Daniel Farke has offered a revealing insight into the conundrum he is wrestling with at the heart of Norwich City’s midfield.
The City chief knows he must deal in wins to stand any chance of a Premier League revival. That has led to a growing clamour for the return of the likes of Mario Vrancic and Moritz Leitner.
But Farke has put his faith in a more pragmatic approach over recent weeks, with Alex Tettey and Kenny McLean offering more ballast.
"The first part of the season we got lots of praise for being brave in the way we kept possession, and we can still do that, but you need more than a player who create a moment of magic," said Farke, speaking at Colney ahead of Leicester City's visit.
"We can't have 11 number 10s for us to win a football game on this level.
"That is a demanding task for me because we have quality players to bring in.
"It's always difficult when players perform on the training pitch and we all know what Mario or Moritz can offer, another player who has not been involved a lot apart from the Preston cup game. Or Tom (Trybull) or Marco Stiepermann, who was fantastic last season, you have this in your mind. You're always tempted to bring them in, but you also realise you need the right balance.
"At this level it is trickier for us to dominate possession like we did last season. Then you could really use the genius of these players."
Farke views that central tract as a key battleground against the Foxes on the evidence of the 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture.
"Let's be honest, when we play a Liverpool or even a Leicester it is important we have solidity and physical strength in the middle of the park," he said. "We have shown when we are a bit too soft at this level in the middle of the pitch we concede goals. We have been much more solid, in general terms, in the last few weeks.
"We were good in many, many topics at Leicester. It was important to bypass the pressing. We have to brave to do that again. They are very strong in the centre of the field and they like to overload that area.
"It is important we are compact. That is how we take their key players out of the game.
"In the first half we had enough chances to win the game. Leicester's approach has changed slightly since then, but the key topics are quite similar."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here