Do we insert contractual clauses into the manager’s contract that these 2 always have to play? 3 consecutive managers continue to stick with the same mediocrity and presumably not one player better is available in the market (which is complete nonsense btw).
McFred as a midfield duo heading into 2022/23 season
- Thread starter Kush
- Start date
Definition of insanity.
These two are beyond repair and manager's undertakers.
'We only wanted to sign a specific quality of player for midfield. We're all in on De Jong who doesnt want to join'
*Brighton's midfield of Lallana, Macallister and Caicedo proceed to stand out and impress more than our starting midfield*
What do you call doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result? McTom and Fred have been the midfield pair as the last 2 managers were got rid of. Do something different
Before anyone says anything I dont think De Jong would have done anything differently defensively today. We'd still have conceded 2. Probably better going forward though, perhaps we would have got a point with a 2-2 or if Rashford and Bruno finished their chances could have come away with 3. But thats kinda still the case without him.
*Brighton's midfield of Lallana, Macallister and Caicedo proceed to stand out and impress more than our starting midfield*
What do you call doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result? McTom and Fred have been the midfield pair as the last 2 managers were got rid of. Do something different
Before anyone says anything I dont think De Jong would have done anything differently defensively today. We'd still have conceded 2. Probably better going forward though, perhaps we would have got a point with a 2-2 or if Rashford and Bruno finished their chances could have come away with 3. But thats kinda still the case without him.
They were shit, especially McT. Who would have ever thought eh
Mctom hides and Fred can’t hold onto the ball. How they have survived and had several managers persist with them is beyond me but maybe it shows how few options they have had.
If we end the transfer window with these two it’s another season written off. See I don’t mind Fred in a more advance role but why put him as our deepest midfielder ? Then again if we put Mctom there he would never be available for the pass so I guess that was all we had. Still I would have rather had Erikson start there and then have Fred further forward with VdB
If we end the transfer window with these two it’s another season written off. See I don’t mind Fred in a more advance role but why put him as our deepest midfielder ? Then again if we put Mctom there he would never be available for the pass so I guess that was all we had. Still I would have rather had Erikson start there and then have Fred further forward with VdB
If Fred and Tominay are our midfield for this season I give up
Hopefully, that first-half horrorshow from McFred will be enough for the owners to bring in much-needed reinforcements.
3 years in succession we've begun the season with McFred as the default midfield pairing. During that time we're seen Jose, Ole and Rangnick fail miserably due largely (IMO) to the midfield shortcomings. ETH will go the same way if he's stuck with these two for the entire season.
It cannot happen again.
3 years in succession we've begun the season with McFred as the default midfield pairing. During that time we're seen Jose, Ole and Rangnick fail miserably due largely (IMO) to the midfield shortcomings. ETH will go the same way if he's stuck with these two for the entire season.
It cannot happen again.
Can't agree. A player like that would inherently afford more control in midfield. Just getting in some bruiser to go around clattering people isn't the only means of defending. Stopping the other team having the ball works too. Unfortunately, that's a lot more difficult with two empty shirts floating around the middle of the pitch.
It wasn't even a midfield pairing today. I have no idea what position McTominay was playing, but it was more upfront with Bruno rather than alongside Fred. Which only put more pressure on Fred when he's already playing in a position that he's not good enough in. Put Fred in the spot McTominay was playing and have a proper deeper midfielder and we'd have looked a lot better.
Headless chicken.
@Kush you ready to see this thread bumped regularly ?
I've said it before and I'll say it again: You can go a significant way down the Premier League table before you will find any team willing to swap their starting midfielders for McFred. We saw that again today. Brighton didn't even need Bissouma!
You're right it isnt, but someone with defensive instincts would have been back to help on the first goal and would have cleared the ball in Fred's position for the 2nd. Also probably wouldnt be 2/3 of the pitch forward losing the ball like McTom on the first goal.
De Jong doesnt have those defensive instincts. Someone like Kante, Makelele, Carrick etc do
De Jong has great tight space control and dribbling and a pass. Not someone to track back into his box and become an extra defender when needed
We need that meme of those dancing pallbearers with Fred and McTominay's faces on them and the managers they have gotten sacked.
Just as expected from this duo. 
If I never have to see them again on the pitch it will be too soon.
If I never have to see them again on the pitch it will be too soon.Even by their normal standards, that was shocking. McTominay in general is a shocking footballer, killed pretty much every attack with his horse like touch
Fred has the tenacity but he is simply way too erratic to be trusted in center of midfield
Fred has the tenacity but he is simply way too erratic to be trusted in center of midfield
Garbage. I’m all for ETH wanting to wait to sign the right players but midfield needs addressing before the window shuts. one of the worst pairings in the league and I’m not even exaggerating.
I hope the manager can pick up on it before close of transfer window, we have Liverpool at home in 2 weeks. God help us with current midfield
McFred is very bad but today was a whole other level! Absolutely abysmal- no way they can play in an ETH possession based team. They’d be suited in a long ball side where they can challenge for a few 50-50’s then lump the ball long
Fred is so bad as the CDM. It’s not even funny.
McTominay was terrible today.
Give Garner a chance.
McTominay was terrible today.
Give Garner a chance.
People actually liked our starting lineup today.
It’s bloody bonkers!
You have 4-5 seasons of evidence they can’t do it! Yet they remain.
There must come a point where you pick someone else just to try something new.
You have 4-5 seasons of evidence they can’t do it! Yet they remain.
There must come a point where you pick someone else just to try something new.
It's bad enough having them start every week, but sometimes in games we're under the cosh they work as a double block.
But in this sort of game just woeful.
A really bizarre splitting of them, with Fred super deep, and woeful when receiving the ball under pressure, and McTom in some odd role almost as a rampaging attacker.
He played like a 10 year old would do, getting it and sprinting off.
Dreadful.
Absolute madness, to focus on FDJ as if he is needed to massively upgrade on these two. Lunacy from the board and manager. You won't find a single sane United fan let alone anyone else in world football that would accept this situation. Shocking and disappointing, and likely not going to change...
Tielemans is available for £30 million ....
They looked so unbelievably lost
I'm willing to go for Paredes or Tielemans, that's how bad they have been today. 
Get used to it.
We shipped out Pogba, Mata, Matic and Lingard, and have basically added Eriksen.
What midfield?
I hope the manager can pick up on it before close of transfer window, we have Liverpool at home in 2 weeks. God help us with current midfield
Both of these guys should be nowhere near a Manchester United midfield let alone surviving 3 seasons now.
Honestly I'd rather we just chance it with Garner/Iqbal/Savage. These two are woeful, and wouldn't start for any of the other teams in the top half.
Definitely. 100%
It's such an insane pairing. Even if you pretend that they're both really good at what they do (not really sure what that is) they just don't compliment each other at all. I honestly think it may be the worst midfield pair in the league.
Yep, agree with this as well!
What the feck do any of our managers of the last 5 years actually see? Neither of them are good enough to play CM for a top half PL side, it's clear. We need 2 actual CMs and have for years.
They have actually broken me. I can't watch another game that these 2 clowns start.
They have actually broken me. I can't watch another game that these 2 clowns start.
How does Mctominay get so many starts and minutes for us? Eriksen steps back and plays central midfield last 30m or so and he is finding the feets of teammates all the time. And just like that we have some possession and attacking play. What are the managers seeing that we don’t?
Yeah. There’s a reason these two usually play as a double pivot and not as a single with two more attacking midfielders in a 4-3-3. Neither of them can be the deepest-lying ball-playing midfielder. As much as we are all likely sick of them right now, we’d do well to reflect that the manager picks the team and the formation. That’s on Ten Hag today.
I was pretty surprised to see us in a 4-3-3/4-4-2 diamond for that reason. We had neither a proper centre forward or holding midfielder to start.
I had a bet with a Newcastle supporter that they wouldn't finish above us this year, when I assumed we would be buying a couple of CMs. Those 2 starting the first game make me regret that.