Should Fred be offered a new contract?

[Kostov]

Fred is a very useful player in a high intensity/high pressing team. For that reason he should be given an extension

A midfielder who is as shit of a footballer as Fred is, can not be useful to a team aspiring to be in the top teams in the league. Abysmal footballer. Villa had 3 midfielders better than him tonight.

 

[padzilla]

He's alright to have around for squad depth as both him and McTominay are bang average but are better options than likes of Van de Beek - until we get better players in we have to make the most of what we have.

 

[Oranges038]

Not a chance.

 

[Ish]

My first reaction is to let him go because it frees up wages and squad space but it really depends on a lot of factors.

Squad depth, the potential wage he'd "accept" etc. - though I'd like to think if we could sign another starting mid, players like Fred and DvB should be let go and we could promote youth.

Then for the 2 DM/CM position(s) we have: Casemiro, Eriksen, New mid, McT. AM: Bruno/promoted youth with Eriksen also able to cover.

 

[Plant0x84]

Not every player in the squad has to be WC. Fred is a very good squad player, seems happy to be rotated and can do a job when he comes into the team. As long as his contract reflects this and isn’t a huge increase then I have no problem with it personally.

I cant understand the hate that Fred gets for being shite when he clearly isn’t. You don’t go to the World Cup with Brazil if you are.

 

[Gordon Godot]

Not every player in the squad has to be WC. Fred is a very good squad player, seems happy to be rotated and can do a job when he comes into the team. As long as his contract reflects this and isn’t a huge increase then I have no problem with it personally.

I cant understand the hate that Fred gets for being shite when he clearly isn’t. You don’t go to the World Cup with Brazil if you are.

His bar is often simply too low to be a regular. Some of his passing last night was laughable. We should move him on and free up wages. The occasional good performance does not make up for his inability to retain the ball. Cant see ETH wanting him either... may come down to another question of maintaing balance sheet value of the squad...

 

[norm87cro]

No and it has nothing to do with him playing (or not) for Brazil. They have a large population, they are 5 time World Champions and they can always be picky about their squad. Elber was great for Bayern and he didnt play that much for Brazil. Fred is just not good enough

 

[Swordsman]

noooo. just sell him.

Seems like Americunts like to reward mediocre players with lucrative new contract

 

[foolsgold]

Exercise the +1 year option and see where we are at Christmas next year. No need to make quick decisions.

 

[VP89]

Would like to upgrade him with Alvarez but we probably dont have the money

 

[Swordsman]

Would like to upgrade him with Alvarez but we probably dont have the money

I thought United is one of the richest football club in the world.

 

[VP89]

I thought United is one of the richest football club in the world.

You thought wrong my friend.

 

[MadMike]

I would give him 2+1, so long as it's not on ridiculous wages, yes. He has his uses with his energy and press.

We need another striker for sure and then we nee to replace VDB, who is of no use and might have some value to recoup due to age and contract length. So Fred has some value for now.

 

[Water Melon]

Exercise the +1 year option and see where we are at Christmas next year. No need to make quick decisions.

This.

 

[Swordsman]

You thought wrong my friend.

United is ranked 3rd richest club in the world.

 

[VP89]

United is ranked 3rd richest club in the world.

We can be the 1st richest but the Glazers won't spend. Hence, we dont have the money available.

 

[Swordsman]

We can be the 1st richest but the Glazers won't spend. Hence, we dont have the money available.

Hard truth

 

[devilish]

Fred is 29 years old and he relies solely on work rate and energy. A well run club would have noticed that he's not good enough and would have sold him off long ago. You don't see many old work horses at top club levels mainly because legs are the first to go. I'd say we should sell Fred and Donny and we should add a deep lying playmaker instead.

 

[Lentwood]

Exercise the +1 year option and see where we are at Christmas next year. No need to make quick decisions.

Quick decisions? He's now on his 3rd permanent manager and in his 5th year at the club!

 

[Dan_F]

If there’s a plus one, extend and try to recoup 15 mil in the summer. He’s painfully average and although a decent option as a squad filler, is probably at a lower level than most premier league teams have in their starting midfield, which doesn’t really help us.

 

[Kostov]

Just let him go, nobody dumb enough to pay a fee worth the trouble. If someone offers 5-10m in january we shoudl bite their hand off.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Surprised no one want him here anymore. I think he is doing ok. Yes we should looking for a better option if there are available but are there?

Football is dead if there aren't better options available than Fred. I think we have let one of him and McT go and the latter at least has age on his side. I think an in form Fred is the better of the two but that seems a life time ago and he's not at the age where we can keep waiting for him to flip flop.

 

[Lentwood]

Football is dead if there aren't better options available than Fred. I think we have let one of him and McT go and the latter at least has age on his side. I think an in form Fred is the better of the two but that seems a life time ago and he's not at the age where we can keep waiting for him to flip flop.

Exactly, plus, we need to change this mentality of clinging on to players who fall well short as 'options'. If they're not good enough, having them as an 'option' is a false comfort-blanket.

I'd rather we didn't have 'options' if those options are sub-standard. I'd rather we got rid and invested in adequate replacements or gave those minutes to a young player

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Fred is 29 years old and he relies solely on work rate and energy. A well run club would have noticed that he's not good enough and would have sold him off long ago. You don't see many old work horses at top club levels mainly because legs are the first to go. I'd say we should sell Fred and Donny and we should add a deep lying playmaker instead.

Yup. Fred is at the same age now as Kante was when the wheels starting to come off for him. Difference being that he's never really been good enough unlike the till then excellent Kante. So yeah it makes no sense to renew. You're paying for a failing player who can be expected to decline.

Unless he has an immense second half of the season.

 

[Cloud7]

He really should not, no. If we aren't signing first team quality players then let some of the talented youth players play. Valverde didn't become one of the best midfielders in the world by getting a few minutes here and there and "easing him into the team". We need to move beyond players like Fred who should never have been here in the first place.

 

[sugar_kane]

I've had a soft spot for Fred because he gets so much shit (even from our own fans) but always turns up and tries, similar to Fellaini.

Also similar to Fellaini though he is just nowhere near good enough, and sometimes shockingly bad (like last night) and destroys our overall flow. I honestly can't fathom how a Brazil national is so, so fecking bad at passing. Accuracy, weight, decision making, everything.

There is a logic to having him as a squad player but I'd rather we found someone of a similar profile who isn't so wildly inconsistent.

 

[Jericho]

No Way. The fact that he will one day be able to tell his grandchildren that he played 5 year for Manchester United is already sickening and a devaluation of the club

Yeah, bad enough that he's playing for United now, what's truely sickening is that he'll tell his grandchildren about it.

 

[Lentwood]

I've had a soft spot for Fred because he gets so much shit (even from our own fans) but always turns up and tries, similar to Fellaini.

Also similar to Fellaini though he is just nowhere near good enough, and sometimes shockingly bad (like last night) and destroys our overall flow. I honestly can't fathom how a Brazil national is so, so fecking bad at passing. Accuracy, weight, decision making, everything.

There is a logic to having him as a squad player but I'd rather we found someone of a similar profile who isn't so wildly inconsistent.

Fellaini was a useful tool though....and a much better player than Fred

 

[sugar_kane]

Fellaini was a useful tool though....and a much better player than Fred

Useful for a certain type of football, but not sure it's the type we want to be playing.

Much better player...? Maybe in the sense of consistency, but in terms of his highest level I'd say Fred has the greatest ability. Fellaini was just consistently below par, despite working hard most games.

 

[devilish]

Yup. Fred is at the same age now as Kante was when the wheels starting to come off for him. Difference being that he's never really been good enough unlike the till then excellent Kante. So yeah it makes no sense to renew. You're paying for a failing player who can be expected to decline.

Unless he has an immense second half of the season.

The problem is that either way (keep or let go) we'll be losing money. That's something that a properly run club with a proper DOF and CEO in it wouldn't have allowed to happen. Fred and Donny should have been sold in the summer. An extra 50m-60m could have been used to bring in a striker or a playmaker.

 

[Mailo]

To the question: Absolutely not!

 

[Rauður Djöfull]

If ETH thinks so yes, otherwise no

Personally wouldn't be sad to see him move on

 

[Lentwood]

Useful for a certain type of football, but not sure it's the type we want to be playing.

Much better player...? Maybe in the sense of consistency, but in terms of his highest level I'd say Fred has the greatest ability. Fellaini was just consistently below par, despite working hard most games.

Personally I would choose Fellaini every time in the Premier League over Fred. Bigger, more physical, better at shielding/holding the ball, threat at set-pieces, good defender of set-pieces, scores useful goals....I don't know what Fred has going for him really

 

[sugar_kane]

Personally I would choose Fellaini every time in the Premier League over Fred. Bigger, more physical, better at shielding/holding the ball, threat at set-pieces, good defender of set-pieces, scores useful goals....I don't know what Fred has going for him really

It's his energy really, when he's playing well he can press the life out of opponents and has won the ball for us this way starting off some good attacks.

Other than that though there are too many deficiencies. He's not creative, can't shoot and often can't even do basic passes right.

 

[Plant0x84]

I thought United is one of the richest football club in the world.

Were. Past tense.

 

[Zlatattack]

No - not at all. He doesn't do anything well, he doesn't seem to fit into any system. Maybe he'll be great for someone else, but not for us. We should be looking to chuck a load of money at Konrad Laimer instead. He's out of contract in the summer.

 

[The-Natural]

Of course he should get a new deal. A more solid squad option you will not find.

 

[P-Nut]

2+1 year option seems the most sensible. He'll still be needed at least for next season and if his wages are reasonable there would be takers for him in the window after that.

 

[Solius]

He's in poor form at the moment but he's still been overall pretty solid for us. We could do a lot worse. His passing is so erratic though.

 

[Maticmaker]

Fred plays with a lot of 'heart' and that endears him to many fans, but his mistakes are predictable and quite often costly. When he manages some successful passages of play, you feel it's almost by accident, when he fouls up you shake your head or maybe just shrug your shoulders, or if you are really generous, you say 'well its only Fred'!

I think (hope)that with ETH's appointment we are now getting beyond the 'make do and mend' stage, Fred has been the very epitome of this stage and it's time to move on, for us and for him.