The McFred midfield duo

Superunknown

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So, they will be the midfield pairing for our opening game then. :lol:

The FDJ deal isn't happening anytime soon, or any deal for that matter.
It's mad how we're still in that exact same position.

McFred midfield, Rashford and Martial as attackers. Not a lot has actually changed. Love the new signings, but it really isn't enough.
 

AndySmith1990

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We're in for a painful season if these are our first choice pairing.
Yep and even then who are the backups? An injury to either of them and we're scraping the bottom of the barrel.

A successful window should entail relegating McTominay and Fred to squad players. A semi successful window would be relegating McTominay to a squad player
 

Ekeke

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Yep and even then who are the backups? An injury to either of them and we're scraping the bottom of the barrel.

A successful window should entail relegating McTominay and Fred to squad players. A semi successful window would be relegating McTominay to a squad player
I think an injury and we're likely to do better giving others a chance
 

GL21

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It’s embarrassing and cringeworthy to see how United fans constantly are trying to find excuses for average to shit midfielders like Fred and McT. It’s Bruno and the CBs fault they have the defensive instincts of a cucumbers? Fred you can see constantly beaten in duels, outpaced, dribbled through, caught in possession, MCT at least has the balls to get the card now and then, yet you can see him 10m outside the danger zone, forgetting a runner and generally zero awareness for the position he should be playing. Top that with their burnley level of quality on the ball and you get those two.

Now Fred scored a nice goal and a couple of nice passes, McT will probablydo the same in a month time, yet in the same games their general quality is evident for those who want to see. Squad players at best, it’s embarrassing that we are going to start the season with those two.
100% agree. I'm in disbelief if people actually really believe they are united class and constantly big up fred especially. Scott gets dogs abuse to be fair no matter what. I'm not quite sure how anyone can realistically think it's united standard and can honestly say its been my most frustrating aspect as a united supporter ever
 

AndySmith1990

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100% agree. I'm in disbelief if people actually really believe they are united class and constantly big up fred especially. Scott gets dogs abuse to be fair no matter what. I'm not quite sure how anyone can realistically think it's united standard and can honestly say its been my most frustrating aspect as a united supporter ever
I doubt everyone who defends average/crap players really believe they are good enough for United, at least not a United with aspirations of winning trophies. I've noticed there are certain people who simply enjoy going against the grain and their opinion will always be the opposite of the popular opinion. And there are others who just like supporting the underdog.
Deep down we all know which players aren't up to the required standard.
 

Leethal

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Yep and even then who are the backups? An injury to either of them and we're scraping the bottom of the barrel.

A successful window should entail relegating McTominay and Fred to squad players. A semi successful window would be relegating McTominay to a squad player
100% agree with you mate.

Saying that, I don't advocate getting rid of either of them, as they are useful squad members and do bring qualities that are useful - but as a first choice pairing? Well, we've seen how that works. . .
 

TDK

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The criticism that Scott McTominay receives is boring.

United fans keep talking about ABU people in the media. Yeah, well, no one criticises United more than the United fans.

I hope McTominay really thrives under EtH and develops into a beast. It'll stick it to the "supporters" who spend more time tearing down our players than build them up.

Manchester United fans have spent more than 1k pages (in the Frenkie De Jong thread) salivating and lauding and praising a midfielder that probably will never join, whilst constantly insulting and sticking the boot into a lad who loves the club and a lad who would run through a brick wall for Manchester United.

It's demented.
 

noodlehair

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He wont, not unless he completes significant minutes today.
Which he might.

Although this is also a weird logic to be so certain about seeing as if he doesn't complete significant minutes today, the only time he can is when Ten Hag picks him for another game, which he obviously eventually will
 

Cassidy

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Which he might.

Although this is also a weird logic to be so certain about seeing as if he doesn't complete significant minutes today, the only time he can is when Ten Hag picks him for another game, which he obviously eventually will
Its not weird logic. He isn't up to fitness, Ten Hag said the same thing about Ronaldo. Missed weeks of preseason.
 

Red Company

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The criticism that Scott McTominay receives is boring.

United fans keep talking about ABU people in the media. Yeah, well, no one criticises United more than the United fans.

I hope McTominay really thrives under EtH and develops into a beast. It'll stick it to the "supporters" who spend more time tearing down our players than build them up.

Manchester United fans have spent more than 1k pages (in the Frenkie De Jong thread) salivating and lauding and praising a midfielder that probably will never join, whilst constantly insulting and sticking the boot into a lad who loves the club and a lad who would run through a brick wall for Manchester United.

It's demented.
Do you ever watch the games?
 

SirReginald

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The criticism that Scott McTominay receives is boring.

United fans keep talking about ABU people in the media. Yeah, well, no one criticises United more than the United fans.

I hope McTominay really thrives under EtH and develops into a beast. It'll stick it to the "supporters" who spend more time tearing down our players than build them up.

Manchester United fans have spent more than 1k pages (in the Frenkie De Jong thread) salivating and lauding and praising a midfielder that probably will never join, whilst constantly insulting and sticking the boot into a lad who loves the club and a lad who would run through a brick wall for Manchester United.

It's demented.
If you play for one of the biggest clubs in the world and you don’t play to the standard required then you should be critical of them.

You don’t challenge for honours on sentimental value. You challenge for honours when the whole team comes together and performs. If one player has to be carried frequently then it fundamentally increases the failure rate of the team.

I will agree some of the criticisms are OTT but to simply put your head in the sand because he is an academy product is simply ridiculous. He is at the age where he should be at the required level for the club and to put it simply, he is not.
 

Litch

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I agree. I think, it is one of this seasons biggest "hopes" that at the very least, ETH will be able to identify that as an issue and will be able to deal with it. Seeing Brunos form in pre-season, his connection to unhappy Ronaldo and the introduction of Eriksen, he might be in for a rough time - at least he should. He is a great footballer, instrinctively playing vertical passes but as long as he isn't able to frame that ability with some sort of reasonable'ness, his benefits might even be egalized by the downsides. Bringing in Martinez, who is supposed to be a front-foot-defender with an aggressive style will also help closing the gaps, having more energy down the left side with Malacia could also help.

But, as pointed out, my biggest pain points in this matter, is the defensive contribution of the forward line. Seeing the Community Shield Match (don't know if it is a fair representation) showed how far behind we are there. I hope, with some success there will be confidence and confidence will lead to higher energy levels.

On the supposed midfield transfer, if FDJ is identified as the primary solution, I'll be fine with chasing him until the very end. But for me there just is no scenario, where bringing in a defensively sound midfielder isn't a good idea. Doesn't even have to be in the bracket of FDJ. Or even in the bracket of Martinez, if we could bring in either a young talent like Malacia or a veteran like Eriksen we'd gain so much. Be it flexibility (by being able to switch formations in game or close up shop in a tight game in the 80th minute). I don't accept that there isn't supposedly one player in football world, who fits that bill.
Absolutely and I’m not trying to be clever but there must be a reason why it’s constantly over-looked regarding buying a CDM. Who would have thought both Fred and Scott would have been starting the first game of the season?
 

Chairman Steve

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McTominay is coming up to 200 games for us and will turn 26 in about 4 months time. I don’t think he’s progressed that much since he started.

The Class of 92 thing has warped fans minds towards our academy being this gold mine of talent. In hindsight it’s a one off miracle that half a dozen guys all came through at the same time and were all that good. Most academy kids disappear off the face of the planet when we release them. Quite a few end up in the Football League tiers, A small handful may be good enough for Premier League and typically there’s that one or two who end up being good enough to be at United.
 

Annihilate Now!

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It is pretty wild that we're going to start another season with this being our first choice midfield.

Things might change towards the end of the window obviously, but still.
 

TDK

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Do you ever watch the games?
What I've watched for the past three years is a severely badly coached team. A team who looked like they were coached with one plan I'm mind, and that plan was counter attacking football.

The players had no idea what they were doing. Half the time it looked like they weren't even coached, they were just told to sit behind the ball, suck up pressure and counter.

I watched our defence leak 4 more goals than Burnley did last season. Does that mean that Shaw, Maguire, Varane and De Gea should be playing in the championship?

Last season was the culmination of, at the very least, 3 seasons of a squad who have been under coached.

I don't know how good McTominay is. And with all due respect, you don't, either. How about we give him at least a season under a real manager and then make our judgements?

Personally, every player has a clean slate. I'm willing to give them all at least a season of being coached by a manager who knows what he's doing, before coming to a conclusion.
 
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TDK

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If you play for one of the biggest clubs in the world and you don’t play to the standard required then you should be critical of them.

You don’t challenge for honours on sentimental value. You challenge for honours when the whole team comes together and performs. If one player has to be carried frequently then it fundamentally increases the failure rate of the team.

I will agree some of the criticisms are OTT but to simply put your head in the sand because he is an academy product is simply ridiculous. He is at the age where he should be at the required level for the club and to put it simply, he is not.
And who exactly have been playing at the standard required?

Ad I said above, the squad have been under coached. They have been at a club whose manager was desperately under qualifying to manage Manchester United. The players weren't coached. The players could slack off and you could just tell that they ruled the roost.

People keep pontificating about Roy Keane and using him as a standard bearer. And rightly so, as he was world class. But people never mention the variables.

Keane was managed and coached under two of the best managers ever. As a kid he learned from the likes of Stuart Pearce and Des Walker. Then it was the likes of Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister, Eric Cantona, Mark Hughes, Bryan Robson, etc. True Manchester United greats.

Who have the United kids had to look up to in the past 4-6 years? Pogba, Lingard, Jones. Who were their manager? Ole.

Great.

And you want to talk about a drop in standards.
 
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scottser

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And who exactly have been playing at the standard required?

Ad I said above, the squad have been under coached. They have been at a club whose manager was desperately under qualifying to manage Manchester United. The players weren't coached. The players could slack off and you could just tell that they ruled the roost.

People keep pontificating about Roy Keane and using him as a standard bearer. And rightly so, as he was world class. But people never mention the variables.

Keane was managed and coached under two of the best managers ever. As a kid he learned from the likes of Stuart Pearce and Des Walker. Then it was the likes of Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister, Eric Cantona, Mark Hughes, Bryan Robson, etc. True Manchester United greats.

Who have the United kids had to look up to in the past 4-6 years? Pogba, Lingard, Jones. Who were their manager? Ole.

Great.

And you want to talk about a drop in standards.
Yep. Fred will do well under TH; he responds well to coaches who have a system and a plan. Short passing triangles and quick press will suit him far more - he'll retain possession better and I bet he'll be our most improved player this season.
 

Chief123

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They just never die! Imagine if Mctominay has his best game ever for us in his last game for us!
 

Slevs

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Why's this thread bumped? They're not starting together tonight
 

RaulitoElCrack

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Sunday league stuff from these 2. Shocking thing is, VdB has been worse! Atleast these 2 sometimes show up for the ball!