I don't think it would be too bad. Mkhi is an extremely hard working guy, he would be able to handle it.
Anyway, Herrera has the burden of playing with Pogba in a 4231 and he's still effective then.
Antoine Griezmann
- Thread starter MounchesterUtd
- Start date
- Status
Anyway, Herrera has the burden of playing with Pogba in a 4231 and he's still effective then.
I believe that was Aquire Me.
Is Verratti any better defensively? We'll make it work.
Have we knighted him yet, should it not be Sir * AquireMe or do we have to wait until the Griezmann deal goes through first?
*(Muppet King)
I suppose it makes sense in a way, but Herrera needs to improve a lot if he's going to be the first line of attack. His long range passing for starters is terribly inconsistent. Then there is the question of discipline. He can't be running about like he does, closing down players. He needs to be more aware positionally as well. I'm not saying he can't play the role, he's done it under Mourinho and even under van Gaal, but he needs to maintain that level of consistency.
---De Gea
---Valencia--Bailly---Lindelof--Shaw
-Bakayoko-Herrera-Pogba
Mkhitaryan----------Griezmann
--Ibrahimović
---De Gea
---Valencia--Bailly---Lindelof--Shaw
-Bakayoko-Herrera-Pogba
Mkhitaryan----------Martial
---Griezmann
---De Gea
---Valencia--Bailly---Lindelof---Shaw
-Bakayoko-Herrera-Pogba
Griezmann----------Martial
---Ibrahimović
Why is Bakayoko all of a sudden in all of these line-ups? These midfields are useless, none of them have a calm head in them that can actually pass the ball with accurate consistency and variation.
Precisely.Who the feck is Bakayoko?
Anyway, I've revised my proposal.
---Mikhi----Verratti---Pogba----
Griezmann----Ibra-----Martial
Anyway, I've revised my proposal.
---Mikhi----Verratti---Pogba----
Griezmann----Ibra-----Martial
Transfer rumors.
Why would Mkhitaryan play as a LM instead of Herrera?
Shocking source, I know, but...
Yeah just noticed this - Delaney is a better source than Coral though so it gives me more hope!
It's a little like we aren't paying heed to what happened with Pogba, and not using him in his best position much for the first couple of months.
Could you imagine shelling a world record out, and playing Griezmann wide?!
Could you imagine shelling a world record out, and playing Griezmann wide?!
ah man, Delaney is awful
Is he an upgrade out wide to either Martial or Mhky? Is he better than Pogba?
That'd be my worries. We've just spent months working out Pogba is better with 2 CMs around him, so to suddenly put him back into a 2, or shoehorn Griezmann wide worries me a little.
As does the idea we seem to be replicating Galacticos Madrid era, when they weren't the biggest trophy winners. It's exciting though.
If we're paying his release clause why don't we just do it this window?
Forget about Delaney. We have our own in house ITK doing the heavy lifting for us.
>>>>>>>>>> WELCOME TO MANCHESTER UNITED <<<<<<<<<<<
It's obvious as feck this is happening in the summer. Everything is in place for it to happen. Yes we'll mess about with the formation for a few months but when a player of Griezmanns quality and at his age is available you sign them and worry about everything else later. A fluid front 3 could be evolving with Griezmann Martial and Mhki all interchanging positions.
Maybe he wants to see out the season at Athletico, they're still in the Champions League and we're out of our title race.
Just FWIW, Griezmann is not going to dribble on the outside on counters or drift inwards whilst consistently beating markers and conjuring magic à la Messi or Neymar or Hazard in terms of technique, or Bale in terms pace + power, so just, be careful what you wish for if he's signed as a wide forward for United (a team that needs dynamism and magic in wide forward areas). He's not a great creator, and functionally - is going to be more of a improvement on someone like Mata (whose game is predicated on movement, relatively tidy passing and positioning himself in the right spots), expect Griezmann's a slightly worse creative passer, but a bit more direct and a better scorer as a support striker.
This is a standard game for him from a wide right position:
Scored a goal (centrally, after the exchange with Gameiro), but didn't have a significant net impact on the proceedings of the match in terms of running at people and creating decisive chances (corroborated by a record of 14 assists in 113 starts for Atlético). It's not about chucking him there and expecting him to perform, but about balance and building a structure for him to thrive in - like Simeone has done at Atlético where Koke + Saúl + Gabi + Thiago run and make big sacrifices for him. Outside of Herrera, United might be a bit short on players of that ilk (not least Pogba - who should be at the forefront of the show - not the stepping stone for Antoine).
We thought Mourinho had a plan for Pogba, too - but it took him months and several unforced errors to create the perfect harmony for him (like using him in a pivot with Marouane), even though it was blatantly evident that he's best in a midfield 3 as the left sided hybrid midfielder/midfielder. United might get the best out of Paul, or the best out of Griezmann, but high chances are that they both might not excel simultaneously, which is a bit worrying given the central overlap they'll create, and if there's no central overlap, Griezmann will go wide (where he was good for Sociedad, but nowhere near his Ballon D'Or Top 3 caliber central Atlético peak). Ah well, hoping for the best, if we do sign him, that is - maybe we'll go uncharacteristic diamond or try to emulate Dortmund's Aubameyang-Mkhitaryan-Reus setup by using Martial as the mobile center forward who can penetrate the central defensive line and minimize Ibrahimović sharpish. Though it does go against Mourinho's established template, and also - he did name Martial his 4th striker (while mentioning that it's only in a different system):
This is a standard game for him from a wide right position:
Scored a goal (centrally, after the exchange with Gameiro), but didn't have a significant net impact on the proceedings of the match in terms of running at people and creating decisive chances (corroborated by a record of 14 assists in 113 starts for Atlético). It's not about chucking him there and expecting him to perform, but about balance and building a structure for him to thrive in - like Simeone has done at Atlético where Koke + Saúl + Gabi + Thiago run and make big sacrifices for him. Outside of Herrera, United might be a bit short on players of that ilk (not least Pogba - who should be at the forefront of the show - not the stepping stone for Antoine).
We thought Mourinho had a plan for Pogba, too - but it took him months and several unforced errors to create the perfect harmony for him (like using him in a pivot with Marouane), even though it was blatantly evident that he's best in a midfield 3 as the left sided hybrid midfielder/midfielder. United might get the best out of Paul, or the best out of Griezmann, but high chances are that they both might not excel simultaneously, which is a bit worrying given the central overlap they'll create, and if there's no central overlap, Griezmann will go wide (where he was good for Sociedad, but nowhere near his Ballon D'Or Top 3 caliber central Atlético peak). Ah well, hoping for the best, if we do sign him, that is - maybe we'll go uncharacteristic diamond or try to emulate Dortmund's Aubameyang-Mkhitaryan-Reus setup by using Martial as the mobile center forward who can penetrate the central defensive line and minimize Ibrahimović sharpish. Though it does go against Mourinho's established template, and also - he did name Martial his 4th striker (while mentioning that it's only in a different system):
http://www.espnfc.us/story/3028579/...ld-be-disaster-but-mourinho-rules-out-striker
Any La Liga watchers? How as Griezmann been this season?
Good lord what a signing this would be.
Still tho, nothing from good sources yet
Still tho, nothing from good sources yet
For me despite his "poor" scoring record, he has been good in open play.
No it isn't. Griezmann is by far at his best in the 10 role or a second striker, we aren't spending what will likely be close to a world record fee and sticking him on the wing. Mourinho has used the 4-2-3-1 system at Inter/Madrid and Chelsea, it's easily his preferred system.
So you want Pogba to play in midfield two again? It's the only way Griezmann signing will work properly.
Cant imagine this not happening. Seems the most obvious signing in years. We are pretty much tits and fanny on a plate for the likes of Griezmann and Pogba. We're the big penis in England, whatever the table says. And finally we are throwing our money about as such.
To be fair Pogba has the talent to play in any position in midfield and be quite good, perhaps he lacks the discipline to play a more reserved role but realistically he could play in a midfield two and still be very good there.
It's a complete waste of Pogba to play him in a midfield two, in a reserved role. Did people not watch him for the first few months of the season?
I think all of this is correct, and it's something I really hope Mourinho is wary of. I don't think we'll be seeing any diamonds or unconventional formations (Mourinho really isn't much of a tinkerer). So at most it'll either be the second striker behind Zibra (which means midfield two for Pogba) or a winger in our current 4-1-4-1 style we have going on. One hinders our current super buy, the other will hinder the super buy we want.
Which is why if we want an Atleti attacker I'm all for Carrasco.
It's probably written into the clause that it can only be activated in the summer. Also, Atletico might have a transfer ban so apparently it wouldn't happen if they did - guessing that's written into the clause as well.
At Inter the 4312 was used more.
The problem with that is that Pogba will be Yaya Touré level good at his peak if he's consistently played in a midfield 2. That's the base of his ability given his overall skillset, IMO, and if he improves his defensive discipline - he could maybe one day become like Vieira - a more defensive box-to-box. But as a free ranger (which he was for Juventus), he could change the outcome of games for United and perhaps become the best hybrid midfield+attack powerhouse since arguably Ruud Gullit:
http://www.footballitaliano.co.uk/p6_66_218_lessons-in-calcio-ruud-gullit.html#.WH6bVVMrL4Y
You pay a world record fee for players of that nature (like Milan did in 1987), not Touré (with all due respect to him). Also, City's midfield two was often truly awful in Champions League games when Yaya played in a two, and they were consistently outplayed by better constructed midfield units because he never quite mastered the positioning aspect of the game, and they lacked someone who could sit and masterfully dictate games from the center of the park, even with Silva as a #10 (who was a few notches above Griezmann as a passer and creator).
Pogba is phenomenal and unique talent (which is why we need to make special arrangements for him), but him doing what he did at Juventus (or has done at United since Carrick was introduced) will be partially ruled out as a pivot midfielder. If he charges forward like he did for them, or does for us in his best role - and makes one mistake, your DM is up against the world (like in the City game). We'll essentially be toying with a lot of fundamental components of Pogba's game, instead of fully unleashing him.
I approve this line up, sign Verratti up immediately!
Last edited:
The clash between Pogba and Griezmann is what worries me about this signing too. I can't see how they will both be at their best in the same set up.
Interestingly, Delaney was on the Second Captains podcast yesterday and said Griezmann was to replace Zlatan. I'm assuming he meant as the team's talisman though....
Interestingly, Delaney was on the Second Captains podcast yesterday and said Griezmann was to replace Zlatan. I'm assuming he meant as the team's talisman though....
No it was a 4-2-3-1 with Cambiasso and Motta holding then Sneijder ahead, even in the final with Motta suspended he went 4-2-3-1 and played Zanetti as the holder.
What I want has nothing to do with it. If we sign Griezmann it's far more likely we play in a 4-2-3-1 than shift him out wide is my point.
- Status