[The Corinthian]

He's clearly a very competent defender.

It's the other parts of his game that need massive improvements. Can ETH get there with him? I'd like to see him try at least.

 

[Long Time Red]

He's clearly a very competent defender.

It's the other parts of his game that need massive improvements. Can ETH get there with him? I'd like to see him try at least.

He's never going to be a brilliant attacker but I think he can made to look more competent on the ball, especially if we signed a top midfielder who come and offer a pass inside for him when we're trying to play out rather than our current lot who don't really show for a pass.

 

[led_scholes]

He has immense talent. One of very few likable players in a team IMO. I feel like he could stop prime Messi, Ronaldo, Bale and literally everyone. Wish we had a good training coaches.

How did you reach the conclusion he has immense talent? He was uncomfortable with the ball before he came to us. People like Savage and AWB will make a career, but never in the top. He doesn't seem to be that talented actually. Or maybe he was unlucky and he never had a good coach.

 

[Long Time Red]

How did you reach the conclusion he has immense talent? He was uncomfortable with the ball before he came to us. People like Savage and AWB will make a career, but never in the top. He doesn't seem to be that talented actually. Or maybe he was unlucky and he never had a good coach.

I think that is that case.

There's numerous examples of players who have massively improved with top coaching.

Kyle Walker and John Stones struggled in the first few years at City and were considered a waste of money and too error prone.

Nobody is saying that anymore and I think similarly AWB deserves to show what he can do under a top coach.

 

[Sylar]

He's clearly a very competent defender.

It's the other parts of his game that need massive improvements. Can ETH get there with him? I'd like to see him try at least.

I sometimes question the competent defender due to the way he jogs back or jogs out to a player and How often he's out of position
He's good at tackles one on one though.

 

[Bwuk]

Trent & Robertson yesterday showed the standard we need if we want to get back to the top.

AWB will never be that player. Sell him whilst he still has any sort of value and move on.

 

[tomaldinho1]

The funny thing when people say Dalot is better offensively is neither he or AWB have a single goal or assist this season. I see the value of Bissaka given where we are as a team (he should play against good teams if we need a defensive option) but I just don’t get Dalot. Surely Laird is already better than him?

 

[R'hllor]

Hard to improve attacking part of the game when you are not able to pass or control the ball properly.

 

[mctrials23]

He's clearly a very competent defender.

It's the other parts of his game that need massive improvements. Can ETH get there with him? I'd like to see him try at least.

Hes currently not even close to being a competent defender. His sole competence is tackling and one on ones. Both of which are not anything like the most important parts of being a modern defender. The best defenders have positional awareness, a tireless work ethic, good communication skills, the ability to track runs and predict where they need to be to cut out passes and make blocks. He has none of the aforementioned abilities. Hes lazy, doesn't track runnings even remotely well, is a meek personality and has the positional IQ of a lemming.

Thats ignoring the fact that any modern full back needs to be able to join the attack.

 

[sullydnl]

The funny thing when people say Dalot is better offensively is neither he or AWB have a single goal or assist this season. I see the value of Bissaka given where we are as a team (he should play against good teams if we need a defensive option) but I just don’t get Dalot. Surely Laird is already better than him?

I think saying Dalot is better offensively is a mistake of language.

Dalot is better on the ball than AWB. By which I mean his touch and control is better, he's more resistant to being pressed and he's better able to pass/carry the ball forward from fullback. But that doesn't translate into any real output or threat offensively. And obviously he's also bad defensively.

So basically Dalot is okay at moving the ball forward out of defence and that's about it.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

He's good at tackling, that doesn't mean he's a good defender.

He's constantly out of position or unaware of where the man he's supposed to be marking is.

 

[Van Piorsing]

Apart from Jadon, we are signing all the wrong English players.

 

[Lynty]

Our forwards aren't even competant at attacking. Can we sort that out before pointing fingers at full backs for lack of goals and assists

AWB isn't going anywhere this summer. Hopefully Ten Hag can coach something into him next season.

 

[led_scholes]

I think that is that case.

There's numerous examples of players who have massively improved with top coaching.

Kyle Walker and John Stones struggled in the first few years at City and were considered a waste of money and too error prone.

Nobody is saying that anymore and I think similarly AWB deserves to show what he can do under a top coach.

Walker was considered among the best RB in the league already before joining City. Stones was regarded quity highly. Didn't anyone consider AWB as an exceptional talent, except the people who thought that Maguire is equal to VVD?

 

[Ekeke]

Our best leftback performance of the season.

 

[tomaldinho1]

I think saying Dalot is better offensively is a mistake of language.

Dalot is better on the ball than AWB. By which I mean his touch and control is better, he's more resistant to being pressed and he's better able to pass/carry the ball forward from fullback. But that doesn't translate into any real output or threat offensively. And obviously he's also bad defensively.

So basically Dalot is okay at moving the ball forward out of defence and that's about it.

Basically we hope ETH brings Mazroui on a free.

I still have hope for AWB, many people on this thread keep talking about positioning but I don’t think they understand our system and it happens on the other side too - I don’t blame either full back for many of things posters seem to criticise on here as ‘bad’ positioning. I’ll be interested in seeing AWB if he gets a chance in the new setup, he’ll never be TAA but I still believe he can chip in with 5 assists or so a season and be a rock at the back.

 

[el3mel]

I remember one poster here called him a "cracking player to watch" in his first season while I was discussing his performance with that poster.

I chuckle every time I remember this.

 

[Sky1981]

50 million

Let that sunk in. Fifty fooking million

 

[Berbaclass]

Played 6/25 games under Ragnick. A sign that he's one of the trouble makers along with Lingard, Bailly, etc.?

 

[led_scholes]

Played 6/25 games under Ragnick. A sign that he's one of the trouble makers along with Lingard, Bailly, etc.?

I don't think so. At least he doesn't seem that guy, and we haven't heard any rumor. RR has played him in important matches even though he could have picked Dalot,.e.g Atletico. I think it's just down to him being a bit limited footballer. I think he is one of the players that ETH will keep, at least this year. Except, if Laird really blows him during pre season or we buy a new RB.

 

[Still ill]

I remember one poster here called him a "cracking player to watch" in his first season while I was discussing his performance with that poster.

I chuckle every time I remember this.

He IS a cracking player to watch on his day. Who doesn't love watching tackling like that? He hasn't enough about him to bring it when all around him is shit. Which of them do? 50 million seems utterly laughable now but a resurrection under ETH is not beyond the realms of possibility.

 

[MikeKing]

Hard to improve attacking part of the game when you are not able to pass or control the ball properly.

There is also something to mention that players comes with many different styles. Just because someone has an unorthodox style or is cut from a different cloth to someone else, doesn't necessarily mean they aren't able to pass or control the ball "properly" full stop. How do you define properly in this context? That you look a certain way while doing it, or just failing to do it full stop? Because we've all seen him drible past players, pass and give assists. He even created a really good goal scoring opportunity for himself last season through combination play. Doesn't sound like someone who is incapable of properly being able to pass or control the ball.

 

[el3mel]

He IS a cracking player to watch on his day. Who doesn't love watching tackling like that? He hasn't enough about him to bring it when all around him is shit. Which of them do? 50 million seems utterly laughable now but a resurrection under ETH is not beyond the realms of possibility.

No he's not. There's nothing exciting about AWB style of play and excessive tackling speaks more of a poor defender who needs last ditch tackles all the time rather than an actual good defender who contains the opposition.

If our target is to win something major, we will have to ultimately upgrade on him. There's limit to how much a player can improve.

 

[MikeKing]

No he's not. There's nothing exciting about AWB style of play and excessive tackling speaks more of a poor defender who needs last ditch tackles all the time rather than an actual good defender who contains the opposition.

If our target is to win something major, we will have to ultimately upgrade on him. There's limit to how much a player can improve.

You could say the same thing for Henderson or Matip and countless other players through the times that has won major titles. This idea that a team will never win anything with this - insert one player - is such a heavily used and weird argument. It doesn't really work like that, and it sounds silly when he is playing for a team barely trying to chase top 4. He has been our best fullback for years, and one of our most consistent performers up until the end of last season. Terrible season for him no doubt, but he is as much of a problem as De Gea is right now if you ask me. Might not win anything with any of them but it might not be their fault completely either.

 

[el3mel]

You could say the same thing for Henderson or Matip and countless other players through the times that has won major titles. This idea that a team will never win anything with this - insert one player - is such a heavily used and weird argument. It doesn't really work like that, and it sounds silly when he is playing for a team barely trying to chase top 4. He has been our best fullback for years, and one of our most consistent performers up until the end of last season. Terrible season for him no doubt, but he is as much of a problem as De Gea is right now if you ask me. Might not win anything with any of them but it might not be their fault completely either.

The roles requires from players like Henderson and Matip is different from those requires from the position AWB plays in, so this comparison doesn't work.

Oue best fullback for years? You are saying it as if he's competing with Patrice Evra for such title. Being better than Dalot and Telles is hardly an achievement. With this logic we can say Maguire has been our best defender for years so why are we slaughtering him? Not to mention the team won and achieved feck all in this period anyway.

 

[Oranges038]

There is also something to mention that players comes with many different styles. Just because someone has an unorthodox style or is cut from a different cloth to someone else, doesn't necessarily mean they aren't able to pass or control the ball "properly" full stop. How do you define properly in this context? That you look a certain way while doing it, or just failing to do it full stop? Because we've all seen him drible past players, pass and give assists. He even created a really good goal scoring opportunity for himself last season through combination play. Doesn't sound like someone who is incapable of properly being able to pass or control the ball.

Nothing is natural to him, it's almost like he's over thinking every move and actually looks panicked and terrified when he sees a ball coming across the pitch to him. Remember he was supposed to be a winger, so you would imagine he'd at least have some natural ball playing ability.

If you watch his body positon, how he tries to control the ball, where he takes his first touch to. This all points to a player who has poor technique.

On the ball, everything is a scramble, he dribbles like a child chasing a ball down a hill and his passing is atrocious, he's either stabbing it away with the outside of his boot or playing shitty bobbly passes off the inside of his ankle, he rarely ever gives the receiver the ball the correct foot or even with the right weight of pass. All of which again points to poor technique and a lack of proper ball control skills.

 

[CloneMC16]

Played 6/25 games under Ragnick. A sign that he's one of the trouble makers along with Lingard, Bailly, etc.?

He looks like the last player that would be a troublemaker. Ralf doesn't play him, because he thinks he's not good enough. Bailly has talked a lot to the media about being unhappy at his lack of game time. Lingard hasn't talked directly to the media, but there has been constant rumours that he's one of the leakers. We've heard nothing about AWB. He was a consistent starter under Ole. Even since Ralf came in and stopped starting him, we still haven't heard about any issues with him. If he was causing problems, you'd think that would start to come out when he stopped starting games. Watching him on the pitch, it doesn't look like he talks at all. I can't see him being an issue to manage and being a troublemaker. Unless he's completely different off the pitch, but I find that hard to believe.

He IS a cracking player to watch on his day. Who doesn't love watching tackling like that? He hasn't enough about him to bring it when all around him is shit. Which of them do? 50 million seems utterly laughable now but a resurrection under ETH is not beyond the realms of possibility.

At his best, I do agree with this. I think that about a lot of our players, though. On their day, they can all look like a United quality player. What they lack is consistency. A lack of consistency is a major problem, and what will stop them from being good enough at this level.

We all know that he is a top quality slide tackler. Even at his worst, we can count on him to do this, and make very important blocks. I also think he's a very good ball carrier. When he's playing confidently, he easily takes the ball around the opposition fullback and goes on a long ball carry. I've watched him do this many times. His problem is then producing some end product.

Last season, I think he was better than a lot of people made out. Even at the beginning of this season, I think he was better than Maguire and Shaw. That's probably not saying much, but he wasn't complete shit. Still, if he were sold, I would understand. If we're trying to compete with City and Liverpool, we need higher quality than he's shown he's capable of.

 

[SuperiorXI]

We should keep him, he's a very useful tool against tricky pacy wingers. Should be be starting every game? Probably not, but he is definitely worth keeping IMO.

 

[romufc]

I would sell him for anything over £10m. He is not a serious footballer, his greatest moments have been last ditch tackles.

Prefer a defender that intercepts and positions well and not required to make last ditch tackles.

On the ball, he is probably the worst footballer to play for us.

 

[Red the Bear]

It seems Viera wants him back, he got a lot of shit right here and while he simply didn't have the attacking skills required, I liked him , he had a lot of heart and never made a fuss of things.

 

[Adisa]

Every journo saying he's for sale. Not surprised really.
The kind of signing that gets scouts and DoFs sacked

 

[L1nk]

 

[golden_blunder]

I would sell him for anything over £10m. He is not a serious footballer, his greatest moments have been last ditch tackles.

Prefer a defender that intercepts and positions well and not required to make last ditch tackles.

On the ball, he is probably the worst footballer to play for us.

Bit of an over exaggeration there I think. When I think of players like Djemba Djemba who have ‘played’ for us

 

[Red the Bear]

Yeah that's what I had seen.

But doesn't Viera like to play attacking football?

 

[Revan]

Don’t see how ETH plays him next season considering that passing in that system is extremely important (even more than in RR system). At this stage, we should sell him for whatever money we can get, cause his value will only go further down and he is useless as a player for us.

 

[Cloud7]

Good

 

[choccy77]

Palace only want him on loan apparently

 

[JeffFromHK]

Would be happy to sell him at anything more than 25M. He is not even one of the top 10 RBs in the PL.

 

[GlasgowCeltic]

At least Clyne can say it was injuries and the emergence of Trent that sent him back to Palace

 

[SilentWitness]

Feel a bit sorry for him. He is a bit like James in that both clearly have talent but the United move was just far too early in their career for the side United are currently. Under SAF you could afford having a raw talent in the side as the seniors were competent enough to guide/guard them in games but it's just not the same. Of course he has huge holes in his game but that was known when he was signed and it doesn't look like it's been worked on at all. He's only 24 still, he should still go on to have a solid career in the PL. The price tag will be used against him too when that's not his fault either.