Potential Matic Replacements

UNITED ACADEMY said:
I watched him since his Chelsea era and I must say I never really impressed with him as what people always rated him. He’s decent in everything overall but doesn’t have any wow or special asset in him to be called top midfielder.

He’s getting worse & worse every season, and this season he’s becoming passenger and tends to be ball watching.

Getting a replacement or not playing him in the role is one of our solution of the problem.
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Inigo Montoya said:
His old self wasn't that good anyway
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Jesus turned him into a CDM / DMC after Javi Garcia was sold and Benfica failed to find good options on the market, and I think that ruined his overall gameplay a bit.

Before that, he excelled in a B2B role, which he made the best games of his career . His left foot was quite accurate on passing, his middle shooting was very powerful and he had tons of stamina to go up and down.
 
André Dominguez said:
Jesus turned him into a CDM / DMC after Javi Garcia was sold and Benfica failed to find good options on the market, and I think that ruined his overall gameplay a bit.

Before that, he excelled in a B2B role, which he made the best games of his career . His left foot was quite accurate on passing, his middle shooting was very powerful and he had tons of stamina to go up and down.
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My mate Chelsea fans actually told me his best position is b2b. His positioning is so poor for DM. But being b2b right now will make it worse because b2b shouldn’t be ball watching and passenger. Requires good stamina & hard working. Matic is the opposite this season.
 
André Dominguez said:
Jesus turned him into a CDM / DMC after Javi Garcia was sold and Benfica failed to find good options on the market, and I think that ruined his overall gameplay a bit.

Before that, he excelled in a B2B role, which he made the best games of his career . His left foot was quite accurate on passing, his middle shooting was very powerful and he had tons of stamina to go up and down.
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We must have signed a different player then.
André Dominguez said:
Unless you find TARDIS, not going to happen any soon.
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I don't know about that. Garner plays very much like a Carrick and so does Sean Longstaff at Newcastle
 
Ndidi or Kante. We need runners not bean poles
 
This question might change if Pogba leaves as I think we'll switch system to a double pivot, meaning the pure holder wont be of such importance.

André Dominguez said:
Matic is "just" 30 y.o. I believe he can get back to his old self. The whole squad is doing a terrible season.
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Matic will be 31 when next season starts and his legs have gone, he can barely play half a season these days before his engine conks out, he's nearly as a big of a burden on this team as Ashley Young.

Adnan said:
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Was this the kid linked with City recently?
 
Devil may care said:
This question might change if Pogba leaves as I think we'll switch system to a double pivot, meaning the pure holder wont be of such importance.



Matic will be 31 when next season starts and his legs have gone, he can barely play half a season these days before his engine conks out, he's nearly as a big of a burden on this team as Ashley Young.



Was this the kid linked with City recently?
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He sure was, and I think it was Di Marzio who reported city's interest.
 
Adnan said:
He sure was, and I think it was Di Marzio who reported city's interest.
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Cheers, I thought that was him, he's very young to come right into any team and given Fernandinho's age they need someone who is ready I think, they'll most likely get Rodri. :(
 
Devil may care said:
Cheers, I thought that was him, he's very young to come right into any team and given Fernandinho's age they need someone who is ready I think, they'll most likely get Rodri. :(
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They will go for Rodri no doubt. But it won't stop them trying to lure Florentino either. Just hope Florentino is advised to stay put, for his own good.
 
Adnan said:
They will go for Rodri no doubt. But it won't stop them trying to lure Florentino either. Just hope Florentino is advised to stay put, for his own good.
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I hope Joao Felix has the same common sense with regards them, City are like glory days Milan when it comes to stockpiling talent, I mean the likes of Sane and Gabriel Jesus as bench warmers most weeks is a madness.
 
Devil may care said:
I hope Joao Felix has the same common sense with regards them, City are like glory days Milan when it comes to stockpiling talent, I mean the likes of Sane and Gabriel Jesus as bench warmers most weeks is a madness.
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I remember when we used to have great attacking players on the bench! And on the pitch!
 
DLPs - all we ever hear is Neves or Tonaly,
but are there more available that could come to us? any with EPL experience?
 
I wonder if we should be in for Marcos Llorente, who's set to leave Real. He's 24, above average athletically for a Spanish mid, has played as 6 and can pass.

If we'd bought Illaramendi, a similar type of situation, for the 15M Sociedad paid to get him back that would have been a solid if unspectacular buy for the last 4-5 years instead of having it be a crisis position with various older players (Carrick) who'd seen better days (Carrick) costing huge amounts in wages (Schweinsteiger), transfer fees (Matic) or fans' sanity (Fellaini). And while Illaremendi hasn't been Marcos Senna or anything, he's got one more Spanish caps than Herrera has and has probably been a similarly (if stylistically different) productive player. Bruno Soriano is another one of these guys who played his career for one of the 2nd tier Spanish clubs fighting for Europa qualification ever year and would have been a very good signing for us.

If Pogba leaves and we need to sign 7 or 8 players to go with the forwards, Lindelof, De Gea and Shaw, we're not going to sign 8 guys for 100M each, and a player like Llorente, who was highly rated but has been blocked by Casemiro, seems like a good bet if it's only going to cost 20M to outbid Sevilla.
 
Neves, Rice, Barella, etc... There are good options to replace Matic.

I would be more worried if we lose Pogba and Herrera.
 
Fer said:
Neves, Rice, Barella, etc... There are good options to replace Matic.

I would be more worried if we lose Pogba and Herrera.
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That's an interesting shout, and what I was coming in here to ask.

I've seen a few highlights and read about Barella, and he's obviously more of a combative midfielder.

Described as the 'next Scholes' by his agent, Barella has a good range of passing. Could that, coupled with his combative style in midfielder mean he could potentially play as the deepest midfielder?
 
What's wrong with Mctominay taking that role over and a wild card option that I know wont be liked but David Luiz on a free, thought he always looks good as a defensive midfielder, has great experience and still very mobile.
 
I think one of Fred or Mctominay is going to take a position in our first eleven next season.

Who do you prefer to replace Matic between Rice, Neves and Barella?
 
Walters_19_MuFc said:
That's an interesting shout, and what I was coming in here to ask.

I've seen a few highlights and read about Barella, and he's obviously more of a combative midfielder.

Described as the 'next Scholes' by his agent, Barella has a good range of passing. Could that, coupled with his combative style in midfielder mean he could potentially play as the deepest midfielder?
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Barella is averaging 2.8 tackles per game which is decent for a midfielder. Ndidi is averaging 3.8 which is mustard. Gueye (who's 29) is averaging over 4. I think barella would be more of a Herrera replacement than the main DM. Barella's pretty small as well. DM's are usually quite tall to compete in the air. Even Barca's DM is well over 6 feet. A deep lying playmaker can be shorter of course but I don't think anyone suggesting barella will be that type of player.
 
Freak said:
It has to be Rice. Young, talented, hardworking, used to the premier league and is a leader. He’d allow our more attack minded players to shine.
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I don't see the big fuss over Rice. He is a converted CB no? I can see our own Tuanzebe or someone like Godfrey coming in to do the same job in DM.
 
Has to be someone very mobile who can tackle and break up the oppositions play, while being able to create chances with a decent passing range. Kante is the dream.

The next best thing in my opinion is Ndidi. The guy is so underrated.
 
Suvvernmanc said:
Has to be someone very mobile who can tackle and break up the oppositions play, while being able to create chances with a decent passing range. Kante is the dream.

The next best thing in my opinion is Ndidi. The guy is so underrated.
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Why not Axel then, especially if we get a top CB like Koulibaly in? I just saw the pre-match thread and read that Jose played him in midfield for that last game of the 16/17 season? He's young, quick, strong, reads the game well and composed in possession. I will trust him to protect the back 4 better than anyone else in the team if we give him the chance to do so. Being a CB by trade also means he can drop back to form a back 3 during the game depending on how it is going, and his super pace means we can easily play a higher line. Lastly, will allows us to spend the money on other areas of the team rather than spunk 60m on someone like Rice.

Edit: http://thepeoplesperson.com/2017/05...ar-performance-against-crystal-palace-181993/
 
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gr3yham3 said:
Why not Axel then, especially if we get a top CB like Koulibaly in? I just saw the pre-match thread and read that Jose played him in midfield for that last game of the 16/17 season? He's young, quick, strong, reads the game well and composed in possession. I will trust him to protect the back 4 better than anyone else in the team if we give him the chance to do so. Being a CB by trade also means he can drop back to form a back 3 during the game depending on how it is going, and his super pace means we can easily play a higher line. Lastly, will allows us to spend the money on other areas of the team rather than spunk 60m on someone like Rice.

Edit: http://thepeoplesperson.com/2017/05...ar-performance-against-crystal-palace-181993/
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Axel is a CB and is doing very well, there's no need to change his position.
 
gr3yham3 said:
Why not Axel then, especially if we get a top CB like Koulibaly in? I just saw the pre-match thread and read that Jose played him in midfield for that last game of the 16/17 season? He's young, quick, strong, reads the game well and composed in possession. I will trust him to protect the back 4 better than anyone else in the team if we give him the chance to do so. Being a CB by trade also means he can drop back to form a back 3 during the game depending on how it is going, and his super pace means we can easily play a higher line. Lastly, will allows us to spend the money on other areas of the team rather than spunk 60m on someone like Rice.

Edit: http://thepeoplesperson.com/2017/05...ar-performance-against-crystal-palace-181993/
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Because Axel should be a CB. If we were going to convert anybody, why not have TFM play there? Or wait for Garner to develop?
 
FootyGirl88 said:
Axel is a CB and is doing very well, there's no need to change his position.
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If the rumours are true and that we are looking to get someone in like Koulibaly, then I rather Axel gets his chances to be our first choice DM. He has all the attributes to be a top-class one at that too. TFM does not have the required composure to be in midfield, while Garner still needs more game time playing against men rather than boys in the U18s and U23s, though I do have high hopes for him. But I see people asking for energy and mobility, and I think Axel offers that in spades. There have been plenty of top players who have converted positions at a young age and been great successes.

Of course when the need calls for it, Axel can still be called in to play as a CB, but I don't see why we should spend a bomb to get energy, mobility and composure in the middle of the park on the likes of Rice etc. when we I feel we have the solution already present in the team.
 
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