So after all the concern, how do you rate our squad’s midfield?

[Fortitude]

Unless something happens at the tenth hour, our midfield unit is set. Amrabat is included as we’ll get that over the line, right?

Perhaps McTominay and Van de Beek go, but let’s assume they don’t:

Defensive midfielders/DM’s/#6’s: Casemiro, Amrabat, McTominay*, Gore

Central midfielders/CM’s/#8’s: McTominay, Amrabat, Casemiro, Eriksen, Mainoo, Bruno, Mount, Hannibal, Van de Beek

Attacking midfielders/AM’s/“#10’s”: Bruno, Mount, Eriksen, Hannibal, Van de Beek

Collective: Amrabat, Bruno, Casemiro, Eriksen, Gore, Hannibal, Mainoo, McTominay, Mount, Van de Beek (10 players)

Are you happy with this collective? Where do you see them taking us to? And is it enough to cover until at least January?

Will update if aforementioned players leave.

 

[FreakyJim]

It's an interesting collective, an interesting mix. Capable of such beautiful dreams and such horrible nightmares.

 

[IrishRedDevil]

Good collection.

 

[MUFC OK]

7/10

 

[Nik70]

Good group with Amrabat giving us better balance.

 

[Malone_Post]

It’s an incredibly average collection of players, in comparison to the teams we’re supposed to be competing against.

 

[Hammondo]

It’s an incredibly average collection of players, in comparison to the teams we’re supposed to be competing against.

Still lacks some balance problems and lacks some quality. We will need to think about replacements within the next two seasons as well.

 

[OverratedOpinion]

I think if Amrabat is as good as what I have seen from him and he settles then Casemiro, Amrabat and Bruno is an absolutely rock solid midfield 3 with excellent balance and 3 lovely passers of the ball. Should really give Bruno a platform to be at his best too.

Mount is a brilliant squad option that will help us not to run Bruno into the ground again, give us an option for certain games on the right and let Ten Hag experiment with his box midfield a bit more gradually.

Mainoo looks like a brilliant prospect so far.

The rest are a mix of good squad players and a couple who should go ideally.

Feeling much more positive about it, a lot will depend on how Amrabat settles but right now I would say it's the best midfield we have had in a long while.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

Its now properly equipped

 

[AndySmith1990]

It's still a fair bit off top tier

 

[Hammondo]

I think if Amrabat is as good as what I have seen from him and he settles then Casemiro, Amrabat and Bruno is an absolutely rock solid midfield 3 with excellent balance and 3 lovely passers of the ball. Should really give Bruno a platform to be at his best too.

Mount is a brilliant squad option that will help us not to run Bruno into the ground again, give us an option for certain games on the right and let Ten Hag experiment with his box midfield a bit more gradually.

Mainoo looks like a brilliant prospect so far.

The rest are a mix of good squad players and a couple who should go ideally.

Feeling much more positive about it, a lot will depend on how Amrabat settles but right now I would say it's the best midfield we have had in a long while.

2 DMs and an AM who basically does play in midfield, is balanced?

 

[OverratedOpinion]

2 DMs and an AM who basically does play in midfield, is balanced?

2 deeper midfielders who can both get forward and play the ball over long and short distances and an attacking midfielder who can also drop back to counter a midfield 3?

Yep

 

[Kag]

It gives us a year to assess our options and bring in a bit of worldie next summer. We basically need young versions of Roy Keane and Paul Scholes to appear from thin air within the next twelve months.

 

[RedRonaldo]

I think when everyones is back from injuries we will have good midfield on paper:

AM: Bruno, Mount
CM/DM: Casemiro, Amrabat, Eriksen, Mainoo

Bruno
Amrabat Casemiro

Mount
Eriksen Mainoo​

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

Eh, my problem is it feels like just a mix of players that don't quite fit together, and we still lack any sort of quality carrier. In isolation many of these players are "good", but in practice it feels disjointed.

I'll also freely admit that I don't rate Mount much so that probably affects my view more negatively than most. But next summer we need a marquee true CM (or CDM) brought in. Mainoo is the obvious wildcard, if he comes back from injury and looks like a young Frenkie De Jong then it instantly upgrades our midfield a couple tiers.

 

[MUFC OK]

Eh, my problem is it feels like just a mix of players that don't quite fit together, and we still lack any sort of quality carrier. In isolation many of these players are "good", but in practice it feels disjointed.

I'll also freely admit that I don't rate Mount much so that probably affects my view more negatively than most. But next summer we need a marquee true CM (or CDM) brought in

I expect the Amadou Onana rumours to return next summer. Could see us being genuinely interested there.

 

[D. Grayson]

Casemiro
Bruno Mount

I believe this starting midfield is still our first choice. I think the poor start to the season is more likely due to fitness than balance.

 

[MUFC OK]

Casemiro
Bruno Mount

I believe this starting midfield is still our first choice. I think the poor start to the season is more likely due to fitness than balance.

Tend to agree. Bar Bruno, the squad players who played 50+ games for us last season are absolutely spent. Was clear to see from the opening game and nothing has convinced me otherwise since.

 

[Highfather_24]

Decent balance. Amrabat could be our best signing this season.

Not loaning Mejbri looks idiotic now though.

 

[TheRedDevil'sAdvocate]

It looks like we're putting all our eggs in one basket. The general idea is good and i believe it's a move toward the right direction, albeit it feels like a rather bold decision at this stage of our development. I'd prefer a more holistic and harmonic rebuild to going all in one way. I can see why he's doing it, but if it backfires, it will do so spectacularly.

 

[sullydnl]

I think it's the healthiest it has been in quite a long time.

ETH obviously wants us to set up a lot in that DM + Double AM shape. And when doing so we now have an obvious first choice three (Casemiro, Mount, Bruno) and players who can step in to both DM and AM.

But if we want to set up differently in any given circumstances/games, we have the option of pairing Casemiro & Amrabat, with one AM ahead of them. And, crucially, Amrabat isn't just a destructive DM but actually has contrasting qualities in posssesion that mean he can actually be paired with Casemiro. Also, while I know people don't like Bruno playing out wide, the reality is that using him or Mount in that way while bringing Amrabat into the side is an option in certain games.

And then you have Mainoo and McTominay filling out the squad. VDB too if (as the OP suggests) he doesn't leave, though I think he will.

 

[CloneMC16]

Need to see Amrabat play. If he is good, it will look a lot better. I don't think Mount is who we needed. I'm also concerned about Casemiro. If Mainoo turns out to be a quality player, we'll be in a much better place. It's definitely an upgrade from where we were 2 summers ago. Probably the best we've had in a good 5+ years. Still don't think it'll be good enough to compete with City, though.

 

[DWelbz19]

Still lacks a ball carrier in the middle areas. Massively lacks real press resistant passers.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Our midfield have never been as bad as some make out, but I do think ten Hag has a duty to make sure he gets the balance right, which we've yet to see so far this season.

That said, I do think we lack a first phase midfielder.

What do you think @Champ?

 

[sammyhol]

All depends on Amrabat really.

if he is the real deal, progressive passing, aggressive tackling, ball carrier we have been led to believe… I think a partnership with Casemiro is an exciting prospect…

but it won’t allow us to press in the same way.

so I sod the high press off, go 4231, give Bruno his free role back, and get Rashford and the new lad up top making loads of runs, and play on the counter.

cautiously excited.

 

[bdspeedy]

Our midfield have been over run so far this year. Eriksen has helped a bit. Hopefully, Amrabat will help gird us up significantly. When Mainoo and Mount return....we'll see.

 

[Rightnr]

5/10 and I'm being generous

 

[M Bison]

Personally I think it’s very good. It’s a shame we didn’t (as yet) manage to offload McT and/or VdB but honestly, did anyone expect anything better than where we’ve ended up and if so, who/instead of who?

 

[UnofficialDevil]

Average. You get what you pay for.

 

[Erics_Collar]

If you look at City and Madrid as 10/10 midfields, then I don't think you can give us anything more than a 6 at best.

 

[Bastian]

We have one player capable of carrying the ball through midfield and that player is Hannibal Mejbri. Will he get minutes now that he's been asked to stay because he's "important" or is his career being sacrificed in order to "have the numbers" that we won't use?

We'll be less easy to play through with Amrabat next to Casemiro, but any combination of Casemiro, Bruno and a player who cannot carry the ball will illustrate the same limitations to our play as before.

The two hopes I have are Mejbri and Mainoo.

 

[Adebisi's Hat]

this will be interesting. No dead cert signings like Casemiro this window but maybe thats what we should be doing anyway. Amrabat i must admit i know nothing about but ETH obviously has a plan for Amrabat and Mount so that will be interesting. Mainoo is exciting and Mejbri a little less so.

 

[fps]

Is Amrabat any good? I don’t really know him except that every Moroccan looked baller in the WC.

 

[D. Grayson]

Tend to agree. Bar Bruno, the squad players who played 50+ games for us last season are absolutely spent. Was clear to see from the opening game and nothing has convinced me otherwise since.

I am quite satisfied with the transfer window. The preseason tour, on the other hand, was a significant self-inflicted wound.

 

[Siorac]

Underwhelming. It's still an odd mishmash of players, lacking both balance and quality. Casemiro and Bruno are given but no matter who you put in there as a third, the trio will have significant weaknesses.

If Amrabat and Mainoo turn out to be midfield gods, then it's different but that's unlikely.

 

[MUFC OK]

I am quite satisfied with the transfer window. The preseason tour, on the other hand, was a significant self-inflicted wound.

you mean in terms of travelling and strength of opposition? I think we should’ve faced lesser teams to build confidence and rhythm.

 

[hobbers]

It’s good if two from three of Case, Amrabat and Mainoo are starting.

Dismal if we keep up the double number 10 nonsense.

If you treat Mount as cover for Bruno and Eriksen/Mainoo as cover for Case/Amrabat, and Mctominay is an emergency 7th choice, it’s a very good group.

 

[bosnian_red]

Bit on the older side. Not perfect. But still very good and we should be able to navigate injuries and congestion, and have different options at high levels.

Bruno
Amrabat - Casemiro

Mount - Bruno
Casemiro
​

Will essentially be the main 2, depending on opponent. Mainoo to rotate with Amrabat or Casemiro as the defensive minded 3. Eriksen to rotate with Mount and Bruno in offensive minded 3. McTominay, Donny extras with basically no role. McTominay will have game time while mount and Mainoo are injured, plus he provides energy and big physique which is needed if Casemiro is out, but generally, I think he leaves in January now that Amrabat is here.

 

[Revan]

Assuming that Amrabat settles well in EPL, and we actually do not play Mount, it is a quite good midfield.

 

[D. Grayson]

you mean in terms of travelling and strength of opposition? I think we should’ve faced lesser teams to build confidence and rhythm.

Traveling across different time zones within the United States was not ideal, which might explain why a lot of first-team regulars played so few minutes.