Caporegime
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I like Fred, he gives 100%, and £8m plus add on is cheap in this market.
The Manchester United Club Thread **Sponsored by Comedy Central**
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Soldato
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Agreed. Lots of passion for the club and always tried his best but he wasn't good enough if we want to chase for titles and cups.
Soldato
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Fred was an enigma... Appreciated his energy, spirit and passion but it was like he had split personality on the pitch. 85% of the time reliably clumsy, hap-hazard passing and brain fades... and then yet some European nights he would just be like Iniesta, deft of touch, running the tight channels and eagle vision - I'd be genuinely gobsmacked at times.
Surprised a higher standard of club wasn't in for him at that price.
Surprised a higher standard of club wasn't in for him at that price.
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I won't be in the least sorry to see him go. He's a 2nd tier player at best. When you have Troy Deeney telling the world that Watford targeted him because they knew he had a poor first touch that tells you all you need to know about him. He seemed a happy chappy with a nice smile but I'd rather have Keano snarling at the team than Pastor Fred's inane grin or lost look.
These sort of players are the most frustrating I find. Like Pogba was. Would absolutely run a game, make the opposition look like Sunday league one week and then be completely anonymous for 3 weeks.
Who will buy him?
Anyone would be crazy to pay good money for him. As a proven EPL striker he should be worth £70m but Transfermkt.co.uk has him at 15m euros!! He's not even 28 and should be in his prime but instead he's just happy taking the money it seems.
The club will be reluctant to give him away especially when we are short of strikers. Best hope is that he can get some game time as a sub, stay fit and score the odd goal. Then we might get a bit more next season if we trigger the one year option in 2024. Another Man United enigma
Soldato
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haha i know man. I'm far less focussed on other clubs but i find we've always had a habit of recruiting these types of inconsistent players! I think that's where we've dropped away, the standards for consistency within a system at other clubs have just been there for a long while.
I know we weren't very exciting and it was turgid at times however I'd be really interested in an alt-reality timeline where LVG got a few more years and we saw what he could have done for the club as he was trying to establish a philosophy from academy through to the first team.
Caporegime
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Hopefully with the way ETH is openly talking about Slab then it will be the beginning of a new wave. I truly believe Maguire hasn't taken responsibility for anything and always plays the victim.
It can’t get any worse than that can it? I’m not having that wolves played particularly well, they got success every time just sprinting straight down the middle.
I can’t remember having any meaningful possession and not seen Bruno as quite as that in a game for a long time.
I even naively expected a bit of a post goal surge like we saw last season and that never came either. Woeful
I can’t remember having any meaningful possession and not seen Bruno as quite as that in a game for a long time.
I even naively expected a bit of a post goal surge like we saw last season and that never came either. Woeful
It was woeful. Hard to tell if ETH is tactically naive or the players weren't following instructions. The plan seems to be that Mount wins the ball high up the pitch and either plays in a forward or Bruno for a fast transition. However it leaves a chasm in the middle with not the most mobile CDM. Without Martinez the defence always sags and Onana played quite deep also. We got exposed in the middle as we have done for season after season. Maybe its a step too far to change so many aspect of the play at once - or maybe it doesn't work if you don't change the aspects all at once. ie the inverted full backs and high line.
Regardless, what we got was a mess and deserving of a home defeat in the first match of the season. Lots of work to do including cover or a replacement for Casemiro - he looked well off the pace.
Soldato
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Yeah that wasn't inspiring last night but wasn't as bad as last seasons opener.
Mount seems a strange buy in the setup/starting 11 last night but I think he provides real squad depth in that area too so I don't want to be too critical at this point. He's better than Fred and a lot more potential to play and be coached from ETH.
Casemiro looks like he's a few weeks away from fitness. Martinez having to go off was a loss, he provides more than just his ability. He's energy, and get us on the front foot quicker.
AWB was good to watch - he was creating a lot down the right but also his movements and touches were creating spaces for Antony which we could have exploited more - who i thought was decent when on the ball but wasn't finding his usual space inside. May have been because we were quite compressed in there with Bruno and Mount.
Onana was reassuring - Nothing about him gave me any concern, solid touch, footing and was in the right positions for some pretty close wolves efforts.
There was a lot of problem buts i'm standing firm in my belief that Rashford isn't cut out for a top team. He'll be of more use when he's less the focal point of a front 3 to stretch an opponent but he still hasn't improved his touch, passing or decision making. He's got one gear and that's run at or through players, hope the ball comes with him and hit the ball as hard as he can connect with it. He's really poor IMO.
Mount seems a strange buy in the setup/starting 11 last night but I think he provides real squad depth in that area too so I don't want to be too critical at this point. He's better than Fred and a lot more potential to play and be coached from ETH.
Casemiro looks like he's a few weeks away from fitness. Martinez having to go off was a loss, he provides more than just his ability. He's energy, and get us on the front foot quicker.
AWB was good to watch - he was creating a lot down the right but also his movements and touches were creating spaces for Antony which we could have exploited more - who i thought was decent when on the ball but wasn't finding his usual space inside. May have been because we were quite compressed in there with Bruno and Mount.
Onana was reassuring - Nothing about him gave me any concern, solid touch, footing and was in the right positions for some pretty close wolves efforts.
There was a lot of problem buts i'm standing firm in my belief that Rashford isn't cut out for a top team. He'll be of more use when he's less the focal point of a front 3 to stretch an opponent but he still hasn't improved his touch, passing or decision making. He's got one gear and that's run at or through players, hope the ball comes with him and hit the ball as hard as he can connect with it. He's really poor IMO.
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Casemiro looks overweight and slow, a proper liability when the Wolves midfield ran at him. Maybe been taking training tips from slabhead.
Sancho was really good when he came on, he's brilliant in confined spaces. He needs to start with Garnacho on the bench to run at a tired RB who's been chasing Sancho around.
Antony is improving, work rate is exceptional. Delivery needs to get better.
Bruno was marooned most of the game by the acres of space in midfield from Casemiro jogging around.
Rashford is just difficult to fit in. Sancho and Antony are better wide players. Martial is a better 9. However, he's absolutely devastating on the counter which is how we want to play, so hard to leave him out. He needs to evolve his game a bit and create more for others.
Sancho was really good when he came on, he's brilliant in confined spaces. He needs to start with Garnacho on the bench to run at a tired RB who's been chasing Sancho around.
Antony is improving, work rate is exceptional. Delivery needs to get better.
Bruno was marooned most of the game by the acres of space in midfield from Casemiro jogging around.
Rashford is just difficult to fit in. Sancho and Antony are better wide players. Martial is a better 9. However, he's absolutely devastating on the counter which is how we want to play, so hard to leave him out. He needs to evolve his game a bit and create more for others.
I think Rashford playing 9 was a last resort, literally no one else that could have started there yesterday which isn’t a good sign of things to come.
He showed many times last season that cutting in from the left he can be lethal.
Think there’s a lot of work to do before Saturday. Spurs won’t struggle to score like wolves did, and Maddison will have a absolute field day if we set up like that again
He showed many times last season that cutting in from the left he can be lethal.
Think there’s a lot of work to do before Saturday. Spurs won’t struggle to score like wolves did, and Maddison will have a absolute field day if we set up like that again
Caporegime
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Rashford will come into his own when he has the players around him.
At the moment we are very 1 dimensional when only Rashford is playing as Garnacho is too raw and Antony is never about scoring goals day in day out.
Teams know if you negate Rashford then you have a chance.
We are terribly missing a no9 so the sooner we can get one on the pitch the better.
I saw Martial on the bench so hopefully he gets some minutes against Spurs.
Agreed about Casemiro however he was way off the pace last night.
At the moment we are very 1 dimensional when only Rashford is playing as Garnacho is too raw and Antony is never about scoring goals day in day out.
Teams know if you negate Rashford then you have a chance.
We are terribly missing a no9 so the sooner we can get one on the pitch the better.
I saw Martial on the bench so hopefully he gets some minutes against Spurs.
Agreed about Casemiro however he was way off the pace last night.
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