Carrick is United's Number One Midfielder

Feed Me · 25th March 2008, 14:07

Thought he gave an absolutely terrific performance against Liverpool. His form this season has generally been very, very good and we are seeing a player who has become even more multi-faceted than when he first joined the club.

He played as the deep lying player in the midfield triumverate and he shielded the backfour staunchly. Liverpool did not have a sniff for 40 minutes even with 11 men on the field. His reading of the game was (as ever) exemplary but he displayed his ever growing dynamism and aggression with some impressive tackles to break up play as well.

We all know about his qualities in terms of passing the ball (short and long) and with Anderson being young, Scholes slightly inconsistent and Hargreaves strangely unemployed against the Dippers, it is fair to say that Carrick has now established himself as United's first pick central midfielder.

I read an interesting stat after the match that of all the players involved in League matches at the weekend, it was Carrick who most frequently held possession of the ball. That statistic may seem redundant, but in context in proves how much of a lynchpin he has become for United with him being the point of contact for the rest of the team. Last season, it was Scholes who orchestrated the play, as everything went through him, but this term Carrick has taken that mantle.

If we are to play a system similar to the one on Sunday for the remainder of the season, then Carrick has to be the first pick. Hargreaves will come in against Chelsea away and Champions League games. Scholes, Anderson and Fletcher will get games in other fixtures. But Carrick has (after a difficult opening to the season) established himself and removed any lingering doubts about his position as a 'proper United player'.

ecantona7 · 25th March 2008, 14:10

he was absolutely fantastic on sunday. He had a dip in form at the beginning of the season but a couple of games after he came back from injury he picked it up a notch and his form has been incredible since then. Hope it continues till the rest of the season. Actually, I don't see a reason why it shouldn't.

robthered · 25th March 2008, 14:12

Agreed on all counts.

What Carrick is also showing is that he can be rested for a couple of games and then pick up where he left off.

It's good that most people seem to be realising his contribution now.

Pat_Mustard · 25th March 2008, 14:13

I thought Scholes was our best midfielder against Liverpool, but Carrick wasn't far behind at all. I was very impressed with his aggression and strength in the tackle as well.

Dippersripper · 25th March 2008, 14:15

Very few in the world are better than him on current form. He is one of the top three midfielders in the world right now. That said, I think Scholes is still our best midfielder when fit.

DanH · 25th March 2008, 14:16

i'd agree actually. earlier on in the season he didn't seem to be stepping up to meet the challenge of increased competition to me, however over the last few months he's really come on again and is one of the first names i look for.

Van Piorsing · 25th March 2008, 14:18

Last season when he was the only player we have signed, he was one of the main factors that let United to win the title race, imo.

He simply repaired midfield formation by...

1. Excellent cooperation with Scholesy.
2. Many, many quality through passes.
3. Surprisingly, good rate of accurate tackling.
4. Learning United's football style in a quite short time and adding his own quality to the team.

He fully deserves to be in the first squad.

He's universal midfielder who can create United's game in professional way and sometimes when you need him to protect the score, he's there with a good tackles.

FlawlessThaw · 25th March 2008, 14:19

Carrick was my MOM against the Dippers. Thought he was exemplary shielding the back four and spraying the ball around. No Gerrard like Hollywood Balls from him.

He is currently our best central midfielder, I felt last season his form dipped slightly towards the end of the season. No chance of this happening this year.

Feed Me · 25th March 2008, 14:20

Scholes was back to his imperious best against Liverpool actually. The swift Cruyff turns in a congested midfield, clever passing angles etc etc were all in evidence.

The is a case for saying that Carrick and Scholes bring out the best in each other. The ball gets pinged around at a very quick pace through our midfield with those two in there. You just don't get that same tempo with Hargreaves and Fletcher in midfield (both of who are suited to away fixtures).

At OT, or in games where we will dominate the opposition, we should maximise our passing options - Scholes and Carrick it is...

Wes · 25th March 2008, 14:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dippersripper

Very few in the world are better than him on current form. He is one of the top three midfielders in the world right now. That said, I think Scholes is still our best midfielder when fit.

laughable.

Feed Me · 25th March 2008, 14:23

Agreed Flawless - maybe it is the rest he has been getting this season. Really though, it makes no sense to keep rotating such an in form player out of the side. It is not even as though he has internationals to worry about.

How ironic that Scholes and Carrick (both integral as a partnership to United last season) and both coming into very good form now were/are not deemed good enough to play in England's central midfield. I'd wager a bet that Carrick and Scholes would fare better than Gerrard and Lampard.

Raven_Blade · 25th March 2008, 14:23

Carrick has again shown his class for us. Ive never doubted his quality and yet again he proved why we spent so much money on him.

Dippersripper · 25th March 2008, 14:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by WesBrownIsAGod

laughable.

The best midfielder of arguably the best team in the world.

robthered · 25th March 2008, 14:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Feed Me

The is a case for saying that Carrick and Scholes bring out the best in each other. The ball gets pinged around at a very quick pace through our midfield with those two in there.

Yep. Nail on head. The fact that they are both so good at reading the game means that they also understand each other as well. One is always available for the other.

Forget about all this 'not dynamic enough', 'doesn't assert himself' etc. When people say that they're judging him by the wrong standards. He doesn't need to. We've changed as a team, much much more composed, and most of it is undoubtedly down to Carrick (and his partnershp with Scholes).

The time that they give each other on the ball is what allows for the movement and fluidity of the front players, Carrick's and Scholesy's passing ability takes care of the rest.

At one point the possession was 80/20 on Sunday!

KingEric7 · 25th March 2008, 14:25

He's becoming an absolutely essential player for us now. I never envisaged him becoming this crucial to our success but in order for us to function as we have done recently, we cannot afford to leave him out.

He'll never be the sort of player that gets the recognition he deserves off most people but he's got my appreciation. Brilliant player.

Scholesy_LEGEND · 25th March 2008, 14:26

scholes-carrick combo seems to be working very well most of the time (esp last season). Somehow I couldnt bring myself to really understand why.

The one thing I notice is taht, they pass to each other (short passes) a lot when they play together. then all of a sudden, one of them make one cute pass to wingers or forward and united shift into top gear. when we play hargreaves, or anderson, with scholesy, and when scholesy is marked our of the game, we lack fluidity. Maybe that's why their combo works IMO.

Dippersripper · 25th March 2008, 14:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingEric7

He's becoming an absolutely essential player for us now. I never envisaged him becoming this crucial to our success but in order for us to function as we have done recently, we cannot afford to leave him out.

He'll never be the sort of player that gets the recognition he deserves off most people but he's got my appreciation. Brilliant player.

Seconded.

gaffs · 25th March 2008, 14:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dippersripper

Very few in the world are better than him on current form. He is one of the top three midfielders in the world right now. That said, I think Scholes is still our best midfielder when fit.

What?

I like Carrick, but FFS, calm down - he aint that good.

robthered · 25th March 2008, 14:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scholesy_LEGEND

scholes-carrick combo seems to be working very well most of the time (esp last season). Somehow I couldnt bring myself to really understand why.

The one thing I notice is taht, they pass to each other (short passes) a lot when they play together. then all of a sudden, one of them make one cute pass to wingers or forward and united shift into top gear. when we play hargreaves, or anderson, with scholesy, and when scholesy is marked our of the game, we lack fluidity. Maybe that's why their combo works IMO.

Yes it is. Alot of people don't get why this is so important and slate Carrick for playing the easy pass. Fact is it slows the game down just that little bit, enough for the movement to develop. If nothing's on then they keep the ball till it is.

Dippersripper · 25th March 2008, 14:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by gaffs

What?

I like Carrick, but FFS, calm down - he aint that good.

on current form mate.

Feed Me · 25th March 2008, 14:31

The team will always retain the ball better when Carrick and Scholes play because they are most comfortable at holding onto the ball under opposition pressure. They are also adept at playing 5 yard passes between themselves if there is no forward ball on. The team will also always create more with Carrick and Scholes because they are the best passers of the ball at the club. Really Hargreaves and Fletcher need to be employed as specialist man markers - otherwise there is not much point. Anderson is a hybrid of Hargreaves/Fletcher and Carrick/Scholes IMO.

Van Piorsing · 25th March 2008, 14:31

I could watch that long hours.

robthered · 25th March 2008, 14:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Van Piorsing

I could watch that long hours.

Just needs to do it more often. That said, just like last season he has started to get in a lot more forward positions.

A few goals on the cards hopefully.

Feed Me · 25th March 2008, 14:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by robthered

Just needs to do it more often. That said, just like last season he has started to get in a lot more forward positions.

A few goals on the cards hopefully.

I don't think he is playing far enough forward to expect such a supply of goals. 5 important goals a season from the holding position would be fine.

robthered · 25th March 2008, 14:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Feed Me

I don't think he is playing far enough forward to expect such a supply of goals. 5 important goals a season from the holding position would be fine.

Yeah you're right. When I said a few I meant exactly that. Trust me I'm not the type of muppet who won't rate Carrick until he's scoring ten plus a season. I'm a muppet but not that kind.

Wes · 25th March 2008, 14:42

He's got all it takes. I've said it before, his biggest problem is his lack of balls. Quality player though, who I enjoy watching

redfromcanada · 25th March 2008, 14:44

Carrick and Scholes were the right pairing to use on Sunday because they retain the ball and aren't as likely to lose it against the Liverpool midfielders that are tenacious defensively if nothing else. Carrick should be on the team sheet on most occasions during the run-in because he offers the combination of good passing, ball possession and strong positional defense that no other midfielder at the club has.

Parks Life · 25th March 2008, 14:44

We really should be sticking with Scholes and Carrick for the rest of the season. Whether they play in a 2 or whether they play in a 3 with Anderson. They work so well together.

buildabonfire · 25th March 2008, 14:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dippersripper

Very few in the world are better than him on current form. He is one of the top three midfielders in the world right now. That said, I think Scholes is still our best midfielder when fit.

So Carrick drops down to no 4? and we have two of the best four midfielders in the world?Imagine if you read that on RAWK, and imagine what you'd say in response!He was great on Sunday, no need to make stupid claims.

Feed Me · 25th March 2008, 14:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by robthered

Yeah you're right. When I said a few I meant exactly that. Trust me I'm not the type of muppet who won't rate Carrick until he's scoring ten plus a season. I'm a muppet but not that kind.

Don't worry I know what you mean lad!

25th March 2008, 14:07	#1 (permalink)
Feed Me bobbobray - hits women. Big man Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Berbatov has Cantona’s knack of being the man amid a stampede towards the door who stops to notice a side exit that nobody else has seen. Posts: 9,040	Carrick is United's Number One Midfielder Thought he gave an absolutely terrific performance against Liverpool. His form this season has generally been very, very good and we are seeing a player who has become even more multi-faceted than when he first joined the club. He played as the deep lying player in the midfield triumverate and he shielded the backfour staunchly. Liverpool did not have a sniff for 40 minutes even with 11 men on the field. His reading of the game was (as ever) exemplary but he displayed his ever growing dynamism and aggression with some impressive tackles to break up play as well. We all know about his qualities in terms of passing the ball (short and long) and with Anderson being young, Scholes slightly inconsistent and Hargreaves strangely unemployed against the Dippers, it is fair to say that Carrick has now established himself as United's first pick central midfielder. I read an interesting stat after the match that of all the players involved in League matches at the weekend, it was Carrick who most frequently held possession of the ball. That statistic may seem redundant, but in context in proves how much of a lynchpin he has become for United with him being the point of contact for the rest of the team. Last season, it was Scholes who orchestrated the play, as everything went through him, but this term Carrick has taken that mantle. If we are to play a system similar to the one on Sunday for the remainder of the season, then Carrick has to be the first pick. Hargreaves will come in against Chelsea away and Champions League games. Scholes, Anderson and Fletcher will get games in other fixtures. But Carrick has (after a difficult opening to the season) established himself and removed any lingering doubts about his position as a 'proper United player'.

25th March 2008, 14:10	#2 (permalink)
ecantona7 unlucky bet winner Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Whatever happens, there are always things you could have done better. You score two goals and you usually feel you could have done better.You score two goals and you usually feel you could have scored a third. That's what makes you progress in life. Posts: 5,776	he was absolutely fantastic on sunday. He had a dip in form at the beginning of the season but a couple of games after he came back from injury he picked it up a notch and his form has been incredible since then. Hope it continues till the rest of the season. Actually, I don't see a reason why it shouldn't.

25th March 2008, 14:12	#3 (permalink)
robthered Reserve Team Player Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: PhD Purgatory Posts: 1,671	Agreed on all counts. What Carrick is also showing is that he can be rested for a couple of games and then pick up where he left off. It's good that most people seem to be realising his contribution now.

25th March 2008, 14:13	#4 (permalink)
Pat_Mustard Reserve Team Player Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,063	I thought Scholes was our best midfielder against Liverpool, but Carrick wasn't far behind at all. I was very impressed with his aggression and strength in the tackle as well.

25th March 2008, 14:15	#5 (permalink)
Dippersripper Educating ignorant bastards about God to achieve a near-perfect world Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Opposition to godliness is atheism in profession and idolatry in practice. Atheism is so senseless and odious to mankind that it never had many professors. Posts: 7,531	Very few in the world are better than him on current form. He is one of the top three midfielders in the world right now. That said, I think Scholes is still our best midfielder when fit.

25th March 2008, 14:16	#6 (permalink)
DanH Reserve Team Player Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: armchair Posts: 686	i'd agree actually. earlier on in the season he didn't seem to be stepping up to meet the challenge of increased competition to me, however over the last few months he's really come on again and is one of the first names i look for.

25th March 2008, 14:18	#7 (permalink)
Van Piorsing Lost his light sabre Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Polska Posts: 10,032	Last season when he was the only player we have signed, he was one of the main factors that let United to win the title race, imo. He simply repaired midfield formation by... 1. Excellent cooperation with Scholesy. 2. Many, many quality through passes. 3. Surprisingly, good rate of accurate tackling. 4. Learning United's football style in a quite short time and adding his own quality to the team. He fully deserves to be in the first squad. He's universal midfielder who can create United's game in professional way and sometimes when you need him to protect the score, he's there with a good tackles.

25th March 2008, 14:19	#8 (permalink)
FlawlessThaw most 'know it all' poster Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: London Posts: 9,291	Carrick was my MOM against the Dippers. Thought he was exemplary shielding the back four and spraying the ball around. No Gerrard like Hollywood Balls from him. He is currently our best central midfielder, I felt last season his form dipped slightly towards the end of the season. No chance of this happening this year.

25th March 2008, 14:20	#9 (permalink)
Feed Me bobbobray - hits women. Big man Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Berbatov has Cantona’s knack of being the man amid a stampede towards the door who stops to notice a side exit that nobody else has seen. Posts: 9,040	Scholes was back to his imperious best against Liverpool actually. The swift Cruyff turns in a congested midfield, clever passing angles etc etc were all in evidence. The is a case for saying that Carrick and Scholes bring out the best in each other. The ball gets pinged around at a very quick pace through our midfield with those two in there. You just don't get that same tempo with Hargreaves and Fletcher in midfield (both of who are suited to away fixtures). At OT, or in games where we will dominate the opposition, we should maximise our passing options - Scholes and Carrick it is...

25th March 2008, 14:23	#11 (permalink)
Feed Me bobbobray - hits women. Big man Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Berbatov has Cantona’s knack of being the man amid a stampede towards the door who stops to notice a side exit that nobody else has seen. Posts: 9,040	Agreed Flawless - maybe it is the rest he has been getting this season. Really though, it makes no sense to keep rotating such an in form player out of the side. It is not even as though he has internationals to worry about. How ironic that Scholes and Carrick (both integral as a partnership to United last season) and both coming into very good form now were/are not deemed good enough to play in England's central midfield. I'd wager a bet that Carrick and Scholes would fare better than Gerrard and Lampard.

25th March 2008, 14:23	#12 (permalink)
Raven_Blade Attention Whoring Common Crow Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Somewhere im not supposed to be. Posts: 16,329	Carrick has again shown his class for us. Ive never doubted his quality and yet again he proved why we spent so much money on him.

25th March 2008, 14:25	#15 (permalink)
KingEric7 Winner of the Tabata bet Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Patrice Evra is that which no greater can be conceived. Posts: 12,815	He's becoming an absolutely essential player for us now. I never envisaged him becoming this crucial to our success but in order for us to function as we have done recently, we cannot afford to leave him out. He'll never be the sort of player that gets the recognition he deserves off most people but he's got my appreciation. Brilliant player.

25th March 2008, 14:26	#16 (permalink)
Scholesy_LEGEND Incorrigible pest Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: U.N.I.T.E.D, United are the team for me, with a nick-nack-paddy-whack, give the dog a bone, why don't Shitty fook off home! Posts: 2,238	scholes-carrick combo seems to be working very well most of the time (esp last season). Somehow I couldnt bring myself to really understand why. The one thing I notice is taht, they pass to each other (short passes) a lot when they play together. then all of a sudden, one of them make one cute pass to wingers or forward and united shift into top gear. when we play hargreaves, or anderson, with scholesy, and when scholesy is marked our of the game, we lack fluidity. Maybe that's why their combo works IMO.

25th March 2008, 14:31	#21 (permalink)
Feed Me bobbobray - hits women. Big man Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Berbatov has Cantona’s knack of being the man amid a stampede towards the door who stops to notice a side exit that nobody else has seen. Posts: 9,040	The team will always retain the ball better when Carrick and Scholes play because they are most comfortable at holding onto the ball under opposition pressure. They are also adept at playing 5 yard passes between themselves if there is no forward ball on. The team will also always create more with Carrick and Scholes because they are the best passers of the ball at the club. Really Hargreaves and Fletcher need to be employed as specialist man markers - otherwise there is not much point. Anderson is a hybrid of Hargreaves/Fletcher and Carrick/Scholes IMO.

25th March 2008, 14:31	#22 (permalink)
Van Piorsing Lost his light sabre Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Polska Posts: 10,032	I could watch that long hours.

25th March 2008, 14:42	#26 (permalink)
Wes Brown is no God Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Dublin, in the Irish Republic Posts: 7,183	He's got all it takes. I've said it before, his biggest problem is his lack of balls. Quality player though, who I enjoy watching

25th March 2008, 14:44	#27 (permalink)
redfromcanada Reserve Team Player Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 666	Carrick and Scholes were the right pairing to use on Sunday because they retain the ball and aren't as likely to lose it against the Liverpool midfielders that are tenacious defensively if nothing else. Carrick should be on the team sheet on most occasions during the run-in because he offers the combination of good passing, ball possession and strong positional defense that no other midfielder at the club has.

25th March 2008, 14:44	#28 (permalink)
Parks Life Reserve Team Player Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 3,236	We really should be sticking with Scholes and Carrick for the rest of the season. Whether they play in a 2 or whether they play in a 3 with Anderson. They work so well together.