Maguire and Lindelof Partnership

Le Red

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Lindelof is the proverbial elephant in the room.
It's hard for us to admit it, but after spending 80m on Maguire, we still need to splash more cash on another CB.
I've seen enough of him. He's not good enough for a top club. He's not even close.
 

Amar__

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Maguire is not average..
And how would you rate him? He's lost a header for their goal, and just look at his block for their ruled out goal. That's two goal mistakes in just one half, and few of very average interventions too. Do you call that world class maybe?
 

Skills

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Lindelof is a poor defender and Maguire is about as average as it gets.
 

Carl

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And how would you rate him? He's lost a header for their goal, and just look at his block for their ruled out goal. That's two goal mistakes in just one half, and few of very average interventions too. Do you call that world class maybe?
Ridiculous to criticise Maguire for their goal. VVD having a running jump will beat any defender in the world from a static position.
 

Lee565

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Yet another game that brings home the fact that we should have kept smalling and that him paired with either Maguire or lindelof would be a better partnership than Maguire and lindelof.

I would even fancy pairing Maguire with Bissaka as defensive pairing at this point seeing as the current partnership is doing sod all favours for us.
 

Johnson Yip

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Lindelof is a non defending centre back. His entire duty appears to merely be to blocks space rather than opponents. Also has little physicality to speak of and that of an AM rather than a centre back.
Well said. And, for those who slated Smalling for his inability to pass under pressure, look at Lindelof. At least Smalling can head, and in both penalty boxes.
 

Amar__

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Ridiculous to criticise Maguire for their goal. VVD having a running jump will beat any defender in the world from a static position.
Top CB wins that simply by being positioned better. The likes of Vidic, Terry, even Kompany and Smalling would clear that before van Dijk even comes there because that should be a defender's ball.
 

AFC NimbleThumb

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Maguire is not average..
He’s closer to Average than “World Class”/“Outstanding”; whatever other term you’d use.

His lack of pace is one of the worst weaknesses to have in the modern game & his ‘strengths’ [ball playing etc.] have been non-existent since he arrived.

He’s far from a bad defender but he’s a secondary piece in a Premier League winning partnership.

Standards really have fallen. Our club captain :lol:
 

Carl

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It's pathetic to see our other centre back didn't even bother to jump for the header...
Top CB wins that simply by being positioned better. The likes of Vidic, Terry, even Kompany and Smalling would clear that before van Dijk even comes there because that should be a defender's ball.
Are we ignoring Gomez blocking Maguire off too?

Zero fault of Maguire with the goal.
 

AFC NimbleThumb

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Are we ignoring Gomez blocking Maguire off too?

Zero fault of Maguire with the goal.
The fact fans are having to defend our £80mil defender week in week out over questionable scenarios says it all.

For £80mil it shouldn’t be a weekly scrap over whether it is or isn’t his fault. He shouldn’t be completely faultless [the best of the best aren’t that] but we shouldn’t be having to dissect goals weekly in an attempt to absolve a “quality” defender of blame.

He remains a terrible signing given the squad composition; that is different to me calling him a bad player but he wasn’t the signing we needed given of self imposed spending constraints.
 

Carl

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The fact fans are having to defend our £80mil defender week in week out over questionable scenarios says it all.

For £80mil it shouldn’t be a weekly scrap over whether it is or isn’t his fault. He shouldn’t be completely faultless [the best of the best aren’t that] but we shouldn’t be having to dissect goals weekly in an attempt to absolve a “quality” defender of blame.

He remains a terrible signing given the squad composition; that is different to me calling him a bad player but he wasn’t the signing we needed given of self imposed spending constraints.
Separate conversation. We're talking about the goal in this game.
 

AFC NimbleThumb

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Separate conversation. We're talking about the goal in this game.
It’s not a separate conversation when it occurs every weekend.

You can’t look at this in a silo; my point was similar questions are asked week in week out.

But on today. Having watched the goal I have no doubt the Terry’s/Vidic’s do better.

Again. Having to dissect goals every week to look for blame in an £80mil defender isn’t what should be happening.
 

Saffron

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@GifLord Could you show Lindelof’s backheel pass straight into the path of a Pool player in/near our penalty area? It was sometime during the first half.
 

izec

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Maguire is ok, Lindelöf is the big issue, far bigger than anyone in our back 4. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, but Lindelöf has no strong attributes. He is a nothing player
 

Hughie77

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Along with Norwich, and Villa I think we have conceded most from corners, Maguire was supposed to be the guy who was bought to head the fecking ball, I'm not convinced iether way, or the way we defend corners has to change. We do need another CB or change the way we defend set pieces.
 

sdb4884

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More.than enough time to bring in a Koubially or Dias in the window, this nonsense pairing hasn't worked and I thought it couldn't get worse than Smalling and Jones..
 

Mr. Christian

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Maguire is ok, Lindelöf is the big issue, far bigger than anyone in our back 4. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, but Lindelöf has no strong attributes. He is a nothing player
I reckon you just hit the nail on the head
 

cyril C

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Lindelof is a ball playing CB and supposedly to be good In reading the game, apparently not in intercepting or header. I still can't understand why a Swedish international Centre Back is poor on header - likewise, can you name a Scot can't header? Lindelof partnering with Maguire is fine against certain opponents but not against typical EPL bottom clubs whose bread and butter is set pieces. IMO, Smalling + Maguire would be a better choice against the like of Burnley but Maguire + Lindelof might be better against Arsenal.
 

He'sRaldo

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The new chuckle brothers.
All the more apt as Maguire is getting lumped in with Lindelof in his first season at the club. Now they're being criticized as a pair, as Smalling and Jones were.

He's not worth the fee of course, but playing with Lindelof will bring any CB down.
 

Name Changed

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Maguire isn't really that good. He's ok. That's really it. Anytime I watched Leicester last year, Evans was miles better.
 

A-man

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Lindelof is a ball playing CB and supposedly to be good In reading the game, apparently not in intercepting or header. I still can't understand why a Swedish international Centre Back is poor on header - likewise, can you name a Scot can't header? Lindelof partnering with Maguire is fine against certain opponents but not against typical EPL bottom clubs whose bread and butter is set pieces. IMO, Smalling + Maguire would be a better choice against the like of Burnley but Maguire + Lindelof might be better against Arsenal.
I thought Maguire and Lindelof looked very solid against Burnley and it was a clear 2-0 victory despite the fact that AWB didn’t play. The last match against Burnley however, without Lindelof, was worse and a 0-2 loss.
 

cyril C

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I thought Maguire and Lindelof looked very solid against Burnley and it was a clear 2-0 victory despite the fact that AWB didn’t play. The last match against Burnley however, without Lindelof, was worse and a 0-2 loss.
This comment made on Lindelof was general in nature but particularly after the Liverpool game. If I not mistaken it was Fred who man-mark VVD and Matic guarding the far post, for the 1st goal. Where was Lindelof? Leaving Fred to mark VVD, are you kidding, the most dangerous opponent on the header? If Lindelof wasn't involved, whether because of instruction from Ole (??) or he was scared, one of the CB should be marking VVD, don't you think? Having Matic guarding the far post, this was Neville, Rafael, Evra's job. I don't know the reason behind Jones replacing Lindelof, because I didn't even bother watching the 2nd Burnley game. But this team is weak in the air, and can't expect Maguire to be all over the places. It was not Ole's fault on recruiting Lindelof (who didn't know about the header deficiency), but it was clearly Ole's fault for letting go Smalling, not replacing Fellaini and Lukaku, who can help on set pieces.
 

A-man

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This comment made on Lindelof was general in nature but particularly after the Liverpool game. If I not mistaken it was Fred who man-mark VVD and Matic guarding the far post, for the 1st goal. Where was Lindelof? Leaving Fred to mark VVD, are you kidding, the most dangerous opponent on the header? If Lindelof wasn't involved, whether because of instruction from Ole (??) or he was scared, one of the CB should be marking VVD, don't you think? Having Matic guarding the far post, this was Neville, Rafael, Evra's job. I don't know the reason behind Jones replacing Lindelof, because I didn't even bother watching the 2nd Burnley game. But this team is weak in the air, and can't expect Maguire to be all over the places. It was not Ole's fault on recruiting Lindelof (who didn't know about the header deficiency), but it was clearly Ole's fault for letting go Smalling, not replacing Fellaini and Lukaku, who can help on set pieces.
United often put a weak player (Williams in this case, but also AWB and Fred ) to stop the run of strong players at corners. It has been debated many times and most people seem to think it is a poor strategy, myself included. Lindelof is not strong in the air, he is PL average. Of course Smalling would increase the strength in the air, but it happens that he also loses relatively easy aerials at setpieces which end up in goal. The most recent I can think of was the first goal conceded against Juventus two weeks ago.
 

RedRonaldo

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Sometimes I wonder, Is Maguire+Lindelof really an upgrade to Smalling+Jones?
 

cyril C

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Sometimes I wonder, Is Maguire+Lindelof really an upgrade to Smalling+Jones?
Yes they are, even at Smalling+Jones prime days. Problem is in organisation setup during set piece, and lack of OTHER players who can cover on aerial threat. Unless you think AWB, James, Martial, Shaw alike could stop VVD.
 

Lee565

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Sometimes I wonder, Is Maguire+Lindelof really an upgrade to Smalling+Jones?
Probably are just about but are they better than smalling+blind?

People knocked Mourinho's spending but Solskjear has also made a real howler already in his first transfer window with signing Maguire for 80 million.

I would much rather we had used the 80 million for an attacker and just signed Gary Cahill on a free who age aside is not that different in ability to Maguire.
 

mewnew11

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I still think Maguire and Lindeloff still needs some developing but today's game showed a different dimension to their partnership in a back 3

In earlier matches it was always Jones who player left and Maguire the centre in a three. However today a small tweek where Maguire was left and Jones was centre of a three bought about a different dimension to the defence.

The tweek enabled Maguire to bring his best game today. He bought the ball out today and drove into midfield and joined the attack. Lindeloff also came forward and brought the ball out well. This system actually allows us to move the ball forward and add numbers to midfield.

Especially with us having such low number in midfield it helps us when the centre backs are given the duty to bring the ball forward.

Jones is not the answer though but with Bailly and Tuanzebe coming back and looking at our squad strength I think we can do well with a 3 at the back. Today was another example of solskjaer showing his tactical nous and ability to change systems. Long may this continue
 

A-man

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I thought the match against Burnley was a match where they both found their roles and benefitted from each others strengths. I had high hopes that it was a starting point to something really good. It can be debated if they are good enough or not, but fact is the defence results have been great since that match.

Since Burnley they have started 9 matches together and have 7 clean sheets.