Our best midfield balance?

[Walters_19_MuFc]

With the potential addition of Casemiro, we will have the following midfielders below:

Eriksen
Bruno
Fred
McTominay
Van de Beek
Casemiro

Based on that, who do we feel will give us the best balance?

 

[DannyCAFC]

I'd probably say Casemiro, Fred and Eriksen (or VDB if he were in any sort of form) for pure balance.

Where that leaves Fernandes I don't know, I thought maybe he might play as a wide-playmaker in ETH's system, but him and Sancho outwide doesn't give you a great deal of pace in those areas.

 

[slored1]

Casemiro
Fred - Eriksen

Hope this is the beginning of the end for McTominay.

 

[OleGunnar20]

Bruno
Eriksen - Casemiro

Would be my preference, assuming Bruno bucks his act up quick. Alternatively:

Eriksen
Fred / VDB - Casemiro

I'd just rather not see McTom all that much.

 

[Grylte]

VdB - Eriksen
--Casemiro

I think this will give best balance, also the best players for quick pass and move.
Fred isn't good enough on the ball, in my opinion, lose it too often.

 

[FrantikChicken]

Casemiro
Fred - Eriksen

Hope this is the beginning of the end for McTominay.

This is what I hope we see as well

 

[17Larsson]

Casemiro
Fred
Eriksen

 

[IrishRedDevil]

Casemiro and Pogba

 

[GlasgowCeltic]

Sell vdb and mct, can’t risk them playing

 

[Bwuk]

Casemiro is best as a #6.

Casemiro
Eriksen - Bruno​

I have a funny feeling we arent finished in CM though.

 

[dcrompton]

Wonder if Casemiro will notice any difference playing with McTominay and Fred rather than Modric and Kroos

 

[HookedOnAPhelan]

McFred
Bruno

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Wonder if Casemiro will notice any difference playing with McTominay and Fred rather than Modric and Kroos

Well, he did say he wants a challenge. That said, he does play with Fred for Brazil.

 

[Irwin99]

I know Casemiro is a fantastic DM but i'm wondering if Eriksen and Bruno with him is still a bit too lightweight? I think i'd go with Fred and Casemiro and then either Eriksien or Bruno for the last spot.

 

[Semper Fudge]

Casemiro and Pogba

Pogba would have contributed very little for 8/10 games, as he did every season. Casemiro would have changed nothing.

 

[Red the Bear]

I say:

Casemiro fred
Eriksen​

 

[bosnian_red]

Fred - Casemiro - Eriksen
Fred - Casemiro - Bruno
Donny - Casemiro - Eriksen
Donny - Casemiro - Bruno
Eriksen - Casemiro - Bruno​

These 5 options. 1st option is my favourite for blend of energy and control. Last option is the gung ho option. 2nd option is the most aggressive and energetic. 3rd option is the best technically but least aggressive. 4th option is for me the worst and the backup option.

If Casemiro unavailable, swap with Martinez and play Maguire/Lindelof next to Varane. McTominay ship him out.

 

[diarm]

Fred - Casemiro - Eriksen
Fred - Casemiro - Bruno
Donny - Casemiro - Eriksen
Donny - Casemiro - Bruno
Eriksen - Casemiro - Bruno​

These 5 options. 1st option is my favourite for blend of energy and control. Last option is the gung ho option. 2nd option is the most aggressive and energetic. 3rd option is the best technically but least aggressive. 4th option is for me the worst and the backup option.

If Casemiro unavailable, swap with Martinez and play Maguire/Lindelof next to Varane. McTominay ship him out.

Casemiro Garner
Eriksen
​

For me Jeff. With Iqbal getting plenty of minutes as well.

 

[Abraxas]

Not VDB or McTominay for a start. Balance is one thing, mediocre quality is quite another. Those two should be backups. Rotate them in for cup games.

I would say Casemiro blocking it up, Fred pressing and playing higher, Eriksen to help progress the ball and improve our passing range from midfield. That looks alright to me.

I think Bruno can come in for Eriksen in some games, but he can also play attacking positions as he's got more legs about him than Eriksen.

 

[joedirt87]

Casemiro, Eriksen, Fred for me. It does lack someone who can progress the ball with their runs but Fred gives you the energy, Eriksen should be able to progressively pass the ball and Casemiro cleans up. Maybe in games where you need to get more physical and there is lots of space to run McTominay could provide something if he is told to focus on the offensive side of things.

 

[Will Singh]

I read a tweet they Fred and Casemiro’s record for Brazil is brilliant so those 2 and Erickson.

 

[M Bison]

Bruno will definitely start, so the other spot is between Eriksen, Fred and McT, i expect to see Fred initially

 

[bond19821982]

Casemiro and Pogba

He is always injured. Btw, he is still injured.

 

[Mr Smith]

I'd rather put Eriksen next to Casemiro for the time being and use him as an #8, buy I really think wr should sign a passing midfielder to play next to Casemiro. Fabian Ruiz from Napoli, Arthur from Juventus, hell Neves from Wolves even. Casemiro has shown he has the ability to do a creative player's dirty work, so we should put a creator next to him, someone who can take the ball deep under pressure, turn out, and pass forward.

 

[Trequarista10]

Not going to happen, but I think De Jong and Casemiro would be an almost ideal midfield 2 in a 4231.

I think Eriksen and Casemiro would be our best midfield two for most games, with what we currently have, if we want a midfield two to allow Bruno as a 10. For tougher games, I guess Fred and Casemiro if we wanted to be solid and playing more on the counter attack, but I don't think ETH would want to play in such a way. So, ideally we need a deep lying playmaker to make a 4231 really work, but its probably our best option at the moment even without a new signing.

Assuming we stick with this 433, with one 6 and two 8s, then unless Bruno can quickly redevelop himself I really don't see him playing as an 8. He's just far too reckless, and whilst his high energy pressing higher up the pitch is good, in the centre he's just too weak and positionally inept. So, that would leave Casemiro, being flanked by Eriksen and DVB or Fred. Neither of those players are individually great, and I don't think Casemiro will fulfill the "connector" role ETH likes, so I don't think this is our best option.

 

[Invictus]

For now, something like this makes sense...

• Casemiro as the single pivot in front of the defensive line
• Eriksen as the half-space oriented midfield playmaker
• Fred as the grafter who presses but also drops alongside Casemiro

It's not world-class or anything, but it's relatively stable and gives you a basic framework for the future. In the coming windows, United should prioritize midfield playmakers who are press-resistant, exceptional ball progressors, hard-working and can operate through the half-spaces (like Modrić, De Bruyne, Verratti, Thiago, Pedri for their respective clubs). Or even a box-to-box midfielder, if they fit the profile and are good enough on the ball for a high-possession and high-press 4—3—3.

 

[Vapor trail]

Team still lacks creativity. A box to box would work well in a 3 man midfield system. also still don't see Eriksen playing deeply on a regular basis.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

Casemiro and Pogba

It’s funny because Pogba would cook next to Casemiro. Ideal partner

 

[Camilo]

What's clear is that Casemiro has to stay fit for the next 6 months, and in that time we need to learn how to play together. If we continue to just plug up holes with better players we'll still be shite in 12 months.

 

[sullydnl]

Although Casemiro and Fred may work together for Brazil, in the PL they're coming up against a much higher standard of teams with far more intense and well drilled pressing games. I don't think the two of them in midfield leaves us with enough quality on the ball in central positions to cope.

Because while Casemiro offers many defensive qualities, he doesn't do much to help us in terms of being able to play out from the back, resist the opposition press or progress the ball from deep. Which I would argue is the biggest problem in our midfield.

On that basis my approach would be to surround Casemiro with as much on the ball quality as possible in midfield, as close as we can get to Modric/Kroos. And we don't really have a player like that, yet. A lot of those qualities are what we were looking for FDJ to bring.

So until we get someone like that it would have to nominally be Casemiro/Eriksen/Fernandes, form depending. I don't think we have anyone better at that than Eriksen at the moment.

 

[ThinkTank@Cafe]

———————————————-Modric (Bruno)
Kroos (Eriksen)—————-
———————Casemiro

 

[Ole'sattheWheel]

I know people hate McTominay and I certainly wouldn’t have him in my starting 11 but I really think Casemiro will get the best out of him if/when he does play. Always rated him when he’s got the licence to go forward although he’s in diabolical form atm and his confidence will clearly be shot

 

[Boondog]

Bruno
Eriksen - Casemiro

Would be my preference, assuming Bruno bucks his act up quick. Alternatively:

Eriksen
Fred / VDB - Casemiro

I'd just rather not see McTom all that much.

Imagine that locker room at the half after Bruno throws his hands up in frustration the first time he gets a poor pass from Casemiro. Might have a tooth or two knocked down his turkey neck.

 

[RedRonaldo]

Ultra defensive approach:
Casemiro
Fred Mctominay

Big away game approach:
Casemiro
Fred Eriksen

Counter attack approach:
Casemiro
Fred Bruno

Possession approach:
Casemiro
VDB Eriksen

All out attack approach:
Casemiro
Eriksen Bruno
​

I personally would prefer possession approach (Casemiro, VDB, Eriksen). But wouldn't mind to see us using big away game approach (Casemiro, Fred, Eriksen) in those big away games.

 

[Boondog]

I know Casemiro is a fantastic DM but i'm wondering if Eriksen and Bruno with him is still a bit too lightweight? I think i'd go with Fred and Casemiro and then either Eriksien or Bruno for the last spot.

Can't believe I'm saying this but yes as things stand right now I like this team better with Fred out there. He does dumb shit at times but at least he's got some fire in his belly.

There is going to be one or two of the holdovers who take to ETH's coaching and show big improvement. Fred may be one of them. Up until they replace him with a transfer.

 

[OmarUnited4ever]

For me, Casemiro (Best DM) & Eriksen (Best Passer) must start together, then it is a toss up between Fred & Bruno.

Bruno is the better creator, while Fred is the better ball winner, both Fred & Bruno have incredible energy and work rate, so I am confident either can do the job of B2B alongside Casemiro & Eriksen

 

[simonhch]

Casemiro - Fred - Eriksen

 

[jeepers]

FDJ Casemiro Eriksen
Eriksen Casemiro FDJ

 

[Steve 007]

I’m surprised how many have said Fred. Him and McT have been terrible. Neither of them anywhere near the standard of a PL midfielder even for the bottom 3 so far this season.

With how bad they’ve actually been you couldn’t do any worse by giving VDB a run. As Ten Haag said, it’s about desire. How many times did Fred lose the ball in game week one?

 

[R'hllor]

Its time for 4-2-2-2