Carrick

http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/dri...n-uniteds-woes

Durham's Rant: Why it's wrong to blame Carrick for all Man United's woes

by Adrian Durham | Tuesday, May 3

One of the less bright members of staff at talkSPORT decided Man United’s defeat at Arsenal was all down to Michael Carrick being no good.

Sometimes, I despair.

I’m not here to defend Carrick because he didn’t have a great game but he was with Anderson in central midfield up against Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Alex Song.

United weren’t outplayed, they were outnumbered.

That was a basic error from Sir Alex Ferguson, who we all assumed would match up three v three in midfield. He didn’t and United lost.

Anderson has got quality, but he didn’t show it on Sunday and, in fact, he was lazy at times. At one point he lost the ball, didn’t bother to chase back and Fergie slaughtered him from the touchline and hauled him off two minutes later.

He put Antonio Valencia on and moved Ji-Sung Park inside. Almost immediately Park was caught out. He found himself ten yards from Ramsey when he should have been tighter, and consequently Ramsey started and finished the move for the winner.

Even Stan Collymore blamed Carrick, who was tracking Wilshere, and tried to charge down Ramsey’s shot. Somehow even Stan thought Carrick was at fault for the goal.

It seems the default position is to blame Carrick. He’s not a chest-beating warhorse like Scott Parker, he doesn’t score worldies like Steven Gerrard and he’s not a 20-goal a season man like Frank Lampard.

But he is the best passer of the ball England have had for the past ten years, and is on the brink of picking up his fourth title in five years at United. Oh, and he’s got a new contract in his back pocket.

United keep possession, that’s how they win games and win trophies, and Carrick is crucial to that philosophy. How many times have we watched England and despaired at how we can’t keep the ball?

That’s why I believe we would have been so much better if Carrick had been a regular. He’s the English Pirlo (a World Cup winner by the way).

If he messes up, blame him, like in the semi at Wembley. But if Fergie gets his tactics wrong, if Anderson gets lazy, if Park doesn’t do his job properly, don’t blame Carrick.

Lazy pundits, fans and ex-pros will pick on Carrick. But they should know better.

But he is the best passer of the ball England have had for the past ten years

Errrmmmmm, Paul Scholes?

Originally Posted by toseeunited

http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/dri...n-uniteds-woes

lost some serious respect for it after describing Scott Parker as a 'chest beating war horse'.

Originally Posted by The Return of JC

lost some serious respect for it after describing Scott Parker as a 'chest beating war horse'.

yeah, he does get a bit carried away doesn't he, but 99% of the time from a united perspective he talks a shit load more sense than other radio/media people.

I wonder if that display at Arsenal will tempt Fergie to drop the 4-4-2 and go three in the middle against Barca should we get to the Final?

I can see it being a midfield three of Carrick, Giggs and one of Anderson/Fletcher/Park, with Rooney up front on his own after we failed to get a hold of an Arsenal midfield that didn't even have Cesc Fabregas playing.

Originally Posted by Neo

I wonder if that display at Arsenal will tempt Fergie to drop the 4-4-2 and go three in the middle against Barca should we get to the Final?

I can see it being a midfield three of Carrick, Giggs and one of Anderson/Fletcher/Park, with Rooney up front on his own after we failed to get a hold of an Arsenal midfield that didn't even have Cesc Fabregas playing.

too much being read into one game. carrick and giggs with rooney dropping dominated chelsea home and away and destroyed schalke away.

if we have to play barca at their place four days after a european away trip while they've had a week off then you might have a point. if we're fit and rested we should go out and play our natural game, not freeze like we did in rome.

Originally Posted by borsuk

too much being read into one game. carrick and giggs with rooney dropping dominated chelsea home and away and destroyed schalke away.

if we have to play barca at their place four days after a european away trip while they've had a week off then you might have a point. if we're fit and rested we should go out and play our natural game, not freeze like we did in rome.

I don't know when Giggs turned into an essential part of our central midfield, but that's exactly what has happened. He's been immense there in the last couple of months, in fact he's been immense wherever he's played for us this year (left wing, center forward, behind the center forward, central midfield, left back.....)

Originally Posted by BarryX

I don't know when Giggs turned into an essential part of our central midfield, but that's exactly what has happened. He's been immense there in the last couple of months, in fact he's been immense wherever he's played for us this year (left wing, center forward, behind the center forward, central midfield, left back.....)

he's played in the centre at least as much as he has wide for the last few years, fergie referred to it last season iirc. earlier on this year he was asked to play wide a fair bit with valencia out but he's been primarily a central player for a while now.

Originally Posted by Neo

I wonder if that display at Arsenal will tempt Fergie to drop the 4-4-2 and go three in the middle against Barca should we get to the Final?

I can see it being a midfield three of Carrick, Giggs and one of Anderson/Fletcher/Park, with Rooney up front on his own after we failed to get a hold of an Arsenal midfield that didn't even have Cesc Fabregas playing.

Would be s shame to lose Hernandez' finishing ability and pace if we do use that approach. But we've only got ourselves to blame for lacking a midfielder who can run and pass the ball well.

Originally Posted by borsuk

too much being read into one game. carrick and giggs with rooney dropping dominated chelsea home and away and destroyed schalke away.

if we have to play barca at their place four days after a european away trip while they've had a week off then you might have a point. if we're fit and rested we should go out and play our natural game, not freeze like we did in rome.

I agree with you borsuk.

I really do believe that Pea's pace and constant runs off the last man can cause big problems for Barca's centre-backs.

My worry is that Busquets might be able to do a man-marking job on Rooney, like Song did for Arsenal, which essentially kept Rooney from running the game and nullified Hernandez completely.

However, like you say, hopefully it was just a case of some of the players looking jaded after a European away. I think Rooney said he felt tired towards the end of the Schalke game which is why he was substituted. Hernandez definitely looked off the pace on Sunday, so hopefully it was just a lack of freshness and nothing else.

Thought Carrick was pretty good in the first half against Barca

Originally Posted by Harri Jaffa

Thought Carrick was pretty good in the first half against Barca

Concur - it was very different from Rome, when he undoubtedly cacked his pants.

He did his best on Saturday - it just wasn't, quite, enough

Originally Posted by red in cumbria

Concur - it was very different from Rome, when he undoubtedly cacked his pants.

He did his best on Saturday - it just wasn't, quite, enough

well he was on his own in midfield tbf mia

Originally Posted by £#%&! KFC

well he was on his own in midfield tbf mia

this ^


Carrick had a much improved second half of the season, I'd have no issues if he was a consistent first teamer again. Is that his 4th league title since he arrived? get a couple of world class midfielders along side him we'll be laughing

Originally Posted by I_Am_Paul_Parker

this ^


Carrick had a much improved second half of the season, I'd have no issues if he was a consistent first teamer again. Is that his 4th league title since he arrived? get a couple of world class midfielders along side him we'll be laughing

yep fourth in five years for Big Mike..and Carrick as well obviously

Saw a surprising stat about Carrick today;

22 appearances for England, 17 in friendlies. Only 5 appearance in competitive matches, of which 4 in a 4-month spell in 2006

Thought he'd been a more important player for England than that

Originally Posted by toseeunited

http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/dri...n-uniteds-woes

I’m not here to defend Carrick because he didn’t have a great game but he was with Anderson in central midfield up against Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Alex Song.

United weren’t outplayed, they were outnumbered.

That was a basic error from Sir Alex Ferguson, who we all assumed would match up three v three in midfield. He didn’t and United lost.

.