Our strongest midfield combination – Chelsea away 17th Feb

simplyared

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We could have both Pogba and McTominay fully fit for that game. Considering all other mf’s are ready to go, who gets in and who do you have on the bench?

My choice would be:

DM McTominay
CM Pogba
AM James

Bench: Matic, Mata

Reckon that’s not too bad a midfield tbh!
 
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bosnian_red

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James is not an central player in any way. He is a winger who has good pace but isnt really that good at other things.

Pogba McTominay
Fred​
Is the 3 that we need to play
 

nyanza

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If Mctominay is back by any chance, him, Pogba and Fred is a pretty obvious one. James will struggle centrally.
 

Bilbo

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9 of our team pick themselves when everyone is fully fit IMO. Shaw/Williams and James/Greenwood are the only debatable choices IMO, although Matic has impressed me a lot in recent weeks and deserves to be in consideration when in this form.
 

Annihilate Now!

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Is under the presumption we have a fully fit squad?

Question... what does a fully fit squad look like?
 

Machine Elements

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-----Pogba---------Fred-----
-------------Matic--------------

That's still our best midfield like it or not. McTominay's not a DM and not good enough to start. He's not better than Fred. Don't get the overhyping of him from some fans. He's nothing special. A good squad player at best.
 

buckooo1978

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think if Ole is wedded to 4-2-3-1 it's an easy pick

----------Fred-----McTominay--------
-------------------Pogba-------------------

have to say Matic hasnt been terrible but youd expect a more mobile McTominay to get thr place
 

TrustInOle

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Play all 4 of our midfields. Pogba with a free role being very attacking.
Agreed.

DDG
Awb.....Lind.....Mag.....Shaw/ Williams
Matic
Scott......Fred
Pogba
Martial..... Rashford
Id say easily our best team, with Mason coming on for a Mdf and going 433. Just need to get injury free.
 

11101

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McTominay - Fred - Pogba is clearly our best midfield. I'm not sure if we've ever seen it for more than a game here and there?
 

Lee565

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Agreed.

DDG
Awb.....Lind.....Mag.....Shaw/ Williams
Matic
Scott......Fred
Pogba
Martial..... Rashford
Id say easily our best team, with Mason coming on for a Mdf and going 433. Just need to get injury free.
I would go with this, only let down with a diamond midfield is awb's lack of attacking threat.
 

11101

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Agreed.

DDG
Awb.....Lind.....Mag.....Shaw/ Williams
Matic
Scott......Fred
Pogba
Martial..... Rashford
Id say easily our best team, with Mason coming on for a Mdf and going 433. Just need to get injury free.
Matic plays a totally different style to Fred and McTominay. Mix them together and it will hold them all back.
 

TrustInOle

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I would go with this, only let down with a diamond midfield is awb's lack of attacking threat.
In the right games, and even later in most games, Dalot could come on to give a more attacking dimension, but I feel Scott is very good at breaking down the flank, so should provide help with AWB, who isnt to bad with the ball at his feet.
 

Gator Nate

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McT probably will not be ready any time soon... Pogba is a definite maybe...

Pogba - Fernandes - Fred

or

Fernandes - Matic - Fred

Unfortunately, with our injuries, I don't really see any other worthwhile bodies for the starting XI.
 

dal

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...................DDG.........................
Awb.....Lind.....Mag.....Williams
...............fred.....mctominay......
.....James......Bruno......pogba
.....................martial..................

pogba playing how rashford did
 

Mark Pawelek

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We could have both Pogba and McTominay fully fit for that game. Considering all other mf’s are ready to go, who gets in and who do you have on the bench?

My choice would be:

DM McTominay
CM Pogba
AM James

Bench: Matic, Mata

Reckon that’s not too bad a midfield tbh!
McTominay and Pogba will both still be unfit.
 

Rozay

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Not a thread about individual players!
It’s a poorly disguised swipe at Fred. You have made a pointless thread in itself about who we should play in midfield in a random game, and dropped out in form midfielder for someone who has never played a game in centre mid in his career.
 

Physiocrat

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...................DDG.........................
Awb.....Lind.....Mag.....Williams
...............fred.....mctominay......
.....James......Bruno......pogba
.....................martial..................

pogba playing how rashford did
Now that is a good use of Pogba and will actually work as Williams actually offers something going forward which we haven't had since Daley Blind at LB
 

James Ward

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I'd actually like Ole to stick with the 5-3-2 formation as there is nothing offered on the wings anyway with no decent striker and Maguire able to push on a bit where necessary.

We just don't have the players at the minute to pull off this 4-2-3-1 formation he insists on and its just not working.

Some decent subs there as well that could make a difference in Scott, James, Williams, Bailey, Mata, Matic etc.

We need to play to our strengths at the moment. Depending on who's fit swap Pogba/Scott at the time and maybe williams/Shaw but i think Shaw is more solid at this moment in time. Could also swap greenwood with James from time to time.


...................DDG.........................
.........AWB....Mag.....VL.....
Dalot...................................Shaw
.......fred....Pogba....Bruno....
.....................................................
.....Martial....Greenwood..............
.
 

MrBest

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.......................... DDG .............................
AWB .. Tuanzabe .. Maguire .. Williams
......................... Matic ............................
........... Fred .................. Bruno ..............
James ........................................ Pogba
....................... Martial ...........................

Good experience in the middle, Matic has my head turned lately. I think Fred and Brunk add energy in the middle and creativity, Pogba on the left whilst Rashy is out. Would not be against Greenwood on the right instead of James. When Rashy come back, Bruno goes right CM and Pogba left CM with Matic to hold the fort (not sure Fred is good enough to hold the back). Add Sancho in the summer and a better bench, things look up.
 

simplyared

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It’s a poorly disguised swipe at Fred. You have made a pointless thread in itself about who we should play in midfield in a random game, and dropped out in form midfielder for someone who has never played a game in centre mid in his career.
Not a random game. There is a break after the Wolves game and I chose the Chelsea game as both Pogba and McTominay could be available hence all our mf's available and we can pick the strongest midfield. I can't remember when we had that opportunity last. So why is the thread pointless?
 

jackal&hyde

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Reckon Bruno might get a game.
:lol:

As it stands, McFred and Pogba are the obvious choices and good ones imo. If Bruno signs, a midfield 3 of McTom, Bruno and Pogba is what i'd like to see. Not the most solid defensively but so dangerous in attack Chelsea will be much more worried in how to stop us then how to exploit it.
 

troylocker

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For me I'd like to see:

.........….....…..DDG...………………………...
AWB - Maguire - Lindelof - Williams
….....McTom - Fred - Pogba…………..
.........…....Fernandes...…………………...
...…..Greenwood - Martial...…………..

This team could do some damage while waiting for Rashy to get back.
 

RedIan

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For me I'd like to see:

.........….....…..DDG...………………………...
AWB - Maguire - Lindelof - Williams
….....McTom - Fred - Pogba…………..
.........…....Fernandes...…………………...
...…..Greenwood - Martial...…………..

This team could do some damage while waiting for Rashy to get back.

We suddenly Lookgood on paper with pogba back and Fernandes playing at 10. A lack of width perhaps.
 

DCP

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I'd like to see a 433 with Fred holding and Pogba and Fernandes playing as the more attacking two.
 

troylocker

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We suddenly Lookgood on paper with pogba back and Fernandes playing at 10. A lack of width perhaps.
AWB and Willams combined with Martial and Greenwood drifting wide would offer some width, but I agree this formation offers less width than 3-4-1-2, 3-4-3 or 4-2-3-1. Still think this lineup could break down some of the teams we have struggled with this season though.
 

Rozay

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Not a random game. There is a break after the Wolves game and I chose the Chelsea game as both Pogba and McTominay could be available hence all our mf's available and we can pick the strongest midfield. I can't remember when we had that opportunity last. So why is the thread pointless?
So what about the next game? Or the last game? Have you been advocating we start James in the middle three; or are you waiting for a scenario where two of the three allegedly pick themselves so that the debate now becomes about the third man?
After all, if you were advocating starting James in midfield against Wolves, that wouldn’t do it for you, because any hypothetical lineup will still be ‘James, Fred + 1’.