I'm not sure if our "boring" style of play is down tom the central midfield partnership though.
I always thought it was the pace of our wingers and strikers that made Man Utd play the football that we did. That seems to have gone.
Central midfield this season...
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I'm not sure if our "boring" style of play is down tom the central midfield partnership though.
I always thought it was the pace of our wingers and strikers that made Man Utd play the football that we did. That seems to have gone.
I think we'd be seeing more 4-5-1 if Rooney were in better form.
Good post.
Just happened to come across our passing stats this season whilst looking for something else, and I was surprised to see how high a passing completion our central midfielders have this season...
Scholes 89.9 %
Carrick - 87.1 %
Gibson - 86.5 %
Fletcher - 85%
Anderson - 81.2 %
Average - 85.94 % Passing completion
I'm not really sure what these stats show, if anything at all, but something to think about. And just to put it into perspective, here's Arsenal's...
Denilson - 92.6 %
Diaby - 91.8 %
Song - 87.1%
Wilshere - 87 %
Fabregas - 80.8 %
Average - 87.86 % Passing completion
Scholes 89.9 %
Carrick - 87.1 %
Gibson - 86.5 %
Fletcher - 85%
Anderson - 81.2 %
Average - 85.94 % Passing completion
I'm not really sure what these stats show, if anything at all, but something to think about. And just to put it into perspective, here's Arsenal's...
Denilson - 92.6 %
Diaby - 91.8 %
Song - 87.1%
Wilshere - 87 %
Fabregas - 80.8 %
Average - 87.86 % Passing completion
Goes to show that pass completion percentages are meaningless.
What is far far more important is the killer pass, the one that sets someone through on goal or the pass that sets off a blistering counter attack.
Fabregas' passing has been a bit off this season is all that shows, he's been up in the high 80s every other season in his career.
And it's been just as evident from watching him as it is from looking at the stats, so I don't think it disproves the validity of stats at all.
Denilson with 93%, however...that does go to show that stats are pointless without context.
And it's been just as evident from watching him as it is from looking at the stats, so I don't think it disproves the validity of stats at all.
Denilson with 93%, however...that does go to show that stats are pointless without context.
So...I guess Anderson > Fabregas
I hope the central midfield show up tomorrow.
I hope there are three of them to start: Carrick, Fletcher, and Anderson, with Scholes on the bench to change the game for me.
Very misleading, considering Gibson has only played a total of 8 games this season, 5 of which he came on as a substitute, and obviously having him on the pitch isn't the only factor to the team's performance.
How are the statistics misleading, they are fecking statistics; that said they are just stats, but in Darron Gibson's case that is damning.
Let me break it down MD style lite:
S: Most people think Gibson sucks
O: The stats prove Gibson sucks
A: Gibson is not good enough for Manchester United
P: Ship Gibson off to the highest bidder this summer
Let me break it down MD style lite:
S: Most people think Gibson sucks
O: The stats prove Gibson sucks
A: Gibson is not good enough for Manchester United
P: Ship Gibson off to the highest bidder this summer
Our team sections also plays too separate from each oher. The center midfield and center defence fro example don't push up enough away from home. It causes our forwards to drop a bit too deep to help out with creating things. VS Wolves the midfield was behind the forwards by 50 plus meters.
I'm not a fan of Gibson, either. The only reason why he had some play time earlier this season was so that Fergie could hopefully get a call during the transfer window. Obviously, it backfired, but it's a bit misleading to have those statistics when he's only played single digit games in comparison to the others who've played more games this season. The tendency to skew the statistics is much higher with the lower number of games, like how a defender's attempts/goal is much higher in percentage in comparison to a stiker's attempts/goal.
Is predictably coming up short when it matters.
Scholes & Carrick in a 4-4-2 is suicide against the bigger teams as they don't have the energy that Fletcher brings. Play Scholes-Carrick-another in a 4-3-3 and it works (mostly)
Our midfield is just too shit. How can the rot at Liverpool out play us in midfield?
Because they put in at least twice the work
To be made to look so bad by this Liverpool team is a horrible sign. We've been slow, dull, uninventive and lacking in fight. Liverpool have been fast, aggressive and with lots of spark.
"Those who don't rate Carrick, don't understand football"
Yeah. Ok.
Yeah. Ok.
It's just not good enough. Nothing to do with putting in half the work we have had too many off days.
The question was rhetorical.
This mantra will be repeated a few times before the night is out.
We have Scholes, Giggs, Carrick and Berbatov as 4 of our midfield and front 6. Not enough pace and legs in that lot.
Carrick's game isn't suited to a blood-and-thunder derby.
Plus he's a bit shit.
Plus he's a bit shit.
It's getting frustrating watchin us play. And it was for way too many parts of this season. We need to invest, and I don't want to see some 19 year old unknown player that might or might not make it. We need instant successs in CM.
Thats the most important thing becuase we will invest but more than likely we will go for the cheap option.
totally agreed, hence why I was slightly surprised Carrick signed a new contract last week. I love him but thought it would be the organic end to his career with us (esp being 30 yrs old and that)
Don't forget Ozil is around 21 years old, took the world cup by storm and was sold for around £8m! SAF's just being stubborn.
we got outplayed quite because our midfield lacks mobility. quite apparent that we had giggs and scholes who are in late 30s. carrick is also not quick as well. the loss of park and valencia (anderson to a certain extent) also hit us hard. but i cannot deny that our failure to bring in new midfielder at the season begining is a big mistake
Our midfield has zero pace and no real steel in it, but today apathy was dripping from all corners of the team.
Carrick is like some young inexperienced Italian that is struggling with the rigors and demands of through English game.
We are playing in a too much complicated way for the midfielders we have, the exception being Paul Scholes. Carrick can't handle quick moves and struggles when we are playing fast football.
The only thing wrong is Carrick is he's too soft... He is an inferior version of Keane... To be on top of our game we definitely need a MF who can change games, Carrick just ain't that type of MF...
Defensively he reads the game great, but too soft when he's in the box, gets dominated again and again inside the box..
Attacking you can sense that he's a bit too slow at times...
Well, none of our players were much better last night.
Defensively he reads the game great, but too soft when he's in the box, gets dominated again and again inside the box..
Attacking you can sense that he's a bit too slow at times...
Well, none of our players were much better last night.
funny how it was the same thing we said last year when we played at Anfield.
what is your point then?
It has disabled the whole team. Unless we're playing 4-5-1, it leaves the back open (so much for Carrick), leaves the forwards stranded, and offers nearly zero output in terms of goals or assists. A 4-5-1 offers the cover, but we are left as virile as an eunuch in front of goal.
It's a shame when a 35 year old man is the sole source of any creativity, output or fecking stability in the midfield. It's a shame when we have to stop playing 4-4-2 against teams not in the top 4, just because we can't afford to switch up a mediocre midfield. It's a shame when teams like Tottenham and Liverpool can continually bitch slap us in the center.
Something has to happen soon. I'm not calling for heads, there just needs to be some damn competition in the middle. Fletcher and Carrick, in their current form, should be on the bench, not first team starters. Get someone one who will breath down their necks (no homo) in the race for a starting slot.
And lastly, the next person who says, "but, but, Carrick is at his best when players around him do well", no shit. It's time players in the midfield start carrying their fecking weight. It worked when we had a demon on the right who frightened teams back into their own halves, all by himself. Those days are gone.
I can't believe we got shafted in midfield by Liverpool. Of all fecking teams.
It's a shame when a 35 year old man is the sole source of any creativity, output or fecking stability in the midfield. It's a shame when we have to stop playing 4-4-2 against teams not in the top 4, just because we can't afford to switch up a mediocre midfield. It's a shame when teams like Tottenham and Liverpool can continually bitch slap us in the center.
Something has to happen soon. I'm not calling for heads, there just needs to be some damn competition in the middle. Fletcher and Carrick, in their current form, should be on the bench, not first team starters. Get someone one who will breath down their necks (no homo) in the race for a starting slot.
And lastly, the next person who says, "but, but, Carrick is at his best when players around him do well", no shit. It's time players in the midfield start carrying their fecking weight. It worked when we had a demon on the right who frightened teams back into their own halves, all by himself. Those days are gone.
I can't believe we got shafted in midfield by Liverpool. Of all fecking teams.
we needed one of our midfielders to be on their game today. Scholes we love a cherrish but he needs somebody next to him that will win tackles and give him the ball.
carrick is just becoming a liability.
carrick is just becoming a liability.
Why wasn't it fixed!! Thats my point.
Carrick is the shit black and white print to Keane's HD.