James Garner

I don't really see the relevance of comparing him to Fred, if anything they would play together. A player like Fred absolutely has a place at top teams with his high energy and pressing ability, if anything he would play better alongside a deep playmaker which Garner has the potential to become. McTominay would be in greater danger as he doesn't really fill a specific role currently.

So who are all the players starting at top teams in midfield who are best at running and pressing?

There arent any
 
Still stand by it. Been watching youth team football for a long time, Laird is a good player but again question why has he been no where near the first team squad?
Injuries, needed to play senior football without getting injured frequently which he's achieved at MK Dons.

Going by the interviews he and his manager have done, he's really hit it head on and has shown a brilliant attitude in willing to learn.
 
So who are all the players starting at top teams in midfield who are best at running and pressing?

There arent any
The debate has been done to death, but players like Kante, Fernandinho, Henderson have al recently done it for title winning teams. Not all exactly the same type of player but Fred has some exceptional attributes and qualities and certainly isn’t shocking in the others either. He’s a very good player who would play a role at most of the top sides. I know you will reply with stats but I’d really rather you didn’t!
 
The debate has been done to death, but players like Kante, Fernandinho, Henderson have al recently done it for title winning teams. Not all exactly the same type of player but Fred has some exceptional attributes and qualities and certainly isn’t shocking in the others either. He’s a very good player who would play a role at most of the top sides. I know you will reply with stats but I’d really rather you didn’t!

All of them are much better passers. Their main strength isnt running or pressing
 
The debate has been done to death, but players like Kante, Fernandinho, Henderson have al recently done it for title winning teams. Not all exactly the same type of player but Fred has some exceptional attributes and qualities and certainly isn’t shocking in the others either. He’s a very good player who would play a role at most of the top sides. I know you will reply with stats but I’d really rather you didn’t!

He's shocking at shooting. That's the big problem with him in the smaller games, the opposition don't even need to close him down, they can just leave him in space. I do think he's a good player otherwise though.
 
Because playing consistent first team football is far more important than training with Fernandes and Pogba every week and ending an entire season at an age where development is key with 400 minutes of competitive football?

Edit: and both have. Laird has even made a senior debut.

Big time. People overstate how important training with these guys is, plus quite a few players get to first team and just stop developing thinking they’ve made it after a few games. even those lads often fall way down the game if we don’t need them after that. I’m sure it’s a good experience for a while but if you have barely played for a year then you are stagnating no matter who you are training with in the meantime.
 
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So who are all the players starting at top teams in midfield who are best at running and pressing?

There arent any

But the fact that Fred is good at running and pressing is a good thing and not a problem. He is a decent passer too. But he is not very suited to being a DM in a 4231. You need to be more disciplined in that setup, and less reactive in my opinion.

Part of the issue at Man Utd is that we dont press much as a collective. I think that also inflates the press-numbers of a few players quite a bit (but decrease the sucess ratio somewhat).

I bet Klopp would play Fred and Bruno infront of a pure DM, and make use of the fact that these two players are very good at pressing.
 
But the fact that Fred is good at running and pressing is a good thing and not a problem. He is a decent passer too. But he is not very suited to being a DM in a 4231. You need to be more disciplined in that setup, and less reactive in my opinion.

Part of the issue at Man Utd is that we dont press much as a collective. I think that also inflates the press-numbers of a few players quite a bit (but decrease the sucess ratio somewhat).

I bet Klopp would play Fred and Bruno infront of a pure DM, and make use of the fact that these two players are very good at pressing.

I don't agree on Fred being a decent passer but I'd agree with the rest. Fred will remain a useful tool in games we can switch to a 433. In a 4231 he'll find himself surplus but it's important to have tactical flexibility.

If Garner could come in and have an impact next year that would solve quite a few issues. More likely that he goes back out on loan though i think.
 
Reckon Garner needs a full year out on loan and getting first team football before getting him back in to prove himself for a spot in the starting 11.

Pointless of us to keep him in the squad and give him 3-5 mins of game time and letting him start the odd cup games.
 
I don't agree on Fred being a decent passer but I'd agree with the rest. Fred will remain a useful tool in games we can switch to a 433. In a 4231 he'll find himself surplus but it's important to have tactical flexibility.

If Garner could come in and have an impact next year that would solve quite a few issues. More likely that he goes back out on loan though i think.

Decent, not great. Similar to Winjaldum.
 
As a group they were relentless?

No. Its their forwards that press more than ours usually. Liverpool's midfield dont press as much, they are trying to fill spaces that are left by other players like the fullbacks. The opposite of pressing really instead of going towards the ball they are trying to fix gaps in their formation.

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As you can see Fred 23 on average, Pogba and McTominay 14 on average

But Liverpool's midfielders?

Highest of those who regularly play is Thiago with 18, Jones 16, Wjalnaldum 12, Fabinho 10.5

Keita averages 24 slightly more than Fred but has only played 5.8 x 90 mins, which suggests that isnt important to Liverpool's midfield. Else he'd be starting a lot

We can also half include Bruno with his 20 per game as he's in the hole, half in midfield and half in attack. And Liverpool dont have that player between the 2.
 
Injuries, needed to play senior football without getting injured frequently which he's achieved at MK Dons.

Going by the interviews he and his manager have done, he's really hit it head on and has shown a brilliant attitude in willing to learn.

I stand corrected that they have made first team debuts but that's not entirely my point. Not saying he's not a good player, just look at our recent history of loans - the pathway to the first team is non-existent. If I have a son or daughter at Utd (which I incidentally did at one point), I wouldn't be confident that this would be the case. The best players tend to stay around the first team here.....Iast successful loan was probably Tunanzebe ?
 
Garner been pretty anonymous so far - Cardiff simply look a better side. Tom Sang playing for the hometeam - and doing quite ok so far.
 
Garner scored for Forest :)

Wonderful football - Ameobi sets up Christie who drills a low cross in from the right, and Garner side-foots it home from 10 yards out. First chance Forest had
 
He's immediately become their most important player
 
The Forest left-winger Alex Mighten looks really interesting - turns 19 in a couple of weeks. He could easily be picked up by a P.L-side in a year or two. Looks a little light still but a lot of skill and pace
 
I see that Tom Sang was on our books a couple of years ago but I can't remember any appearances for any of our underage teams. Anyone?
Played a bit under Sbragia, was terrible. We were his first ever pro club and he could barely control and pass a ball. Doing remarkably well to be playing in the Championship.
 
The Forest left-winger Alex Mighten looks really interesting - turns 19 in a couple of weeks. He could easily be picked up by a P.L-side in a year or two. Looks a little light still but a lot of skill and pace

He’s highly rated. Played for England a lot and the U.S. are hoping to nab him.
 
Highest of those who regularly play is Thiago with 18, Jones 16, Wjalnaldum 12, Fabinho 10.5


I’m not sure this interpretation is correct.

Obviously, they press less since they do not have to because

A) Their attack press more,
B) They have the ball more,

The numbers from this year is also less relevant as Fabinho and Henderson has played CB a lot. Last year Fabinho (18,5) and Henderson (21,4) had higher press figures.
 
All of them are much better passers. Their main strength isnt running or pressing
Wrong. Their main strength is precisely their running and pressing ability. It's exactly why Klopp loves them in addition to their ability to pass. His geggen pressing doesn't work so well without it.

That is why when most of them were with draw to defence, and the likes of Thiago were left in the middle with only one of them Liverpool became miles poorer as a team over night.

That is why the 2020/2021 pressing stats of their midfield are currently less than ours.
 
Still stand by it. Been watching youth team football for a long time, Laird is a good player but again question why has he been no where near the first team squad?

As he got injured so Williams stepped took his chances. He’s a far better player than Williams. Plus he has played in 2 Europa games for United. His issues have been due to injuries, not talent nor ability.
 
Wrong. Their main strength is precisely their running and pressing ability. It's exactly why Klopp loves them in addition to their ability to pass. His geggen pressing doesn't work so well without it.

That is why when most of them were with draw to defence, and the likes of Thiago were left in the middle with only one of them Liverpool became miles poorer as a team over night.

That is why the 2020/2021 pressing stats of their midfield are currently less than ours.

They dont press. They defend space. They were less last season too

The forwards press, creating gaps in the formation that someone needs to fill. The midfielders do this job

That does require running and hard work, but not using it to go towards the ball. Its going to where the team are vulnerable on a counter defending space
 
I stand corrected that they have made first team debuts but that's not entirely my point. Not saying he's not a good player, just look at our recent history of loans - the pathway to the first team is non-existent. If I have a son or daughter at Utd (which I incidentally did at one point), I wouldn't be confident that this would be the case. The best players tend to stay around the first team here.....Iast successful loan was probably Tunanzebe ?
I completely agree that the recent loans spells have been disappointing and the pathway has been murky of sorts. I'd like to think that's now been sorted with the changes behind the scenes, I guess only time will tell but Levitt to Charlton was a disappointment and his loan in Croatia now looks to be heading the same way. Also Kovar loan too didn't go to plan.
 
They dont press. They defend space. They were less last season too

PL 19/20
Ox - 22,7
Henderson 21,4
Fabinho - 18,5
Winjaldum - 15,0

Fred - 29,5
Pereira - 26,0
Matic - 15,7
McTominay - 13,3
Pogba - 12,2

Players with more than 1000 min in midfield for both teams. (Pereira played AMC most of the time too. Fred usually played next to McT, Matic or Pogba.)

And remember, Liverpool had 60 percent possession. Man Utd had 55. And Liverpools attackers pressed a lot more than Man Utd (meaning the midfield dont have to press that much).

In fact, on average Liverpools opponent had 313 touches on the ball in middle of the pitch and final third. Against MU the opponent had 402 touches on the ball. A difference that is close to 30 %. To say that Liverpools midfield dont press, and that Man Utds midfield do, is inaccurate. Trying to support it using numbers is just a misinterpretation of stats.
 
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Has Garner controlled any games for Nottingham Forest? That's what we desperately need a player that can dictate the game.