Hilarious comparing modric to xavi when they is no one in his right mind planning to pair carrick with xavi for the same reasons people have a problem with modric joining the club. You compare him to scholes when the reason why everyone wants a new midfielder is because of his flaws and comparing their stats when one started midseason is disengenious.
Modric is an incomplete midfielder. Furthermore he is an ineffective incomplete midfielder. He is very good at what he does but it is not enough in a 2 man midfield. The size, tenacity and straight bulldog mentality we need from the position just does not exist in him. If he is going to be a mere "glue guy" in midfield, he needs to more defensively imposing. If not he has to make for his shortcomings with goals and assists.
We are going to be playing 4-4-2 and this requires 2 midfielders who are a combination of scholes and fletcher. If you cannot find this then ALWAYS shade to the defensive side because defense will win you tournaments and leagues. Attacking-wise midfielders lead to spurs, looking pretty but in the long run being unsustainable. A united midfielder needs more than twirls and flicks, he needs grit.
Christ that was hard to read.
What Modric does is not enough in a two man midfield? Despite playing in a two man midfield for Spurs?
Our best run of form last season was with Carrick and Scholes as a midfield pairing. As Scholes can't play every game, the logical thing to do would be to replace him with a younger player who can do the same job.
If you can't see past stats and physical stature when judging a player then you really won't understand why Modric is a good player.
Modric is a S.h. !.t player who i wont want anywhere near the chelsea team!!
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
Serbian Legend I feel your pain. The problem with people is that they are entombed in prehistoric thinking wherein a tough tackling midfielder is an absolute necessity. Looking at the best two teams in the world- Real Madrid and Barcelona- it is ironic that neither have one in their first team.
Modric is a footballer who only appeals to people who understand the finer, more technical points of football and unfortunately there are too many laymen who can't grasp the importance of players of his ilk in the modern game. A spine of Carrick, Modric and Kagawa would own possession far greater than any other Premier League team; which 9.9 times out of 10 equals victory.
U keep bringing up scholes and carrick like they were good enough. They were not. Scholes could hold his own defensively before but not now. Scholes could make runs into the box but not now.
Modric plays in a 4-4-2 where they always look pretty then fall prey to counter attacks, yet people look at their team with envy.
I fully agree with your pt about Modric and assists, particularly as he plays so deep, but you are wide of the mark on strootman. How can you say he can't get in the holland side, when he's played 5 times for holland this season, more than half starting, after only just joining psv from Utrecht and still young. He's played 11 times for holland since 2011, and at every level inc u18, u19 and u21.
Strootman has often kept de Jong out of the side, but was rested against northern ireland this week and was an unused sub. Vdv, hunterlaar etc were also on that bench.
As for psv starts since he stepped upthis season, he's made more than 30 in total despite missing games through injury as well.
Ps lewandowski signing would make no sense. No other forward would make sense after 10 Kagawa arrives. Plus saf is apparently trying to get that young Chilean striker a permit at the moment after agreeing signing rights. Keane is also in the background even if injured, and we are yet to sell macheda. I'm assuming berbatov will go.
TCIR on twitter said that he was struggling for games in the Netherlands side, and I thought her word was quite a good one to believe having not seen a great deal of Strootman myself. Will have to see him a bit more to make my mind up.
Redasarabiantomatoes
These are the PL games in which Carrick and Scholes started together.
Sunderland 0-1 United - we could have got far more than one goal had our finishing been better.
United 2-0 Swansea - same as the Sunderland match
City 1-0 United - we also had Park and Giggs playing and some frankly bizarre tactics. (Smalling at fault for the goal).
United 4-4 Everton - Rafael and Evans fell asleep for two goals and we would have won if not for that.
United 4-0 Villa
United 2-0 QPR
Blacburn 0-2 United
Wolves 0-5 United
United 2-0 WBA
Spurs 1-3 United
Norwich 1-2 United
United 2-1 Liverpool
United 2-0 Stoke
United 3-0 Bolton
Now, the Everton game aside, we conceded 3 goals in 13 games. That is because the midfield of Carrick and Scholes were able to dominate possession, and because the opposition didn't have the ball they couldn't attack. That is what Barca do, Spain do, City do - and we should be doing.
Sorry but I'm far from a fan of TCIR. I actually think she's pretty clueless and don't get me started on that site of hers
I've seen Strootman play for Psv live in Holland a couple of times as I have a close Dutch mate who is a big fan. Strootman has been great, and has done really well for Holland. Certainly not struggling to get in the side, far from it. He's kept big players out of the side at times. Not many people will have played 11 games for a major country since 2011, especially their first games for the side.
Also just to show what nonsense TCIR is speaking, Strootman started the last 4 Euro 2012 qualifying games for Holland.
http://www.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/players/player=250005342/profile/index.html
Like I said, I haven't seen enough of him to make my mind up.
But I stand by what I said about signing an established player - we don't need to sign an up-and-coming player, we need somebody who can make an immediate impact. Although Strootman could add physicality to the midfield, I don't think he would be enough to turn us around by himself.
I agree about the by himself bit. Ive said for ages I think we need two cms not just one to really turn around the squad quality of the key part of the pitch. This is one reason i didnt want us spending a big part of our budget on hazard.
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Modric, Strootman and Lewandowski
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posted on 8/6/12
Hilarious comparing modric to xavi when they is no one in his right mind planning to pair carrick with xavi for the same reasons people have a problem with modric joining the club. You compare him to scholes when the reason why everyone wants a new midfielder is because of his flaws and comparing their stats when one started midseason is disengenious.
Modric is an incomplete midfielder. Furthermore he is an ineffective incomplete midfielder. He is very good at what he does but it is not enough in a 2 man midfield. The size, tenacity and straight bulldog mentality we need from the position just does not exist in him. If he is going to be a mere "glue guy" in midfield, he needs to more defensively imposing. If not he has to make for his shortcomings with goals and assists.
We are going to be playing 4-4-2 and this requires 2 midfielders who are a combination of scholes and fletcher. If you cannot find this then ALWAYS shade to the defensive side because defense will win you tournaments and leagues. Attacking-wise midfielders lead to spurs, looking pretty but in the long run being unsustainable. A united midfielder needs more than twirls and flicks, he needs grit.
posted on 8/6/12
Christ that was hard to read.
What Modric does is not enough in a two man midfield? Despite playing in a two man midfield for Spurs?
Our best run of form last season was with Carrick and Scholes as a midfield pairing. As Scholes can't play every game, the logical thing to do would be to replace him with a younger player who can do the same job.
If you can't see past stats and physical stature when judging a player then you really won't understand why Modric is a good player.
posted on 8/6/12
Modric is a S.h. !.t player who i wont want anywhere near the chelsea team!!
posted on 8/6/12
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 8/6/12
Serbian Legend I feel your pain. The problem with people is that they are entombed in prehistoric thinking wherein a tough tackling midfielder is an absolute necessity. Looking at the best two teams in the world- Real Madrid and Barcelona- it is ironic that neither have one in their first team.
Modric is a footballer who only appeals to people who understand the finer, more technical points of football and unfortunately there are too many laymen who can't grasp the importance of players of his ilk in the modern game. A spine of Carrick, Modric and Kagawa would own possession far greater than any other Premier League team; which 9.9 times out of 10 equals victory.
posted on 8/6/12
U keep bringing up scholes and carrick like they were good enough. They were not. Scholes could hold his own defensively before but not now. Scholes could make runs into the box but not now.
Modric plays in a 4-4-2 where they always look pretty then fall prey to counter attacks, yet people look at their team with envy.
posted on 8/6/12
I fully agree with your pt about Modric and assists, particularly as he plays so deep, but you are wide of the mark on strootman. How can you say he can't get in the holland side, when he's played 5 times for holland this season, more than half starting, after only just joining psv from Utrecht and still young. He's played 11 times for holland since 2011, and at every level inc u18, u19 and u21.
Strootman has often kept de Jong out of the side, but was rested against northern ireland this week and was an unused sub. Vdv, hunterlaar etc were also on that bench.
As for psv starts since he stepped upthis season, he's made more than 30 in total despite missing games through injury as well.
posted on 8/6/12
Ps lewandowski signing would make no sense. No other forward would make sense after 10 Kagawa arrives. Plus saf is apparently trying to get that young Chilean striker a permit at the moment after agreeing signing rights. Keane is also in the background even if injured, and we are yet to sell macheda. I'm assuming berbatov will go.
posted on 8/6/12
TCIR on twitter said that he was struggling for games in the Netherlands side, and I thought her word was quite a good one to believe having not seen a great deal of Strootman myself. Will have to see him a bit more to make my mind up.
Redasarabiantomatoes
These are the PL games in which Carrick and Scholes started together.
Sunderland 0-1 United - we could have got far more than one goal had our finishing been better.
United 2-0 Swansea - same as the Sunderland match
City 1-0 United - we also had Park and Giggs playing and some frankly bizarre tactics. (Smalling at fault for the goal).
United 4-4 Everton - Rafael and Evans fell asleep for two goals and we would have won if not for that.
United 4-0 Villa
United 2-0 QPR
Blacburn 0-2 United
Wolves 0-5 United
United 2-0 WBA
Spurs 1-3 United
Norwich 1-2 United
United 2-1 Liverpool
United 2-0 Stoke
United 3-0 Bolton
Now, the Everton game aside, we conceded 3 goals in 13 games. That is because the midfield of Carrick and Scholes were able to dominate possession, and because the opposition didn't have the ball they couldn't attack. That is what Barca do, Spain do, City do - and we should be doing.
posted on 8/6/12
Sorry but I'm far from a fan of TCIR. I actually think she's pretty clueless and don't get me started on that site of hers
I've seen Strootman play for Psv live in Holland a couple of times as I have a close Dutch mate who is a big fan. Strootman has been great, and has done really well for Holland. Certainly not struggling to get in the side, far from it. He's kept big players out of the side at times. Not many people will have played 11 games for a major country since 2011, especially their first games for the side.
Also just to show what nonsense TCIR is speaking, Strootman started the last 4 Euro 2012 qualifying games for Holland.
http://www.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/players/player=250005342/profile/index.html
posted on 8/6/12
Like I said, I haven't seen enough of him to make my mind up.
But I stand by what I said about signing an established player - we don't need to sign an up-and-coming player, we need somebody who can make an immediate impact. Although Strootman could add physicality to the midfield, I don't think he would be enough to turn us around by himself.
posted on 8/6/12
I agree about the by himself bit. Ive said for ages I think we need two cms not just one to really turn around the squad quality of the key part of the pitch. This is one reason i didnt want us spending a big part of our budget on hazard.
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