ETHs the Issue / suggested midfield

Amrabat is crap, but Hannibal’s gives us something we lack.

So effectively you are suggesting an old-fashioned 4-3-3 which is what I would like to see. Of course it would help if the front 3 were Best, Law and Charlton but we'll have to make do with the lesser mortals available.

comment by Jalisco Red - Losing My Reguilón (U4195)
posted 2 minutes ago
I'm sure everyone has an idea of which line-up they'd play if they were manager, and I too would like to see that midfield given a go.

If it's any consolation, if the infinite universe theory is correct, there's a planet that's identical to this one, where a man identical to Ten Hag has been picking a midfield of Mainoo, Amrabat and Hannibal. And it hasn't worked.

And on a forum identical to this one, a poster called real united – who is quite a lot like you – is asking why the manager doesn't try something else.
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It may not work but it will not be because that isn't the toughest possible midfield which won't be losing any midfield battles.

comment by The Chosen Son (U10011)
posted 45 seconds ago
Seems he HAS dropped Rashford this evening.
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I'll believe it when I see it, for 2 more games. Else, he's just injured.

Apparently, it's Amrabat and McT, not Mainoo. What sheit! Just start the game with the double pivot and give us some stability in the middle of the park. Amrabat and Mainoo haven't featured together yet.

comment by Busby (U19985)
posted 7 minutes ago
Amrabat is crap, but Hannibal’s gives us something we lack.
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Hannibal is pretty crap too

There's nothing wrong with a 4-2-3-1 formation. It's just a variation of 4-4-2, which is the defensive shape that lots of teams execute successfully out of possession. And we've not even really been playing a 4-2-3-1. We've been closer to a kind of 4-3-3 with McTominay pushing on and Bruno going wherever he likes.

The issue is that in possession we try to play a kind of 3-1-6 in the build up. But a combination of the build up being too slow, the "1" in the middle being too easy to squeeze onto and cut out of the game and the others being too far away and leaving that player isolated is what causes us possession issues. Plus we have players who love to the give the ball away for fun to compound the issue.

In ETH's press conference he flatly denied that he wants his midfielders to go man for man out of possession, which I found strange as that's exactly what we seem to do in the middle of the park (with horrible results). There's definitely tactical issues in our pressing, the shape and the possession/build up. Some of that is not helped by half of ETH's signings being unavailable at the moment (Mount, Casemiro, Martinez, Eriksen), but equally I think he's under-using the likes of Amrabat, Antony and Varane who could at least help make us a little more robust and add some much needed workrate and nous.

comment by Busby (U19985)
posted 12 minutes ago
Amrabat is crap
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That's pretty harsh. He came to us without any preseason and carrying an injury, whilst adapting to a new country, new teammates, new league, new setup and in a team that is in a bit of a mess. It's not as if he's really had a proper run in CM to get himself up to speed and he's shown some nice qualities as well as looking a little rusty at times.

He's obviously a decent player, but ETH needs to stick with him a bit and pair him alongside another proper midfielder (Mainoo or Casemiro when back) and have them play closer together.

comment by goadocwatson (U1016)
posted 14 minutes ago
So effectively you are suggesting an old-fashioned 4-3-3 which is what I would like to see. Of course it would help if the front 3 were Best, Law and Charlton but we'll have to make do with the lesser mortals available.
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I'm nostalgic now, imagining how they would do today. Answer, they would do great.

comment by manusince52 (U9692)
posted 2 hours, 50 minutes ago
comment by goadocwatson (U1016)
posted 14 minutes ago
So effectively you are suggesting an old-fashioned 4-3-3 which is what I would like to see. Of course it would help if the front 3 were Best, Law and Charlton but we'll have to make do with the lesser mortals available.
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I'm nostalgic now, imagining how they would do today. Answer, they would do great.
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For about half an hour