[Rajma]

Nothing against the guy, but he is so limited and slow it's painful. These kind of games are certainly not made for him, Carrick should be playing them all day long, not sure what Jose is afraid of.

 

[Randall Flagg]

Doing the exact opposite of what I said to do this far.

He has been asked to play he fairly strict holding role against a team called FC Zoba

And that's what he has done, the few times he has needed to, he has won the ball. And he has played it simple

I'm surprised Jose felt he was needed for this game

 

[Bwuk]

He has been asked to play he fairly strict holding role against a team called FC Zoba

And that's what he has done, the few times he has needed to, he has won the ball. And he has played it simple

I'm surprised Jose felt he was needed for this game

He takes far too long to release the ball, him, Smalling and Bailly are taking too many touches and its letting Zorya regain their shape.

 

[Sammyjunn]

He's been very good.

 

[LuisNaniencia]

He's been very good.

Today?

 

[Mockney]

He's been very good.

At what?

 

[Rajma]

He's been very good.

Aye, at slowing down the play.

 

[Manny]

Takes too long to move and support the play.

Poor half.

 

[Tiber]

He doesnt look the worst player in the world anymore.

But a very very very limited footballer. Hate seeing him in cm. we have to find a cm who can pass as well as tackle.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

Not his problem he's playing completely out of position. NOt sure how many games it might take for Mourinho to understand he is an attacking midfielder who should be at the end of passes from the likes of Pogba, Herrera or Carrick instead of being tasked to collect the ball from defense and distribute forwards.

 

[Amar__]

Yeah, there's no point in playing in tonight. Playing someone like Blind or Carrick would be better idea.

 

[Giant Midget]

If any evidence was needed that he's just not technically good enough for a top team, today is it. Absolutely no ability to play any pass other than a sideways 10 yards.

 

[Jacky Quacky]

Night and day between him and Herrera

 

[Sylar]

JUMP MAN, JUMP!

 

[sullydnl]

You can usually tell how bad a game is going by how busy this thread is.

 

[dichinero]

Yeah, there's no point in playing in tonight. Playing someone like Blind or Carrick would be better idea.

This

 

[NK86]

Not his problem he's playing completely out of position. NOt sure how many games it might take for Mourinho to understand he is an attacking midfielder who should be at the end of passes from the likes of Pogba, Herrera or Carrick instead of being tasked to collect the ball from defense and distribute forwards.

He is not an attacking midfielder. Getting your head to crosses does not mean u play in that critical position. He has no other attributes to play as an AM for a top team.

 

[Sammyjunn]

At what?

He's been winning duels and balls, keeps the ball in play, and looks forward, almost scored a goal. He takes too long on the ball but I think he's been good overall. Most of our players have.

 

[Tiber]

Yeah, there's no point in playing in tonight. Playing someone like Blind or Carrick would be better idea.

No doubt

 

[#07]

Night and day between him and Herrera

Yeah. Fellaini's not been had as such, he's just not been very good. A lot of his passes go to Smalling or Bailly. He takes a lot of time to figure out what to do. It just dents our flow.

 

[Golden Nugget]

His reading of defensive headers is Vidic like, wins everything and is brilliant.

His reading of offensive headers has been horrific since he's joined United. (Didn't watch him enough at Everton to judge).

 

[Mockney]

He's been winning duels and balls, keeps the ball in play, and looks forward, almost scored a goal.

"keeps the ball in play" should surely be the minimum of requirements for any footballer, pub league upwards.

As for "looks forward"...he may well do, but he's passing it sideways

 

[Stringer]

Don't really see the point in him playing these type of matches where we dominate possession. Slows the play and offers nothing going forward.

 

[Sunny Jim]

I took me about 2,3 weeks to figure it out he was shite. I still stand by this opinion.

 

[An Irish Red]

He's the worst midfielder at the club. Comfortably at that.

 

[LuisNaniencia]

He's been winning duels and balls, keeps the ball in play, and looks forward, almost scored a goal. He takes too long on the ball but I think he's been good overall. Most of our players have.

He should have scored 2 goals. One header from 5 yards and one header he just bottled out of.

 

[Sammyjunn]

"keeps the ball in play" should surely be the minimum of requirements for any footballer, pub league or otherwise.

As for "looks forward"...he may well do, but he's passing it sideways

Wish I could say that for the likes of Rooney, or Lingard. I think he is essential for the control of the midfield, with Pogba in the advanced role. We play quite high up the pitch today, as the more defensive box to box, I think he is doing his job reasonably well. Not much complaints.

 

[dichinero]

He's been winning duels and balls, keeps the ball in play, and looks forward, almost scored a goal. He takes too long on the ball but I think he's been good overall. Most of our players have.

Is that a thing now?

 

[Sylar]

He's been winning duels and balls, keeps the ball in play, and looks forward, almost scored a goal. He takes too long on the ball but I think he's been good overall. Most of our players have.

Keeping the ball in play and looking forward is a positive, heh.

His reading of defensive headers is Vidic like, wins everything and is brilliant.

His reading of offensive headers has been horrific since he's joined United. (Didn't watch him enough at Everton to judge).

This is true. For defensive headers he seems to be ahead of everybody. For offensive ones, its like his feet are stuck to the ground.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

He is not an attacking midfielder. Getting your head to crosses does not mean u play in that critical position. He has no other attributes to play as an AM for a top team.

eh? He is a pretty good finisher and makes some smart runs off the ball, peeling off and isolating himself against the smaller defenders. If he is anything, its an AM in a midfield 3.

 

[BarstoolProphet]

Not the game for him today. Not a good enough passer to dictate the tempo against a team that parks the bus.

 

[Cheesy]

Is that a thing now?

Yeah, I don't think he's been awful or anything, but how does keeping the ball in play itself go down as a positive?! It's like a fundamental basic of football. As is looking forward. Maybe I missed the weekend where everyone started attacking their own goal, and instead of taking shots at goal, instead aimed for the dugout.

 

[An Irish Red]

eh? He is a pretty good finisher and makes some smart runs off the ball, peeling off and isolating himself against the smaller defenders. If he is anything, its an AM in a midfield 3.

He could play as an attacking midfielder for Sunderland.. maybe. Not for us. He lacks precisely all of the skills to do so. All of them.

 

[Boycott]

Awful in that half. Takes 4 touches to ultimately pass 5 yards sideways or occasionally forwards. In a game where we are overwhelming favourites and our opposition are setting up to defend like that he is not needed. Tighter games sure he'll have his uses but not now. Carrick in these games will be ideal so we can have a bit of tempo to the passing.

 

[3KDré]

He cannot pass the ball well at all, but this is not his fault. He is good at breaking up play and winning defensive headers and that's all you should expect from him. It is not fair to expect him to have the passing of Herrera, Blind or Carrick. A leopard can't change its spots.

 

[Cheesy]

eh? He is a pretty good finisher and makes some smart runs off the ball, peeling off and isolating himself against the smaller defenders. If he is anything, its an AM in a midfield 3.

His finishing's generally always been mixed at best. By sheer virtue of his height he gets onto plenty of balls but his actual heading ability isn't spectacular...it's just sort of there, something that he inherently is okay at because of his height. He squandered plenty of chances last season with headers.

The main problem with him as an attacking mid is that we end up reverting to long ball football. He's sometimes okay with the ball at his feet in a deeper role and has done a decent job this season when it comes to tackling/interceptions, but they're often not as important up front, meaning we only have his physicality and if we're aiming to win the title then he isn't good enough to play there.

 

[Sammyjunn]

Is that a thing now?

He's dependent on the movement in front of him, he's no Modric or Iniesta but whenever the space is there, he utilizes it and plays it simple. As we play quite high up the litch, it's good to have someone who brings us some more control. If it was Schweinsteiger you guys would be talking of a maestro performance...

 

[dichinero]

eh? He is a pretty good finisher and makes some smart runs off the ball, peeling off and isolating himself against the smaller defenders. If he is anything, its an AM in a midfield 3.

If I didn't know any better I would have thought you were describing Drogba!

 

[the hea]

This is exactly the type of game that he shouldn't be starting in. Fellaini has his qualities but in a game where we are having 80% possession he isn't needed, Carrick should have started over him today.

 

[dichinero]

He's dependent on the movement in front of him, he's no Modric or Iniesta but whenever the space is there, he utilizes it and plays it simple. As we play quite high up the litch, it's good to have someone who brings us some more control. If it was Schweinsteiger you guys would be talking of a maestro performance...

What he does simply isn't enough for a top club let alone United, it just isn't. Where has the ambition gone? You are compared that to a typical performance from a fit Schweinstiger?