Who should partner Pogba in our midfield trio?

I'd expect Maureen to have a better handle on that with a full pre-season and 4-5 meaningful games to boot. Seems he's still figuring that out. It's hard as he might now have to change to players who have hardly had a look and these players have no time to find form. He's a master at getting it right and I expect he will but perhaps the league will be unlikely by then. Depressing I hoped the honeymoon period would carry us through.
 
Fellaini and Herrera in the same setup we saw against City in the second half.
 
I'd like to see Pogba Blind and Herrera. Blind and Herrera a bit deeper with Pogba given the free role in the 10 position.
 
Carrick and Herrera for me.

What i wouldn't give for a 28 year old Carrick right now.... we need to replace him as hes clearly our best midfielder and hes creaking.
 
SteveW said:
In a 3 man midfield you don't need super athletes running around. You just need midfielders who are tactically disciplined and good on the ball
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I'm not saying you need the entire midfield filled with super athletes. Pogba likes to drift forward and Carrick isn't exactly young anymore. With Fellaini not being that mobile either, that team could end up getting easily bypassed. Herrera helps out Carrick because he's more mobile and does get stuck in. I feel like Herrera would make up for some of Carrick's lack of mobility.
 
Carrick-----Herrera
------Pogba-----

Is our best midfield, however I reckon we might see


Fellaini----Herrera
-------Pogba----

Which isn't bad either.
 
I'd want Mou to mention Carrick in today's presser. He should have earned his start after the midweek performance inside that trio. With Martial injured, Mkhitaryan still doubtful I can see Rooney out wide. Blind for Rojo surely when we are playing vs Mahrez.. and that leaves Carrick as the sole viable option.
 
Interesting that so many people are now settling on the same midfield 3, its as close to consensus as youre ever likely to get. Unfortunately when everyone is calling for the same thing, the manager almost always sees it differently.
 
Almost as important as who protects Pogba's back is the creative midfielder in front of him, since the french isn't a playmaker. In the cherished here 4-3-3, it can only be Mkhitaryan (not Rooney nor Mata, and Herrera isn't creative enough), but that limits a lot the profile of the #6, who needs to be physical, ie., Fellaini. Kind of hard to fit Carrick or Herrera in this, unless we drop the creative the need so much needs.
 
Ideally we would have a top class Gattuso type of enforcer. Someone who would do all the leg work and close the gaps. That would allow us to play Carrick/Bastian and Pogba together.
 
Solve the equation or we will lose him, maybe even within a year.

Solution, bin fatty and have him in front of a solid base of Herrera Blind.

We are the only club who buys superstar signings with, seemingly, no idea of their ideal role.
 
I'd prefer us having 1 #6 behind 2 cm's, the way most top teams in Europe has.

Rakitic - Iniesta
----Busquets


--Pogba - Herrera
------Carrick


Schweinsteiger or Blind as alternative to Carrick.

Having a #10 in front of Pogba and Fellaini, often makes us end up 2 vs 3 in central midfield.
 
Herrera- Carrick- Pogba or Morgan- Herrera- Pogba will do. Even Fellaini- Herrera- Pogba should be ok. As long as Rooney is out of that midfield area, we will be fine.
 
In my opinion, we need a holding player to give security for Pogba when he breaks forward and can't get back into position. It seems to me that he cannot work in a two man midfield as he can't seem to recognise when it is appropriate to go forward in a Mourinho team and system. We are generally a possession based team, stemming partly from a two year philosophy of Van Gaal's (which in itself is difficult to progress from), and a pressure to dominate from supporters, media and our modern history of success. For this reason, I think we need a holding midfielder that can control possession, has positional discipline and tactical nous, of which, we have limited options.

Holding midfielder - Carrick / Blind / Herrera / Schweinsteiger

Generally against opponents that we are expected to beat, or indeed any home game, I'd want to see one of the above. I think this much is fairly obvious. I wouldn't be averse to seeing Fosu-Mensah play if we are expected to be under a lot of pressure. He certainly has the physical attributes to provide a decent screen against tougher opposition, but is still lacking the discipline and concentration for a full time role.

The position alongside Pogba, a little further up the pitch, is where our options seem far greater. If we want to truly dominate, a pressing game is key. This is where Schneiderlin is in his element and should be used against a physically strong midfield. If, however, we need more control and creativity, Herrera can play the pressing role almost as well. If we need additional height, both in a defensive or attacking sense, I think Fellaini can be used. He can't press like the other options, but he's an intimidating proposition and I think he could be a real threat given the additional license to attack that a holding midfielder affords. Alternatively, with the extra stamina and explosiveness, I could see Fosu-Mensah performing a similar role. If we are looking likely to easily dominate, the more creative players such as Mata, Mkhitaryan or Rooney can be utilised here, but I would be less inclined to go via that route, unless we are chasing a game.

Central Midfielder - Herrera / Schneiderlin / Fellaini / Mata / Mkhitaryan / Rooney

This is all fine, assuming we play a 4-3-3, a formation that Mourinho is recognised for. However, with the attacking full backs that we possess, along with Mourinho's attacking intent to play a narrow front line, I wouldn't mind a change to 4-1-2-1-2. A diamond midfield, in essence, that also allows us to play our most in form player in his natural position, whilst also taking some of the running from Ibrahimovic. The options that I am mostly interested to see are:

De Gea
Valencia - Smalling - Blind - Shaw
Carrick
Herrera - Pogba
Mkhitaryan - Rashford - Martial

and

De Gea
Valencia - Smalling - Blind - Shaw
Carrick
Herrera - Pogba
Martial*
Rashford - Ibrahimovic​

* Or Mata/Rooney/Mkhitaryan

The team needs to be built around a spine of Blind, Herrera, Pogba, Martial and Rashford, going forward. We have enough experience in one or two of Carrick, Rooney, Ibrahimovic and Valencia, as well as maturity in De Gea, Blind, Smalling, Mkhitaryan and Herrera. Currently, our team lacks energy and legs in central areas, dynamism in transition/attack, and pressing in the defensive phase. A spine of Fellaini, Rooney and Ibrahimovic just won't do, and it's preventing Pogba the space that he needs to thrive.
 
To get the best out of him you need to look at him with Juventus. He was fantastic. So what did he have there that hes missing at United. Two great midfielders next to him. Marchisio or vidal, a box to box player with offensive and defensive capabilities. He also had Pirlo or khdeira a deep playmaker covering from the back.

At United i think Carrick can emulate Pirlos role as a deep playmaker and i am not sure about the 2nd player. We have schniderlin who is more defensive and we have herrera who is more offensive. We are missing an all-round box to box midfielder at United.
 
Depends on the game but for me Carrick and Herrera. Some games it'll be good for Fellaini to come in for Carrick and some games maybe we want Schneiderlin for Herrera or if we think we can really dominate maybe pogba drops a bit deeper and Mikhi/Mata comes central. I think Carrick could play a lot more games then some would expect, particularly in a 3, but Blind can come in form him as well (again CB will depend on the game as if we think we can dominate having Blind there gives us something extra).
 
Having thought about it a little more, long term I would prefer to see Blind in the holding role. I think we'd improve greatly by pushing the defensive line forward and pressing more, for which we would benefit from the pace of a Bailly/Smalling partnership at the back.
 
I’m a bit pissed that now that Rooney is out, there was actually a possibility to play Pogba in his best position, but he’s still part of a MF two...
 
Kostur said:
He's played in his position against Feyenoord and looked shit.
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Aa, okay. Let’s forget about his performances for Juve in that position. If he couldn’t hack it in that 2nd XI vs Feyenoord, let’s keep him in that position in which he sucked at the Euros.
 
top1whoisman said:
Aa, okay. Let’s forget about his performances for Juve in that position. If he couldn’t hack it in that 2nd XI vs Feyenoord, let’s keep him in that position in which he sucked at the Euros.
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Juve's setup is completly different to ours so are the players in positions around Pogba.
 
As much as this score (4-0 HT vs Leicester) is fun, we still 100% need a DM to sit behind Pogba and Herrera going forward. Hopefully it's Daley when Shaw is back.
 
I think Herrera holding with Mata interlinking worked very well today. It was very fluid, and Mata in particular was capable of passing the ball quickly, interchanging with players in the final third when the space is so tight. Rooney offered next to nothing in that department, and I don't think many other options would offer more than what Mata can.

Can't wait to see this team again with just Mkhitaryan on for Lingard. I think our manager has sussed it out too.
 
I think Pogba - Blind - Herrera would emulate Pogba's best season in Juve with Pogba - Pirlo - Marchisio midfield trio.

Blind doesn't has super vision like Pirlo yet, but he will. We know he has high football IQ.
Herrera will also an upgrade of Marchisio, both have the same style in midfield but Herrera's passes are much better.
 
Its a mix really, think Jose needs two fixed systems for certain games

Allot of the home games and bread and butter games it should be

Home games and easier games
Herrera
Mkh mata pogba rashford
zlaten

Some away games and tougher big games
carrick or blind
Mkh herrera pogba rashford
zlaten

That's how I hope Jose sees it, think the tougher games he will need the ice cold blood of carrick or blind has the anchor man, in the home games I feel yeah a mata and pogba could be pretty damn fun, but away games I feel carrick anchoring the midfield with herrera and pogba battling the midfield battle. Because them 2 I feel their energy and quick movement could be a big nightmare for allot of our rivals, and with their attitude they built for the big games
 
Sandikan said:
Did the 4-1 help you get over it?:lol:
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:lol: It did help a little, thank you very much. Will be interesting to see how we line up vs Pool/Chelsea. Mata covered shedloads of miles which made it possible for Pogba to attack a lot.
 
Jose on Herrera after the game yesterday:

"Ander is a kid that brings intensity in the pressure"

"I like him. That's why I think he played with me almost every match, sometimes starting and sometimes from the bench. He's a player that I always liked when we were in Spain together at the same time in the same La Liga, so I know him very, very well"

I think it will be Pogba and Herrera + 1, which could be a number of players depending on the circumstances of the game.
 
For me i would always have Pogba & Herrera as definite starters but my holdimg player will be Carrick as first choice and then Schneiderlin closely followed by Fellaini.
 
Nate Dogg said:
For me i would always have Pogba & Herrera as definite starters but my holdimg player will be Carrick as first choice and then Schneiderlin closely followed by Fellaini.
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Oh yes, no question. Pogba and herrera is our engine of this team, mata defiantly no10 for winnable games, but in the tough games blind or carrick needs to anchor the midfield so pogba and herrera can have the freedom to press and dominate teams
 
For me depends on who we are playing...

If we have possession and will attack lots...

----Herrera---Pogba----
----------Mata---------

And if we will be countering...

----Herrera---Carrick---
---------Pogba--------

point is we have some skilled players and we can use the best players to their strengths.
 
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