'Top half' teams he would get into:
- Chelsea
- United
- Liverpool
- Stoke
- West Ham
- Southampton
- Leicester
Teams he'd have a very good chance of getting into
- City
- Arsenal
- Spurs
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'Top half' teams he would get into:
- Chelsea
- United
- Liverpool
- Stoke
- West Ham
- Southampton
- Leicester
Teams he'd have a very good chance of getting into
- City
- Arsenal
- Spurs
He definitely has the potential, but McCarthy, currently, is the better player at doing the role that is required of him.
On paper, for whenever Barry does need resting (not that that looks likely any time soon like), McCarthy and Besic looks like the ideal partnership going forward.
He's drastically under-rated.
We're a better side with him in it. He's not the fanciest of players and yes sometimes I wish his end product was better when he does get in shooting positions etc. But overall that isn't his job in the side and the job he is tasked with doing he does very well more often than not.
You don't need a player to be doing everything if each member of the team is doing their job well. The lack of wins without McCarthy in the team this season speaks for itself mate - even when Besic did come in for a spell.
sageyefc
Player Valuation: £90m
Usually he's alright when he stays back to mop up, his positioning been ropey at times this year though, chases forward to much at times and gets caught out, trouble when he gets turned, looks a bit slower chasing back in that situation as well this season
sageyefc
Player Valuation: £90m
No chance
@daz4matty Did you have to ? I'm scared of falling asleep now . . . and I haven't had a nightmare in years.
(NOTE TO SELF - Go to youtube and watch plenty Ball, Kendall and Harvey before bed-time)
Saint Domingo
Player Valuation: £90m
I have fundamental reservations about the set up of midfield and what is required from these 'roles'. To that extent you are probably right McCarthy and Barry are most likely the best in those roles but the question is are these the right roles? Not for me. Hence why I hope a change of player would alter the role.
I think in certain games, prime example perhaps being WBA at home, they're not the right roles. But given that we had injuries and had won three games on the bounce 3-0 in very confident fashion I think it was fair to start a winning team.
In general though for games on the road especially they are the right roles but I agree with you that it won't hurt to mix it up against teams that we know are coming to sit back.
In fairness to RM, he went with a different approach of 4-1-4-1 when McCarthy was out prior to Christmas (and so was Besic as well), but it left us too exposedon the counter and a bit too cramped up field.
If we can keep both Besic and McCarthy fit it gives us some really good options, either as a pairing or one (or both of them) beside Barry.
He'd get in over Mikel. I don't think he's a better player than Matic but Matic hasn't been getting much of a look-in under Hiddink.
He'd definitely get into United's midfield. You're vastly overrating their players if you think he wouldn't, though Schneiderlin and Herrera are playing well as a pairing and it's strange LVG hasn't tried that one out more often.
Leicester may be put into the other section I suppose as 'maybes'.
He'd play for Spurs if Dembele was injured/out of form.
He'd play for City as they desperately need more energy in that midfield.
Arsenal fans would have him as their defensive midfielder.
Saint Domingo
Player Valuation: £90m
Think you've got to compare like for like. He plays DM for us (whether that means pressing high or making tackles) whilst Barry plays midfield creator (supposedly but enough of that).
Therefore is he getting in ahead of Schneiderlin? No, Kante? No, Dier? toss up, Coquelin? toss up, Matic? No, Mikel? No (hugely underrated), Fernando? Yes, Lucas? Yes.
He'd get into a few of those sides but I think it shows the general dearth in quality in defensive mids in the prem. We can't find one for England, there aren't many good ones at all which is why Chelsea were so good last year and maybe Leicester are now. Most teams are just too open and that has applied to us as well for most of the season.
The days of Petit, Keane, Makelele, Mascherano, genuine world class holding mids seem to be over. Even Carsley would stand out now as a very good DM.
sageyefc
Player Valuation: £90m
Carick and shneirderlin are better,
Matic, fabregas are better, maybe mikel as well on current form
Kante for Leicester is one of if not the best midfielder this season,
Arsenal like their cms to be good on the ball
Dembele, Ali better and it's a Toss up with dier
City, obviously Yayas better, Fernando is on par
Yaya doesn't play the role that McCarthy does, neither do Dembeler or Alli. McCarthy would get in those sides as a defensive mid (Spurs as you said a toss up between him and Dier)
Arsenal would definitley have McCarthy in. This idea he's poor on the ball is ridiculous. Look at that superb little pass into Lukaku against Stoke as an example of that, or some of his throughballs to Barkley. It's not his strongest asset, no, but he's in now way poor at it.
He's at his best defending and then making third-man runs from deep. He's quicker than a lot on here give him credit for as well. Most managers would have him in their starting XIs, and if not at least in and around the first team.
Ihaters
Player Valuation: £35m
I rate McCarthy highly in our squad, but agree with all the above. McCarthy is a menace to the opposition, and is a hard player to play against I suspect but the above are better players.
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