Sophomore slump, like clockwork. I recommend we take it easy on the boy.
15
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 21
- Goals
- 0
- Assists
- 1
- Yellow cards
- 1
- Status
LvG doesn't rate him. True story.
Wasn't a big fan of it but I now see no other alternative other than for him to go on loan.
LVG has fecked it up with Januzaj, no two ways about it. For all his reputation of handling young players, he might well have ruined our best one.
LVG has fecked it up with Januzaj, no two ways about it. For all his reputation of handling young players, he might well have ruined our best one.
Adnan plays - he's terrible, he isnt that good, loan him out, whats the hype about him about
Adnan doesnt play - LVG doesnt rate him, he ruined him, he'll be gone this summer.
Adnan doesnt play - LVG doesnt rate him, he ruined him, he'll be gone this summer.
3-5-2 doesn't suits him very much.
He can't play left wing back, he's not good enough to play 10 because of the competition and can't play striker too.
I'd rather have him in our team if Van Gaal finaly play in 4-3-3. I'm sure that he can develop in a very very good footballer, but he's not in a very good period now, but I found him pretty good when he came against Stoke
He can't play left wing back, he's not good enough to play 10 because of the competition and can't play striker too.
I'd rather have him in our team if Van Gaal finaly play in 4-3-3. I'm sure that he can develop in a very very good footballer, but he's not in a very good period now, but I found him pretty good when he came against Stoke
So much for "he'll play during the festive period". I thought he would start or at least come on today. I hope he goes out on loan and gets some regular first team football.
Are people really suggesting van Gaal has ruined Januzaj's career? fecking hell.
He was ill.
Not sure what happens behind the scenes in training, but given our 3-5-2 formation, I can't really imagine him playing as a wing back, or ahead of our strikers at the moment.
Van Gaal hasn't mucked anything up.
This was his last season with Bayern in 2010/11 and the players' ages at the time.
___Ribery 27_________Gomez 25___________Muller 21_______
________Schweinsteiger 26__Tymoshchuk 31__Kroos 21_______
___Pranjic 29___Van Buyten 32___Badstuber 21___Lahm 27___
________________________Butt 36_________________________
Kroos and Muller both better defensive players than Januzaj even at that age. Kroos already had amazing ball retention and 5 goals/assists and Muller had 23 goals/assists that season and lost the ball a similar amount to Januzaj does, just further up the pitch.
Van Gaal needs midfielders who can tackle, because Mata and Di Maria are often in the team and neither are great at it. He needs players who can retain possession, or else are so prolific infront of goal that they're difficult to ignore. Or he needs things the other players in his team lack, like pace upfront.
He isn't there to pick the team for the future, he's there to win. You don't pick Pranjic, Tymoshchuk and Van Buyten to build for the future, but to win pragmatically in the here and now. Muller, Kroos and Badstuber earned their spots, they weren't projects.
People are going completely over the top with the Januzaj thing. Van Gaal ruining him etc. Ludicrous. We're playing a system that simply doesn't suit him. And when he has had chances this season, he has not played well. So why does he deserve to start? He doesn't, simple.
He was injured when the fixture was more congested and his chances of playing were higher, unfortunately. Also when he got his chances he was pretty poor, so he needs to be patient and wait for his chance again.
Does this have any relevance to what I posted?
Fact is after a superb opening season at the club, Januzaj has declined this season and we continue to stick with a formation that's both shit and does not suit one of our most promising players.
The relevance being Van Gaal picks young players who bring things he wants to the team, he's not about advancing their careers to his own detriment. They have to retain the ball, provide defence or score/create goals.
Muller's was miles better at scoring/creating and Kroos as good as Januzaj. Kroos though fantastic at not giving away the ball, while Badstuber a really competent defender.
Van Gaal hasn't let him down at all. Januzaj's the same as he was last year, but defences have found out tricks to stop him and he hasn't learned enough new ones to overcome that. Van Gaal doesn't owe it to anybody to pick a player with 4 goals to his name who can't defend or keep hold of the ball yet. His entire system is based on keeping control of games and those are two fantastic ways of losing control, as Stoke reminded all of us.
I understand that and you are right at the moment he doesn't deserve to start. But this isn't a 28 year old who is not playing well and doesn't suit the system.
This is one of the best young talents in the world who could develop into one of the best. This is a key phase of his development and he needs game time or he's going to stagnate. With regards to his playing time, it has been limited and mostly of the bench. LvG will try to appease him by bringing him on at LWB but we all know he's not going to be effective there. LvG needs to make a decision, either change system which I believe would benefit the whole team not just Januzaj or loan the kid out because he needs to be playing football.
For all of that, I think he's been unlucky. Yesterday is a prime example. Yeah, I would have probably started him. But the plan was, I imagine, to give him minutes in the second half. Once we had injuries we were left with Di Maria as our last sub and getting him match fit is infinitely more important right now. That sort of thing has happened a few times, where we've had injuries, or been playing poorly and as such bringing him on wouldn't have made much sense.
The bit in bold is just not true, not even close. There's plenty of revisionism going on with regards to Januzaj last season.
At the moment LVG's team selections are very questionable. We've had 2 games in the entire season where he could say we've played well throughout the 90 minutes. He keeps sticking with this crap 3-5-2 garbage with a number of players out of position and our best young player n the bench. If LVG's syetem is based on control, then he's done quite a pathetic job of implementing the same so far.
Januzaj last season was useful in a free role and full of promise, but not even close to good enough from a practical point of view.
Chances created and possession lost for every 10 successful dribbles.
2013-14
Januzaj - created 6, lost 11
2014-15
Sterling - created 7, lost 6
Bojan - created 7, lost 9
Hazard - created 6, lost 6
Mahrez - created 6, lost 6
Bolasie - created 5, lost 6
Moses - created 5, lost 6
Oxlade-Chamberlain - created 5, lost 3
You can't be losing the ball twice as often as guys like Bolasie, Moses and Mahrez, while creating similar amount of chances.
Oxlade-Chamberlain would probably get in this United team, because like Kroos, you can trust him to not get caught in possession.
That's too much for Van Gaal to cope with; playing Rooney, Mata, Van Persie and Falcao.
Carrick is brilliant but he isn't superman. It needs players like Rooney and Mata retaining the ball whilst they pose a scoring threat.
You wouldn't demand Zaha to play so you can't Januzaj. He loses the ball nearly twice for every chance he creates.
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Yesterday was also a great example of the foolishness of perennial complaints every time we start a weakened team when we're playing inferior opposition a few days before a really big game. Lost track of the amount of times we start a weakened team and people say the manager should have started with a strong XI, then subbed people off after we get a comfortable lead. Yesterday was a great example of that. The XI we started should have been far too strong for Yeovil but shit happens in football and we ended up being forced to play a number of our best XI for the full 90. No biggy, as we've got a decent break between games but would have been a disaster if we had a Tuesday night CL fixture.
All very good but he's not a winger and doesn't have the pace to play there. He can skip by he full backs occassionally but too often the full backs can recover because he doesn't have the pace to get away. Prime example being the Southampton game aganst SHaw. His ability to drive forward is utilized a lot better through the middle.
This season, he spent the game against WBA playng almost like a touchline winger which reduced his effectiveness and made him very predictable. The very next game he was our best attacking player against Chelsea and played a great through ball for RVP. Got taken off aganst CIty after Smalling was sent off and was average against Palace. Don't think he's started a game since then. The other games he's barely had any time to make an impact.
The fact that you're comparing Zaha to Januzaj says it all. Januzaj is level or three above Zaha. There's no reason why Januzaj can't start ahead of Falcao. Not like either of them are pulling up any trees. RVP up top with Januzaj and Mata beind him sounds good to me. Added creativity and dynamism.
Right now, we need to loan him out. He needs to play games and Van Gaal clearly does not rate him.
I wouldn't play Januzaj up top based on the erractic finishing we have seen from him this very season.
Whilst I think hes a great talent, his decision making and rashness at times in key positions needs to improve, too many times hes had the ball in great positions only to blaze the ball over from an impossible angle.
I didn't say up top. Play him behind RVP. His finishing and composure will not improve looking on from the bench.
At the expense of Mata? Di Maira? Or Rooney when we're trying to get back into title contention?
I want him to play more too, but when he gets his chances on the pitch he needs to show alot more than he has so far.
The only game I actually thought he did well in was Chelsea.
Chances created is such a bad stat as is key passes. Januzaj did lose the ball a lot last season, but he still dribbled past players and picked up a lot of fouls from his dribbling (which don't count as dribbles despite getting past a defender). He was a better passer last season than Sterling. He was a better crosser, better at cross field balls, and actually did more through balls per minute on the pitch. That was evident. Sterling was the better dribbler though, and had more end product. His ability to do a through ball progressed towards the last part of the season and some of those passes were really impressive. Though both players were better last season compared to this, Sterling has still been good while Januzaj hasn't. Sterling is clearly ahead of Januzaj at the moment and was last season.
Januzaj was inconsistent last season, but some of his performances were extremely impressive. The home Newcastle match in particular was one of my favorites, though it's too bad there is no touch compilation of that performance anymore.
The talent is there, he just needs to get minutes and fans need to show patience.
Januzaj was inconsistent last season, but some of his performances were extremely impressive. The home Newcastle match in particular was one of my favorites, though it's too bad there is no touch compilation of that performance anymore.
The talent is there, he just needs to get minutes and fans need to show patience.
Falcao.
Let's be fair here. He's had 4 starts this season and in one of them he had to be taken off early due to a red. That's nowhere near enough time to pass any judgement especially in a young player who looked so promising last year.
Don't get me wrong I am not judging him. I actually just don't see that he warrants starting games. I would have started him in the FA Cup game though, but apparently he only just back to being fit after being ill.
Its a bit like Falcao when he was out many people crying and wanting him to play more, I'm sure when hes fit and we don't struggle in games he'll get minutes (off the bench) and if he does well he'll get more.
That's true enough but how is he going to prove his talent if all he's given is a few minutes playing completely out of position?
Unfortunately thats life, also he isn't really playing completely out of positions I.E playing out wide isn't completely out of position for him, given he played there quite a bit last season too. I know its not his best position but you need to take your chances when you get them.
I was talking more about the Stoke game. Even when he's come on, he's invariably come on when we've had no control of games. A bit like Wilson in fact.
Januzaj was sensational when he first exploded onto the scene, but then he was rested (and got a nice new contract) and he's not been the same since.
At the backend of last season, he was all dribbling and no end product.
Teams learnt how to deal with him, and he's been ineffective since.
And this season, whenever he's been on, it's all dribbling and no end product.
He's more keen on dribbling past players but then he doesn't deliver the cross that's needed.
More often than not, I get frustrated when he's got the ball because he'll run it into a crowd when there's others opened ready for a easy shot.
It's like Ronaldo when he first joined (tho Ronaldo was better).
Unfortunately for Januzaj, our current squad is actually stronger and he doesn't have the luxury of playing weekly to 'get it right'.
At the backend of last season, he was all dribbling and no end product.
Teams learnt how to deal with him, and he's been ineffective since.
And this season, whenever he's been on, it's all dribbling and no end product.
He's more keen on dribbling past players but then he doesn't deliver the cross that's needed.
More often than not, I get frustrated when he's got the ball because he'll run it into a crowd when there's others opened ready for a easy shot.
It's like Ronaldo when he first joined (tho Ronaldo was better).
Unfortunately for Januzaj, our current squad is actually stronger and he doesn't have the luxury of playing weekly to 'get it right'.
I agree, but saying that if he wants to break back into the team, its in exactly these kind of scenarios he needs to do more to take his chances and make an impact.
I think this season he is a bit too passive when it comes to taking players on, that is just an observation but he seems to wait far too long when he is one on one with a defender, seems to lack a bit of confidence in that aspect of his game, but I'm sure it'll come back.
I realise what I am saying above in terms of him coming on and making an impact seems harsh, but unless he wants to wait for less important games when he can get starts (which this season because we are so far behing the leaders there wont be many) then he has to try and force his way into the team, which means he has to be very positive in his play when he comes on the pitch. Thats actually what made him so good last season, when he was good that is, is that he was confident and positive in his play.
EDIT: The alternative is to give him a run in the team regardless of his form, which may be an option but then when we are fighting quite a bit this season do we take that risk and leave one of Di Maria Mata Rooney etc on the bench for him?
Think if LVG is going to pursue with 3-5-2 he should be loaned.
If he considers 4-4-2 especially as injuries continue then Januzaj has an option as a winger, but he's not getting enough games, if he could find himself some games at a prem side which has limited squad numbers but are playing alright football then this would work. Southampton could be an option they play Tadic left side who doesnt always perform and never lasts 90 mins. With Mane injured they could do with someone behind Pelle too.
Southampton may be a bit optimistic given their current form, but there's a few sides in the prem where he'd get games which surely has to be better than potentially getting 5+ cameo 20 min performances between now and end of the season.
If he considers 4-4-2 especially as injuries continue then Januzaj has an option as a winger, but he's not getting enough games, if he could find himself some games at a prem side which has limited squad numbers but are playing alright football then this would work. Southampton could be an option they play Tadic left side who doesnt always perform and never lasts 90 mins. With Mane injured they could do with someone behind Pelle too.
Southampton may be a bit optimistic given their current form, but there's a few sides in the prem where he'd get games which surely has to be better than potentially getting 5+ cameo 20 min performances between now and end of the season.
If they're giving minutes to a youngster, think they'd rather do it for Ward-Prowse than Januzaj. He's been really good. They've also played Isgrove, Gape, Reed and Hesketh, so I doubt they'd want to bring along a slightly out of form United youngster when it's working for them with their own.
Infact it's really hard to find a Premier League team that can afford such a loose winger. Leicester for example wouldn't replace Mahrez or Schlupp with him.
QPR's wingers are abysmal, but I'm not sure they play great football.
Still think Holland is the best destination. Attacking formations, lots of goals, even guys like Atsu and Altidore wracked up great numbers.
You don't play a formation just to suit a 19 year old who's barely played one proper season of football. Playing him ahead of Mata or Falcao is just nonsense.
I never suggested otherwise. But you also don't play a formation that suits precisely no one in the squad and full of players out of position.
Falcao has been poor. He might have been good once upon a time, but he's not done much so far.
Not a huge fan of 3-5-2 but.
3-5-2 suits Rojo, Smalling and Jones since it helps Rojo and Jones take a few more risks out towards the wing without leaving their centre back partner in trouble, while giving Smalling passing options.
It's not bad for Carrick and Rooney, because they're 2 on 2 in midfield but with more protection in behind.
Shaw and Rafael get to be the attacking full backs they want to be.
It suits Mata or Di Maria in behind the strikers because it gives them two goal scorers to pass into, with the less likelihood of them being marked out of the game.
It suits Falcao and Van Persie because it gets them both on the pitch.
Only person it doesn't favour is Januzaj and possibly Herrera.
Understand your point but if he cant get in those teams he's not going to make it here lets be honest. Loan or not he should be able to get into those sides. I think Saints have already made there move for a winger/forward with Elia coming in.
Holland wouldnt be a bad move I think I'd just prefer the prem as that's where hopefully he'll apply his trade for utd and therefore you get more of a gauge if they cant actually make it in this league.
It suits no one really which explains why we end up playing shit and tumescent football. Rojo and Jones aren't good enough and both specialize in running the ball straight into the opposition. Di Maria has been average since we changed into a back 3 actually. He was very good in the diamond. Rooney did very well in the diamond as well. The 3-5-2 involves wasting his ability by playing him deeper.
After the cringefest the club made over him being our "new number 11" during the summer, it was almost inevitable that this season was gonna turn out like has for him.
On a side note, he looks a bit like a member of Jedward
On a side note, he looks a bit like a member of Jedward
After the cringefest the club made over him being our "new number 11" during the summer, it was almost inevitable that this season was gonna turn out like has for him.
On a side note, he looks a bit like a member of Jedward
What cringefest?
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