James McCarthy

[harry]

He was doing it all game, gibbo was doing the barry role, almost being the 3rd centerback at times, keeping things ticking

I thought he was a bit to deep at times almost a third centre back. It gave them a bit of space between our midfield and defence. If he would have pushed up 10 yards i think he would have been more effective but suppose match fitness played its part.

 

[Tree13]

He was doing it all game, gibbo was doing the barry role, almost being the 3rd centerback at times, keeping things ticking

Completely wrong, as demonstrated by ll McColl ll's post above. Gibson simply spent the whole game sat in the back line and Stones only stepped forward to fill in for him after the penalty miss.

 

[Tree13]

Kone isn't a LW...he's been played on the left in a 4-3-3...and up top supporting Lukaku in a 4-4-2.

He is a Striker/Forward...not a winger and has never played as a winger.

Also completely ignores the fact that Mirallas could and should have been playing the LW spot for most of the season.

 

[tim cahill]

Just to add to my post above and this is one of the things ive highlighted a few times:

LW-- Kone £5mil /Cleverley Free
DM -- Barry Free
DM -- McCarthy £13mil / Besic £2.5mil (up to £4mil)
RW -- Deulofeu £4.2mjl / Lennon £4.5mil

To be fair to Martinez he's spent under £30mil on 7 players there in midfield with £13mil on McCarthy being the only amount noticable in comparison to "usual" amounts spent on top midfielders.

I think the £13mil fee was a bargain in the days when Stoke spend £18mil on a poorer player and Man Utd do the same...

If we played a pressing game even just in central midfield with a partner for McCarthy then we would see a totally different player...how can you have just one player there pressing? Its pointless.

Before all the knives come out on McCarthy id like to see him and Besic in the centre pressing.

The whole team should press. It shouldn't be left to one or two.

 

[Sy-]

he was let down by those around him or the manager and the tactics that were set for each player either were completely different or individuals aren't listening to what they're being told.

The worrying bit is we always hear that Martinez tells the players "go and enjoy yourself" etc, even as an 11 year old in little-league I was never told to go and enjoy myself on the pitch, I was instructed to patrol the centre of the pitch and tackle anything that moved. If I'd been told to go out and enjoy myself I'd have meandered around their 6 yard box waiting to score all the goals.

You're bang on, it seems unless there is a basic dual mentality between players operating in the same area (i.e Barry & McCarthy) it often looks like they have disparate/conflicting instructions.

 

[ilikecheese]

Also completely ignores the fact that Mirallas could and should have been playing the LW spot for most of the season.

Well...that's debatable, because I think Kev would have been been better used all along as a CF...but I digress.

Not sure why we've fallen in love with playing wingers. In Martinez's first season...our best in several years...we employed 1 winger with mostly Ossie (he played every game) being the other sided midfielder.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

The midfield didn't work well yesterday, especially in the first half. Gibson would often drop deep to get the ball, but the movement ahead of him was non-existent, so the ball would usually go long and come straight back at us. None of the 4 players ahead of Gibson, or indeed the full backs offered anything, and I lost count of the number of times either Gibson or the centre backs had the ball and McCarthy was stood still. Really wasn't good enough.

 

[Number_25]

Thought he did well yesterday.

The midfield lacked any shape, but I don't believe that to be of any fault of McCarthy.

 

[streeky]

Basically we played with 4 centre half's at times yesterday.

 

[tim cahill]

The midfield didn't work well yesterday, especially in the first half. Gibson would often drop deep to get the ball, but the movement ahead of him was non-existent, so the ball would usually go long and come straight back at us. None of the 4 players ahead of Gibson, or indeed the full backs offered anything, and I lost count of the number of times either Gibson or the centre backs had the ball and McCarthy was stood still. Really wasn't good enough.

Lack of movement when we're on the ball has been an ongoing problem.

 

[flibbyflob]

As bad as he has been for the last couple of seasons I am prepared to give him another under a new manager who won't rush him back into the side as soon as he is over an injury (or possibly up to 80% fit) and might give the lad a chance.

 

[CahillsCornerFlag]

There are dozens and dozens of centre mids out there who are better than McCarthy, I'm certain of it. He's so, so limited and United passed it round him with such ease yesterday.

 

[Simon baker]

There are dozens and dozens of centre mids out there who are better than McCarthy, I'm certain of it. He's so, so limited and United passed it round him with such ease yesterday.

They passed it around him as for some reason he is pressing on his own whilst others are sitting deep or standing still.

The real question is why was he doing this?
was it because he was told too by his manager which is a suicide tactic it's like the training drill when you stand in the middle of a circle and the players all pass it around you whilst you try to get it back, or is it because he is a tactical liability & went against his managers instructions to sit deep.

 

[strummer]

The amount of time the United players had to pick a pass when they were just outside our box was unforgiveable. It was a miracle we got in at half time only 1 down. The new manager needs to completely replace the current midfield

 

[slpsd78]

The whole team should press. It shouldn't be left to one or two.

This is the thing that bugs me the most. We have to put pressure on the opposition when we don't have the ball, from front to back. Barkley as much as I like him is one of the main culprits for this. All successful teams don't let the opposition have time on the ball. Too many times this season we have sat back and invited the attack on to us. that for me is why we concede so many goals.