Feel he needs another season out on loan but at a Premier League club, bringing him back in the summer just says that Ole clearly doesn't see any issue with the midfield options outside of Pogba/Bruno and that's so sad
Potential Matic Replacements
- Thread starter FootyGirl88
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Feel he needs another season out on loan but at a Premier League club, bringing him back in the summer just says that Ole clearly doesn't see any issue with the midfield options outside of Pogba/Bruno and that's so sad
I’m sure he sees issues with a lot of positions but we won’t have the funds to sort all our problems.
He has the funds to solve one problem if we are lucky but that is a joke for a club of our stature
Saw Casemiro streaming FIFA on twitch last night and politely asked him to join us. I believe a deal is imminent. 
What about Kalvin Phillips? English, can play DM and CB. Or is it not possible because he’s a Leeds player
I'd say its not possible because he isn't really that good.
He seems to read the game decently well, got a good range of passing and doesn’t mind getting stuck in. And he does those consistently, from the little I’ve seen of him.
I guess I’m just tired of watching McFred in midfield. It should be a DM - Pogba - Fernandes.
I guess I’m just tired of watching McFred in midfield. It should be a DM - Pogba - Fernandes.
Rice. We need a Carrick like presence in our midfield and he is that guy.
What’s the verdict from those who’ve seen him on Tchouameni at Monaco?
Zakaria/Koopmeiners should both be available for us.
James Garner
Everyone is saying this, when he literally had to drop tiers down the English game to be able to impose himself, I don't understand the logic.
I always thought Rice was like an oil tanker and poor on the ball. But looking at him tonight he was been really good and very progressive in his passing.
Drop tiers? He went on his first loan ever to the Championship.
I'm not saying he's the answer but you post makes no sense.
Garner quite clearly is 2 seasons away from even being considered as a Matic replacement. He needs to play a lot of games to build confidence, stamina and strength, and he wont do it when playing 1 in 4 four us if he was to feature for us from next season. He's still very young and not good enough to play for us any time soon. We need Matic's replacement asap.
It's very simple:
He moved to the championship to get used to men's football. Which he will be fine seasons end.
Right now Matic does not need replacing with a starter. If we do our business right next summer we shouldn't be going into next season with mcTominay and Fed starting together often. It would be either or.
So only an up coming youth on the brink of a first team break through would make sense as Matic's replacement in the 1st team squad. As cover for them 2.
If we want a pure defensive midfielder who can release our more creative players, then I'd go for Bissouma. Actually Rice would be my first choice but we certain are not going to pay the money that West Ham will ask for him.
So this guy is a more technical version of Fred but releases the ball quicker into attack. He's also 21 so has a long time to improve. If we're fine with a smaller DM who is weak in the air, then Caqueret would be a top potential version of that.
The Ligue 1 show on BT Sport pre United had a small feature on Tchouameni. He came across really well. It's obviously impossible to glean much from a 10 minute piece but Monaco are having a really competitive season and this guy is the lynchpin in the middle aged 21. Monaco bought him for £15m a year and a half ago so he won't be cheap, but surely he'll be on the radar of the scouting team. Alternative to Camavinga? Let's get all the Frenchies!!
Adnan has been championing this guy for a while now. He looks really interesting.
Excellent. Adnan tends to know his stuff.
Cheers for this, I'll have a read through it now. Having Cesc Fabregas there to learn from can only be good news for his development.
EDIT. Yep, he sounds extremely promising. Certainly seems like he'd offer a more defensively sound option compared to Camavinga, talented though he no doubt is.
Our lack of interest in these kind of players makes me worry about our knowledge of the european market, yes I know we picked up Pallestri & Amad but I am talking about signing these young talents at euro clubs looking to make the step up
We were linked with him when he was at Bordeaux and regularly had scouts at Bordeaux games. Where exactly would he have gotten the development he has with Monaco, with us?
James Gardner
Just hope we go for him before he goes somewhere and his price goes well out of our range
Yeah i agree.. gonna keep tabs on how he develops as he seems worth it.. he's at the right club at the moment for him to grow into something special.
I think that argument can be made when buying from Leicester, but Monaco is where we bought Martial from as a teen, so I think we do a decent job of it when we can. These types of players need experience at the likes of Monaco before they can come to us really. Upamecano is a prime example, we were in for him at a very young age, but was better he went through the RB route. We also tried to get Varane direct from Lens, Cherki from Lyon recently and I actually have very little doubt in our scouting team.
I think he has done really well at Leeds and is a decent player....but just decent. Of course never knwo til it happens, but not sure he can step up to the top top level we should be looking for, seems that way for England too for me
Of all the positions we need to strengthen, signing a central midfielder if we are, should really be the easiest to do in terms of potential signings. For me there arent many great centre backs about, not in terms of up and coming ones. And on the wings and up front, there are two or three possible huge signings but again, doesnt appear to be so much outside of that.
I dont even see this signing as a Matic replacement when we are playing a double pivot, Matic was for me more of an anchor man anyway. But central midfielders, not saying all of these would be great signings or I would like, or even barely seen some of them, some I do think would be excellent.But there are just so many potential names in and outside the premiership Bissouma, Rice, Ndidi, Berge, Bentancaur, Neahaus, Bellingham, Cuisance, Kamara, Soumare, Zakaria, Tielmans, Niguez, Camavinga, Koopmeiners.....and sure there are loads more I have forgotten......personally would like us to sell a couple of our own and buy TWO to rebuild that area in midfield as so many I think are potentially much better than our current options there
I dont even see this signing as a Matic replacement when we are playing a double pivot, Matic was for me more of an anchor man anyway. But central midfielders, not saying all of these would be great signings or I would like, or even barely seen some of them, some I do think would be excellent.But there are just so many potential names in and outside the premiership Bissouma, Rice, Ndidi, Berge, Bentancaur, Neahaus, Bellingham, Cuisance, Kamara, Soumare, Zakaria, Tielmans, Niguez, Camavinga, Koopmeiners.....and sure there are loads more I have forgotten......personally would like us to sell a couple of our own and buy TWO to rebuild that area in midfield as so many I think are potentially much better than our current options there
If we buy a DM (must be our priority) that can also play as CB, like Rice, Ndidi, Zakaria, Koopmeiners, that would be great, because signing a top CB has fallen on the priority list (DM, RW, Backup GK, RB..)
Doubt we're in for a full-on destroyer type DM ala Ndidi. More a deep lying playmaker that can do a bit of ball winning.
Hope we're considering Locatelli or Phillips if we want someone to come in & do a job for us immediately.
Hope we're considering Locatelli or Phillips if we want someone to come in & do a job for us immediately.
I think a lot of people tend to choose what their preference is rather than what the manager wants especially in midfield.
Do our current system need someone who is holding midfielder or purely DM? I don’t see it. I understand where the idea of holding midfielder or DM is coming from but I don’t necessarily think we must sign it instead of the hybrid one. We have been playing with 2 of hybrid midfielder McFred and we are absolutely fine.
Everytime I watch Bayern’s Kimmich-Gortezka, it reminds me of how we program our double pivot. Neither are holding midfielder/DM, they both are like McFred, the hybrid one. They tend to exchange role who’s staying behind or who’s going front and they have brilliant attitude and work ethic to win the ball back. The difference is one of them has good passing and playmaking ability while McFred don’t have the same playmaking ability as Kimmich.
And I think that‘s what we need in midfield, rather than a DM we actually need same profile as McFred but with better passing and playmaking ability who can create chance.
Do our current system need someone who is holding midfielder or purely DM? I don’t see it. I understand where the idea of holding midfielder or DM is coming from but I don’t necessarily think we must sign it instead of the hybrid one. We have been playing with 2 of hybrid midfielder McFred and we are absolutely fine.
Everytime I watch Bayern’s Kimmich-Gortezka, it reminds me of how we program our double pivot. Neither are holding midfielder/DM, they both are like McFred, the hybrid one. They tend to exchange role who’s staying behind or who’s going front and they have brilliant attitude and work ethic to win the ball back. The difference is one of them has good passing and playmaking ability while McFred don’t have the same playmaking ability as Kimmich.
And I think that‘s what we need in midfield, rather than a DM we actually need same profile as McFred but with better passing and playmaking ability who can create chance.
Brozovic springs to mind.
I agree we really could do with 2 players here if matic leaves and Pogba is playing less in the double pivot. Ideally I'd like to see Neves and Phillips. Both know EPL, energetic in double pivot and better passers than McFred.
If Leicester don't get too four, Ndidi is a shout.
I want 3 CDM at our disposal.
1 ball winner
1 deep lying playmaker
1 chase after the ball type player
Matic highlights a ball winner to me so we should get one of those if his time is up.
A deep lying playmaker is also needed but maybe a space left for Garner.
1 ball winner
1 deep lying playmaker
1 chase after the ball type player
Matic highlights a ball winner to me so we should get one of those if his time is up.
A deep lying playmaker is also needed but maybe a space left for Garner.
Good write up on James Garner on the same website too
@Adnan I'd like to know the other midfielders you think would be good for the midfield and how you think we should set up next season