*Official* United v Crawley Match Thread

at least we actually managed to win our game....unlike Arsenal

Originally Posted by borsuk

while he can push on, banega plays quite deep for valencia a lot of the time and forms part of the defensive pairing with mascherano in argentina's post-wc side (messi, di maria and pastore ahead of them).

See that's what I mean, he has to be played alongside someone like Mascherano who is defensively a much better midfielder.

I agree that Banega would work very well in our side, but I can only see him being useful in a three-man midfield with him playing alongside a more defensively astute player like Carrick. He wouldn't be good enough in a 4-4-2, unless you pick him in place of Anderson every time.

That's the problem though, trying to find a player who can work just as well in a 4-4-2 as a 4-3-3, and there's not many of them about, certainly not any who are cheap.

i don't think he's changed much at all and you're right that variation in tactics has always been at the bedrock of the ferguson blueprint for success, which obviously is hard to question bearing in mind his record and his longevity at the top.

i definitely think that there's far more hoofing going on in recent times though. maybe it really is just a case of united not playing in the opposition half as much as they used to, and therefore their football in their own defensive third being shown up? that's my theory anyhoo... can't be arsed going into the reasons again, as we've done them to death, although obviously playing with only one through is likely to have an impact, particularly when the reasons are clearly as a stifling tactic

Originally Posted by Neo

See that's what I mean, he has to be played alongside someone like Mascherano who is defensively a much better midfielder.

I agree that Banega would work very well in our side, but I can only see him being useful in a three-man midfield with him playing alongside a more defensively astute player like Carrick. He wouldn't be good enough in a 4-4-2, unless you pick him in place of Anderson every time.

That's the problem though, trying to find a player who can work just as well in a 4-4-2 as a 4-3-3, and there's not many of them about, certainly not any who are cheap.

don't agree at all. he plays in a similar way to alonso when liverpool had him and mascherano as the pivot, don't think he's lacking defensively at all. if he has a weakness it's a lack of pace.

i prefer us to play three in the middle with two wide attackers anyway.

Originally Posted by borsuk

don't agree at all. he plays in a similar way to alonso when liverpool had him and mascherano as the pivot, don't think he's lacking defensively at all. if he has a weakness it's a lack of pace.

i prefer us to play three in the middle with two wide attackers anyway.

Fair enough.

I just don't think Banega is the answer. If he played for us I'd only feel comfortable if he had a better defensive midfielder alongside him to do the dirty work, much like Mascherano did at Liverpool whilst Alonso linked the play and sprayed the passes everywhere. We haven't had that type of dogged midfielder in our squad since Hargreaves disappeared and I would like to see us sort that out this summer.

And on your last point, does that mean you are happy to see Berbatov dropped for 4-3-3 regularly? I'm happy to see us mix it up now and then, but we have to find a way of playing Berbatov and Rooney together against the decent sides, and the way to do that is to strengthen in midfield so we don't have to make up for a lack of quality with an increase in numbers. Two top quality central midfielders are infinitely better than three average ones.

I'd like to see us get a Hargreaves type to add steel to the middle of the side, allowing Anderson to push forward in a 4-4-2 with Berbatov and Rooney as a front pairing. Then if we switch to 4-3-3 this player will obviously improve on what we have already as well. I'm sick of the dross of Fletcher/Carrick/Gibson tbh.

Originally Posted by Neo

Fair enough.

I just don't think Banega is the answer. If he played for us I'd only feel comfortable if he had a better defensive midfielder alongside him to do the dirty work, much like Mascherano did at Liverpool whilst Alonso linked the play and sprayed the passes everywhere. We haven't had that type of dogged midfielder in our squad since Hargreaves disappeared and I would like to see us sort that out this summer.

And on your last point, does that mean you are happy to see Berbatov dropped for 4-3-3 regularly? I'm happy to see us mix it up now and then, but we have to find a way of playing Berbatov and Rooney together against the decent sides, and the way to do that is to strengthen in midfield so we don't have to make up for a lack of quality with an increase in numbers. Two top quality central midfielders are infinitely better than three average ones.

I'd like to see us get a Hargreaves type to add steel to the middle of the side, allowing Anderson to push forward in a 4-4-2 with Berbatov and Rooney as a front pairing. Then if we switch to 4-3-3 this player will obviously improve on what we have already as well. I'm sick of the dross of Fletcher/Carrick/Gibson tbh.

rooney isn't worth his place in the side atm so i don't think it's an issue.

fletcher is far from dross ffs.

Originally Posted by borsuk

rooney isn't worth his place in the side atm so i don't think it's an issue.

fletcher is far from dross ffs.

Rooney will come good, he's clearly going through a shit patch but we'll need him in the run-in nqat. Plus, I don't think Berbatov is the type of player who is effective enough on his own up-front and that showed with Fergie's selections against City. Dropping £60 million worth of experienced strikers for Hernandez is unlikely to happen at the business end of the season either IMO so Rooney will continue to get games.

Fletcher has been very average this season for me. Not reached anywhere near the standards he has in the past couple of years where he was looking like one of best midfielders in the league. He really needs to step it up.

I just hope we can wrap this league up and then really think carefully about strengthening the midfield in the summer. It will be hard to take if we throw number 19 away again.