goals from midfield

Of those 5 goals Nani at Wigan and Giggs at Spurs came from set pieces, while Anderson came from a corner that was not cleared. That gives us 2 goals from open play from the midfield group. A goal is goal but we have been crying out for a real threat from open play, midfielders getting beyond the strikers and we are still not seeing that enough.

It is an adjustment though, in the last 3/4 years the midfield has been given more of a holding role, maintain good possession and get it quickly to the forwards. The loss of Ronaldo has meant a change of style, but even with that I do not see a lot of goals in our midfield. Nani is a threat, always willing to shoot, but after that I see Anderson/Scholes/Giggs/Carrick/Fletcher as 3-5 goal men this season. Maybe that will be enough if Rooney and Berbatov really fire but it still concerns me. Valencia could be dangerous, his pace and with aggressive movement allied to the quality of Giggs, Scholes, Rooney and Berbatov at releasing runners could be an avenue to success.

To get the best out of Berbatov runners from deep are crucial, such a clever player, his ability to manipulate and hold the ball in tight areas should give the midfielder confidence to break forward knowing that he wlll keep the ball and pick out passes that will lead to chances.

Work in progress as it stands, if nothing else the early goals will give the players confidence and make it more likely they will try their luck in different situations.

Originally Posted by Ginners

he's got a point one love, did you even watch the game?

I just hope there isn't a Sullersesque crash and burn after all the good form you've been showing.

Stay away from Newsie.

total goals scored: 44
rooney 12
berbatov 4
owen 4
valencia 4
scholes 3
fletcher 3
gibson 3
giggs 3
welbeck 2
nani 2
carrick 2
anderson 1
o'shea 1

from
attack: 22
midfield: 21
defence: 1

that's an impressive return from midfield by any standards. also notable how well the goals are shared around.

Originally Posted by borsuk

total goals scored: 44
rooney 12
berbatov 4
owen 4
valencia 4
scholes 3
fletcher 3
gibson 3
giggs 3
welbeck 2
nani 2
carrick 2
anderson 1
o'shea 1

from
attack: 22
midfield: 21
defence: 1

that's an impressive return from midfield by any standards. also notable how well the goals are shared around.

We're missing Ronaldo though and haven't been able to adequately replace him.

I'm loving Valencia.

Originally Posted by Rhodzy

I'm loving Valencia.

Imagine if he could play with his left foot

Evra should be chipping in with a few goals a season. He gets forward enough, but his finishing is almost as bad as Anderson's.

Wonder how goals scored compares to this time last season. I am much prefering the football this time around eitherway. No more slop it about and wait for Ronaldo.

Originally Posted by Fuzzy Dunlop

Wonder how goals scored compares to this time last season. I am much prefering the football this time around eitherway. No more slop it about and wait for Ronaldo.

me too

Originally Posted by Fuzzy Dunlop

Wonder how goals scored compares to this time last season. I am much prefering the football this time around eitherway. No more slop it about and wait for Ronaldo.

Same here dunners. We are certainly looking more of a team this year.

not having to put up with that moaning Argy @#%&!'s hissy fits is probably helping too

It's interesting that Nani, Giggs and Valencia's goals count as goals from midfield but Ronaldo's don't.

If they did, then here are the real stats, roughly, up to the end of the 1st week of Dec in the last 4 seasons:

06/07: Goals 47/ from midfield 14
07/08: 42/20
08/09: 44/20
09/10: 48/22

It's not so much goals from midfield as the spread of goals that's impressive.

We were predictable with Ronaldo in the team.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

It's interesting that Nani, Giggs and Valencia's goals count as goals from midfield but Ronaldo's don't.

If they did, then here are the real stats, roughly, up to the end of the 1st week of Dec in the last 4 seasons:

06/07: Goals 47/ from midfield 14
07/08: 42/20
08/09: 44/20
09/10: 48/22

Interesting to see we've scored more by now than the previous 3 seasons. If im reading correctly.

Anyone remember how many points we were on this time last year?

We are playing so much better this year, so i really don't get all this "Utd stumble to another win due to the opposition being poor" while chelsea get "Chelsea storm to another victory by being superb "

Originally Posted by celtbion

It's not so much goals from midfield as the spread of goals that's impressive.

We were predictable with Ronaldo in the team.

Yeah, we predictably scored roughly the same number of goals by this stage in each of the last 3 seasons with predictably roughly the same spread of goals throughout a team that usually exploits the weaknesses in the opposition wherever they may be.

This predictably enough points to the sense that generally Ferguson's variation in tactics is second to none.

All very predictable - and highly effective over the course of a season.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

It's interesting that Nani, Giggs and Valencia's goals count as goals from midfield but Ronaldo's don't.

If they did, then here are the real stats, roughly, up to the end of the 1st week of Dec in the last 4 seasons:

06/07: Goals 47/ from midfield 14
07/08: 42/20
08/09: 44/20
09/10: 48/22

because ronaldo was often playing through the middle with rooney wider, something that can't be said of any of the others. not that it matters. celtbion's comment is, remarkably enough, the key point. it's really about how we are replacing ronaldo's goals, however they are counted. all of the midfield is chipping in, which is what we hoped to see, and rooney's strike rate has improved.

Rooney is actually only 5 away from his best ever total in the league I have a feeling if he can keep himself fit he will get nearly 30 goals this season. You can just see from the runs he makes now, it's the sort of stuff he would let ronaldo do. Like the goal against west ham, that would of normally been ronaldo going full speed into the 6 yard box.

Ronaldo's goals didn't need replacing is the real key point

Ronaldo scored (most of) his goals as part of Ferguson's tactics

Ferguson's tactics have produced, predictably enough, very similar results to those they normally do.

I'm fairly sure that a few screamers from the edge of the box nearly went in last season.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

Yeah, we predictably scored roughly the same number of goals by this stage in each of the last 3 seasons with predictably roughly the same spread of goals throughout a team that usually exploits the weaknesses in the opposition wherever they may be.

This predictably enough points to the sense that generally Ferguson's variation in tactics is second to none.

All very predictable - and highly effective over the course of a season.

that's not really true, though. there is a clear difference in how we play in different years and this year our midfields are scoring more than last year.

totals for the whole of last season (this season so far in brackets)

scholes 3 (3)
fletcher 4 (3)
gibson 3 (3)
giggs 4 (3)
nani 6 (2)
carrick 4 (2)
anderson 0 (1)

with just about a quarter of the season gone i think it's pretty clear all of the above, including nani who has not played anything like as much as last year, are well ahead of last season in terms of their strike rate.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

Ronaldo's goals didn't need replacing is the real key point

Ronaldo scored (most of) his goals as part of Ferguson's tactics

Ferguson's tactics have produced, predictably enough, very similar results to those they normally do.

I'm fairly sure that a few screamers from the edge of the box nearly went in last season.

not sure what your point is tbh. yes, ronaldo scored a lot because the team was set up that way and he was an extraordinary player. now we don't have that player. fergie's tactics reflect that. is anybody suggesting anything different?

none of that changes the fact that the midfield is very productive this season. of course it's not an accident but the intended result. but it's still happening.