On our books we currently have
Schweinsteiger
Schneiderlin
Carrick
Herrera
Fellaini
Blind
and Rooney ( who will occasionally play there inspite of what Jose says)
We have 6/7 men vying for those 2 spots in mid field.
Now coming to individuals
Bastian Schweinsteiger
I believe if kept fit Bastian is the best mid fielder in the league. His only problem is fitness. As showed last season he is so calm and composed in mid field and can get up and down the pitch and chip in with a few goals and assists. If we can chip in anywhere between 20-25 games from him in the league and a handful in the cup we would be comfortable.
Carrick - Almost past it and will probably be his last season. But he is still so calm and composed in mid field that Jose will like him. Still fit as fack and Jose will like it. We would do great to extract 10 games from him this season.
Fellaini - Utter donkey and should be sold ( only if sold should we look at a new CM) but I feel Jose will test him till the december transfer window how he pans out. Till then he would be a utility player for Jose especially playing against taller teams and game chasing
Blind - With Smalling, Bailly, McNair and Jones playing as CB's and Rojo and Shaw fighting it out for the LB position I think Blind will be shifted to the central mid field position which I believe is his best. His passing from deep is very good (Xavi'esque sometimes) and he isn't much injury prone. We can defo get 30 games in the league from him and many other cup games.
Ander Herrera - He is a very good box to box option with some creativity in him and also goals. I have trust in him to be very good as opposed to when he was during Van Gaal's tenure. He has good mix of creativity, tenacity (although he gives away too many fouls) and also shooting.
Morgan Schneiderlin -
For me he is our most important mid fielder and the lynchpin of our mid fielder. Although he was under whelming under LVG but he was nowhere near as bad as made out to be. I believe he has much more potential than he showed last season and under Mourinho he can play the the Thiago Motta/ Matic role under Jose.
I believe we have enough cover in mid field unless we plan to sell someone (hopefully Fellaini) and frankly don't even need Pogba ( we needed him more when Rafael and Park played there ffs for which Fergie will never be forgiven by me). Quite frankly our main focus should be on solid right winger ( Mkhitaryan is better in the no. 10/ left wing role and Lingard/ Mata don't inspire me with so much confidence on the wing and a top class Center Back. It is inevitable that Jones will be injured probably in the first week of the season and Bailly is still new to the league. A RW and a CB should be our main focus than spending 100m on Pogba.
Do we even need a CM (Pogba)??
posted on 22/7/16
comment by the GINGER PRINCE'S apprentice (U13920)
posted 22 seconds ago
rui
that's a good point. But the question is bringing in pogba those not solve any of of our problems
my logic is not based on today but the squad we have and their abilities.
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I don't know how Pogba will solve our problems. For Pogba to operate at his best he should be the left central midfielder or the furthest mid fielder. Exactly the same position Rooney or Mikhy will operate.
If pogba plays deeper we would negate his best qualitites ie his creativity in the final third and shooting.
In short it would be a Yaya Toure type conundrum. Toure is best when operated the furthest mid fielder.
posted on 22/7/16
Reus work better on the left.
Mahrez is the obvious solution.
posted on 22/7/16
rui
i meant pogba does not solve our problem
completely agree with the yaya toure conundrum comparison and I don't get why others can't see this simple logic. Not to mention the weaknesses we have else where.
posted on 22/7/16
Do we even need a CM (Pogba)??
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I think the reaction you've received says it all OP.
As many have mentioned already, we have the numbers but what we don't have is top quality.
If both Carrick and Schweinsteiger were 5-10 years younger, I would probably agree with you but unfortunately, neither can be relied upon to play week in week out during the season and even though I do like both Herrera and Schneiderlin and believe both can and will improve under José, I think we'd still be missing something.
Tbh I'd prefer a player who can control the midfield and move the ball forward quickly and accurately both short and long but we have a genuine opportunity to sign Pogba and as uncomfortable as I am with the price, I don't think it's an opportunity we should pass up.
posted on 22/7/16
What we're lacking is a player who can dominate the tempo of the game.Carrick and to some extent Bastion could do that but both are unreliable when it comes to fitness plus their bodies are clearly on the decline at the top,top level.
Herrera,Blind and Morgan are players who are incapable of doing such roles because they're not those types of players,alongside Pogba if that possible signing goes through.
The only downfull to this is those type of players ie like a Modric for example are in short,short suply but the demand for such players is huge.
posted on 22/7/16
Honestly I would much rather us break the bank for someone like Koke,who I still believe is being underdeveloped under Simone,than Pogba.
posted on 22/7/16
Yeah get Pogba he's quality
posted on 22/7/16
Honestly I would much rather us break the bank for someone like Koke,who I still believe is being underdeveloped under Simone,than Pogba.
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While we're on the subject of Atletico players, I would consider Oliver Torres who also fits the sort of description.
I've been a big fan of his ever since I first saw him at the 2013 U20 World Cup.
Not quite kicked on like I thought he would've by now for Atletico. Excellent at times for Porto. Not sure what exactly his situation is at Atletico but he's reportedly available and for as little as €20-30 million.
I think he'll be a superb pick up for somebody soon if he doesn't start featuring more regularly under Simeone.
posted on 23/7/16
Schweinsteiger
Schneiderlin
Carrick
Herrera
Fellaini
Blind
and Rooney
Sadly they're all bang average. A few, like Schneiderlin, Herrera and Blind could improve though.
posted on 23/7/16
Schneiderlin's passing is awful, he panics when he receives the ball and rarely plays a forward pass. He has energy and can disrupt play, id much prefer blind as a holding midfielder. he always wants the ball and can play a pas under pressure.
I heard a great assessment of Pogba on the radio - He is pretty much Fellaini, Carrick and Schneiderlin combined into one player. he has the ariel and physical presence of fellaini, he can pass like carrick and he is quick and mobile to get around the pitch like Schneiderlin.
Why play 3 players when you can play one of them with the same attributes.
Question is whether Mourinho plays him in a 2 sitting in front of the back 4 or in a more advanced 4-3-3. where the 4-3-3 would benefit Rooney and Pogba in getting forward, it would hamper Martial as he would need to track back alot more.