The Search for a Midfielder

Tony Clifton said:
Julian Weigl, anyone? He's the closest thing to a Carrick available out there. In the right environment and with some nurturing, he could very well become our next Carrick indeed.

Milinkovic-Savic is another player we should definitely be watching.

CDM: Weigl
RCM: Milinkovic-Savic
LCM: Pogba

That's an interesting midfield in a 4-3-3.
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I like SMS, the problem is that we need a player like Kroos, Thiago, Verrati, etc. Sergej is similar to Pogba... but, who knows? Maybe it could work.
 
Since Matic is positionally sound, has a decent passing range in him and lacks mobility, I think we could try him out at the base of the midfield. He could reprise the Carrick role.

So that leaves us with a McTominay type of midfielder or last season's Ander Herrera to partner Pogba and Matic.

Any one knows such players? Does the dirty work, keeps things simple and provides more defensive cover than Pogba.
 
Honestly we need an intelligent midfielder who is excellent at recycling possession, has top drawer positional sense, and has a good work rate. Kante, Kroos, Modric, Keita, and Verratti would all be the types to make the team tick alongside Matic and Pogba.
 
We need a passer or a runner in my opinion depending on which way Jose chooses to go.
 
If we can replace carrick, Fellaini, mata with a good mix of midfielders not number 10s then we will be a lot better next year

One ball winner, one play maker and maybe a b2b would be ideal or just a cm.

I am wondering if the lack of midfield options has forced Mourinho into certain tactics.
 
simonhch said:
Honestly we need an intelligent midfielder who is excellent at recycling possession, has top drawer positional sense, and has a good work rate. Kante, Kroos, Modric, Keita, and Verratti would all be the types to make the team tick alongside Matic and Pogba.
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Throw in Thiago into that group too, of all of those (including Thiago) though I’d say Kroos and Thiago should be first choice targets and Verratti as back up.
 
davidmichael said:
Throw in Thiago into that group too, of all of those (including Thiago) though I’d say Kroos and Thiago should be first choice targets and Verratti as back up.
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You know, I was thinking about Thiago too. A player I hugely admire. All that prevented me from including him in that list was that he is not quite as industrious as I think we need.
 
simonhch said:
You know, I was thinking about Thiago too. A player I hugely admire. All that prevented me from including him in that list was that he is not quite as industrious as I think we need.
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Ive always liked Thiago since SAF lined him up for Moyes back in the day however last time I checked his injury record was concerning, has it improved?
 
I honestly think Matic - Pogba - Mata would be fantastic if we actually aimed to have most of the ball. Unfortunately, we don't so we probably do need another box to box midfielder or 8 as Mourinho calls it (iirc).

I still think our back 4 is the biggest problem. Compared to the midfield and forwards, our defence hasn't really changed since SAF. Bailey has been brought in but we frequently resort to Smalling and Jones with 2 converted wingers as full backs. Considering how much money has been spent on attacking players, with the likes of Kagawa, Di Maria and (possibly) Sanchez being brought in without getting a regular spot on the team, it's ridiculous that more effort hasn't been put in on the defence. It's starting to seem like the club is just after big names they can market and a pretty average defence is just being left there.
 
Tyrion said:
I honestly think Matic - Pogba - Mata would be fantastic if we actually aimed to have most of the ball. Unfortunately, we don't so we probably do need another box to box midfielder or 8 as Mourinho calls it (iirc).

I still think our back 4 is the biggest problem. Compared to the midfield and forwards, our defence hasn't really changed since SAF. Bailey has been brought in but we frequently resort to Smalling and Jones with 2 converted wingers as full backs. Considering how much money has been spent on attacking players, with the likes of Kagawa, Di Maria and (possibly) Sanchez being brought in without getting a regular spot on the team, it's ridiculous that more effort hasn't been put in on the defence. It's starting to seem like the club is just after big names they can market and a pretty average defence is just being left there.
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I think those 3 would work against bottom half sides against anyone in top half I think we would struggle
 
M4nu4Life said:
If we can replace carrick, Fellaini, mata with a good mix of midfielders not number 10s then we will be a lot better next year

One ball winner, one play maker and maybe a b2b would be ideal or just a cm.

I am wondering if the lack of midfield options has forced Mourinho into certain tactics.
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Of course it has imo Herrera has got off lightly as he’s the right age, profile etc but his performances have been woeful this season.
 
The fact he still sees Fellaini as a viable midfield option who would create a "gap" if he left, is extremely concerning and makes me not want Mourinho to be the one sorting out our midfield.

How many genuinely good games has Fellaini had as a central midfielder? none? How many games has he had there where he's even manged to gt the basics right (passing the ball, staying at least roughly in your position, etc)...maybe about 3?
 
It’s not just about the midfield. It’s about the transition out of defence and deeper positions into midfield which allows them to link with the forwards better.

We cannot draw people out when teams press nor can we cut the ball through into our dangeorus players from defensive positions.
 
What has happened to Herrera this season?

I mean, last season all those jokes about him having various people in his pocket were going around. He was a good passer, got forward and was a hard tackler. Is it just a long lasting niggling injury? What has changed this season where he isn't even a consideration anymore?
 
StonedhamsterZA said:
What has happened to Herrera this season?

I mean, last season all those jokes about him having various people in his pocket were going around. He was a good passer, got forward and was a hard tackler. Is it just a long lasting niggling injury? What has changed this season where he isn't even a consideration anymore?
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Thought he went off the boil about half way through last season to be honest. Then we signed Maths so he started playing less
 
noodlehair said:
The fact he still sees Fellaini as a viable midfield option who would create a "gap" if he left, is extremely concerning and makes me not want Mourinho to be the one sorting out our midfield.

How many genuinely good games has Fellaini had as a central midfielder? none? How many games has he had there where he's even manged to gt the basics right (passing the ball, staying at least roughly in your position, etc)...maybe about 3?
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Grim.
 
noodlehair said:
How many genuinely good games has Fellaini had as a central midfielder? none? How many games has he had there where he's even manged to gt the basics right (passing the ball, staying at least roughly in your position, etc)...maybe about 3?
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Are people supposed to take posts like this serious?
 
noodlehair said:
The fact he still sees Fellaini as a viable midfield option who would create a "gap" if he left, is extremely concerning and makes me not want Mourinho to be the one sorting out our midfield.

How many genuinely good games has Fellaini had as a central midfielder? none? How many games has he had there where he's even manged to gt the basics right (passing the ball, staying at least roughly in your position, etc)...maybe about 3?
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Putting aside the bollocks about Fellaini, he's still one of a few midfield options its not like he's got games ahead of a genuine midfielder in any form.

If he goes of course we need to replace him, on numbers alone.
 
StonedhamsterZA said:
What has happened to Herrera this season?

I mean, last season all those jokes about him having various people in his pocket were going around. He was a good passer, got forward and was a hard tackler. Is it just a long lasting niggling injury? What has changed this season where he isn't even a consideration anymore?
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For me, it's the change of role that's caused Herrera's form to dwindle this year. He played his best football for us as our deepest CM and then we move him to a box to box role where he hasn't looked half the player. I've said it since the start of the season - get Herrera back as our DM and have Matic as our box to box. We'd look so much better as Herrera's better at covering ground, intercepting and tackling than Matic, and Matic is better at dribbling, passing, resisting pressing players, shooting and just being a presence in attack than Herrera.
 
Smores said:
Putting aside the bollocks about Fellaini, he's still one of a few midfield options its not like he's got games ahead of a genuine midfielder in any form.

If he goes of course we need to replace him, on numbers alone.
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It's not the idea of replacing him that bothers me. It's the fact Mourinho sees him an an important option in a position that he routinely demonstrates he isn't capable of playing in.

He thinks Fellaini is so key to our midfield that we need to sign a midfielder IF he leaves. The same Fellaini who played in midfield against Seville and did his routine of spending the entire game not doing any basic midfielding, to the surprise of absolutely no one.
 
MyOnlySolskjaer said:
Mourinho here is confirming that we will be after a central midfielder in the Summer, potentially a second midfielder as "two gaps" may occur if Fellaini leaves. So a deep lying midfielder and potentially a more box-to-box midfielder.

This is going to be a pivotal signing in our evolution and it's hopefully going to be the one that sees us transition out of 4-2-3-1 (especially in the big games.)

So do your work Redcafe Scouts, who should we go after? Weigl, Kovačić, Seri, Fred, Verratti? Which midfielder out there do you think would be the best fit for our current squad.
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I don't see how getting another deep lying midfielder to play along side Matic would help us transition out of the 4-2-3-1. If anything, it will solidify it. The question is, where does that leave Pogba?
 
SadlerMUFC said:
I don't see how getting another deep lying midfielder to play along side Matic would help us transition out of the 4-2-3-1. If anything, it will solidify it. The question is, where does that leave Pogba?
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With Matic being the only holding player we have at the moment, I could see them rotating rather than always playing together.
 
Edgar Allan Pillow said:
It's just bad management. Herrera was player of the season. McTominay has been good. Then we have Pogba and Matic. We have the main peices. It's just Mou not able to get the best out of them.
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Herrera is a bang average midfielder, no top side in europe would sign him if we looked to move him on. McTominay has been meh but get's the benefit of the doubt because he's an academy player and has potential to improve. Matic is quality and Pogba is the ability. Mourinho knows exactly what is needed and it's not Herrera/Fellaini.
 
haram said:
Fine. It was a shit post and a bunch of bollocks.

Fellaini has never played a good game at CM. Great post.
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So yeah, you don't actually have anything remotely useful to say then. Cool.

When were these good games Fellaini has played as a central midfielder? Point me to the evidence he is a good enough option there for a team aiming to be the best in the country/Europe.
 
noodlehair said:
So yeah, you don't actually have anything remotely useful to say then. Cool.

When were these good games Fellaini has played as a central midfielder? Point me to the evidence he is a good enough option there for a team aiming to be the best in the country/Europe.
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What do you want me to say to someone who claims Fellaini has NEVER had a good game at CM? It’s complete nonsense and you know it.
 
SS said:
With Matic being the only holding player we have at the moment, I could see them rotating rather than always playing together.
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Matic is Mourinho's most trusted warrior. He's bought him 3 times now. If someone else comes in it won't be to rotate with him. It will be to play with him. The only way I would like to see that is if we were to go back to a 4-4-2. It does seem to be the "fashionable" formation again...
 
SwSw said:
Since Matic is positionally sound, has a decent passing range in him and lacks mobility, I think we could try him out at the base of the midfield. He could reprise the Carrick role.

So that leaves us with a McTominay type of midfielder or last season's Ander Herrera to partner Pogba and Matic.

Any one knows such players? Does the dirty work, keeps things simple and provides more defensive cover than Pogba.
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Is this midfield good enough though? We are trying to compete with Real, Barcelona, Bayern, City and the likes - not Arsenal or dare I say Sevilla. A midfield of Pogba, Matic and Herrera is good, but far away from Casemiro/Kroos/Modric and what the other teams have.

If we don’t acquire Kroos or Verratti, it’s down to the manager/scout to unearth the next category player. Sadly, McTominay or Herrera are not good enough. We need a player that wants and loves the ball in his feet, not someone who only loves to tackle and worry about the next defensive duty at hand
 
haram said:
What do you want me to say to someone who claims Fellaini has NEVER had a good game at CM? It’s complete nonsense and you know it.
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Maybe don't reply being a twat if you're not even willing to make a point or an argument?

So far you've wasted three posts saying nothing.
 
SadlerMUFC said:
Matic is Mourinho's most trusted warrior. He's bought him 3 times now. If someone else comes in it won't be to rotate with him. It will be to play with him. The only way I would like to see that is if we were to go back to a 4-4-2. It does seem to be the "fashionable" formation again...
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I'm aware. He isn't a robot though and, as we've seen at points this season, playing every single game takes it toll. With him getting older, it's very unlikely that Mou would think to go into next season with him as the only holding mid again.
 
James Peril said:
Is this midfield good enough though? We are trying to compete with Real, Barcelona, Bayern, City and the likes - not Arsenal or dare I say Sevilla. A midfield of Pogba, Matic and Herrera is good, but far away from Casemiro/Kroos/Modric and what the other teams have.

If we don’t acquire Kroos or Verratti, it’s down to the manager/scout to unearth the next category player. Sadly, McTominay or Herrera are not good enough. We need a player that wants and loves the ball in his feet, not someone who only loves to tackle and worry about the next defensive duty at hand
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I'm not saying the player should only be good at tackling and hassling. Ideally, i want the player to be good at that but still have a decent ball passing ability. The Casemiro/Kroos/Modric balance is a good example where Casemiro is decent on the ball but have the best ball winning ability among the trio. If Pogba and Matic is our Kroos and Modric, we need a Casemiro type of player.

We are not getting Veratti or Kross. PSG and RM does not need to sell and they aren't some club we can flash our money and walk over them.
 
SwSw said:
I'm not saying the player should only be good at tackling and hassling. Ideally, i want the player to be good at that but still have a decent ball passing ability. The Casemiro/Kroos/Modric balance is a good example where Casemiro is decent on the ball but have the best ball winning ability among the trio. If Pogba and Matic is our Kroos and Modric, we need a Casemiro type of player.

We are not getting Veratti or Kross. PSG and RM does not need to sell and they aren't some club we can flash our money and walk over them.
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Matic is definitely closer to Casemiro than Kroos.
 
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