Who is our most important player this season?

Well...


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Fortitude

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I've feeling this'll run close between a few players. It's up to you how interpret 'important,' but the intended meaning is: who is the most pivotal; the player we're most dependent on to make the very best of ourselves this campaign.

Some believe:

- We're in massive trouble should Varane go down injured.

- Martinez is taking us up a level with his game and self-belief.

- Eriksen is the only player in the squad who has no replacement and that the ability to pick and thread precise passes both on the half-turn early into the dangerous areas of the pitch, or pick out (and hit) the most considered pass, is crucial.

- Bruno is the glue that binds the midfield to the final third.

- Martial is primed to take us up a level or two as our only player who can hold up the ball and play combination football with anyone in proximity with consummate ease.

- Dalot, because without him, we haven't got a right-back, until January at the earliest, essentially.

- McTominay, who is, at the moment, our most improved player, whose size, mass, athleticism and energy levels are proving to be an absolute nuisance to the opposition.

- Casemiro. Him coming good is theoretically in the ballpark of what Martial has the potential to offer.

There may be another player you have in mind, but I would be surprised if one of the above isn't your first choice for the reason outlined, or maybe even more than that?

Perhaps we're so tightly threaded, it's a conjunctive effort with no 'the one' for you so to speak?

Anyway, where do you stand: who is our most important/pivotal player this season, and why?
 

Desert Eagle

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It's between Varane, Martinez and Eriksen.

I'll go with Eriksen. Ironman
 

kthanksbye

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Whoever ends up scoring/assisting the most, this team really lacks goals.
 

fps

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It's between Varane, Martinez and Eriksen.

I'll go with Eriksen. Ironman
I’d be tempted to name these three too, might switch Varane for Dalot who has helped give us a right flank again. They all seem to have grown-up attitudes to their job, and not buy their own hype. Perhaps that’s because I haven’t read many interviews with them in their own first languages, but I don’t think so.
 

Wing Attack Plan R

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Voted Eriksen. Martinez and Varane are close behind in the rankings. Having CBs who can pass to each other and are smart players has made a world of difference. We lose any of those 3 and we are suddenly back to where we were last term.
 

Dirty Schwein

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If Bruno can consistently get near the level he was when he first came, that would be immense.
 

Son

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I’d say 5 of our players need to be exceptional for different reasons.

Martinez, Varane, Bruno, Eriksen and Rashford.

If all those are on form we can defend pass, play through balls and get in behind. Funny I wrote Rashford off completely last season but in big games he really does show up when fully fit.

Without him we’d struggle to have any threat.
 

Grande

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Marcus Rashford is also a good candidate, given that Ronaldo isn’t one. The Rashford who put Liverpool and Arsenal to the spear, whom we’ve hardly seen for a couple of seasons.

David De Gea playing like autumn 21 instead of like spring 21 can also mean a world of difference.

But my vote goes to Lisandro Martinez. He aldready has the same effect for pur defence that Bruno had for us a couple of seasons back.
 

Henandez14

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Not with Ronaldo in front of him. Martial returning will bring out more from Rashford and Bruno, IMO.
Martial returning will bring out more from Sancho, Antony as well. Eriksen to a lesser extent
 

Dirty Schwein

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Not with Ronaldo in front of him. Martial returning will bring out more from Rashford and Bruno, IMO.
Yeah but Ronaldo isn't a starter anymore. Rashy is very rash in front of goal but if we play with beast mode Bruno, we should be able to carve enough chances to get more goals.
 

AdNani

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i think it's between Varane, Eriksen and Martial.

Varane - world class defender, real leader, the drop off from him if he's out is huge.

Eriksen - Heartbeat of the team, no other midfielder provides what he provides in terms of passing.

Martial - Big if here, But if he can stay fit and show some form, he's the only CF we have who can hold the ball and bring others into play. I feel like his ability to link up play as well as run in behind will bring the best out of Sancho and Antony. Excited to see him back.
 

Pass and Move

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I put Eriksen, but I could easily have gone with Martinez. To a certain extent they're reliant on each other to move the ball from defense to attack, if either is missing then we lack so much ability to play out from the back that the rest of the team will suffer regardless. Bruno, Martial, Sancho etc only have a hope of reaching their potential with Eriksen and Martinez behind them.
 

jeepers

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Martial returning will bring out more from Sancho, Antony as well. Eriksen to a lesser extent
Yeah I reckon so as well. I just mentioned Rashford and Bruno because we have seen them connect well with Martial over a decent period.


Yeah but Ronaldo isn't a starter anymore. Rashy is very rash in front of goal but if we play with beast mode Bruno, we should be able to carve enough chances to get more goals.
I really hope Ronaldo isn’t a starter anymore. Point to note is that Ronaldo isn’t fully match fit yet (I think) so the current level he’s playing at should be his lowest. And of course we need Martial to be fit as well.
 

Dirty Schwein

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I really hope Ronaldo isn’t a starter anymore. Point to note is that Ronaldo isn’t fully match fit yet (I think) so the current level he’s playing at should be his lowest. And of course we need Martial to be fit as well.
I think ETH is smart and ruthless enough that he won't be starting Ronaldo in the PL unless he feels Ronaldo is up to it. We've seen he is willing to make the big calls, like dropping Maguire and Shaw, and that is massive. I think dropping them is actually out most "important signing" in a way.

As for Martial, I so badly want him to succeed here but I just don't have faith in him. He will take a while to get going again and then bam... Injury. Or he will come back and sulk like he used to. I wish we had a real striker.
 

Escobar

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I fear it is Eriksen. We is crucial for our game and yet we don't have an option when he's out
 

Pronewbie

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Very tough to choose 1. I'd say that defence, midfield and attack each have at least 1 key player. For me it's Varane, Eriksen and Martial. But I'd also say that Martinez and Bruno are also very important players for us especially from the mental side of things.
 

Rojofiam

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Martínez and Eriksen a level above everyone else in this regard. Went for Martínez, though, he's just so unique, there isn't another CB like him in world football.
 

Volumiza

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Almost impossible to choose between Varane and Eriksen, I'd probably have to go with Varane if I had to choose. I also think Casemiro will become massive for us when he's fully up to speed.
 

SilentWitness

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I went Martinez because of how important he is to both your defence and attack. Not only is his aggression and tenacity something that has been missing sorely from your defence in the past few seasons but his ability to start off attacks and distribute the ball to your forward players is phenomenally important in the modern game and without him (i.e playing Maguire or Lindelof) your whole game completely alters and drops considerably.
 

Smores

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I went with Eriksen just because without him we're a bit screwed and won't be able to play the same football. I don't think we have that same dependency on anyone else.
 

Neil_Buchanan

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Dalot because our entire right hand side is fecked without him. We would struggle without Varane/Martinez in defence or Eriksen in midfield but we have bodies to replace them and im sure Ten Hag could patch us up and make it work but I’m not certain he could do the same for Dalot. Wan Bissaka is absolutely terrible and he would blunt the performances of our very expensive new right winger and massively limit our attacking options.
 

izak

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I'm interested to know those that voted for Maguire and why they feel he'll be important?
 

wolvored

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Its very hard to pick one player. Eriksen has transformed the midfield. Verane has become a leader at the back. LB has become Malacias domain. Mctom, Dalot have improved greatly. Sancho and Rashford have found the back of the net.
Saying all that the one who came here and was looked as a joke signing by opposition fans, and pundits, endured a torrid start, but is now irreplaceable alongside Verane is Martinez. The way he has adapted to a much tougher league and better players is immense. We finally have a back 4 who look the business, and a team im excited to watch again.
So for me Martinez just shades it.
 

jeepers

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I think ETH is smart and ruthless enough that he won't be starting Ronaldo in the PL unless he feels Ronaldo is up to it. We've seen he is willing to make the big calls, like dropping Maguire and Shaw, and that is massive. I think dropping them is actually out most "important signing" in a way.

As for Martial, I so badly want him to succeed here but I just don't have faith in him. He will take a while to get going again and then bam... Injury. Or he will come back and sulk like he used to. I wish we had a real striker.
Fair enough. I hope so! Ronaldo’s different game to Maguire and Shaw. ETH actually played the Maguire situation wisely. I’ve quoted him a couple of times in other threads, but to paraphrase, he basically put the onus and pressure on Maguire to step up and perform, if not he would be dropped for better performing players - Martinez and Varane have definitely outperformed Maguire this season and have more attributes that fit ETH’s philosophy, so them being the current first choice pairing is right and justified.

I really like Martial (but not part of Martial FC) and I still hope he can make it here but realistically I doubt it. He can’t even keep fit for a series of matches at the moment!
 

Zlatans Knee

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Great poll, it was actually really hard to decide. I love that 3 out of my 4 choices are new signings, Eriksen, Martinez, Malacia. I don't see many mentioning Malacia on here, perhaps because they feel that Shaw can still do a job, but I think he has made a real difference with his aggression and enthusiasm. He was brilliant last night. But I went for Martinez, and it was not easy deciding between him, Eriksen and Varane.
We actually look solid for the first time in years. If we could just get the attack to click a bit more then we could have an enjoyable season. But I am finally hopeful for the future!
 

Hughes35

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I put Varane but it was a top of a coin between him and Martinez. I basically thin the season relies on them as a partnership.

They have been the difference in the games we have won. They've been superb.
 

DWelbz19

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Think you missed Sancho in the poll, @Fortitude. I wouldn't have voted for him, but he's probably our most important attacker so far. Probably our fourth most important player so far after the three front-runners - Eriksen/Martinez/Varane.