What's your midfield three with everyone fit?

reddevil80

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Bruno, Pogba and Matic are my top 3. I would love to see Garner get some game time and maybe have him alongside Mctom when rotation is required.
 

londonredmaniac

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Can say what you want about Pogba, I have tbf! Whilst still wanting him to be a success here, and be here long term.

But the idea of him and Fernandes is terrifying...especially with the likes of Rashford, Greenwood, Martial and Ighalo bouncing around...
 

ShinjiNinja26

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I think it has to be Bruno, Pogba and Matić certainly until the end of this season. Long term obviously we need a replacement for Matić as he can’t play every game and he’ll only be here another season at most. McTominay has really improved and has been good this season but he’s not at Matic’s level when he’s at his best. If we can get someone like Saúl Ñíguez or Partey in while keeping hold of Pogba we’ll have as good a midfield as any.
 

Lennon7

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For now, it has to be Bruno infront of Pogba and Fred. But Pogba and a really solid DM with Bruno infront would be absolutely incredible. Add a top right mid to that and, injury free and form permitting, we’re title contenders.
 

Foxbatt

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I would play a 4 man midfield depending on the opposition with Pogba, Bruno, Matic and Fred/McTominay and play Martial and Rashford up front. If it's a side that's going to defend and sit deep then Matic starts with P and B.
 

Infra-red

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I'd probably go with a diamond/4-3-1-2, until we can get some decent wide players:

De Gea

AWB Lindelof Maguire Shaw

Fred Matic Pogba

Bruno

Martial Rashford​
 

simonhch

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We have five midfielders who are all good enough to start. Bruno and Pogba have to play. They are both absolutely outstanding and essential to our creativity. Changes the profile of our side completely.

Matic is the obvious answer, as he provides the most balance, being a very defensively astute midfielder.

McTominay is future United captain material imo. Along with Rashford. He brings work rate, passion, physicality, aerial presence. He is also very decent technically. Very mature footballer for his age.

Fred has the most interesting profile for me. He’s put in some monstrous performances this season. He brings tireless running and pressing, and incisive forward passing from a deep position. He also has the ability to run with the ball, which is a nice addition. His biggest question mark was his ability to deal with the physical demands of the PL, but he’s adapted beautifully this season.

So a tough decision, and thankfully a fairly moot one, because I think the idea of a first choice XI is a little quaint these days. Such are the rotational demands of fixture congestion, and opposition variability. But..... I’d go with the most technically gifted option....

Fred, Pogba, Bruno.

The player who excites me the most coming out of the academy (not including Greenwood who I consider a first team player/starter now), is Garner. Superb technically ability, and wonderful short and long range passing. Excellent positional understanding and reading of the game, Goal threat too. I think he will emerge as the Matic replacement, who will be 32 next month. Matic probably has another season left in him as a top pro, even two. Which is the perfect timeline for the integration of Garner.
 

bosnian_red

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Its easy, Matic holding behind Bruno and Pogba is by far the highest quality and best balanced midfield. Mctominay and Fred are brilliant to have as squad players though.
 

sammsky1

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Matic Pogba Bruno.
Sancho Martial Rashford

As good as any front 6 in EPL.
And get better as each year passes.

(Replace Matic with McT or a new worldie next summer)
 

Revan

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Matic probably complements better Pogba and Bruno, though his legs are a but gone. I think that McTominay is actually our third best midfielder, but balance-wise, maybe a pure DF is needed. In all honesty, I think that all three of McTominay, Matic and Fred can do a job there against most of the teams.
 

UNITED ACADEMY

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Matic won't be able to play week in week out. We all know the last time we forced him to play week in week out last season, took him almost a year to find his form back. Matic, Scott & Fred offer different things, I think we can rotate them depends on who's our opposition.

Against lower team, Matic will be much more suitable candidate to play alongside Pogba & Bruno, his composure and his ball playing on the ball is needed and he's a type of player who is suitable when playing in much more possession. While against team who is not afraid to attack, Scott or Fred will be much more suitable due to their work rate. Fred can also be used against the lower team since he's good on the ball and his awareness & composure have improved this season when under pressure.
 

Web of Bissaka

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Mainly,
------Pogba ------ Bruno------​
------------McTominay---------​

Situation-wise,
------Pogba ------ Bruno------​
---------------Matic---------------​
I'm beginning to hate the 4231 #10 system.
I don't think we're getting the best out of our two most creative players, especially Pogba with that.
 

Web of Bissaka

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Against lower team, Matic will be much more suitable candidate to play alongside Pogba & Bruno, his composure and his ball playing on the ball is needed and he's a type of player who is suitable when playing in much more possession. While against team who is not afraid to attack, Scott or Fred will be much more suitable due to their work rate. Fred can also be used against the lower team since he's good on the ball and his awareness & composure have improved this season when under pressure.
Agreed, with the first two points.

The 3rd, I like to see it first, Fred playing alongside Pog and Brun. I don't think it has happened or did but not enough convincing minutes.
 

Strelok

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Against weaker side with low block, tight defense: Matic-Bruno-Pogba. Matic drops to from a back three with two CBs allowing two FBs bombing forward. Matic has the better vision and passing than Fred, McT. Both range and quality.

Against stronger side: this is a difficult one. Pre covid it'd be Matic - Fred - Bruno. But now I'd go McT - Pogba - Bruno.
 

SadlerMUFC

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For now, it has to be Bruno infront of Pogba and Fred. But Pogba and a really solid DM with Bruno infront would be absolutely incredible. Add a top right mid to that and, injury free and form permitting, we’re title contenders.
You haven't been watching Matic play have you? We have a really solid DM already...
 

Lennon7

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You haven't been watching Matic play have you? We have a really solid DM already...
Matic has been excellent since our return yeah but he’s not world class. We need a really fecking top DM to shield our average defence and provide the required cover for Pogba to get forward. Matic is still getting on a bit, and isn’t as mobile as say Kante. He’s good but not good enough.
 

andersj

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Against lower team, Matic will be much more suitable candidate to play alongside Pogba & Bruno, his composure and his ball playing on the ball is needed and he's a type of player who is suitable when playing in much more possession.
Agree. And if we bring in a good CB we should just play with three at the back (and no pure DM) against better teams. The way we did before the break.

I think this is a good solution for now. We have other, more pressing issues for this summer than DM.
 

eire-red

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Definitely a trio of Matic, Pogba and Bruno. However, would like to see both Bruno and Pogba play more as no. 8's and Matic sitting, instead of Bruno always the furthest forward, similar to Fernandinho, De Bruyne and Silva set up.

Having said that, Bruno is soo good when near that 18 yard line, his dummys, one touch passing and link up with Martial is soo good at times, so it's hard to justify pulling him back. Pogba is definitely better with play in front of him as his long range passing and vision is a little better.

The ball that Pobga played for Ighalo for the winner vs Norwich is what he excels at, whereas the flick for Ighalo from Bruno when Klose was sent off is exactly why you want Bruno near the attackers, he brings penetration and speed to our attacks, while Pogba can bring a little more elegance and vision from deep.

Sign a Matic replacement, and if Pogba accepted a more tactically disciplined role (as he did in the WC), playing slightly deeper and more defensively switched on, then I think you have a really balanced midfield three right there.
 

TwoSheds

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Martial Ighalo
Rashford Pogba Fernandes Greenwood
Shaw Matic Maguire AWB
De Gea

Attack Attack Attack
:devil::devil:
:devil::devil::devil::devil:
:devil::devil::devil::devil:
 

IRELANDUNITED

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Matic Pogba Bruno. McT and Fred are good squad players but I'm not sure they're good enough to be starting for a team that's looking to win the league. Finding a proper Matic replacement in the next 18 months is very important.
 

MDFC Manager

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Matic, Pogba, Bruno
This is comfortably the best trio we can put forward. Especially since it almost certainly allows Bruno and Pogba to impose themselves on the match. Fred and McT, as much as I love them both, do not possess the composure and tactical nous of Matic.

Interestingly, Ole also talked about using the diamond formation. In that case the midfield and attack should lineup like this:

Rashford---------Martial
Bruno
Fred/McT----Pogba
Matic
 

Rozay

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Christ, this thread! Some of the earlier comments :eek:
 

SadlerMUFC

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Matic has been excellent since our return yeah but he’s not world class. We need a really fecking top DM to shield our average defence and provide the required cover for Pogba to get forward. Matic is still getting on a bit, and isn’t as mobile as say Kante. He’s good but not good enough.
Then you really haven't been paying attention. He's been playing like a world class DM and has been doing it for quite a while (since before lock down). I agree that we need to look to sign a new DM as he is getting on in age, but for the remainder of this season Matic needs to be one of the first names on the team sheet. Especially if we are starting both Pogba and Fernandes...
 

bosnian_red

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Matic has been excellent since our return yeah but he’s not world class. We need a really fecking top DM to shield our average defence and provide the required cover for Pogba to get forward. Matic is still getting on a bit, and isn’t as mobile as say Kante. He’s good but not good enough.
He's perfect, just needs game time managed, which is perfectly fine as we have McTominay and Fred as midfield depth (as good midfield depth as anyone around IMO). Its short term though. Enough for next season with the hope McTominay can develop more and take over after that and have Garner develop enough to take a big squad role.

Also our defence really isn't average. We have excellent defensive fullbacks and Maguire is an excellent CB, with Lindelof/Bailly very decent as well. We haven't conceded more than 1 goal in a game since mid January, and largely even those we have conceded since that time were goalkeeping mistakes which you can't account for. It took time for them to gel but as a system we have been very good defensively, with the statistics showing it. Really good at restricting chances, restricting balls in the box, less passes into the box, less touches into the box, etc. Everyone will concede goals, and our defence isn't perfect (IMO needs a pacey and more aggressive partner to Maguire instead of Lindelof), but its not a problem area at all. The biggest issue with our defence would be the attacking talent of the fullbacks, but thats a different convo.
 

Lennon7

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He's perfect, just needs game time managed, which is perfectly fine as we have McTominay and Fred as midfield depth (as good midfield depth as anyone around IMO). Its short term though. Enough for next season with the hope McTominay can develop more and take over after that and have Garner develop enough to take a big squad role.

Also our defence really isn't average. We have excellent defensive fullbacks and Maguire is an excellent CB, with Lindelof/Bailly very decent as well. We haven't conceded more than 1 goal in a game since mid January, and largely even those we have conceded since that time were goalkeeping mistakes which you can't account for. It took time for them to gel but as a system we have been very good defensively, with the statistics showing it. Really good at restricting chances, restricting balls in the box, less passes into the box, less touches into the box, etc. Everyone will concede goals, and our defence isn't perfect (IMO needs a pacey and more aggressive partner to Maguire instead of Lindelof), but its not a problem area at all. The biggest issue with our defence would be the attacking talent of the fullbacks, but thats a different convo.
Nah, I get where you’re coming from and he’ll do for now but we really need to get an upgrade. It could change our whole team.

Our defence as a whole needs to be better. Shaw is crap, Maguire is limited at times, and Lindelof is weak. In an ideal window we’d buy a centre back and a left back for a combined total of like £120m, which says a lot for the state of our defence at the moment.
You’re right it’s not a priority area but it needs to be better. Even DeGea is going to shit
 

Slik

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Imagine picking Mctominay and Fred ahead of Pogba
 

M Bison

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Bruno and Pogba are a given, so it’s who plays the holding role. Up until the season restarted I’d have said Fred but it’s looking more likely Matić now.

Spoilt for choice!
 

Walters_19_MuFc

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I was one who said I'd like to see Pogba and Fred/McTominay in games we dominate (which is most of them) and a pivot of Fred and McTominay for the tougher games.

However, come to think of it, I'd be really interested to see a 3142 with Pogba and Bruno ahead of Matic in the tougher games.

Rashford Martial
Williams Pogba Bruno Wan-Bissaka
Matic
Shaw Maguire Lindelof
De Gea​
 

criticalanalysis

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Agreed, with the first two points.

The 3rd, I like to see it first, Fred playing alongside Pog and Brun. I don't think it has happened or did but not enough convincing minutes.
Yes me too. I do think Fred has been unfairly rated or his other tangible attributes overlooked here tbh.

Yesterday's game didn't help his cause but the 2nd half showed why his lungs are an invaluable asset.

Although he hasn't been in a position to show it, I think he has the nous to follow instructions and play the deepest midfielder role very well. I'd hate to say it but he could emulate Fernandinho in his own way.
 

Nep77

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Pogba and Bruno Should both play as 8 ahead of Matic. When we get a new RW, Wan bisaka can be asked to tuck inside and cover the space vacated by pogba and Bruno bombing forward, similar to the way Walker stays inside most of the time to make sure that space is covered for city.
 

Rozay

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U wot m8?

it’s so obviously Matic, Bruno, Pogba
It was an older post. By older, I mean a time when Pogba hadn’t played for a while, and the resentment towards him had built on the caf and a number of posters had convinced themselves that he was basically not good enough to get into our team as an automatic choice. You could have picked any number of posts from the first few pages. In fact, just two or three weeks ago there was another thread like this, and the comments were pretty much the same. ‘Earn his place’ was the phrase then. What’s the point if it literally only took him 10 minutes to ‘earn’ it over all of these ‘have been performing brilliantly for months’ midfielders?!