Michael Carrick

DmanDmythDledge

Does this guy get the credit he deserves? Outstanding yesterday, as he has been for most of the season. Most people I talk to think he is over-rated and rubbish but I just can't understand this way of thinking. He has the ability to control the pace/tempo of a game and is a fantastic user of the ball. The defensive side of his game is great too- he reads the game brilliantly imo. I think he should be in the England team ahead of Lampard and Barry.

Diabhal Beag

He is a great passer and scores a few goals but he was in no way worth the price United paid for him

bUILDERtHEbOB

Little Shyte wrote: »

He is a great passer and scores a few goals but he was in no way worth the price United paid for him

Yes he was and is and always will be.

Ardscoil Ris

DmanDmythDledge wrote: »

Does this guy get the credit he deserves? Outstanding yesterday, as he has been for most of the season. Most people I talk to think he is over-rated and rubbish but I just can't understand this way of thinking. He has the ability to control the pace/tempo of a game and is a fantastic user of the ball. The defensive side of his game is great too- he reads the game brilliantly imo. I think he should be in the England team ahead of Lampard and Barry.

I'm a Liverpool fan and I think he's excellent. First season he was ok, but it just shows he needed time to settle in. Very under rated in my opinion. I think he has earned the right to start first team for England and the expense of either Gerrard of Lampard.

Tottenham never replaced him and you can see how much he is missed even all this time after he has been gone.

Spud83

Uniteds best midfielder for the last year, and I think that carries some weight as they are the pl and cl champions.

As for not being worth 18million I'm sorry he has been worth every single penny that was spent in him. Just behind Vidic for player of the year from United IMO.

As for not getting recogniation he deserves. My guess is the people that under rate him listen to Dunphy too much.

Vokes

Little Shyte wrote: »

He is a great passer and scores a few goals but he was in no way worth the price United paid for him

Utd have won 2 league titles since he's joined and hes played a big part in that. He's been worth every penny.

Looks to be getting better and better too. Definitely worth a spot beside Barry in England's midfield.

grames_bond

he has been immence for united especially as of late! worth every single penny united paid for him, deserves a staring place in any line up!

kingshankly

is this worth a thread on its own ,should be talked about in the utd thread surely

PHB

kingshankly wrote: »

is this worth a thread on its own ,should be talked about in the utd thread surely

Who are you talking to here?
The rest of the posters? We can't do anything about it. I guess you're asking the mods, in which case, there's this really great function that allows you to directly contact the mods.

----

Fantastic player imo. Very underrated, not just by opposition fans.

That said, for England, I still think a Hargreaves-Carrick combination is the best, with Gerrard maybe playing off Rooney.

Daysha

Last Rooney was the most important player in the side. Now it's Carrick imo.

kingshankly

PHB wrote: »

Who are you talking to here?
The rest of the posters? We can't do anything about it. I guess you're asking the mods, in which case, there's this really great function that allows you to directly contact the mods.

----

Fantastic player imo. Very underrated, not just by opposition fans.

That said, for England, I still think a Hargreaves-Carrick combination is the best, with Gerrard maybe playing off Rooney.

if we starting opening threads for each player we want to discuss the place will be flooded
by the way he is a very underated player and he took the game to everton yesterday

Mr.Nice Guy

Does he get the credit he deserves? Certainly not. I don't think it's a coincidence that when he missed games at the start of the season United were struggling. He's a true unsung hero that can change a game with his ability. He was definitely worth the price United paid for him and don't be surprised if Capello turns to him for England in future.

SWAR

I'm a Liverpool fan and I think Carrick is a class act...definately does not get the credit he deserves. I've been saying it for a while now that I think Englands best midfield partnership would be Gerrard and Carrick. He has it all if you ask me...great holding player...great passer of the ball and chips in with a few goals aswel. Regarding the price anyway...yes he is worth every penny and more IMO.

redout

This is a pointless thread. Any United supporter should know the guys true worth to the side and if you dont then you are lost.

Boggles

Strangely enough this thread has been created I would guess on the back of the display against Everton where alot of posters said he was MOM, he actually gave the ball away 8 times, some of them quite shocking passes.

Overall though he has improved his tackling and I would agree that he is a very valuable player, having seen him live a fair few times his positioning and reading of the game is second to none.

He needs to learn how to head the ball and be a small bit braver in certain circumstances.

he'd wanna be playing well for £18m in fairness, dont really rate him though, too inconsistant and not a big game player

merlinsmerryman

In reality we got him for next to nothing, when we got the cash from Chelski for Obi One

YDMHSSB

michael carrick is a superb player. ive been saying for years and saying alot on here since i joined. a vital player to united. proof this year is we were looking like we were going to hammer liverpool out the gate this year at anfield until he went off. i think scholes best days are nearly gone and carrick has now taken over.

any united "fan" that does not rate him or appreciate him, is delusional. has had a superb season and was uniteds best player of the first half of the season until ronaldo started acting ridiculously good

Pro. F

Very hard to judge what sort of value any United player's price tag was, since the market has been so crazy over the last few years.

He really has done a job for us since he's arrived. He is definitely an important part of the current - very successful - side. He's a top passer and reads the game very well. Really helps us to open up teams when we have good possession.

However I think he has important limitations to his game:
His first touch isn't the best.
He never really throws himself into challenges. He partially makes up for this with really good positioning when defending but it would be nice to see him get more physical.

I think in the United set up his limitations are mitigated. Nowadays both center mids tend to sit deep. So he either has skillful / space making support from the likes of Scholes or legwork / physicality help from the likes of Fletcher. This strategy has worked a treat and Ferguson has used it to bring the best out of Carrick.

Would he do so well with out that close, tailored support? Say if he had to anchor the midfield on his own? I don't think so. That makes me say that he is not a very complete central midfielder.

Highsider

He seems to go missing in the big games more often than not but all in all he's what 18m buys you nowadays.

Mitch Connor

Highsider wrote: »

He seems to go missing in the big games more often than not but all in all he's what 18m buys you nowadays.

Apart from the CL final, or the semi's, or many other big games we won last season.

Goes missing in big games? Rubbish. He isn't an all action player and he won't dominate games on his own like other attacking midfielders which he gets compared to (lampard and gerrard for some unknown reason), but he is always available for the ball and keeps united ticking over.

Nalz

18m?

Wasn't it 13.5 wit the rest depending on trophies United won for the following seasons? Lets all hope it reaches 18m.

Great player, never can and never will be called world class but well worth the purchase.

rarnes1 wrote: »

he'd wanna be playing well for £18m in fairness, dont really rate him though, too inconsistant and not a big game player

sole signing in 2007, United win the title. Its not a coincidence nor is it the soul reason. too inconsistant my ass

Mr Alan

he is a really good player & has been excellent most of this year.

he is not on the top level of midfielders in England though imo, he is just behind it.

as for the 18m?

would i pay it for him?

No

But SAF did & he knows a thing or two....and Utd have won a lot since he's been there, so yes, he was worth it in hindsight.

YDMHSSB

Trilla wrote: »

18m?

Wasn't it 13.5 wit the rest depending on trophies United won for the following seasons? Lets all hope it reaches 18m.

Great player, never can and never will be called world class but well worth the purchase.

14.5 was the deal.

considering that united have won 2 league titles, a champions league, a world club cup and lost an fa cup final with another to come on march first, i think most of those installments are already done.

well worth the money. IMO, the fact that hes got a new song in the last 2-3 months, gives a little indication that people have realised what a top player he is and appreciate him finally

its carrick, woah ooooooo oooooooooooohhhhhhhhh,
oh its hard to believe its not scholes.

Nalz

YDMHSSB wrote: »

its carrick, woah ooooooo oooooooooooohhhhhhhhh,
oh its hard to believe its not scholes.

sh'it song tbh

YDMHSSB

Trilla wrote: »

sh'it song tbh

you have to be there singing it to appreciate it...:D

Bounty Hunter

wouldent be surprised to see him get a run out in englands friendly vs Spain, maybe a start too considering Capello is supposed to use the game as a chance to look at other players and he is on form.

Mitch Connor

Mr Alan wrote: »

he is a really good player & has been excellent most of this year.

he is not on the top level of midfielders in England though imo, he is just behind it.

as for the 18m?

would i pay it for him?

No

But SAF did & he knows a thing or two....and Utd have won a lot since he's been there, so yes, he was worth it in hindsight.

As a central midfielder - there are few players that are better than him in England. Fabregas would be one, can't think of any others really. People will harp on about Steven Gerrard and Lampard being better than him; but while they are better goal scorers, neither come anywhere near him for defensive or positional play. It is unfair to compare him to either of those players cause both of those players are completely different midfielders who do completely different jobs.

Sizzler

I have to say this lad has been CLASS the last 3 months, head and shoulders above any other midfield player at United. His passing is immaculate, work rate unquestionable and awareness of danger on Saturday was spot on (eg that block in the last 2 mins).

I know there have been plenty of detractors regarding his £18m fee but the lad has been excellent, finally showing what a class player he is. The only reason he doesnt get the attention of Gerrard and Lampard is because his scoring record is not all that, but when he plays as well as he is at the moment he doesnt need to be scoring 25 yard screamers!

Well done Carrick, keep it going.

stovelid

Great, understated player.

Always mystified when people trot out the transfer fee line. EPL transfer fees and wages are already in the realms of idiocy. Factor in that teams like United have to pay far more for the same player than other clubs would.

He's a great player, and his worth to the team speaks for itself when you see the trophies of the last two seasons. I agree with the poster who said that England should give Hargreaves and Carrick a go in midfield, with Gerard moved further forward.

Mitch Connor

stovelid wrote: »

Great, understated player.

Always mystified when people trot out the transfer fee line. EPL transfer fees and wages are already in the realms of idiocy. Factor in that teams like United have to pay far more for the same player than other clubs would.

He's a great player, and his worth to the team speaks for itself when you see the trophies of the last two seasons. I agree with the poster who said that England should give Hargreaves and Carrick a go in midfield, with Gerard moved further forward.

i think it may have happened if Hargreaves could stay fit for more than 20 minutes. As it is, I'll be glad if Hargreaves can once again prove himself worthy of a place in the United team, never mind the England one.

Mr Alan

Mitch Connor wrote: »

As a central midfielder - there are few players that are better than him in England. Fabregas would be one, can't think of any others really. People will harp on about Steven Gerrard and Lampard being better than him; but while they are better goal scorers, neither come anywhere near him for defensive or positional play. It is unfair to compare him to either of those players cause both of those players are completely different midfielders who do completely different jobs.

I'd rate Fabregas,Alonso,Gerrard,Essien as all being better than him.

YDMHSSB

Mr Alan wrote: »

I'd rate Fabregas,Alonso,Gerrard,Essien as all being better than him.

different players each of them. on current form, only essien does a better job than him. gerrard is all attcking, carrick sits in front of the back 4 and has a job to do setting things up and dectating the pace. united with the abundance of attacking talent we have dont need carrick in advanced postions like gerrard or fabregas. there is no comparison in what gerard does for liverpool and carrick for united. for example gerrard has been poor to average in alot of games but has come up with the goods but scoring important late goals and fair play, thats his job. and likewise, just incase you think im bashing gerrard, i think people are over rating tevezs performance this year,yes he has given 110% but overall quality when matters has been terrible despite some really important goals.

as for alonso, your having a laugh!!

Mr Alan

are you taking the mick, Alonso is the best CM in the PL this year, i didnt actually think anyone would argue that?

Mitch Connor

Mr Alan wrote: »

are you taking the mick, Alonso is the best CM in the PL this year, i didnt actually think anyone would argue that?

i think Carrick has been better.

Essien hasn't played much this season so isn't better than him at the moment. Gerrard is an AM, not a very good CM in my opinion as he likes to bomb on too much for it - needs 2 CMs behind him (Alonso and Mascherano)

YDMHSSB

Mr Alan wrote: »

are you taking the mick, Alonso is the best CM in the PL this year, i didnt actually think anyone would argue that?

inside the mersey no, outside yes.

Mr Alan

Gerrard has dispelled that myth anytime required to this season with great performances as part of the 2 man midfield. he is just better than Carrick in every way tbh.

As for Alonso -vs- Carrick, we should probably just leave it-needless to say i disagree & think Alonso will be rewarded for his amazing form at the seasons end when he is nominated for player of the year.

Mitch Connor

Mr Alan wrote: »

Gerrard has dispelled that myth anytime required to this season with great performances as part of the 2 man midfield. he is just better than Carrick in every way tbh.

As for Alonso -vs- Carrick, we should probably just leave it-needless to say i disagree & think Alonso will be rewarded for his amazing form at the seasons end when he is nominated for player of the year.

I disagree with you.

Mr Alan

its ok, i'm used to you being wrong

YDMHSSB

Mr Alan wrote: »

Gerrard has dispelled that myth anytime required to this season with great performances as part of the 2 man midfield. he is just better than Carrick in every way tbh.

they are totally different players in different positions. why cant gerrard play well for england? cos he does not get the same level of freedom that he gets for liverpool. gerrard is a top player dont get me wrong but the sun dont shine from his ar*se all the time either. his performances for united games over the past 5 years has been nothing short of shocking for example.

comparing gerrard and carrick is like comparing ronaldo to torres.

Spud83

Wow I was wondering how long it would take.

Mr Alan

YDMHSSB wrote: »

they are totally different players in different positions. why cant gerrard play well for england?

why doesnt anyone play as well for England as they do for their clubs?

silly point tbh.

Mitch Connor

Mr Alan wrote: »

its ok, i'm used to you being wrong

Oh har de har har - at least Carrick doesn't deliberately smash the ball at people cause he is in a bit of a mood - but you love players deliberately trying to hurt people.

Mitch Connor

Mr Alan wrote: »

why doesnt anyone play as well for England as they do for their clubs?

silly point tbh.

Barry does - cause he can play CM in a 442.

Mr Alan

Mitch, are you trying to derail this thread?

Dont get on some fake moral high ground, he kicked the ball at his nuts ffs. he hardly stamped on his face.

Mitch Connor

Mr Alan wrote: »

Mitch, are you trying to derail this thread?

Dont get on some fake moral high ground, he kicked the ball at his nuts ffs. he hardly stamped on his face.

he did it deliberately, to hurt the opponent, and you loved it.

Mr Alan

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Barry does - cause he can play CM in a 442.

didnt Barrys best performances come from playing with Gerrard in a 4-4-2?

(not trying to be smart, genuine question)

Also, perhaps the reason Barry impresses for England is cause England > Villa. England < than Liverpool/Utd/Chelsea?

Mr Alan

Mitch Connor wrote: »

he did it deliberately, to hurt the opponent, and you loved it.

yep.

YDMHSSB

Mr Alan wrote: »

yep.

had ronaldo done it, que 4 threads on how much of a disgrace he is. gerrard should have been sent off for it yesterday but of course hes innocent aint he? doesnt get much lower than hitting a man in the nuts. at least boswinga had the balls, no pun intended, to come out and apologise.

anyway, thread successfully derailed alan, well done.

back OT, Carrick for England. player of the month is between him, vidic and giggs.

brennaldo

I think Michael Carrick is a Fantastic player, there short and simple

Mitch Connor

Mr Alan wrote: »

didnt Barrys best performances come from playing with Gerrard in a 4-4-2?

(not trying to be smart, genuine question)

Also, perhaps the reason Barry impresses for England is cause England > Villa. England < than Liverpool/Utd/Chelsea?

Yeah it did, running round covering for Gerrard, he was very good at it. Gerrard needs someone to do his covering for him, to do his defending for him. No way could gerrard have formed a practical partnership with Scholes as Carrick has done.

Gerrard does track back, and does defend, but it is not what he is best at and there are players who are better at doing that for him. Its just the way it is.

Gerrard is a great player, a great attacking midfielder, better at that than most players and far better at it than Carrick could ever hope to be. But Carrick isn't an AM and is better at defending than Gerrard is.

If i had a choice between Gerrard and Carrick to partner scholes in midfield, I would pick Carrick, every single time, because Carrick is better at the role required than Gerrard is, he is better as a CM in a 442 system which relies on the midfield supporting the attacking intent of the fullbacks and the wingers, and the two forwards.

If I had to pick a player to be an AM beside someone like Mascherano or Makalele, I would pick Gerrard as he is bette rsuited to the role that would be required in that instance (as Lampard would also be better than Carrick at this.)

It is not an insult to either player to say the other is better at some aspect of the overall midfielders role.