Our best central midfield pairing?

Tibs

Cleverley, Ando

If 3 man..add Carrick

Still ill

Eh? Because of those happy, care-free romps of the first couple of weeks? Generally acknowledged that while scoring a barrel-load, we were far too open. Can't see how Carrick is not making a first choice midfield of any shape based on what we've seen this season. Carrick and Jones most impressive for me, wait with bated breath to see how Fergie is going to use Cleverley when he's back.

Scots Crusader

Very difficult to leave Carrick out of this one at the minute. HHe has been fantastic of late. I would like to see a Carrick/Clev mix. Carrick sitting pulling strings allowing Clev to push on and work those one/two's round the edge of the box that were so prevailant at the start of the season. It would also be nice to see Ando back to the form he was showing at the start of the season.

Floyd

Newcastle?

devilish

Carrick-Clev is worth a try.

amolbhatia100

But daft to put down a selection based on just a month or so of football (ando-clev) and then put forth your own based on the solid long term evidence of a handful of games (jones Carrick).

Eh?

Claymore

Cleverley and Anderson or Carrick. Thing is he'll need loads of time to get back to where he was so hope we don't expect miracles.

Smores

Carrick and then which ever one of Giggs/Cleverley/Anderson/Jones is in form.

Carrick staying fit for the rest of the season is going to be vital to us achieving anything

Still ill

Oh now. Based on a bit more than that. Carricks credentials based on last 5 years or so. His excellent form not a complete revelation, just the degree to which himself and Jones appear to work together. Seem to me to give a more solid platform tham Cleverley and Ando did. That's all.

Varun_Utd

Carrick and cleverley.

apotheosis

Hardly happy care free romps! More like imaginative, dynamic counter attacking that the whole team benefiited from.

You can claim Jones and Carrick were more solid, and i would agree, but if we look at the quality of opponents we were scoring barrel loads against, Barca, Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal, City, that for me hints we were onto something potentially very special.

In recent times we have depended on possession and wearing teams down to get goals. With that partnership we only needed to be effective for 20mins and we would have 3 goals. Quality of chance created is also very important, and Nani, Rooney and Young were all scoring very regularly for such a short period, which in itself is quite unusual.

Also consider that when a team has such devestating counter attcking potential, other teams are reluctant to throw too many men forward, which is why we didn't concede too many during that period imo.

Kelvin

Carrick and Anderson

Bear Attack

If Scholes is in form then

Cleverley--Carrick--Scholes

seems pretty formidable to me.

Still ill

A couple of fair points there, diluted somewhat by the inclusion of Barca as an example. Don't think we should be including pre-season. And no-one would argue that we coughed up a pretty crazy amount of chances against the other 3 for 3 convincing home victories. I enjoyed the cavalier brand of football as much as anyone, but no long-term future in that degree of openess. Just think the inclusion of Carrick in any midfield combination we have offers a measure of protection to go with the attacking thrust. We need to harness a bit of both, don't we?

Garethw

Seeing as we have seen so little of Cleverley you'd have to go with a Carrick/Scholes combo.

londonredmaniac

What Newcastle?

londonredmaniac

I'd say they don't look good together at all...

rcoobc

2nd person to make that joke

I haven't watched a second of that game, was on holiday without any access to Internet or TV. I usually download games I fail to watch, but Blackburn and Newcastle might be too depressing for me.

CnutOfAllCnuts

I'd like to see more of the Carrick - Jones combo.

Carrick with his experience, positioning and passing, combined with Jones energy, runs and presence should in theory be a good pairing.

Then it's up to Anderson and Cleverly to force themselves a spot with sub appearances.

Rood

Me too - I think I said virtually the same thing on the previous page!

Plechazunga

Bollocks to Carrick-Jones. Not clever enough going forward.

CnutOfAllCnuts

Lacking creativity in the final third, but partly compensated for that by Jones' runs, which can cause just as much trouble for the opposition as a fancy trick or pass. Also, when you have attacking players like(especially) Rooney and Nani, who can create from nothing, the need for a creative midfielder becomes less of a need.

7even

Spot on!

Rood

Havent you heard? Jones is the new Robbo !

amolbhatia100

Agree with this. It's solid, for sure but not ideal. I'd like to see someone there who can knit our play further up the pitch, which is something anderson and cleverley both did in that partnership early on this season. So ideally I'd like to see one of them start.

Pexbo

How's about that? Jones obviously running around like a loon destroying people while Carrick has his pass partner and Cleverley uses his guile and tiki taka to confuddled people.

We'd win the World Cup with that midfield IMO.

EDIT - Last statement is sarcastic. Really can't be bothered to reply to anyone that takes it seriously.

Number7

For me it'd be Carrick/Cleverley but they haven't played together yet. I think it'd actually work really well.

Anderson should be nowhere near our best midfield pairing because he's not very good.

#07

I wanna see Scholes and Cleverley play together this season. Just once, at least once...

SharkyMcShark

Scholes Carrick

Obviously.

Serious answer:

Donut

Have Cleverley and Carrick had a game together? They played against Barcelona in preseason and looked pretty good I think.

surf

Agree. He is vital because no one else can replicate his role in the team.

Varun_Utd

we'd be fucked without carrick. the only one at the club who can do his role.

In a midfield 3, It'd be carrick shielding the back 4 with clev and jones ahead of him for me. He's the best holding mid at the club by a considerable distance.

Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber

due to current cirsumstances

1. Carrick-Anderson-Cleverely
2. Carrick- Giggs
3. Carrick- Anderson
4. Carrick - Cleverely
4. . Jones- Carrick

GledTheRed

Would love if our players could stay fit for longer than two weeks at a time so we can actually try some of these variations out.

Can't wait till Cleverly is fit personally. I also think Jones is best suited to midfield at the moment after his recent defensive rapings.

KingMinger22

Cleverely has played like 7 games ffs

I would never put Ando in our first XI. He is the most unfit footballer In the CL...

RedRonaldo

For 4-4-2,
1. Cleverley and Carrick (most balanced one accordingly to my imagination)
2. Cleverley and Anderson (pass-and-move, Barca on drugs)
3. Carrick and Giggs (tested, 2nd best in Europe)

For 4-5-1 against stronger sides,
1. Cleverley, Carrick and Jones (most balanced, adding more steel and power in midfield)
2. Cleverley, Anderson and Carrick (pass-and-move, adding more positional sense to cover for the defence)
3. Giggs, Carrick and Jones (add more steel and power to the tested midfield)

Fishbone

At the beginning of the season Cleverly and Anderson were outstanding. I'd really like to see that again...with Young on the left and Nani/Valencia on the right...Rooney and Welbeck/Chicharito up front...holy shit what a line up!!!