04 May 2017 13:03:36
Thought i'd have a quick post, as i haven't in a while, on Daley Blind.

Blind for me is an integral part of the squad and the type of player every manager would love to have. He isn't going to get you 10+ goals or assist from Midfield, and he isn't your typical strong, fast, powerful CB that seems to be in at the moment.

Yet week in week out he performs to an above average standard in any position he is asked to play. Many teams, for example Everton with Lukaku, have tried to stick their big strikers on him to get in behind but Blind's intelligence and ability to read the game has trumped them most times. He doesn't demand to be a starter, and is easily capable of taking Carrick's place in CDM.

It seems to me, that because he wouldn't cost £50m+ in todays market, and because he isn't a shiney new player that everyones talking about he will be over looked. Some people seem to want him sold, which is baffling to me. Blind is a fantastic squad player to have and i wouldn't complain nor be surprised if he started for us next season.

So here's a question, with the amount Veratti/ Kroos/ Bakayoko would cost, would you trust Blind in Carrick's role leaving us more money to spend on areas we don't have 'players like Blind' for?

1.) 04 May 2017
04 May 2017 13:22:31
No HarryUTD, I don't trust him to play the Carrick role as a starter.
People just run past him as he's not there, his passing in midfield is not as creative as it is when he's a centre half. Centrehalves have much more time to pass the ball.
He is surprisingly a decent 4th choice center half, especially when you are up against a team that will press your defense as he can pick a pass, and he's a decent left back too.
If he's happy as a squad player, he can stay 100%, but if he wants a starring role, then sorry, he has to go.
There is a reason why both Jose and LVG don't trust him in midfield.
I think he's best at CB and LB and quite worse in midfield.
The Dortmund game in the preseason was an example where he was massively overrun in midfield.
I don't understand why we need a Carrick replacement like for like. Why not go 2 midfielder in a 4-2-3-1?
Bakayoko had a bad game yesterday, Fabinho didn't. And I've heard a lot he's going to Chelsea.
Verrati in unattainable I'm afraid, he's choose real or juve over us.
And Kroos, well, we would need a Casemiro to allow him to play. Kind of a like an Oezil in midfield.
I was very surprised we didn't go for Pjanic in the summer as he was going for bargain money, and anyone who saw Roma knew he made them tick. After an indifferent start to Juve career, he seems like a real playmaker, with exceptional passing :P.

2.) 04 May 2017
04 May 2017 13:22:48
He was appalling in midfield and found a space in defence under LVG. He laboured on the ball, had no presence and was very negative.

For me he is like a John O'Shea - everyone needs one but no one really wants one.

3.) 04 May 2017
04 May 2017 13:29:50
I like Blind and would definitely keep him, whether he would be willing to carry on in his Jack of all trades role is questionable. I think this year would have been the perfect one to rotate Blind and Carrick in that DM role but we have just not done that so I am not convinced that next year Jose would be willing to trust him.
I think we will look for a destructive DM so that we can use Pogbas forward instincts better next year. Kante/ Makalele type.

4.) 04 May 2017
04 May 2017 14:07:20
He's a guy who can do a competent job at lb or cb. Hasn't impressed in the middle, but has been invaluable for us over the last two seasons. Not sure if he will stay with us long term, but he is a top class squad player.

5.) 04 May 2017
04 May 2017 14:42:21
I don't rate him as anywhere near Utd quality, even as a squad player. He is far too slow, small and recently has started to give the ball away a lot more than he used to. I think he is a gonner anyway as he ticks so few boxes for Jose imo.

If I see his name on the team sheet I have a little knot in my stomach, a bit like with Rojo, Fellaini and Romero - more often that not they do a decent job and it was nothing to worry about, but you are only ever going to get 7/ 10 performances with quite a few 4/ 10's - it's players like these that lead to us being also rans because they would get nowhere near the first teams of top clubs.

He is intelligent and by all accounts a likable guy, but so are a lot of people - we have too many squad players that just 'do a job'!

6.) 04 May 2017
04 May 2017 16:03:59
Whilst Blind isn't a guaranteed starter or world class, his versatility makes him a good squad player in my opinion. I'd say there is a chance he will leave but there should be a few ahead of him in that line. Just now the future of pretty much all of our defensive players (including Young in this) is up in the air with the exception of Bailly, Rojo and Valencia.

7.) 04 May 2017
04 May 2017 18:05:23
Its usual situation for the 2nd best defence in the country Rj.

8.) 04 May 2017
04 May 2017 19:36:41
Blind played cdm in his first season here. He didn't play great but maybe he was adapting to playing in the premier league. Since that 1st season he has been playing in defense and playing well. Most of our other signings are given a year to "get use to the league". He is now use to the league so maybe if he played in cdm again he could be a really good player there.