Must have missed that, in all seriousness.Matic gave away the exact same ball minutes after coming on
17
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 48
- Goals
- 2
- Assists
- 4
- Yellow cards
- 12
- Status
Fred was good and made lots of interceptions when they were trying to overwhelm our midfield. Obviously not a 6 but he can do a job there but he's better forward.
I thought Pogba played well from the beginning, but he’s often better playing with Matic than he’s with Fred or McTominay, it’s clear to see. Matic’s calmness with the ball seems to help Pogba usually.
I do t think it’s as bad as people were making out. Yeah he was caught out early when pressed but there were also times he beat the press and dribbled away from a few. Also had some good tackles that broke up attacks.
He also played two incredible passes and then played some others that were measured to perfection. He was honestly putting these balls through that were just inches out of the reach of the opposition but perfectly finding our players.
He also played two incredible passes and then played some others that were measured to perfection. He was honestly putting these balls through that were just inches out of the reach of the opposition but perfectly finding our players.
He's not that either. He had 0 assists and 0 goals in the league this season. He's someone who can pass with either foot and has legs in midfield and will try to win the ball, but he's not a solid DM and he isnt creative enough to be the creative midfielder in Pogba's absence. We very sorely missed Pogba this season despite Fred playing while he was gone.
He had a great start to the game.
1 mistake created by the stupid team setup from deep just like it made with pogba too.
its fair to say he shouldn’t be the last man in midfield but he presses and intercepts really well.
1 mistake created by the stupid team setup from deep just like it made with pogba too.
its fair to say he shouldn’t be the last man in midfield but he presses and intercepts really well.
Some people on here clearly have an agenda. Played well aside from the one mistake (seems always to make at least one of 'those' each game). I agree he's not a 6 and more an 8. I also think Pogba prefers Matic than Fred as he trusts him more. Fred's a good squad player and there is nothing wrong will that....
He is no CDM, people go past him for fun. Can’t let that happen when you have Pogba and Bruno I’m front of you.
I think the problem we have is that only Matic can be trusted to collect the ball from our defenders.
Matic literally was sloppy gave the ball away near our penalty box against Leicester which also could have cost us top 4 but somehow you ignored it and criticised Fred for it.
He had a good game today mate, you were only watching one moment to call it ''poor game''.
I thought he was the best player till he came off personally.
He is not a replacement for Matic or Pogba, like for like. Playing him and Matic would completely free up Bruno and front 3 with Matic sitting and Fred closing down. That's his best position. However as Pogba has to play he has to make do with different midfied roles. If But Bruno needs a rest push Pogs up and bring in Fred. He gives us those types of options.
Overall quality performance today and he makes a good squad player.
He is not a replacement for Matic or Pogba, like for like. Playing him and Matic would completely free up Bruno and front 3 with Matic sitting and Fred closing down. That's his best position. However as Pogba has to play he has to make do with different midfied roles. If But Bruno needs a rest push Pogs up and bring in Fred. He gives us those types of options.
Overall quality performance today and he makes a good squad player.
I remember that one from Matic, and one from Pogba as well which was not a poor pass but a stupid loss.
It may he harsh on Fred, but me myself Im not speaking for anybody else in here dont feel calm when he's the 6 guarding us. He's energetic and likeable but I just as Bailly I get the feeling he can feck up at anytime even when he's having a great game.
We defo need a CDM because Fred sure as heck ain't one
I don’t agree with Matic can be trusted at all to pick the ball up from our defenders. He’s been forced in to mistakes only recently and has previously given a goal away this season from screwing up taking the ball off the defenders.
DM is a position that needs looked at as Matic can’t be trusted, Fred and McT aren’t DM’s.
Need a gif of Fred in the first half when he beat the press and turned 2 or 3 of their players by himself. Didn't know he had that in him. That was quality
I am quite surprised to see such negative comments on here. He made a couple mistakes, Matic makes those too in games.
He was brilliant, buzzing, passing, driving. In such games, I cannot see why he can't play in that role.
He was brilliant, buzzing, passing, driving. In such games, I cannot see why he can't play in that role.
Wait, I thought we could excuse our DM for making a feck up every game in a dangerous area? Why isn't Fred being given the same treatment? 
Played well. Refreshing to see someone find our advanced players so often with those ground passes between the lines. We missed that when he went off, along with his energy.
Played well. Refreshing to see someone find our advanced players so often with those ground passes between the lines. We missed that when he went off, along with his energy.
Its quite clear Fred isnt the DM we need, he was good, but he dont control the game the way Matic does.
I liked what I saw. Matic played against a tired out team already.
I liked him yesterday. There's pros and cons when you compare him with Matic. Players can some times get past him by outmuscling him and exposing his lack of strength, something Matic doesn't suffer from. But on the other hand his pace, quick turn and directness with the ball can help set up counters a lot better. I really enjoy the faster transition with Fred instead of Matic in DM. Build up with Matic is way too slow for my liking.
We saw pre lockdown Fred last night. Not sure why he got hooked, fatigue?
Hope he gets more minutes next season.
Hope he gets more minutes next season.
Probably because OGS wanted Matic to have some match fitness since he is going to start next match.
I thought he played well too, that pass aside. We're asking for trouble when we try playing out from the back like we do so I wouldn't even attribute too much blame to him for that.
He was ok and that's it! What sort of role has he? BtoB, CM, DM? Nearest I can come is BtoB. However he's far too seldom on the front foot for that role. Noticed a difference when Mata came in and carved out more openings and added some creativity. Exactly what we're lacking with Fred on the pitch!
Great post, it's funny cause before Pogs came back, we seen Fred, Matic and Bruno and it worked. Pogs has to play but the balance isn't quite right as I suspect he sooner play further forward.
Did you not see the ball he played to Bruno? One of Fred's strengths is he always on the front foot and plays the ball forward really quickly. You know Mata came on when people were dead on their feet although I admit he played well.....
Yeah but overall he sits too deep. I've seen it so many times when we get around the opposition's box he sits back instead of taking part in attacking combinations around and inside the box.
Reckon he is supposed to play box to box in a similar role as Roy Keane had. I'm not expecting him to be as good as Keano but compare the two going forward. Night and day!
Ole should sit him in front of a TV screen and let him see Keano in action over and over again. That's where the bar should be for a player we payed 50 mill for. He's nowhere near!
Had a good game yesterday, bar 1 "usual CDM mistake". I really like him as a midfielder, very energetic, taking good positions, always trying to make something happen in front of him. At worst he's a good squad player, but dare I say he's better suited to whatever role Pogba is playing right now?
Quoting Godfather as I think that's the answer - tired opposition. Pogba played better because of that too in second half.
Weird comment as it's pretty obvious what his role yesterday was - defensive midfielder, not box to box. He was instructed to stay back and cover midfield behind Pogba and Bruno, and I think he's done the job pretty well.
Don't think his defensive qualities suit the system.
Matic is capable when dropping into a back three but Fred just gives the ball away too easily and sloppily when he plays out from the back.
Poor game, hope he can get back to where he was at one point during the season.
Matic is capable when dropping into a back three but Fred just gives the ball away too easily and sloppily when he plays out from the back.
Poor game, hope he can get back to where he was at one point during the season.
He can't replace Matic. But does well when he plays with him. Fred just isn't a CDM.
When Matic plays, he dictates the tempo. When Fred plays, Maguire dictates the tempo.
When Matic plays, he dictates the tempo. When Fred plays, Maguire dictates the tempo.
Why are you expecting from Fred the creativity we got from Mata who came in for greenwood?
I actually prefer Fred to Matic in the DM role. Our play is a lot quicker. Matic drops a clanger at least once a game by getting dispossessed under pressure but it's unacceptable when Fred does it?
I thought he was one of the better players on the pitch. Put in some quality passes.
I agree and to be fair, he won the ball back quite a few times. A new, class DM is needed though, just not realistic in this window as it looks like
Pogba is being deployed as a deep midfielder - is it ok for people to go past him then?
Seems Fred is the only player people can critique for this kind of thing.
Matic lets players past him too.
It's the nature of the game, every DM will get runners off them on times. No DM is perfect, i just really dislike this narrative of criticism Fred for flaws every midfielder has.
Fred played well and was our best midfielder
Why does Pogba HAVE to play? Hate this logic.
I've always said when we are against a team that sits and defends - Pogba should play more or less alongside Bruno. In other games, i'd play Fred ahead of Pogba. That would work better.
Pogba is such a poor deep midfielder but people cant accept it. Pogba has his uses but Fred is better than him at certain things.
Fred was very good and didnt deserve to come off against Copenhagen.
Fred was often bypassed in favour of long balls, notably by Maguire. Fred's been hard done by since lockdown, should have played more. He's better than McTom and he's deserved to play more
He has a good engine and can tackle but I think his technique is terrible and that is why he struggles to shoot a ball with either foot.
He has done exceptionally well to get where he is with the tools he possesses.
He has done exceptionally well to get where he is with the tools he possesses.
Pogba is deployed as a deep midfielder and it is not okey to let people go past him with ease, yet it's not his primary task. For the part of the midfield who is supposed to bring defensive shielding and stability Fred is not doing that effectively. Yes people go past Matic too, but not like Fred, part of if due to the fact that he does not commit himself to tackles too aggressively and generally plays smarter in that role.
That saying I don't think Matic is good enough for us to go into next season as a starting CDM and want us to sign a new one. Fred had a mixed game, I wouldn't say it was a good game myself, I can remember two very bad mistakes which could have cost us. It seems like people have gotten used to shit errors by Pogba/Fred/Matic to such extent that think that a shocking mistake like the one Fred did when gifting the ball to the opposition in our own half is acceptable and happens to everyone. In a quarter final one leg match, that simply shouldn't happen end of. It was brainless and shocking. And that's without getting to the fact that we lacked any control and tempo for the majority of the game, he was playing.
I can see that its quicker but it feels kind of nervous and unsteady to me.
Matic can own a certain area of the midfield leaving Pogba and Bruno to try and own a different area relative to them.
I like Fred when we dont over complicate his role & ask him alongside the rest of the midfielders to be energetic and press. Usually mstic and Pogba cant do this but Mctomminay and Bruno can. I like Fred with Mct and Bruno but not with the others because players like Pogba and Matic have attributes that need to be addressed when playing alongside them in my opinion.
So how much would a Keano be worth today? You want to pay 50m for a Keano equivalent?
Fred is what he is, no more no less. We wouldn't have finished 3rd without him as we wouldn't have been 5th in the first place in Jan when we signed Bruno. People forget there was no Pogs, Bruno, Martial, Rashford, Matic, Scott et al for long periods before the restart.....plus he should be credited for playing back to back games without being rested. Let's also not forget he wasn't in the running for POTS for no reason
Last edited:
- Status