Our midfield

Terrible performance from the midfield again.

Obvious answer is to buy better midfielders. But if, as is likely, we don't do that, what are our options?

Fred and The Scottish Player appears our best pairing, but not a single supporter thinks that is good enough.

Swap one out for Matic from time to time and it's very hit and miss.

Swap one out for Donny, some seem to like the idea, Ole doesn't, could definitely be a risk.

Play Pogba in a two, we all hate that, Ole keeps trying it. Truth is Pogba should be able to play in a two, he has all the attributes, would just mean going against some of his natural instincts and putting in some unselfish performances, showing discipline and keeping things simple when needed.

Last option is to play 3 in midfield, but who? Also which one of the front 4 gets sacrificed? What do you do with Bruno?

Been a great summer of signings, but I fear unless Ole can find a way to make one of the above options work, it will all be for nothing.

Nothing wrong with The Scottish Player

Him and Neves could form a very good partnership imo

Beek obviously isn’t fancied at all by Ole so we may as well cash in.

Fred is a problem and although I’ve defended him in the past he’s just otgood enough. Problem is we’d never make our money back in him so he’ll have to stay as a squad option.

I don't see us signing anyone this window now, and I think the club will focus on getting players sold to recoup some cash, and free up the squad. James, Lingard, Jones and possibly Martial will be the players they try to shift.

The midfield is a problem, but I can't see the Glazers spending more when we have Fred and Matic on the books, both who cost £100m thanks to Mourinho.

I think we'll make-do until January, when we'll then be forced to sign someone who would still be eligible for Europe, like a Ruben Neves.

Got to cash in on VDB if he’s not getting a game. Madness.

Pogba playing long balls up too with marginal success needs to be snuffed out.

I honestly can't think of a worse opening 15 minute spell from a midfielder than fred. It was like watching a disabled child who'd won a competition starting a game.

Astonishing.

Maybe only Arsenal’s midfield could perform to a worse level than our midfield did in the 1st half
Going to be a millstone around our necks all season

Ole has to learn from his mistakes
You can’t play Pogba in a midfield 2 against a pressing team especially away from home

Surely there is a stop gap loan signing we can make that is an improvement on Fred

Can’t get Ronaldo and then just leave the midfield to hold us back all season

Bypass it.

Defence to attack and miss out the middle.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

I honestly can't think of a worse opening 15 minute spell from a midfielder than fred. It was like watching a disabled child who'd won a competition starting a game.

Astonishing.

It didn't really get better after the first 15 minutes either. It's unreal how many times he showed Traore down the middle in the first half. Was practically serving him drinks and showing him the way to our goal.

Originally Posted by tatty

Bypass it.

that's what our opponents have been doing.

Originally Posted by ZiggyStardust

Maybe only Arsenal’s midfield could perform to a worse level than our midfield did in the 1st half
Going to be a millstone around our necks all season

Ole has to learn from his mistakes
You can’t play Pogba in a midfield 2 against a pressing team especially away from home

Surely there is a stop gap loan signing we can make that is an improvement on Fred

Can’t get Ronaldo and then just leave the midfield to hold us back all season

ole hasn't been learning from his mistakes (or those of his predecessors). we all know pogba can't play in a 2 and is, in fact, a £#%&!ing liability in our half.

arsenal are unlucky that partey is injured. I'd take him over fred any day. but we need to buy two or three midfielders. £#%&! knows why we let garner go out again, but we need tacklers. or we need to convert some defenders £#%&!ing quickly. the way wan-b plays when he has the ball, I dare say he'd be a better dm than he is a wing-back.

Jones.

Originally Posted by Patty_b

It didn't really get better after the first 15 minutes either. It's unreal how many times he showed Traore down the middle in the first half. Was practically serving him drinks and showing him the way to our goal.

We improved second half and he faded. Shaw got to grips with him a bit more and we got bodies around him. It was typical Traore. Ridiculous pace and power, but nothing at the end of it. How poorly prepared for it we were though was alarming.

As bad as Fred was, he was left to do it all on his own. Any time they got past him, they had an overload of players in attack.

There must be some loan possibilities out there that improve our options.

Originally Posted by armchair

Jones.

if we had played jones against adama, we might finally have killed the useless galoot.

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

As bad as Fred was, he was left to do it all on his own. Any time they got past him, they had an overload of players in attack.

the worst example of him bursting past fred and pogba, they were only just outside the wolves area and there was absolutely no one between them and the defence. someone... anyone... has to have the £#%&!ing discipline to cover back. we can't have pogba in the 2, because he never does. but at least the £#%&!ing 1, if fred, should sit. I mean..... fred was shit every time adama ran at him, but he could have given himself a chance by not pushing up. better to have two proper deep-lying midfielders with discipline, though.

we used to have wingers who defended, too.

The Evening News think Neves is the answer but they also don't!

I have it.

Seriously.

Armchair did a good call with Jones but…l.


Lindelof.


Would cover his aerial weaknesses, he is good enough to win the ball and just bloody pass it to a better player.

As per the game v Leeds, he can certainly deliver a decent ball.

Not saying it is the perfect solution but any combination from Lindelof/Beek/Fred/The Scottish Player is better than Pogba/Fred.

We could have Ronaldo, Brazilian Ronaldo, Bruce I’m Hard Lee and Thor upfront but they will still not score unless our midfield is less floppy than cheap slices of bread from Iceland.

Ceteris paribus and without injuries…

DDG

Juan Bissaka
TMNT
Slytherin Stopper
Shawberto

Lindelof
The Scottish Player

Greenwood
Fernandes
The Pogster

Ronald ‘O.

We would still have more options than a derivatives trader the morning after getting drunk and going ‘buy’ crazy.

Originally Posted by 92ToBury

The Evening News think Neves is the answer but they also don't!

Jonathan Wilson moonlights for them?

Originally Posted by jem

if we had played jones against adama, we might finally have killed the useless galoot.

the worst example of him bursting past fred and pogba, they were only just outside the wolves area and there was absolutely no one between them and the defence. someone... anyone... has to have the £#%&!ing discipline to cover back. we can't have pogba in the 2, because he never does. but at least the £#%&!ing 1, if fred, should sit. I mean..... fred was shit every time adama ran at him, but he could have given himself a chance by not pushing up. better to have two proper deep-lying midfielders with discipline, though.

we used to have wingers who defended, too.

Just saw that again on MOTD. Fred gives the ball away (shocker!) trying to play a ball out wide to James. He’s about 25 yards out. Traore beats him and AWB with a five yard dash and it’s 3 on 2 from there. One bad pass 80 yards from our goal, a 5 yard burst of speed and they have a 3 on 2. Absolute sh shocker and not Fred’s fault.

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

Just saw that again on MOTD. Fred gives the ball away (shocker!) trying to play a ball out wide to James. He’s about 25 yards out. Traore beats him and AWB with a five yard dash and it’s 3 on 2 from there. One bad pass 80 yards from our goal, a 5 yard burst of speed and they have a 3 on 2. Absolute sh shocker and not Fred’s fault.

Wasn’t a difficult pass thought tbf.

The full backs need teaching if one goes, one drops, and if both FB’s are forward, a midfielder or 2 drops off.

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

Just saw that again on MOTD. Fred gives the ball away (shocker!) trying to play a ball out wide to James. He’s about 25 yards out. Traore beats him and AWB with a five yard dash and it’s 3 on 2 from there. One bad pass 80 yards from our goal, a 5 yard burst of speed and they have a 3 on 2. Absolute sh shocker and not Fred’s fault.

The root cause is Fred £#%&!ing up a simple pass, clearly Fred's fault. Sure after it happens it shouldn't be so easy for Wolves, but it's still Fred's fault.

Originally Posted by dunk

Wasn’t a difficult pass thought tbf.

The full backs need teaching if one goes, one drops, and if both FB’s are forward, a midfielder or 2 drops off.

It wasn’t a difficult ball at all and that’s what we’ve come to expect
From him and why he isn’t good enough,, but the point is that a player should be able to be able to give the ball away in an attacking area without the opposition bearing down on goal as a consequence.

As you say, someone needs to cover. It reminded me of that goal we conceded to Demba Ba in Turkey last season.

Said it in the match thread: Fred got no help today AND he was shit. Doesn’t have to be one or the other.