Didn't think he was particularly good, but appeared to be in the right places when gaps in the back three were opening.
16
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 20
- Goals
- 1
- Assists
- 2
- Yellow cards
- 1
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With minutes under his belt he will do the role Blind has been doing but better, not having a go at Blind but Carrick is the better midfielder.
Don't think Blind would've been any better. With three at the back, their usual position is already occupied so its harder to get on the ball. Plus his positioning and passing is better than Blind's.
His positioning is no way better than Blind's.
I think he was decent at best, I prefer Blind strongly. Blind seems to be much more involved in the build up.
There are similarities between them and Blind is Carricks successor even if the latter is still playing. Good to have 2 players capable playing the no. 6 role in a way LVG likes it. We won't see both on a pitch at the same time too often unless our injury luck continues.
Some of his blocks at the end were amazing, one of the interceptions led to the second goal.
After the horror-show of the first 20/25 minutes, Carrick was excellent defensively - I'm definitely in the "his positioning is better than Blind's" camp... Blind always seems to be running around, getting into positions to make blocks/interceptions, whilst Carrick just seems to already be there... but then Carrick has always had a brilliant knack for that.
Carrick was pretty good after the opening twenty minutes, but Blind offers the same and more. Happy to think of Carrick as capable back-up, though.
Blind's passing is nowhere near as incisive as a fully fit Carrick. Whether Carrick will ever reach full fitness is another matter.
Against some of the better sides assuming we qualify for Europe next year, I wouldn't be against seeing a double #6 pivot of Carrick and Blind.
Carrick was great for me, and has been hugely missed. I'm a massive fan of Blind (I think he's the most important signing we made in the summer), but Carrick has been the only consistent and arguably the best United midfielder in our best ever period. So under-rated.
Carrick was great for me, and has been hugely missed. I'm a massive fan of Blind (I think he's the most important signing we made in the summer), but Carrick has been the only consistent and arguably the best United midfielder in our best ever period. So under-rated.
I think that's partly because Carrick is a lot quicker. Doesn't always look it but those long legs really eat up the ground and I think Blind is actually relatively slow (which is why he often looks like he's having to work really hard to get back in position)
Stop kidding yourself, Blind is very much as good a passer, as accurate and more forward too, and Blind is very comfortable when pressed, Carrick suffers when he's pressed.
Chinos 
Blind is a lot more attacking minded as well for his role. So a few moments of him popping up on the left wing to deliver a cross or making a late run into the box for a shot are not rare. Carrick does far less of those things so he's always in his zone.
I can't believe people are even going to contest their passing ability. Carrick of 12/13 had the best passing range of any player in the league. He ended the season with a 91.5% pass completion rate. I agree he does panic slightly when pressed but Blind does not have the passing range that Carrick has.
That and mobility are the biggest advantages Blind has over Carrick. As far as incisive passing, I'll have to see more of Blind to say they're equal. Carrick is pretty incisive, he better be given his natural position as an attacking mid. People forget he began and shone as an attacking mid, and his performances there being the reason we bought him from Spurs.
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It's up for debate because it's not clear, is it?. What matters is the here and now, not what he did 2 years ago. Carrick is a fine midfielder, with great passing range but Blind is as good a passer, and is far better under pressure. Defensively though, Carrick is stronger [physically and positionally] and is more experienced.
Yep I agree with this to be honest. Right now I'd have Blind ahead of Carrick when fit because we have Herrera/Fellaini/Di Maria who can all provide forward passes whilst Blind can do the running and defensive work, however if Carrick does come back to full fitness I'd be tempted to play him in games where we need to take control of the midfield.
I like Blind but I've seen very little to suggest he's as good a passer as Carrick. He may be more adventurous as time goes on and the movement around him keeps improving but for now he's keeping it pretty simple and doing his job well.
Blind a better passer under pressure? I don't see much to support that claim.
He's lost the ball several times in his short United career, sometimes leading to dangerous situations. Carrick rarely does the same.
He's lost the ball several times in his short United career, sometimes leading to dangerous situations. Carrick rarely does the same.
Carrick under pressure rarely makes a half-turn to attempt a forward pass, he immediately plays it backwards, which encourages the other team to keep pressing and we end up playing hoof-ball from defense. He won't lose the ball but we wont make any progress in the game either.
Fair enough, but Blind isn't really different. The way people talk, you'd imagine Blind is this excellent technical playmaker who glides past a guy or two before sending a killer pass to one of our forwards. I think the praise has been way over the top; he, like Carrick, is too fond of the easy choice, as pointed out by Gary Neville.
I rate Blind as the better player at this point. I'd rather play 25 year old Blind who has a fantastic engine and an underrated passing game than Carrick on a game-to-game basis.
Man Utd 3:0 Hull City
Brilliant again. He offers us more on the ball than any of our other central midfielders.
His intelligence on the pitch is a blessing. Excellent half.
Acres to play in but his passing has been class, just dictating it so easily from deep.
He is an amazing player to watch on form. Controls the game from the deep and makes us tick. Has amazing ability to spot the run of the striker and make the jaw dropping pass.
Glad he is back.
Glad he is back.
Class. The perfect player for van gaals style
He's playing a Pirlo type role at the minute. Absolute class.
He's better than Blind, less mobile but better positioning and his passing is a lot sharper.
Well on his way to 100+ passes for the second home game in a row. Van Gaal will love a player like that.
Woof
Shame he didn't get an assist. He was immense.
The way he dictates the tempo of the passing, picking the moments to quicken the pace and flash the ball forward into one of the strikers...class.
Imperious today.Caln and composed on the ball,excellent passing including 3 fantastic long balls forward and didn't put a foot wrong in defense.Such an asset when he's in this kind of form.
Shows what have we been missing in the team. His passing was immense. He accelerates the play at will.
My MOTM. As soon as Fletcher came on and there was a shuffle you could notice the difference. He is just fantastic at drilling those forward passes between opposition lines.
Masterclass.
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