He's becoming the fall guy who can't replace Carrick just as Carrick used to be the fall guy who can't replace Keane, then Scholes. In truth, they are 4 players with different individual qualities.
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He's becoming the fall guy who can't replace Carrick just as Carrick used to be the fall guy who can't replace Keane, then Scholes. In truth, they are 4 players with different individual qualities.I don't think he's been too good as a DM throughout, not just this game. Of course, dismissing him a squad player is bit OTT but I don't think he's been anywhere near as impressive in the middle as has been made out. The problems exhibited in this game have been apparent in other games as well albeit it probably hasn't cost us too much courtesy De Gea.
Very good at LB though.
Blind has had some very good games in central midfield, along with some poor ones. As with all new signings, people cut him slack in his first few games so some not so good displays were glossed over. Of course, now he's had some duff games in that position the opposite is happening. People are ignoring the good performances from earlier in the season.
At the end of the day, central midfield is probably the position that takes the most adjusting to. You need to be constantly able to predict where every one of your team-mates will move next and that takes time to learn. So it stands to reason that he'll adapt quicker at LB than he will at CM. He has had some poor games at LB too, by the way. Especially in the FA Cup.
At the end of the day, central midfield is probably the position that takes the most adjusting to. You need to be constantly able to predict where every one of your team-mates will move next and that takes time to learn. So it stands to reason that he'll adapt quicker at LB than he will at CM. He has had some poor games at LB too, by the way. Especially in the FA Cup.
Most of his good games were against poor sides who let us dominate them. He never stood out and controlled a game in midfield. Games where teams have came at us and tried to dominate play in the midfield, he's struggled in that #6 role.
He's a neat and tidy player, but I really don't see being good enough to be a top class #6. I actually think he'd be far better as one of the #8s.
Agree. He suits that role hell of a lot more although Herrera is the better player.
He's definitely been a lot better in CM than Carrick was in his first season. He's had a few games where he didnt quite do the business, but has clearly been among our best midfielders this season.
One game and the knee jerkers cant remember all the matches where he outperformed almost all his teammates, or the games where he gained us points with a couple of late goals
One game and the knee jerkers cant remember all the matches where he outperformed almost all his teammates, or the games where he gained us points with a couple of late goals
Well that is not even remotely true.
Yes of course, someone has to pretend he was Messi when really he Cleverley'd that season
What?
Carrick only had a few awful games that season the stand out being the 3-0 loss to Milan at the San Siro. He was pulling strings in a team that won the league playing some great football.
It was a bad time for him to come back from injury just as the whole team seems to be a little bit physically and mentally jaded after being at a high level for the last 6 weeks or so (and big pressure and injury the whole season too) It was possibly a slight complacent comedown after the big Chelsea game and in Blinds defence he has said how hard and tiring he has found his first season in the Prem, then he gets this jaded game as his return. I think this loss will show the manager that it was a fatigue issue for the team and Blind will improve as he gets fully fit again. I honestly think we will see the best of Blind next season as he fully adjusts to the premier league fitness demands and naturally improves as he is only 25.
Blind will be okay, it's Carrick and a similar replacement that's looking as important if not more so than even keeping Dave the Gea
Blind will be okay, it's Carrick and a similar replacement that's looking as important if not more so than even keeping Dave the Gea
Yeah I can see you werent watching or reading this place at the time.
Carrick was Scholes' sidekick, he did a decent job defensively and sideways passed to Scholes for him to "pull the strings" all game. You're thinking of last season where Carrick showed character and was the main man. Not his first season where he was the 11th man.
He's struggled away from home all season in midfield. It seems like he needs the space that most games at Old Trafford usually provides and struggles when opposition is in his face.
So exactly what Blind has been doing all season? Passing it sideways and being called "Intelligent".
Certainly has more claim to "intelligent" than you, if you havent seen his passes into the players between the opposition's defence and midfield.
He's had a couple of performances where his passing has been a bit off unfortunately, but no more than others. Also funnily enough he has played more passes that led to shots from the receiving player than Carrick has. Carrick has played by far the least of those passes than any of our other players used in midfield this season
I agree. I said it yesterday on the thread about replacing Carrick, it's not about finding another player with the same qualities because that is next to impossible to do. It's about evolving the team and finding players that can work in the absence of a Carrick type player.
Well we have won 70% of our matches with Carrick that is the biggest and most important statistic at the end of the day. Blind's best performances in midfield have come against relegation fodder at Old Trafford.
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3 months ago in this thread there were posters praising Blind (rightly so) whilst at the same time bashing Carrick.
You're talking nonsense. Carrick was far and away better than Blind has been this season back is '06/07.
Also, the key passes stat is irrelevant. That's the stat you were using to point out how Baines was the most creative player in the league not long back. And Blind has had games at LB which helps and Carrick has had more games as a CB as well.
Carrick was poor under Moyes. In Fergie's final season he was majestic.
Weird isn't it. How opinions can swing so widely after one game. Anyway good thing the manager is more objective ey
And now the same posters are bashing Blind and praising Carrick?
This isn't true.
Yes my bad, the 20% stat is wrong.
Exactly. I can believe the 70% but the other stat has to be in 40% - 50%.
Think we've won 7 games without him and we've played 34 - so it is 20.5% of games won when Carrick doesn't play.
EDIT - My bad, it's 8, so it's 23.5% - actually I'm doing the wrong math... it's 8 games from 20 he hasn't played, so like, 40%
Yes but there hasn't been 34 games played without him, so the maths is wrong a little. You have to only count the games he hasn't played.
Yeah I just realised that now, and edited accordingly. It is 40%.
And we've won a lot more matches with Valencia in the team than without him. He's still a poor starting right back
Give Blind all the exact same lineups as Carrick and then the win percentages might mean something
Carrick was missing when we had lots of new players trying to settle in a new club and played a different formation and lineup each week. He was missing when we were playing Di Maria in CM (who doesnt defend at all) and Rooney in CM with Falcao up front
Carrick was back for when we had our lineup mostly sorted out and new players had months to settle.
That fits for now, but doesn't explain the period before Christmas where Carrick was back and we won a load on the bounce. Also, Blind had more or less the exact same lineup as Carrick had yesterday...
You mean that period we were playing dogshite football whilst getting lucky wins (Arsenal Southampton etc), that was also the period we changed our style of play and reverted to 3-5-2 so those run of results were not specifically down to Carrick being in the team (although he did have a positive impact on the team)
Exactly - but at what point does it just become lucky circumstance and, actually because Carrick is really good at football? Of course they weren't specifically down to Carrick - but his presence in our side clearly matters.
There is no reason that Daley Blind still can't develop into a really useful player at United but in recent weeks I have started to worry about him slightly. The more I watch him the more I wonder about exactly what his stand out qualities are. He is comfortable on the ball without being able to make the kind of quick, incisive passes Herrera/Mata can. He has a reasonable range of passing but can't spray it 40-50 yards like a Carrick/Rooney/Scholes. He has managed a couple of goals and they have generally been match-saving goals, but he isn't a Lampard/Gerrard 20 goal a season man from midfield. He is tenacious and will fight to win the ball back but seems to lack a bit of size, strength and speed to be a top quality ball-winning midfielder in a physical league like the Premier League.
He certainly isn't a bad player and his versatility will help, but I feel he has to find his niche and really specialise in something to become a regular. I do remember when Carrick joined it took him a good two seasons too look convincing on a regular basis so I'm not writing him off just yet!
He certainly isn't a bad player and his versatility will help, but I feel he has to find his niche and really specialise in something to become a regular. I do remember when Carrick joined it took him a good two seasons too look convincing on a regular basis so I'm not writing him off just yet!
It's still his first season here if some of you have forgotten that. I still stand by my belief that he's a real gem of a player. Has similarities to Carrick and if we just sign the right midfielder we can find a great balance in the middle of the park with him and Herrera pulling the creative strings when Carrick's retired / aged too much / injured. Shaw can have the left back spot; he looks like he's the real deal though he's still raw.
What we missed yesterday in midfield was someone as a stable platform from which to work from, and someone who deprives the opposition of passing lanes through intelligent positioning rather than headless chicken closing down tactics. Carrick does those things brilliantly. Blind, IMHO, could be great as the platform, but we might need a box-to-boxer in the mould of Khedira who will add dynamism to the middle.
What we missed yesterday in midfield was someone as a stable platform from which to work from, and someone who deprives the opposition of passing lanes through intelligent positioning rather than headless chicken closing down tactics. Carrick does those things brilliantly. Blind, IMHO, could be great as the platform, but we might need a box-to-boxer in the mould of Khedira who will add dynamism to the middle.
and four different levels.-)
Blind is a quality back up not a starting 11 player week in week out. Great attributes and clever but his lack of pace and at times caused by his reading/position gets exposed to much imo. Great addition squad wise but not a starter.
If the only change was Carrick being in the team then it would support your point more. The things was though that we also changed formation and approach completely. Saying that Carrick did have a positve influence, but his influence during that period was a little overplayed IMO. He had a few pretty poor games himself in that run.
For 1 game where Ander and Fellaini didnt play well, yes.
I'm just saying there are a lot of fortunate circumstances for Carrick's games compared to Blind or others filling in for him. They had to do so when we had a huge amount of injuries and chopping and changing. Carrick been selected when everyone is available and the team is settled
Thats why its a bit weird to be so hung up on win percentages. How can you compare the situations? Yes Carrick has been playing when we've played well and won points, but Blind hasn't had the same oppertunity to play in the same circumstances. His games came when nothing was sorted out and we had to pick the 11 players that were available. In those circumstances he barely ever let us down and was definitely among our best players
A single match and its forgotten
The run into the box and shot was quality, certainly not something you'd see Carrick doing. He could do more of that if we had better defensive stability behind him.
Also I guarantee that the people who keep posting Carrick's win percentages are the same people who were saying LVG shouldnt be judged too harshly during the first half of the season when we had terrible injuries and we were well off of where we should be given our investment in the summer.
Poor selections, formations, tactics and the rest were apparently unfair to count against LVG because he didnt have everyone fit and available, but Blind and whoever else not getting as many points as Carrick when they were playing during this time, thats their fault. Right?
Poor selections, formations, tactics and the rest were apparently unfair to count against LVG because he didnt have everyone fit and available, but Blind and whoever else not getting as many points as Carrick when they were playing during this time, thats their fault. Right?
So Carrick's only been playing when we don't have an injury crisis, yet Blind has only been playing when we do?
You're just making shit up now. Unless you mean that Carrick's never had to play when Carrick's been out injured? Because that's certainly true and there's very clear evidence that this particular injury crisis does have a significant negative effect on the team. So in a way he's lucky, right?
You're just making shit up now. Unless you mean that Carrick's never had to play when Carrick's been out injured? Because that's certainly true and there's very clear evidence that this particular injury crisis does have a significant negative effect on the team. So in a way he's lucky, right?