The Manchester United Thread

[sunilvk7]

Giggs has been terrible at CM second half of the season. There is no reason not to play Kagawa at MC if he ends up adaptable enough, doesnt stop him playing AMC when needed or at all, and it gives us back that much needed versatility.

He is not though, we are signing him (If we do) for his exploits as AM. It would be absolute waste to try to play him as CM with more defensive duties (Which he is pretty **** at). As a back up against much lesser teams he can as we dont need to defend, but against any decent team we will be overrun terribly.

I dont get from where people get this idea of playing AM as CM. He is as much a CM as Kaka, Ozil, Silva.

Edit: Giggs being terrible has nothing to do with Kagawa playing as CM, and when I said like Giggs it is when he played as Winger and drifted centrally as playmaker, not starting as CM.

 

[Matt Kult]

Given the way we are bolstering the mid, formation will be a slightly more outright 4-2-3-1 than the one we are playing, so 3 strikers for one forward role, or the occasional 4-4-2, or even playing Rooney deep and one of the other two up top, with one of the younger two as 4th striker emergency cover is about right. Otherwise you end up with having a player of Dimi's quality spending too much time kicking about.

Ah you're probably right, if we do go to a 4-2-3-1 shape then we probably won't need 4 first team strikers.

 

[Mike.]

He is not though, we are signing him (If we do) for his exploits as AM. It would be absolute waste to try to play him as CM with more defensive duties (Which he is pretty **** at). As a back up against much lesser teams he can as we dont need to defend, but against any decent team we will be overrun terribly.

I dont get from where people get this idea of playing AM as CM. He is as much a CM as Kaka, Ozil, Silva.

Not every AM is incapable of CM. Modric was once an AML. So no way to say he would be a waste if he is versatile enough, and he has excellent movement, which could allows for dangerous runs from deep. If SAF thinks he can be versatile enough, then there is no waste, and from what i have seen he has brains for it. Doesnt mean you suddenly play him there every game. It's all about options. and I'd still have him there over Giggs, thats for sure.

 

[Alcaraz]

Not every AM is incapable of CM. Modric was once an AML. So no way to say he would be a waste if he is versatile enough, and he has excellent movement, which could allows for dangerous runs from deep. If SAF thinks he can be versatile enough, then there is no waste, and from what i have seen he has brains for it. Doesnt mean you suddenly play him there every game. It's all about options. and I'd still have him there over Giggs, thats for sure.

I see what you mean. His primary position would remain as an AM although he is versatile enough to play the CM role adequately when called upon ensuring that there are plenty of options for SAF to play with in regards to team selection depending on the opposition

 

[Mike.]

He is not though, we are signing him (If we do) for his exploits as AM. It would be absolute waste to try to play him as CM with more defensive duties (Which he is pretty **** at). As a back up against much lesser teams he can as we dont need to defend, but against any decent team we will be overrun terribly.

I dont get from where people get this idea of playing AM as CM. He is as much a CM as Kaka, Ozil, Silva.

Edit: Giggs being terrible has nothing to do with Kagawa playing as CM, and when I said like Giggs it is when he played as Winger and drifter centrally as playmaker, not starting as CM.

Well yes it does, as he would using movement in the same manner as giggs, as a more offensive MC, allowing you to overload tough defensive opponents. Doesnt mean you then have to suddenly play him as an MC against Man city for example.

 

[Mike.]

I see what you mean. His primary position would remain as an AM although he is versatile enough to play the CM role adequately when called upon ensuring that there are plenty of options for SAF to play with in regards to team selection depending on the opposition

Exactly, all about options, which we really lack. We basically are playing one way at the moment, diagonals to the flanks.

 

[sunilvk7]

Not every AM is incapable of CM. Modric was once an AML. So no way to say he would be a waste if he is versatile enough, and he has excellent movement, which could allows for dangerous runs from deep. If SAF thinks he can be versatile enough, then there is no waste, and from what i have seen he has brains for it. Doesnt mean you suddenly play him there every game. It's all about options. and I'd still have him there over Giggs, thats for sure.

Not every AM is incapable of CM, but from what I have seen he clearly can't play. If we sign Kagawa and end up depending on Kagawa as our CM then we are ******. Like I said against lesser teams we can play him as he will anyways end up as AM.

He is at his best in the final third, he doesn't have the passing range to play as CM either. His biggest strength is to find in goal scoring position and killer ball out of nothing,which would be wasted when played deeper.

Looking at the players we are linked with, its obvious we will attempt to play 4-2-3-1 with Kagawa playing as AM and at times as winger. I'm very much sure he wont be a CM.

 

[fuelledbypassion]

I'm not sold on the idea of Kagawa as a CM personally. Although he has the stamina and drive, I don't think he'd have the positional sense or discipline to play the role. Also, he's very direct and stronger running with the ball than passing, from the games that I have seen (not a great deal this year, I will admit). I think he'd do a job, much like Park has on occasion, but I don't see him being asked to do that too often.

Perhaps SAF is thinking of using Rooney in the deeper role, he looks a very capable CM

 

[Shiraz]

I think that if SAF signs Kagawa, we still need a cultured CMd to play a holding role with Carrick/Scholes. Asamoah from Udinese would be really good or even Cabaye from Newcastle I think.

 

[sunilvk7]

I'm not sold on the idea of Kagawa as a CM personally. Although he has the stamina and drive, I don't think he'd have the positional sense or discipline to play the role. Also, he's very direct and stronger running with the ball than passing, from the games that I have seen (not a great deal this year, I will admit). I think he'd do a job, much like Park has on occasion, but I don't see him being asked to do that too often.

Perhaps SAF is thinking of using Rooney in the deeper role, he looks a very capable CM

Spot on, only thing is he doesn't have the work rate of Park or even defensive capabilities.

I think we will play Rooney as lone striker or like we used to play earlier no striker formation with him dropping deep with Kagawa, Nani, Valenica making runs.

 

[alicwkd]

I'm not sold on the idea of Kagawa as a CM personally. Although he has the stamina and drive, I don't think he'd have the positional sense or discipline to play the role. Also, he's very direct and stronger running with the ball than passing, from the games that I have seen (not a great deal this year, I will admit). I think he'd do a job, much like Park has on occasion, but I don't see him being asked to do that too often.

Perhaps SAF is thinking of using Rooney in the deeper role, he looks a very capable CM

I agree Rooney looks a capable CM, but United would then be wasting one of the best deep strikers in the world, negating his best qualities. He looks like the kind of player who may end up being a permanent CM later in his career, similar to Alan Smith. Right now though Rooney simply has to be the AMC IMO.

 

[craig curtis]

Dont think SAF will put roo deep maybe later on in his carrear when gets older, but i think ando will be **** hot this season hope so was unlucky with injury but was awsome at start of seas with clevers!

 

[alicwkd]

Dont think SAF will put roo deep maybe later on in his carrear when gets older, but i think ando will be **** hot this season hope so was unlucky with injury but was awsome at start of seas with clevers!

People keep saying every year that this is Anderson's year to take off. He's had a long time now and if he doesn't deliver this season I see him as surplus to requirements at United. The fact SAF seems to be looking at players in his mould suggest that he will be a long way down the pecking order if he stays.

 

[Mike.]

Not every AM is incapable of CM, but from what I have seen he clearly can't play. If we sign Kagawa and end up depending on Kagawa as our CM then we are ******. Like I said against lesser teams we can play him as he will anyways end up as AM.

He is at his best in the final third, he doesn't have the passing range to play as CM either. His biggest strength is to find in goal scoring position and killer ball out of nothing,which would be wasted when played deeper.

Looking at the players we are linked with, its obvious we will attempt to play 4-2-3-1 with Kagawa playing as AM and at times as winger. I'm very much sure he wont be a CM.

He also has excellent movement which makes him a dangerous driving CM in games where you need to overload the opposition, the whole idea is as an offensive option, while primarily being an AM. At no point did I say we would depend on him as an MC or even ask him to play a sitting role. His versatility would allow for a more offensive deep option, when you are looking to blitz an opponent

 

[Shiraz]

He also has excellent movement which makes him a dangerous driving CM in games where you need to overload the opposition, the whole idea is as an offensive option, while primarily being an AM. At no point did I say we would depend on him as an MC or even ask him to play a sitting role. His versatility would allow for a more offensive deep option, when you are looking to blitz an opponent

Really like that possibility, it just gives us more options.

 

[craig curtis]

He also has excellent movement which makes him a dangerous driving CM in games where you need to overload the opposition, the whole idea is as an offensive option, while primarily being an AM. At no point did I say we would depend on him as an MC or even ask him to play a sitting role. His versatility would allow for a more offensive deep option, when you are looking to blitz an opponent

Soz mike slightly off topic but what do you think will happen to ando this season?

 

[Mike.]

Soz mike slightly off topic but what do you think will happen to ando this season?

Not off topic at all mate. Honestly I dont know. Personally I'd be tempted to cut our losses.

 

[sunilvk7]

He also has excellent movement which makes him a dangerous driving CM in games where you need to overload the opposition, the whole idea is as an offensive option, while primarily being an AM. At no point did I say we would depend on him as an MC or even ask him to play a sitting role. His versatility would allow for a more offensive deep option, when you are looking to blitz an opponent

The movement he makes around the box is different from what we expect from CM (Like Scholes). And if we need to overload the opposition, we can just play welbeck, Hernandez and play Rooney behind them. It doesn't make us any defensively weaker than playing Kagawa.

Anyways will see how many games he will play as CM. I'm sure we wont see him playing as CM if we sign as he isn't.

 

[craig curtis]

Not off topic at all mate. Honestly I dont know. Personally I'd be tempted to cut our losses.

yeah get what ya mean suppose has had alot of chance, like someone else said if fergie is looking then it could be his time especially wwith youngster coming through.

 

[Joel`]

Anderson was superb at the start of the season, shame he got injured. Sadly an all too common theme with him along with inconsistency, I like him a lot too so it's a shame.