Totally agree with this, and would add that the exact same thing applies to Lampard as well. I've seen some crazy posts here where people say all he does is stand in front of the goal waiting for tip-ins. What he's really doing is always, constantly, all the time putting himself in the right place just ahead of time (as opposed to right place right time). He knows what will happen and puts himself where that will be. That's why he's one of the best in the world, even now at the tail end of his career.
I really don't understand a lot of the complaints about our midfielders. Pirlo, Lampard, Mix, McNamara, all four of them are *supposed* to be the second line, not the first line. Villa makes the flashy plays, sure, but that's his job. Our midfielders support the front line and supplement the back line. That's why they're in the middle. Their job is to work hard and set up our attackers (with the occasional attack of their own, of course).
