[Hed Zitin]

Pretty sure he'll be fine when Pogba gets back. He's not playing any differently to the start of the season, he just has a lot less space and options due to the way we have been playing.

You mean he'll go back to getting an assist to paper over playing like crap for 80 mins like he was before then?

He's simply too weak to play for us. He can't handle this league. Cannot wait for him to leave. It must be mentally hurting him knowing he is too physically weak for this league.

 

[sergiosigurvinson]

You mean he'll go back to getting an assist to paper over playing like crap for 80 mins like he was before then?

He's simply too weak to play for us. He can't handle this league. Cannot wait for him to leave. It must be mentally hurting him knowing he is too physically weak for this league.

He needs too many players to work for him at the moment. He probably isn't strong enough to do his job properly. It"s a pity, because he is creative and skillful enough to be a first team player.

 

[K2K]

In fairness I think it is worth considering why no player in that SS/AM role over the last 6 years has looked anything like we thought they should have considering previous form. Is it the way we move the ball that they find it difficult to get involved or is it just that they aren't good enough? Kagawa, Mata, Mkhitaryan and Rooney have all sucked to varying degrees when being asked to create in the hole.

Definitely the players.

They have all failed in varying systems and under different managers.

And they have failed in different ways too.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

I'm starting to think he's actually not that good... Well I mean, he's ok, but his dribbling, passing and creativity is a level below what you'd expect for our level.

 

[Akshay]

Shitiyatran

Cut this out. You can express your point of view without being juvenile.

 

[Hugh Jass]

In fairness I think it is worth considering why no player in that SS/AM role over the last 6 years has looked anything like we thought they should have considering previous form. Is it the way we move the ball that they find it difficult to get involved or is it just that they aren't good enough? Kagawa, Mata, Mkhitaryan and Rooney have all sucked to varying degrees when being asked to create in the hole.

It is a combination of things. Players are overhyped by watching youtube videos and then cannot meet the expectations.

Then people do not understand that the position means the 10 will lose the ball more often than not because in that position you are surrounded by opposition players.

Then we scrutinize our own players more than we do opposing players. I counted yesterday, De Bruyne losing the ball or misplacing a pass four times inside 32 minutes. If he was our own player we would be giving out about him.

 

[Hambley]

Miki certainly didn't play bad last match and wasn't the worst player in the Starting XI as well

 

[Terminator]

I'd prefer Lingard ahead of Mkhi in the starting 11, Mkhi has been utter crap in the 7-8 games. Hardly looks like a footballer.

 

[kouroux]

It is a combination of things. Players are overhyped by watching youtube videos and then cannot meet the expectations.

Then people do not understand that the position means the 10 will lose the ball more often than not because in that position you are surrounded by opposition players.

Then we scrutinize our own players more than we do opposing players. I counted yesterday, De Bruyne losing the ball or misplacing a pass four times inside 32 minutes. If he was our own player we would be giving out about him.

No we reaaaaally wouldn't. This nonsense has to stop, KDB has earned himself a lot of credit because he actually contribute meaninfully to his team on a consistent basis. A few balls lost here and there are by far more accepted when they're done by a player you know you can count on. Mkhi's stock is an at all time low, there is no way he should be judged the same way KDB would if they both play the same shit match.
Mkhi is infuriating because he fecks up the easiest and most straightforward forward passes during attacking phases, easily the most frustrating player.

 

[Hugh Jass]

Miki certainly didn't play bad last match and wasn't the worst player in the Starting XI as well

I agree.

 

[montpelier]

I was pining for Kagawa by the time the sub board went up.

 

[ivaldo]

He’s a confidence player and at the moment his confidence is way down. He’s making errors and misplacing passes that, when in form, will never make. Drop him for 3 or 4 games and take him out of the spotlight.

 

[Fellaianus]

He just has to go. He has had one season to adapt and has failed to. We can't be wasting precious time on him like we did with Mata when our opponents have Eriksen, de Bruyne, Coutinho or Hazard. Seriously, just get rid of him and Mata while we are at it and buy a proper playmaker.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

I was pining for Kagawa by the time the sub board went up.

Christ, it's not that bad yet.

 

[AndyJ1985]

Miki certainly didn't play bad last match and wasn't the worst player in the Starting XI as well

But he did play bad. He was appalling.

 

[LoneStar]

At this point I would choose Lingard over him. Atleast he doesn't give the ball away so easily and brings a bit of energy. Lingard also seems to have a better understanding with our attacking players. We will most likely buy a new 10 in the summer.

 

[NoPace]

Worth remembering that he appeared to possibly be Mourinho's first choice as a partner for Lukaku up front in the 3-5-2 in preseason, so if Pogba comes back and plays as a 10 in big games I could see him starting games and one of Martial or Rashford not getting off the bench.

 

[ManuMou]

How many here think that Jose will (not should) start him next Sunday ?

Since the start of the season, I have been predicting Mkhi as starter (except those where he was rested), including this Spurs game.

For the 1st time this season, I think Jose will start benching him in those "Tier 1" games, and will likely start him in "Tier 2 games". Of course injury could change the situation. He needs to work his way up again IMO. In normal condition, Lingard and Mata will be his replacement. Not ideal, but it's a better option.

Until Jose surprisingly starts all of Martial-Lukaku-Rash, I only see a slight chance of roughly 20% that Rashford will replace him as RW.

 

[rollingstoned1]

It is a combination of things. Players are overhyped by watching youtube videos and then cannot meet the expectations.

Then people do not understand that the position means the 10 will lose the ball more often than not because in that position you are surrounded by opposition players.

Then we scrutinize our own players more than we do opposing players. I counted yesterday, De Bruyne losing the ball or misplacing a pass four times inside 32 minutes. If he was our own player we would be giving out about him.

I don't know really, when manager after manager for instance comes and goes yet we have the same creativity issues you begin to ask if the system is broken or if its the managers fault. Similarly every one of those signings was feted before arriving here yet for some reason just haven't replicated their form from their previous clubs. Maybe it is just a coincidence, in Rooney's case he was clearly well in decline by the time fergie retired. But I often get the feeling that we could sign D Silva and we would still complain that he is too lightweight, slow, hogs the ball too much and is shit/not good enough because he doesn't score much etc because we move the ball too slowly from midfield and lack movement from the front players. we shouldn't need Modric, Kroos, Isco, Verratti, Pogba to circulate the ball fluently.

 

[mancan92]

Christ, it's not that bad yet.

He has been far worse than kagawa was for us. At least kagawa was fairly consistent passing wise. Mhiki can barely string 2 passes together

 

[MThomas]

It is a combination of things. Players are overhyped by watching youtube videos and then cannot meet the expectations.

Then people do not understand that the position means the 10 will lose the ball more often than not because in that position you are surrounded by opposition players.

Then we scrutinize our own players more than we do opposing players. I counted yesterday, De Bruyne losing the ball or misplacing a pass four times inside 32 minutes. If he was our own player we would be giving out about him.

 

[Danillaco]

I all for giving Mata a chance at 10 and putting Marcus and Martial on the wings. Evne Lingard for some tracking back. Mkhi could use a sitting.

 

[Adisa]

I can accept giving the ball away while dribbling or trying something audacious. But the constant giving the ball away under no pressure is doing my head in.

 

[Cee90]

One of the most disappointing signings in recent years for me.

That includes Di Maria and Falcao.

 

[Kostov]

The most frustrating thing is that while even in this pathetic form he is in, Mkhitaryan is the only player of the trio (him, Mata and Lingard) that is capable of doing something like he did for the shot Lloris fumbled. We need better players than those 3.

 

[MThomas]

The most frustrating thing is that while even in this pathetic form he is in, Mkhitaryan is the only player of the trio (him, Mata and Lingard) that is capable of doing something like he did for the shot Lloris fumbled. We need better players than those 3.

He's hardly the only one capable of doing it, lets not pretend it justifies anything

 

[Kostov]

He's hardly the only one capable of doing it, lets not pretend it justifies anything

Well apart from Rashford, Martial and Pogba, I've barely seen anyone else capable of dribling inside the box. Correct me if I'm wrong.

EDIT: Mata can do it sometimes, but he is even more inconsistent than Mkhitaryan. And I didn't try to justify anything, they aren't good enough.

 

[Mickfoley]

Well apart from Rashford, Martial and Pogba, I've barely seen anyone else capable of dribling inside the box. Correct me if I'm wrong.

EDIT: Mata can do it sometimes, but he is even more inconsistent than Mkhitaryan. And I didn't try to justify anything, they aren't good enough.

It was a failed attempt at skill which luckily deflected back towards him from defender's feet. Then the shot was straight at keeper and was very weak, it was nothing more than a poor play.

 

[MThomas]

Well apart from Rashford, Martial and Pogba, I've barely seen anyone else capable of dribling inside the box. Correct me if I'm wrong.

EDIT: Mata can do it sometimes, but he is even more inconsistent than Mkhitaryan. And I didn't try to justify anything, they aren't good enough.

And we've barely seen Mkhi do it...It's not really a "at least we can rely on him to do that".

 

[mancan92]

Honestly Mata should be given a run of games at no 10. Let us see what he can do compared to Mhiki

 

[Kostov]

It was a failed attempt at skill which luckily deflected back towards him from defender's feet. Then the shot was straight at keeper and was very weak, it was nothing more than a poor play.

He was lucky it deflected closely, but he definitely tried to nick the ball between his legs and it was good play from the time he turned with the ball and tried to do something/go for the goal. Mata would have been pushed of the ball by the time he tried to turn, and Lingard would have passed it backwards.

And we've barely seen Mkhi do it...It's not really a "at least we can rely on him to do that".

Go and read my post again, nobody said we can rely on him to do it, we can't. I said he is the only one capable of doing that from the three mentioned.

 

[MThomas]

I love the notion that Mkhi is supposed to lose the ball often as he's a no 10

We can all tolerate that not all attempts made by a creative player comes off in the final third, that would be obscene to expect and it goes for all players independent of who they play for. Then again, that's hardly Mkhis problem. If he was linking up fine with our forwards and his through balls into the box generally fails, then feck it, who cares. The entire problem is that he's not linking up fine as he's generally losing the ball, it's absurd how he has a player open ahead of him and open to the left, and he ends up sticking the ball in the middle of them straight to a Tottenham player.

I have no idea why Mourinho persists with him and trusts him so much. Not many players would be that quickly back in the starting lineup..

 

[whatwha]

He was bought last season, however, and was in the final year of his contract. I think he was relatively expensive given the circumstances.

Among players with one year left on their contract, Mkhiiis the second most expensive ever. Only behind Hummels iirc.

 

[Bestietom]

Looks fantastic when on form, but does not last long enough. Tends to drift in and out of games and do not like it when it gets physical, same as Mata. We need change, as both have got their chances and have not taken them.

 

[Mciahel Goodman]

He needs to up his game. Will benefit from having Pogba back.

Still think we should be looking to replace him with a world class attacking player.

 

[André Dominguez]

I hope he continues in our squad, but we really should get a more consistent and determined player, imho.

 

[Donsangre]

One of the most disappointing signings in recent years for me.

That includes Di Maria and Falcao.

Do you realize that Falcao is one of the best strikers and Di Maria is world class. The problem is the game style, not the player

 

[Donsangre]

He has been far worse than kagawa was for us. At least kagawa was fairly consistent passing wise. Mhiki can barely string 2 passes together

U are delelirious.... you probably forgot to take your sleeping pills

 

[Pogbasky]

U are delelirious.... you probably forgot to take your sleeping pills

Henrikh, is that you????

 

[Lennon7]

One of the most disappointing signings in recent years for me.

That includes Di Maria and Falcao.

That’s just ridiculous. He was in the top 3 players of the tournament last season in the Europa League - a trophy that we won. He got 6 goals in 11 apps, and scored in the final. He’s been so much better for us than both Di Maria and Falcao.