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Ole's current midfield pivot options: A Thread
In this thread I'll bring up the most notable midfield trios that we tend to employ during matches, and how our current squad doesn't allow the entire team to function singularly:
1. McTominay/Fred/Fernandes
2. Fred/Pogba/Fernandes
In this thread I'll bring up the most notable midfield trios that we tend to employ during matches, and how our current squad doesn't allow the entire team to function singularly:
1. McTominay/Fred/Fernandes
2. Fred/Pogba/Fernandes
McFred - it's a midfield pivot that not exactly everyone likes. McFred does guarantee you one thing, though, and that's stability - Fred's ability to dispossess opponents while maintaining the tenacity to keep the game going is good, while McTominay's press resistance is a charm.
However, the biggest issue is that McFred tends to be a defensive formation while also being rigid. Fred's passing range is nowhere near Pogba's, and McTominay tends to be passive when not being pressured. This forces Fernandes to be the sole offensive force within the midfield.
This ultimately means that teams which employ defensive strategies such as low blocks can easily single out Fernandes from the team and essentially choke him out for the majority of the match, which can mellow out his attacking and chance creating threat on the ball.
McFred is also known to work well against teams that don't play defensively from the start - McFred is the formation that is deadly on the counter, since McFred is built to be quick once opposition players lose possession. It's why McFred gives you goals against teams like City.
It's clear that Ole is trying to provide United a separate identity by having more than one midfield trio to work with. United has always been known as an aggressive counter-attacking team, but now Ole is also trying to have United be more progressive and fluid with their play.
(End of McFred/Fernandes)
Now for Frogba/Fernandes.
Now for Frogba/Fernandes.
Fred/Pogba/Fernandes is arguably our best midfield trio since it makes the team more balanced. Fred's B2B abilities really show with Pogba beside him, and with Pogba possessing the threat he can create with his ball-playing skills, it means that Fernandes isn't totally burdened.
Now you have two midfielders who have offensive mindsets, while Fred can focus on breaking up opposition play and keeping the intensity of the game high. Defensive teams can't just single out one player to remove the teeth from United's attack anymore.
A glaring issue with Frogba/Fernandes, however, is that it cannot totally maintain a fixed shape. Say what you want about McFred, it guarantees a defensive shape that can transition between counterattacking and defending modes. You can't say that with Frogba.
Since Frogba is built to be a team that tends to be more focused on possession and slow build up, the team's formation can be rather scattered at first, and this in turn puts a lot of responsibility on Maguire and Lindelof to have the defensive awareness to detect any threats.
Another thing worth noting: McFred is a trio that relies on its midfielders and fullbacks to take and create chances, because attackers can't create their own chances often due to how aggressive their opposition is. Frogba however requires their attackers to be on top form.
Pogba and Fernandes can provide the chances for players like Rashford, Greenwood and Cavani. They can make the crosses along with Shaw and Wan-Bissaka. Sometimes Rashford and Greenwood have to make crosses themselves to their Number 9, who is usually Cavani as of late.
Because of their possession-based system under Frogba, they have to seriously take their chances, because while they receive a lot of it, they must also deal with the horde of defenders before them in the process since we have to cut through low blocks via Frogba.
