Miralem Pjanic

Derek Acorah said:
And then what happens? Mata shoved out to the wing again?

We need to be utilising our best players. We need one more quality CM to play alongside Ander and then Mata can play in front of them.
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Shoving Mata on the wing would also have the effect of limiting Januzaj's game time because you couldn't play Mata/Januzaj on both wings due to the total lack of any pace in the side whatsoever so using that formation doesn't really make sense in my view for United.

3-5-2 makes more as it allows you to use Mata as well as both world-class strikers you have and you don't really possess any very good wingers so the use of wing-backs makes up for that as well.
 
Pjanic is not a DLP. He likes to run with the ball in attacking areas and dribble a bit too.

Pirlo does indeed play as the DLP behind Vidal and Marchisio/Pogba but he has always been used to dictating play from deep and is pretty good at making interceptions from deep these days bit like Carrick.
 
Eriksen said:
Shoving Mata on the wing would also have the effect of limiting Januzaj's game time because you couldn't play Mata/Januzaj on both wings due to the total lack of any pace in the side whatsoever so using that formation doesn't really make sense in my view for United.

3-5-2 makes more as it allows you to use Mata as well as both world-class strikers you have and you don't really possess any very good wingers so the use of wing-backs makes up for that as well.
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Yep, agree with all of that.
 
RDCR07 said:
What part of Mata is better than Pjanic do you not understand?
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First of all - what's with the tone ? I understand perfectly well without you having to point it out.

Second - player x > player y and hence the team is better isn't how football works. Madrid is a great example from last season - they could have kept Ozil (a Mata kind of player) : and played a 4-2-3-1 like in the years gone by. Was Di Maria better than Ozil ? No. But he's better for the team evinced by their transition into a 4-3-3.

As long as we have Mata and Rooney we'll be forced into playing a system with #10s involved or stifle them in the wing (which doesn't really work out well) which also means the central midfield will probably get overrun against stronger teams.

If we play vs Madrid in 2015/ 2016 whatever midfield duo we have will have to contend with Modric + Kroos + x or Bayern with Schweinsteiger + Thiago + Martinez or something similar - a midfield duo of Ander + x will definitely get overwhelmed. I've always been keen on United playing with a 3 in the middle - like Van Gaal usually does - a pivot, a box to box and a playmaker. That lends a remarkable amount of balance in attack, defence and possession to the team. If it means sacrificing Mata or Rooney then so be it. Also as I pointed out before this is what I want. You don't have to agree. But that doesn't make the opinion wrong.

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Derek Acorah said:
And then what happens? Mata shoved out to the wing again?

We need to be utilising our best players. We need one more quality CM to play alongside Ander and then Mata can play in front of them.
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Pjanic is the player we should have signed when Scholes first retired.
 
Great player, but like always mentioned when the thread gets pushed again, not a CM and a transfer wouldn't make sense for us at the moment.
 
Pyroblazer said:
Great player, but like always mentioned when the thread gets pushed again, not a CM and a transfer wouldn't make sense for us at the moment.
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TBF I love statements like this.





Played 30 games in central midfield last season but not CM. Like this under Napoli :


pjanicnapoli_medium.png



Or here vs Argentina and their really good central midfield :





g7f1qJ7.png
 
FromTheBench said:
Pjanic is not a DLP. He likes to run with the ball in attacking areas and dribble a bit too.

Pirlo does indeed play as the DLP behind Vidal and Marchisio/Pogba but he has always been used to dictating play from deep and is pretty good at making interceptions from deep these days bit like Carrick.
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He's equally good as a deep lying playmaker as he is playing as an attacking midfielder. In fact I'd probably prefer him deeper so he gets on the ball more and can dictate the tempo of the game, because he is amongst the best in the world at that. Him being a good dribbler is a bonus, and running with the ball is useful anywhere on the pitch.
 
What impressed me the most is the weight of the pass, it's ridiculous how strong the pass was, it looked like it was accelerating all the time yet it was so easy to control it later. Beauty.

Btw he needs to move from Serie A, I still can't decide how quality he can become as long as he stays there. He should try in bigger club, even if it means he could eventually fail.
 
Amar__ said:
What impressed me the most is the weight of the pass, it's ridiculous how strong the pass was, it looked like it was accelerating all the time yet it was so easy to control it later. Beauty.

Btw he needs to move from Serie A, I still can't decide how quality he can become as long as he stays there. He should try in bigger club, even if it means he could eventually fail.
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Think Barcelona should have went for him last summer. Hes a perfect replacement for xavi with his ability to control games. Obviously not as good, but still brilliant.
 
bosnian_red said:
Think Barcelona should have went for him last summer. Hes a perfect replacement for xavi with his ability to control games. Obviously not as good, but still brilliant.
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Yeah, he'd be a better fit than Rakitic IMO. Wouldn't mind him here though.
 
bosnian_red said:
Think Barcelona should have went for him last summer. Hes a perfect replacement for xavi with his ability to control games. Obviously not as good, but still brilliant.
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Yep, would be interesting to see him there.
 
Pjanic would be brilliant in a 4-3-3/ 4-5-1 for United. Pefect combination of tenacity and incisiveness in the center of the park.

Like maybe so :

Rooney/ RVP

Januzaj - Pjanic - Herrera - Di Maria

Blind​



Only gripe is that we'd have to perm Di Maria to the wings and that's no longer his most effective position. :(
 
AkaAkuma said:
Is he not a similiar player to Herrera?
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No, less work rate and "aggression", but more flair and vision.

He has an eye for the pass like not many, but is also great at dribbling and retention of the ball too.

Like his goal against us in pre-season, he has something a little different than most people.
 
They are both completely different players though. Its like Comparing Keane with Zidane.
 
One thing our midfield does lack is a player who has the ability to dictate the tempo and boss the game. He'd provide that, but he isn't really needed at the time being.
 
iBoss said:
If anything, he's underrated.
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I was very excited to see Pjanic prove his worth against Bayern München in the Uefa Champions League, but the way we steamrolled them made it hard to judge his individual performance. I hope Roma will put up a better fight at the Allianz Arena, because he's a potentially interesting player for any team with a possession oriented stile of play.
 
Twigg said:
Fair enough. You've probably watched them both more than me.
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To be honest I haven't watched Vidal in more than champions league highlights but I have watched Panic quite a bit this season and I think he is extraordinary.
 
DWelbz19 said:
One thing our midfield does lack is a player who has the ability to dictate the tempo and boss the game. He'd provide that, but he isn't really needed at the time being.
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So we need a player that dictates tempo but we don't need him?

After the paucity of our midfield options for the last god knows how many years we aren't in a position to be saying no to more quality. He's certainly more quality.
 
matherto said:
So we need a player that dictates tempo but we don't need him?

After the paucity of our midfield options for the last god knows how many years we aren't in a position to be saying no to more quality. He's certainly more quality.
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There are more pressing issues. As in, ensuring we maintain a top four stop and getting back into CL football. Of course, getting further, winning trophies and dominating big games, that's where a player of his ilk is more necessary.
 
Invictus said:
Pjanic would be brilliant in a 4-3-3/ 4-5-1 for United. Pefect combination of tenacity and incisiveness in the center of the park.

Like maybe so :

Rooney/ RVP

Januzaj - Pjanic - Herrera - Di Maria

Blind​



Only gripe is that we'd have to perm Di Maria to the wings and that's no longer his most effective position. :(
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Move Herrera into his natural position and you have a proper midfield

Rooney RvP
Herrera
DiMaria Pjanic
Blind​
 
Him I'd take. In terms of positions that actually need reinforcement, a top CB is first and foremost, and then it's backup for Rafael and a creative CM, because at the moment Herrera is the only decent one we have. Pjanic fits the latter requirement.

Wednesday at Stoke said:
Move Herrera into his natural position and you have a proper midfield

Rooney RvP
Herrera
DiMaria Pjanic
Blind
​
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I'd be in favour of that. And then we'd be in the nice position of having quality competition for every single position. Falcao for the strikers, Mata for Herrera, Januzaj for Di Maria, Herrera himself for Pjanic, Carrick for Blind. As far as I'm concerned that would be a 'complete' squad (in terms of midfield and forwards), with no holes to fill.
 
He's a lovely footballer and could rotate with Di Maria and Herrera and force either to their 2nd best positions (Herrera AM and Di Maria either wing), so games wouldn't be a problem.

He'd be our best overall passer since Scholes, so that's tough to argue with.
 
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