Convert as a 9I don't know how McTominay is supposed to react.
Midfield: Amrabat or McTominay?
- Thread starter Fortitude
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
Casemiro is a given once back. Please don't factor him into the discussion as it's pretty much a shoot out between the two (probably) until he gets back.
Neither of them are of the required standard. But if we have to choose between them, especially as a DM, then Amrabat is miles better.
Though it is a bit like choosing between being kicked in the shins or the balls.
McTom until the next window then buy an actual DM. Then actual DM and Mainoo
Miles better is pushing it. He did a good impression of a training cone yesterday, one of lowest number of passes completed on the pitch as well. I refuse to believe Gore could not do a better job
I sometimes feel kind of bad for always criticizing McTominay but it's probably the same objection people had to Fellaini in that it can be effective and it can get us goals but the team just looks horribly balanced and negative with him in it, especially in a deeper role.
Amrabat at least wants the ball and wants to play that midfield role. If McTominay is a starter (and sadly i think he will remain in the first team for some time) I'd go for this combination until Casemiro and Eriksen come back
Amrabat at least wants the ball and wants to play that midfield role. If McTominay is a starter (and sadly i think he will remain in the first team for some time) I'd go for this combination until Casemiro and Eriksen come back
Mainoo Amrabat
McTominay
Bruno Hojlund Garnacho
McTominay
Bruno Hojlund Garnacho
Right now I'd play amrabat. I think we need to see him have a run of games. We know what McT brings and it's not good enough to be 1st team regular.
Amrabat needs to prove himself one way or another
Amrabat needs to prove himself one way or another
You want Mainoo to start and you don't want him completely abandoned in midfield, so ideally you would have Amrabat next to him.
However, he's 18 and is still at the point where he's tiring after an hour. Added to that, Amrabat has only recently gotten himself fit enough to complete 90 minutes on a regular basis. Those are our two deep midfield options right now. It might not be smart to have them both on the pitch at the same time twice a week while our squad is as hamstrung as it currently is.
However, he's 18 and is still at the point where he's tiring after an hour. Added to that, Amrabat has only recently gotten himself fit enough to complete 90 minutes on a regular basis. Those are our two deep midfield options right now. It might not be smart to have them both on the pitch at the same time twice a week while our squad is as hamstrung as it currently is.
Amarabat is a better CM. McTominay is a better AM.
Match winning goals not good enough..
And they're both Ballon d'Or contenders. Impossible choice this, although I guess we should count ourselves lucky to have this luxury problem.
The OP asks for the 3rd player after Bruno and Mainoo.
We've been leaking goals like a sieve while playing with a single CM. And while we don't score much either, you first fix the leaking defence and then move onto the attack. To stop being so open, we need the double pivot in CM. So that means Amrabat, at least until Casemiro is back.
McTominay can been thrown on last 20 mins if we're chasing a goal, but he can't be our Plan A for scoring goals ffs. It's embarrassing that for a club with the resources of United, we look to Scott for goals.
We've been leaking goals like a sieve while playing with a single CM. And while we don't score much either, you first fix the leaking defence and then move onto the attack. To stop being so open, we need the double pivot in CM. So that means Amrabat, at least until Casemiro is back.
McTominay can been thrown on last 20 mins if we're chasing a goal, but he can't be our Plan A for scoring goals ffs. It's embarrassing that for a club with the resources of United, we look to Scott for goals.
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Which one? You could be talking about either of them.
We don’t have many more two game weeks this year. No Carling Cup and no Europe.
I would bench a winger and play Mainoo, Casemiro, Mount and Bruno.
You get all what we want. A double pivot, 2 no 8s and no need to see our non-working wingers either .
You get all what we want. A double pivot, 2 no 8s and no need to see our non-working wingers either .
Off the bench can achieve this. But when he doesn't score he doesn't offer much else. He's scored in 3 matches in 14 Premier. While good he has scored in those games it's hardly a very regular thing
McTominay's positional sense is fecking awful and always has been. Amrabat is extremely limited but he knows how to position himself as a defensive midfielder at least.
Momentarily forgot how bad the season's been. Was nice while it lasted.
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Amrabat. Hes not setting the world alight but the criticism is way way overblown. Pair him with mainoo until casemiro comes back, and then with casemiro when mainoo needs a rest
Goodness, after how many terrible performances we've had you still want to persist with Bruno and McT as the 2 CM's.
Amrabat clearly. You can't keep coinflipping games with high variance hoping McTominay bundles one in while you get bombarded with shots at the other end. It's idiotic.
They aren’t competing for the same roles.
Casemiro with Mainoo as a double pivot. Bruno ahead of them. Garnacho, Højlund, Mount across the front.
Mostly agree, but I reckon Rashford will get more goals as #9 than Hojlund. Plus the latter needs taking out of the firing line for a bit. He's a 20yo starting every game, our goalscoring burden shouldn't be on him.
Amrabat is at least a midfielder who looks to get on the ball. He isn't fast or physical but he understands the basics of the position in a way Mctom does not. The only thing Mctom is better at is striking the ball and scoring goals.
Yeah, when I say attacker I mean attacking midfielder, which I see as different to central midfielder
Stats for Amrabat yesterday, : 57% passing accuracy, one duel won from eight and possession lost 16 times. He is garbage
For anyone who says McT, let me ask you which of the following teams would take him for their starting X, which is where he is right nowI?
City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs, Barcelona, Madrid, Bayern etc.
No top team would sacrifice midfield/ general midfield ability for occasional goal scoring. We have been doing that for 10 yrs now, first with Fellaini, now with McT. Sigh.
City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs, Barcelona, Madrid, Bayern etc.
No top team would sacrifice midfield/ general midfield ability for occasional goal scoring. We have been doing that for 10 yrs now, first with Fellaini, now with McT. Sigh.
I didn't know players got judged on a single game. He had a bad game yesterday at Anfield, much better players than Amrabat have had shockers there in the past.
Care to post the same stats from any of his previous starts? Like Chelsea, Bournemouth, Bayern, Galata...
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What do I know, but I feel without McT and say Mainoo in there with Amrabat behind Bruno maybe we keep the ball better, progress the ball better and in general play around the opposition box better and so create more chances? Maybe maybe not. That's where I am at.
Neither!
Mainoo, Casemiro and Fernandes
Mainoo, Casemiro and Fernandes
What were Mctoms stats?
Amrabat by a mile. McTom is scared of the ball, awful at passing and really doesn't have anything to his game other than the occasional goal. I'm afraid I would be looking to either phase in Mount in place of Fernandes if he can get fit and regain some form, or bring in someone else for the third spot after Mainoo and Amrabat.
What do you feel Amrabat s biggest flaws are?
One idea is to start games with Amrabat and, if we're either chasing the game or have to break the deadlock 2/3 into the match, introduce McT. On the other hand, as a colleague at work observed, there is actual evidence (going back to the Solskjaer era) of United getting the job done with McT/Bruno +1 (Fred, Pogba, Eriksen etc.) in the midfield. Which serves as an indication that the question shouldn't be about the pivots, but about how United, after nearly 6 years and close to 1 billion spent, can still field a (mildly) cohesive side only in low-block tactics. Fabulous...
Casemiro Mainoo Bruno hopefully
Pace is his biggest flaw
Lack of ability and inflated reputation for no reason. Lacking defensively and lacking in attack. Its one thing if you're for example a 21 years old James Garner from last season, but if you're 27 you need to have improved these areas and learned to specialize in something. These are your prime years.
You mean he wasn’t good yesterday. Normally speaking he wins lots of duels and is a great passer. It was not the day to rack up passing stats.