Aye, but play him too much at RB and we risk doing a John O'Shea or Wes Brown with him and wasting a very talented CB. The fact Valencia has done a decent job filling in at RB for so long shows how much more important it is to find a top CB and play them as a top CB. It will be easier to sign a top RB in January or summer than to take a risk on a new CB.
4 3 3 is definitely my personal preference and that mid 3 and forward 3 would be excellent. Loads of potential substitutions and variations too in the middle 3 and the forward 3. Definitely our best formation IMO.
I edited my post, not sure if you saw it. I think he's better defensively. Also forgot about Mkhytarian in both of my line ups. Ridiculous number of options, we really shouldnt be struggling as much a we are.
I agree F-M is better defensively than both Valencia and Darmian. But I don't agree that means we should just lump him in at RB as a short term fix. I'd prefer we put up with a bit of weakness at RB for now, in order to build a solid CB partnership between Baiii and F-M. The alternative is Smalling and Baiii, which is a decent partnership but I don't think will be a long term title winning pairing. So imo it comes down to playing F-M at RB, getting a good RB but needing to build a new CB partnership over the next couple of seasons, which may fall flat, or playing F-M at CB to build for the future, and then buying a new RB in the window. I'd choose the second option.
Personally I think we should buy both. I completely agree that TFM is a centre half of the future but while him and Bailly might look a potentially good partnership it might take a while for that to develop. We need to buy a senior centre half now and pair him with either/or until they both develop further. We do still need a right back though, unless we just stick with Tony V and Darmian? Neither great by any standards but both are ok. That's it though.
Without wanting to sound like a typical fan, in 2015 anyone with any sense knew we needed to buy a proven CF and we didnt buy one. In 2016 plenty were calling out for a CB (at the very least with RB as well by others) and didn't buy one. Why is it the club cant see this?
