A good player, but he's far too green at the minute. What we need is a bit of an older, mature midfielder who can take the reins from Carrick. I see Ndidi as an all-action type midfielder for the next few years anyway.
The search for a holding/controlling midfielder
- Thread starter bosnian_red
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I watch Calcio from time to time. Parades is good, has good skills on the ball but he seems a bit soft in duels. Also he has a problem because he sometimes makes unnecessary dribbles and often holds the ball for too long.
Definitely an option but that injury he had is not something to be overlooked. His skill on the ball is pretty good and his positional awareness is good but he really really lacks some pace and agility.
Only 22 years old though so that can probably be ironed out with maturity. Have you watched Kondogbia since he arrived in the Serie A? He used to be quite hyped as a classic DM.
He's utter sh** now. Had few good games when he first joined Inter but after that he's been really, really bad. Surprisingly some top clubs still wanna sign him.
How is Strootman these days?
Always thought he'd end up playing for us. Dreadful injuries though.
Always thought he'd end up playing for us. Dreadful injuries though.
He's starting for Roma, shares minutes with Paredes mostly. Spaletti usually subs him after an hour or so.
He's doing alright, especially after all those injuries.
Paredes is an interesting option, if Carrick stays on for one more season a younger #6 that can understudy him and share the role for 1 season makes sense.
Roma is incredibly well covered in that position. They have Strootman, De Rossi, Paredes and even Naingolan can play there. Could be that Spaletti is doing just that with Paredes and De Rossi
Roma is incredibly well covered in that position. They have Strootman, De Rossi, Paredes and even Naingolan can play there. Could be that Spaletti is doing just that with Paredes and De Rossi
Yeah the way he is being rotated with De Rossi was what I had in mind for us with him and Carrick, it would give him time to iron out some his flaws.
Yeah i know. IMO Mourinho will just get us some destroyer type of DMF with average ability on the ball and that would be it.
Strootman pre-injury was pretty much the ideal holding/controlling midfielder IMO. Not sure how he's doing now.
That's my worry, Pogba doesn't function nearly as well with that kind of DM as he has to keep collecting the ball short, Carrick's ability to feed it to the 4 in behind Ibra is key to us flowing as a unit IMO.
Mate i think it's still to early to tell. There are so many variables in this equation. Will we continue playing 4-2-3-1, will Zlatan start scoring and performing, will Rashford and Martial step up, how high will we finish this season and what kind of football will we play.
The fact that he acknowledged Carrick after keeping him on the sidelines for couple of months is definitely a good sign. Not only that but the fact he publicly praised him and also that he changed his formation to 4-1-4-1 in few games tells us that he is willing to step back and rethink about his options.
Also i think it depends on how well will Pogba play in different formations, think he will base our game style in order that brings the best out of him.
There are variables I agree but look at the best spells Pogba has had with Juve and with us, both coincided with him having the freedom to stay higher up the pitch as he had a safety net CM behind him that not only covered the back with great positioning and discipline, but who also had a good pasing range to supply him the ball. It's been noticeable the way Pogba has played with Carrick as opposed to our other options IMO.
I've been thinking about this for a while now and I'll just put it out there.
Could it be that Mourinho is planning on giving TFM a chance? Besides his obvious qualities in speed, pace and strength how is his passing and game reading? Any good? Haven't really had the chance to follow him much, only those few games under LVG last season where he was great. Even that penalty he gave away against Everton (i think?) was a bad call from the ref since he obviously cleared the ball.
I agree on that. Even in 4-2-3-1 when paired up with a proper partner can go forward and contribute in attacking.
Best example is that in France he isn't nearly as effective in 4-2-3-1 because he's paired up with Matuidi, a player who also likes to wonder of forward whilst not being a very good passer.
I think Fosu Mensah is going to be more of a box to box CM, in the mold of a Essien, meaning he'll win the ball a lot and cover the ground a lot, basically a more defensive version of the role Herrera plays for us now. His passing is ok but not his biggest attribute from what I have seen, and with his driving speed and power I think it would be a waste to shackle him to a role where he stays within the same zone all of the time, you want him to be able to hunt the ball.
Yep, for France he plays within himself to accomodate Griezmann and also due to the fact Matuidi is similar to the aforementioned TFM, he chases and hunts, he doesn't play disciplined, so Pogba has to be more restrained in his play, we should avoid that at all costs IMO, whatever happens the CM he plays with must be the one that will be the disciplined holder.
I see. He's still only 18 tho, maybe with the right guidance he can change those things. I mean be more disciplined and defensive bound, not the ball skills. Ball skills your either born with it or you're not, simple as that. That's not something one can learn.
Where is Fosu Mensah anyway?
Haven't seen him since he signed his new contract
Haven't seen him since he signed his new contract
Iv watched around 11-12 games of Allan from Napoli and think he could be the missing piece, would like to here your thoughts if you've seen him play?
Haven't seen too much of him tho he isn't a holding DMF i think. Think he's more of a CMF with Diawara being their DMF tho Allan helps a lot too.
From what I've seen he's got huge gas tank and good pace but his passing at least from what I've seen isn't really that special .
I think he'd lose the best aspects of his game though if we tried to use him solely as a defensive screen, his high energy and speed would be better in a more front foot role IMO.
Good point but than again he played as a CB before, right?
I quite like Paredes as a player. His through balls are deceptively slow but somehow always reach their final destination without an interception. He likes to pass between the lines, but also isn't afraid of the occasional Hollywood pass to the furthest forward player. He seems like a hybrid of Busquets and Pirlo. His workrate off the ball and defensive contributions are also quite good for a deep lying playmaker.
With that being said, he's not particularly strong and he loses a lot of aerial duels, which makes me think that he's not particularly suited to the English football. I suspect that Weigl might be a better option because I feel that the Bundesliga is closer in style to the Premier League than Serie A is.
With that being said, he's not particularly strong and he loses a lot of aerial duels, which makes me think that he's not particularly suited to the English football. I suspect that Weigl might be a better option because I feel that the Bundesliga is closer in style to the Premier League than Serie A is.
Yes, he plays that position similarly to Bailly. The #6 role though requires even more discipline than a CB, you have to be aware of what is going on ahead of you, behind you and either side of you as you have to cover the fullbacks at times, it's why most teams have an older player in that position.
I know that mate, i meant that his movement on CB is somewhat restricted.
Even then though in a CB partnership one CB gets on the front foot and the other sweeps up, so he has a bit of leeway, when you are the #6 you're pretty much on your own.
For those experts on La Liga, I know Busquets is probably a total pipe dream but would he ever consider leaving and what would it cost?
That aside Weigl is the obvious choice and it would be good for him to train with Carrick for a season. Sign him.
Dont know if someone mentioned it. But one of the best players in Argentina's league atm is Santiago Ascacibar, who plays as a DM
He's 19 and Simeone wants him already. Everyone says he's the natural replacement for Mascherano, and should be called by Bauza for the major team right now.
He's 19 and Simeone wants him already. Everyone says he's the natural replacement for Mascherano, and should be called by Bauza for the major team right now.
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True. Lampard was the one who used to dictate games and if Pogba can up his defensive contribution, I can see him fulfilling that role.
Mourinho doesn't have full confidence in our defence at the moment and might prefer a destroyer rather than a playmaker in front of the back four. The exception will be games against much weaker opposition, where he will play Carrick.
I'm pretty sure Busquets is the opposite of Mourinho's idea of a defensive midfielder.
I would shoot myself if we'd buy Busquets..he would be hopeless here. Whiniest, most snivelling human to ever set a foot on a football pitch.
Verratti is the only one who can replace Carrick. Should get him at all costs
Verratti is the only one who can replace Carrick. Should get him at all costs
You got the right team, but it's Jorginho who made them tick last season. Take a look at this.
Only problem with scouting Serie A players is, the Italian and English leagues are chalk and cheese. I'm not saying one is better than the other, but the two are so different! It's not a surprise that so many forwards from Serie A fail to make a mark in England.
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We need to strengthen the entire spine of the team in the summer. CB, CDM, CF.
Though not a CDM I think it would be the right sort of time to move for teilamans. The hypes down- his performances aren't great but I think it's the right time for him to try something different. Will take time to maybe adapt to a more Carrick style of play. However something about the state of where he is at is attracting me. I would rather these days pay a decent amount for a young player who has stagnated a little than pay over the top for some hot off the track youngsters. Hopefully this would work well & give him something to prove almost.
Pogba is amazing at passing but that burden should be secondary to him - almost to keep the attention off him so he can move around the field.
Pogba is amazing at passing but that burden should be secondary to him - almost to keep the attention off him so he can move around the field.
I've been saying the same thing about Verratti. He is brilliant but he may not be gettable, fingers crossed. Him aside the more I watch of Weigl the more impressed I am.... Despite being a Dortmund player. He could be very special and everything about him is very like Carrick.