There is a myth that when Carrick first arrived he only passed the ball to Scholes to let him control everything. That simply is not true. In fact, Carrick was much more adventurous going forward and with his long passing in his first 3 seasons. Then he had a big drop in form and confidence around 2010/2011, until the second part of the 2011/2012 where he was completly majestic.
Rethinking our central midfield
- Thread starter tomaldinho1
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Fosu-Mens
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If we only look at the midfield trios in different teams and do not look on the other players on the team it does not give a complete understanding of why this midfield trio is so effective.It's always hard to compare players like for like because there are so many different nuances to football but, speaking broadly, we have a different setup to the above where there's a dynamic sitting DM and two highly technical players who are the heartbeat of the team going forward and generally have an excellent passing range.
Whereas we have the opposite, Pogba in a free attacking role and then two more defensively minded players to cover for him. If you shut down Pogba (as PSG did) you shut down our attack. For me, you only can allow for one of Matic or Herrera and then you need someone far more technical & mobile to come in alongside Pogba. You don't have to go full tiki-taka but we need to change our mentality and improve our ability to create openings. We won't turn into Barca overnight but we'd be a far more complete footballing team if we could evolve a bit.
Best example is Barcelona with Iniesta/Xavi/Busquets: They want the keep the possession, so they have midfielders with great technical and passing ability. The same with City. The rest of their teams, and especially Barcelona a under Pep had players who were very capable on the ball (and they chose to press high because they did not have the physicality nor the players to have a low defensive block). If the rest of that Barcelona team were not so good at keeping the ball they would have had to have players that were better definsively and more efficent at breaking up play.
Since few players on our team are great passers/keeping possession having a midfield similar two Peps teams would be counterproductive in the short term (and only smart if we are planning to become a extremely possessionbased team). The same case can be said about our previous midfield compositions under Mourinho...
IMO the best approach is to be tactically flexible. While the team have their "prefered style of football and tactic", they can play possessionbased football, high pressing agressive and low block counterattacking football. To be able to do this a team must have "balanced" players in the midfield. They should have their strengths and main roles, but they should also be able to perform other roles in the midfield as well. Meaning that you can switch style of play, players can swap positions, more resilient towards injures, easier to adapt during games without making substitutions...
tomaldinho1
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Yh I don't think anyone on here is under the impression that the CM trio work in a vacuum, it's more about a comparison on how we play specifically looking at the CM's role, particularly offensively.If we only look at the midfield trios in different teams and do not look on the other players on the team it does not give a complete understanding of why this midfield trio is so effective.
Best example is Barcelona with Iniesta/Xavi/Busquets: They want the keep the possession, so they have midfielders with great technical and passing ability. The same with City. The rest of their teams, and especially Barcelona a under Pep had players who were very capable on the ball (and they chose to press high because they did not have the physicality nor the players to have a low defensive block). If the rest of that Barcelona team were not so good at keeping the ball they would have had to have players that were better definsively and more efficent at breaking up play.
Since few players on our team are great passers/keeping possession having a midfield similar two Peps teams would be counterproductive in the short term (and only smart if we are planning to become a extremely possessionbased team). The same case can be said about our previous midfield compositions under Mourinho...
IMO the best approach is to be tactically flexible. While the team have their "prefered style of football and tactic", they can play possessionbased football, high pressing agressive and low block counterattacking football. To be able to do this a team must have "balanced" players in the midfield. They should have their strengths and main roles, but they should also be able to perform other roles in the midfield as well. Meaning that you can switch style of play, players can swap positions, more resilient towards injures, easier to adapt during games without making substitutions...
Tactical flexibility is what the OP is all about, as it stands we are a counter attacking team and becoming a really good one at that by our upsurge in form. My issue, and the point of this thread, is that even under SAF with a team full of superstars we usually struggled against the best European teams, particularly those that controlled games through their midfields. We do not need to strive to become a team reliant on tiki-taka but we need to diversify how we build attacks and manage games because otherwise, we will continue to struggle to beat the best teams in the CL. For me, this all starts with rethinking how our CM trio involves itself in our play because they, generally speaking, are the heartbeat of how a team plays.
Gordon S
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Makes me sad when people are downplaying Carricks importance and brilliance. How the feck the man managed to still look class playing with mediocre players like Gibson, Cleverley, Anderson and players playing out of position like Giggs and Rooney is beyond me.
Matic is not bad but his ability to read the game and position himself just right is not anywhere as good as Carricks. His distribution is a level below Carricks as well. I like Matic and i think he is important to us but we need someone who can give us something else in midfield as well. If Fred could find his feet he could perhaps be that guy.
Matic is not bad but his ability to read the game and position himself just right is not anywhere as good as Carricks. His distribution is a level below Carricks as well. I like Matic and i think he is important to us but we need someone who can give us something else in midfield as well. If Fred could find his feet he could perhaps be that guy.
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I have seen a few stories recently that Miralem Pjanic almost came to United last summer, seems to be a bit vague whether United didn't follow it through or he turned the move down.
If Kante is up for grabs this summer, he would be worth pursuing.
If Kante is up for grabs this summer, he would be worth pursuing.
I think we really need 2 CMs for depth in Matic and Herrera's role but we have too many needs before that and just signed Fred so can't see us pumping much money into CM.
Neves would be my first choice.
Neves would be my first choice.
Jeffthered
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We do need another ball-player.. I always felt Modric would have been perfect for us. But.. with a Matic, Herrera and Pogba three, then the only room for such a player has to come from somewhere else. I think we need a baller, who can float around, the last third and midfield. Intelligently. Ozil would be magic for us you know. Magic. BUT... for this, we need at least one, consistent, top,top, top quality, marauding and attacking Full back, or Wing Back. Kyle Walker and Ben Trippier highlight this so well.. it's why Tottenham can fit Erikksen, Winks, and a couple of others across their middle third.
Shaw doesn't play that role.. I hope he will, but I am yet to be convinced (his game away at Arsenal recently was the best i have seen him in an attacking sense.. he defended well, but was a threat. And he has enough talent for this. Ashley Young does not. But he is a gutsy player, who maximises what he has, and is very committed. We need that.
But, essentially, we do need to invest in a super Full / Wing Back player.
Shaw doesn't play that role.. I hope he will, but I am yet to be convinced (his game away at Arsenal recently was the best i have seen him in an attacking sense.. he defended well, but was a threat. And he has enough talent for this. Ashley Young does not. But he is a gutsy player, who maximises what he has, and is very committed. We need that.
But, essentially, we do need to invest in a super Full / Wing Back player.
tomaldinho1
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For sure Kante would be an upgrade on Matic, it would also allow us to move Herrera further forward which would help us to impose ourselves from an offensive possession standpoint if we did this.I have seen a few stories recently that Miralem Pjanic almost came to United last summer, seems to be a bit vague whether United didn't follow it through or he turned the move down.
If Kante is up for grabs this summer, he would be worth pursuing.
Whilst Herrera is clearly not at the level of a Modric or KDB type player, he doesn't need to be as long as he takes a more active role in building our attacks. Last night was a good example of how our current midfield can shoulder more responsibility as a whole with both Pogba & Herrera scoring. We were still very reliant on Pogba but Chelsea are a decent team and it was nice to see us not solely try and counter all night. Much of this was certainly because we payed a diamond and Mata linked play very well & harassed (as best he could) Jorginho's supply lines.
TheRedDevil'sAdvocate
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I think that after a very long time we're finally looking like we're getting somewhere tactically. I like how Solskjaer is currently shaping the first team. I also like the fact that he seems to be taking no prisoners with his handling of the squad. It might hurt us somewhat in the short run because the lack of options will certainly create fatigue but, as far as our long term plans are concerned, it sends out a very strong message: "this is the way we're going to play and we feel that we can win anybody with it".
The main problem right now is depth because all three players there look irreplaceable. Matic is a very good holding midfielder but playing in each and every game 90 minutes has taken its toll on him. OK, he's not on Carrick's level of defensive positioning and reading of the game (for those who still doubt Carrick because he's not Pirlo or something, i'll just say that he was so solid in his prime that Fergie could deploy his 442ish formation, with one midfielder almost useless in the defensive transition -Giggs/Scholes- and Rooney playing closer to the forward than to the midfield area, and still win things) but he can do a good job at screening the back four. And from what i've seen thus far, we don't defend the ball at all times but for big portions of our games, we want to defend the space because we feel confident in our counter-attacking skills. So, no Herrera there for me. Excellent at closing down the first attacker but gets drawn to the ball way too often in order to shield the defence. Doesn't mean he can't do a job there but it would probably look similar to Hendo for the scousers. Which means that whenever the opposition will be able to beat the press, all kinds of runners will be running toward a back-peddling back-four line.
Plus Herrera is a pressing machine, a crucial one too in our current set-up. His importance in our attempts to win the ball back high up the pitch should never be underestimated as he's a leading figure in these attempts. And he's probably the best player we have on the pitch when it comes to winning second/loose balls in the attacking half. These possessions are very important because they allow us to stay high up the pitch, retain our attacking momentum and pin the opposition down. Finally, it escapes notice sometimes by some but Herrera can provide a solid outlet for our attacking from the right half-space. And one aspect of the "modernization" of our game under Solskjaer is that we aim to use the half-spaces for the creation of chances. It's good to have someone like Modric, who's incredibly skilled on the ball but doesn't shy away from his defensive duties, but these footballers are very few and therefore hard to get. I don't mean it as a dig at anybody but sometimes this talk about us prioritizing buying a DLP kind of reminds me the threads about the need to add some physicality to our midfield in the latter years of the Ferguson era. But Fergie knew better than anyone and he would never replace Giggs/Scholes with someone like Fellaini like the chosen one did.
Last but not least, i don't think that depending too much on Pogba is the end of the world for us. He's special and this is always the case with this type of players. Our game-plan should be able to get us over the line on most occasions (not hinder our league form) even without Pogba. This should be the main objective for the man who sits on the edge of the bench at OT. And that's where LvG and Mourinho failed miserably.
We're still a work in progress. Ole's persistence on Lingard shows his intention not only to apply pressing but also having someone on the pitch who'll be able to go after these crucial second balls which will give us the opportunity to remain high up the pitch. Both Martial and Rash are very good at many things but this is not one of them. If we could get an upgrade on Lingard, a player who can work the spaces between the lines and with an eye for the second/loose balls, we would instantly look better in the attacking half. A prime Ozil without the latter's tendency to go awol in big games would be perfect. Sanchez should be able to give us something in that department too if he manages to find any kind of form.
Other than that, i'd pick someone like Kante to share the position of the RCM with Herrera (or play alongside him when Pogba's missing). Kante is more sound positionally (could play as DM too but his height might be targeted), less effective going forward but the key thing is that he can also carry the ball through the lines. This particular ability is needed more than deep-lying play-making skills atm for the kind of football Ole wants us to play.
I risk saying this with the Liverpool game ahead of us in which we'll be put under a lot of pressure. I don't mind that at all. Bayern didn't look that they knew how to beat Klopp's pressing machine yesterday (the fact that their attacking midfielder, James, and their poacher rarely got in spaces where they could make a difference is proof of that) and Real Madrid looked clueless too in last year's final. The main difference was that they have FBs on both flanks who are superb with the ball at their feet in the build-up phase and this gives them the opportunity to stretch the pitch horizontally in their half and, subsequently, make the pressing team chase them around in larger areas. We can't do that... yet.
Our second weak spot is that our opponents seem to be getting behind Matic rather easily. Other than fatigue (and a possible decline of Matic), there are some times when the defence is a few meters behind where they should be when we have pushed bodies forward and/or a defender often hesitates to close down the attacker in between the lines. But this is a matter that i honestly expect to improve through training. Matic might not be the best player in the world for the holding role but we could do much worse imho and there are other positions on the pitch where the first xi is in dire need of improving. After five long years i feel rather optimistic.
The main problem right now is depth because all three players there look irreplaceable. Matic is a very good holding midfielder but playing in each and every game 90 minutes has taken its toll on him. OK, he's not on Carrick's level of defensive positioning and reading of the game (for those who still doubt Carrick because he's not Pirlo or something, i'll just say that he was so solid in his prime that Fergie could deploy his 442ish formation, with one midfielder almost useless in the defensive transition -Giggs/Scholes- and Rooney playing closer to the forward than to the midfield area, and still win things) but he can do a good job at screening the back four. And from what i've seen thus far, we don't defend the ball at all times but for big portions of our games, we want to defend the space because we feel confident in our counter-attacking skills. So, no Herrera there for me. Excellent at closing down the first attacker but gets drawn to the ball way too often in order to shield the defence. Doesn't mean he can't do a job there but it would probably look similar to Hendo for the scousers. Which means that whenever the opposition will be able to beat the press, all kinds of runners will be running toward a back-peddling back-four line.
Plus Herrera is a pressing machine, a crucial one too in our current set-up. His importance in our attempts to win the ball back high up the pitch should never be underestimated as he's a leading figure in these attempts. And he's probably the best player we have on the pitch when it comes to winning second/loose balls in the attacking half. These possessions are very important because they allow us to stay high up the pitch, retain our attacking momentum and pin the opposition down. Finally, it escapes notice sometimes by some but Herrera can provide a solid outlet for our attacking from the right half-space. And one aspect of the "modernization" of our game under Solskjaer is that we aim to use the half-spaces for the creation of chances. It's good to have someone like Modric, who's incredibly skilled on the ball but doesn't shy away from his defensive duties, but these footballers are very few and therefore hard to get. I don't mean it as a dig at anybody but sometimes this talk about us prioritizing buying a DLP kind of reminds me the threads about the need to add some physicality to our midfield in the latter years of the Ferguson era. But Fergie knew better than anyone and he would never replace Giggs/Scholes with someone like Fellaini like the chosen one did.
Last but not least, i don't think that depending too much on Pogba is the end of the world for us. He's special and this is always the case with this type of players. Our game-plan should be able to get us over the line on most occasions (not hinder our league form) even without Pogba. This should be the main objective for the man who sits on the edge of the bench at OT. And that's where LvG and Mourinho failed miserably.
We're still a work in progress. Ole's persistence on Lingard shows his intention not only to apply pressing but also having someone on the pitch who'll be able to go after these crucial second balls which will give us the opportunity to remain high up the pitch. Both Martial and Rash are very good at many things but this is not one of them. If we could get an upgrade on Lingard, a player who can work the spaces between the lines and with an eye for the second/loose balls, we would instantly look better in the attacking half. A prime Ozil without the latter's tendency to go awol in big games would be perfect. Sanchez should be able to give us something in that department too if he manages to find any kind of form.
Other than that, i'd pick someone like Kante to share the position of the RCM with Herrera (or play alongside him when Pogba's missing). Kante is more sound positionally (could play as DM too but his height might be targeted), less effective going forward but the key thing is that he can also carry the ball through the lines. This particular ability is needed more than deep-lying play-making skills atm for the kind of football Ole wants us to play.
I risk saying this with the Liverpool game ahead of us in which we'll be put under a lot of pressure. I don't mind that at all. Bayern didn't look that they knew how to beat Klopp's pressing machine yesterday (the fact that their attacking midfielder, James, and their poacher rarely got in spaces where they could make a difference is proof of that) and Real Madrid looked clueless too in last year's final. The main difference was that they have FBs on both flanks who are superb with the ball at their feet in the build-up phase and this gives them the opportunity to stretch the pitch horizontally in their half and, subsequently, make the pressing team chase them around in larger areas. We can't do that... yet.
Our second weak spot is that our opponents seem to be getting behind Matic rather easily. Other than fatigue (and a possible decline of Matic), there are some times when the defence is a few meters behind where they should be when we have pushed bodies forward and/or a defender often hesitates to close down the attacker in between the lines. But this is a matter that i honestly expect to improve through training. Matic might not be the best player in the world for the holding role but we could do much worse imho and there are other positions on the pitch where the first xi is in dire need of improving. After five long years i feel rather optimistic.
tomaldinho1
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I wonder if the diamond will stay, would think potentially it's a way to incorporate a more 'exciting' signing at the tip who can revolve across the front three if we then change formation:
---------Matic---------
Herrera ------- Pogba
----- Griezmann -----
Rashford ------Martial
Would be great team IMO, with Lingard able to cover across all front three roles, maybe a young technical CM to give cover to Herrera as well.
---------Matic---------
Herrera ------- Pogba
----- Griezmann -----
Rashford ------Martial
Would be great team IMO, with Lingard able to cover across all front three roles, maybe a young technical CM to give cover to Herrera as well.
KennyBurner
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I think the OP is on the right track with his assessment of our midfield compared to the other top teams mentioned but is missing one very Important detail. Composure in defense. Our midfield is bettter than that of Juventus yet they tend to go much further in the CL than us. that difference is their composure in defense. Most of these teams you have mentioned are able to escape with an unbalanced midfield because they have modern defenders or defenders that offer more than just defense in the form of ball retention and circulation.
Currently in our lineup only Lindelof and to a certain degree shaw are able to actually look up and pick out a pass. Jones is also capable of this but is unreliable and very injury prone. Its why Ole has trusted him when fit to start with lindelof. Nowadays its no secret that in order to be a dominant team each and every player in the 11 has to have some form of ball retention/composure on the ball. Even teams beneath us such as arsenal have adopted this approach for years. They have replaced defenders after defenders but have always made an effort to cultivate ball retention in their football philosophy.
There's also the issue of de Gea, best GK in the world but refuses to pass out from the back under pressure. Since ole has taken over there has been minor improvement from him in this department but it varies game by game which is very inconsistent. This season is still a work in progress with Ole's philosophy so hopefully by the end of the season he is more comfortable in passing it out from the back.
When we look at teams like city who are able to field an unbalanced midfield like David silva, de bruyne and fernandinho, this is only possible because they have defenders who constantly pass between the lines. This has always been the key to how they play. They have never needed to rely on a deeplying midfield when they have defenders who could do the same Job perfectly. Its also the same with Juventus who play with wingers. In this case they have defenders who have perfected the art of sending the ball from one flank to the other with ease. I noticed this when we played them how they would pin us back by constantly switching the ball from one flank to the other and there was nothing we could do because their wingers are deadly.
To round this off I don't think our midfield is a great concern right now till we upgrade all our limited players in defense to players that our more confident on the ball and can also defend. It makes all the difference in the game nowadays. Young has the heart of a lion and he deserves all the respect but when we face quality opposition his lack of quality on the ball in passing has hampered us when trying to build an attack. We need fullbacks that can actually play comfortably witht he ball. Once we have solved this problem then we can start looking into upgrades for matic and herrera.
Currently in our lineup only Lindelof and to a certain degree shaw are able to actually look up and pick out a pass. Jones is also capable of this but is unreliable and very injury prone. Its why Ole has trusted him when fit to start with lindelof. Nowadays its no secret that in order to be a dominant team each and every player in the 11 has to have some form of ball retention/composure on the ball. Even teams beneath us such as arsenal have adopted this approach for years. They have replaced defenders after defenders but have always made an effort to cultivate ball retention in their football philosophy.
There's also the issue of de Gea, best GK in the world but refuses to pass out from the back under pressure. Since ole has taken over there has been minor improvement from him in this department but it varies game by game which is very inconsistent. This season is still a work in progress with Ole's philosophy so hopefully by the end of the season he is more comfortable in passing it out from the back.
When we look at teams like city who are able to field an unbalanced midfield like David silva, de bruyne and fernandinho, this is only possible because they have defenders who constantly pass between the lines. This has always been the key to how they play. They have never needed to rely on a deeplying midfield when they have defenders who could do the same Job perfectly. Its also the same with Juventus who play with wingers. In this case they have defenders who have perfected the art of sending the ball from one flank to the other with ease. I noticed this when we played them how they would pin us back by constantly switching the ball from one flank to the other and there was nothing we could do because their wingers are deadly.
To round this off I don't think our midfield is a great concern right now till we upgrade all our limited players in defense to players that our more confident on the ball and can also defend. It makes all the difference in the game nowadays. Young has the heart of a lion and he deserves all the respect but when we face quality opposition his lack of quality on the ball in passing has hampered us when trying to build an attack. We need fullbacks that can actually play comfortably witht he ball. Once we have solved this problem then we can start looking into upgrades for matic and herrera.
That ship has sailed. Fekir and the young who looks very promising...João Félix could do an excellent job there methinks.I wonder if the diamond will stay, would think potentially it's a way to incorporate a more 'exciting' signing at the tip who can revolve across the front three if we then change formation:
---------Matic---------
Herrera ------- Pogba
----- Griezmann -----
Rashford ------Martial
Would be great team IMO, with Lingard able to cover across all front three roles, maybe a young technical CM to give cover to Herrera as well.
UNITED ACADEMY
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Today was another match that I thought this thread needs to be bumped in again. We seem to be struggling in midfield today until we dropped Pogba deeper to let Pereira take the advance role. I believe we do need more playmaker in the team either a no 8 or no 6 as a deeplying playmaker to dictate the tempo. Majority our midfield except Pogba just pass the ball safe or sideway.
Adisa
likes to take afvanadva wothowi doubt
As a unit, our midfield is the worst in the top six. I don't make that comment lightly. Against any decent hard working midfield,we struggle. You can best every dollar you have it will struggle again on Tuesday.
deafepl
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Not just midfield but De Gea and defence as well, they haven't helped us to control the games. Young probably have one of lowest averaging passing and worst rating in fullback for a top club as well as Smalling. De Gea who kept launching long balls gifting opponents of regaining possession, I think at least 6 he gifted them possession today.
Herrera and Matic's positioning in midfield is fecking sad, they were woeful today, a lot of misplaced and panic passing, it hasn't helped Pogba much in midfield.
Replace Young, Smalling, Herrera and Matic with quality likes of Koulibaly, Thiago, Verrarti and a quality RB, that would improve our play in possession and allow us to control of the game as long as De Gea didn't keep launch long balls.
Herrera and Matic's positioning in midfield is fecking sad, they were woeful today, a lot of misplaced and panic passing, it hasn't helped Pogba much in midfield.
Replace Young, Smalling, Herrera and Matic with quality likes of Koulibaly, Thiago, Verrarti and a quality RB, that would improve our play in possession and allow us to control of the game as long as De Gea didn't keep launch long balls.
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This. Those two were so woeful today. Herrera was non existent, Matic dwells on the ball for too long and both of them really had a lot of misplaced passes well Matic more cause I really can’t remember what Herrera did during the game.Herrera and Matic's positioning in midfield is fecking sad, they were woeful today, a lot of misplaced and panic passing, it hasn't helped Pogba much in midfield.
Walters_19_MuFc
Full Member
Ole putting Pogba deeper against Watford was quite telling, especially when in a winning position. Didn't really work out, but it showed that Ole obviously felt we needed someone to get hold of the ball as neither Herrera or Matic could do that.
Going forward, if we're not going play Pogba deeper, then we definitely need someone who can control a game from deep.
Going forward, if we're not going play Pogba deeper, then we definitely need someone who can control a game from deep.
passing-wind
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Ndombele / Rabiot or both.
iluvoursolskjær
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I get the feeling Herrera's form will suffer from the uncertainty around his future, and Matic is pretty much done at the highest level as he just doesn't have the mobility to keep up with the pace of the game nor the intelligence + passing range (of Carrick for example) to make up for it. We will be needing to redesign the whole function of the midfield this summer, huge job all things considered.
Eddy_JukeZ
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Just when we thought we had this area sorted out, it's a major problem again.
We need at least 2 top class additions in central midfield.
We need at least 2 top class additions in central midfield.
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Herrera works hard and he covers a lot of space but he does next to nothing with the ball. Having him and Matic is killing us when Pogba is not on his day. We depend too much on Pogba.
haram
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It’s not just the midfield it’s the defence and forwards as well... people have their heads buried in the sand.
captain666
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I agree,what if Mino secures Pogba a RM transfer and Herrara doesn't sign a new contract?We are vulnerable all over the pitch at present
Verratti nuff said
ValenciaRocks
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Matic needs to go. He's just not a united player. We need a Fernandinho/Verratti/Neves type player who are comfortable on the ball and more agile.
Matic should play CB if anything. He's too slow as a midfielder.
Matic should play CB if anything. He's too slow as a midfielder.
Canagel
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This. The culprits to our bad possesion is in the back and DM. DDG, Young, Smalling, Matic, Herrera..probably the lowest passing accuracy of the top 6.Not just midfield but De Gea and defence as well, they haven't helped us to control the games. Young probably have one of lowest averaging passing and worst rating in fullback for a top club as well as Smalling. De Gea who kept launching long balls gifting opponents of regaining possession, I think at least 6 he gifted them possession today.
Herrera and Matic's positioning in midfield is fecking sad, they were woeful today, a lot of misplaced and panic passing, it hasn't helped Pogba much in midfield.
Replace Young, Smalling, Herrera and Matic with quality likes of Koulibaly, Thiago, Verrarti and a quality RB, that would improve our play in possession and allow us to control of the game as long as De Gea didn't keep launch long balls.
The stardust in attack shines through but it's not enough to compete in the top.
kouroux
45k posts to finally achieve this tagline
With better control of games, the need to back pass it to him reducing, I think this would also improve.Not just midfield but De Gea and defence as well, they haven't helped us to control the games. Young probably have one of lowest averaging passing and worst rating in fullback for a top club as well as Smalling. De Gea who kept launching long balls gifting opponents of regaining possession, I think at least 6 he gifted them possession today.
Herrera and Matic's positioning in midfield is fecking sad, they were woeful today, a lot of misplaced and panic passing, it hasn't helped Pogba much in midfield.
Replace Young, Smalling, Herrera and Matic with quality likes of Koulibaly, Thiago, Verrarti and a quality RB, that would improve our play in possession and allow us to control of the game as long as De Gea didn't keep launch long balls.
deafepl
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The need to back pass it to De Gea is fine but he needs to stop with long balls, he repeatedly gifting opponent balls then they just started attacking us due to his long balls, I'd like to know how many of them created chances through attack due to his long balls, I'd imagine, lot. He didn't get a sign that we can't regain possession because of his long balls.With better control of games, the need to back pass it to him reducing, I think this would also improve.
Greck
Full Member
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- Dec 1, 2016
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- 7,099
Got to be one of the most limited passing buildups in the top 6. Just about anyone can keep us from getting the ball forward if they push up and press Herrera, Matic, Young and Smalling. This lot aren't half bad defensively but in possession leave a lot to be desired
Andycoleno9
matchday malcontent
We need mobile playmaker on defensive midfielder. Two destroyers are too much in midfield 3. Especially when Pogba plays more as no10 than classic midfielder.
kouroux
45k posts to finally achieve this tagline
I don't disagree with you, he annoys the shit out of me with his kicking that is always a ball to the opponent. Just tried to explain why it often comes down to thatThe need to back pass it to De Gea is fine but he needs to stop with long balls, he repeatedly gifting opponent balls then they just started attacking us due to his long balls, I'd like to know how many of them created chances through attack due to his long balls, I'd imagine, lot. He didn't get a sign that we can't regain possession because of his long balls.
JMack1234
Full Member
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2017
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- 1,528
I think we need a more dynamic and younger player than Matic at the base of the midfield and I think we could do with a proper no. 10.
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2019
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- 36
This month, all of our midfielders will get their chances to prove if they earn a spot for the next season. We have 7 (!) matches between April 2nd and 28th. That is in average one game every fourth (or 3.86) day. It will be interesting to see how decides to step up!