[Adam-Utd]

SO much better than Darmian at left back. He actually attacks and keeps the width, his link up play is much better and crossing is always good.

Defensively though his marking is much tighter and rarely lets his man get turned. That's so important especially against fast wingers like Zaha.

 

[simonhch]

Argued this a few times, no one seemed to care , we played a 4141 with Blind as DM and 4 AM in Young, Herrera, Fellaini, Mata before him, that was so unfair to judge him. (Di Maria was benched at that time). In home matches it would work against smaller teams but against bigger teams just such an unbalanced set up.

Wait, if he can't play DM with Herrera and Fellaini in front of him, then he's not much use as a DM is he? Two players who have played DM themselves.....

His whole purpose was to bring that balance. But he couldn't because he isn't a DM.

 

[TheSweeper]

Wait, if he can't play DM with Herrera and Fellaini in front of him, then he's not much use as a DM is he? Two players who have played DM themselves.....

His whole purpose was to bring that balance. But he couldn't because he isn't a DM.

Actually he is a DM. Herrera and post premier league fellaini are no DM's either.

 

[SambaBoy]

I don't think he can play DM for a top top club. It's much more than being a good passer and being able to distribute as a deep-lying playmaker.

Cover for CB, LB and midfield at times is fine. He's a very versatile, solid player who can slot in and perform if required. He's a much better LB than Darmian, and links up better with the winger in front of him. Ideally Shaw will be back soon, and make that spot his own but for now Blind can do a very good job.

He shouldn't be playing CB consistently unless there's an injury crisis. Bailly, Smalling, Jones and Rojo are all better than him there IMO.

 

[simonhch]

Actually he is a DM. Herrera and post premier league fellaini are no DM's either.

No, he isn't a DM. He played there for Ajax, in a second rate league. But was shocking for us when he played there, in a possession based system that should have suited him. People say he wasn't protected enough, but who needs a DM that has to be over protected? He just can't do that job, in my subjective opinion, for a top level team. Whereas he excels at LB and CB. So why move him? Successive managers haven't played him there for a reason I suspect.

 

[TheSweeper]

No, he isn't a DM. He played there for Ajax, in a second rate league. But was shocking for us when he played there, in a possession based system that should have suited him. People say he wasn't protected enough, but who needs a DM that has to be over protected? He just can't do that job, in my subjective opinion, for a top level team. Whereas he excels at LB and CB. So why move him? Successive managers haven't played him there for a reason I suspect.

The thing is Blind playing at CB would have made him a much more competent defensive midfielder. He is now used to dealing with attacks of some of the best strikers in the world & playing just in front of them with his amazing ability to read the game could make it very hard for the opposition.

IV said this before, but arguably this guy has the ability to be the best intermediate CDM+CB in the world because he is more suited to being the 3rd central defender when having our backs against the wall than being one of only 2 Central defenders.

Considering we started a lot with the 352 under LVG & considering we ended the season with having to find a way fitting martial, Rashford & Lingard in to a system without compromising their positions; there was a very big possibility we would have returned to a 352; which in theory is a defensive 433.

This is the formation that Jose still continues to play.

What would happen is that we would require less defensive support from zlatan, Rashford etc. Blind would drop from CDM to CB making a back 5 whilst both Pogba & Herrera can drop deeper allowing them to play box to box from deeper counter attacking positions.

 

[VP89]

No, he isn't a DM. He played there for Ajax, in a second rate league. But was shocking for us when he played there, in a possession based system that should have suited him. People say he wasn't protected enough, but who needs a DM that has to be over protected? He just can't do that job, in my subjective opinion, for a top level team. Whereas he excels at LB and CB. So why move him? Successive managers haven't played him there for a reason I suspect.

He really wasn't.

 

[Ixion]

I didn't think he played that well against Palace but what was apparent was how often he popped up in the attacking third more than Darmian when he plays at LB.

 

[simonhch]

The thing is Blind playing at CB would have made him a much more competent defensive midfielder. He is now used to dealing with attacks of some of the best strikers in the world & playing just in front of them with his amazing ability to read the game could make it very hard for the opposition.

IV said this before, but arguably this guy has the ability to be the best intermediate CDM+CB in the world because he is more suited to being the 3rd central defender when having our backs against the wall than being one of only 2 Central defenders.

Considering we started a lot with the 352 under LVG & considering we ended the season with having to find a way fitting martial, Rashford & Lingard in to a system without compromising their positions; there was a very big possibility we would have returned to a 352; which in theory is a defensive 433.

This is the formation that Jose still continues to play.

What would happen is that we would require less defensive support from zlatan, Rashford etc. Blind would drop from CDM to CB making a back 5 whilst both Pogba & Herrera can drop deeper allowing them to play box to box from deeper counter attacking positions.

Mental masturbation at its finest.

 

[m1y2]

I didn't think he played that well against Palace but what was apparent was how often he popped up in the attacking third more than Darmian when he plays at LB.

and still able to get back right? thats how fecking awful darmian is, siting back everyone can stay defensively solid/not exposed and he is hardly solid.. and to imagine to have fit and confident Shaw who is also twice player Blind hismelf is, the left hand side would be working on a different level, like the one with Tonyo

 

[TheSweeper]

Mental masturbation at its finest.

Says the one who is adamant his view is the only one that is right. If anyone is touching themselves up it definitely is not me love =)

Anyway that was just my thoughts; no need to get defensive about it.

Regards x

 

[MoneyMay]

No, he isn't a DM. He played there for Ajax, in a second rate league. But was shocking for us when he played there, in a possession based system that should have suited him. People say he wasn't protected enough, but who needs a DM that has to be over protected? He just can't do that job, in my subjective opinion, for a top level team. Whereas he excels at LB and CB. So why move him? Successive managers haven't played him there for a reason I suspect.

Yeah... who needs protection?!

 

[JeffBoomTetris]

I hope he'll be used during this busy period. We have games coming in thick and fast.

He can play LB. He is clearly no worse than Darmian. And unlike most of our options at leftback, he plays intelligently and attacks more and can whip in good crosses. I hope to see him over the next few weeks

 

[Festive Sandvich]

No, he isn't a DM. He played there for Ajax, in a second rate league. But was shocking for us when he played there, in a possession based system that should have suited him. People say he wasn't protected enough, but who needs a DM that has to be over protected? He just can't do that job, in my subjective opinion, for a top level team. Whereas he excels at LB and CB. So why move him? Successive managers haven't played him there for a reason I suspect.

You could argue he is a DM (a player of the year DM in the Eredivisie), and no he wasn't shocking when he played there, the whole unit under LvG was pretty dysfunctional and Blind's performances were on the whole pretty decent amongst the chaos. You have a point about protection though (not over-protection), but then Carrick and other playmakers need some space to get their passes off as well, not like it's unique to him alone.

 

[The United]

No, he isn't a DM. He played there for Ajax, in a second rate league. But was shocking for us when he played there, in a possession based system that should have suited him. People say he wasn't protected enough, but who needs a DM that has to be over protected? He just can't do that job, in my subjective opinion, for a top level team. Whereas he excels at LB and CB. So why move him? Successive managers haven't played him there for a reason I suspect.

It is not about needing protected. It is about the whole midfield functioning as a team by pressing, covering, following runners etc. Dm alone can not do covering fb/cb/following runners then going back to cover the space that he might leave behind all alone. Even earlier this season, both ander and felliani got exposed so many times because the likes of pogba was not putting much work with it.

In that sense, you need other midfielders/players to help out.

 

[Irrational.]

If we sign Lindelof (which is looking increasingly likely by the day), what does this do to Blind's role at the club?

Jose clearly doesn't fancy him at CB as he prefers a particular build of player with a very specific set of attributes. Blind doesn't fulfil those.

At LB his lack of pace concerns me massively, though he does have a terrific cross on him.

Could Jose be thinking his long term future lies at CDM - in the Carrick role? That was the reason LVG bought him if I remember correctly.

 

[Raw]

Utility player imo. I would be interested to see how Blind does if Jose gives him a run of games at defensive mid though, I do think he has the right qualities.

 

[TheSweeper]

One of the most underrated things that Carrick does is to drop in between the 2 Central defenders & dictate play.

That quality alone - blind can do with his eyes closed.

 

[villain]

Can't see Mourinho keeping him even as DM or LB cover.

 

[TheSweeper]

Can't see Mourinho keeping him even as DM or LB cover.

I don't know - one of the biggest problems I have had with Jose is his inability to try something different when difference is required.

Blind is actually very talented in that regard - I can't think of another player who could play all these positions & regularly put 8/10 performances.

If he does go, he is someone that will only improve IM0 & not regress.

 

[villain]

I don't know - one of the biggest problems I have had with Jose is his inability to try something different when difference is required.

Blind is actually very talented in that regard - I can't think of another player who could play all these positions & regularly put 8/10 performances.

If he does go, he is someone that will only improve IM0 & not regress.

Blind is dependable and will put in a good shift, but I think he's a level below what we should be aiming for - I certainly don't think he regularly puts in 8/10 performances, especially this season, he's been closer to 6/10 with a couple of really disappointing performances too.
He's a darling of this forum, but I don't think Mourinho values him what he can bring to the team long term and will be looking to get a specialised CDM to replace Carrick.

 

[prath92]

Blind has been 'leaving' every window since 2015 summer. Yet he will feature quite prominently in the season. I wouldn't write him off yet

 

[Devil may care]

I like him as LB back-up but Jose seems to prefer Darmian, I personally would keep him but his chances of regular football would decrease further if Lindelof signs and he strikes me as an ambitous player who wants to start.

 

[simonhch]

The over rating of Blind as a DM is reaching the "Nani is world class" proportions we would see every time he was injured.

 

[KevinJoh]

I didn't think he played that well against Palace but what was apparent was how often he popped up in the attacking third more than Darmian when he plays at LB.

Well, Darmian is playing with Valencia on the other side who is much more attack oriented. Mourinho does not like to have both FB in attacking third at the same time, and since Valencia is because of the pace and mentality more in that area, Darmian is usually staying behind. Against Palace, when has been subbed, Darmian was more offensive then Blind.

For me, Blind is decent cover for more then one position and therefore we need him in the team. Also, can't remember if he was injured at all, so you can always count on him to be on the bench and jump in for CB, LB or DM. Can he play as DM replacement for Carrick? No, but I am not sure that we will easily find one at all. Still, he can be DM against some weaker teams in the league or in Europe. He reads the game well, with CB experience, he should be even better now. For LB, for me he is behind Shaw and Darmian, but also an option. For CB, I don't think we will see him there especially if we buy Lindelof or any other CB in the next two transfer windows. So, long term, I think he will stay till the end of the season or even more as a backup. Still, while I think that he can be solid DM, I don't think that Mourinho sees him there, as if he does he would test him there at least once, and I can't remember that he did.

 

[VP89]

The over rating of Blind as a DM is reaching the "Nani is world class" proportions we would see every time he was injured.

The majority of the caf write him off DM I find.

 

[JohnnyLaw]

The over rating of Blind as a DM is reaching the "Nani is world class" proportions we would see every time he was injured.

I think that you're exaggerating a bit. I think that, like Rojo, we have to give Blind a shot at his premier position. Neither of them have been used in their 'prime' positions since their first season with us. In his first season he did struggle with the pace but the way he took on that CB role in his second season showed alot of the qualities that Carrick currently provides from midfield. He's cool, he read the game brilliantly and snuffed out threats in a very unspectacular and simple fashion while also providing a threat with his vision and direct passing. He might not be the next Carrick but now's the time to find out.

 

[simonhch]

I have to reiterate that I like Blind as a player. I think his reading of the game is excellent, and his use of the ball is very good. Good passing range too. But that alone is not enough to convince me of his ability at DM. In fact the only evidence we have of his ability in that position, other than for an Ajax team in a very weak division, is when he played there for us. And the general consensus, mine included, was that he was a liability in that role.

That's no shame on the player, but DM is very different to CB, despite how much people like to conflate the two skill sets. I am not ruling out that his time at CB will have helped his physical deficiencies, because he previously looked too weak for the role. And again, I'm agreed that it's impossible to know without experimenting with him there.

Yet, what we do know is that he doesn't have a great history there, whereas he is good at cb and LB. I'm not convinced of the merits of such an experiment, and would rather buy a specialized deep playmaker to replace carrick. The idea that DM is Blind's "premier" position doesn't hold much water. He's barely played there since his early 20's. All his best career performances have come at CB, LB and LWB (Netherlands).

While, on paper, I understand the argument based on his apparent skill set. I remain highly skeptical of his ability in that role, and very much doubt we'll see him there. Skepticism, of course, is not a declaration of fact.

 

[JohnnyLaw]

I have to reiterate that I like Blind as a player. I think his reading of the game is excellent, and his use of the ball is very good. Good passing range too. But that alone is not enough to convince me of his ability at DM. In fact the only evidence we have of his ability in that position, other than for an Ajax team in a very weak division, is when he played there for us. And the general consensus, mine included, was that he was a liability in that role.

That's no shame on the player, but DM is very different to CB, despite how much people like to conflate the two skill sets. I am not ruling out that his time at CB will have helped his physical deficiencies, because he previously looked too weak for the role. And again, I'm agreed that it's impossible to know without experimenting with him there.

Yet, what we do know is that he doesn't have a great history there, whereas he is good at cb and LB. I'm not convinced of the merits of such an experiment, and would rather buy a specialized deep playmaker to replace carrick. The idea that DM is Blind's "premier" position doesn't hold much water. He's barely played there since his early 20's. All his best career performances have come at CB, LB and LWB (Netherlands).

While, on paper, I understand the argument based on his apparent skill set. I remain highly skeptical of his ability in that role, and very much doubt we'll see him there. Skepticism, of course, is not a declaration of fact.

Sometimes you need to endure with players when you see that they have the traits for a certain role even if they don't manage make it their own at first. Antonio Valencia would've never been the player he is today, if we hadn't moved him into that RB position, in fact there's a good chance that he'd not even be with us if he'd stayed a winger. Think back to how controversial that was and how long it took before people started to embrace the idea. Now we're talking about him as one of our key players. By enduring that rough first period we saved 30 million £ from buying Clyne who's no better, or we could have been stuck with Darmian as our first choice RB.
I think this situation is exactly like that. Like Valencia, Blind is showing signs that he could be a very good #6 and if we don't try him there we're pretty much reliant on the guy who'll be brought in. And like the RB situation there's no great available candidate on the market right now which brings even more risk into it, and we might just end up spending a big fee for the next Schneiderlin/Darmian, without a back-up plan.

 

[simonhch]

Sometimes you need to endure with players when you see that they have the traits for a certain role even if they don't manage make it their own at first. Antonio Valencia would've never been the player he is today, if we hadn't moved him into that RB position, in fact there's a good chance that he'd not even be with us if he'd stayed a winger. Think back to how controversial that was and how long it took before people started to embrace the idea. Now we're talking about him as one of our key players. By enduring that rough first period we saved 30 million £ from buying Clyne who's no better, or we could have been stuck with Darmian as our first choice RB.
I think this situation is exactly like that. Like Valencia, Blind is showing signs that he could be a very good #6 and if we don't try him there we're pretty much reliant on the guy who'll be brought in. And like the RB situation there's no great available candidate on the market right now which brings even more risk into it, and we might just end up spending a big fee for the next Schneiderlin/Darmian, without a back-up plan.

I'm not going to disagree with the point you make about Valencia. It's an excellent analogy. But, of course, everything is easier in hindsight. We've also seen these kinds of positional experiments not work out too. The extended Rooney trial in CM over multiple seasons, never took. If it had worked it might have saved us 90M on Pogba, but it didn't and we dropped a lot of points and lost a lot of ground in the process. So it's a difficult situation to judge.

We obviously need a back-up plan to where we are now, and I wouldn't be averse to giving Blind games there in some easier matches, like the league and FA cup. But I think there has to be something to be said for the fact that successive managers have yet to play him there, aside from a short experiment at the start of his stay. While LVG played some horrendous football, he also has historicity as one of the games great developer of talents, especially positionally. So I hold more stock in his judgement on Blind's best position, than most. Likewise Mourinho; it is impossible to know what he is thinking. He may have the same thoughts as many in this thread, and see Blind as a potential top DM, but so far we have seen Carrick, Herrera and Fellaini play the role but no Daley. I'd have thought if he saw enough in his game, he'd have put him in there. Mourinho is a very astute judge of defensively minded talent.

Finally, to go back to your Valencia analogy, it is worth considering that Tony wasn't moved there at the behest of fans. There wasn't a popular clamouring on the Caf for him to become a right back. It was the coaching staff who said, 'this guy could be a top attacking fullback' and so, contrary to popular opinion, persisted with him in the role. i.e. They did it based off what they saw in training every day, talking to the player etc., rather than a subjective and superficial analysis of his qualities from afar.

It would definitely be optimal for us as a club if he was the answer. Saves money, and I love his attitude. All I am saying, ultimately, is that I remain highly skeptical but am open to being surprised.

 

[AkaAkuma]

Sometimes you need to endure with players when you see that they have the traits for a certain role even if they don't manage make it their own at first. Antonio Valencia would've never been the player he is today, if we hadn't moved him into that RB position, in fact there's a good chance that he'd not even be with us if he'd stayed a winger. Think back to how controversial that was and how long it took before people started to embrace the idea. Now we're talking about him as one of our key players. By enduring that rough first period we saved 30 million £ from buying Clyne who's no better, or we could have been stuck with Darmian as our first choice RB.
I think this situation is exactly like that. Like Valencia, Blind is showing signs that he could be a very good #6 and if we don't try him there we're pretty much reliant on the guy who'll be brought in. And like the RB situation there's no great available candidate on the market right now which brings even more risk into it, and we might just end up spending a big fee for the next Schneiderlin/Darmian, without a back-up plan.

Sums things up perfectly for me.

He can play DM and be an effective playmaker and since last playing there he has become more focussed and accustomed to the league. He'll need Herrera's legs and Bailly or Lindelof to step out and sweep up any through balls.

Rojo, Jones, Darmian have all been given a chance so I don't see why Mourinho wouldn't try Blind as DM since its apparent we need a replacement for Carrick.

 

[normalone]

Sums things up perfectly for me.

He can play DM and be an effective playmaker and since last playing there he has become more focussed and accustomed to the league. He'll need Herrera's legs and Bailly or Lindelof to step out and sweep up any through balls.

Rojo, Jones, Darmian have all been given a chance so I don't see why Mourinho wouldn't try Blind as DM since its apparent we need a replacement for Carrick.

This whole desperate desire to "replace" Carrick like for like is nauseating. People have short memories. When Roy Keane's squad number and position was taken by Carrick fans were initially disgruntled that we had replaced a combative hard tackling defensive central midfielder with a deep lying playmaker who while defensively excellent, was more passive. Instead, we evolved as a team while still maintaining our levels of success. You can't replace great players with a like for like. We will evolve as a team with a different style of midfielder when Carrick is gone.

I like Blind, but he's not half the player Carrick is. He's slower to pick a pass and his short passing is a lot worse.

 

[R'hllor]

Seems more and more people are for him to be sold,he is not a bus driver so maybe he should leave.

 

[Minimalist]

Great finish. Offers more than Shaw at LB.

I like Shaw but at least Blind can put in dangerous crosses and scores the odd goal.

 

[Raoul]

Fantastic player.

 

[Amar__]

Great goal, it was time for our LB to offer aomething in attack.

 

[Traub]

Good goal but has been the weak link in our back four today IMO.

 

[11101]

Good goal and about time we had a LB who can get forward. Done everything expected of him today. Strange how some players get better whilst injured/out but those like Blind get worse.

 

[Ixion]

Good performance, he's just an excellent player all round. He also always seems to be an option and helps with our attacking play when playing down the left unlike Darmian.

 

[Fracture90]

Goal saved him tbh, prior to scoring he wasn't good.