The signing of Carlos Baleba has given a much-needed jolt of adrenalin to the Manchester United fanbase. Michael Carrick’s men- who have been largely anonymous in the transfer window- were embarrassed by newly promoted Hull City last weekend.
The double pivot of Youri Tielemens and Andrey Santos were way off the pace on Saturday, putting massive pressure on the United hierarchy to finally seal this long-awaited Baleba transfer. Can Baleba bring some stability to this United midfield?
The entire saga sent me down a fascinating little rabbit hole. Who have been Man United’s best central midfielders in the post-Fergie era? There are plenty of players to sift through and there are a few rules that I had to put into place. Firstly, I’m not including players who had played before Fergie’s departure (like Carrick). I have also decided to omit PFA Player of the Year Bruno Fernandez. He has played in deeper playmaking roles, but he is a textbook no.10. So, I have opted for players who played (or play) a significant amount of their best football in the engine-room. Without further ado, here are my five picks.
5. Kobbie Mainoo
I hate the term ‘generational talent’. Nowadays, a player just needs a few solid seasons to be labelled as ‘generational’. And the English media is especially guilty of doing that with English players (just look at Dele Alli, Mason Greenwood or Emile Smith-Rowe). So, it’s fair to say I was sceptical when United youth product Kobbie Mainoo started earning similar praise. But Mainoo has the potential to justify the hype, possessing abilities that very few young players possess. He is remarkably press-resistant, with the quick-thinking, fleet-footedness of Phil Foden. He fell victim to the managerial roundabout in recent seasons, falling out of favour with much-maligned Ruben Amorim (which is really a badge of honour). Michael Carrick has resurrected the unique English talent, bringing him back to the type of form that made him a figurehead of England’s 2024 Euro’s run.
4. Nemanja Matic
Signed from Chelsea by Jose Mournhio back in 2017, Nemanja Matic provided a calming presence to the midfield area. The tactically disciplined Serb would play 189 games over five seasons for United, becoming one of their more consistent players. He never had the same level of physical dominance that he displayed during his trophy-laden run at Chelsea (he would end the United chapter of his career without a single trophy). But he also proved an invaluable tool for the young up-and-comers, imparting wisdom on developing players like Scott McTominay. But he entered the Cretaceous Period during his final few seasons, losing any shred of mobility while Pogba went on his walkabouts (a deadly combination).
3. Paul Pogba
Such is the enigma that is Paul Pogba that you could make an argument for him making either the best-of or worst-of list. That’s the burden of a then- world-record transfer fee of nearly £90 million. But if you can just remove the price-tag from your mind and look at his performances in isolation, there was lots to enjoy from Pogba. At his best, he was a ball-carrying virtuoso with the type of vision that puts bums in seats. That feeling of joyful effervescence could come across as idleness when things didn’t quite go United’s way. At times, it looked like he and Jesse Lingard were trying to turn United into the Harlem Globetrotters of English football. He did enjoy some consequential moments, scoring the opener in United’s 2-0 European League final triumph over Ajax. A baffling case of what could have been.
2. Casemiro
Erik ten Hag pulled off a real coup back in the summer of 2022, prying highly decorated Casemiro away from Real Madrid for a base fee of around £60 million (with £10 million in add-ons). And he had an immediate impact, enjoying a fantastic first season that propelled United into the top four and secured silverware via the League Cup (a season that was completely negated by City’s treble-winning campaign). Ten Hag then went and lost the plot, moving Casemiro around like a pawn in some demented game of 3D chess. Casemiro’s form suffered and he found himself iced out of the side. Amorim also alienated the Brazilian during the first part of his tenure. Casemiro showed true professionalism to fight back, forcing Amorim to adapt his system to accommodate his limitations. And he enjoyed an incredible final season at the club, anchoring the midfield while pitching in with a slew of vital goals. United fans implored him to stay after his impending departure was announced, wooing him with songs during his ‘last dance’. Who would have had that in their bingo cards 18 months back?
1. Ander Herrera
When you look at the great Premier League midfielders, consistency is often the currency of the realm. And while he never quite approached greatness, Ander Herrea was undoubtedly United’s most consistent post-Fergie midfield acquisition. Signed in 2014 by Louis van Gaal for around £29 million, the former Bilbao midfield anchor gave United the stability that they had craved from the likes of Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger. Renowned for his defensive work-rate and tactical discipline, Ander Herrera balanced out the more impulsive Pogba. He was a key figure in United picking up three major trophies, winning the Europa League, FA Cup and EFL Cup during his stay (I’m not including the Community Shield as a major trophy). He was particularly effective under Mourinho’s pragmatic guidance, winning Man of the Match as United beat Ajax 2-0 in the Europa League final. He also memorably pocketed Eden Hazard during a period where the Belgian was running roughshod through league defences.
