Is Fred the worst regular starter for United in living memory?

surely surely surely a key attribute of any top class Man Utd midfielder should be a very good touch and passing ability. running around lots should not be the main consideration.
 
I have a love/hate relationship with him, at one moment he's absolutely brilliant a beast chasing the opposition and one minute later he can make a simple 10 meters pass.
 
If you take every starter we had from the last 10 years and list them in order from most useful to useless, Fred would be on the top half of the list. You guys that say he sucks are literally blind, biased or both.
 
Fred it like a little brother. You know he's really of no use to you, but every once in a while he will do something to remind you that you still love him.
As much as I think we dont need him, I think we do (at least on this team). If my memory serves me right he covers the most ground of any other player and is the only player that seems to always be around the ball. I do think he could benefit from better instructions and this manager should help with that.
 
SAFMUTD said:
I have a love/hate relationship with him, at one moment he's absolutely brilliant a beast chasing the opposition and one minute later he can make a simple 10 meters pass.
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Just have a hate hate relationship with him. He is just that bad, midfielder who can't pass and tackle.
 
Finding it hard to believe fred has any support never mind some supporters on here. Get real...all this he covers ground, oh he brings energy....so would mo farah but he's not a united midfielder. Roy Keane knows a thing or 2 about playing mf for us and his criticism of fred is fully justified. Aside from the given attributes any PL footballer should have he offers nothing. So limited as a footballer and I cannot believe he's a regular. Worst I've seen by a mile. Lots of people jump on the fred boat when he makes an interception or tackle but is this not his job. The guy is a disgrace and it obviously not his fault when he is selected. I'm going to guess Rangnick sees through the invisible Fred and demotes him . Yea he presses in RR gagenpress style but another key component of the philosophy is progressive passing forwards....Cya and good riddance Fred
 
Eli Zee said:
If you take every starter we had from the last 10 years and list them in order from most useful to useless, Fred would be on the top half of the list. You guys that say he sucks are literally blind, biased or both.
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Fred probably gets into the starting XIs of Fergie's last two title-winning teams. Which says more about how long our central midfield has been a bit of a joke, in fairness.

He's an okay player who's been stuck in a thankless role for a while now and will probably be very good in the next few months as the heavy metal kicks in. Thread title is laughably off-base but that's just how it goes on here - I wonder if the equally ridiculous "Fred: 50 million well spent" one is still kicking around.
 
cyberman said:
He has to do the work of 3 men in there. It’s fecking ridiculous
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He does the work of 3 men as well. Without him we would never win the ball back.

Because he does 10 times the work of Bruno, he will of course make 10 times the mistakes - but for the few things Bruno does he looses the ball at least as often as a percentage I would say.
 
GL21 said:
Finding it hard to believe fred has any support never mind some supporters on here. Get real...all this he covers ground, oh he brings energy....so would mo farah but he's not a united midfielder. Roy Keane knows a thing or 2 about playing mf for us and his criticism of fred is fully justified. Aside from the given attributes any PL footballer should have he offers nothing. So limited as a footballer and I cannot believe he's a regular. Worst I've seen by a mile. Lots of people jump on the fred boat when he makes an interception or tackle but is this not his job. The guy is a disgrace and it obviously not his fault when he is selected. I'm going to guess Rangnick sees through the invisible Fred and demotes him . Yea he presses in RR gagenpress style but another key component of the philosophy is progressive passing forwards....Cya and good riddance Fred
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I think you're in for a massive shock. With our current set of midfielders, Fred will probably be one of the first choices under Rangnick and rightly so. He's one the few players we have who can press effectively. He's not amazing on the ball and he's not the best passer but what he does for us is very important. We've had similar players in terms of breaking up play in Park Ji Sung, Fletcher, who've been very good for us and Fred does a similar job. I'm not saying he's as good as those two but he's the best we've got right now.

Unfortunately, by many, such as yourself, his mistakes get blown out of proportion and the good that he does is often ignored. He does sometimes have a poor touch here and there and times he loses the ball, but he more than makes up for it in terms of winning the ball back and starting attacks by breaking up the play. Give him somebody better than Mctomminay to play next to, who often hides when it comes to supporting Fred defensively, and Fred will be a very good player for us.
 
King Azaz the Unabridged said:
Fred probably gets into the starting XIs of Fergie's last two title-winning teams. Which says more about how long our central midfield has been a bit of a joke, in fairness.

He's an okay player who's been stuck in a thankless role for a while now and will probably be very good in the next few months as the heavy metal kicks in. Thread title is laughably off-base but that's just how it goes on here - I wonder if the equally ridiculous "Fred: 50 million well spent" one is still kicking around.
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You're probably right about him getting into the last two title winning sides teams. it'd have been something like Fred, kagawa, and carrick in a 3 man midfield if my memory serves me right. Would've been a pretty damn solid midfield if you ask me.

I really am annoyed at how underappreciated Fred is on here. He probably will be amazing in the next few months if the team can develop an effective play style/system instead of whatever the hell we had the last 2 years
 
YouknowNani said:
I think you're in for a massive shock. With our current set of midfielders, Fred will probably be one of the first choices under Rangnick and rightly so. He's one the few players we have who can press effectively. He's not amazing on the ball and he's not the best passer but what he does for us is very important. We've had similar players in terms of breaking up play in Park Ji Sung, Fletcher, who've been very good for us and Fred does a similar job. I'm not saying he's as good as those two but he's the best we've got right now.

Unfortunately, by many, such as yourself, his mistakes get blown out of proportion and the good that he does is often ignored. He does sometimes have a poor touch here and there and times he loses the ball, but he more than makes up for it in terms of winning the ball back and starting attacks by breaking up the play. Give him somebody better than Mctomminay to play next to, who often hides when it comes to supporting Fred defensively, and Fred will be a very good player for us.
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Fred's ability to win the ball back is blown out of proportion as many winnable opportunities go begging as he is often brushed aside....(ask demarai gray). Yea he nips in here and there but again it's his job. And what's the point winning it back to give it away again? I do also feel that where you say he would be better off with someone else next to him rather that McT, the same can be said for McT. I think mc tominay will excel with another body beside him other than Fred. Also I think fred is the worst player we have for hiding when he's needed for our back line to play out to. McTominay has also been guilty of this but will show more often than Fred.
 
Rightnr said:
Well, he plays the role well enough for Brazil with a proper sitter. Since we cannot buy a whole new squad, we keep what's usable and since that doesn't include McTominay, I'd play him and Donny.

Not sure how you've passed judgment on a player who albeit inconsistent has been our best player against Chelsea (that wasn't McT that's for sure) and Arsenal.
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Listen who gives a feck how he plays for Brazil when he plays like he did in that first half?

And let’s be honest, I don’t remember watching McT be as bad as Fred was, I mean it was criminal, yet you bark about the scot.

And no he wasn’t our best player against Chelsea. If we are serious club, a CDM needs to be bought in January, and both of these jokers to never start again.
 
Kostov said:
Fred would shit in your tea and you would love it, but McT can’t do any good in your eyes, yes he was solid actually, when Fred was playing like drunk.
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each to their own but when you have a fred fanboy no amount of shitting in tea will help you see otherwise. He runs a lot so must be good. On the subject, he had supporters saying earlier he is the first man in when its kicking off....hes as hard as my last shite and gets through about like a rat.
 
McTominay hides from the ball and takes 0 responsibility. Easy to look less awful when you're a coward.

Fred might not be great but he is a typical United squad player. He plays with intent and purpose, even he's not perfect. McTominay doesn't even make the Scottish midfield. He's not fit to play for this club.
 
Rightnr said:
McTominay hides from the ball and takes 0 responsibility. Easy to look less awful when you're a coward.

Fred might not be great but he is a typical United squad player. He plays with intent and purpose, even he's not perfect. McTominay doesn't even make the Scottish midfield. He's not fit to play for this club.
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Both play internationally...one starts in his normal midfield position for Brazil. The other usually starts for Scotland, as part of a back 3 CB trio.

McTominay is a good squad player. But Fred is a starting XI player and what he brings to the team for 90 minutes is invaluable. And he's a fierce competitor. Can't win if you dont compete and face up to your opponents.

By no means is Fred perfect, but he's a wrecking ball out there and is non stop for the entire match.
 
Not even close. For example, Mctominay and Lindelof are far worse than him
 
Thing i have always thought about Fred is that he is just not a CDM and never has been. I remember him in CL games for Shaktar and he was always impressive as an all action box to box type midfielder that did some great work offensively, a role he has never really played at Utd. In the last few games Carrick changed that pushing him forward more resulting is some assists and key passes (still a bit loose defensively though). I think Rangnick will love him but hopefully will add more structure and quality coaching to his game, but not as a CDM role that wastes him imho.
 
No. There are plenty in the current team worse than him including Harry "two-arm pull" Maguire. Next question.
 
Kostov said:
Fred would shit in your tea and you would love it, but McT can’t do any good in your eyes, yes he was solid actually, when Fred was playing like drunk.
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Fred was terrible in the first quarter. McTominay was terrible the whole match. It is bleedin obvious that McTominay is going to make less mistakes than Fred because he hides from any passes so no one passes to him. One plays for Brasil. Well the other plays as a CB for Scotland.
 


Fred v Arsenal with all his cons and pros
 
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Didn't he block one at the end? His passing is horrible many a times.
 
cyberman said:
He has to do the work of 3 men in there. It’s fecking ridiculous
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No he doesn't. thats such an exaggeration. I imagine he doesn't outperform many of his fellow midfielders in any statistics
Valencia's Left Foot said:
Fred isn't world class, but he's damn good at few things and gives his all for the team each and every game. He's a great player to have in the squad.
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when I think of great teams of the past they don't tend to have a Fred clocking up many minutes
peridigm said:
I'd rather have Fellaini.
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Bebestation said:
Damn.
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I feel they are of similar stature
 
No, we had men like Blackett and Powell playing with Butner trying to push in.
 
Stacks said:
No he doesn't. thats such an exaggeration. I imagine he doesn't outperform many of his fellow midfielders in any statistics

when I think of great teams of the past they don't tend to have a Fred clocking up many minutes


I feel they are of similar stature
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Scott hides and Bruno does little off the ball in midfield. He might not do everything well but the work is there. It’s undeniable. Breaking up play in midfield. Being the closest behind Ronaldo when he scores, had a massive hand in the other 2 goal instances and he is supposed to be behind Bruno in a 2.
 
Murder on Zidane's Floor said:
Dan James.
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Found a post that names the first that sprung to mind over the past few years. A guy who started well for the past 3 or so games after his debut then went to complete obscurity afterwards every time he played.

This is only recent memory: there are a bunch of other regulars like Depay and Blind that come to mind if you go a bit further back, but to say Fred is the worst is an extreme opinion.
 
Fred is a top footballer. But one of the modern types that needs to be an important functional cog in a solid machine. We are not that.

He’s a better midfielder than Henderson, Milner, and any of that ilk. But he’s never had a manager at this club that sets a team up.

I think he’ll improve under Ragnick.
 
He isn't even the worst player in this current squad, or event the starting 11. McTominay for example is much worse
 
I can’t take anyone who thinks Blind was the worst United starter in living memory seriously. He wasn’t even the worst starting defender here in that team!
 
Blood Mage said:
I thought Fellaini was pretty good for us under Van Gaal. Shocking under Moyes and Mourinho though.
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He was shocking. One of the worst and least suitable Utd players I’ve ever had the misfortune of watching. A nice enough lad but a horrible player, Fred is miles better.,
 
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