The Search for a Midfielder

I think SMS is replacement of Pogba. If pogba stay, then dont need to sign SMS.

Neves and Fabinho would be great.
 
Amadaeus said:
Carrick was barely a competition for Matic this season, but you are somewhat right. I believe Blind(if he stays) and Herrera(played the cdm role to well effect before) could provide cover for Matic and even competition for Matic. I do not know why Mourinho does not rate Blind, he is as intelligent as Carrick with the ball, but lacks the mobility or aggression to fight for a starting role. Other scenario is that we switch to a two man midfield and add Mctominay into the equation as potential cover for Matic. Those are three option right there and maybe more of our academy product will show the capability to fight for a spot in the first team. These options are better than signing a Drinkwater esque kind of player in my own opinion.
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- The short answer to your first point is that we were lucky. Matic defied logic and kept playing good football week in week out without picking any injuries or showing any signs of wear and tear. However we can't keep relying on luck either especially since Matic is at the wrong side of his 20s which means he will need to start resting at one point next season.
- Blind is too physically weak to be DM, he's too short to be CB and he's too short to be LB. He shouldn't have been signed in an EPL side like most of LVG's signing if that matters
- We keep on hearing about this second coming of the Christ from the youth academy however there's little meat to add to that argument. Throughout the entire SAF's era we produced just 1 world class CM and that was Paul Scholes. I am a big fan of Mctominay but having him as a cover/competitor to Matic is utter madness a- because he's nowhere near good enough yet, b- he's more of a box to box/attacking minded midfielder.

Therefore to answer your question. I think we should switch to a 3 men CM (that will take the best out of Pogba). Then add 2 players whose quite versatile to replace Fellaini and Carrick. My choice would be Saul and Dier although Neves would be a great cover/competition for Herrera too. Both players can switch in different roles if needed which means that if the second coming of the christ does indeed come from the academy then we can switch things around to accommodate him. If Jones/Bailly/Smalling return to treatment room then we can tackle that in house as well with Dier switching as CB.

Here's my midfield

----------Matic/Dier----
---Saul or Neves/Herrera----Pogba/Mctominay
 
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Amadaeus said:
You may be right and Mourinho might be looking to sign someone that is of the quality of Fellaini rather than a midfielder who could actually compete against Herrera. If that is the case, that would be bad management of the team. Competition is good and if Fellaini does leave as indicated by the statement Mourinho supposedly made, I believe Mourinho should target a b2b midfielder who can compete for a starting role in the team.



Carrick was barely a competition for Matic this season, but you are somewhat right. I believe Blind(if he stays) and Herrera(played the cdm role to well effect before) could provide cover for Matic and even competition for Matic. I do not know why Mourinho does not rate Blind, he is as intelligent as Carrick with the ball, but lacks the mobility or aggression to fight for a starting role. Other scenario is that we switch to a two man midfield and add Mctominay into the equation as potential cover for Matic. Those are three option right there and maybe more of our academy product will show the capability to fight for a spot in the first team. These options are better than signing a Drinkwater esque kind of player in my own opinion.
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Blind can be good, but I suspect Jose doesn't think he can look after himself like the others. Think he likes people who either more physical or are the get stuck in type.
 
DomesticTadpole said:
Blind can be good, but I suspect Jose doesn't think he can look after himself like the others. Think he likes people who either more physical or are the get stuck in type.
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I know he was rusty, but I thought he barely managed to even get a touch when he came on against Bournemouth. Looked like he was chasing shadows. Am I remembering wrongly?
 
As per Mourinho, we're looking to bring 2 Midfielders next summer. One being a CDM and the other, a more versatile kind of player who can slot in between Pogba and Matic/New CDM and also play CDM when necessary.

My primary choices were Jorginho and Milinkovic-Savic. Since Jorginho has said that he'd rather play for a team that presses more, he is already looking like inviting bids from Liverpool or City. As for SMS, Lazio will ask for >100m, which I don't think we'll pay.

Hence imo, we'll probably buy Fred from Shaktar and Seri from Nice. I'd like us to go in for Neves from Wolves also.

We'll be fine going into the new season with Matic, Herrera, Pogba, Fred and Seri/Neves and McTominay imo.
 
Rash Decision said:
I know he was rusty, but I thought he barely managed to even get a touch when he came on against Bournemouth. Looked like he was chasing shadows. Am I remembering wrongly?
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He didn't help himself. Just think if Jose rated him he would have played more. He has had his season wrecked by injury as well. It is alright people saying he should be kept, but he will want to be playing, so it might be better for him to move then be stuck terminally on the bench.
 
Rash Decision said:
I know he was rusty, but I thought he barely managed to even get a touch when he came on against Bournemouth. Looked like he was chasing shadows. Am I remembering wrongly?
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You are remembering correctly. He struggled to get involved at all

It would be understandable to be rusty, but Blind has never impressed in midfield for us. He's done well in defence (both centrally and sometimes leftback) since then, but he struggled in midfield in his first season.
 
NoPace said:
Depends on the position. Lots of DMs play well until 32-33 like Gabi, Thiago Motta and many others, but wingers less often. And I do think Matic's lack of pace is already an issue at times so that will only become a bigger problem as he ages. Not a huge one, but not nothing either.
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Yeah but my point is this,

All you see on these pages are people clamouring for us to sign the ‘next big thing’ - Carlos Kickaballos from Gremio, Slobbadon Mihalahalahalavic from Red Star, Anthony Le van Der von De Belgian from Anderlecht. How many of the players you see splashed all over the transfer rumours pages at 19/20 ever go on to get anywhere near the level of a player like Matic?

You sign a player like Matic at 28 for £40m. You get into 5 seasons of quantified PL winning, European CL calibre football. You sign these “wonderkids” and it’s a season for them to settle, followed by second season syndrome, followed by the inevitable gnashing of teeth when they get left out after failing to hit the heights consistently.

When we have 16/17 CL/World Level players in our squad in their prime, THEN I might be interested in taking a couple of punts, but right now we don’t have that luxury

Just for arguments sake, look at the line-ups of the four teams in the CL semi’s. How many U23s? I bet it’s not many and I bet they don’t play CB/CM or CF
 
Seems Jorginho is set on city. Liverpool have already bagged keita.

Thus far, our only credible link seems to be Fred.

Can anybody with knowledge shed some light on him, is he DM/B2B etc?
 
Rash Decision said:
I know he was rusty, but I thought he barely managed to even get a touch when he came on against Bournemouth. Looked like he was chasing shadows. Am I remembering wrongly?
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He is a better defender than he is a midfielder (and a good enough defender to keep). Blind however cannot be used as a midfielder who chases after the ball; he was asked to do this in the FA Cup against a small team & struggled. He is much better with the ball at his feet & as martial has also found - its not all that important in the current United set up.
 
Oh God, do not want Blind in the fold for midfield. I'd much rather stick to Fellaini.

Jose likes having at least two options per position so we will definitely look to sign a defensive and more versatile midfielder..

DM: Matic, McTominay + new (Neves)
CM: Herrera + new (Fred/ Ramsey)

It would be fantastic to get in a player that could start 10 maybe 15 games over Matic. The latter wouldn't be knackered by the season end and there are few better than him in good form and fitness.
 
Lentwood said:
What what about the entire last season? I remember Herrera having one standout game - Chelsea at OT

I'm not necessarily advocating binning Herrera but we won't win a title with him playing regularly
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I agree with this. As much as I like Herrera, we need an upgrade of we want to compete with the very best. Yesterday, I was salivating at Real's Mordric, Isco, Casemero, Kroos midfield supported by two insanely good attacking full backs. Meanwhile a Kovacic came in later into the midfield to replace one of the starters. Now that's a midfield oozing class.

We should keep Herrera but I will like a technically superior midfielder who can help us control games better. We need to create serious competition in that midfield.
 
Amadaeus said:
I believe Blind(if he stays) could provide cover for Matic and even competition for Matic.
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Never ever happening in a million years. Mourinho hasn't once tried him there, even before Matic was at the club.

So whilst I agree with you and still maintain that is Blind's best position, he's never ever going to play there under Mourinho, that much is blindingly obvious.
 
Regulus Arcturus Black said:
Never ever happening in a million years. Mourinho hasn't once tried him there, even before Matic was at the club.

So whilst I agree with you and still maintain that is Blind's best position, he's never ever going to play there under Mourinho, that much is blindingly obvious.
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He tried him against Briston City as a DM, took him off at half time.
 
Mourinho's just been quoted as saying he likes Brazilian players and us maybe having one in our squad next year. Might be a hint, might not be. If it is I think it's likely about either Fred, Fabinho or, if Martial leaves, Malcom.
 
ArjenIsM3 said:
Mourinho's just been quoted as saying he likes Brazilian players and us maybe having one in our squad next year. Might be a hint, might not be. If it is I think it's likely about either Fred, Fabinho or, if Martial leaves, Malcom.
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Think you've missed out the most likely (& most wanted by the caf) Brazilian - Sandro
 
What do people think of Loftus-Cheek as a potential signing? Fits the size profile that Mou likes but is also quite skilled and mobile. Consistency is not there yet but as a back up to Pogba he could be an interesting pick up. Is he in Chelsea's plans for the future?
 
Mourinho rarely gave Loftus-Cheek any games when he was Chelsea manager and subbed him off after 27 minutes in a friendly once, then after the match accused him of faking an injury and being lazy. His father also did an interview and said that Mourinho refused to give him chances and hurt his development as a player.
 
Bobski said:
What do people think of Loftus-Cheek as a potential signing? Fits the size profile that Mou likes but is also quite skilled and mobile. Consistency is not there yet but as a back up to Pogba he could be an interesting pick up. Is he in Chelsea's plans for the future?
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Rather not add another average player to the squad. We are trying to improve our quality, not add numbers.
 
So with Fellaini about to sign a new contract, are we just going to buy one CM?
Mourinho did say that we need to buy two CMs to replace Carrick and Fellaini, but now since the latter is about to stay, we may just buy one CM.
Is that going to be enough?

That would mean our CM options are Pogba, Matic,New signing, Herrera, Fellaini and McTominay.
If we are going to play 4-3-3 next year, we would have Herrera/New signing as B2B, Matic /McTominay as DM, Pogba/Fellaini as the third CM.
I feel that midfield lacks creativity, other than Pogba. Also if McTominay fails to step up next year, we will be having to play Matic every single game, which will affect his performances.
I feel we need two CMs, irrespective of whether Fellaini stays or leaves,specifically a creative CM.
Would like to see McTominay integrated into that DM role and I hope Fellaini is just seen as a plan B and not as a starting CM
 
If we assume it's Fred joining us next year, that's Pogba Matic Herrera Fred (and Fellaini). It certainly needs more creativity imo.
 
Does anyone know how creative a player Fred is?
I think next year we will mostly see a 4-3-3 with Pogba as attacking CM, Fred as #8 and Matic as DM, with Fred being asked to do most of the leg work, the Mourinho workhorse.
 
Would kinda like us to offer Can a contract. Rate him as a player, think he fits the Mourinho mould and the Liverpool fallout would be worth it alone.
 
So, new contract for Fellaini and signing Fred, sounds about as underwhelming as it gets..
In before the #fredthered unveiling
 
Sanche7 said:
Are we even linked with Neves? And I feel we are trying to avoid dealing with Mendes
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Don't know who we're "linked" with and don't really care tbh. History tells me we're pretty good at surprise signings, and the press link just about everyone with us because they haven't a clue.
 
Now that Mourinho has gloatingly delivered the gruesome Fellaini news, we'll only be buying one CM, so I think we need to aim higher than Fred.
 
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