Not in midfield pogba isn't.
Declan Rice
- Thread starter roonster09
- Start date
- Status
We don't have that player and it's why we're in the transfer forum discussing the potential arrival of one with the transfer window still open.
Blowing 100 on Rice would be stupid. He’s a solid player but for that you’d want someone to be better on the ball. Surely Tchouameni would be better value…
Rice isn't a option for the reasons you've described. A deal for Tchouameni could be a possibility, though.
Wondered if Monaco would be interested in Donny. Using him in part exchange would solve a problem as it doesn’t look like he’ll ever fit in for you. Tchouameni looks better on the ball than Rice is and I don’t get the idea that Rice is “proven in the Premier League”. He’s proven at West Ham’s level. He’d be okay for United but his limitations would frustrate.
Maybe but this league can punish you on any given day....
Yep and just commented that he's unproven in Prem and a massive risk to come in and anchor the midfield from the get go.
Can literally sign any two of Camavinga/Neves/Bissouma/Saul for the price of Rice. Why has this thread got to 200 pages?
Could it be because we need a DM and he's one of the best in the league I wonder? It's up to the suits to find a deal.
So hopefully it is clear now from yesterday's game that Martial is ahead of VdB & Lingard,
It’s frustrating because Rice would help massively with the defensive side, which was clearly an issue yesterday, but an even bigger issue is that you mention and Rice isn’t helping there.
Although in fairness, I’m beyond the point of thinking one single signing will “fix” our issues, I think we’d likely still have dogshit games like yesterday even if we stuck Busquets in there.
Rightfully so too, as shit as he’s been, I’m sure we all got a little excited watching Martial come on at left wing and hoping he could make something could happen.
Yeah, that would not work. But I don't think OGS would set the team up this way if McT was ready to play either. With Rice on the books we would probably se McT partnered with Rice most of the time with Fred as a backup.
United Must sign a solid CDM by tomorrow or we will seriously struggle to dominate midfield.
Fred / Pogba mix is too weak
Fred / Pogba mix is too weak
He's from a league that is arguably the best when it comes to exporting talent. And unless the club (United) believe there's someone 'prem proven' who they can sign in the time remaining before the window shuts, then a player like Tchouameni who is from a country with a very good record of churning top talent should be a potential option IMO.
Maybe. It's like the lad from Brighton, if it's so obvious why is he still there at a club that pretty much 70% of the teams in PL could get even if it's to improve their squad? No saying that they aren't a talent, just think fans tend to rate their own players less, other teams players more. It's funny as when we signed Harry, many Leicester fans weren't marching to the ground or burning shirts because they see him ever game. They knew they wouldn't miss him. I like my football but if I'm honest, most of these players we are linked with, never watched them play in any meaningful way.
I don’t remember any United fans marching to the ground or burning shirts when Ronaldo left, maybe we knew we wouldn’t miss him.
Sure, and it would be more defensively solid, but it wouldnt suddenly mean Pogba stops losing the ball in midfield in dangerous areas, or that we become good at building up play.
And clearly that's never going to happen, we are not going to move Bruno from his most dangerous position. He struggles when playing deeper for Portugal as well, he is simply not the player he is further up.
So rather than buying Rice in the hope that suddenly we will change our formation and Bruno's best position to accomodate Rice...Its makes far more sense to get a player than can work in our current formation, and not play players out of position(Pogba).
--------Varane--Maguire
AWB--Neves--Fred--Shaw
----------------------------------------
Jadon-Bruno-Ronaldo-Rashford
I'd rather have Neves in that deeper posiiton than Rice or Pogba, because he can actually evade the press and help in our buildup. Another thing that works is playing Pogba from the left who will drift infield during buildup to add an extra body.
You guys keep reeling me in to this thread, every time it's bumped. Only to see that there is no new news 
Even if we buy a midfielder (and I doubt it), he would be the least likely of the bunch, there's no way we are paying 50M+ after spending on Sancho, Varane and CR7.
Even if we buy a midfielder (and I doubt it), he would be the least likely of the bunch, there's no way we are paying 50M+ after spending on Sancho, Varane and CR7.
It's incredible how we have Carrick on the coaching staff and look completely clueless at what he excelled at. Scholes levels of coaching skills it seems.
Maybe we should of because we were wrong. Says something when a player replaces himself 12 years later.....
I've explained to you in my previous post that unless we create conditions for triangles/rondos, then it doesn't matter who the midfielders are. Because if there isn't pass simple options or a vertical pass option then we will see what we saw yesterday with the opposition defending in a 5-4-1 whilst cutting off the pass lanes with very little movement up top from us to unhinge the opposition defensive structure.
And as far as Neves is concerned, he's never been a press resistant midfielder and I've seen him struggle against various clubs in the EPL who exposed his immobility as a midfielder. The previous coach Nuno was forced to play a extra CB behind him and the current coach Lage has done the same where off the ball Wolves had 5 defenders behind Neves. He's a player who is best used in a deep or midblock in a deeper role or as the most advanced midfielder in a 3 man midfield if the plan is to apply high pressure. He doesn't have the legs to play in a DM role if the plan is to press high whilst leaving space in a high risk approach. You're watching a player at Wolves who is heavily protected within a set structure defensively which greatly helps him off the ball.
Oh my god, how embarrassing.In fairness, Carrick has never done anything remotely as good as this in football.
I always quickly scroll past that gif any time I see it.
I disagree.
Put Jorginho in place of where Pogba played yesterday, and we would be much better at keeping and progressing the ball. Because he is a natural DLP, unlike Pogba. I dont see how buying a "pure DM" helps us with out problem of progressing the ball on a personel level(w/o changing tactics).
Sure, we have issues with tactics as well, but we are not doing ourselves any favour by playing Pogba alongside Fred there. McT-Fred are our only functional midfielders. I'm not suggesting we buy Neves and play him as the sole DM, I'm saying we should play him alongside McT/Fred.
Jorginho plays ahead of a 3 man back-line and also has very mobile players in midfield next to him including the brilliant N'Golo Kante among others. But I do like Jorginho, I think he's a good player.
I agree we need a midfielder but I also think we need to create conditions for those midfielders to thrive. I've watched yesterday's game twice now and both times watching the game it became apparent to me that on too many occassions, Pogba had the ball deep in midfield and there was no simple pass option available to him. Both our wide receivers were blocked off and the only options Pogba had was to either to go on a dribble or knock it long to either Mason or Sancho who were second favourites against the Wolves back line against the high ball. So if we can address that, then I believe we would improve considerably.
But I do agree we need midfielders to upgrade us both defensively and offensively.
Casemiro
Kroos-Modric
Fernandinho
De Bruyne-Silva
Busquets
Xavi-Iniesta
Rice
Bruno-Pogba
Kroos-Modric
Fernandinho
De Bruyne-Silva
Busquets
Xavi-Iniesta
Rice
Bruno-Pogba
Blowing 100m at anyone is pretty stupid to be fair. Rice will be overpaid at whatever sum we get him if we decide to pursue with him.
We are not playing 4-3-3
There were equally many times pogba had multiple options and picks the wrong one putting us in a worse position.
Our 3 does not fit what the other teams have at all.
Yes, Jorginho plays next to Kante, but I was saying for Jorginho-type to play next to Fred too. He has played next to Veratti for Italy who play a back 4 and did fine. Obviously a DLP usually plays next to a ball winner/box to box type. I think Fred and McT are decent options for that role for us now.
Kroos, Modric, Xavi and Iniesta are elite midfielders who can control the game and set the tempo of the game with their passing. While Pogba and Bruno are the kind of mdifielders who are brilliant at playing that final pass, they are not good at controlling games. That's why they usually need 2 more midfielders doing that behind them. Pogba and Bruno are not the same type of players as Xavi, Modric or Kroos.
Also City's formation actually looked more like this so its not comparable :
RB----DM----LB
---KDB---Silva
Kalvin Phillips would be a far better buy in my opinion.
I expect that because the risk reward factor can be worth it with him. I'd rather see him play the way he does and provide moments of quality than seeing players hiding in midfield from the ball.
No he was passing to people in bad positions and in no position to attack, he does not understand he needs to be making space for his team and setting the tempo.
He would but I think people don't mention him because they assume Leeds wouldn't let him go for anything other than a ridiculous price. Would be great if possible though.
I prefer him as a player but Rice is more what we need, and even then I don’t really rate him that highly.
Rice is much more disciplined at staying back and recycling possession to more creative players. Philips is much more active in play and dynamic but his defensive awareness is sometimes lacking.
One of those is not like the others
You can't make space for yourself if there's a huge gap between the midfield two and front 3 with Wolves players swamping the half spaces and cutting off passing lanes to our fullbacks. You can only control tempo if there is players in close proximity who you can play off. Muller plays in a similar role to Bruno for Bayern and provides a vertical option on many occassions for his two midfield team mates. Donny Van de Beek at Ajax did the same with Schone and Frenkie de Jong which creates rondos/triangles in the middle and either side.
I don't believe he suits the deeper role but to expect him to control tempo yesterday against a team who were defending in a 5-4-1 and with our structural set up is silly.
He's supposed to make space for the other players. He had multiple other easy passes and often did a pass further away to a player without space who then got closed down. He has shown time and time again he doesn't know how to play that role.
- Status