Our best midfield balance?

Casemiro: Destroyer
Eriksen: Playmaker
Bruno: Space Runner

OR

Casemiro: Destroyer
Eriksen: Playmaker
VDB: Space Runner
 
Wonder if Casemiro will notice any difference playing with McTominay and Fred rather than Modric and Kroos

I’ve been wondering about that too. It will be interesting to see whether Casemiro notices anything different.
 
Casemiro gives us so many options...

Eriksen Bruno Casemiro
Fred Bruno Casemiro
Donny Bruno Casemiro
Fred Eriksen Casemiro
Eriksen Donny Casemiro

It could all work... We have to see how it turns out and which pairings go well..
 
Casemiro-Fred is the first choice midfield for Brasil. Bruno will have all the freedom with these 2 behind him.
 
I see Fred, Eriksen and Bruno fighting it out for the two spots next to/in front of Casemiro.

I tend to think one of Eriksen or Bruno ahead of Fred and Casemiro will give us the most solid basis, but expect Eriksen playing a bit deeper and Bruno ahead will be used a lot also.
 
It's all utter shit regardless.

Eriksen and Casemiro? Okay. I've resigned myself into thinking this club will never learn.
 
I have mixed feeling on this. On one hand I disagree in spending silly money on a 30 year old DM. On the other hand I never bought this McSauce tripe. I always thought that he was championship level, that the only reason he's playing is his passport and that we needed to add some serious quality in the DM role.

Now back to the question. Casemiro is a fantastic addition to the team. The guy is the Rolls Royce's of DMs, he's experienced and on top of that he knows Varane and Fred very well. I am expecting the latter two to improve significantly with him around especially Fred. The Brazilian can now switch into a box to box role and become the player we spent 50m upon. We all know that Fred has got great attitude, he can fill gaps and is built around the pressing game. What he lacks is that defensive discipline and positioning that Casemiro will provide in bucket loads.

So if I was ETH this would be my defensive core

DC: Martinez-Varane. Both are quick, they are quite intelligent and can play in a high line.
DM: Casemiro
B2B: Fred
AMC: Eriksen or Bruno

Bruno is my biggest question mark. On one hand he's a fantastic player, a proper assist and goals machine. On the other hand I think he's becoming too big for his own good. He's fixated with this shadow striker role which quite frankly is not what United need and certainly its not doing him any favours. Sure United do need goals. However the ball need to reach the striker first. So I'd say give Bruno a break and let Eriksen play a couple of games there.
 
With the potential addition of Casemiro, we will have the following midfielders below:

Eriksen
Bruno
Fred
McTominay
Van de Beek
Casemiro


Based on that, who do we feel will give us the best balance?
We need another CM in the mould of Carrik. Bruno/Eriksen can compete for the no 10 spot. Fred, Mc Tominay and vdb are not good enough for the level we aspire to reach and should be shipped out.
 
Until Bruno sorts himself out then I’d be tempted to press ahead with Casemiro, Fred and Eriksen. There’s a good mix of a discipline, energy and creativity in there. Goals would be an issue, especially given the halfwits we have up top.
 
I have mixed feeling on this. On one hand I disagree in spending silly money on a 30 year old DM. On the other hand I never bought this McSauce tripe. I always thought that he was championship level, that the only reason he's playing is his passport and that we needed to add some serious quality in the DM role.

Now back to the question. Casemiro is a fantastic addition to the team. The guy is the Rolls Royce's of DMs, he's experienced and on top of that he knows Varane and Fred very well. I am expecting the latter two to improve significantly with him around especially Fred. The Brazilian can now switch into a box to box role and become the player we spent 50m upon. We all know that Fred has got great attitude, he can fill gaps and is built around the pressing game. What he lacks is that defensive discipline and positioning that Casemiro will provide in bucket loads.

So if I was ETH this would be my defensive core

DC: Martinez-Varane. Both are quick, they are quite intelligent and can play in a high line.
DM: Casemiro
B2B: Fred
AMC: Eriksen or Bruno

Bruno is my biggest question mark. On one hand he's a fantastic player, a proper assist and goals machine. On the other hand I think he's becoming too big for his own good. He's fixated with this shadow striker role which quite frankly is not what United need and certainly its not doing him any favours. Sure United do need goals. However the ball need to reach the striker first. So I'd say give Bruno a break and let Eriksen play a couple of games there.
Casemiro
Savic
Eriksen
 
I know Casemiro is a fantastic DM but i'm wondering if Eriksen and Bruno with him is still a bit too lightweight? I think i'd go with Fred and Casemiro and then either Eriksien or Bruno for the last spot.
I'd have Fred and Casemiro in that midfield with Ericksen. I want as much relentless hardworking in that midfield as I can get from Casemiro and Fred and I also want the ability to retain the ball which is where Eriksen comes in instead of Bruno.
 
Id like another midfielder personally, I still don’t want Fred starting crucial games - league cup & early FA Cups & Europa is fine for him.

Bruno hasn’t been good enough (imo) for 18 months, and I don’t know if we can rely on Eriksen to play 3 games in a week just yet. VdB & McTominay similar to Fred also.

One more press-resistant midfielder with an engine on him and we’ll have a good enough midfield for now.
 
I'd probably say Casemiro, Fred and Eriksen (or VDB if he were in any sort of form) for pure balance.

Where that leaves Fernandes I don't know, I thought maybe he might play as a wide-playmaker in ETH's system, but him and Sancho outwide doesn't give you a great deal of pace in those areas.
Agreed. Bruno may have to leave at end if season. His style of play is too risky and doesnt suit ETH possession based game. We do need cover for eriksson as without him we lack the player in midfield to transition from defence into attack.
 
I’m surprised how many have said Fred. Him and McT have been terrible. Neither of them anywhere near the standard of a PL midfielder even for the bottom 3 so far this season.

With how bad they’ve actually been you couldn’t do any worse by giving VDB a run. As Ten Haag said, it’s about desire. How many times did Fred lose the ball in game week one?
Fred for brasil is a better player when pushed more into a 8 role than a 6. With brasil casemiro sits deeper than fred and fred plays much better. Hopefully same will happen at utd and we might see a better fred with the shackles unleached.
 
Assuming that we will use a 3 man midfield I still don't think Bruno and Eriksen can play together.

So I think the best solution would be Casemiro-Fred-Eriksen for now.
In the hopes we get another CM, Fred should be dropped immediately.
Bruno can rotate with Eriksen depending on fatigue/form(if he ever picks up the form for 1.5 years ago)
Mct should play as little as possible as for VDB it's difficult to say as I've seen him so little in the last period.
 
I'd probably say Casemiro, Fred and Eriksen (or VDB if he were in any sort of form) for pure balance.

Where that leaves Fernandes I don't know, I thought maybe he might play as a wide-playmaker in ETH's system, but him and Sancho outwide doesn't give you a great deal of pace in those areas.

This in a 433.

As for where it leaves Bruno - that's his problem.
 
I would like to see Casemiro holding and Bruno and Eriksen as two CAMs.
 
For balance I'd go with Casemiro, Fred and Eriksen.

I think Donny or Bruno could come in and the balance would be fine though.

My main issue is that I think none of these combinations fill me with confidence for being able to dominate possession and play out from the back. Still feel we need to add another into the mix. Not sure who that will be but does seem we are looking for a new one as well.
 
I still don't understand why we would go for Antony and Gakpo if we miss 1 top player as a runner. When I check our midfield, we have a lot of players who are comfortable at the ball but only Van de Beek who has the qualities to play around the striker. Donny is a good kid but sometimes it was painful to watch him in the preseason. We should aim a bit higher. I'd not go for Gakpo and try to find a player who has the phyiscal abilities to play with Casemiro and Eriksen on the midfield. He should play as an attacking midfielder going deep, Eriksen could give the passes to that player and also to Antony on the right and Sancho on the left. For me, James Maddison would fit perfectly but I know it would be really difficult to buy him. Maybe we could buy someone similar. I don't think Frenkie de Jong will come anymore, maybe its good to bring Zidane Iqbal to the first squad. He suprised me in the preseason and he has the same potential as De Jong.
 
Imagine that locker room at the half after Bruno throws his hands up in frustration the first time he gets a poor pass from Casemiro. Might have a tooth or two knocked down his turkey neck.
Cliche as it might sound I think a bit of an enforcer to keep people in line and demand higher standards is exactly what this team needs. Ole's apparent mollycoddling (may or may not be true, seemed it to me) has left us a team of petulant babies.
 
Stop putting Bruno in the "midfielders" bucket. He is an attacker through and through.

Casemiro
Eriksen - - - Fred​
Is definitely our best midfield setup, most balanced and IMO creative enough. Eriksen will be joining attack and can go to either side, he should be given a free role (but not Bruno-esque kind of free role).
Van de Beek to rotate with Fred, Bruno to rotate with Eriksen (change of setup to Conservative midfield two).
 
Casemiro, Fred and Eriksen. We have no depth to cover for Casemiro should he get injured, but with him in the first XI it's quite good.

I’m surprised how many have said Fred. Him and McT have been terrible. Neither of them anywhere near the standard of a PL midfielder even for the bottom 3 so far this season.



With how bad they’ve actually been you couldn’t do any worse by giving VDB a run. As Ten Haag said, it’s about desire. How many times did Fred lose the ball in game week one?
I have yet to see VDB play well for more than 5 minutes at a time. Fred is clearly the better midfielder.
 
Casemiro: Destroyer
Eriksen: Playmaker
Bruno: Space Runner

OR

Casemiro: Destroyer
Eriksen: Playmaker
VDB: Space Runner

I dont think we will see this lineup, but the best balance is Fred Casemiro Garner. Fred is makeshift, but he is the best makeshift options for a CM.
 
Casemiro with Eriksen and Bruno hopefully works. If not I'd also try a diamond with those 3 and VDB or Garner.
Casemiro would be exposed with those two in front of him. I’d swap Bruno for Fred for more balance.
 
Casemiro, Fred, and Eriksen. Bruno is not a midfielder. The guy plays like a support striker. Playing Eriksen and Bruno together is asking for the team to get overrun. I'm sure ETH will try it and I don't think it will work.
 
I'm starting to feel like maybe Bruno or Eriksen should be moved into one of the wide positions. Rushford and Sancho being useless is equally problematic. Take your pick
 
Fred casemiro Eriksen. Play bruno in place of fred only against low block opponent.