Well, at least we've got two 70+mil right wingers
We don't have the midfield
- Thread starter Idxomer
- Start date
They've absolutely bossed us off the park and the last twenty mins we didn't lay a glove on them.Can't compete with Arsenal
They've won nothing yet so I'm not having them as the bench mark. Game would have gone much differently had Casemiro played but yes we need more options as we can't be fecked in a big game missing just one player
Right and? Brentford beat us far more convincingly can we not compete with them either?
Proven fact:
Manchester United without Casemiro are a far worse team than Arsenal without Partey.
He makes up all the deficiencies of the other two and some.
Manchester United without Casemiro are a far worse team than Arsenal without Partey.
He makes up all the deficiencies of the other two and some.
We need a CM next to Casemiro, Bruno is still good at the 10 for me, but I think Eriksen should be an impact bench player for us, I still really like him but we could do with an upgrade. Besides that we just need to make sure we can replace McT with a proper DM in case Casemiro is unavailable. I still like Fred as a situational piece. Our midfield is fine but we just need a little quality injection. Frenkie next to Casemiro is still a dream I won't let go of. If we could somehow get him + Kane that's an A+ transfer window in my eyes.
We obviously missed Casemiro who has been our best player this season. Eriksen can certainly be improved on, although last time against Arsenal he was outstanding. So Casemiro + someone able to be more influential and get on the ball more than Eriksen in his deep role should be fine to compete
Good lord.
Can we get anyone on loan until end of season that can slot in midfield to give us options.
We need upgrades on McTominy & Fred.Clear.
Eriksen needs to be managed,he's clearly not a combative CM.Clear.
Eriksen needs to be managed,he's clearly not a combative CM.Clear.
Its why I laugh when people say we need only one more midfielder. We need at least 3 to compete. Right now the only complete midfielder we have in the entire squad is Casemiro. The rest are incredibly limited players that perform once in 10 games.
Or the attack.
Brentford are not also miles clear at the top of the table. The difference is obvious.
This is more of an issue. We don’t have the clinical striker.
Or any threat from the right.
Yeah I’d agree with this. The balance isn’t right and if you lose Casemiro you go from having a very good midfield to a terrible one. We need two world class midfielders in the summer really.
Morale in here has dropped off a cliff 
What'd you guys expect?
What'd you guys expect?
Leicester we're miles clear at the top once upon a time as well. Right now this Arsenal side has done less than them
Hopefully we'll let Mctominay go in the summer then sign 2 midfielders, maybe 1 big signing plus Tielemans on a free
Long term we need two actual No.8s. Eriksen and Bruno aren't that and its no surprise we struggle so much in consistently controlling games.
Both lacking in physique and strength and not press resistant. Physically you can overpower our midfield both on and off the ball.
EtH better sort this out next season, they both can't play together. We're getting by but we haven't been convincing in midfield at all and Casemiro has been the driving force. Without him those two would have been exposed a lot more this season.
We need press resistance midfielders that have the ability to physical hold their own in and out of possession.
Both lacking in physique and strength and not press resistant. Physically you can overpower our midfield both on and off the ball.
EtH better sort this out next season, they both can't play together. We're getting by but we haven't been convincing in midfield at all and Casemiro has been the driving force. Without him those two would have been exposed a lot more this season.
We need press resistance midfielders that have the ability to physical hold their own in and out of possession.
If we are to reach the top, we need to be ruthless and clever interms of transfers.
Ruthless = at least (if not get rid of) bench Anthony, rotate between Eriksen and Bruno (if we get an upgrade , bench or sell them), get rid of Martial and replace with a proper CF, get rid of deadwood ie McFred, Bissaka, Dalot, Jones. Id give time to Sancho because of his performances during his Dortmund days including in the UCL.
Clever = Avoid crappy transfers like Anthony and Weghorst. If I have one criticism of Ten Hag is his overreliance on payers from the Eredivisie which, with all due respect is a weak league. We need to improve our scouting tremendously.
Ruthless = at least (if not get rid of) bench Anthony, rotate between Eriksen and Bruno (if we get an upgrade , bench or sell them), get rid of Martial and replace with a proper CF, get rid of deadwood ie McFred, Bissaka, Dalot, Jones. Id give time to Sancho because of his performances during his Dortmund days including in the UCL.
Clever = Avoid crappy transfers like Anthony and Weghorst. If I have one criticism of Ten Hag is his overreliance on payers from the Eredivisie which, with all due respect is a weak league. We need to improve our scouting tremendously.
We were by far the better team in the first half though and we're more talented than them man for man. We lacked legs in the second half they looked a lot fitter than us. Its midfield, Eriksen is tired/lightweight, and lacking Casemiro we lack quality or depth there. We really needed FDJ/Bellingham or someone of that ilk alongside Casemiro.
Eriksen in my mind was never signed to start every game in our midfield. He was signed to alternate with FDJ and Bruno when either needed rest.
FDJ cockteased us all summer and didn't come which has meant eriksen is a mainstay because he has qualities other squad options don't have.
If we get a new midfielder in the summer eriksen will be an excellent rotation option.
FDJ cockteased us all summer and didn't come which has meant eriksen is a mainstay because he has qualities other squad options don't have.
If we get a new midfielder in the summer eriksen will be an excellent rotation option.
Bruno giving the ball away half the time he gets it is something you can probably get away with if your ball retention is perfect in every other position on the field. Unfortunately we're a team full of players who can't keep the ball under the slightest bit of pressure and regularly mess up 5 and 10 yard passes under no pressure at all. Hence you regularly end up under pressure holding on for dear life like we seen against Palace/Arsenal.
So now Eriksen, who has generally been brilliant this season, is a big problem.
Put Casemiro in there today and thinks are immeasurably better.
Put Casemiro in there today and thinks are immeasurably better.
We absolutely have to sign a top class midfielder to start every game and a backup for Casemiro this summer. Eriksen will be a good squad player, Fred and Mctominay need to be moved on as soon we have enough depth.
If anything, Eriksen should be considered instead of Bruno as the advanced midfielder.
Eriksen is infinitely better at actually keeping the ball.
I like how when the season started we all were for the most part realistic of where we were. All willing to give EtH at least two windows to not win the epl but at the very least get us competitive again, be in the conversation.
He's done that within less than a full season, people have raised their expectations and forgotten who brought us here. Doubting EtH at this point is maddening to me.
This might seem off topic from OPs suggestions, it's just some replies that make it seem like EtH has chosen to be in this situation where he has no midfielders when he's been chasing a running FdJ. We're overperforming, trust the manager
He's done that within less than a full season, people have raised their expectations and forgotten who brought us here. Doubting EtH at this point is maddening to me.
This might seem off topic from OPs suggestions, it's just some replies that make it seem like EtH has chosen to be in this situation where he has no midfielders when he's been chasing a running FdJ. We're overperforming, trust the manager
I think Casemiro makes a ridiculous difference today. But that's what you get with quality players, that's why we need so many more to make the difference. The drop off is insane.
In reality, we need a #6 who can deputise for Casemiro and a box-to-box #8 who has the running power that Eriksen lacks.
We basically need to do what Real Madrid did and find our own Tchouameni and Camavinga, while moving McTominay and Fred on. I say basically because, obviously, we will keep Casemiro!
We basically need to do what Real Madrid did and find our own Tchouameni and Camavinga, while moving McTominay and Fred on. I say basically because, obviously, we will keep Casemiro!
Everyone agrees we need a striker, the right side is an issue but I think most believe we could get something out of all the options we have there.
I agree.
The striker position is always going to be a graveyard shift the way we play right now. But when our inner midfield doesn't function we play like crap and we don't really even have starters there that are optimal for 90 minutes.
Just to be a contrarian, but you could argue that:
(1) When we play well, we would have done it regardless who we have at the top, and
(2) When we suck, we would have done it regardless who we have at the top.
Of course its an over simplification. The importance of the strikers pressing, link-up ability should not be underrated. When Rash has been as hot as he has been lately, the goals aren't missed as much. Etc etc etc. But ultimately -- being insufficient at the centre midfield hurts us tremendously much more than having a sub-Burnley level striker.
He would do, he is a fantastic warrior.
Against the very best! yes the midfield needs improving, and once EtH gets the club back in the CL regularly he can improve the midfield.
But for 90% of the teams United will face the current midfield is more than good enough.
But for 90% of the teams United will face the current midfield is more than good enough.
They are a team that had just lost 1 and drawn 2 of the last 18 games. In each and every victory, they deserved to win the match. So on what basis you looked at them and thought we should beat them at their ground? That sort of thinking is devoid of any reality and overestimates our quality and severely underestimates theirs. It is disrespectful and ignorant. They maybe just Zinchenko, Xhaka and Nketiah but they are playing at a top level with consistency.
Not disagreeing with OP but this has been a tough week. To go away to Arsenal when they are flying and have had a week off while we’ve had two tough games where we pushed till the end, …., hesitating to draw any major conclusions beyond the obvious depth issues. Convinced we would have had more control had we started the way we did against city and we had the week off.
I mean, a striker and the right side is pretty much ‘the attack’. If we have major concerns in both positions, I think it’s fair to say we don’t have a good enough attack.
They are the youngest team in the league and have 50 points after 19 games. You're out of your mind if you think they aren't a top team. Guys like Saka and Odegaard are elite players already. Nketiah is producing more for them than any striker who we have. Xhaka isn't a bad player at all. Zinchenko was a starter for Pep for years.
We need a starting midfielder and a competent backup unlike McTominay. Chasing FDJ clearly tells you that ETH knows what we're missing in there.
We need to sign a starting partner for Casemiro in the summer, FDJ, Enzo or someone like that. Sell McTominay, Maguire and Elanga and some others, use the deadwood money to bring in Caicedo from Brighton.
Potentially we'd have midfield options of Casemiro, Caicedo, FDJ, Feed. Looks a lot better all of a sudden. Onana looks interesting too if Everton go down.
But I feel CF is our focus in the summer, and what we do there will determine what we're left with. But we need at least two midfielders in my eyes.
We need to sign a starting partner for Casemiro in the summer, FDJ, Enzo or someone like that. Sell McTominay, Maguire and Elanga and some others, use the deadwood money to bring in Caicedo from Brighton.
Potentially we'd have midfield options of Casemiro, Caicedo, FDJ, Feed. Looks a lot better all of a sudden. Onana looks interesting too if Everton go down.
But I feel CF is our focus in the summer, and what we do there will determine what we're left with. But we need at least two midfielders in my eyes.
If you (or ETH ) is insisting on 4231, then yes, our MF is weak. So was Carrick + Scholes, or Scholes + Keane. What was the solution back then? Add a 3rd MF Fletcher or Butt. Even this is not good enough against the golden Barca MF but we are talking about the best MF ever.
Eriksen (+ Casemiro) is good enough for average teams but not against stronger side, so a 3rd MF is required. I thought he played Fred against City would be repeated this round but I was wrong. ETH was not prepared to give up hence the consequence. Shaw needs help and Eriksen is just about the worst option available, and if you are going to play counter-attack instead of possession, how useful was Eriksen?
In hindsight, Rashford, Bruno and Antony were useful in counter-attack, Weghorst was useful in link-up and set piece defence. That leaves us McTom or Eriksen. McTom was pretty useless in positioning and everything except set piece defence, but is still more useful than Eriksen particularly during 1st half.
433 is the answer, on some games, particularly on away to strong teams, or cup final.