It doesnt need to show up in statistics. Did Roy Keane light up the stat sheets? Also, consider in England and most other countries, they dont count the pass that less to the assist.
Exactly what I meant. He has influence in the game, alot sometimes. Yet you see 1 goal for him on the season. I feel that alongside Hargreaves he'll have more action in the front third of the pitch, translating into more goals/assists.
I'm quite pleased with Carrick's performances so far. If someone raises the pricetag issue again, then maybe looking at what Villa paid for Ashley Young might put things into perspective. Of course there's lots of room for improvement for Carrick, but I think the important thing is that he's settled well into the side. I didn't watch Spurs play regularly last season, but it seems to me that Carrick his raised the level up his game up a notch. If he can work on the defensive side of the game, and aim towards a 90% pass completion rate, then I think he'll be a huge player for us next season.
He'll never be an attacking mid. So you're right, you won't see Scholes type numbers from him. You also won't see him get all that many assists either. What you will see is an increase in off the ball movement by our front line and wingers and you'll see their assist and goal numbers go up. Why? Because Carrick is a DLP, unless we play route 1 - he wont make the final pass because he prefers to opperate deeper. This style of play will ensure that we'll have creativity even without leaving the center diserted and it will allow true #10s to flourish cuz they will have more space to operate in.
Agree 100 percent. He'll be delivering killer passes that are always one step before an official assist is recorded, and that's fine with me. Now that I understand his role better, his play seems much better than I was giving him credit for.
Carrick's made several through balls this season which were begging to be tucked away into the net, but weren't due to poor finishing. If the likes of Saha and Rooney had been more clinical, Carrick's assist tally would've been higher at this point.
Yeah, it's quite surprising how wasteful those 2 have been this year. Saha is nothing new, he's always looked like a deer in the headlights when he's put through one on one to goal, and Rooney's average form would account for his. I'd like to see our strikers be a bit more lethal. Not really a large complaint, compared to our midfield issues.
I haven't seen a player as two-footed as Carrick since Nedved was in full flow. He has no thought process when the ball comes towards him and doesn't have to 'shape' to receive, meaning he doesn't have to put that thought process of opening up his 'good side/foot' to the angle the ball is coming to him from. It's wierd, because even the very best need to do that, they take a lot less time do so, but they do it none-the-less, like Scholesy, for example is right footed and he makes a lot of time for himself by feinting an initial shape head-on with a ball only to drop a shoulder and recieve the ball at an angle that gives him time to turn out of trouble. With Carrick you see opponents get a bit confused because he never shapes up to recieve the ball. If it's on his left side, he just controls or one touch passes it with his left foot, if it's on the right he does the same thing on his right side. More dangerous still is that he plays his full array of passes on either foot at any time. That plays havoc with runners trying to track him. Part of skilfully harrying a player is the anticipation of his shape when recieving the ball, that's how lots of the smarter CM's can nip in front of a player and cleanly take the ball off his foot, the poorer a player the more he has to shape-up to recieve the ball, the better, the less time he'll take - think O'Shea compared to Scholes. I was trying to think of a modern United player anywhere near Carrick for two-footedness and I can't think of a single one. The only two players I've seen for United as two-footed as Carrick are Edwards and Charlton. It's a lofty pair to be compared to, but I really can't think of anyone else who comes close. Like when Charlton is asked which is his 'best foot' he says he has no idea (just as Nedved does) Carrick said the same thing, I recall, but took no notice of it at the time. The more I watch him play for us, the more fascinating I find this attribute of his. I don't there are many players in the world like that let alone at United or in the PL. The freak.
He's the English Pirlo I tell ya, he's the real deal. This summer we need to go out and get a defensive midfield drone to free him up a bit to take the opposition apart with his passing.
One player like that, DS, is Wesley Sneijder of Ajax. Is it suprising that he can play the same role? Carrick is the man. #1 Carrick faboy here. I just love "footballers" (if yo know what I mean [no homo]). The sense, the technique, the skill, on top of that all, he''s as composed as anyone.
It comes as no surprise that he's become so valuable to us. At least thos of us who knew what he was about before we showed interest. Just imagine how effective we'll be down the middle if he has the proper man next to him.
Its not really a "pushed out" kind of thing. It will give us more options depending on who we play. For example, I would expect to play Scholes, Carrick and Mr. Pink all at once against the likes of Chelsea, Barca,. Against Smaller teams we could do whatever, and play according depending on if a player needs rest, etc.
I would think it would be the 4-3-3 since we have a couple wingers who would thrive playing in the wing forward role. We can also play the Milan midfield. With Carrick playing like Pirlo, Hargeaves on the right of midfield like Gattuso, Ronaldo will play with a more attacking, less defensive edge than Seedorf does on the left. Park can play that role as well, even though he's an attacking player, his work rate makes up for a lot. Scholes playing in the Kaka role, or even Rooney. Even though its a diamond formation sort of, it always ends up like this.... ---------Backline---------- -----------Pirlo------------ -<<<-Gattuso->>>------------ ---Kaka->-----------<-<-Seedorf ----------->----------------- -------------->-------------- Kaka likes playing from the right, and is a dynamic player. Rooney can play a similar role without playing from the right. Of course Im putting Rooney their on the assumption that we get another forward, or Rossi gets more time. But even then, Scholes could just play at the apex as an attacking midfielder.
While I've always loved the traditional MUFC 4-4-2, it seems that winning Europe becomes easier with a packed center midfield with these lineups. I will be looking forward to seeing what happens when DM/Hargreaves comes in.
i've always rated Carrick, when you can pass the ball like he can, youve always got a chance of making it, i'd say hes in the top 5 passers in the premiership.. last season we was passing it meaninlessly, this season we are always looking for the killer ball, and that's alot to do with Michael, when he gets the ball he always looks up for the killer pass, the hard pass or the "glamour" pass if you will. he also gives us a presence in the centre, with Keane and Scholes in there we have lacked a tall guy presence like Carrick. the only problem i had with him was that did he have a personality of a United player? will he be another Kleberson, well hes proving me wrong and getting better each game, by next season he should have a great understanding with his team-mates.
Top 5? More like top 3 atleast. Apart from Scholes and Cesc, Im struggling to think of a better passer.
I haven't seen W.S play for a long time now. I don't recall that facet of his game actually, but then again, I never really watched him enough to notice. I'll look out for it in future. Being totally two-footed is rare, no matter the era or how great a player. Even amongst the top #10 of all-time the majority had a noticeably better foot than the other. When I see Carrick play I havene't seen a difference between his left and his right. His right is obviously his pref. as he takes FK and corners with it, but I bet he could just as easily take set piece on his left. There's a game called snooker played over here, I think it's called billiards in the US. And there's a guy called Ronnie O'Suvillian who is ambidextrous, he caused a furore by beating a player using his left hand to cue with, it was seen as disrespectful and all sorts of things. I bet If Carrick was a forward and hit penalties with either foot, he'd be accused of taking the piss. I'm still trawling through the memory trying to recall a two-footed player in the same vein as Carrick in the last 25yrs here. Can't think of any.
Yeah, Sneijder is completely two footed. Taking freekicks and corners with both feet, crossing accurately with both feet as well. Im not saying Ronaldinho is completely two footed, but he scored a great freekick a while back with his left foot. What about Fernando Hierro? I want to say Michael Ballack but its clear he's predominantly right, but he hits his passes and shots with his left just as well.
You could list a lot of top level players who use their left well, but they are all predominantly right footed and they shape up as such when given the chance to, using their left if there's no time to recieve on their preferred side/foot. But only Nedved (I've seen) before Carrick thinks nothing of carrying his business out totally with whichever foot is closest. Ajax have fallen off the map a bit of late, I hardly see any of their players anymore, actually. I definitely haven't seen enough of Sneijder to comment on that aspect, but if he takes FK's and corners on both feet he's definitely up there with Carrick and Nedved, sounds exceptional. Will have to look out for it in future, it's something I rarely consider because 99% of pros have (to) or prefer to shape-up with their best foot. It's rare for them to not have a best foot. If you've not seen Bobby Charlton footage, I'd implore you to check him out. Absolutely amazing on both feet, lethal.
Yeah, I actually watch clips of him on youtube, and sometimes the specials on MUTV. Im planning on downloading a whole match from back then if possible.
Yeah DS, WS is completely 2 footed as Benni said. He's the prolly the only current player who'll take 2 fks right footed and then take 2 left footed in the same match.