Since Fred in 2018, we've signed one, in Casemiro, last year. What's our issue with them? We've also nearly gotten rid of every midfielder we had before ETH.
Why don't we sign central midfielders?
- Thread starter Di Maria's angel
- Start date
Chelsea bought them all
The real canundrum is that we chased De Jong all
summer last year and yet we havent look at another player like him since.
Almost as if he was not getting him for his profile but more because he coached him before…
summer last year and yet we havent look at another player like him since.
Almost as if he was not getting him for his profile but more because he coached him before…
There isn't another de Jong tbf. Closest probably was Tonali who Newcastle grabbed. Outside that there are 8s and 6s. We need someone like Tielemans, Laimer, Lavia, Caicedo, Amrabat who are all more limited than de Jong in terms of getting the ball off the back four and dribbling like Madison does through midfield but we've got no one...
Pretty much.
Please go and get Verratti on loan from Paris.
I wonder how everyone else in football manages.
By being able to scout identify and acquire good players who complement each other. My point is you don't need de Jong - he's a rolls royce and makes life easier. But you can do it by buying the more limited option which can be paired with others to build an effective midfield.
We haven't had a properly passable midfield since 2010 when we had Carrick, Hargreaves and Scholes. It feels like we decided to let everyone play catch up by just playing without one since then.
Kobbie will fix it...or something
Because we want to sign all the left sided attackers!!!
It's really weird. We are seemingly allergic to the idea of attempting to control games using the middle of the park, as a club. Van Gaal was the only one who at least tried to buck the trend.
Quite incredible really
If only he had open hands in buying players.
When you consider the money spent on our central midfield 3 of Bruno, mount, case it seems like our problem is more just poor buying/planning. Add in the fee we had paid for Fred and really most our CM wasn't exactly cheap.
Who needs CM when you can have Mount and ETH has admired him since his vitesse days or something.
Does Eriksen count?
Im a little worried we might panic buy or get a cheap midfielder after this loss and the first two performances, and then we will all say what's the point, should have kept Fred.
I am equally surprised that we went for mount like we did when that money could have sorted the deeper midfield position out.
Unless we were banking on vdb and mctominay to be sold (for good money) by now to get that type of player
Im a little worried we might panic buy or get a cheap midfielder after this loss and the first two performances, and then we will all say what's the point, should have kept Fred.
I am equally surprised that we went for mount like we did when that money could have sorted the deeper midfield position out.
Unless we were banking on vdb and mctominay to be sold (for good money) by now to get that type of player
Can fault a man for truly trying to imitate Sir Alex
The club decided running around is the most important thing so Fred and McTom are starting quality.
Why buy a midfielder when you can buy an overpriced No.10 with one year left on his contract.
Schweinsteiger, Matic, Casimero & Eriksen.
It’s not difficult to see the pattern here. We just love to stockpile players a few years past there best. Never proactive. Always reactive. Our squad building is a shambles.
Then when we finally do decide to buy someone of the right age profile, he’s a #10 who we’re trying to shoehorn into midfield. You couldn’t make it up. I want to cry.
It’s not difficult to see the pattern here. We just love to stockpile players a few years past there best. Never proactive. Always reactive. Our squad building is a shambles.
Then when we finally do decide to buy someone of the right age profile, he’s a #10 who we’re trying to shoehorn into midfield. You couldn’t make it up. I want to cry.
That is not really good at 10 anyway
Football is all about midfield yet we are arrogant and don’t believe it.
We just don't think it's very fashionable.
Clearly hasn’t watched him in the last 2 years !
Kephren Thuram, can’t understand why we don’t sign him.
Kagawa, Mata, Mkhitaryan, Van de Beek and now Mount
Our other habit is getting those unnecessary attacking midfielders.
Yeah I think it could well be that we were relying on Donny & McTominay being sold to fund that possession based midfielder
How the feck can Pep just get Kovacic. He's walks into that city midfield and delivers from day 1. Where are we?? Chasing Mount??
Cos we're cnuts, that's why.
How many of our permanent signings, or even targets we have seriously pursued, under ETH have not played in Holland at some point?
Casemiro and Hojlund are the only ones I can think of.
All for leaning on the stuff you already know a bit to gain an advantage but it is starting to seem like a serious lack of imagination leading to a lot of square pegs in round holes.
Casemiro and Hojlund are the only ones I can think of.
All for leaning on the stuff you already know a bit to gain an advantage but it is starting to seem like a serious lack of imagination leading to a lot of square pegs in round holes.
We needed a #8 similar to De Jong, who is good at carrying and protecting the ball under pressure, showing up for the ball a lot, have a consistent passing, good a making long passes.
We instead signed Mason Mount, whose skillset is more like Lingard and VDB which we never needed.
We instead signed Mason Mount, whose skillset is more like Lingard and VDB which we never needed.
The closest in the league is probably Kovacic but of course he went to City for half the price of Mount.
Well I wanted Bissouma, who looked great for Spurs yesterday. There's lots of good players out there, it's just our scouting is garbage and we end up with Mount and Antony. Hojlund is very raw too and this place could turn toxic if he doesn't hit the ground running
Hopefully Mount will be the young midfielder who can turn things around for us.
I know the Redcafe theme of day is to dump on him. But it's still early in his United career and he's playing in a broken system right now.
Mainoo will hopefully start to flourish in midfield. What about Hannibal? Why isn't he been given a chance?
Yep. A decent central midfielder to keep possession, dictate play and knit this team together is exactly what we are missing and it's absolutely baffling this wasn't our priority in the transfer window besides getting a striker. We need a player in the mould of a scholes, Carrick, Modric, Pirlo, Cruz, I could list many more. It's unlikely we'll get a player as good as those names, but anyone half decent of that style of play would be better than our current midfield set up. I rate Ten Hag but his apparent tunnel vision in regards to playing two 8's, I worry is going to be his downfall if he doesn't wake up quickly.