carrick cant be the next busquets because they play in different roles. busquets is a holding midfielder who loves to tackle and carrick is a deep lying playmaker. kagawa will not be like iniesta but could have a similar role to the spanish international. eriksen will never be like xavi because xavi plays in a holding midfielder role and eriksen will find it hard to adapt to that. why would you have evans in your starting xi he is not at the same level as jones or smalling. i think jones should swap places with carrick permanently because when carrick played as a centre back he did much better than what jones can do in defence and jones does much better in midfield than what carrick does in midfield.

GeorgeOsborne:

But... what does it say about what Fergie is trying to do next season?

No way of knowing what it says since we don't know for certain if any of the links are true or not.

volcom:

sigh.............Eriksen can be moulded into a box to box cm...........or a deep lying play maker. and please, anyone who is going to argue and slate back at me.....think before you post. cams can be converted into cms.....it happens allllll the time. and usually quite well. sometimes they make the BEST cms..........PROOF?

SCHOLES

GERRARD

LAMPARD

Before Petrucci came here , he was a cam......now a cm

and the same is going to happen to Powell.

also if you have watched eriksen play, he is fantastic at tracking back and workinng very hard........he might not be the best tackler..........que Paul Scholes. But he passes works hard and is tricky , fast and powerful and drives forward.

if there is ANY player out their that reminds me of a young scholes. It is eriksen. EASILY.

NOT saying he WILL BE THE NEXT scholes.........but that he reminds me of a young scholes in his passing and driving runs into the box.

dont forget he is still a teenager too.

the question is, LUCAS or ERIKSEN....

He could be because he actually tracks back at times. If we were to convert him ASAP as that gives us more time, and he's said on numerous occasions he wants to remain at Ajax to develop. If we could convince him his development would be improved I'm all for it. A brilliant talent, certainly on a par with Gotze and Lucas, but for £20 million. Makes sense even with Kagawa, but his signing would only fuel the argument that we need a ball winning cm. Him and Kagawa would only work if a M'Vila type player was behind him.

Colonial Red:

Amada15:

Hahaha, people on this forum makes me...erh..laugh. I am sure that if we are linked with Munain tomorrow, everyone would try and add him along with...erh...lucas, kagawa, and Eriksen to our squad. What happened to everyone that was for Moutinho? Anyway, I am not sure whether our interest in Eriksen is concrete, but whatever the case is, I would start to believe SAF has lost the plot if he is prioritizing buying another center attacking midfielder over a box to box midfielder and possibly a left back.

Doubt he is going for both Lucas and Eriksen, but you who were a huge champion for the Modric signing should be pleased with the possibility of Eriksen seeing as he is a younger version of the player you so covet.

Only time will tell whether Eriksen can be converted to play in an..erh...2 man midfield. Modric has already proven that he is capable of doing so. When I watched Eriksen played against us and other games in the Europa league, he looked like a complete passenger when off the ball. A miracle needs to happen in order for Eriksen to play in a midfield of two at the moment. In the future, who knows.

Rooney10Cam:

Colonial Red:

Amada15:

Hahaha, people on this forum makes me...erh..laugh. I am sure that if we are linked with Munain tomorrow, everyone would try and add him along with...erh...lucas, kagawa, and Eriksen to our squad. What happened to everyone that was for Moutinho? Anyway, I am not sure whether our interest in Eriksen is concrete, but whatever the case is, I would start to believe SAF has lost the plot if he is prioritizing buying another center attacking midfielder over a box to box midfielder and possibly a left back.

Doubt he is going for both Lucas and Eriksen, but you who were a huge champion for the Modric signing should be pleased with the possibility of Eriksen seeing as he is a younger version of the player you so covet.

Same for Moutinho,he is needed yes however considering we are going for such talented young stars we should all be happy however if you at it the other way maybe Fergie is signing both Eriksen and Lucas as replacements for Giggs and Scholes so he could prepare them this season and they would be ready next season or maybe this is his swansong year and he is trying to build a young team that would be strong for another 10 years to pass on to his successor.These are all reasons why Fergie could be considering signing both.

i hope you are right and we sign both.

Colonial Red:

Amada15:

Hahaha, people on this forum makes me...erh..laugh. I am sure that if we are linked with Munain tomorrow, everyone would try and add him along with...erh...lucas, kagawa, and Eriksen to our squad. What happened to everyone that was for Moutinho? Anyway, I am not sure whether our interest in Eriksen is concrete, but whatever the case is, I would start to believe SAF has lost the plot if he is prioritizing buying another center attacking midfielder over a box to box midfielder and possibly a left back.

Doubt he is going for both Lucas and Eriksen, but you who were a huge champion for the Modric signing should be pleased with the possibility of Eriksen seeing as he is a younger version of the player you so covet.

Same for Moutinho,he is needed yes however considering we are going for such talented young stars we should all be happy however if you at it the other way maybe Fergie is signing both Eriksen and Lucas as replacements for Giggs and Scholes so he could prepare them this season and they would be ready next season or maybe this is his swansong year and he is trying to build a young team that would be strong for another 10 years to pass on to his successor.These are all reasons why Fergie could be considering signing both.

Amada15:

Hahaha, people on this forum makes me...erh..laugh. I am sure that if we are linked with Munain tomorrow, everyone would try and add him along with...erh...lucas, kagawa, and Eriksen to our squad. What happened to everyone that was for Moutinho? Anyway, I am not sure whether our interest in Eriksen is concrete, but whatever the case is, I would start to believe SAF has lost the plot if he is prioritizing buying another center attacking midfielder over a box to box midfielder and possibly a left back.

Doubt he is going for both Lucas and Eriksen, but you who were a huge champion for the Modric signing should be pleased with the possibility of Eriksen seeing as he is a younger version of the player you so covet.

Hahaha, people on this forum makes me...erh..laugh. I am sure that if we are linked with Munain tomorrow, everyone would try and add him along with...erh...lucas, kagawa, and Eriksen to our squad. What happened to everyone that was for Moutinho? Anyway, I am not sure whether our interest in Eriksen is concrete, but whatever the case is, I would start to believe SAF has lost the plot if he is prioritizing buying another center attacking midfielder over a box to box midfielder and possibly a left back.

last season eriksen played more like an box to box game but more in the other half. 4-5 of his assists came from passes from own half . chec k his assists and goals videos of last season.. obviously he goes back to his own half and defend when needed and being able to send killer passes from there is a great talent.

Colonial Red:

GeorgeOsborne:

All I can say is I have never seen Eriksen play central midfield. And I very rarely seem him in his own half. From what I've seen, and granted it's not as much as an Ajax supporter will have seen, but he looks very Van der Vaart to me, he looks very Kaka, Sneijder-esque. A top, top player, but an attacking midfielder, not a central one. I know Scholes started as a forward for the club and became a central midfielder, so it can be done, but to me that was always an obvious move, as Scholes never had great pace, but always had excellent energy levels, the move to midfield was obvious. But Eriksen? he doesn't look like a central midfielder to me at all. He just doesn't seem to move right for the position. Also, it's a risk to sign a player for so much money, when you have to gamble on whether or not he can adapt to a new role. If we're going to spend £20 million on a central midfielder, let's buy a central midfielder. Fellaini, Moutinho, Strootman. But if we buy Eriksen? I think we buy him to play as he is, as an attacking midfielder. Dare I say look at Anderson? he was signed as an attacking left midfielder at the beginning, we tried to adapt his game to central midfield, it worked to an extent, but let's be honest, it's proved a costly mistake and we're all still waiting for his breakthrough season. Do we want Eriksen to be that player for us? I'd sign him though. I'd play 4.2.3.1. With Eriksen, Rooney and Kagawa playing very narrow in the attacking three. The focus on passing, and retaining the ball. Or I'd play him in a 4.3.3 as the attacking midfielder in the central midfield 3. But as an option in a two man midfield? I'd never play him there. Unless we were playing Sheffield Utd in the carling cup.

Eriksen plays LCM in Ajax's 4-3-3 mate. He is more in the mould of Scholes and Modric than VDV and Kaka.

Thanks mate,I thought so as all the matches I have seen of Ajax including the game against us he has played there and played very well tracking back,driving with the ball until he sees a pass and at times he would control the game ala Scholes and Modric.

weareno1:

real have said that lucas isnt a priority

Please can I have a link if thats true its us versus him staying at Sao Paulo.

GeorgeOsborne:

All I can say is I have never seen Eriksen play central midfield. And I very rarely seem him in his own half. From what I've seen, and granted it's not as much as an Ajax supporter will have seen, but he looks very Van der Vaart to me, he looks very Kaka, Sneijder-esque. A top, top player, but an attacking midfielder, not a central one. I know Scholes started as a forward for the club and became a central midfielder, so it can be done, but to me that was always an obvious move, as Scholes never had great pace, but always had excellent energy levels, the move to midfield was obvious. But Eriksen? he doesn't look like a central midfielder to me at all. He just doesn't seem to move right for the position. Also, it's a risk to sign a player for so much money, when you have to gamble on whether or not he can adapt to a new role. If we're going to spend £20 million on a central midfielder, let's buy a central midfielder. Fellaini, Moutinho, Strootman. But if we buy Eriksen? I think we buy him to play as he is, as an attacking midfielder. Dare I say look at Anderson? he was signed as an attacking left midfielder at the beginning, we tried to adapt his game to central midfield, it worked to an extent, but let's be honest, it's proved a costly mistake and we're all still waiting for his breakthrough season. Do we want Eriksen to be that player for us? I'd sign him though. I'd play 4.2.3.1. With Eriksen, Rooney and Kagawa playing very narrow in the attacking three. The focus on passing, and retaining the ball. Or I'd play him in a 4.3.3 as the attacking midfielder in the central midfield 3. But as an option in a two man midfield? I'd never play him there. Unless we were playing Sheffield Utd in the carling cup.

Eriksen plays LCM in Ajax's 4-3-3 mate. He is more in the mould of Scholes and Modric than VDV and Kaka.

real have said that lucas isnt a priority

GeorgeOsborne:

All I can say is I have never seen Eriksen play central midfield. And I very rarely seem him in his own half. From what I've seen, and granted it's not as much as an Ajax supporter will have seen, but he looks very Van der Vaart to me, he looks very Kaka, Sneijder-esque. A top, top player, but an attacking midfielder, not a central one. I know Scholes started as a forward for the club and became a central midfielder, so it can be done, but to me that was always an obvious move, as Scholes never had great pace, but always had excellent energy levels, the move to midfield was obvious. But Eriksen? he doesn't look like a central midfielder to me at all. He just doesn't seem to move right for the position. Also, it's a risk to sign a player for so much money, when you have to gamble on whether or not he can adapt to a new role. If we're going to spend £20 million on a central midfielder, let's buy a central midfielder. Fellaini, Moutinho, Strootman. But if we buy Eriksen? I think we buy him to play as he is, as an attacking midfielder. Dare I say look at Anderson? he was signed as an attacking left midfielder at the beginning, we tried to adapt his game to central midfield, it worked to an extent, but let's be honest, it's proved a costly mistake and we're all still waiting for his breakthrough season. Do we want Eriksen to be that player for us? I'd sign him though. I'd play 4.2.3.1. With Eriksen, Rooney and Kagawa playing very narrow in the attacking three. The focus on passing, and retaining the ball. Or I'd play him in a 4.3.3 as the attacking midfielder in the central midfield 3. But as an option in a two man midfield? I'd never play him there. Unless we were playing Sheffield Utd in the carling cup.

I don't know I doubt we will drop Nani,Young,Valencia,Hernandez all out it is very unlikely.

All I can say is I have never seen Eriksen play central midfield. And I very rarely seem him in his own half. From what I've seen, and granted it's not as much as an Ajax supporter will have seen, but he looks very Van der Vaart to me, he looks very Kaka, Sneijder-esque. A top, top player, but an attacking midfielder, not a central one. I know Scholes started as a forward for the club and became a central midfielder, so it can be done, but to me that was always an obvious move, as Scholes never had great pace, but always had excellent energy levels, the move to midfield was obvious. But Eriksen? he doesn't look like a central midfielder to me at all. He just doesn't seem to move right for the position. Also, it's a risk to sign a player for so much money, when you have to gamble on whether or not he can adapt to a new role. If we're going to spend £20 million on a central midfielder, let's buy a central midfielder. Fellaini, Moutinho, Strootman. But if we buy Eriksen? I think we buy him to play as he is, as an attacking midfielder. Dare I say look at Anderson? he was signed as an attacking left midfielder at the beginning, we tried to adapt his game to central midfield, it worked to an extent, but let's be honest, it's proved a costly mistake and we're all still waiting for his breakthrough season. Do we want Eriksen to be that player for us? I'd sign him though. I'd play 4.2.3.1. With Eriksen, Rooney and Kagawa playing very narrow in the attacking three. The focus on passing, and retaining the ball. Or I'd play him in a 4.3.3 as the attacking midfielder in the central midfield 3. But as an option in a two man midfield? I'd never play him there. Unless we were playing Sheffield Utd in the carling cup.