If that's what passes as a good midfield performance from Carrick these days then standards have severely dropped.
He's yet to play well in any game this season. He's become so slow and lethargic in possession it's unreal.
He should be dropped.
You are obsessed with pace and tempo. Carrick played well and nullified their main threat in Cazorla completely, as well as keeping everything ticking.
Pace and tempo are key parts of our game...it doesn't halp when you've got one player trying to play the game at a different speed to everyone else.
Cazorla had a poor game on his own terms and then scored anyway. Carrick was pretty much a nothing entity. Rooney was stiffling Arsenal's midfield by staying on Arteta's toes and Cleverley and then Anderson were the players moving the ball forwards.
He was better than last week, but then last week he was shocking so that wasn't very hard.
He's capable of playing a lot better so I'd sit him on the bench for a bit now we have some games where we can afford todo so, to give him a kick up the arse, since he seems to be showing no intention to come out of his lethargic little comfort zone.
He's capable of playing a lot better so I'd sit him on the bench for a bit now we have some games where we can afford todo so, to give him a kick up the arse, since he seems to be showing no intention to come out of his lethargic little comfort zone.
Yea would be nice to bench him. Its needed once in a while to watch 90 minutes of our CM pairing not shielding the back 4 at all to remind people how important his defensive work actually is.
Did a good man marking job on carzola right up until the end. Not his best passing performance but I wish Fergie would actually give him more of a rest once and a while. He has played every single Premiership match so far.
A midfield central 3 of Rooney, Cleverly and Carrick needs Carrick to do what he did today. That's not to excuse how poor his passing was. But that Arsenal midfield can play and can play in that area that Carrick occupies, likewise at the bridge last week. Apart from Carrick and the back four that team is built for the other half of the pitch, a sitter, and one who will sit as opposed to can sit, is essential.
Well, it would help to have a second central midfielder who can defend. Stupidity on our part rather than conclusive evidence of Carrick's quality.
I dont think we need a second CM who can defend. Carrick does that job superbly on his own, and Id rather Cleverley goes more offensive than he did today than work on his defensive ability. Of course we cant have a total passenger next to Carrick when it comes to defensive work, but Carrick should be the main shielding midfielder.
People just have to actually realise and appreciate that Carrick is our sitting midfielder who shields the back four, while his partner is the main link between the midfield and Rooney and co further up the pitch. His passing wasnt up to his normal standards today, but it was far from as bad that some here seems to think. That one pass near the end was absolutely horrible though.
Fletcher when he gets more match fit for the PL can probably provide cover for Carrick in easier PL fixtures. From what Ive seen from the CL matches that seems to be the role hes intended for.
I meant as backup or an alternative to Carrick rather than alongside him.
I still have my doubts as to how well Fletcher can do that role in really high intensity game.
Yea would be nice to bench him. Its needed once in a while to watch 90 minutes of our CM pairing not shielding the back 4 at all to remind people how important his defensive work actually is.
Yesterday he did nothing. This idea he somehow stifled Arsenal's midfield is a nonsense. Cazorla used the ball poorly and Arsenal were a bit crap. We hardly stopped them from playing. Carrick did nothing of note at all apart from take about 2 seconds too long to play every pass and occasionally give the ball back to Arsenal despite having a fecking acre of space every single time he got the ball.
I thought by his usual standards as a 'defensive midfielder' he did pretty well yesterday. Again and again he forced Cazorla to turn and pass backwards, which most teams have struggled to do this season. But Cleverley repeatedly owning Wilshere and Rooney taking Arteta out of the game had just as much to do with it.
He was good on the ball. Not incredible - you could see Cleverley getting frustrated sometimes by his lack of movement or taking too long to deliver a return pass - but pretty good. That one horrible mispass was really his only significant error all game.
If that's what passes as a good midfield performance from Carrick these days then standards have severely dropped.
He's yet to play well in any game this season. He's become so slow and lethargic in possession it's unreal.
He should be dropped.
I thought by his usual standards as a 'defensive midfielder' he did pretty well yesterday. Again and again he forced Cazorla to turn and pass backwards, which most teams have struggled to do this season. But Cleverley repeatedly owning Wilshere and Rooney taking Arteta out of the game had just as much to do with it.
He was good on the ball. Not incredible - you could see Cleverley getting frustrated sometimes by his lack of movement or taking too long to deliver a return pass - but pretty good. That one horrible mispass was really his only significant error all game.
He was poor yesterday and poor in the 2nd half last week.
But what can we do, we have to stick by him...
As I always say about Carrick, he is a decent player nothing more nothing less. But perhaps a club our size should have a much better 1st choice midfielder
He's been our worst or one of our worst players every time he's been in the team this season, and looks off the pace all the time. That's not good enough when there are other players playing well and competing for places. One good half against Wigan is all I can recall...and even then it was a case of him being so bad in the first half that he was a lucky boy not to be hauled off, and was presuably told as much.
The funny thing is he's playing worse now than he was a year or so back when everyone was getting on his back. At that time he at least was doing the defensive side of his game effectively.
At the moment, half the time it looks like we have 10 players dragging a human anchor around.
Seems like the Caf just jumped back to 2009 when it comes to opinions on Carrick. Load of shite being said in this thread right now.
If that's what passes as a good midfield performance from Carrick these days then standards have severely dropped.
He's yet to play well in any game this season. He's become so slow and lethargic in possession it's unreal.
He should be dropped.
Standards dropped long ago, that is why so many highly rate Michael Carrick.
