The only player capable of finding a players feet over the top instead of just hoofing it into general space
14
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 26
- Goals
- 1
- Assists
- 2
- Yellow cards
- 1
I said many times. We need the younger version of this guy, not fecking Mount.
The only player who has some thought to his passing and play, would put Mainoo in that category as well who is also economical with his passing.
It is amazing that similiar player wasn't our priority last summer.
Yep, we seriously lack intelligent footballers with the ball at their feet
Ten Hag's best signing by far.
The only midfielder we have who has a brain and knows to keep possession of the ball and pass it. Shame physically he's not as half good.
Amazing what a guy with actual football intelligence can do for us.
He's such a big player for us. We generally look like an actual football team whenever he plays
This guy was the difference today. High IQ, technique and class.
This. Don't think we have anyone who can do what he does. Don't remember us ever dominating a midfield without him. He isn't always at his best but he's our best shot at having a balanced midfield.
He did well. It was to be expected that general passing will improve with him in the team. Especially instead of McTom. Still hope, we do not make the mistake to make him a undeniable starter. Aston Villas game suited us to a degree. He did well today but we have to manage his minutes.
In the summer, a lot of people were asking for a ball playing midfielder to replace Eriksen, and tonight showed us why.
Oh, and the ball he played to Bruno.....
Oh, and the ball he played to Bruno.....
Yes this. High line, incredibly open and they didn't sit or press us well at all.
Eriksen did his trusty thing as usual. He puts his body on the line with his running coverage but unfortunately, it's not enough in tight games. Hopefully, he'll give us 5-10 games before we get Casemiro and Mount back.
Our best midfielder by a mile. He could save ETH’s job.
The difference it makes playing two actual central midfielders in central midfield.
Unsung hero in my eyes. He makes such a difference to the team in terms of control and creativity.
wish he was 6 years younger but hes still a masssive cog in the wheel.
wish he was 6 years younger but hes still a masssive cog in the wheel.
Crossing fingers, he stays fit and that his return to the side will put an end to the McT experiment.
He is just not a CM... Same way Bruno is not a CM.
I agree. I really like him as a player and I have no issue at all to keep him in the team as long as he can play like today. But he cannot be part of Plan A, that would be way too short sighted. I also wondered about ineffective Villas pressing was. I think, we did a good job putting Dalot or AWB next to Mainoo, which helped the midfield and when the ball was won, with ballers like Bruno and Eriksen, you will always have your openings. Had Villa focussed on attacking our wide positions (that often weren't manned due to one of the fullbacks tucking in) we would have been in danger.
Again shows why we need top quality in midfield.
I agree with this. Eriksen is a better converted #10 than say Bruno or Mount. However, he's not really a central midfielder.
We look better with Eriksen in centre midfield because he understands the role better than most of our options. However, it's not his natural game and he will always be vulnerable to being swamped. Just like Pogba and Van de Beek before him.
Until Casemiro and Amrabat are available we will not be able to field a balanced midfield. We will just have to hope Eriksen can keep playing out of position well until that point.
I’ve been saying for weeks that as we don’t bother setting up a midfield to defend properly anyway, why bother playing “defensive” midfielders? May as well play our best technical players. Again I advocated for Mainoo and Eriksen and was quoted the age old “physicality” and “legs” argument. Like it’s a marathon or a wrestling match. Play players who are intelligent in their position and passing. Who have spatial awareness. That’s the way we are setting up, and then putting in plodders like McTominay and Amrabat.
Yoday we put in the midfield three I’ve been crying out for, players who can actually keep the ball and pass between the lines, and what do you know? Played our best football of the season. By fecking far. I’m sick of the idea that you have to play physically imposing players in midfield to be successful. Referees are so tough these days, you are better off with three technical players who can cycle possession and break the press. And so it proved.
Eriksen was superb today. As usual.
Yoday we put in the midfield three I’ve been crying out for, players who can actually keep the ball and pass between the lines, and what do you know? Played our best football of the season. By fecking far. I’m sick of the idea that you have to play physically imposing players in midfield to be successful. Referees are so tough these days, you are better off with three technical players who can cycle possession and break the press. And so it proved.
Eriksen was superb today. As usual.
Yeah good points! I think, Eriksen is even a bit helped by his decreased mobility in this regards. He isn't moving around the pitch as much and therefor covers the relevant areas better (meaning he occupies certain spaces).
It depends. If a team plays a high tempo game he is like a statue. Villa didn't do that for some unknown reason.
His profile of player is what we need, not him.
Still need a proper replacement for him, one more summer to get it right.
A quite simply brilliant performance against Villa, glad to see him back
He ran non-stop and covered sooo much ground. You saw him getting the ball from deep but he was also the one making runs into the box . I wondered how he managed to last for over 90 minutes. And he just came back from injury! We really should manage his minutes - he is soooo important to us.
Such a classy player who sadly falls in the Ibra-Cavani-Casemiro category of great players whom it would have been lovely to have had during their peak years.
If he were more defensively aware he'd be one of the best CMs in the league. As it is he's probably still our best CM but there's not intense competition there for us this year.
Our best CM until football matches get more intense and pass him by like he’s 45. That’s the issue with our midfield - with Casmeiro, our best CM facing injury and seemingly decline - it’s a mish mash of players that isn’t ideal for a ‘top’ club. McTominay isn’t a CM. Eriksen is a ghost in intense games where we face real pressure. Bruno is hyper attack oriented. Mount is always injured. So really it leaves Mainoo as our most complete midfield option as he is physically solid and technical superb. But of course he’s just a kid and will face many struggles in coming times.
Its why we really need Mount back and firing and if Casemiro is really done, then maybe even multiple additions.
A lot of people are happy with his performance against Villa, and then seconds later comes all the but´s. He will get mangled in phýsical games, too slow, too old etc. Why not just see the obvious? We are a much better team with Eriksen, even when playing him deeper and not in his preferred 10-position. The transitions are simply much faster. We have seen it again and again since he arrived, but it is always the same. One bad game, and he is too old, too slow etc. again. When in form, Casemiro-Eriksen-Bruno is still our best midfield. Mainoo is at Casemiros heels at the moment though, and Mainoo-Eriksen-Bruno worked exceptionally well from around 30 minutes in against Villa. Much has to do with shape though. EtH finally used Dalot as an extra midfielder in build up, coming in from left back to support Mainoo, thus creating space for Eriksen on the left. That leaves an extra second for him to pick out passes over the top against a high line defence like Villas. We looked so much more dangerous with this weapon in the locker. The fast transitions also gives Bruno a split second more to pick out his passes. He was playing a lot of them in the second half. With a really fast attacking trio like Rashford, Garnacho and Højlund, we just need to get the runs right. Then we will actually score lots of goals. This was really nice to watch. Mainoo might turn out to be our de Jong.
The downside. Eriksen has lost a step since Andy Carroll got him. Yes. That will sometimes be a problem, when playing a really fast and physical team like City, but this is United. We don't play for 0-0 in top games. We want the ball and we play to win. With Dalot or Shaw coming in to help out in midfield, we could cover for most of Eriksens defensive flaws.
The downside. Eriksen has lost a step since Andy Carroll got him. Yes. That will sometimes be a problem, when playing a really fast and physical team like City, but this is United. We don't play for 0-0 in top games. We want the ball and we play to win. With Dalot or Shaw coming in to help out in midfield, we could cover for most of Eriksens defensive flaws.
Was fantastic. Other than his great passing he did a ton of invisible work in midfield, covering and opening spaces. We look a completely different animal with him in midfield. We really missed him.
It's no surprise that we had a good previous season with him and Casemiro as our main midfielders. He just makes the team tick.
Our most intelligent and technically gifted option in central midfield, and it’s not really close. We’d be a significantly better side if we could consistently field him next to a world class defensive midfielder like Rodri or someone that can run for days like a prime Kante.
Problem is that will often get exposed with most of our current options - even Casemiro when he is not in top shape.
Problem is that will often get exposed with most of our current options - even Casemiro when he is not in top shape.
Such a fantastic player. Shame we never had him in his prime.
Very frustrating we didn't pick him up after him and his Ajax team toyed with us at Old Trafford. Was so clear in just that one game he was a really good player.
But our recruitment was already on a downward slope at that point.
The hardest player to replace/upgrade in our squad currently.
His replacement should be Mainoo.
So, so many “what could have beens” the last decade
