Thought about this a lot over during this window. A true #10 doesn't have a place in our team really do they (Not sure what those 2 are like). It's not like they will just sit behind the 2 strikers and not have to help defend. Don't get the Jota behind Jimenez/Cutrone suggestions for this reason. Look how much work all 3 midfielders do (i.e whichever you want to say is furthest forward, Moutinho?). And the passing work. Jota isn't made for either of those things, like at all!
From my point of view, I'd want that sort of player as an option to play a slightly different system.
In games now it usually ends up more a sort of 3142 in possession, Neves sitting deeper than the other midfielders to find some space and look to dictate play from there. However, in some games I think that makes him ineffective, when teams defend very deep and across the full width of the pitch he can't really play the big raking passes to switch the play and so his biggest weapon is somewhat negated. In those situations I don't think Neves does enough with short passes and quick interplay through the centre of the park to make up for what's been lost in wide areas, can often end up with half the team sat behind the ball leaving the other half outnumbered 2 to 1 struggling to make significant in roads.
In those situations, not unlike last Thursday, I think it would be a good option to be able to push that midfielder the other way creating more of a 3412. With limited opportunity for the big switch of play from deep you can easily just leave that responsibility to Coady rather than having Neves sat 5-10 yards in front of him, then you get an extra passing option ahead of the other two central midfielders, someone who will look to get on the ball in more advanced areas and cause more concern to a well set defence rather than constantly playing in front of them. I think with the current squad options it's difficult to make a great case for that plan, MGW potentially has the game to perform as that more advanced midfielder but his form tends to be rather up and down so wouldn't want to rely on him too greatly and the only other real option for me is Jota, who wouldn't give you exactly what you were after but has shown a knack for dropping into those areas in front of defenders from where he can then turn and run, committing players and creating spaces.
I think a genuine option for that position would give greater tactical flexibility, someone who could do some of that running from deeper positions that Jota has shown but probably better it be a more natural midfield player than dragging a forward back there, just to give it a better balance. You could perhaps try pushing Neves further forward and having Moutinho as the man floating behind the forwards but in those sort of games the opportunity is there for him to do exactly that naturally and he just doesn't seem inclined to do so.
