I like that set up as it offers so many variations in each area depending on how the game is going.
Home to Leicester and we are struggling to score, really can't see the point with 2 defensive midfielders in the side. Put Carrick in back 4 instead of Jones, di maria in midfield, Rooney where DM was and Falcao up top and blitz em!Anyone like the look of this?
Rooney as the main target man again and pretty much a free flowing attacking three in behind him. Both Blind and Carrick give the back four the protection and ball retention in the middle of the park.
Like clockwork.
They aren't traditional defensive midfielders though (Tiote). Both are good on the ball. I think at least one of them staying back while either Shaw or Rafael come forward can work in that formation.
Desperate to see something like this. Not particularly bothered who plays up front, all three of them have been fairly below par for weeks now (although Rooney was obviously out of position).Anyone like the look of this?
Rooney as the main target man again and pretty much a free flowing attacking three in behind him. Both Blind and Carrick give the back four the protection and ball retention in the middle of the park.
Probably his best performance this season. Needs to step up now to keep his position, by not slowing play down, not doing too much and trying to be the hero and learn to read the game. Bags of potential, but he has to play for the team without losing his creativity.
They may not be destroyers but they are still defensive midfielders and they aren't going to create chances or find the back of the net, that's what we need.
No, we need players capable of maintaining possession and creating chances. Both of them offer just that.
We dominate possession in pretty much every game with one DM so why should require 2 against Leicester, at home? We need real creativity and goal scoring ability, something they don't exactly specialise in.
Just because we have a lot of possession (mainly in defense) it doesn't mean we are good at keeping the ball. In recent games the opponent has wanted us to have the ball, and let us have the ball, as they know we are not able to create anything if they sit deep. Our defenders have been forced to take on too much responsibilities on the ball. One way to fix that is to have more players available to link the defense and midfield. You don't think Di Maria, Mata, Herrera and Rooney are capable of creating chances? It's not as if both Blind and Carrick must sit deep at all times. Also Shaw and/or Rafa can offer penetration on the flanks. No point in having two strikers if it limits our chances of getting the ball in or around the box.
Did he? I have no recollection of that to be honest, but then I do have the memory of a gold fish. Regardless, LVG won't play him there no doubt. Clearly doesn't put much faith in him to offer enough defensively in such a deep role.
That literally makes no sense. We are fantastic at keeping the ball, we just aren't very productive with it, we need creativity and having one more economic player and one less creative player seems a little counter productive doesn't it? Having a ball playing Centre back (Carrick or Blind) in a game where we will dominate the ball makes far more sense, we don't need to worry about Leicester leaving the ball with our centrebacks because we will have a ball player there.
We said that about Cambridge.Surely we should win this comfortably
Yeah but they're good
I'd be interested in testing something like this - particularly if we could get more out of our attackers by playing fewer of them rather than forcing the team around players picked on reputation compared to their recent performances. I agree with Carrick and Blind offering more than just stability, and potentially giving more freedom to the fullbacks to push on - if it works then it could solve a lot of issues.Anyone like the look of this?
Rooney as the main target man again and pretty much a free flowing attacking three in behind him. Both Blind and Carrick give the back four the protection and ball retention in the middle of the park.
I agree it was poorly phrased. My point was that we tend to lose possession quite often either from a defender's mistake or a completely unnecessary sloppy pass. We aren't fantastic at keeping the ball, especially not considering the tempo of our play. We struggle when we play a team that press us collectively. I think you are underrating both Carrick and Blind by calling them economic players. It's good to have players that can recycle the ball and dictate the tempo of the game. They are not an ideal pairing long term, but it could be worth a try. If we play with a back four I don't want either of them playing in defense as they aren't natural defenders and lack pace. Even going by your terminology you really think we need 5 creative players on the pitch to create chances?
Been hoping for that set-up, more and less, since September 1st. Don't think we're likely to see it, unfortunately, certainly not while we have Rooney, Falcao and RVP. Shame, I think it'd do wonders.Anyone like the look of this?
Rooney as the main target man again and pretty much a free flowing attacking three in behind him. Both Blind and Carrick give the back four the protection and ball retention in the middle of the park.
Then put Rafeal on midfield duty.
Long balls to Fellaini
Who did? However he created our best chance, and almost scored too.
I agree with this, but it doesn't seem to be a problem limited to Adnan. All of our play is just so awfully slow, you can tell they have been drilled to not lose possession, and that's coming at the expense of more adventurous passing as far as I'm concerned.
We are not fantastic in keeping the ball. Because every single time the ball gets to Jones or Evans, they think that they are Paul Scholes and just hoof it forward OR give a nightmare pass right in the feet of the opponent.
We're not fantastic at keeping the ball, we're good at making simple passes, but as soon as anyone comes under pressure we tend to give the ball away.
We have made the least mistakes leading to goals in the league and only City have completed more passes and had more possession. Again, keeping the ball isn't the problem, its doing something
Angel Di Maria
Radamel Falcao
Robin Van Persie
Adnan Januzaj
Marcos Rojo
Wayne Rooney
David de Gea
Martin Atkinson
replaced by Juan Mata
replaced by James Wilson
replaced by Paddy McNair
