holding midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 system then the old warhorse could still do an effective job, which allied with increasing coaching duties would get the best value for whatever we're paying him.
Make no mistake, Doyle is a good example to any young pro in the way he maintains his fitness at such an advanced age (in football terms), but in order to maximise his influence and ability on and off the pitch you've got to deploy him the right way, which wasn't always the case last season.