He's one of the first names on the team sheet for me, arguably even ahead of Pogba. Our results over the past few seasons have been much worse without him in the team. That being said, I do believe he needs replacement sooner than later but currently he is ahead of Schmidfield and Herrera who have been largely underwhelming.
Michael Carrick as a first-choice player
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I don't rate Carrick as a first team choice any longer. He can be good in spells, but cannot influence a game for 90mins.
Really feel that this one year extension was not a good idea.
Really feel that this one year extension was not a good idea.
In our current squad Carrick is the best option we have. Its that simple.
Every top manager recognizes the necessity of having local players. By local here, I don't mean academy players but players from the home country, ones who understand the culture of the club, league, competition, etc ... . That's the reason LvG and Mourinho are persisting with Rooney despite his horrendous performances. In the case of Carrick, his performances aren't even close to bad which makes him a no brainer for Mourinho or LvG before him. The sad fact is we desperately lack that type of players to provide a soul to the team so we have to count on an ageing midfielder and carry a fading captain.
Like i've said already many times in the last weeks and others in this thread too....Carrick (+ Pogba) in the 4-2-3-1 system will ask for trouble in the most games.
I can only see good performances of Carrick in a 4-3-3 system.
I can only see good performances of Carrick in a 4-3-3 system.
He's the best option we have for that role right now. Schneiderlin needs to be more consistent and step up his game if he wants to take that no6. Mensah hasn't prove himself to be able to take no6 spot in first team senior football. Blind is CB now. The likes of Herrera, Fellaini and Pogba are no8. And at the moment we can't replace him because none available. I don't see anything wrong, what's the issue that Carrick will be our first choice player when there are no available options right now. Hoping that we can find his replacement next summer.
I would be surprised but for the first 3 games, yes, Carrick can be in the starting 11.
In the mid run I see Schneiderlin given a chance to use his physical skills and improve the rest of his game... otherwise Blind will have to do the job, who knows.
We need to see the first match of the season to get a feel. It feels good to see a match again!!!
In the mid run I see Schneiderlin given a chance to use his physical skills and improve the rest of his game... otherwise Blind will have to do the job, who knows.
We need to see the first match of the season to get a feel. It feels good to see a match again!!!
Ironically, I'd say that Carrick would be more important to us than Pogba if we play them in a 4-2-3-1.
As I've said elsewhere, I'd play;
Carrick--- Blind
Pogba
Miki -------------------Martial
Ibra
Pogba gets all the space in the world. Carrick and Blind are both fabulous from deep. Shaw and Valencia can provide additional width and attacking numbers.Pogba
Miki -------------------Martial
Ibra
He can still work well if protected in a midfield three. In a two, alongside Pogba, I think we'll struggle defensively against the better sides.
I think some people are fearful of losing out on his passing. I get it, he's a very capable passer through the lines and still the best we have. But sometimes it isn't enough. Scholes was still a fantastic passer of the ball when he retired, but we were losing out on so much else in the midfield areas to the extent that his inclusion was no longer justified. Carrick is approaching the same crossroads, for me.
We don't need to replace Carrick like for like. We don't need somebody that can hit a long ball for our midfield to work well. We can set up differently and still perform. It's ironic, we replaced Roy Keane with Carrick to the horror of many, and now there's an issue with replacing Carrick with players that aren't quite as good at passing. Carrick was a good replacement in his own way, and I'm quite sure a player like Schneiderlin (or another) could bring positives to our midfield in their own way, too.
I think some people are fearful of losing out on his passing. I get it, he's a very capable passer through the lines and still the best we have. But sometimes it isn't enough. Scholes was still a fantastic passer of the ball when he retired, but we were losing out on so much else in the midfield areas to the extent that his inclusion was no longer justified. Carrick is approaching the same crossroads, for me.
We don't need to replace Carrick like for like. We don't need somebody that can hit a long ball for our midfield to work well. We can set up differently and still perform. It's ironic, we replaced Roy Keane with Carrick to the horror of many, and now there's an issue with replacing Carrick with players that aren't quite as good at passing. Carrick was a good replacement in his own way, and I'm quite sure a player like Schneiderlin (or another) could bring positives to our midfield in their own way, too.
We all know Pogba wouldn't play in that position unless Rooney is injured and that is the problem.
I am 95% sure we'll get someone to compete with Carrick before the window closes. The way Jose talked about Carrick being the only player he has to play in front of the defense and that he is 35, makes me believe that he has someone in mind. No way he goes with old man Carrick as the only player for the position (Looks like he doesn't consider Blind, Schneiderlin and Herrera as starters there).
A deep lying play maker is coming guys. Don't worry.
A deep lying play maker is coming guys. Don't worry.
It's a 4-3-3 not a 4-2-3-1
Rooney will never play as one of the midfield 3. He's not in the team I posted unless Ibra is injured.
Do you have anyone in mind? We were briefly linked to Ruben Neves this summer, but I don't recall any other rumors tying us to a deep-lying playmaker. There's not an abundance of those to begin with...I think it would be difficult to bring someone in at this stage of the transfer window.
I think with players like Pogba and TFM around him and our relatively mobile forward line this year, gives Carrick the freedom to just sit back in front of the back 4. With his legs now going, it will suit him to just sit and dictate the play from just behind the half way line or near the half way line. Might have a Pirlo like season at Juve before he left for US
Pirlo had Pogba, Marchisio and Vidal around him. We don't have nearly that sort of midfield depth or quality.
Jose's good with old player
But my gut feels that he's only here as a token vice captain, his salary isn't extra enormous, no club is willing to buy and even if there is the fee would be neglectible. Just keep him here for another year, put him on occassionally, he's happy we're happy everyone's happy.
But my gut feels that he's only here as a token vice captain, his salary isn't extra enormous, no club is willing to buy and even if there is the fee would be neglectible. Just keep him here for another year, put him on occassionally, he's happy we're happy everyone's happy.
There is just too much pace and power in the EPL, and Carrick/Blind are too slow and easily pushed aside. Carrick should have gone 2-3 years ago. When we setup as a possession team, during the past 2 years, I really didn't see a point in having someone like Carrick. He is just not mobile enough to cover the ground needed when fast breakaways happen. His passing wasn't very effective because we didn't have the movement, and playing against park the bus teams there wasn't much space.
We conceded so many goals these past few seasons on the counter because we have too many slow and passive players. Latest example being the community shield game. Leicester broke with only 2 players (Vardy & Musa) against 5!!! of ours. Musa easily turned past Carrick who was just in their half. We should have dealt with the situation much better, and ended up gifting them a goal when they really shouldn't have had a sniff.
Our team are a bunch of pansies, just too nice, and Carrick/Rooney/Mata epitomize that. Look at Huth slyly putting a boot into Rooney's back and him taking it with a smile. Hopefully Bailly/Pogba/Ibra start changing that.
If we are going to be using the full backs to provide width to overload the opposition, we really really really don't want 35 year old Carrick trying to cover for them when the ball is turned over.
He's a holding midfield, don't he?
Clue's in the name. You don't have to run around a lot to play that position: you hold. The second midfielder is the one who has to run a lot and that is Pogba. People are talking about the Arsenal game where we were over-run. Maybe that was Schweinsteiger's fault as he was the one who was the second midfielder, the one that is there to provide the energy. That won't happen with Pogba.
As an aside, maybe that's why Schweinsteiger is on his way. In 2013, Javi Martinez was he one who sat and Schweinsteiger was the one who provided the energy. Schweinsteiger no longer has the energy to play that role and he's perhaps not good enough as the holder so he's going. It may seem a bit odd that Carrick is staying and Schweinsteiger is leaving but, positionally, Carrick is the younger man.
Clue's in the name. You don't have to run around a lot to play that position: you hold. The second midfielder is the one who has to run a lot and that is Pogba. People are talking about the Arsenal game where we were over-run. Maybe that was Schweinsteiger's fault as he was the one who was the second midfielder, the one that is there to provide the energy. That won't happen with Pogba.
As an aside, maybe that's why Schweinsteiger is on his way. In 2013, Javi Martinez was he one who sat and Schweinsteiger was the one who provided the energy. Schweinsteiger no longer has the energy to play that role and he's perhaps not good enough as the holder so he's going. It may seem a bit odd that Carrick is staying and Schweinsteiger is leaving but, positionally, Carrick is the younger man.
The needless cries for 433 is boring and stressful. 
Probably. But I still believe he can be influential this year. This surely must be his last
brutal, I just hope we finally upgrade on him as he was massive downgrade on Keane... would never start him in big games andintense ones as well, these days small clubs has player capable of pressing game and MC is simply not good enough to cope with that. He's great passer with good composure but he'd fit into one of the italian clubs or in 80's/90's football... 35 yars old player should nver be the firt midfielder in the team even though it's Scholes and Carrick is two levels below Scholes...
I don'tthink the problem is Carrick per say, it's Rooney. Carrick needs legs around him at this point so:
Schneiderlin-Carrick-Pogba is a very good midfield against the better teams and we can swap Schneiderlin for Herrera against "weaker" teams. This is what we should playing but Rooney will start IMO, at least for the first few matches. We do need a replacement for him though.
Schneiderlin-Carrick-Pogba is a very good midfield against the better teams and we can swap Schneiderlin for Herrera against "weaker" teams. This is what we should playing but Rooney will start IMO, at least for the first few matches. We do need a replacement for him though.
Agreed. He should be an option but not the first choice now, we need to find who the future is. I also don't want Pogba's game limited because he has to keep an eye on any space/runners Carrick can't keep up with. Schneiderlin's game was severely limited by having to cover others last year.
Id rather see Schneiderlin play more games there. Blind is not quick but if he can show the positional awareness then he could do it too.
Id rather see Schneiderlin play more games there. Blind is not quick but if he can show the positional awareness then he could do it too.
This 100%
I think you can draw comparisons to Kroos at Real Madrid and for Germany. With Modric alongside him, Kroos wasn't good enough to play in the 4-2-3-1 but, when he had Khedira next to him, he did well.
It's simple, you do what Conte did with Pirlo - surround him with certified beasts like Pogba and Fosu-Mensah. They make up for whatever he lacks in physicality whilst he covers, through intelligence, their tactical shortcomings.
Unfortunately you are wrong . We have only one deep lying play maker and that's Carrick and he will be first choice mid especially for tougher games. If mourniho can use him as the way juventus did with pirlo then we wont be having too much troubles ( rooney is ther though ).
That would mean benching Captain Fantastic though, so don't see it happening, not yet anyway.
You really watch our games ????? The lack of stability when ever carrick is not playing is evident always and it wont change ( If you are Schneirdlein /Pogba can do it then sorry )
Agree with that, doubt it will happen this season either. Still it doesn't change the fact that our midfield and central forward line would be horribly one paced if Rooney, Carrick and Ibra are in it at one go.
I know what you're trying to say, i just don't agree that Carrick's role is the one that needs replacing. You can use the previous game against Leicester and say that he's past it and that he can't deal with teams that press us when we try to play out from the back. But there's also another way to look at it, he was the only player who could be trusted with passing the ball through the lines. Having Fellaini next to you and Rooney ahead doesn't make things easy. Pogba is a different story though.
The truth is there are no better alternatives atm in the squad. You put Morgan in there, he'll start chasing the ball all around and the our opponents will find spaces in between our lines despite him being athletic and energetic. Blind is being discussed elsewhere but i agree with those saying that he'll won't do significantly better in that role than a 35 yo Carrick.
In the end, the decision to have Carrick as the first choice for the holding role might come back to haunt us due to his age and his injuries lately. With this concern i can agree and i won't pretend it's not a justified one. But changing the Carrick type of player in front of the defense when we search for replacements, with that i strongly disagree. All these years the problem was not Carrick, it was the man playing next to him.
If we play 433, I'm convinced he'll have his best season since Fergie left. Unfortunately, it seems like we're definitely playing with a 10.
We control games far better with Carrick than without.
Blind is the only superior option we have to a 35 year old Carrick in the role. But its clear Jose has decided he will be one of his CBs for the season.
As I've said in a couple of other threads, instead of the current tone of the caf of 'next summer all about Griezmann', I think we should try to buy British and go for Eric Dier. If he has another season like last, I'd pay a huge fee for him. I'd rather retain an English core where possible, and the boy is a beast. If I were offered the choice to get someone in now, or wait a year and get Dier, then I'd gladly hand Carrick the armband for this season!
I think Carrick's decline in quality with age is just taking longer than expected. He doesn't look any less effective now than he did this time last year.
And if there's one PL coach who does wonders with older players, it's Mourinho. Look at Terry in 2014-15. For a season or two before then he'd looked completely done, sometimes laughably so, but that season he was one of the best in the league again.
And if there's one PL coach who does wonders with older players, it's Mourinho. Look at Terry in 2014-15. For a season or two before then he'd looked completely done, sometimes laughably so, but that season he was one of the best in the league again.
Weighl for half the price and Griezmann, done. That would sort all our weak positions for the next few years.
Carrick was terrific for us during LVG's first year playing in a 4-1-4-1 in front of the defense, where he only had to read the game, playing deep and having no pressure on him, as Herrera and Fellaini worked so in front of him.
I hope this would be the samed with Mou's tactics, as he was never so mobile to play in a 4-2-3-1.
I hope this would be the samed with Mou's tactics, as he was never so mobile to play in a 4-2-3-1.
He was very poor last season and didn't deserve a new contract. People justified it on the grounds we needed his experience in the dressing room and he wouldn't actually be playing much and now it seems he will be a starter. If that's the case then we're in trouble. Like with Rooney I'm just hoping it doesn't take Mourinho too long to figure out the obvious.
I just think that, if we can afford it, and can achieve it without a compromise in quality - we should buy English/British where possible.
Dier is gold.