We need to play a midfield three, for games like this two sitting players and then in easier games where we should be in the ascendance two attacking midfielders and one to sit in front of the defence. Pogba leaves Herrera to do all the defensive and closing down work. This is showing the lack of signing a Carrick replacement. He should have been in last night, but cannot manage the games.
21
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 50
- Goals
- 3
- Assists
- 11
- Yellow cards
- 15
- Red cards
- 2
- Status
Yeah I agree. Finding a replacement for Carrick is absolutely imperative.
He had Blind on the bench, I would have had him in there or even Fellaini, then you can absolve Pogba of his defensive duties, just let him do his thing.
I'm surprised Blind hasn't been tried in that role more often by Mourinho. This summer though, we badly need to find a replacement for Carrick and stop faffing about.
He should learn to not be daft. Needless fouling doesn't make you gritty or feisty. Having a decent season overall so he can have some leeway but needs to be smarter than falling into a trap.
He has this petulant streak in him where you feel it's always possible he'll get sent off. He shouldn't have gotten booked but he didn't need to make the foul either.
He needed to defend smarter especially after being on a yellow, but he was always going to be at the mercy of a rash decision from the ref anyway so you can't blame him. We can only hope the refereeing in England improves as its been shambolic particularly this season. Oliver should have booked the multiple offenders against Hazard if he wanted to stop the fouling way before it got out of hand. Jones, Valencia and Darmian all had fouled Hazard multiple times IIRC. The ref bottled it and instead progressively built massive pressure on his next decision that when Hazard conned him he couldn't handle the crowd anymore, total bitch. There's only so much you can do with that sort of refereeing.
I'm not surprised at all. He's both very slow and small sized. Having a decent left foot alone does not make one a midfielder. I'd rather play Carrick (or even Basti) than him in DM any day of the week
Um, my point was the lack of options we have in that position. Basti is clearly frozen out and Carrick can only play a certain amount of games. I'm by no means advocating playing Blind there long-term; I'm merely talking about making use with what we have this season.
We need to invest in that position, badly need to. FWIW, I don't really rate Blind whatsoever. He's a grand squad player but that's about it.
Would like to see Blind given an opportunity there under Mourinho. He started off their in his Utd career under Van Gaal, and I thought he looked decent enough.
He's not good enough as a starter but this season, given our lack of options, I have no idea why he hasn't been given more chances there.
He is inconsistent when he plays. Dont forget he was also pretty good last season at CB and then this season at LB. He is a decent squad player for sure and a likeable guy
Yeah definitely a good squad player. He isn't good enough to make any position his own but I don't mind him at all as a squad option.
We don't have a lack of options, it's just Mou not picking them or preferring other options if you will. Carrick has not played that many games at all and both him and Basti are here, with us, this season. It's why I said there's no point in trying Blind at DM where you have 3-4 actual midfielders that can play there.
But we do need to strengthen our midfield considerably with at least one, maybe 2 players. Carrick and Basti are on the way out and Fellaini is not even really a midfielder (plus he's on the last year of his contract too). We basically have Herrera and Pogba for the next few years and we need to have more depth.
We need a Carrick replacement, simple as that. Someone who can play the majority of games in a midfield three and let them build an understanding. With Michael being the option we keep changing from a three to two. The set up of the three can be shuffled depending on the opposition. Either two to sit in front of the defence against the big teams, then one with the other two going forward more against the lesser teams. It just means that the third midfielder is always there to help out when we are under any pressure.
Yeah its not even a nasty streak, its sheer petulance. Im not even sure he can be nasty. Stupid little fouls here and there, he normally tends to be the first Utd player booked every match and normally in the first 20 minutes (or so it seems).
Someone should tell him that despite the money we have spent in recent years our midfield consists of him and Pogba and without one of the two we don't really have a bloody midfield.
Idiotic and stupid tackleS yesterday.
He's so stupid sometimes. Sometimes he looks a world class player, but other times is just average in everything he makes.
He needs to calm down and think that he has to be better than what he's showing since January.
I think that he's tiring a bit and he's less and less decisive these days, maybe showing why Pogba and the team is also less efective.
He was during our great run in December our better player, but since, he looks only average.
Just hope that these 2 games out will benefit him
He's so stupid sometimes. Sometimes he looks a world class player, but other times is just average in everything he makes.
He needs to calm down and think that he has to be better than what he's showing since January.
I think that he's tiring a bit and he's less and less decisive these days, maybe showing why Pogba and the team is also less efective.
He was during our great run in December our better player, but since, he looks only average.
Just hope that these 2 games out will benefit him
You're being pretty pedantic and delving into semantics here. I think what I said was fair game. Is Mourinho playing Schweinsteiger? No. Can Carrick play every game? No. So I'm basing what I said on every single mitigating factor, not what could have happened. Yeah, Mourinho could have played Schweinsteiger, but clearly that ship has sailed.
So when you break down what is actually happening, then yeah, Blind would have been worth a crack there from time-to-time. Obviously it didn't happen and quite honestly, I couldn't give a flying feck as I don't hold particularly strong views on Blind as a player, for better or for worse.
You obviously feel far more strongly about this issue than I do. Going forward we need improvements, that's the crux of the matter as what we currently have isn't good enough.
Mate, you have to examine the possibility at this stage that you might be making things up. Mourinho might not be playing Basti, not because he dislikes him or anything, but simply because he rates him as his 4th best (or more reliable, whatever you wanna call it) option behind:
1) Herrera
2) Carrick
3) Fellaini
If your 4th option does not get enough games as it is, why introduce a 5th? When is he ever going to play? In a QF at The Bridge, all out of a sudden, when option 1 is on the pitch and option 2 is on the bench?
I'm out. I'm sorry, I just don't feel strongly about this.
Edit: Wait, what? Who the actual feck said anything about him playing last night? All I said was "I'm surprised he hasn't been used there more often". Think you're making shit up now.
Disqualified for 2 games
What a joke.
What a joke.
Two yellows for nothing fouls, not going to blame him when the ref was an idiot.
Why do you think he stood still rather than run with Hazard or track another player? He knew by standing where he was he'd get in the way.
Even the second one, it's soft in terms of the actual ferocity of the tackle but it's a sneaky, cynical trip. He's not going for the ball. I'm not a fan of that stuff so it's the correct the decision.
I just said I agree with the cards but two games? I don't get that at all.
Why 2 games? Does the suspension period double if it's not his first suspension of the season?
2nd red. Remember the joke one against Burnley with Clattenburg?
Yes. And his first was also a strange one iirc
I'm a Herrera fan but his second yellow was stupid. It probably wasn't deserved, but it was stupid to have given the ref the opportunity and Hazard the opportunity for that matter.
What annoys me more was the first yellow. How the hell is that a yellow? Football has become such a pansy sport. Why is it obligatory for Herrera to dive out of the way of Hazard is running in to him? Herrera stood there, he didn't run into Hazard. He didn't raise an arm, he didn't shoulder Hazard. He held his space. Hazard ran in to him. He should not be obliged in any way to move out of an opponent's way. What has the game turned in to ffs?
What annoys me more was the first yellow. How the hell is that a yellow? Football has become such a pansy sport. Why is it obligatory for Herrera to dive out of the way of Hazard is running in to him? Herrera stood there, he didn't run into Hazard. He didn't raise an arm, he didn't shoulder Hazard. He held his space. Hazard ran in to him. He should not be obliged in any way to move out of an opponent's way. What has the game turned in to ffs?
So you're saying that it should be like basketball then, as long as you get to your spot and set your feet, you should be able to take the charge legally? That's effectively what Herrera was doing, because he had the choice to move or to block him.
I'm not saying it should be like basketball. I'm saying that he should not be obliged to move. How isn't Hazard blocking him in that instant? Why does every collision necessarily have to be a foul?
Every intentional collision. If you're saying you wouldn't have expected Mhkitaryan to get the same call if it were the other way around then fine, but I suspect most would have been beside themselves if he was blocked like that and we didn't get the call.
Isn't it possible to appeal yellow cards if there is simulation involved. If so, we should appeal bth of these, but specially the first one where Hazard simulated running into a wall...
I wouldn't expect it. I hate attacking players running straight into opponents and then screaming for a foul when they've done it on purpose and there's nothing the opponent can actually do.
So Herrera should have made way for Hazard instead of standing there?
All players have a right to their position on the field of play; being in the way of an opponent is not the same as moving into the way of an opponent.
http://www.thefa.com/football-rules.../football-11-11/law-12---fouls-and-misconduct
Hazard initiates contact with opponents every game. He is a master at creating fouls.
Watch Herrera, he literally doesn't move forward or towards Hazard. Hazard runs straight into his path.
Yes perhaps Herrera should have been wiser and stepped away but it's difficult in full speed to process that's about to happen, he probably expects Hazard to dodge him like any normal player would do.
Watch Herrera, he literally doesn't move forward or towards Hazard. Hazard runs straight into his path.
Yes perhaps Herrera should have been wiser and stepped away but it's difficult in full speed to process that's about to happen, he probably expects Hazard to dodge him like any normal player would do.
Can you imagine the comments from some on here if he had actually stepped to one side to let Hazard through?
People on here will find something to moan about whatever happens. Pogba can't even smile and embrace a friend after the final whistle FFS.Can you imagine the comments from some on here if he had actually stepped to one side to let Hazard through?
I love football and hate losing too, but some people just take it far, far too seriously.
Yes he got a soft red. It happens.
But why does he have to wag his finger and protest loudly after each foul he commits. Given his role and the fact that he is having to carry the entire midfield because Pogba is "adjusting", he will be committing a lot of fouls. He is bound to annoy the referee if he keeps doing this every time.
I have seen Mata, Rojo and even Valencia get away with quite a few fouls, just because they keep quiet and don't scream at the ref each time their name is called.
But why does he have to wag his finger and protest loudly after each foul he commits. Given his role and the fact that he is having to carry the entire midfield because Pogba is "adjusting", he will be committing a lot of fouls. He is bound to annoy the referee if he keeps doing this every time.
I have seen Mata, Rojo and even Valencia get away with quite a few fouls, just because they keep quiet and don't scream at the ref each time their name is called.
- Status