A game is won and lost in midfield.
Right now our defense is Top 3-4.
Our attack is Top 6-8.
Our midfield is Top 6.
Without Pogba our midfield is Top 10-15.
Our Midfield
- Thread starter bond19821982
- Start date
Right now our defense is Top 3-4.
Our attack is Top 6-8.
Our midfield is Top 6.
Without Pogba our midfield is Top 10-15.
Liverpool pretty much disagree.
Is Longstaff an option? Will Dybala be here? What does his barber think? Will Paul Pogba be here and in the mood/willing to play football? Will surely take a while to knit all this, even it it comes to pass, but/if/maybe/etc... With McTominay and a rested Matic, not too bad. Not shit, from a midfield perspective. At least pre-season has shown us how Ole wants to play, from midfield up. High press, fast movement, switching, crossing, nothing terribly novel, but... watchable. Mata seems still an important cog in the wheel. Three further signings (that work) would make things interesting, at least. Paul Ince, I love ya.
EDIT: Bruno? Surely not? Too sensible. That would change the mood quite a bit, tbf.
EDIT: Bruno? Surely not? Too sensible. That would change the mood quite a bit, tbf.
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Enjoyed this post.
Leicester, Wolves and Everton have a better CM than we do.
It's an actual joke how we've left ourselves in this position. Stupid money going on punts like Fred etc haven't helped. £40m on Matic too make you question the sanity of the club. Tielmanns just gone for less than Fred and he's a far superior player.
It's an actual joke how we've left ourselves in this position. Stupid money going on punts like Fred etc haven't helped. £40m on Matic too make you question the sanity of the club. Tielmanns just gone for less than Fred and he's a far superior player.
Agree with the bolded part re de Gea. Disagree with Matic, but obviously a lot of mileage on clock.
1. Mm. Yep.
2. Harsh, but...
3. I am hopeful for Pereira.
Their forwards don't lose the ball, they have a pattern of play in all areas of the pitch. Unlike us , so all they have to do is pass sidewards.
It's not the case with us.
Sure, but the point is you don't always need a world class midfield. There are a few ways to skin a cat
Oh, you're looking to disprove an age old adage?
go ahead. I want more than just "Liverpool disagrees".Fred has 26 starts for Utd, most of which he didn't start or were minutes late on in the game. Don't know the stats but if you added up all the minutes it would probably amount to 10 - 12 games in total. I'm not saying he's the answer but I am saying imo it's not enough time in a very competitive league to have an informed view. Can't remember the last player from another country,league, team, culture,language etc having never played in the prem and settled here immediately but I can think of a few that haven't.
Fans appraisal of players...Fred - nothing, his only best games in his 26 starts were against some of the best teams in the world. I give up.
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Who we gonna play instead of old man Matic? It's neglectful of the club not to have replaced him. Really stupid decision.
Our first choice midfield in McTomminay and Pogba. I can live with that.
Matic is okay as a squad option. He was a bit shit against Milan, but he still has the ability to contribute in an injury crisis. Fred is at the same level. As far as squad options go, they're not the worst in the world.
Squad options fine, but we need someone else.
Ok. Then how's this, they won the champions league with a distinctly average midfield compared to many other teams.Oh, you're looking to disprove an age old adage?
I'm not saying having a great midfield isn't the goal... but you can work around it sometimes.
And yes, our midfield is shit and our attack doesn't compare to theirs, but that wasnt the statement.
Just NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Strengthening other areas and leaving our midfield without addressing it, will be our downfall. We will get run over in this area if we don't bring in 1 or 2 players.
Pogba missing showed we have no creativity there, and Matic and McTominay are not good enough for DM duties. Some will say that McTominay has shown great improvement in the past year, but he still has a lot to learn before he can be trusted to be the main man in this role. Matic is finished and should only play a bit part if any in this team now.
Pogba missing showed we have no creativity there, and Matic and McTominay are not good enough for DM duties. Some will say that McTominay has shown great improvement in the past year, but he still has a lot to learn before he can be trusted to be the main man in this role. Matic is finished and should only play a bit part if any in this team now.
Interesting ideaCould Lindelöf play defensive midfielder?
I think so.Could Lindelöf play defensive midfielder?
Maybe we move him there as a last resort if we get no one? Can Smalling and the newly acquired Slabhead do the CB duties effectively if we steal Victor?
Love how people are putting all their eggs in signing players that have never kicked a ball in this league. The magpie nature of fans looking for new shiny things when they are not prepared to invest in what we already have. All those shiny things in the city, Liverpool and Spurs midfields didn't always come ready made in their teams either. Look at the Liverpool and Spurs midfield, if we signed most of them before they went to those teams, most on here would have said we lack ambition. I wasn't sure about Scott but if he keeps developing and I have seen him offer more in pre-season in his range of passing and passing through the lines, the lads going to be an outstanding footballer by he's 25. Like said earlier and even watching yesterday's games, Fred is a footballer, two footed technically very good and plays the game quickly. He needs time to pick up the pace of the prem and at times tries to hard to impress (which isn't a bad thing) as such. Pogs stays with the right mindset, for me that's as good as anyone's midfield outside of city.
One top midfielder in - Top 4 with the other positive additions we have made. No midfielder then 5-6th again guaranteed. Can't believe we will scupper the chance of CL by neglecting this area ....will we ??
I will only give Matic 5, Fred 5, Mata 5 base on current form.
We definitely need a top class HM and adding some creativity won't be bad.
Current form, seasons not started yet....
4 clubs scored more goals scored than United in 2018-19:
Club .......... goals ... Attack transfers in/out
Man City ...... 95
Liverpool ..... 89
Arsenal ....... 73 ..... + Nicolas Pepe
Tottenham ... 67
United ......... 65 ...... + James, Greenwood, Chong & Gomes; Swap Lukaku -> Dybala
Chelsea ....... 63 ...... - Eden Hazard, - Alvaro Morata
I think the arrival of Dybala, James & promotion of Greenwood, Chong & Gomes add more than Lukaku leaving. I expect Martial & Rashford will score more too. I don't think the loss of Lukaku hurts because he was the weak link in United developing attacks. That will put us above Chelsea for sure. Probably above Spurs. Maybe not above Arsenal. United's attack will be top 4. Most fans wanted Ed to buy 2 midfielders to cover the lost of Herrera & Fellaini. Don't even have 1 at this stage. James is a bit of a luxury buy. United didn't need another left-winger. Need at least 1 midfielder whether Pogba goes or stays. Need 2 if he goes.
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We conceded too many goals last season and DM played a part in this as well as the backline. We need a specialist DM who is mobile and can distribute the ball quickly and accurately. We don't have any, simple as.
Agree.
You added a Juve player there buddy.
Right now a front four consisting of Martial, Rashford, Lingard and Mata is Top 8 on a good day. Add a shit midfield and we're in trouble.
I wasn't talking about potential arrivals.
Simply not good enough. I was surprised that we did not strengthen the midfield given that we lost Fellaini and Herrera.
So Bruno Fernandes is not coming, indeed has never been seriously considered apparently. So what is the plan? Make do with what we have? Longstaff, or a surprise signing or two?
Come on man. Fred is very good as people will soon realize. Very mobile and moves the ball quickly with either foot.
There’s a worrying lack of names being linked with us for midfield. I think the midfield engine room is now the biggest weakness in this team.
Weakest central midfield options I can ever remember at Utd.
up until now he's been wildly inconsistent though
we're not at the stage where he can be relied upon, IMO
It makes me feel physically ill
Reminder of some midfielders who moved this summer:
Frenkie De Jong
Rodri
Ndombele
Fekir
Rabiot
Kovacic
Tielemans
Ramsey
Sarabia
Barella
Ceballos
Gueye
Most of them went to lesser clubs, and the ones who didn't may have chosen us if we were in the CL - something which would have been possible if we'd signed Harry Maguire for 20m cheaper last summer.
Ole better not throw the 'value in market' line.
Frenkie De Jong
Rodri
Ndombele
Fekir
Rabiot
Kovacic
Tielemans
Ramsey
Sarabia
Barella
Ceballos
Gueye
Most of them went to lesser clubs, and the ones who didn't may have chosen us if we were in the CL - something which would have been possible if we'd signed Harry Maguire for 20m cheaper last summer.
Ole better not throw the 'value in market' line.
We’re in deep shit if another midfielder or two doesn’t join by Thursday! If Pogba downs tools it’s our season over!
Wolves:
Neves, Dendoncker, Moutinho, Jota
Leicester:
Maddison, Tielemans, Ndidi, Barnes
Everton
Sigurdsson, Andre Gomes, Davies, Schneiderlin
United
Pogba, Matic, Mata, McTominay, Fred, Pereira
Neves, Dendoncker, Moutinho, Jota
Leicester:
Maddison, Tielemans, Ndidi, Barnes
Everton
Sigurdsson, Andre Gomes, Davies, Schneiderlin
United
Pogba, Matic, Mata, McTominay, Fred, Pereira
I don't want to derail the thread as this is not transfer related . But that was a shit post. Out of the list, only Tielemans and Gueye makes the realistic list.
So, just so I'm clear.
We have got rid of one first team central midfielder and let another one walk away for free in the last 6 months (give or take). This leaves us with Pogba, Matic, Fred, McTominay, Pereira and Garner as our only options there.
One decided to completely forego pre-season in order to get married because he was convinced he'd be playing for Brazil despite doing nothing of any significant note on the pitch for the last 12 months. One has had his agent badmouth us and his time here over the course of the summer and would rather be elsewhere (who can blame him?). One is clearly past his best, and the others can only really be classified as prospects at this point.
And we're now going into the last 4 days of the window with zero sign of anyone else coming in to cover this position? Cool.
We have got rid of one first team central midfielder and let another one walk away for free in the last 6 months (give or take). This leaves us with Pogba, Matic, Fred, McTominay, Pereira and Garner as our only options there.
One decided to completely forego pre-season in order to get married because he was convinced he'd be playing for Brazil despite doing nothing of any significant note on the pitch for the last 12 months. One has had his agent badmouth us and his time here over the course of the summer and would rather be elsewhere (who can blame him?). One is clearly past his best, and the others can only really be classified as prospects at this point.
And we're now going into the last 4 days of the window with zero sign of anyone else coming in to cover this position? Cool.
Better than Everton (depending on Pogba's mood), but collectively weaker than Leicester and Wolves.
Actually I wanted to put up a comparison like this. Everton and Wolves are looking at Lemina as well. Everton also looking at Docoure . If Pogba stays, we will be better than Everton but less than Wolves and Leicester.