Alas poor Carrick...WTF has happened?

[devilish]

There very, very few midfielders in world football that can be as good offensively and defensively at the same time, infact, can you name any at all? Look at the top midfielders in the world, Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas, Snjeider, Mascherao etc etc they all have their main roles, either offensively or defensively. Yet you lot expect Carrick to pull of both roles, at once, or he's not good enough to be a Manchester United midfielder. Its complete and utter madness.

Id expect a United defensive midfielder to be consistent especially at his age. That's something Carrick hasn't been for quite some time (apart from a month or two at the end of last season).Today he was decent when going forward but forget competely were the defense was. At other times he just limit himself to sit in front of the defense and deliver either short passes or back passes. Is that the level of football a typical United veteran/ first teamer midfielder can deliver? Weeell Carrick's predecessors would certainly not agree with that.

Im looking forward for Cleverley to regain full fitness again.

 

[Mick1991]

Attacking wise, he was brilliant tonight. But watch people come and criticise him for his defensive work today...The same people that have moaned about him not being forceful or attacking enough. Basically, he cant win.

Anyways, best player on the pitch tonight.

I like Michael Carrick but you can't have it both ways, you can't have everybody praising his shielding prowess and then when he disappears for 45 to have nobody point it out.

No matter what some people say in this thread Michael Carrick is a good player, he isn't going to be sent to the gallows for having a flat second half.

 

[SCM]

My only issue tonight at times with Carrick and also Anderson was i would have liked to have seen them both just tracking back a bit more when they were in a position to do so. Both of them otherwise played well just the tracking back was lacking tonight.

 

[Irwinwastheking]

Attacking wise, he was brilliant tonight. But watch people come and criticise him for his defensive work today...The same people that have moaned about him not being forceful or attacking enough. Basically, he cant win.

Anyways, best player on the pitch tonight.

What a fecking stupid statement. Coming in with pre-emptive defence before anyone said anything makes you look like a total Ihni binni dimi diniwiny anitaime.

Carrick played the ball about much better and quicker than I've seen in a long time in the first half and late in the second half. Some of the sweeping passes out wide were wonderful. However he and the rest of the midfield gave no cover at all to a very poor midfield. That said Carrick was no-where near our worst player.

Shocking that I should criticise a United player after losing a two goal lead to a pretty poor team.

 

[devilish]

Carrick was not our worst player but its pretty evident that our CM need a leader. Someone who keeps the ranks tight and lead the midfield when things go crap. At age 30 Carrick is expected to do that.

 

[Irwinwastheking]

Nah, that's way too much to ask for a United central midfielder. Pfft, you know you can have too much leadership.

 

[Enigma_87]

one of the better halves for Carrick the first one - unlike the Carrick we know for the last 2 seasons - quick on the ball, some good passes, looked good and pulled some of the old stuff.

...Then when things tightened up in the second - complete waste of space and gutless performance... Que sera, sera...

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Excellent performance tonight.

Usual suspects will find something to piss and moan about, of course.

 

[UnitedRoadRed]

Excellent performance tonight.

Usual suspects will find something to piss and moan about, of course.

You're fecking joking of course.

What exactly was excellent about Carrick's performance apart from his ability to pass to Basel players?

 

[Kraftwerker]

You're fecking joking of course.

What exactly was excellent about Carrick's performance apart from his ability to pass to Basel players?

Really?

 

[RonaldoVII]

Thought he was our best player by a distance tonight. Accurate passing in all directions, making forward runs and defending well

Michael Carrick Successful Pass Rate: 97% (76/78), (40/41 Forward, 28/28 Backward, 13/14 Square) Attacking 3rd Pass Rate: 100% (28/28)

And yet some clown still wanted him taking off at 2-2

 

[UnitedRoadRed]

Really?

Really. He was fecking brilliant first three seasons and last third of the previous. I have no beef with Carrick and he's done well overall for us but I thought he was poor tonight. You might mitigate that Giggs, Anderson and Park were below par tonight so he had nobody to work with but I still say he didn't do anything to suggest he'd worry the top sides in Europe.

 

[vic090482]

Excellent performance tonight.

Usual suspects will find something to piss and moan about, of course.

It was an utterly impotent performance. I dont know what game you were watching. Its like our midfield didn't exist at all. He got a couple of passes right but offered no protection to our defenders. Isn't that the primary responsibility of "defensive" midfielder?

 

[Brophs]

I thought he was good with the ball. I didn't think he protected the defence as well as he usually does though. Hence the massive fecking gaping hole in midfield again.

 

[Kraftwerker]

Really. He was fecking brilliant first three seasons and last third of the previous. I have no beef with Carrick and he's done well overall for us but I thought he was poor tonight. You might mitigate that Giggs, Anderson and Park were below par tonight so he had nobody to work with but I still say he didn't do anything to suggest he'd worry the top sides in Europe.

He had a 97% pass rate and you say he was excellent at giving Basle the ball.

Sorry, but you need to go to bed, you're having a shocker tonight.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

You're fecking joking of course.

What exactly was excellent about Carrick's performance apart from his ability to pass to Basel players?

Heh. What game were you watching? Have you been drinking?

 

[JayWalker]

I thought he was good with the ball. I didn't think he protected the defence as well as he usually does though. Hence the massive fecking gaping hole in midfield again.

Agree with this, some of his passing tonight was brilliant in which case both him and Anderson ended up playing similar roles which fecked up the central midfield dynamic.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I thought he was good with the ball. I didn't think he protected the defence as well as he usually does though. Hence the massive fecking gaping hole in midfield again.

The massive fecking holes were down our flanks, more than through the middle, with Fabio and Evra constantly on walkabout. Carrick actually put in a lot of tackles and did his best to close them down.

 

[Cutch]

Excellent performance tonight.

Usual suspects will find something to piss and moan about, of course.

Wouldnt go that far. He was very good with the ball but his defensive work was uncharacteristically shite today. He and Anderson gave our back 4 very little protection.

 

[Rado_N]

I'm sure I remember him making a number of vital challenges/interceptions.

 

[Brophs]

The massive fecking holes were down our flanks, more than through the middle, with Fabio and Evra constantly on walkabout. Carrick actually put in a lot of tackles and did his best to close them down.

There were holes everywhere, but he and Anderson left us wide open, IMO. Unusual for him, and in truth a recurring theme this season, so I'm not singling him out for criticism.

 

[GCHQ]

Excellent performance tonight.

Usual suspects will find something to piss and moan about, of course.

Definitely. He was our best player tonight.

 

[GCHQ]

Wouldnt go that far. He was very good with the ball but his defensive work was uncharacteristically shite today. He and Anderson gave our back 4 very little protection.

Carrick was very good defensively! It was our two ''full-backs'' and our hopelessly unfit and naive Brazilian midfielder who were mostly at fault.

 

[Striker10]

I thought he was good with the ball. I didn't think he protected the defence as well as he usually does though. Hence the massive fecking gaping hole in midfield again.

You're not allowed to 1) notice it and 2) point it out apparently

----------
The thing is there was an incredible lack of leadership out there. Everyone has a theory but I was disappointed in the experienced players who l1) let themselves get carried away and 2) at half time not showing the brains to try to quieten them down, because they played well. We could have lost 6-3 and had no complaints. We came out second half and played exactly the same was as if it was still 0-0 .

 

[Cutch]

Carrick was very good defensively! It was our two ''full-backs'' and our hopelessly unfit and naive Brazilian midfielder who were mostly at fault.

He really wasn't. He was playing higher up the pitch than usual tonight which was probably tactical for whatever reason but I thought it left a gaping hole between the line of defence and midfield, leaving us very exposed. He also seemed to go missing during the period we were most under the cosh.

He was still one of our better players mind but let's not kid ourselves that the defensive side of his game was up to scratch tonight. It was only Basle and we were run ragged!

 

[Irwinwastheking]

He really wasn't. He was playing higher up the pitch than usual tonight which was probably tactical for whatever reason but I thought it left a gaping hole between the line of defence and midfield, leaving us very exposed. He also seemed to go missing during the period we were most under the cosh.

He was still one of our better players mind but let's not kid ourselves that the defensive side of his game was up to scratch tonight. It was only Basle and we were run ragged!

Exactly. I'm not singling Carrick out tonight as there was so many poor performances, but anyone who reads through this thread will hear so much talk of Carrick's ability to shield the defence and snuff out the opposition attacks at source. He simply didn't do this, and as far as I can tell from this thread that is his primary responsibly. I cracks me up to see some people inability to see any failings in an obviously flawed player.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

He simply did do "that"

Unfortunately it was him against two or more of Basle's midfielders for almost the whole game. After the first 15-20 minutes I can't remember Anderson doing a single bit of defending. With no fullbacks to speak of, it's no great surprise that Basle constantly out-numbered us in our own half.

 

[Irwinwastheking]

He simply did do "that"

Unfortunately it was him against two or more of Basle's midfielders for almost the whole game. After the first 15-20 minutes I can't remember Anderson doing a single bit of defending. With no fullbacks to speak of, it's no great surprise that Basle constantly out-numbered us in our own half.

Ah Pogue, it's pointless talking to you about it. It's the same excuses al the time to cover up Carrick's flaws. If he's playing shit going forward then you say he's a top notch defensive shield type player who was covering the whole back four single handedly. When he has a decent game going forward, but the opposition has streamed though our midfield time and time again it was every other players fault and poor Carrick couldn't do everything by himself.

As I said he wasn't the worst tonight by a long shot, but the fact that you refuse to even acknowledge his part in a very shit performance tonight just proves you are 100% blinded with Carrickunguctivitus.

 

[Commadus]

Evra and Fabio really were on a walkabout - it seemed like quite a few of our players forgot how to defend and were complacent.

We looked far too open and it was in part due to decent play by Basel but also brain dead defending.

First goal - Rio should not have let his man get away from him so easily and that the team was not set up properly at the corner.

Second goal - wtf was Evra doing just ambling along and not trying to close the cross down? Also Rio let his man run off his back - he had one man to mark and he didnt do that too well.

Third goal - The basel midfielder walks past 3 of out midfielders before Jones who should have cleared gave Valencia a ball he was expecting.

 

[gooDevil]

Thought he was our best player by a distance tonight. Accurate passing in all directions, making forward runs and defending well

Michael Carrick Successful Pass Rate: 97% (76/78), (40/41 Forward, 28/28 Backward, 13/14 Square) Attacking 3rd Pass Rate: 100% (28/28)

And yet some clown still wanted him taking off at 2-2

That's very impressive.

I'll have to watch the game again but I didn't think he was at fault for any of our goals.

 

[giggs-beckham]

They had so many chances. If he can't be a good defensive mid and protect the back four, what's the point In him?

 

[Pogue Mahone]

They had so many chances. If he can't be a good defensive mid and protect the back four, what's the point In him?

Jesus Christ. What is it with this thread and stupid fecking comments? Anyone who can watch last night's game and fail to see what Carrick brings to these te should be banned from ever watching football again. Or set on fire. Preferably both.

 

[Richter]

Gary Neville was right, Carrick will get stick until the day he retires. Guess he is just one of those players. Carrick's passing was spot on yesterday, defensively he struggled a bit but that was more about how the whole team played.

 

[Ole90+3]

Jesus Christ. What is it with this thread and stupid fecking comments? Anyone who can watch last night's game and fail to see what Carrick brings to these te should be banned from ever watching football again. Or set on fire. Preferably both.

Hate these kind of comments. Grow up mate. It's a football forum. People have different opinions. And I tend to agree with giggs-beckham more than I do with you. Carrick was alright going forward tonight, but that's what I expect from him. What I also expect him to do is put in a good defensive performance which he most certainly didn't tonight. All that said, I would need to watch the game again to re-assure myself of how mediocre Carrick's attacking performance was.

Edit: I don't know why I keep on saying 'tonight'. I got absolutely feck all sleep, I think it still feels liek the same day.

 

[Escobar]

Carrick was definately not the problem last night and I hope he starts against Norwich (instead of Fletcher)

 

[Sultan]

Jesus Christ. What is it with this thread and stupid fecking comments? Anyone who can watch last night's game and fail to see what Carrick brings to these te should be banned from ever watching football again. Or set on fire. Preferably both.

I started the MoM thread yesterday and thought he was our best player. He looked sharp and his passing was spot on. Yesterday was a game our defenders decided to play as wingers and mid-fielders.

 

[Enigma_87]

Carrick was very good defensively! It was our two ''full-backs'' and our hopelessly unfit and naive Brazilian midfielder who were mostly at fault.

That's utter bollocks. Basel midfielders steamrolled us in the second half.

13-13 shots
50-50 possession.

When was the last time we looked open like that? It's Basel. At home. Not Barcelona.

Yes he did better than usually last night and was one of the best players but again he didn't look like United quality in midfield. Basel could've scored 5 or 6 last night. In the 2nd half he really went missing when we needed some steel in midfield.

There were better players on the field last night - wouldn't say he was the best player "by some distance" - namely Welbeck, Nani and Young. But I wouldn't go that far like SS - they gave him 5 as the worst player on the pitch alongside Jones and Rio.

He really had an ok to good game overall - very good first half and crap 2nd.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I started the MoM thread yesterday and thought he was our best player. He looked sharp and his passing was spot on. Yesterday was a game our defenders decided to play as wingers and mid-fielders.

Completely agree.

We seem to do best with a defensively minded full-back opposite Evra. The combination of him and Fabio leaves a huge amount of gaps at the back. Didn't help that Jones kept getting attracted to the ball and Rio was having one of his dozy days.

I've been harsh on Anderson's inability to track runners in another thread but him and Carrick could play like that again and keep a clean sheet if we had our first choice back four on the pitch.

 

[Varun]

I started the MoM thread yesterday and thought he was our best player. He looked sharp and his passing was spot on. Yesterday was a game our defenders decided to play as wingers and mid-fielders.

its been the case for some time tbh. we have been far too open in our play this season. though fun to watch, it is a problem. it was the same against chelsea. we could easily have thrown 2 points there.

jones marauding forward is good to see but someone needs to cover for him. evra was terrible last night when it came to tracking back. his usual 'jog' was back. irritating to say the least.

our defence needs to tighten up and our midfield needs to protect them better. we were lucky to draw yesterday tbh. basel could easily have had 5.

 

[Sultan]

its been the case for some time tbh. we have been far too open in our play this season. though fun to watch, it is a problem. it was the same against chelsea. we could easily have thrown 2 points there.

jones marauding forward is good to see but someone needs to cover for him. evra was terrible last night when it came to tracking back. his usual 'jog' was back. irritating to say the least.

our defence needs to tighten up and our midfield needs to protect them better. we were lucky to draw yesterday tbh. basel could easily have had 5.

I'm sure when it comes to crunch games SAF will employ an extra midfielder. I don't see a problem playing attacking open football. The results have been excellent so far this season except last night. Long may it continue.