So weird to come into this thread expecting to see Fred getting praise for a great performance and seeing so much negativity.
Fred - £47m well spent
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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.
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I think the mistake you made is to try to defend Fred even though you already know some obviously have bias hard to change. Also, football is probably the most sophisticated team sports, and many won’t want to or be able to see it. So, it really is your own fault to try again. You can just let it go and enjoy the game today. Isn’t it a better sunday?
He’s got this thing where people give McT a far easier ride because he’s from the academy and cost nothing. I do think McT gets an easier ride and isn’t as good of a player as Fred but for 50 million quid he would want to be a pretty decent player.
He’s actually an exceptional tempo setter and he’s won the midfield battle against plenty of good teams by now. When Fred doesn’t play we totally lack any tempo and become aimless and disjointed like Thursday night and the first leg against Milan and any match matic or Mct has started in his place.
Can we get a better player to set the tempo for us? Sure but someone like Rice would have been an absolute bystander there this evening and in lots of our other games too. Fred is definitely erratic but he’s also very effective. He sets the tempo, wins a decent amount of duels all over the pitch, he turns over possession and puts out fires wherever he goes. He’s always an option on either foot even while being pressed and he completes a lot of passes for someone who is constantly showing for the ball in difficult situations. It’s really important to this team.
I really don’t get how people haven’t made the connection yet let alone come in and say “he’s still shit” after tonight. That’s just crazy to me.
I strongly disagree with Keane’s comments after the game, he just had a Souness moment.
Also, disagree that Fred was bad in the first half. Yes, he was sloppy with a few passes but both he and Mctominay got really tight to spurs midfielders and broke things up well. They work well as a duo.
Also, disagree that Fred was bad in the first half. Yes, he was sloppy with a few passes but both he and Mctominay got really tight to spurs midfielders and broke things up well. They work well as a duo.
Couldnt agree more. Some people in here saying he was good today but hes had a poor season......seriously?
Its essential to have at least one player in the side who doesnt give up, never let's his head drop, works hard for the whole game and continually presses the opposition. Yes sometimes he makes a bollocks of a simple pass but how many times per games do Bruno and Rashford do that?
I guess the three quick incisive passes for the goal were just a fluke. His combination play with Shaw and Pogba towards the end down the left in seeing the game out was excellent.
The real question today is did Fred improve when the rest of the team improved or was it the other way around? Looking at stats I note Fred with 73 passes was head and shoulders above every other player on the pitch in terms of passes, next nearest was Lindelof with 57. Same with touches 97 touches compared to next nearest Shaw with 78.
But yeah he is shit, the fact that he was head and shoulders way more involved in the game than any other player on the pitch is of course meaningless because he misplaces the odd pass. feck you Fred haters.
Thanks.
I've been reading posts on here for a good while, but only recently joined and started posting. And there's so many posters that I haven't really picked up yet what to expect from each.
Having seen a few more of his posts about Fred, I realise I was just yet another caught in the crossfire and, with the quickfire regularity of the posts, I don't think the poster is really reading all the posts clearly enough to appreciate the full points of some. Just seeing a particular line and, out of context, assuming it's an anti-Fred post and launching into an OTT rant about it. When I wasn't intending it to be anti-Fred. I rate him as a player in our squad, and the #8 role he does, and was just commenting on him in that context. Annoying, but I'll respond differently to the posters next rant towards a random line in my post.
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His time will eventually come when we need to replace him but I dont really see how this guy is a problem to our club.
He will be gone in the next 2.5 years in my opinion but until then he has tried his best and influenced some good results for us.
He will be gone in the next 2.5 years in my opinion but until then he has tried his best and influenced some good results for us.
Those stats don’t surprise me. His is consistently our most heavily involved player and - as I said - invariably at the heart of all our best performances under Ole. Which makes the criticism seem all the more irrational. Especially after an indisputably good performance like today.
He was actually involved in a quick exchange of passes that led to a goal that he scored. Pleasantly surprised. Also, did anyone catch Bruno shoving him aside while he was celebrating? 
Of course, it wouldn't be a Fred game if he didn't make a few wayward passes. That one that he managed not to somehow find Pogba and Shaw, even though they were close to each other astounds me.
Of course, it wouldn't be a Fred game if he didn't make a few wayward passes. That one that he managed not to somehow find Pogba and Shaw, even though they were close to each other astounds me.
I think when you have Roy Keane saying we need to upgrade on him then it sets the tone. I think Its because he doesn’t fit in an easy box to define. His movement is so crazy and he’s involved in so much of the action that not all of it comes off and he ends up looking erratic but he’s our defensive midfielder and then he’s also everywhere else. his passing off either foot is pretty aggressive and not too safe. The only thing is there is nobody else who could do the same job as Fred. It would actually take 2 players as crazy as that sounds.
In the first half, the whole team was under pressure because Spurs’ tactics. They basically have six in the middle third to press us and counter right away follow int ball turnover. We don’t want to play a pure neutralization game. Thus, we tried to switch pogba and Rashford but still under pressure because they also man marked Bruno.
min the second half, we still want to play our game rather than going full steam in midfield battle. But we made pogba more freedom to float on left side just between the upper and mid thirds. That is the space between Spurs’ defense and the condensed midfield plus front players. We played from the back calmly and securely. Use the floating pogba in that space as a linkage. Spurs cannot win much and their work rate also dropped with the game going on. That’s how we turned the tide by playing our own game in a positive and active approach. In contrast, Jose relies on neutralizing the opponents too much and it is negative and passive to the team he has, IMO.
I do think he loves the club and was delighted he scored apart from it being the equaliser, that it was him, but his pressing and biting at their ankles is good, his forward passing is poor, while I think he has contributed to our run to 2nd, we need a midfielder that brings us to next level, do the people defending him think he is the player, im thinking we won't win a league with a partnership of mcguire and lindeloff or mct and Fred in midfield, not to get rid of the 4 but definitely 1 from each of the pairs as our main starter's
I love Keano to bits and think he’s one of the more entertaining pundits. But he regularly talks the most egregious bollox. His comments on Fred today being the latest example.
I'm not sure if Keane actually said that. Thought I heard him say he was rubbish today but dont recall him saying anything about an upgrade, but maybe I missed that part though?
He was having a bit of a mare up until the goal to be fair.
Always a bit confused that people seem intent on targetting him or McTominay though. We'd be lost if you took either out of our squad, and we probably need to find another player of similar make up if anything to go with the two of them rather than replace or upgrade either, as Matic clearly doesn't have the legs/sharpness anymore and yet has to be involved as soon as you take one of them out of the equation.
I agree mate Academy players will always get more patience from most fans its the nature of united fan culture.
Plus Fred rightly or wrongly gets judged as a big money Brazilian international signing.
It's not fair but it is what it is.
If we had Kane in our team we would be top of the league now (assuming the amount of goals and assists Kane currently has this season were to replace what Martial has scored/assisted for us). We scored 2 goals in 6 games since Christmas v pool, chelsea, Arsenal, WBA and SU and CP dropping 13 points in the process.
Which completely shoots down your argument. We need a top level striker first and foremost. Once we address the real issues in our team then we can start bringing in these mythical players who would be an upgrade on Fred, Mctominay, Lindelof.....whoever they might be.
He was great today. So happy for him.
His stuff today with Redknapp was gold if you get a chance to watch it. He always nearly makes Redknapp cry
He’s a funny fecker but his analysis isn’t always good. He’s just trying to stir the pot and say something edgy after a good win.My point was he doesn't create enough, splitting defences with passes, 2 goals against the teams you mentioned, highlights the point I was trying to make,
I think you are saying Fred played well....I agree.
I'd be more inclined to point the finger at the 4 attackers in the team rather than the guy who does the spade work.
He did have a ropey start, then I thought he was class in the second half. But there's comments saying he's been shite all season, which is a nonsense.
I know what your saying, but we need a player that can do both, winning it first but a bit better than Fred on the passing forward,
Definitely, I rate Fred so much.
Fair enough and if there is one such player out there by all means let's get him.
Glawayfa? I'm a galway man myself. Someone promote this man.
Always makes a point in beating Kante when we play Chelsea.
Not as good as elite Kante but still a very good player and an important part of the second best team in the league. People on here need to have themselves a little sit down to mull things over.
Let's be real he's quite good on a good day. Deserves to be in our starting 11 over Matic but you'd want to replace him if you were planning to be the best team in the league rather than second best.
Funny when I was slagging him off everyone else was heaping praise on him. Now I can see a player in there. He's playing now with much more intent and is bringing far more to the table than he was doing before. His overall contribution is far better now and the meaningless side passing he appears to have left behind him.The goal will be paramount for him and I'm hoping he'll kick on, improve more and hopefully be an important player for us in the run in.
Nothing wrong with Fred. He starts games for a reason. Yeah he ain't great at everything but who is? At least we've clearly moved on from the Matic nonsense. Great to hear him being interviewed today too.
He’s a defensive tempo setter like Kante? Ok. He does that but If you watch the match again he was also heavily involved in all our moves that lead to goals and his own goal too. Can’t ask for much more.
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Fred was awful today right up his goal. The number of wayward passes is unbelievable for a professional footballer. He has a knack of challenging for the ball and then immediately giving it back to the opposition, almost in a better position than if he hadn’t challenged at all. The amount of fouls he gives away is also a major issue.
Ok, he popped up in the right place today and scored a tap in. It doesn’t absolve him of all his errors and inadequacies in the position.
If Utd replaced Fred with a decent DM and Lindelof we’d have the makings of a team that could mount a credible challenge for the league.
Ok, he popped up in the right place today and scored a tap in. It doesn’t absolve him of all his errors and inadequacies in the position.
If Utd replaced Fred with a decent DM and Lindelof we’d have the makings of a team that could mount a credible challenge for the league.
Slips don’t panic on ignore instead of having the same conversation 50 times
That goal was not a tap in he played 1/2s with 2 different players and followed the action to catch the rebound. You can see Rashford standing on the edge of the box hands on hips watching all this unfold. He should be getting in there for rebounds.
That goal was not a tap in he played 1/2s with 2 different players and followed the action to catch the rebound. You can see Rashford standing on the edge of the box hands on hips watching all this unfold. He should be getting in there for rebounds.
Fred’s goal actually reminds me the first video clip I saw him when we signed him. He was in Brazil WC camp and the video captures his fast burst forward carrying ball and had one-two with teammates on the run.Slips don’t panic on ignore instead of having the same conversation 50 times
That goal was not a tap in he played 1/2s with 2 different players and followed the action to catch the rebound. You can see Rashford standing on the edge of the box hands on hips watching all this unfold. He should be getting in there for rebounds.
So two good games is how I should judge Freds time here? And because I prefer McTominay over Fred that is racial bias? And you are claiming my post is ridiculous?
First off that is the first goal Fred has scored in a very long time, or dare I say that is the first time he has hit the target in a very long time. He has improved this season of course, he has been average at best, he is at best a squad player. I would go as far to say the same about McTominay, he is also not a starting eleven player despite also improving again this season.
There are several reasons I would keep him over Fred and of course some of them are the very reasons you list, which isnt racial bias at all you absolute cretin. It may be generalising but a player from the UK, bought up through the acadamey is more likely to show loyalty and understand the club. Also yes he cost nothing, Fred cost us £47m, a £47m squad player that has resale value. All of these factors play a part, but the most important one quite simply, is I think McTominay is a better player than Fred, as already stated, not a starting eleven player, but he does offer more box to box than Fred does all round, I dont think we need both players, that is why I woul dsell Fred. Forgetting McTominay, do you think Fred has justified his price tag? Do you think he is one of the best midfielders in the premiership or in Europe as there arent many central midfielders on the continent who would cost more than £47m. I simply think we can sign better midfielders than Fred and McTominay, they an be improved upon, we dont need both and we also dont need Van deBeek who was the wrong signing in the first place, we wont sell all three, but yes that is racial bias because Fred is black and played well today......imbecile
Tap in. Ffs
Great game, great performance, great goal that he started. 50m well spent. #FredforPastor
It was the way he pushed forward today. If I remember correctly Fred was around their box in every goal we scored today. That is not usual for him and for us. yes and Pogba was very good and he kept the ball and that gave Fred the time to move forward. He is an asset to any team.
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