Carrick

I love Carrick - he always gets on with it in an understated way, but is so solid. Mr Reliable imo.
 
He really is a truly delightful midfielder, alongside Fletcher he was superb. If he added goals to his game he would be even better. He's so underrated and continues to prove people wrong with his performances. The way he can spray passes and split the defence is quality.
 
He is a very good midfielder and usually underrated. Needs to be more dangerous in the final third though
 
He is a very good midfielder and usually underrated. Needs to be more dangerous in the final third though

No he doesn't.

1. He's already been getting much better at that this season.

2. He already does more than enough without being particularly dangerous in the final third.
 
No he doesn't.

1. He's already been getting much better at that this season.

2. He already does more than enough without being particularly dangerous in the final third.

How often do you see him at the end of an attacking move?
How often do you see him make a final pass around the penalty box?

Thats where he has room to improve.
 
I have to admit I thought you'd overpaid when you bought him, but he's turning out to be a bargain; a brilliant player, and consistently so. I rate him really highly.
 
How often do you see him at the end of an attacking move?
How often do you see him make a final pass around the penalty box?

Thats where he has room to improve.

Rarely, but more often this season.

He can improve on a lot of things, like his heading from corners, his shooting, his ability to take the game by the scruff of it's neck.

He's done all that this season too.

He doesn't need to improve anything, he's already a brilliant player for us.
 
He is a very good midfielder and usually underrated. Needs to be more dangerous in the final third though

He has done this season. I can't remember the exact game, but he kept getting into the box and eventually we got a penalty when he was brought down.

Perhaps last night SAF asked him not to go into the final third too much? Our defence wasn't as strong as normal after all.
 
How often do you see him at the end of an attacking move?
How often do you see him make a final pass around the penalty box?

Thats where he has room to improve.

As often as Scholes, he's matched him for goals and assists in the past 3 seasons despite being the defensive partner, it's a bit of a mystery to me why he's expected to do more as the same would not be expected of other defensive midfielders
 
As often as Scholes, he's matched him for goals and assists in the past 3 seasons despite being the defensive partner, it's a bit of a mystery to me why he's expected to do more as the same would not be expected of other defensive midfielders

He's not a defensive midfielder.

There's not a defensive midfielder in the world with the same range of passing as Carrick.

I fecking hate specialist defensive midfielders and I'm glad we don't have one at the club.
 
He's not a defensive midfielder.

There's not a defensive midfielder in the world with the same range of passing as Carrick.

I fecking hate specialist defensive midfielders and I'm glad we don't have one at the club.
He plays the role though he does more then his remit, like Keano
 
He plays the role though he does more then his remit, like Keano

Keano wasn't a defensive midfielder either.

That's a redcafe myth that does my fecking head in actually. In his last couple of seasons, when his legs were shot to pieces, Keano played a fairly defensive role but there's absolutely no way he should be remembered as a defensive midfielder, he was nothing of the sort.
 
He plays the role though he does more then his remit, like Keano

Everyone should play a defensive role for gods sake, Carrick is a classic CENTRAL midfielder in the most classic of senses. Defensive midfielders primary role is to augment the defence, Carricks outstanding quality is his vision, which makes him an attacker in my book. His ability to read the play and especially his composure is what makes him able to defend. The abilty to add to both defence and attack makes him the perfect central midfielder and fulcrum for the team.
 
Keano wasn't a defensive midfielder either.

That's a redcafe myth that does my fecking head in actually. In his last couple of seasons, when his legs were shot to pieces, Keano played a fairly defensive role but there's absolutely no way he should be remembered as a defensive midfielder, he was nothing of the sort.

Aye. Box to box if there ever was one.
 
Keano wasn't a defensive midfielder either.

That's a redcafe myth that does my fecking head in actually. In his last couple of seasons, when his legs were shot to pieces, Keano played a fairly defensive role but there's absolutely no way he should be remembered as a defensive midfielder, he was nothing of the sort.
Keano was a dm, one that did all that was required of his position and then did more, that was his genius, that what set him above.
 
Keano was a dm, one that did all that was required of his position and then did more, that was his genius, that what set him above.

Bollocks. Keane was the archetype of a well-rounded, box to box, central midfielder. He was as complete a CM as you're ever likely to see. When he almost single-handedly defeated Juve he put in the most complete midfield performance I can ever remember watching. "DM" my arse.

fecking hell, Football Manager has so much to answer for..
 
Keano was a dm, one that did all that was required of his position and then did more, that was his genius, that what set him above.

Keano wasn't a dm until he got to his mid 30's and his hip had gone.

Your definition of what a dm is schewed.
 
Everyone should play a defensive role for gods sake, Carrick is a classic CENTRAL midfielder in the most classic of senses. Defensive midfielders primary role is to augment the defence, Carricks outstanding quality is his vision, which makes him an attacker in my book. His ability to read the play and especially his composure is what makes him able to defend. The abilty to add to both defence and attack makes him the perfect central midfielder and fulcrum for the team.

I'm aware that every players has defensive responsibilities, that's different however from what we are talking about. Not all midfielders are capable of defending well enough either individually or as a group to provide the necessary amount of protection a defence needs, so teams will play specialist midfielder that can, a.k.a defensive midfielders.

It doesn't mean the rest of the attack can now ignore their defensive duty. Similarly I think for a DM to be great he must be capable of more then defending, he has to add something going forward, that he does add to the attack doesn't stop him being a dm
 
I'm aware that every players has defensive responsibilities, that's different however from what we are talking about. Not all midfielders are capable of defending well enough either individually or as a group to provide the necessary amount of protection a defence needs, so teams will play specialist midfielder that can, a.k.a defensive midfielders.

It doesn't mean the rest of the attack can now ignore their defensive duty. Similarly I think for a DM to be great he must be capable of more then defending, he has to add something going forward, that he does add to the attack doesn't stop him being a dm

That's all a load of bollocks though. I can't believe you're trying to claim that just because a central midfielder is solid defensively he should be pigeon-holed as a "dm" irrespective of how much he offers going forward. This is clearly nonsense.

Makalele is a dm. Mascherano is a dm. Keano is not even remotely similar to either of these cnuts, in the abilities he possessed or the positions he took up on the pitch.
 
That's all a load of bollocks though. I can't believe you're trying to claim that just because a central midfielder is solid defensively he should be pigeon-holed as a "dm" irrespective of how much he offers going forward. This is clearly nonsense.

Makalele is a dm. Mascherano is a dm. Keano is not even remotely similar to either of these cnuts, in the abilities he possessed or the positions he took up on the pitch.
Whats wrong with calling him a defensive midfielder? That was his primary role, I don't see anything negative in calling him that, it's just a description of his job and position. Should I not call Ronaldo a winger? Would I be pigeon holing him? Evra a fullback? He spends a lot of time in attack after all, sometimes more so then defending
 
Whats wrong with calling him a defensive midfielder? That was his primary role, I don't see anything negative in calling him that, it's just a description of his job and position. Should I not call Ronaldo a winger? Would I be pigeon holing him? Evra a fullback? He spends a lot of time in attack after all, sometimes more so then defending

Keane's primary role was to dominate everything about central midfield. Not just the defensive end.
 
Whats wrong with calling him a defensive midfielder? That was his primary role, I don't see anything negative in calling him that, it's just a description of his job and position. Should I not call Ronaldo a winger? Would I be pigeon holing him? Evra a fullback? He spends a lot of time in attack after all, sometimes more so then defending
Yeah Vieira was DM as well. Not a limited one like Makelele but nevertheless what used to be called a wing-half not an inside-forward.
 
Keane scored 50 odd goals for us

Not many defensive midfielders would do that over their career, although as Pogue said in his last few years he pretty much was a defensive midfielder. Keane was more 'box to box'

See his 2 vs Arse at Highbury for example, a defensive midfielder wouldn't have been in that position.
 
Whats wrong with calling him a defensive midfielder? That was his primary role, I don't see anything negative in calling him that, it's just a description of his job and position. Should I not call Ronaldo a winger? Would I be pigeon holing him? Evra a fullback? He spends a lot of time in attack after all, sometimes more so then defending

Do you even believe in the concept of an all-round, central midfielder?

I just don't know why people feel the need to sub-divide this position. Every player has different individual attributes. Some are more likely to score/create goals, some are more likely to stick a foot in but IMO a true "defensive midfielders" is a very specialised role, someone who sits in front of the defence and doesn't make any effort to get involved in the attack. United have never fielded a someone like this, CMs like Makalele or Mascherano.

Roy Keane was nothing like these players. He was a well-rounded central midfielder, as comfortable in the final third as he was in our own box.
 
I remember when midfielders were just midfielders. Before Champ Manager came along.

Happy days.
 
Do you even believe in the concept of an all-round, central midfielder?

I just don't know why people feel the need to sub-divide this position. Every player has different individual attributes. Some are more likely to score/create goals, some are more likely to stick a foot in but IMO a true "defensive midfielders" is a very specialised role, someone who sits in front of the defence and doesn't make any effort to get involved in the attack. United have never fielded a someone like this, CMs like Makalele or Mascherano.

Roy Keane was nothing like these players. He was a well-rounded central midfielder, as comfortable in the final third as he was in our own box.
They are all central midfielders, Keano was a central midfielder with defensive emphasis, Scholes is a central midfielder with an attacking emphasis, or more elegantly, a defensive midfielder and an attacking midfielder
 
I remember when midfielders were just midfielders. Before Champ Manager came along.

Happy days.
It's got nought to do with championship manager, champman lets you play any old mix of midfielders and you'll win, real football requires a midfielder that can defend
 
It's got nought to do with championship manager, champman lets you play any old mix of midfielders and you'll win, real football requires a midfielder that can defend

In real football these midfielders are called central midfielders.

In real football if you can't defend you shouldn't call yourself a central midfielder.