MDG fits nicely into the current back 3. Has he got a mistake in him, yes, he's a L1 defender, but he's a ball player & links up well. I think with the wealth of talent we have in midfield he's not really going to be used in that area, unless we had a lot of injuries / suspensions, but he could play that role. I wouldn't change much at the minute TBH.
He has slack times in games. He makes you nervous when he's on the ball and up to something beyond whacking it into the air or the stands. His defending is hit and miss. Sometimes it's awful, usually it's enough. He's capable of being our best player on any given Saturday, despite being in an unlikely field position to warrant such consideration. He's not there to get goals or assists. He tries to play football as I like to watch it. Cos he knows he can, most days. Last season he was one of our better players, according to silly Jimmy's popular vote on here. MDG and Earl are peas from a similar pod. Both can pass well, beat a man if called upon, bring it out of defence, spawn an unnecessary and costly defensive error, and sport a late 20s WW1 fighter pilot's haircut. We're in League 1.
I think that Earl has been extremely consistent this season. Solid at the back and has contributed going forward as well. At least when he loses the ball it tends to be higher up the pitch than Mael. Though that doesn't always negate against conceding, as Northampton's first goal proved.