Thanks for the reply, but I think you are missing the point I was trying to make. My opinions are based on hindsight, after the last 2 PL games and focusing on LvG's team and philosophy. Imagine you had a time machine and could sit beside LvG in the dugout and advice him during the last 2 games...
1. Janujaz, Nani and Mata were in the same X1 against Swansea when looking for a goal...Kagawa would have been worse than Nani? You would have supported the decision to bring Nani in as a sub instead of Kagawa?
2 & 3. Are you implying here that Cleverly and Fletcher's performance against Swansea was better than anything Kagawa would have done in their positions? Sure, the no 8 is not Kagawa's natural position and he will not perform his best there, but worse than Cleverly in that match?
4. Nani was used in the game against Swansea. As awful as Kagawa's stats may be when playing on the wing, the impact on the rest of the team with their passing and keeping possession would surely improve because of his movement and showing for the ball...or do you disagree?
5. I actually do want Hernandez to stay, I think he is a great poacher and will easily provide 15 goals a season, while willing to sit on the bench for most of the season. My issue was starting him in the Swansea game with Rooney alongside him, when Rooney was also clearly given orders to stay higher up and spearhead the attack, which meant we had a narrow point of attack. Kagawa in Hernandez's place would have offered more movement and support for Mata with the ball.
6. It does not matter what your opinion of Kagawa's contribution over the past 2 years have been...we are talking about a new manager who is supposed to be giving every player a new chance to prove himself. He has players like Young and Cleverly in his starting XI, so I don't think you can use that particular excuse here.
All I am trying to say is that whatever your opinion on Kagawa is, he is a player who is built to play in a quick, short passing system with lots of off the ball movement. As such, my personal opinion is he would offer a lot more to the team if it is planning to move to a possession based, attacking style (compared to Nani, Hernandez or Cleverly at least)...regardless of his position in the lineup.
1. Kagawa has barely ever, if ever, done anything of use on the wing. Nani wasn't exactly the man to bring on, but I've not seen anything from Kagawa to suggest that he'd have turned the game for us.
2. Again, I've not seen anything from Kagawa that has shown that he's a game changing player. Whatever supposed attributes he has, I don't think dictating and increasing the pace of play is one of them.
3. Like I said, LVG has said he wanted to play Kagawa in a midfield two and he wasn't good enough. If he can't play there, he can't play there. You seem to live in a fantasy land where Kagawa posses a load of skills that in reality he lacks.
4. Nani played wing-back, a position that Kagawa would be awful in. Nani was shite too, but at least he's a natural winger. Playing a bloke who seems to only be play in about 20 square yards in the middle of the pitch at wing-back would be a disaster.
5. Hernandez can easily provide 15 goals a season? What planet do you live on. He's only managed 15 goals in a season once for us, and that was in his first season, 4 years ago, spread across all competitions. He's regressed a great deal since then, and only managed 4 last season. He also doesn't appear very content with sitting on the bench. Kagawa can't play up front so I'm not sure why you think he'd be able to do the job of a striker.
6. He has been given a chance though. LVG clearly doesn't think he's good enough to start as No. 10, nor does he think he's good enough to be a wing-back, and after trying him in midfield, he doesn't think he's good enough to play there either. Young had a good preseason so LVG's probably hoping he can replicate that in the league, and Cleverley plays in a position that we severely lack strength in, so his starting is more to do with a lack of options than anything else. They also both play in positions that Kagawa can't play in, so them starting makes no difference to how often Kagawa features.
As repeated time and time again by Kagawa's little fan club, he's basically a very limited player. He can play in one position in one system, and that's it. If you play him anywhere else or in a different system, he's average at best. He's not good enough to build a team around, and even if you were to play the system you think he's best in, I still don't think there's room for him
and Mata, and I'd much rather play Mata.
You also need to stop mentioning these other players. Hernandez is finished, Nani's already gone, and Cleverley plays in a position that LVG himself has said Kagawa was shit in. One minute you're all saying that he has to play No. 10 to be any good, and the next you're saying he should be playing up front, on the wing, or in midfield. The guy's not good enough, and that's it.
Anyway, this has bugger all to do with MK Dons so I suggest that if you want to continue this we move it to the Kagawa thread.