[Sammyjunn]

Another very good performance by him, he'll continue to improve. Hope he can maintain this form vs better opponents, starting with coming weekend.

 

[pseudo_canadian]

Daley Blind is one of the reasons I love football. His calmness on the ball and reading of the game defensively is just a joy to watch.

 

[Henrik Larsson]

He got annoyed with Evans after the 80th minute, anyone else noticed this too? Evans kept on passing to Smalling instead of Blind, good to see Daley shouting at him. Because the lack of the right pass through the centre from defense to midfield has been killing us this season.

 

[Mark_GrumpyLion]

He got annoyed with Evans after the 80th minute, anyone else noticed this too? Evans kept on passing to Smalling instead of Blind, good to see Daley shouting at him. Because the lack of the right pass through the centre from defense to midfield has been killing us this season.

Good to see someone shouting to Evans instead of the other way around too.

 

[Raptori]

He got annoyed with Evans after the 80th minute, anyone else noticed this too? Evans kept on passing to Smalling instead of Blind, good to see Daley shouting at him. Because the lack of the right pass through the centre from defense to midfield has been killing us this season.

Yep, good to see that.

 

[pseudo_canadian]

He got annoyed with Evans after the 80th minute, anyone else noticed this too? Evans kept on passing to Smalling instead of Blind, good to see Daley shouting at him. Because the lack of the right pass through the centre from defense to midfield has been killing us this season.

Noticed that as well. Great to see.

 

[Devil may care]

The new Mr. Reliable and future Captain.

 

[YouOnlyLiveTwice]

He got annoyed with Evans after the 80th minute, anyone else noticed this too? Evans kept on passing to Smalling instead of Blind, good to see Daley shouting at him. Because the lack of the right pass through the centre from defense to midfield has been killing us this season.

Yeah, it was the obvious pass to get something started, instead Evans just passes it sideways, got me a little bit pissed.

 

[marlowe78]

He got annoyed with Evans after the 80th minute, anyone else noticed this too? Evans kept on passing to Smalling instead of Blind, good to see Daley shouting at him. Because the lack of the right pass through the centre from defense to midfield has been killing us this season.

Is that when Blind put his arms out?

 

[KanieKaned]

Was delighted to see someone give Evans a bollocking. He looked good in preseason and as soon as the league kicked off he went missing. He's petrified when he's got the ball at his feet and constantly looks panicked.,

 

[11101]

Has been one of my favourite players since he arrived but he does need to cut out the odd mistake, considering where he plays for us. Hes hardly Evans level but gift a chance like that to an Aguero and we're a goal down.

 

[bosnian_red]

Class again (ignoring the stumble pass he had in the first minute). Such a calm and intelligent player. I knew he was an intelligent player and neat and tidy, and versatile, but the thing that I didn't expect from him when we signed him was that he is actually quite physical. Like he's quicker then I thought, never seems to get tired, is stronger then he looks and doesn't seem to get beat in the air too often. A steal at 14mil IMO.

 

[mazhar13]

Class again (ignoring the stumble pass he had in the first minute). Such a calm and intelligent player. I knew he was an intelligent player and neat and tidy, and versatile, but the thing that I didn't expect from him when we signed him was that he is actually quite physical. Like he's quicker then I thought, never seems to get tired, is stronger then he looks and doesn't seem to get beat in the air too often. A steal at 14mil IMO.

I'll add on to that by mentioning that he possesses great ball control, allowing him to maintain possession even if 2-3 opposing players come to win it off of him. In the summer, when I saw that he was signing for us, I was very happy because I knew that we got ourselves sorted for the defensive midfield role with him, and I'm very happy to see him show that.

He's been excellent in his positioning both when we have the ball and when we don't. His reading of the game is very good as well, and he also has the bite to allow him to win the ball in midfield. Plus, going forward, he can get us a goal or two with his long shots, and he's also decent at playing through attacking players.

Against Cambridge, he was the focal point in midfield in terms of starting off attacks for us. He was one of the main reasons for us playing at a faster tempo than we've ever done, recently.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

I thought he was just alright - not really his fault as there wasn't really that much for him to do. Still covered a lot of ground and was generally tidy... oh, and that was a cracking through-ball to their striker.

Goes to show though, if Evans had done that (who had a similarly fine, not amazing) performance, I imagine that's what anyone who ventured into his thread would be talking about...

 

[Swaters16]

I thought he was just alright - not really his fault as there wasn't really that much for him to do. Still covered a lot of ground and was generally tidy... oh, and that was a cracking through-ball to their striker.

Goes to show though, if Evans had done that (who had a similarly fine, not amazing) performance, I imagine that's what anyone who ventured into his thread would be talking about...

The problem is the mistake was a result of Di Maria smashing the ball into his feet from a yard away. Not really his fault

 

[Annihilate Now!]

The problem is the mistake was a result of Di Maria smashing the ball into his feet from a yard away. Not really his fault

Come on, he didn't hit it at him that hard (it wasn't as hard as say, the passes we continually like to smash at Valencia - who in turns smashes it at an opposing player) - the actual problem was that it wasn't very accurate, but Blind should have done better then just prodding it into danger.

 

[Spielmacher]

It's true, that mistake can't happen against a stronger opposition team, no excuse there for Blind.

 

[united_99]

Great signing., an intelligent no nonsense midfielder. Who would have thought that him and Rojo (by coincidence both WC semi finalists who played against each other) would be our most important signings of the summer.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I thought he was a bit off the pace for most of the first half. Weirdly reminiscent of the first leg, which was comfortably his worst game for United so far. Cambridge must be his kryptonite.

Did finish strongly though. Was one of our best players in the second half. Hopefully that's exorcised his Cambridge demons.

 

[Blue always red]

There was a moment late in the first half where he instigated a slick 1-2 move which ended with RVP (I think) getting a corner out of it. Very classy player, a mobile-Carrick, although I personally don't think he has the same passing range as him.

 

[Escobar]

The next level would be to really impose himself in games and take full control of the midfield and dominate.

 

[Thoraximus]

Not fishing here, but a serious question:

If we were to sign someone in the ilk of Strootman or Vidal in the summer, what would this mean for Blind?
Would Blind play a more advanced role with the new arrival dropping back?

 

[Spielmacher]

Not fishing here, but a serious question:

If we were to sign someone in the ilk of Strootman or Vidal in the summer, what would this mean for Blind?
Would Blind play a more advanced role with the new arrival dropping back?

No. Vidal and Strootman are both more advanced than Blind.

 

[Thoraximus]

No. Vidal and Strootman are both more advanced than Blind.

I see, so making a marquee signing in terms of the above players wouldn't affect our boy Daley too much?

 

[Alock1]

Come on, he didn't hit it at him that hard (it wasn't as hard as say, the passes we continually like to smash at Valencia - who in turns smashes it at an opposing player) - the actual problem was that it wasn't very accurate, but Blind should have done better then just prodding it into danger.

He should have just left it, but I don't really blame him for trying how he did. Also probably a little reprieve for the fact it was in the first minute. It's a common theme in Evans game so I think it's fair to look at those instances in different lights. Against Leicester Rooney and Jones were at fault for similar too.

I've watched most of the game and he was decent I thought, nothing particularly good but I'm not sure he could have been without trying a ton of Hollywood balls and potentially having them come off, and we have enough players trying that.

Against Leicester though he was brilliant.

 

[Spielmacher]

I see, so making a marquee signing in terms of the above players wouldn't affect our boy Daley too much?

Obviously it depends on how LVG sets the team up, but so far it looks like we'll always play with one DM, that would mean one of Blind/Carrick will always play, if they're fit of course.

 

[Kayo]

Great player, my main worry is his lack of pace and could struggle with quick nimble players who like to drop deep, Silva, Coutinho etc.

Think we need a dominate physical box to box beast to play alongside him, especially in the tougher games.

 

[Spielmacher]

Great player, my main worry is his lack of pace and could struggle with quick nimble players who like to drop deep, Silva, Coutinho etc.

Think we need a dominate physical box to box beast to play alongside him, especially in the tougher games.

Marouane Fellaini, we should get him.

 

[Kayo]

Marouane Fellaini, we should get him.

Nah, too clumsy, can't tackle or run.

 

[Parma Dewol]

Class again (ignoring the stumble pass he had in the first minute). Such a calm and intelligent player. I knew he was an intelligent player and neat and tidy, and versatile, but the thing that I didn't expect from him when we signed him was that he is actually quite physical. Like he's quicker then I thought, never seems to get tired, is stronger then he looks and doesn't seem to get beat in the air too often. A steal at 14mil IMO.

Totally agree. Looks like one of our best signings, he's the kind of player where you don't really care what position he plays, he just needs to be on the pitch to give us that calm, reassured quality. Hoping to see a lot more of him this season.

 

[Spielmacher]

Nah, too clumsy, can't tackle or run.

Of course he can, and he did this season already. People are just forgetting it, because he played in a more advanced role, as second striker two times now.
Fellaini is the closest we have to a physically dominant and ball-winning midfielder. I just feel we might have to change our system to play with one striker instead of two to have the right balance in our midfield. Currently we play Blind/Carrick as DM and the midfielders ahead of them (now Mata, Rooney, Di Maria) are all advanced players who like to get forward and into the box to create something, but are restricted to their midfield roles and are therefore uneffective.
Even if we keep the formation to the 4-4-2 diamond, if you add Fellaini instead of Rooney and play Di Maria on the left side instead of Mata and put Mata as AM we will look way more balanced, and did already this season.
But that's impossible, as the captain always has to play and we have 2 potentially world-class strikers.

 

[noodlehair]

I've quite liked him so far, but Was he really that good last night? I mean, it was a third division team, and his most and only notable contribution was passing them through on goal in the first minute...

 

[Spielmacher]

I've quite liked him so far, but Was he really that good last night? I mean, it was a third division team, and his most and only notable contribution was passing them through on goal in the first minute...

No, he wasn't that good, but people still see our two-man-midfield of Cleverley and Fellaini away from home against Cardiff City when they think about our midfield. Compared to that a defensive midfielder who shows for the ball and possesses the necessary calmness looks world-class.

 

[noodlehair]

No, he wasn't that good, but people still see our two-man-midfield of Cleverley and Fellaini away from home against Cardiff City when they think about our midfield. Compared to that a defensive midfielder who shows for the ball and possesses the necessary calmness looks world-class.

This is kind of true, but I still think he needs someone next to him. Or at least someone else somewhere in midfield who isn't a striker/winger/human tree.

 

[Brightonian]

I've quite liked him so far, but Was he really that good last night? I mean, it was a third division team, and his most and only notable contribution was passing them through on goal in the first minute...

Take 'note' of the way he keeps our play fluid, our tempo high, helps the ball out of defence again and again and again, didn't put a pass wrong other than that one early mistake... Arguably contributed more significantly to our win than Di Maria, who was good but really only doing the same things as Mata and Rooney (and therefore we probably would have missed him less than Blind, who was the only one doing his job and who in Carrick's absence has no replacement.)

I'm not that keen on the line the media have settled on for Blind, either - that he's mediocre but 'lets better players do their thing.' He may not be a Di Maria, but he's not a Cleverley either. He's more composed on the ball than any other player in our squad, and he's technically excellent. His passing is accomplished and he's starting to show real range as well, switching play as effortlessly as Rooney and ADM yesterday, and providing that lovely ball-over-the-top assist for RVP against Leicester. His job is a 'humble' one, apparently, because it doesn't involve scoring goals. But it's actually just as important a part of our game plan as RVP's, and Blind is arguably doing his job better than anyone else in the team is doing theirs bar De Gea.

 

[noodlehair]

Take 'note' of the way he keeps our play fluid, our tempo high, helps the ball out of defence again and again and again, didn't put a pass wrong other than that one early mistake... Arguably contributed more significantly to our win than Di Maria, who was good but really only doing the same things as Mata and Rooney (and therefore we probably would have missed him less than Blind, who was the only one doing his job and who in Carrick's absence has no replacement.)

I'm not that keen on the line the media have settled on for Blind, either - that he's mediocre but 'lets better players do their thing.' He may not be a Di Maria, but he's not a Cleverley either. He's more composed on the ball than any other player in our squad, and he's technically excellent. His passing is accomplished and he's starting to show real range as well, switching play as effortlessly as Rooney and ADM yesterday, and providing that lovely ball-over-the-top assist for RVP against Leicester. His job is a 'humble' one, apparently, because it doesn't involve scoring goals. But it's actually just as important a part of our game plan as RVP's, and Blind is arguably doing his job better than anyone else in the team is doing theirs bar De Gea.

If he keeps our tempo high, why is our tempo always so shockingly slow?

He gives away or gets caught on the ball too often for my liking (it certainly happens a lot more than once a game), but I think it's partly because he never has anyone in midfield with him, so he's often given no out ball. I've been fairly impressed over all, though some of the praise on here is hilariously overboard.

and Di Maria was awful last night, and is generally very unreliable. I think he might actually be an even thicker footballer than Nani.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Yesterday was a crap game to judge Blind as most of his best work is when we're not in possession, so about 20% of the action on view last night.

 

[NoLogo]

If he keeps our tempo high, why is our tempo always so shockingly slow?

He gives away or gets caught on the ball too often for my liking (it certainly happens a lot more than once a game), but I think it's partly because he never has anyone in midfield with him, so he's often given no out ball. I've been fairly impressed over all, though some of the praise on here is hilariously overboard.

and Di Maria was awful last night, and is generally very unreliable. I think he might actually be an even thicker footballer than Nani.

That sad part is atm we are getting more of the unreliable, inconsistent player Di Maria used to be before last seasons transformation. I hope he does remember what made him great last season and finds some good form very soon. If not we basically bought a very expensive, left footed Nani.

 

[jojose]

Was delighted to see someone give Evans a bollocking. He looked good in preseason and as soon as the league kicked off he went missing. He's petrified when he's got the ball at his feet and constantly looks panicked.,

He gave Januzaj it a few times on Saturday too.

 

[golden_blunder]

Blind for captain. Make it so