This could be a cut and paste for Casemiro in a lot of games.
39
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 39
- Goals
- 10
- Assists
- 3
- Yellow cards
- 3
I think he performed quite well in his last game so a lot of managers tend to start players when that happens.
He's done it his entire career. He's always had a decent defensive work-rate when the ball is ahead of him, but once they get in behind he has always been guilty of just jogging back instead of actually busting a gut to get back and help. I guess it happens more now since he's playing further up the pitch so by definition the opposition will get in behind him more often, but it's something that has always pissed me off. Especially since him being 'a hard worker' was supposedly the thing that he bought to the team.
He probably did work harder before, but he was never a hard worker. Otherwise I do somewhat agree.
I've said it quite a few times this season, but people are allowing his goals to colour their opinion of his performances. As much as I always criticised him when he was playing deeper, his general performances were actually better there than they have been this season in this second #10 role that he's playing in. Take out his goals this season and it's the worst he's ever played, all of his weaknesses are being highlighted even more. I will admit that he has been a bit better lately and I thought maybe he was getting to grips with the new position, but this game went right back to how he was playing earlier.
And this is why we are languishing around in 6th place and not getting any better. We continue to tolerate utterly mediocre players like him and Fellani before him who simply have no business being Manchester United players. But hey all his 5 managers have played him consistently so he must be good. Every single one of whom has been a failure and fired for incompetence ETH excepted so far but it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he goes the same way.
Yeah and we wonder why we are languishing around in 6th, literally light years behind City, Liverpool and Arsenal. But hey all his managers have played him so he must be good? Overlooks every single one apart from ETH so far has been fired for being a failure.
You still need to be able to win the ball aerially in midfield. But even when we do that there isn’t or hasn’t been anyone since Fred who tries to win the 2nd ball.
Add in that we can’t pass the ball around or keep it means we can’t play the highline and preasure teams into needing to punt it clear so that our CB are just picking up things unchallenged then passing it off to a midfielder, ala prime Barca.
We do and have bought the wrong people for certain jobs or not backed a plan as it’s being built by pulling the ripcord then trying something new. But he is quite good at winning headers in the box so there is that, but he should just be a bench option.
This. Same with Ten Hag inners at this point though tbh.
Keane, Ince, Scholes, Iniesta and Xavi were all below the 6ft mark. Italy won the WC with Gattuso and Pirlo in CM both being 5ft10. Same thing can be said about WC winning Argentina (De Paul, McAllister and Fernandez). Size and physical strength are usually correlated therefore its not unusual to see DMs that are over the 6ft mark (ex Rijkaard, Carrick, Rodri and Busquets). However no one would consider these players as big lumps. Their positioning, their anticipation and their passing ability was off the charts.
McT is a very average midfielder. Everything from his passing to his anticipation right to his work rate and his positioning is limited. So why he keeps surviving the cull? In my opinion McT is the consequence of us trying to reinvent the wheel too many times for our own good. Take Martinez as an example. Sure he's great in playing a high line and his passing ability is great but ultimately when we're defending a corner we still need 6ft+ players to step in because a 5ft9 CB will still struggle against a 6ft3 player in air. Maguire and Evans are not suited for a high line while Varane/Lindelof are tall but they are hardly aerial juggernauts. Its there were McT with his 6ft3 frame comes in. Then there's of course the attacking side of the game. We currently have 1 striker because Martial is pretty much useless. Thus when Hojlund is doing badly then someone else has to pick the tab. Sure McT is tall and has an eye for goal FOR A MIDFIELDER. However in terms of killer instinct and ability to be at the right place at the right time he certainly lags behind what a decent striker would bring to the table.
Football is all about balance whether system managers understands it or not. SAF was a master about that. To fully unleash Ronaldo SAF had to play Park on the other flank and rely on two absolute work horses upfront to lend the midfield a hand. The same happened a generation before with a young Scholes in midfield. Keane was played as DM, Beckham was played as RM (his work rate was off the charts), Giggs was expected to give a hand defense wise while Cole and Yorke were expected to drop very deep and help. That was quite revolutionary at the time as the main striker (think of Shearer, Fowler, Inzaghi, RVN etc) rarely dropped as deep as Cole did. That's a sacrifice United were willing to make for RONALDO and SCHOLES two exceptional players. They weren't done to accommodate yet another manager's mate from the eredivisie
It isnt though. He's also one of if not our best at playing long balls to set attacks going, because you'd want Bruno further up the pitch and able to support the players set free
ETH is banking on him being shit all game then scoring a goal to get us some undeserved points
On the ball he was often a mare, but theres no doubt he'd be a better midfield partner for Mainoo or whoever else than McTom because you know with Fred he's going to try and you're going to visually see him competing and trying to make an impact. Its just going to fail half the time
Makes you realize more just how flawed and horrible the Pogba McTom midfield was.
McTom is a decent impact sub attacking mid and has shown time and again he's not to be relied upon in starting and can't step up a level, has no defensive qualities or range of passing. It's time we level with McTom go to a different club and play regularly or help us off the bench.
We're crying out for a midfield. We had one for short time in Herrera, Matic and Pogba. Bruno came in and papered over the cracks to fuel a young fast attack that has now gone and Bruno is spent.
Case comes in and we get 6 months, very similar to Matic. I've long said Fred was best of a bad bunch, was able to play a deeper role but really his game was more advanced, his build and limitations also wasn't conducive but did a reasonable job while we don't address the real issues.
Eriksen, a top player that his best days are long gone, another player that can help out occasionally.
Mount probably best around Rashford's position, interesting tactical option, perhaps can do okay against poor opposition when playing deeper.
We've spurned so many chances to sort the midfield out. I just hope the new regime can identify the players of the right age and profile and help Mainoo.
McTom is a decent impact sub attacking mid and has shown time and again he's not to be relied upon in starting and can't step up a level, has no defensive qualities or range of passing. It's time we level with McTom go to a different club and play regularly or help us off the bench.
We're crying out for a midfield. We had one for short time in Herrera, Matic and Pogba. Bruno came in and papered over the cracks to fuel a young fast attack that has now gone and Bruno is spent.
Case comes in and we get 6 months, very similar to Matic. I've long said Fred was best of a bad bunch, was able to play a deeper role but really his game was more advanced, his build and limitations also wasn't conducive but did a reasonable job while we don't address the real issues.
Eriksen, a top player that his best days are long gone, another player that can help out occasionally.
Mount probably best around Rashford's position, interesting tactical option, perhaps can do okay against poor opposition when playing deeper.
We've spurned so many chances to sort the midfield out. I just hope the new regime can identify the players of the right age and profile and help Mainoo.
Can people who think that he is "decent squad player" or "valuable impact sub" explain that? Because i fail to understand that.
He is a midfield player (midfield!!) who barely touches the ball. In defence he is nothing special and just joggs around. So how the feck he is a "good squad player". Are our standards that low now where some random goal then and there are enough?
He is a midfield player (midfield!!) who barely touches the ball. In defence he is nothing special and just joggs around. So how the feck he is a "good squad player". Are our standards that low now where some random goal then and there are enough?
Sell him to Moyseh
They offered us 30m and the clowns running the show said no.
Where does he get this hard man label from? Never seen him do anything that would warrant him being some midfield general.
He is tall and keeps a stern face, but really a coward in midfield
He never danced in the dressing room when others did.
A genuine ghost, said it time and again he is straight up cheeks. Hides all the damn time, either stick him upfront for a header every now and again or never play him at all.
He does some reckless and nasty tackle then and there and once per game he involves himself in those "hold me or i punch him" situations.
He perfectly sold the story and media (and fans) bought it.
Its great hsi bursting into the box and getting vital goals this season and he seems to be a good proffesional....but is that enough to be a squad player here?
Personally never understood how he has lasted so long and why our managers (that have all failed) seem to really like him. He cant defend, his positining is awful, his reading of the game is poor, his passing is pretty diablical.
And totally disagree with some of the people sayin gFred was the unsung heroe of our midfield, no he wasnt, he was shit too. Bar the Casemeiro season last year for the first 9months and Matic in his first half of the his first season, we havent had a good midfielder since Carrick perfrmance wise over a period of time. People clinging to mostalgia over Pogba, Herrera and others.
We finally look t ohave a proper midfielder in Mainoo, bar right sided centre back its our midfield that is the most urgent area to improve and rebuild and McTominay really shouldnt be a part of it
Personally never understood how he has lasted so long and why our managers (that have all failed) seem to really like him. He cant defend, his positining is awful, his reading of the game is poor, his passing is pretty diablical.
And totally disagree with some of the people sayin gFred was the unsung heroe of our midfield, no he wasnt, he was shit too. Bar the Casemeiro season last year for the first 9months and Matic in his first half of the his first season, we havent had a good midfielder since Carrick perfrmance wise over a period of time. People clinging to mostalgia over Pogba, Herrera and others.
We finally look t ohave a proper midfielder in Mainoo, bar right sided centre back its our midfield that is the most urgent area to improve and rebuild and McTominay really shouldnt be a part of it
So back to blaming Scott for the haplessness of the midfield, "We never have control when he plays".
That might be true but so is "We never have control no matter who plays" He was shit yesterday and Mount it is worth getting in there to see if he can build on a decent cameo.
Our midfield set up is on Ten Hag, not the individuals. Their individual performances are on them.
That might be true but so is "We never have control no matter who plays" He was shit yesterday and Mount it is worth getting in there to see if he can build on a decent cameo.
Our midfield set up is on Ten Hag, not the individuals. Their individual performances are on them.
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It is hard to have control with midfield 3 when one of those midfielders lacks any bloody trait for midfielder. Pair peak Modric and Kroos with him and that midfield would be also fecked.
And if it changed when McT was out of the team I would have more sympathy for this idea, when we see exactly the same pattern when he is out of the team, when Cas and Mainoo are paired, blaming the players seems the wrong approach.
It does change. Our best football last year was when Mctalentless was out.
yeah. His strength lies somewhere else.
He can look quite angry when the referee blows the whistle when he makes another stupid foul when he actually tries to do some defending...
In improving our FFP position.
He is also one of the best at giving the ball away in dangerous areas and getting stranded up the pitch while opposition walk through our midfield.
He is also the most likely player in the team to get sent off due to his flawed tackling technique.
Then why has he completed so many games without getting sent off for us?
His passing accuracy is better than McTominay's! McTom barely even tries anything and makes very few passes and yet he has 81.1% pass accuracy. Pathetic
Who is the most likely player then?
Scott never cost us 70mil or is being paid 350k a week either....that is what I call pathetic!
McTominay's involvement epitomises us as a club. Obviously not good enough, but he's got a decent scoring record, so we stick him in knowing he's not good enough but hoping against hope we'll get something from it. Same logic as to why we offered Ole the contract. Rashford too, arguably. Clearly neither man good enough for what they were rewarded with but if we keep our fingers and toes crossed there might be another purple-patch of results, form or goals.
And players know it. It's why McTominay clumsily lollops into the box at every opportunity leaving us with no midfield when he plays. Not because it's what's best for the team, but because it's how he'll stand a better chance of keep getting selected. When he is in the middle he seems to almost run away from the ball. There's too many players now who either have positional indiscipline, shy away from putting in a shift, or have the attitude that as long as they can take something individually out of the game, they're happy. Fernandes, Rashford and McTominay each tick at least one of those boxes.
And players know it. It's why McTominay clumsily lollops into the box at every opportunity leaving us with no midfield when he plays. Not because it's what's best for the team, but because it's how he'll stand a better chance of keep getting selected. When he is in the middle he seems to almost run away from the ball. There's too many players now who either have positional indiscipline, shy away from putting in a shift, or have the attitude that as long as they can take something individually out of the game, they're happy. Fernandes, Rashford and McTominay each tick at least one of those boxes.
I'll never understand why managers keep putting him in midfield, and expecting him to play like a midfielder. He doesn't. His only decent attribute is scoring from free runs, which is great if you have 60% posession and can carry that player, but when the rest of your midfield is an inexperienced 18 year old, it's just not going to work out.
He doesn't show for the ball, doesn't create passing angles for players under pressure, can't pass the ball with the right pace and can't control it in tight spaces. He's the opposite of what you need in the middle of the park, especially against a press.
He doesn't show for the ball, doesn't create passing angles for players under pressure, can't pass the ball with the right pace and can't control it in tight spaces. He's the opposite of what you need in the middle of the park, especially against a press.
He's a centre forward. Plays like one and whatever he says about being a midfielder, he clearly fancies himself as one.
Agreed, but that's the thing though, no team that has 60% possession would carry McTominay. That's why they have 60% possession. It's a contradiction that doesn't work. And costs us dearly in midfield build-up.
I like McTominay but id still cash in this summer. His stock is as high as it will ever be and Mount can easily takes his minutes when compared to this season.
Hard to get sent off when your stuck in no mans land not tracking anyone back or putting an actual tackle in.
Casemiro has our most tackles per 90 mins
For midfielders its then Mount, Amrabat, McTom, Mainoo and EriksenHe's invariably utter shite for about 10 games and then when I start complaining about him to someone mid game he goes and scores again to shut me up. I should just complain about him more.