[Dante]

Stats are nice but don't tell the whole story.

Carrick makes more difficult passes than Blind and takes fewer touches before releasing the ball.

Blind does more closing down in midfield which gives the other team second thoughts about leaving their position to make runs into the box.

The two are about even in terms of effectiveness, but go about their jobs in different ways. I'm actually an advocate for starting Carrick in defence and Blind in midfield, but for that to happen we'd need both to be fit at once.

 

[Ixion]

I definately don't see Carrick and Blind competing for the same position, they should both be playing. I can't wait to see them both lining up together.

 

[The Mitcher]

I wish people would stop advocating for Carrick playing in defense, that means 3-5-2 and we all know how much we hate 3-5-2. He's a midfielder, he's 33 and I think its far too late in his career to convert him to a centerback, he hasn't actually got any REAL experience there like other defensive players, he was always a makeshift. Play him in midfield, and midfield only.

 

[MoneyMay]

Think it was @LR7 who said it. The shackles have been removed. I don't think it's a coincidence that we have been better since he returned from injury.

 

[Devil may care]

Steady Eddie, nice to see him have less to do today as we'll need him at full tilt against Spurs.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

We're ten times better when he's in midfield pulling the strings.

 

[LR7]

Think it was @LR7 who said it. The shackles have been removed. I don't think it's a coincidence that we have been better since he returned from injury.

Yeah I remember banging that drum a fair bit. I refused to accept that he just turned shit last season, as the general consensus on here seemed to suggest. I love Carrick. Brings a calmness and confidence to our midfield. He's playing just as well now as he did in Fergie's final season which suggests the tactics/style of play suits him (and the team) better.

With Blind out I think LvG was right to sub him off today as we have no cover for him. When fit, I'd quite like to see him and Blind in midfield three together (with Rooney, or if Rooney is further forward Herrera or Fellaini) though at some point as I think they'd provide solidity and protection in front of our brittle injury prone defence.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

The OP was right.

 

[ZDwyr]

Glad the game was won so we could get him off and rest him. Gives us something that no one else in the squad (except maybe Blind) is capable of.

 

[Mark_GrumpyLion]

Glad the game was won so we could get him off and rest him. Gives us something that no one else in the squad (except maybe Blind) is capable of.

Agreed. He played well yesterday and subbing him was a great call.

 

[orangeboom999]

Think we notably lost some control when he came off

 

[marjen]

Our most important player?

 

[arthurka]

Our most important player?

In a shout.. Great player.

 

[Raw]

It's quite worrying to see how much he improves us considering his age. I hope he helps Blind in becoming that sort of player, or we bring in someone similar.

 

[marjen]

It's quite worrying to see how much he improves us considering his age. I hope he helps Blind in becoming that sort of player, or we bring in someone similar.

The other options for his role are Fellaini and Fletcher, now that Blind's out.

Playing either of them at the heart of our midfield is handicapping ourselves severely, sadly.

Blind himself has been at the heart of a couple of very good performances even if he lacks the physique and passing range of Carrick at this moment in time. Even so, playing him in that role is miles better than playing Fellaini/Fletcher.

 

[Badunk]

The midfield version of Teddy Sheringham. Not blessed with great pace, but his reading of the game, his movement off the ball, his passing and coolness under pressure makes him our most important player, imo. If he stays injury free, we can get a few more years out of him.

 

[Varun]

It's quite worrying to see how much he improves us considering his age. I hope he helps Blind in becoming that sort of player, or we bring in someone similar.

Unless Blind suddenly improves massively in that regard, he's never going to come close to having Carrick's passing range.

 

[Varun]

You are right. The point I was trying to prove is that there is no evidence that Carrick made us better in terms of team performance, or individual performance (compared to Blind). Daley has better stats but his role was a bit different.
In my opinion we can’t say either of them is better as long as we see them performing in the same role with similar players around.

I don’t think playing Carrick so deep is a good idea anyway.

Carrick is easily the much better passer. His range is comfortably better than Blind. Dont really need to see them perform the same role etc to see that.

Carrick's the superior player without doubt for me. Has everything Blind has and more.

 

[The Azzurri]

Just realized he will be up against his former team tomorrow. Will he be booed by the home fans?

Young got booed in the previous away game

 

[LeftyBlaster]

Just realized he will be up against his former team tomorrow. Will he be booed by the home fans?

Young got booed in the previous away game

Surely not. He joined us ages ago. Has been so very important to us this season.

 

[harms]

Young got booed in the previous away game

Because he dived against them earlier, not because he left.

On Carrick: no, he won't be.

 

[ecantona7]

I thought he was done after last season but he's proven me wrong. As someone mentioned, he's playing as well as he was playing in fergie's final year. I'd love to see him and di maria as 2 of the 3 midfield. I think carrick would find so much room for di maria to exploit.

 

[Eugenius]

The list of people looking to write him off after last season because he was turning 33 was incredibly stupid. Midfielders with his intelligence can play until their late 30s. The likes of Scholes and Pirlo have actually peaked rather than getting worse at this age. Someone like Lampard is still going strong at 36 at the top level too.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

The list of people looking to write him off after last season because he was turning 33 was incredibly stupid. Midfielders with his intelligence can play until their late 30s. The likes of Scholes and Pirlo have actually peaked rather than getting worse at this age. Someone like Lampard is still going strong at 36 at the top level too.

This. All we need to do is make sure we have energy around him and we'll be fine.

 

[Anduin]

His contract is up in June, right? Hope we get him to sign a new one ASAP.

 

[LR7]

His contract is up in June, right? Hope we get him to sign a new one ASAP.

I don't think we need to worry.

 

[Devil may care]

Poorest game since his comeback, looked very tired which is understandable.

 

[Cooksen]

He did not get enough of the ball to influence the game.

 

[Sied]

Although he uncharacteristically lost the ball a few times I still thought he looked decent. The ball that put RVP in for example was absolutely class and deserved an assist.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

In the last couple of games, Van Gaal has played Rooney a lot higher up with Mata, which means that when teams counter us, Carrick can be sometimes left on his own, especially if Rooney's made a run in behind, and Mata has to track back. This is why I think, as good as Mata has been in the couple of games, if we're going to play with one holding midfielder, we need two box to box players ahead of Carrick, otherwise we'll be too open. We struggled against Newcastle in the first 15-20 minutes too.

Having said that, apart from when the ball was intercepted from Kane, I felt Carrick was good as usual on the ball. The passes he made to Van Persie and Mata were fantastic.

 

[Ace of Spades]

He looked knackered in the second half, which is a worry. He needs some rest and can't be expected to play three games in a week like he used to. The problem is our other options are injured again.

 

[Rednotdead]

He looked knackered in the second half, which is a worry. He needs some rest and can't be expected to play three games in a week like he used to. The problem is our other options are injured again.

He'll be 34 in July so we shouldn't be expecting any more than a bit-part role for him when everyone else is fit.

 

[NotoriousISSY]

He'll be 34 in July so we shouldn't be expecting any more than a bit-part role for him when everyone else is fit.

Or maybe, just maybe playing 2 PL games in 48 hours was just a bit too much. I wouldn't call it a bit-part role. He'll easily be able to start 30 odd games a season. It's just having the luxury of a player who can step in for him...something we just don't have at the moment.

 

[Successful]

The Ohly thing worse than swing Carrick having one of those days is seeing Fletcher coming on as a sub - so today was a good day!

 

[Bojan11]

Was knackered in the second half. One of the reasons we weren't great as he dropped off.

Really needed Blind during this period.

 

[Rednotdead]

Or maybe, just maybe playing 2 PL games in 48 hours was just a bit too much. I wouldn't call it a bit-part role. He'll easily be able to start 30 odd games a season. It's just having the luxury of a player who can step in for him...something we just don't have at the moment.

Van Gaal is building a new team - surely common sense tells us he's not going to be building it round a 34 year old?

 

[NinjaFletch]

Or maybe, just maybe playing 2 PL games in 48 hours was just a bit too much. I wouldn't call it a bit-part role. He'll easily be able to start 30 odd games a season. It's just having the luxury of a player who can step in for him...something we just don't have at the moment.

Well yes, because Blind is injured.

 

[NotoriousISSY]

Van Gaal is building a new team - surely common sense tells us he's not going to be building it round a 34 year old?

Until we have a player with the passing range he offers from deeper areas, I'd guess that we are building the team around him.

Players with that passing range and general influence aren't easy to pick up. I like Blind, but in Carrick's absence he showed us that we lack a penetrative passer when Carrick isn't there.

 

[Rednotdead]

Until we have a player with the passing range he offers from deeper areas, I'd guess that we are building the team around him.

Players with that passing range and general influence aren't easy to pick up. I like Blind, but in Carrick's absence he showed us that we lack a penetrative passer when Carrick isn't there.

At present yes, but not for the future. LVG will know himself he needs a replacement sooner rather than later. Carrick has one more season after this in him at the top level.

 

[Gannicus]

Ideally, we would not have had to play Carrick today (age), but injuries have forced Louis to play players who needed the rest today.

In January, we have to at least try to bring in a proper box to box man. We can't ride Carrick forever and Blind can only do so much.