I'm not saying he was actually our worst player, just that Caf opinion has shifted massively and we shouldn't expect Barca dominating performances from his every game. I admit I was one who thought he wouldn't make it, but I'm scoffing humble pie and loving it.
Pogba-Fred-McTominay Trio
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So impressed with Fred and McT last night.
Fred especially has been awful for us, but looked so assured last night. Maybe he does have a future here - hopefully he picks up his league form and we can finish top4.
McT i think has suffered from being played out of position. I've had some doubts about him in the past but the way he's played this season deserves high praise. No need for Declan Rice.
Fred especially has been awful for us, but looked so assured last night. Maybe he does have a future here - hopefully he picks up his league form and we can finish top4.
McT i think has suffered from being played out of position. I've had some doubts about him in the past but the way he's played this season deserves high praise. No need for Declan Rice.
I've watched him closely since his debut, and from what I've seen from him under Ole, I'm not that shocked by his performance last night, just great that was. I hope this is a real turning point and break through moment for him.
I just don’t get some clueless pundits who I’ve heard saying Fred was nothing special last night. I thought he had a really good game. Has good positional sense and uses the ball well, he sprayed a couple of excellent balls out wide in the second half. He looks to me to be more than just you’re water carrying, holding midfielder.
McTominay brilliant. Whether it’s that first goal at Wolves I don’t know but from that moment on against them he’s been fantastic and looked a different player to the safe and predictable one we first saw.
We still need that bit of magic in midfield to unlock defences and tee up our forwards but for sheer endeavour, bite and ability to keep it ticking we look well stocked with these two and Herrera.
McTominay brilliant. Whether it’s that first goal at Wolves I don’t know but from that moment on against them he’s been fantastic and looked a different player to the safe and predictable one we first saw.
We still need that bit of magic in midfield to unlock defences and tee up our forwards but for sheer endeavour, bite and ability to keep it ticking we look well stocked with these two and Herrera.
Agr
Agree with that. Use that £50m set aside for Rice to top up bids or wages for more potent attackers.
Agree with that. Use that £50m set aside for Rice to top up bids or wages for more potent attackers.
If McTominay can continue his development and if Fred can build on that performance it turns the midfield from being a 'OH MY feckING GOD WTF AAAARGH' level of crisis to just a crisis.
With Herrera leaving we have Pogba, Matic, McTominay, Fred and Pereira (who I don't think is good enough) to cover 3 positions. If we're going to continue with the diamond you can add Lingard and Mata (who may well go too) to four positions.
Garner may well be ready to step up to play a role of some sort next season, but that leaves you with 6 players for 3 places or 7(8 if Mata stays) for 4, all of whom have question marks next to them for a variety of reasons.
We definitely need at least one top class midfielder, even if both of them are ready to step up and if they aren't we probably need two.
With Herrera leaving we have Pogba, Matic, McTominay, Fred and Pereira (who I don't think is good enough) to cover 3 positions. If we're going to continue with the diamond you can add Lingard and Mata (who may well go too) to four positions.
Garner may well be ready to step up to play a role of some sort next season, but that leaves you with 6 players for 3 places or 7(8 if Mata stays) for 4, all of whom have question marks next to them for a variety of reasons.
We definitely need at least one top class midfielder, even if both of them are ready to step up and if they aren't we probably need two.
Problem when we are in possession. Fred/McTominay are not good enough to control the build up. Pogba would need to drop deep.
Works well in matches we are not expected to be in possession.
Jose brought him into the squad, with little justification at the time. Ole brought him into the team in an injury crisis, and he impressed. Fair play to him. But he has a United career due to Jose, and would have been shipped off long ago if we had a different manager.
Jose being public enemy doesn’t change that. ‘Let’s bring Jose back then’ is a ridiculous retort.
Yh I'm working off the assumption we will continue our current trend of ignoring the need of an RW,I guess you don't want a RW then? we should play with width imo
-----------Ndombele/Fred-----------
------------McT------------Pogba-----
--RW-----------Rashford-----------Martial-----
Imagine Ashley Young knew how to cross a ball as a professional, he had 11 opportunities to whip them in and wasted them all, the one time we got a good cross in (via Rashford) we should have scored. I'm sure if Dalot was playing there last night we would have scored atleast 1, Young is done here!
I agree crossing was poor from Young but I don't want to see us revert to Moyes' tactics, which were essentially get the ball wide and put crosses into the box. That's simply not going to take us back to challenging for titles, especially when none of our strikers is particularly good in the air. I'd like to see us try Pogba as a SS/10 and then have Rashford & Martial as a two ahead - basically a 4-3-3 when we attack with Pogba in the space behind the forwards.
Realistically their performance benefited from the way Barca play. In a premiership environment they wouldn't have the time to play like that.
If you told me McTominator and Fred would outclass Pogba against Barcelona I would've called you crazy.
Fred and McTominay should start every game between now and the end of the season. This season is a bit of a free pass anyway, so let's see what they've got.
Same should be said of Dalot too. I'm a Wan-Bissaka fan but no point spending over 50mil on him if Dalot is ready.
Same should be said of Dalot too. I'm a Wan-Bissaka fan but no point spending over 50mil on him if Dalot is ready.
Fred, McTominay and Dalot should be the first names on the team sheet between now and the end of the season. Help then to find some consistency so we can see if we can rely on them next season.
Completely agree, although Dalot in RB instead of Young please. Let him try to find some consistency in his actual position.
Aye. As demonstrated against PSG the game really suited them both, but when Fred came into a domestic game where we had to be the aggressors he went back to the level we've been used to seeing.
We were afforded a lot of space in midfield last night but nevertheless I thought Fred had his best performance for United. Remains to be seen if he can have the same effect in a high tempo premier league game ona regular basis. Like Lindelof, don't see why he can't adapt. He seems to want to release the ball quickly, was mobile and found space well so the raw materials are there.
I think we need to persist with Fred in the side and accept he will make mistakes, even high profile, costly, glaring ones as he adjusts to the more frenetic pace of the Premier League. Herrera's gone, so there's no upside to playing him and he also had gone off the boil IMO even prior to his injury and re-injury.
Pogba was often surrounded by 3 or 4 Barca players last night, and this is often the case with teams recognising him as our greatest threat. McT and Fred had a lot more time on the ball.
I agree with your idea of pushing Pogba further up and having a third midfielder in there behind him. Shaw and Dalot are young and fit enough to provide width and both Martial and Rashford can peel out wide. We would just need to encourage one of Mct or Fred to push on beyond Pogba occasionally to take defenders with them, giving Pogba the space for a shot or key pass.
I'm a big fan of Doucoure! Heard good things about Ndombele too. If Fred can be the deep lying playmaker we need then it would be a real plus - last night I finally saw the player that Pep presumably wanted - I think he would have been Fernandinho's understudy; McTominay is a great athlete and I like him in a Herrera style all action role but I could see him at DM in the future too.
Every time Fred was an option for a pass in central areas and then he used the ball well. Really hope we'll see him more often now because he needs to adjust to the PL and that will happen primarily through playing games and being allowed to make mistakes.
Lindelof managed to improve his confidence and sway public opinion through CL performances and I think his turning point was Juventus (also a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to a big team) but he's played every week since. Let's hope Fred now is afforded the same opportunity because this isn't his first good performance; he was impressive away to PSG and Arsenal (he was unlucky with a harsh pen given against him) and he did ok against Wolves aside from the mistake.
Really a shame we didn't bid for him when he was available for just 35m from Monaco. Hopefully our scouting systems are improving and we're able to pick out these top options moving forward. Dalot and Fred give me confidence.
Yes he played in a double-DM system. He is more Matic than Pogba.
Yeah, I agree. Both are great for big CL games like this, but we still need more creativity in there.
People are getting a big carried away IMO but Fred and McTominay have shown they have enough to offer competition and rotation in that midfield.
Poggers need to step up and do more. Anything. Why isn’t he taking free kicks? He’s got a great shot on him.
That's how I see it. I hope Fred proves he can do the same in the PL. I did think he was much better last night in finding space for a pass, usually it seems he doesn't get the angle right. I'm hoping last night will boost his play in the PL as we will need it for the race for 4th.
Don't think it's good enough.
We need to improve on both Fred and McTominay.
We need to improve on both Fred and McTominay.
McTom definitely looks like he can do a job.
Quicker than matic, forward thinking and agility and just as much a similar build. Confidence and a run in the team is key.
Still need signings though
Quicker than matic, forward thinking and agility and just as much a similar build. Confidence and a run in the team is key.
Still need signings though
I'm the opposite with our current team.
We pretend we play with width but really, we have Martial (a No9) one one flank and then Lingard and/or Mata (neither wide players) on the right. We have good enough full backs in Shaw & Dalot to get forward and provide the width, we just have to brave enough to trust them to do it. As it stands we don't 'create' much against any well organised defence unless it's on the counter - that might change if we rethink our tactics a bit because we certainly have the players from a No10 perspective.
Precisely this
McTominay isn’t ready yet. Fred certainly is and I am baffled it took our management team this long to realize this. Regardless, it seems like Pogba is downing tools and want to push a move to Real Madrid. If we don’t get champions league, I can see that happening next summer. The trio next season for me if Herrera leaves is with the below formation. We need someone who can control the midfield and tonali and Eriksen or Aouar are good option to do this. If we are looking for a like to like replacement for Herrera, Rabiot should be our number 1 Target.
Fred/Tonali
Aouar/McTominay - Pogba/Pereira
If Pogba leaves, Bruno Fernandes to add goal scoring capabilities to our midfield.
Fred/Tonali
Aouar/McTominay - Pogba/Pereira
If Pogba leaves, Bruno Fernandes to add goal scoring capabilities to our midfield.
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Fred, Mc T and Neve's from Wolves, thats the perfect midfield, all three have a shot on them, can get up and down the pitch and offer something different.
Fred can play the ball over the top or defensive splitting passess, Neve's will be able to do the same but offer the added bonus of switching play quickly, allowing our attacking wide players, to go at the opposition defences, Mc T, will keep the ball moving and just like Fred offer goals from midfield.
Fred will be the baller in which people are expecting from Pogba
Fred can play the ball over the top or defensive splitting passess, Neve's will be able to do the same but offer the added bonus of switching play quickly, allowing our attacking wide players, to go at the opposition defences, Mc T, will keep the ball moving and just like Fred offer goals from midfield.
Fred will be the baller in which people are expecting from Pogba
None of them can run a game when in possession.
How have we got to a position where Fred and McTom are suddenly part of a "perfect" midfield?!
The pair of them have probably had about 5 or 6 good games between them in a whole season!
There was one that looked perfect for him last night, only for Fred to step across and take a dreadful one.
Fuming!
Exactly this.
Delighted Fred and McT both had good games last night but if we are rightly to be considered one of the elite teams in Europe then these two should be bench players at best.
Man Utd should be able to roll out a world class midfield trio / quartet week in week out.
We are the world's richest club, let's start putting out a team that reflects this.
I think they're looking to Fred to make the play. Time will tell whether or not he can fill that role. Definitely one of the areas we should be looking to fill in the summer.
He has not played enough to show what he can, or cannot do. I am on the fence about him in so many ways.
Whatever combination they come up with, the main objective has to be to get Pogba involved more. The ball seems to either bypass him or bounce off him. He should be the one dictating everything.