[DevilRed]

Hard for him to get involved when the back 3 are under so much pressure and cant properly pass the ball out from the back.

Its just a ridiculous set up by LVG when we could so easily play a 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 instead. Carrick would be able to dictate the game instead of running around trying to cover 2 or 3 midfielders at once.

 

[kps88]

He needs to come deeper. The back three have no one to pass to.

 

[Hed Zitin]

You can see how Blind has brought much more movement and an ability to get the ball of the back quickly.

Carrick has looked so slow.

 

[Nighteyes]

You can see how Blind has brought much more movement and an ability to get the ball of the back quickly.

Carrick has looked so slow.

Nothing to do with Blind. This formation is farcical.

 

[ivaldo]

No suprise, against quality who presses he disappears.

 

[RedMachine03]

He needs a partner, he alone cannot do everything.

 

[Shane88]

A boat of calmness in a sea of chaotic shit.

English was never my strongest subject in school.

 

[Sad Chris]

I gave him stick a fortnight ago, but credit where due...he was the man today. Good show!

 

[DWelbz19]

Experienced head and what-not, but invisible when it gets tough.

 

[MoneyMay]

A boat of calmness in a sea of chaotic shit.

English was never my strongest subject in school.

I gave him stick a fortnight ago, but credit where due...he was the man today. Good show!

This.

Was anonymous in the first half, but fortunately he turned up to the second. It's clear why Van Gaal was disappointed when he was injured.

 

[kundalini]

No surprise, against quality who presses he disappears.

Our midfield certainly didn't help out our young defenders when they were in possession. Carrick should be demanding the ball off them and then dictating the play. He managed to complete 19 passes out of 24 attempted.

I wasn't impressed at all.

 

[Hed Zitin]

Was it Carrick that lost Giroud for the goal?

 

[WR10]

Made the right passes, was in the right positions and most importantly he organized a shitstorm of a defence/midfield into a functioning unit. He was my quiet MoTM today. Oh how we've missed him. It's a shame he has lost every bit of pace he's ever had tho.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

Like most of the players tonight I thought he was pretty poor but he was better in the second half.

He did make a fantastic block at the very end of the game thought which was pretty much the final action of the game. Hopefully if he stays fit he'll add some calmness to the midfield and we won't miss Blind as much as we all feared.

 

[kundalini]

Was it Carrick that lost Giroud for the goal?

Giroud was initially marked by Carrick then ran into McNair's zone. Both seemed asleep.

 

[ivaldo]

Made the right passes, was in the right positions and most importantly he organized a shitstorm of a defence/midfield into a functioning unit. He was my quiet MoTM today. Oh how we've missed him. It's a shame he has lost every bit of pace he's ever had tho.

feck.in.hell.

 

[Pexbo]

Still coming back from a long injury but I think that was a perfectly reasonable performance. Did things quietly and efficiently.

 

[marlowe78]

Too much of the central play went through Fellaini, although he, too, was pretty good.

Carrick was indispensable in seeing out the game.

 

[ZDwyr]

Made a couple of good blocks I think. Started slowly but got better I thought. Probably could have done better for their goal but not too bad overall.

 

[Eric'sCollar]

Put in a good performance, didn't get too much time on the ball which did limit his influence a little but thought he did his job well.

 

[Raoul]

Good to have Carra back. He has a settling influence on the midfield and was a good foil for Fellaini's more physical play.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

Monster block in the end. Such a great player to have infront of a young defense.

 

[Freak]

He went into hiding for most of the first half rather than giving a passing outlet for the defence.

 

[Sparky Rhiwabon]

Good to have Carra back. He has a settling influence on the midfield and was a good foil for Fellaini's more physical play.

Agreed, although this needs to be the last season where we rely in him this heavily IMO.

 

[ZDwyr]

He went into hiding for most of the first half rather than giving a passing outlet for the defence.

Yeah I thought he was poor in the first half too. But he impressed me in the second, especially with a few big blocks.

 

[Minimalist]

Grew into the game yesterday. Started off well off the pace but by the end was controlling the game quite nicely.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

No suprise, against quality who presses he disappears.

Horseshit on two levels. Was influential against Arsenal yesterday and has been so on many many times against "quality who presses" in the past.

 

[ivaldo]

Horseshit on two levels. Was influential against Arsenal yesterday and has been so on many many times against "quality who presses" in the past.

Nah. Influential in what way exactly? Completely overshadowed by Fellaini both offensively and defensively. Gave the defense absolutely no outlet when they had the ball in that first half, got the wrong side for Girouds goal.

 

[Sunny Jim]

Nah. Influential in what way exactly? Completely overshadowed by Fellaini both offensively and defensively. Gave the defense absolutely no outlet when they had the ball in that first half, got the wrong side for Girouds goal.

Offered protection for Blacket. Was immense yesterday.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Nah. Influential in what way exactly? Completely overshadowed by Fellaini both offensively and defensively. Gave the defense absolutely no outlet when they had the ball in that first half, got the wrong side for Girouds goal.

Disagree with so much of that there's really no point trying to pick it apart. He put in a decent performance. Struggled with the formation initially (just like everyone else) but did everything we needed from him for the last hour or so. A solid 6 or 7 out of 10. "Disappeared" my hole.

 

[Still ill]

Experienced head and what-not, but invisible when it gets tough.

That's a wind-up, right? That beggars belief.

 

[noodlehair]

He disappeared yesterday, but there's not much point having a go at the one midfielder in the team for not being able to be a one man midfield, when there is no player on earth who could possibly do this. Blind hasn't been able to do it and his performances in general have been quite good.

 

[Sied]

He disappeared yesterday, but there's not much point having a go at the one midfielder in the team for not being able to be a one man midfield, when there is no player on earth who could possibly do this. Blind hasn't been able to do it and his performances in general have been quite good.

I wonder how Blind would have done instead of Carrick yesterday. Blind always offers an option for the defence to pass a ball forward, but Carrick seemed to be struggling to find space. Perhaps Blind would have done no better as Arsenal's game plan was obviously to press us high. The 3 CBs were certainly struggling for forward options at times though. You could see Blackett complaining about it a few times, as he aimlessly lobbed the ball forward while under pressure.

 

[DWelbz19]

That's a wind-up, right? That beggars belief.

Seeing as almost everyone else in the last page or two agrees, it doesn't seem like it! He's always had that flaw in his game. Against a top pressing side, he loses his influence and shies away for large portions of matches.

 

[ivaldo]

Disagree with so much of that there's really no point trying to pick it apart. He put in a decent performance. Struggled with the formation initially (just like everyone else) but did everything we needed from him for the last hour or so. A solid 6 or 7 out of 10. "Disappeared" my hole.

He seems to be the only player that can do feck all and fans will still praise.

 

[RedorDead21]

He seems to be the only player that can do feck all and fans will still praise.

Nani, Kagawa and many others got praised for similar.....

 

[Nighteyes]

He seems to be the only player that can do feck all and fans will still praise.

That would have been Kagawa. I seem to recall you being wedged firmly up his backside.

Carrick was decent yesterday. Started poorly like the rest of the team but improved from then on.

 

[DWelbz19]

That would have been Kagawa. I seem to recall you being wedged firmly up his backside.

 

[noodlehair]

I wonder how Blind would have done instead of Carrick yesterday. Blind always offers an option for the defence to pass a ball forward, but Carrick seemed to be struggling to find space. Perhaps Blind would have done no better as Arsenal's game plan was obviously to press us high. The 3 CBs were certainly struggling for forward options at times though. You could see Blackett complaining about it a few times, as he aimlessly lobbed the ball forward while under pressure.

I don't think he'd have done too much better as a) we were a mess, and B) despite playing well, he basically hasn't done too much better in previous games.

It's the system of playing with only one person in midfield while everyone else just runs off that's broken. Not whoever the one player is. If anything in previous games, Blind making himself available has put us under more pressure as he gets the ball, looks round, and there's no one other than Chris Smalling or De Gea to pass it to. Yesterday we were just hoofing it, but that's actually slightly less stupid than repeatedly passing the ball to the opposition midway inside your own half.

I think Carrick's positioning is still better than Blind's too. A couple of times I noticed him in the sense that there was a player in the way of the opposition being able to just run at our centrebacks or get a free shot in, when previously there hasn't been.

 

[ivaldo]

That would have been Kagawa. I seem to recall you being wedged firmly up his backside.

Carrick was decent yesterday. Started poorly like the rest of the team but improved from then on.