I actually like him at CB considering this is his first season there. The teams that play high pressure can't handle him. However, he does also make mistakes & todays goal against was partially his fault.. He has that LCB position until our main priorities are sorted IMO.
17
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 56
- Clean sheets
- 22
- Goals
- 2
- Assists
- 4
- Yellow cards
- 3
- Status
Even without the goal a fantastic performance.
Much much better in the second half... imposed himself on the game.
Bright future ahead if he can keep push on and develop. Still only 25 years of age and he is an example of a technical 'limited' player who possesses the intelligence to compensate that absence.
How is he technically limited? His ability on the ball is fantastic. The only part of his game that is limited are his physical attributes.
Thought he was superb tonight and I love having him at CB alongside Smalling.
Technically limited in the sense that he is not a flashy player with a dribbling technique. He is pure intelligence compensated with a briliant ball ability.
Fair enough, we clearly have different definitions of technical.
He was decent in the second half and took his goal well, even if I don't know what he was doing all the way up there. 
First half though he was weak and shared the blame for the goal with Schneiderlin and Fellaini, he has to do more in that duel.
First half though he was weak and shared the blame for the goal with Schneiderlin and Fellaini, he has to do more in that duel.He made some awesome interceptions and standing challenges.
Great initiative for the goal too.
Great initiative for the goal too.
My MOTM tonight personally.
He's such a clever footballer. One of the best transfers we've made. Outstanding today.
Me too. Had two or three really impressive moments, top performance. I like him as a CB. I was so apprehensive about it at the start of the season but him and Smalling is definitely our best pair I think.
An absolute gem of a player, like several in our squad we're not sure of his best position or how to get the best out of him.
Could a midfield trio of
Morgan-Blind
---Ander
work?
That with a back 4 and a front 3 ahead of them?
I think I'd like to see that at some point.
Morgan-Blind
---Ander
work?
That with a back 4 and a front 3 ahead of them?
I think I'd like to see that at some point.
He looked back to his very best yesterday, he's been quite poor recently but he played really well last night.
I think he should be moved back to midfield. I'd much rather him than Afro. He actually knows how to pass
Dont think that would work,Blind would leave so much gap behind after him rushing forward,back 4 would get almost none protection from him.
He's a far better CB than what we've seen with him in CM. His calmness on the ball and passing range is an absolute necessity for us with how we are playing. I wasn't sold with his all round game last year in midfield, plenty of poor performances. However i think he's found his role.
Had a great match yesterday - but keep in mind the opposition. Without a doubt a superb squad player and a strong signing, but I'm still not sure about his best position.
While he's doing okay at CB, and obviously his passing is useful from deep, wouldn't people rather see a true, trained defender in such an important position? Smalling is having his best ever season for us, but I still don't think anyone would accuse him and Blind being a world-class pairing, which is something a club like United should aspire to.
Would absolutely love to see him given another try in midfield instead of Fellaini. But injuries are preventing that for a good while longer.
While he's doing okay at CB, and obviously his passing is useful from deep, wouldn't people rather see a true, trained defender in such an important position? Smalling is having his best ever season for us, but I still don't think anyone would accuse him and Blind being a world-class pairing, which is something a club like United should aspire to.
Would absolutely love to see him given another try in midfield instead of Fellaini. But injuries are preventing that for a good while longer.
I don't agree with this at all. He was a defensive midfielder for Ajax, he knows the position and he's a very intelligent player positionally. Having Schneiderlin in the team would also allow him to get a bit further forward and be a playmaker, which I'd like to see. I reckon it'd be quite a balanced midfield
Its a very misleading statement we come across a lot. Not trying to derail this thread, do notice very flashy individuals( Mata and Morgan) being praised for their great technique. To me its laughable considering how often you'll see their first touch forcing them back towards our goal.
Blind has brilliant technical abilities just falls short in the physical department and compensate for it with his intelligence. Technique can't be compensated with intelligence but physicality can be.
I think it could work, quite well. Blind's is an intelligent player, clearly reads the game very well which makes up for his lack of physical attributes, and is a brilliant passer of the ball. I'd rather have him as a DM/CM than a CB.
I think this is one of LVG's experiments that has definitely worked. We have one of the meanest defensive records in the league despite a cluster feck of injuries.
The Smalling - Blind partnership could work out for us like Pique - Mascherano for Barca if there was a bit more consistency in the rest of the team. Daley gives us a lot in terms of composure and distribution from the back. If he was flanked by decent full backs and the midfield in front of him didn't consist of Fellaini then I think he'd be getting a lot less exposed too.
There are other parts of our squad that need fixing way more than Daley as a CB does...
The Smalling - Blind partnership could work out for us like Pique - Mascherano for Barca if there was a bit more consistency in the rest of the team. Daley gives us a lot in terms of composure and distribution from the back. If he was flanked by decent full backs and the midfield in front of him didn't consist of Fellaini then I think he'd be getting a lot less exposed too.
There are other parts of our squad that need fixing way more than Daley as a CB does...
I disagree with the notion he's particularly intelligent. He constantly gets caught out of position. Yesterday's goal happened because he lost a header and then decided to stop running. He's an above average DM, an average LB, and a below average CB.
That was a mistake but that happened particularly because Smalling came out first & blind was left as the last man. The moat common set up we revert to is Smallimg being the last sweeper/defender whilst blind does the rushing.
As the last man, he shouldn't have been rushing out like that. It showed a lack of intelligence.
First of all Blind won his header, and second he didn't rush out anywhere. Immediately after he won his header he dropped off to cover the player he just challenged for the header. The only one rushing out is Smalling who chased after the ball from Blind's header with 0 chance of winning it leaving a huge a gap in the defence and Schneiderlin failed to track Thorne.
To me anyway - his mistake was the header & being beaten to it. He is supposed to go after the attacker but it was smalling who went after it & blind tried to react & lost on the header.
I love him at CB but a CDM/CB position - which i think is what schneirdlin does right now would be his long term position when we have improved the squad & that's including a new manager
Correct. He actually showed his game intelligence when he was last man in the second half and stopped an almost certain goal.
Yeah that goal was all Smalling. I should be getting blame before Blind on that one.
Except that never actually happened because he won the header. Smalling is the one who rushed out, lost the header and then chased the loose ball he had no chance of getting to.
Yeh okay either way it's smallings mistake. I really dont know what's happened recently with him? Has LVG just yold them to play how they feel like?
I'd be happy to see us bring in a top CB and move him into CM. He's got a great passing range from deep and always looks to play forward.
No thanks. Being at centre back allows him to make more/better passes. His passing in't as good from midfield (and I don't put this down to the manager.)
He doesn't have quick feet, doesn't really have a one-touch/zippy two-touch game, often stations himself in positions where the ball can be rolled into his path...
It all results in him sitting extremely deep (so that the threat of being caught on the ball isn't there) and generally slowing things down. So while he might not give it away, it's still not on the level of the better players who also don't give it away but do significantly more with those accurate passes.
The better midfielders could/can position themselves higher when the space is there to do so, and they could/can move with the ball into the available space and trust their ability to side-step/navigate round a challenge.
Blind was excellent vs Derby. His goal was the key moment of the game and he was fine defensively. He is doing a decent job at centre back but for me it just comes down to what the main role of a centre back is. There will obviously be differing opinions on this.
Is it starting the team's attacks or stopping the opposition from scoring? If the former, then he's the best at the club. If it's the latter he isn't good enough. Personally, I like defenders who are good at defending.
Is it starting the team's attacks or stopping the opposition from scoring? If the former, then he's the best at the club. If it's the latter he isn't good enough. Personally, I like defenders who are good at defending.
Man Utd 3:0 Stoke
Thought he did really well today. He needs to stay in the first team IMO.
That pass for mata (i think) was just wonderful.
Maybe he can be our Carrick replacement
Maybe he can be our Carrick replacement
Yeh he started 2 of our 3 goals. Passing like from the back is hard to handle.
Yeah was well impressed with him today, a good example of how he can be a very useful option at CB against teams we should be beating at OT.
Yep, gave him an 8. Started the move for Martial's goal and was positionally excellent throughout.
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