We lack a metronome player like him in our midfield.
Is Marco Verratti's star fading?
- Thread starter Fortitude
- Start date
-
In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
An injury plagued career has denied the football world the full potential of a great midfielder.
He literally did that against us (Chelsea) by dominating and knocking us out when they had 10 men.
He is brilliant when fit.
I saw a clip of that French journo on BBC Five Live saying he smokes and parties every night, and wondering how good he'd be if he actually had the mentality to go along with his talent.
I saw a clip of that French journo on BBC Five Live saying he smokes and parties every night, and wondering how good he'd be if he actually had the mentality to go along with his talent.
Yep. I've always been a massive fan of his.
He's able to almost single handedly (is that even a word?
) control matches. There's a reason Barca wanted him and PSG wouldn't sell.Id go as far as saying before our injuries stuffed our game plan he was the only one shining. Everybody else on both sides was nullifying their opposite man but he was finding space and making things happen. Is it a surprise though, he's always been a great player wasting away his career in France.
Brilliant yesterday. Single handedly dealt with our midfield. What a player.
Nothing wrong with that mentality. This guy gets his celebrations in early.
You have to watch until he's midway down the conga line.
It's been our weakness for a while. It's why I've been a huge supporter of trying to turn Gomes into that kind of midfielder. We need to buy one if not.
Last edited:
He was brilliant vs us at their place as well. Impressive player. The type I can see Keita developing into - they share some very similar attributes.
People's opinions on players fluctuate too much.
He was always class. He can keep the ball and find space all day long, he is majestic. Seems to have all the time in the world, the heartbeat of that PSG team. Defensively also winning balls with his agressive nature.
Thts why i wanted us to buy Frenkie De Jong, someone in midfield who can keep the ball and set the tempo, a brain
He was always class. He can keep the ball and find space all day long, he is majestic. Seems to have all the time in the world, the heartbeat of that PSG team. Defensively also winning balls with his agressive nature.
Thts why i wanted us to buy Frenkie De Jong, someone in midfield who can keep the ball and set the tempo, a brain
Last edited:
Keita is a bit more Pogba than Veratti.
He ran the tempo of midfield on his own against 3 men. Absolute bossed it without over complicating it, a joy to watch but a bitty pill to swallow.
Always been a fan of the little prick.
Always been a fan of the little prick.
A bit reminiscent of Xavi about his style (maybe not the passing range/creativity but also good at keeping the ball under pressure) 
Went down easily at times, and the ref gave him a FK every single time.
But great game from him. We need someone like this in our midfield.
Went down easily at times, and the ref gave him a FK every single time.
But great game from him. We need someone like this in our midfield.
Feck no
Keita is too brainless to be the midfield playmaker Verrati is. Keita can become a good player but his role will be as a B2B midfielder like Yaya, I would never trust him to be the calm presence to hold and spread the ball.
This guy schooled our midfield like they are some amateurs. He is a cheat as well, but what a player.
My favourite midfielder of this generation outside of Modric and what a performance that was. Made us his bitches.
For his sake I hope he wins a European cup one day - deserves more international recognition.
For his sake I hope he wins a European cup one day - deserves more international recognition.
Would love to see him at United. Great little player.
I like Keita but he doesn’t come close to the intelligence of a Verratti. Having said that - I can see Keita being more of a match winner (impact style player rather than a pure controller like a Verratti or Modric).
In an ideal world Keita will be a hybrid of a Verratti and a Pogba - control games to some degree but also be involved in the game changing moments. He’s a long way from that at the moment but it’s early days and he is still very much adjusting to the league. Undoubtedly a big talent though.
Spot on. Most of the Serie A or Ligue Un stars don't get adequately rated over here unless they do it in a high enough profile game versus an English team.
However, I'd agree with this.
This place lacks rural acumen.
Most of the Serie A or Ligue Un stars don't get adequately rated over here unless they do it in a high enough profile game versus an English team.
However, I'd agree with this.
Same. Just love watching him play. Really sad that injury has stopped us seeing more of him.
He bossed us last night when not even fully fit. Amazing talent.
Best case scenario Keita turns into a less versatile Arturo Vidal.
That's all good except the fact that Keita is utter shite.
Coming off an injury and swallowed our midfield.
And according to Julien Laurens he was partying hard during Neymar's birthday party.
No idea why it took so long for someone to say it keita is the definition of brainless and panicky.
From what I’ve seen of them, they’re nothing alike. And it’s not a dig at Keita.
It's definitely a strange comparison particularly when Verratti didn't develop into it, he has been that type of player since his Pescara days as a teenager.
Keïta is definitely a curious mention in this thread — like comparing Pjanić with Naingollan from a functional or stylistic standpoint.
Can only see him moving to Barcelona (have coveted him for long — but their advances in the past led to severe repercussions), Madrid (if they're willing to compromise on their don't-touch-our-players and we-won't-touch-yours principle) or Juventus (Italy's best midfielder at Italy's best club) unfortunately. That is if Paris Saint-Germain are willing to let him go for some bizarre reason (they would never sell a player they need or rate highly). Would rather we aimed for Tonali (will also develop as a regista and voted Serie B Player of the Year like Verratti in 2012), instead of wasting our time on an unrealistic transfer target.
Some see Keita as an attacking third player but I think his best position is CM, as seen at Leipzig and from his better performances this season. Obviously he needs to put it together in the PL, but if there was a player in world football I'd compare him to in terms of attributes or want him to style his game upon it would be Veratti. Both ball carriers, agile. similar stature and ball winning ability.
I don't think Keita and Pogba are similar at all.
I really do not see it at all. He is more of an Essien/Arturo Vidal type.
Didn't he play in a more advanced role back then? I remember buying him in my every saves of FM10 and he was a really good CAM for mid-table or lower league clubs.
From memory he didn't play higher, it was a CM or regista(pirlo's role). On the rare occasion where he played higher for PSG, he was uncomfortable.
We agree that CM is his best position - I just disagree that he would be close to Verratti in terms of being a pure game controller. I think Keita is more of an all rounder whereas Verratti is that Xavi style of player who is all about the controlling of the game.
Yes, he started his career in 2008 as an offensive midfielder at the age of 16 for Pescara until Zeman arrived in 2011 with Insigne and decided to deploy Marco as a regista.
You cant "turn a midfielder into" a player like verratti.
His football brain is something natural to him and the reason he is one of the best in the world (probably the best 'metronome' type of MF right now)
His football brain is something natural to him and the reason he is one of the best in the world (probably the best 'metronome' type of MF right now)
As Raees said, Keita isnt a playmaker in the mould of Verratti, but someone with some nice impact passing. They may have other similar attributes, but the biggest one is that Verratti is a playmaker and tempo setter, the heartbeat. Similar to Scholes for us in his later career. Verratti is more complete and can play various roles due to the attributes you mentioned, while Keita is a box to box player, like Fred for us. He will never develop into a Verratti player though, you have it or you dont, and Keita hasnt got that ability. Most midfielders dont have. Keita is a box to box midfielder, but less in the agressive and get stuck in type, more of a dribbling and ball carrier type, but that doesnt make him a Verratti, who is a playmaker and midfield controller, that moves into space, who can sit deep or go forward and join the attack if he likes. Keita dominates games with his box to box game, Verratti may make a tackle here and there or a dribbling, but he dominates by his positioning and metronomic passing, knowing which pass to play at which time and when to pick up tempo or slow down.