Carrick The 2nd Best English Central Mid?

Carrick is one of the main reasons we're 12 points clear. He's been fantastic this season and held our fragile midfield together.

I have a sneaky feeling he could get rewarded with football writers or something like that. He's been that good. Mr consistent. Never let us down.

And that pass yesterday was incredible. If that had been anyone else, we wouldn't have heard the end of it.

He's been the best English midfielder this season by MILES.

Gerrard was world class and Carrick?

Wow are opposing fans finally starting to realise that Carrick is actually quite good?

He's pretty much the first name on the teem sheet for a team that's been incredibly successful over the past 5-6 years. Other fans just want Gerrard/Lampard midfielders who score impressive goals instead of a midfielder who can actually control games.

I would rather he didn't play for England, less chance of getting injured and it's irritating listening to clueless fans slate him off because he's not exciting enough for them.

Yup I would agree. 2nd best after Wilshere, Cleverly will be third in a year.

Gerrard hasn't been good for at least 2 seasons. Carrick has been United's most important midfielders in the same period.

nani pretending he has seen gerrard play this season

He's the best. More refined and classier than Hollywood Steve.

I've wondered why he isn't as highly rated as he should be
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Because he has not always been consistent - even at the start of this season he was poor. He has been very good of late (apart from second half against Chelsea) but United's record against the very top teams - or teams that close us down quickly - is not great in the Carrick era. And don't quote trophies at me because we had Ronaldo for most of those which makes a huuuuge difference!

Carrick is a top player, very good at what he does, but what he does is sometimes limited. He reads the game well and has a great range of passing but criticisms of lack of pace and mobility are valid. His tackling/defensive presence is not great either which means you need a tough, energetic partner alongside him who can also get forward regularly (as Carrick won't). This player is tough to find which means that it is difficult to find an ideal partner for Carrick imo. Gerrard would work well, on paper at least, but Lampard wouldn't imo. Nor would Barry. Wilshere might work ok.

I.e. while his abilities are not in doubt, the type of player that Carrick is limits options for the manager imo. Not such a big deal at club level when the manager is free to construct a team around him but the international manager doesn't have that luxury so I can understand why he has been overlooked.

redmisty

He's been overlooked by a succession of England managers that haven't had a clue!

Everyone on the planet has been screaming the fact that Lampard and Gerrard can't play together, yet successive England managers have persisted.

Scholes got wasted by being pushed out left to accomodate them, and Carrick has been overlooked to accomodate them. Gerrard is a big fish in an ever decresing pond and Lampard is a luxury player that you can get away with at club level.

Yes, I know that is undervaluing 2 very good players, but just look at it. Liverpool are once again closer to the bottom of the league in terms of points than they are the top. And Chelsea look like they will be lucky to finish third. Chelsea have dream team type players, Hazard, Oscar, Mata.... so why arent they challenging for the title?

I'm happy for Carrick to be underated and under valued by everyone else. If he was Spanish or German they would build the national team around him. Like they should have around Scholes.

I disagree. It has been ages since Gerrard and Lampard have been England's first choice CM pairing. I agree with that excuse as far as Scholes is concerned but not Carrick.

And, as I said, I think Carrick and Gerrard can play together but not Carrick and Lampard.

It is just as difficult to find an ideal partner for Carrick, for the reasons I gave, as it is to find a partner for Lampard in the England team.