Rake
Full Member
Carrick at CB next to Smalling anyone? I think we should at least give it a try
who?and those starting in front at United
the last person you want to maintain a high line is Michael CarrickCarrick at CB next to Smalling anyone? I think we should at least give it a try
He's 34, was always going to happen. Will still play plenty of games and rotate with bastian, but he's not first choice anymore. Great squad option to have though, considering he's a better player then any other midfielder bar fabregas and matic in the league (and those starting in front at United).
Coming towards the end of his career now so how would people rank him amongst the all time Premier League midfielders... Just in the tier below the likes of Keane, Scholes, Vieira etc ?
you can say that, but I don't think his job is for those moments. like you don't expect to have Busquets to do that urging in the team. the whole respected Juventus midfield (all of Pogba, Pirlo, Vidal, Marchisio mind you) could not do much in the last UCL final against Barca, let along a much inferior United midfield against Barca's midfield in their primeMajor flaw in Carrick that doesn't put him in top tier is that he didn't stand up and be counted when the going is getting tough. He's just not a big enough personality to put his stamp on a final the way the best of the best did. So I rank him tier 3.
Tier 1 being absolute maestros Xavi, Iniesta, Pirlo
Tier 2 being your Scholes Gerrard and Lampards
you can say that, but I don't think his job is for those moments. like you don't expect to have Busquets to do that urging in the team. the whole respected Juventus midfield (all of Pogba, Pirlo, Vidal, Marchisio mind you) could not do much in the last UCL final against Barca, let along a much inferior United midfield against Barca's midfield in their prime
actually when things got tough, he was the only remaining stable midfielder, he confidently responded to SAF's appeal. That's enough for me
Coming towards the end of his career now so how would people rank him amongst the all time Premier League midfielders... Just in the tier below the likes of Keane, Scholes, Vieira etc ?
I think he played well against Chelsea most of the time. against Liverpool with everything thrown out of the window, with the end to end football we played then, wouldn't be a surprise. heck even Vidic would lose almost all of his cool thereI don't expect a blustering Roy Keane Turin 99 performance and i'm not even looking at the Barca finals because he was playing against two tier 1 midfielders(and another to probably cement his place there as well) in their prime. I just felt his game suffered when we came under pressure in particular against Liverpool and Chelsea. We would start well, maybe grab a lead and then there would be inevitable pressure and instead of being a quietly influential platform he would be wasteful in possession like the rest of the team.
Herrera, Schweinsteiger and now schneiderlin? Though I don't even think schneiderlin is better then him, but he has a different skill set. We definitely have the best crop of midfielders in the league though, and none of city's or arsenals and definitely not Liverpools apart from cazorla from arse would get much of a look in.who?
will give you Schweini, definitely not the othersHerrera, Schweinsteiger and now schneiderlin? Though I don't even think schneiderlin is better then him, but he has a different skill set. We definitely have the best crop of midfielders in the league though, and none of city's or arsenals and definitely not Liverpools apart from cazorla from arse would get much of a look in.
Still of the opinion despite our new signings he's our best midfielder.
Having genuine rotation options should help Carrick as well, since we won't completely rely on him.