Like the look of him but if he tries doing that spin trick in the PL will just get his legss taken out
Bruno Fernandes | United not interested due to doubts over passing ability
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So what is our system then? I sincerely reject that the answer on that question should be the basis for anything.
We have basically been playing 4-3-3 under OGS (albeit with a very inverted RW) but also 5 at the back (Barcelona for example), a 4-4-2 diamond in many games and against West Ham we started with strict 4-2-3-1 with Mata as 10. Look at Spurs and Pochettino that also does the same. Guardiola is also flexible.
Which is completely correct. We should be able to switch systems from game to game. What numerical system is being used from game to game is the most overrated topic on the Caf and to start with that question when deciding on transfer targets would be self-destructive IMO.
I rather see that we focus on what type of football we want to be playing from here on forward. Which IMO should be switched to much more of an offensive setup with high-press and a high line at the back. It got better initially under OGS, but we have fallen back into Mourinhouesque football lately.
So I rather focus on us buying players that are able to play a more high-energy game than we are setup to do now. IMO we need to change up the squad in that direction.
Bernardo Silva is an excellent example at City. He can play CM or RW or as a No10. Probably even RB if you told him to.
Eriksen at Spurs mostly starts at RW but sometimes also as No10 or lower as CM.
Fernandes is also an excellent example of just that type of player and if he would be a good addition to our squad. How great I dont know, but not to invest in a player like that because you cannot put a number on him in a numerical system that tbf is most important for SKY´s or BT´s graphics than anything is not very smart.
And all of those players you mention? Do you really think it was the "system" that failed them or the other way around? I would argue the latter.
Wins you a free kick though, maybe a booking for the player.
One season wonder.
And not even what we need.
If you give Pogba's the tools, he can also score for fun...and in the EPL not in a weak League like the portuguese one.
We need a DM/CM like Verratti or Neves. Not a BTEC Pogba.
I suspect that Pogba is off and this guy is his replacement. That would make a little more sense.
But with or without Pogba, we shouldn't buy this guy. He isn't a top player. Coutinho is a better option if Pogba goes to Madrid.
And not even what we need.
If you give Pogba's the tools, he can also score for fun...and in the EPL not in a weak League like the portuguese one.
We need a DM/CM like Verratti or Neves. Not a BTEC Pogba.
I suspect that Pogba is off and this guy is his replacement. That would make a little more sense.
But with or without Pogba, we shouldn't buy this guy. He isn't a top player. Coutinho is a better option if Pogba goes to Madrid.
What tools does Pogba need to help him score, apart from Penalties, because he doesn't score many....
I thought Matic was the tool to unlock Pogba? Or at least that was the theory. I swear I've never known a central midfielder apparently need everything else around him to be perfect to get the best out of them
Well said. We have played our best football in years under ole at the start when we pressed high, tackled and won the ball back aggressively before playing it forward with risk. That has dropped off in the last month or two which maybe has to do with injury or fitness.
We need to try and become more of a pressing team and I reckon this lad can do as good a job of pressing and harrying as Herrera while being more of a creative and goal threat.
Pogba just needs Solkjaer to make the correct signings and everything will unlock automatically. Matic was never a player that was gonna give the players infront of him the platform to play because he was/is too slow. @Devil may care did call it out too in numerous posts..
I think what he was trying to say is that Bruno was scoring in a weaker league and pogba will probably do better there.makes sense as pogba is the better player.
BTW I think every player needs the best around them to get the best out of them.
He scored more goals in open play that 99% of the midfielders in top 5 Leagues while playing 6 months under the chaotic Mourinho
You tought wrong. First Matic was never the tool to unlock Pogba except for the peoole that's never watch him play in Italy. Second Pogba isn't a central midfielder.
The tools are obvious. Give him freedom. Buy a ball playing CB and a DM with a good passing range. It's not like we are talking about Bonucci and Marchisio since 3 years. They allowed Pogba to have his best season ever in 2015-2016 because with Pirlo and Vidal off, the team was built around him and he shone with 15 assists and 10 goals in a very defensive League at 22-23 years old
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Lampard did alright under Mourinho
I just don't think Pogba is this great goalscorer to be honest
And in that great 15/16 season, Pogba scored 10 goals in 49 matches
I just don't think Pogba is this great goalscorer to be honest
And in that great 15/16 season, Pogba scored 10 goals in 49 matches
First Mourinho isn't the same coach anymore. When he coached Lampard 10-15 years ago, he was the special one. Since then he became a fraud. No one want to sign him. I'm not talking about big clubs. Even Olympique Lyonnais doesn't want him.
Second, Pogba scores more than others midfielders ( penalty or not penalty ) while playing deeper. So I can't even imagine how many goals he can scores if you built the team around him. Something that Mourinho have never done and Ole tried for 4 weeks before an injury crisis where he was a freak, scoring for fun.
4-2-3-1 o a 4-3-1-2 diamond formation or even In a 4-3-3 like in Sporting all suit him especially with him playing the more advanced role in midfield.
Also yes I believe he has the ability and work ethic to succeed at United and would offer United the creativity and most importantly goal threat that they need as well. He can score a variety of goals and has turned into a specialist at free kicks. He can be United answer to a Frank Lampard.
Excellent post and I hope that we will focus on this in the summer.
Matic will stay on one more season or even two, but we really need to phase him out to be able to play a more high-pressing game. To have him at #6 makes it quite impossible to play a higher line and press.
Matic has been a good servant but Mourinho bought him to play a completely different kind of football then I hope we will pursue now.
Pogba can play in a more offensive setup; someone (OGS) just has to light a fire under him so he gets that he has to fight for it.
He is 24 years old. Does he has been consistent, or just one season wonder? I dont remember people talking about him a year ago.
Moved to Italy at a young age, didn't quite work out, so returned to Sporting..
Didn't pull up any trees at Udinese or Sampdoria but had two good seasons(11 goals in 32 starts in the League last year)now since he's moved to Portugal.
Won the Liga Nos player of the year last season too with 36 goal contributions in all comps, just this season he's been unbelievably incredible so it's getting more attention
Matic has regressed pretty badly since the first half of 2017/2018 season. We should have bought Fabinho instead when we had the chance. He would have also covered us at RB. With that being said, Pogba is a diva of a player. When things don't go the way he wants, he just gives up and whines. I'm a huge Pogba fan but for the sake of the club, I think it's best if he moved on.
What is this 'Youtube' you speak of?
Exaggeration. The EPL aint what it used to be in terms of the physical aspect.
I made a thread about him last season where he was brilliant as well.
This season though he is getting more exposure because he has been incredible. Easily the best player in the league.
Thanks. I was surprised about his stats. Definitely the best player in the league as you said.
People thought the same about Fernandinho covering KDB and D. Silva. How wrong they were
They both do loads of dirty work, that's the ridiculous thing. So does B. Silva. I think Bruno Fernandes would be capable but its just Pogba on his off days, he's a liability.
He has plenty of quality and is not a one season wonder. We need as much depth as we can get. Fernandes can play RCM because he has the workrate to do so. Sooner of later Pogba will leave and we will need someone in midfield who can take over his output. It would be ideal to already have that replacement in the team.
Unfair. At 18 he was already a starter for Udinese... I remember Di Natale (Udinese legend) saying that he was obviously the most talented player in the team but needed to improve his workrate, something that he has improved vastly in Sporting
>100 games in Serie A at 18-22 yo is impressive. His move to Sporting was quite strange, but excellent for the player and the club
I agree with you tbf, Fred or McTominay behind Pogba and Bruno would be a viable midfield for me. I’m not sure we need a destroyer, but given Fred & McToms recent stats both of them seem fine in that role.
I’m not sure you need a 3 destroyers in midfield for when you want to defend. Just put numbers back there.
most players are liabilities in off days I personally believe a hard working six plus a hard working AM like Bruno Fernande's can carry a Pogba on an off day.
For example Modric and Casemiro would carry Kroos on days he'd switch off defensively. But when he was switched on the 3 were a terror to all before them.
Besides, I really think Pogba has not been playing at peak ability as consistently as he did at Juve. At Jive he helped do all Pirlo's running all the time. I believe Ole inspire him to be at full pelt all the time.
For I truly believe fitness wise, the last few years we have been far behind, as a team and squad, what we should be at
. Far behind where Ole would prefer us to be. I feel it might even explain the injuries and perceived 'heavy leggedness' that has blighted our form since the Liverpool league game at home
Yeah mate that's my issue is that we seem hell bent on ensuring that we have defensive midfielders in there who can compete and win the ball back, which is great, but we just continue to lose it time and again because they have no options (CM's bar Pogba to scared to make runs forward) and they don't have the composure or class on the ball to hold it and pick that pass, look at the spaces City, Spurs, Liverpool, Barca, PSG, Madrid etc. work in, they have the class in there to beat the press or one touch football to create chances.
We have far to many CM's who are all very very similar and only 1 who has the ability to take the ball in small spaces and has that forward pass, but more often than not he is either a 10/10 or a 2/10 not much in between.
If we sort the back line out and have a DMC who is energetic and gets around the field (was very impressed with Rice at the weekend) then hopefully we have enough cover at the back to allow us to be more attacking in transition, will also help if we actually have a right hand side as well haha
This is a more fleshed out and clear version of what I was trying to get at. When Keane retired we never really replaced him, we changed tack and played without a midfield destroyer and replaced him with Carrick who was a completely different beast. Midfielders who can read the game and intercept and retain the ball, or move the ball forward quicker would be the way I’d like us to set up. We don’t have to play Pep-ball to set up in that way.
Just City? Madrid, Barca, Munich, PSG, pretty much most successful sides in Europe play that way, have two creative midfielders who can get stuck in as well.
Who said a CM can't be creative? I said that OUR CM's can't be creative but unless I'm mistaken, Herrera/McTom/Fred/Matic even Pereira are not the most creative, whether it is Bruno or someone else I am not overly bothered as long as they are creative, can pass forward and have a goal in them all good.
So you're saying that as we have Pogba, that should be it as far as a creative CM is concerned? Have to say having Pogba and two defensive CM's at the moment is working a god dam treat
Totally agree mate, the fact people seem to think we can't play football without two hardcore defensive destroyers with full backs who god forbid get forward, mental, as much as hanging on to wins against Watford Southampton and West Ham is, would much rather see us flying forward going at sides, attacking, creating things and taking the game to them.
Watching us pray that Pogba pulls off something spectacular is becoming a bit tiresome. Hoping Rash smashes one home from 30 yards or that Martial has woken up on the right side of the bed for once, working a treat haha
Agreed.
He gives us a great option that we don't currently have. We also don't know if we are buying a winger this summer. If we don't, we can play Fernandes, Pogba, a CM and DM in a diamond. More than enough protection there ffs, especially since Fernandes apparently has great work rate.
Or if we need to, he can stay on the bench for some games. City are allowed a ridiculous bench, why can't we?
It's like you're intentionally ignoring what I write down. You're having an argument with your imagination. Of course I think we need another creative CM. This is my issue, look "I said I would prefer we wouldn't spend an extraordinary amount of money on a player that plays in the exact same position that our star player already occupies.". Try not to ignore this time.
I think Bruno will work well with Pogba even though both are attack minded. Going by three transfer targets that were listed a while ago; Koulibaly Rice and Wan Bissaka all of which are very good defensively.
If we have these three players included in our team it will give both Bruno and Pogba a lot more freedom to express themselves. Some people say that we need a more box to box CM than someone like Bruno because it will be too attack minded but isn't that what Ole wants and what we've been asking for. And besides with the addition of AWB Koulibaly and Rice including our other defenders I think that's enough defensively
If we have these three players included in our team it will give both Bruno and Pogba a lot more freedom to express themselves. Some people say that we need a more box to box CM than someone like Bruno because it will be too attack minded but isn't that what Ole wants and what we've been asking for. And besides with the addition of AWB Koulibaly and Rice including our other defenders I think that's enough defensively
I like the look of him, would be an excellent addition.
Have a look at the response above, it is absolutely crazy to think that we could play with a tweaked formation, that is mental! Who would have thought! So we only have one midfield slot for a CM that is creative, wow that is a problem hey.
I assume that you constantly watch Bruno Fernandes to have this opinion about him that he apparently can't work hard, can't defend, fails to track back, fails to do anything another CM would bar score goals and bomb forward? It is a lot of money but any half decent midfielders this summer I would be surprised if they go for less than 40/50m Sterling, so what 65/70m Euro will work out 58/60m Sterling, big money agreed were also talking about 40/50m on Rice after one good season, 75m for Maguire on one summer where he played well against Panama Columbia and Sweden, 100m on Sancho after 10 good months, 40m on Wan Biasska after one good season, virtually every purchase this summer will be a risk in some way with the exception of Di Ligt/Koulibaly who are pretty much the only ones you know what you are getting.
Munich reported to have offered 75m for that Pepe at Lille, is that not as risk? So for about the tenth time, not ignoring your comment about buying a player for a position where our star player occupies, open up that little brain of yours and crazy enough, they could play together, who would have thought it!
Sign him up...if only to get Rashford off free kicks
I mean again, I said none of those things, but sure buddeh, you go ahead and argue with all the straws in the world if you want.
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