Carrick & McKenna Fixing Fred

comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 1 hour, 15 minutes ago
The second link in the OP is well worth a read if nobody bothered.
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It was a good read and Fred has been doing much, much better in recent weeks. He needs to be this level up over the next few months as we've had false dawns with him before.

He was never an attacking player. He is a defensive minded B2B.

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He was an attacking player at Internacional. At Shakhtar he was converted into a more conventional central midfielder following the departure of Fernandinho but he usually had more attacking responsibility than the holding player beside him and was responsible for starting transitions and driving the team forward with his movement on the ball and incisive forward passing.

comment by The Red Side™ (U11275)

posted 56 minutes ago

He was never an attacking player. He is a defensive minded B2B.

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He was an attacking player at Internacional. At Shakhtar he was converted into a more conventional central midfielder following the departure of Fernandinho but he usually had more attacking responsibility than the holding player beside him and was responsible for starting transitions and driving the team forward with his movement on the ball and incisive forward passing.
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His stats in his last season there doesn't scream attacking MF or an attacking B2B. He may have started as one in Brazil (Herrera started as one, and other players do start in one position and change to others) but he's not been that. He has, as you rightly put it responsible for starting transitions and driving the team forward with his movement on the ball and incisive forward passing.

He has, as you rightly put it responsible for starting transitions and driving the team forward with his movement on the ball and incisive forward passing.

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Which would suggest his game is geared more towards build up and attack than defence. It's what he's all about.

His role for Shakhtar wasn't too disimilar to that of what Gundogan played at Dortmund under Klopp i.e. the more offensive minded midfielder in a double pivot and not that of a strict DM, responsible for carrying, creating, supplying the forwards quickly and joining in with the attack.

Stats aren't everything because even though Gundogan was one of the best central midfielders in the world at the time under Klopp, especially in 12/13, he didn't produce high numbers in terms of goals and assists.

If Kieran McKenna can’t sort it, perhaps Paul McKenna will.

Sadly, my basic Portuguese doesn’t stretch as far as: “When my countdown is finished, you will be under hypnosis, and your feet will no longer be shaped like sheriff’s badges.”

comment by The Red Side™ (U11275)

posted 9 hours, 37 minutes ago

He has, as you rightly put it responsible for starting transitions and driving the team forward with his movement on the ball and incisive forward passing.

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Which would suggest his game is geared more towards build up and attack than defence. It's what he's all about.

His role for Shakhtar wasn't too disimilar to that of what Gundogan played at Dortmund under Klopp i.e. the more offensive minded midfielder in a double pivot and not that of a strict DM, responsible for carrying, creating, supplying the forwards quickly and joining in with the attack.

Stats aren't everything because even though Gundogan was one of the best central midfielders in the world at the time under Klopp, especially in 12/13, he didn't produce high numbers in terms of goals and assists.
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That's not all though. His positioning seems to take that of a more defensive minded player (to me) in his last year of Shaktar. City looked at him to replace or back up to Fernandinho (They opted for Jorginho who ended up at Chelsea). With Carrick working with him (and if it all works out) he may end up playing a similar role as Carrick did.

I still think we need to upgrade the midfield with McTominay looking like the only one who could keep his place (as well as Pogba looking like he wants to leave). Fred will be an able back up if he keeps this type of performances up.

He was very good against Brighton. A large part of that was that the movement was a lot better in front of him.
I think a large part of his problem has been that he's always looking to do something, and for large parts of the season nothing has really been happening in front of him.

That's not all though. His positioning seems to take that of a more defensive minded player (to me) in his last year of Shaktar.

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Positionally he would obviously still have defensive responsibility as would any midfielder playing in a two but his strongest attributes make him far more suited to being the more offensive minded player.

At Shakhtar, Fred quite often played alongside Taras Stepanenko who was the out and out defensive midfielder.

comment by Clockwork Red (U4892)
posted 16 hours, 48 minutes ago
If Kieran McKenna can’t sort it, perhaps Paul McKenna will.

Sadly, my basic Portuguese doesn’t stretch as far as: “When my countdown is finished, you will be under hypnosis, and your feet will no longer be shaped like sheriff’s badges.”
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If Paul McKenna is doing reconstructive orthopaedic surgery under hypnosis, the GMC need to strike him off the specialist register.

When they examine his notes, they will find something strange is afoot.

comment by Wonder Man (U11164)
posted 2 hours, 21 minutes ago
He was very good against Brighton. A large part of that was that the movement was a lot better in front of him.
I think a large part of his problem has been that he's always looking to do something, and for large parts of the season nothing has really been happening in front of him.

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In recent weeks the movement of the front four has been immeasurably better, almost entirely because they are now active in two dimensions, rather than just relentlessly patrolling the opposition’s defensive line.