I think I fundamentally disagree with all of this. The absolutely crucial element of having a sitting midfielder behind a more adventurous front 2 is to be able to quickly and accurately move the call forward to those players before the opposition can react. Fellaini and Schneiderlin are utterly incapable of that, they don't have the technique, vision or passing range to pull it off. You put either of those two behind Pogba and Herrera and the whole thing breaks down because we can't get the ball to them quickly enough to really hurt teams.
That's the real difference between Kante and Schneiderlin, it's not the defensive aspect it's that Kante doesn't dwell on the ball. Same with Makelele. Fellaini is one of the worst dwellers on the ball there is. Blind is the only other one who could play that same role at the club currently.
Whatever I'm going say next is pretty much a moot point, since I don't think we're ever gonna see those players take that deep lying role in place/instead of Carrick but I won't say it's as clear cut to say they can't. Schneiderlin's time here has been a massive failure but you can't say he doesn't have the ability. He played in a Poch and Koeman team that looked to dominate possession by controlling games on the ball and via pressing; he was a big part of that.
As for Fellani, there's not too many examples but the Liverpool @ Anfield, although a skewered example gives a bit of perspective. Before the game, many were pointing out that the Liverpool attack would run rings around him and he'll be the liability out of the 3. Of course the context was that we conceded possession and looked to all-out defend so that possibly made him look good but at the same time, whenever he had the ball, he never looked lost or did the wrong things against a buzzing Liverpool press etc.
Just no. We saw a midfield 3 without Carrick and it didn't work out too well. Carrick is the player that enables Pogba more freedom to do what he does best. Carrick' IQ and positioning is the single biggest reason Pogba can drift and search for the ball in certain spaces - there is no other reason - full stop.
Pogba was a disaster early this year - do you think it's just coincidence that 1) he has started playing better and 2) the team has starting winning - or does it have to do with Carrick being placed in the XI?
Our form has everything to do with Carrick being in the team - ffs, we haven't lost a match with him in the starting line up.
Carrick's mere presense or rather another body being in the midfield is the single biggest reason why we are playing more consistently imo. Carrick has undeniably contributed to that but it was obvious Pogba's iffy form was more down to having to play in a double pivot; it was asking more defensive responsibility from him whilst further away from positions where he's at his best (centre to third half of the opposition half). That's not even to mention that it was often Rooney or Mata in front of him, who are never going to help control the midfield in a traditional sense.
I'm not slating Carrick's contribution or underrating his ability. I just think we can try and should expect more (not neccessarily from him) from that position.
ti vu's post is harsh but that's my biggest gripe with Carrick as the deepest lying. His quality on the ball is brilliant but we're not really dominating
off the ball enough in his area/zones. That's why I think having an energy guy can help take the pressure off Herrera/Pogba and instead pass the dictating onus onto them. In simple words, get Schneiderlin/Fellani to tackle and get about the pitch more, pass to those two and rinse repeat.
They're not the long term solution and neither will Carrick be. We constantly need energy, technique and creativity in the middle. Carricks' technique is replaceable with other's energy imo. That's what it fundamentally boils down to for me.
100% spot on, you can't just plug some destroyer in and expect it to function the same.
Apologies for quoting you out of context but this is more to reinforce my points above. The function will of course not be the same but a destroyer brings other qualities, which I think will benefit our team more in a different way.
