I always worry a bit when I see fans say new signings are "a replacement for X", because inevitably, that is who they are judged against.
New players, new managers, new midfield. Let's see how they line up an play rather than expecting them to replace anyone.
We lost Miller and Spittal, but ended up with Fadinger, Watt & Just. They were replacements from a headcount perspective, but that midfield (along with Slattery) was very different to the one that went before.
And with Alfred's emphasis on more forward runs and more crosses, I expect our next midfield to operate a little differently again.