17
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 29
- Clean sheets
- 9
- Goals
- 2
- Assists
- 3
- Yellow cards
- 4
There is no need to try and downplay Carrick when praising Blind.
Unfortunately Carrick is now creaking, I hope he jacks in playing for England.
Unfortunately Carrick is now creaking, I hope he jacks in playing for England.
Carrick is gash. He ruins so many attacks it's unreal.
What a ridiculous comment. In no way, shape or form is Carrick "gash" nor does he ruin attacks. He may struggle to create openings due to the limited formation we've been using, but he has the greatest passing range at the club and probably in the league, so if there were clear passes that he'd have to make, he'd make them.
Kinda off-topic, but people tend to forget that Carrick coming back from injury was when we actually started winning games. He was great in November-December and doesn't deserve the hate. As for Blind, I love the guy, strikes me as captain material.
Carrick has better ability in his leadership and positioning himself on the break, which both he and Blind are a bit iffy with as they lack pace. Carrick does that better, whilst Blind is far better under pressure and with his technique. I'd say Carrick is better in the air and more physically conditioned. Of course, a lot of this will come to Blind with time, so I'm really impressed.
Can't be arsed to find the quote again but on point that Blind "shoots when necessary" I'd have to disagree. It got to the point where I actually muttered "for feck sake" before he shot and it went in. He'd benefit a lot if he learned to use Scholes-esque disguises and slip someone in, because sometimes the shots just aren't on. He's not got a bad shot on him though so I don't mind him having a pop from outside the area.
That's also when we started playing really tedious and going to matches started to feel like a chore.
Funny that.
Carrick is gash. He ruins so many attacks it's unreal.
What is this bullshit?
So you enjoyed watching us drop points more regularly? Interesting.
It's the truth is what it is.
I enjoyed watching good football. That run was full of horrific stuff. If I wanted to watch dull football but winning I'd watch Barcelona. I want entertainment with my football.
At this point in time I'll take boring 1-0 wins over losing 5-3 to relegation candidates. We've not been exciting to watch all season bar a couple of fixtures, that's nothing to do with Carrick. You're just going to have to accept that becoming the best team in the league that plays the best football may take a season or two longer than you'd expect.
He's just like Carrick except he's not a massive fanny and occasionally does things with the ball.
No it's definitely bullshit.
Carrick is gash. He ruins so many attacks it's unreal.
Thank feck we sacked you.
Well, if anyone knows anything about talking shit it's you.
But just think of the (backwards) pass completion stats!!!!
But you know that this myth has been dispelled some time ago?
Anyone who hates on Carrick doesn't understand the role he plays for us when he is in the team. Of course they have also conveniently forgotten his contribution towards the team for almost a decade. There is a reason why his team mates regularly praise him.
But just think of the (backwards) pass completion stats!!!!
Amazing that people still say that about Carrick. Just last year Fergie was calling him the best English player and the best midfielder in the EPL, what does he know, eh?
Wher does the illusion come from that Carrick is better defensivelyem? Blind has more interceptions, clearances per game and wins more tackles, in terms of the percentage of duels won they're similar. I think Blind acts faster and is more aggresive, while Carrick really shields our defence. Vs smaller teams I prefer the former, but vs top teams that's quite risky.
Take that bit longer to filter through to idiots, evidently.
Fine, replace "backwards" with "utterly pointless and removing all momentum".
He also said Phil Jones was the new Duncan Edwards, spent 7 million pounds on Bebe, refused to sign any good midfielders and let Pogba go on a free because he thought RAFAEL AND PARK JI SUNG were better options.
Maybe you should put less stock in what one man says.
Anyone else realise he speaks exactly like Van Gaal when questioned about football. He always talks about the way we play, and possession and keeping the ball. He probably is Van gaal's favourite student as I think he gets the "philosophy" more than anyone in this team. We need more players with his thinking in the team.
He's always injured when internationals are around the corner anyway.
In regards to downplaying Carrick, it's happening. It's the first time since 2010 (when Fletcher eventually started to fade away) that we've had a proper alternative. Blind has had his fair share of passive/safe games. His most memorable performances are against Leicester and QPR. No reason to downplay him either.
You can take Ajax away from them, but you can't take Ajax out of them.
With all due respect but that doesn't mean much at all. Remember the Jones comparisons? I do think Blind is an improvement on Carrick already. He reads the game just as well and obviously is way younger, has more drive in him. He is like the Carrick of a few years ago.
Yeah, it seems that the players from Ajax who go to the PL tend to come good. Think they are a great school for Footballers.
Because he doesn't have to win the ball back himself to be doing a job. Cutting out options due to his positioning, which then forces opponents to go long for example, is just as effective as going in making tackles and interceptions.
He's nothing like Carrick a few years ago. When Carrick was quite young at United he wasn't anywhere near as comfortable on the ball as Blind is, and their style defensively is completely different.
Carrick a few years ago was one of the best CM out there. Their style is also not that different at all defensively. Both read the game very well, both cannot rely on pace or physical strenght but intelligent positioning.
In 12/13 yes, but he wasn't young then, so I assumed you were more referring to 2007-10 period. Also, reading the game is an essential for their role, not a style. No one chooses not to read the game for the sake of being a different type of player; which would be a completely average one.
They don't have pace, but Blind is a lot more agile and mobile than Carrick. That allows him to nip in to make interceptions and press higher, and it is also why he's more comfortable under pressure. Carrick defensively is just there, quite simply. Good players don't play the ball to players who aren't available to receive it, and that's pretty much Carricks philosophy and why his defensive contribution often goes unnoticed. As I've mentioned, Blinds contributions defensively aren't hard to spot at all.
Still doesnt mean he's better defensively, and you could argue that Blind's style fits LVG's philosophy better. I think LVG wants to play like Barcelona did/does, with direct pressing and 'aggresiveness'.
It doesn't, you're right, that's where it comes down to personal preferences and opinions. You implied in your post though that Blind is better defensively because of statistics like tackles, interceptions and clearances, which is also not a given, as explained. One thing I will say is that you acknowledged that Blinds style is more risky vs better sides, and risky is something I wouldn't want to associate with defending.
At the moment, Blind does tend to get caught out at times, and it was most evident vs City where he's against better players. That's something he'll improve with experience, he's only 24, but Carrick's style of defending is effective regardless of opposition whereas that's not the case at this moment in time for Blind. I do agree he fits the philosophy though.
It's risky if he's the only one who does it, but if LVG can utilize it good, it's a strategy which works 99%. Barcelona didnt have the best defenders, but because of the pressure they put, they conceded almost nothing and countering them became close to impossible. Carricks method doesnt always work, especially when you play vs dynamic players, against Arsenal for example, he was almost none existent, they werent pressured and with players like Wilshere, Cazorla, Ox, Sanchez, you just invite them to put pressure on us. That to, is a system which requires your team mates to help, people have to close down openings, position themselves excellently and you're solid as a rock, something SAF really mastered imo. Other than that, I think Blind was amongst the better players vs City/Chelsea, he got caught out at times, but I dont know anyone who wouldnt vs such brilliant dynamic players. Even Matic got caught out plenty of times vs Players like Coutinho, Sterling, Silva and even Milner.
It will be interesting, here in Fox they showed how United were defending, closing players down immediately, others covering the players who went closing down, if we master this, I think it's the best way of defending, we also have the right defenders with pace and tackling abilities to accomplish this. Jones, Rojo, Smalling are relatively very pacey for defendees, still havent seen someone beat Smalling on pace.
But that's the thing, Barcelona's style of play wasn't risky because they had the players to perform it who understood what they were doing. By definition, for something to be risky there has to be a considerable chance it won't work, and Barcelona were pretty much flawless during their prime.
With regards to Carrick vs Arsenal, he was non existent more due to the fact that the ball wasn't getting as far as him. We had two young centre halves next to Smalling and we constantly gave the ball away in defence and left ourselves exposed and outnumbered. If you're so sloppy in possession, there's no style of defending that would have been successful.
What a shithouse post.
Carrick is gash. He ruins so many attacks it's unreal.
For van Gaal's "philosophy", it's not a stretch to say he's the most important player at United.
It's something which LVG has always done, he did it with the Netherlands before the injury of Strootman, if we get Strootman, I wouldnt be surprised if he's gonna insert that style.
We lost the ball vs Arsenal too much, same can be said vs City. But unlike vs Chelsea, our midfield was none existent and defensively they did nothing. There were openings, Arsenal could put pressure on us and we couldnt catch them, with Carrick as the only CDM then, it was way too dangerous.
It's also a style which isnt unknown by Blind, Ajax did the same last season and were very solid defensively without having the best defenders, since Blind left, it has collapsed.
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He was playing next to Fellaini, who had an abysmal game, keep ting giving the ball away and left him exposed. As I say, that's not a failure in Carricks style of play, if you keep losing the ball in stupid areas you're pretty much helpless.