thought he was pretty terrible for most of it considering he had the full pre season, if he had just returned I would have put it down to being rusty. did press well for the chance with Lukkaku and think was just after it played a stunning cross field ball to mata I think it was which we should have done better with. hopefully finds his performances quickly because he needs to be a lot better.
7
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 27
- Goals
- 2
- Assists
- 5
- Yellow cards
- 2
- Status
I enjoyed seeing him play through the middle during the summer, as he's kind of predictable on the left wing. Would love to see something like this (as we don't really have any wingers);
Martial (/Rashford) - Lukaku
Sanchez
Pogba - Fred
Pereira (/Matic)
Whoever - who's - in - form
De Gea
And as we've seen already - Martial can operate on the left and Lukaku is very good on the right side with a mean cross with his left foot. We would see Sanchez, Pogba and Fred in their best positions and Pereira/Matic protecting the back four.Sanchez
Pogba - Fred
Pereira (/Matic)
Whoever - who's - in - form
De Gea
Would love to see that formation. I like Martials close control and I think he would work well with Lukaku. We would need our wingbacks to offer width, Shaw could do that on the left, not sure about Darmian or Valencia so I'd like to see young on the right.
Midfield three look solid, would retain the ball well and support the attack then required. I doubt Jose would ever go for something like this though
Seriously lacking creativity from the wide areas. Maybe the quality through the centre would mitigate it but most teams would be happy to play a compact defense and deny any channels to play through. If we had City's full backs, this formation would be ideal. But we have Valencia and Young.
I am hopeful that Sanchez can have a big season now he's settled. We need him to if we want to find any success, IMO. Watching him so far, however, everything seems laboured and as if he just can't get by players that two years ago he would have took the Micky out of. For now he gets the benefit of the doubt as the season has only just begun, but if the performances remain the same into October then a decision would have to be made. Whether that be a change of position or dropping to the bench. At the moment it seems more reputation based than performance based, which echoes that of Wayne Rooney in his latter years at Old Trafford. I will give Sanchez credit though. The effort is there and he will probably find or create at least one chance a game which can always be the difference.
My gripe is that if nothing changes, he is taking up the position of a (probably) more capable Rashford or Martial on the left side, while our right side is begging for someone to make it their own. I'll be so annoyed if we don't at least try this at some point. I think he can be better than anyone else in our squad in that position, even if it's not his favourite.
My gripe is that if nothing changes, he is taking up the position of a (probably) more capable Rashford or Martial on the left side, while our right side is begging for someone to make it their own. I'll be so annoyed if we don't at least try this at some point. I think he can be better than anyone else in our squad in that position, even if it's not his favourite.
He has probably been killing himself in pre-season to be fit. We can cut him some slack. Let's see him in the next game.
Play him through the middle with Rom.
He isn't a winger anymore.
He isn't a winger anymore.
I wouldn’t say we have anyone who is ‘better’ on the right, what we have is a large collection of players who can’t make an impact on games there. Anyone who we realistically can (and previously did) play on the right - Mata, Lingard, Martial, Rashford, Sanchez, Lukaku... not De Gea - only reach the kind of performance levels that we want and need, and that they are capable of, in other positions.
I agree that both Martial and Rashford have shown themselves to be capable left wingers and are worthy of playing time in that role, but they will be doing very, very well to surpass Sanchez’s level generally.
For Arsenal, Alexis was used on the left of a 4-2-3-1 for his first two seasons, then played up front for the majority of his third season (the season before last). Wenger changed the shape in the later stages of the season to a 3-4-3 and used Sanchez off the left, which continued into last season until he of course signed with us. He was Arsenal’s best player over his time there, where he played the vast majority of his games on the left. His best season was as a striker and his general level dipped considerably in his final half season.
That is obviously a massive issue here and now, as his performances haven’t picked up for us. I can see why someone would look at his performances and wonder why we would bring him in, and persist with him, at the expense of our two youngsters, and where the will to see him shifted to another position where he has played before, and see Martial or Rashford restored to the line up, comes from. It’s just that this lacks context. In isolation, we could point to periods of form from the later two and say they are not good enough and do not deserve that spot. Sanchez had a good rest and a good pre-season, and he has shown more than either of them have on the left previously. If we persist with a 4-3-3, it makes sense to give him a run on the left. By all means if it doesn’t work then change things, bring in Rashford or Martial and move Alexis. Shifting him to the right, though, would be an acknowledgement that he has essentially failed here.
If we had been having this conversation prior to Sanchez signing I would have completely agreed. We signed a great player but he wasn’t what we needed. Now with him a part of the squad I feel it is moot, until we see if Sanchez can find his form. Starting a new season is starting again. He disappointed last term, but the break allows him to reset and potentially hit his previous heights. That is what we have to lose at this moment in time, theoretically. Moving him to the right becomes reasonable if he fails to recapture his brilliance. Again, that would be accepting that our star forward and highest earner is no longer good enough.
Again it’s a question of the cost of doing so. It’s only as simple as saying two is better than three if you don’t consider the other area of personnel that it would affect. Is it worth it when it means playing only two of Matic, Pogba, Fred, Pereira and Herrera?
Our attack will be handicapped regardless. We need energetic movement and penetrating runs from somewhere and Lingard, despite other deficiencies, is the only player who provides enough of these qualities (well, Rashford maybe, but not to the same extent). I think he was a big factor in the few periods where we actually showed some effective and coordinated attacking play last season. Might as well shoehorn him in where no-one else excels anyway.
He's right you know. Martial is better than him. Sanchez was poor for Arsenal in the first half of last season but people made excuses like "oh he wants to leave, his heart's not in it anymore, his head's gone", etc, but knowing the kind of player he is - the kind who gives his all, is professional, and doesn't down tools when hes unhappy - we should have seen this coming from a mile away. I suppose though that its worth the risk for someone who at the very least WAS such a quality player. Though, based on how hes played at United at least hes nowhere near world class.
Martial isn't just better, he's a much better player based on his performances for us vs Sanchez's. Its not even debatable or close. You would have to be absolutely blind to not see that he absolutely oozes talent and in terms of efficiency he is far more efficient than someone like Alexis. His end product has been better and his hold up play is a lot better so he gives up possession a lot less. More importantly he is much better at beating a player and is only 22.
My issue with him is he misses easy passes as he holds onto the ball for far too long. Few times against Leicester he could slide in Rashford or Mata but he's so slow at getting his head up.
A settled Sanchez is better than Martial by distance. We should allow him to settle and stop whinging.
Prob not in the positions we are asking Sanchex to pick up the ball? Primarily in and around our half way line like against Leicester. I think a fast winger running in behind would make a lot more sense. He doesn't eat up the ground like Martial but instead made a name for himself for Arsenal in and around the box.
Nobody notices that our left wing constantly fights with two to three players and remains isolated? The same applies to both Martial and Alexis as well as to Rashford when he plays there. Add to this the fact that they also have to track back a lot, so it becomes very very difficult for them.
Why is this happening then? Well, first, there is nobody of quality in the right wing, which would make us more unpredictable and difficult for the opposing team to mark. Now they know that they will overload our left flank with defenders.
Second, it is more of a coaching thing than a player thing. I am not in the anti-Mourinho camp, but the attacking problematic phase is his all on him, as is the improved defending one. I would bet that Martial and Alexis would thrive in an attacking well-drilled team. Alexis did so in the past (he cannot decline all of a sudden that much, come on). Martial as well had his best season with LVG because our positional system back then, even though it was boring, provided him with much space in order to take advantage one-to-one situations.
Why is this happening then? Well, first, there is nobody of quality in the right wing, which would make us more unpredictable and difficult for the opposing team to mark. Now they know that they will overload our left flank with defenders.
Second, it is more of a coaching thing than a player thing. I am not in the anti-Mourinho camp, but the attacking problematic phase is his all on him, as is the improved defending one. I would bet that Martial and Alexis would thrive in an attacking well-drilled team. Alexis did so in the past (he cannot decline all of a sudden that much, come on). Martial as well had his best season with LVG because our positional system back then, even though it was boring, provided him with much space in order to take advantage one-to-one situations.
This, we have no choice but to get Sanchez into fit and firing form if we want to compete.
If he's still in poor form in a couple of months i don't know what we should do but see Pogba for what happens if we bench him.
been c*ap since he joined
So we shouldn't speak on the piss poor perfromances he puts in and not want to see an alternative given a go?
He's not piss poor. We're one fecking game into the season for gods sake.
That's being kind too, if he's not improved by November he needs dropping and booting. I just hope he turns it around, currently his performance levels are Ibrahimovic levels but without the goals, the assists or being likable.
I'm speaking on his whole time here.
Despite the city game, he hasn't shown himself to he more than mediocre.
If he plays poorly, it'll be spoken on. We're talking about the top earner at the club who has been in this league for years. People are going to be "whinging" if he puts in more performances like the one against Leicester.
If he carries on as is, he might save Martial's United career.
He got a assist in the first match of the season. Fortunate, but he deserved an assist for setting Lukaku one on one so it balances out.
But yeah let's not like him anyway.
He's a signing for this season. I will judge him from the Leicester game onwards. Mourinho said the same.
The whole team was shite and disjointed when he joined, and he needed a rest in the summer to actually settle which would do him a world of good.
Also I'd have no issues if he performed like he did in the Leicester match with the same end result. Could have had 3 assists and a goal by the end of the match. His header floated over, got the first assist inadvertently and set up lukaku on goal too. For a "piss poor" performance it ain't too bad.
He was piss poor against leicester and he was mostly piss poor last season. I do hope that settling thing is coming fast, otherwise he is one of the worst deals we've made in a while.
Said last season that I feared his legs had gone and Friday didn't fill me with any confidence that I was wrong. The amount of times he lost the ball on Friday it was like having a man down at times. Really has to improve or we can't keep starting him. Thankfully for him, Rashford never took his chance (yet again) either.
I don't understand why we played him up top all pre-season, where he actually looked good. Only to shunt him back out to the left, where i've still seen him yet to perform for United bar one game. Then, go and put Rashford up top. You'd think we'd keep Sanchez up front as our main striker, since it's the position which is most important in this awful counter attacking setup Jose keeps failing to implement, and have Rashford on the left providing the pace.
The narrative of his legs being gone makes no sense in relation to him misplacing passes
TBH I have friends that are arsenal season ticket holders that warned me he gives the ball away an awful lot. At Arsenal he was one of the few guys that would try a risky pass. They get numbers forward and have better movement than us so makes sense that he is less successful.
TBH if we discouraged him from doing this then he would be just another player to knock it sideways. Hopefully he can improve as the season goes on. We are a tough side for an attacking player to play in
TBH I have friends that are arsenal season ticket holders that warned me he gives the ball away an awful lot. At Arsenal he was one of the few guys that would try a risky pass. They get numbers forward and have better movement than us so makes sense that he is less successful.
TBH if we discouraged him from doing this then he would be just another player to knock it sideways. Hopefully he can improve as the season goes on. We are a tough side for an attacking player to play in
Except he wasn't really "piss poor" against Leicester.
There's no value in discussing this player with posters who have just decided he's a bad deal after the first game of his full season. It stinks of bias.
Worst deals? We got rid of Mkhi in the process, would you rather have him here?
There's definitely something in the risky pass=lower success rate but from what I'm seeing, quite a few of the passes that are misplaced aren't risky, or even technically difficult for a player of his quality. I'm just not sure he's an especially consistent passer of the ball.
People who think Martial is better than Alexis need to watch more of them both or give up on football.
What is it with this over rating of Martial on this site?!
What is it with this over rating of Martial on this site?!
Let me be clear, I have not decided that he is crap yet and I certainly hope he will be better. There is also no value discussing with a person that can not see the flaws of a player. Sanchez is a player that HAS to deliver on all fronts, no excuses. He is not a prospect/young and should be in his prime.
He was crap, just look at the stats (forget the assist) and re watch the game. Yes, he got an assist, a lucky one. He should have gotten an assist on Lukaku, but there was no individual brilliance in that pass, it was an easy one. I'm glad he got that assist though, he must be feeling gutted for having been so bad.
You said it's a bad deal, or one of the worst deals (I forgot which and the post isn't worth reading twice).
Who gives a feck if there wasn't "individual brilliance" in one match this season? He had an assist, could have had two and that's job done. Move on to the next game and see how he develops further in the side.
Your stat point is outright ridiculous. "look at the stats except the assist"
No I would not have him here, but that does not make the deal any better does it? We pay Sanchez 2x money we paid for Mikhi, brilliant. We shipped a bad player (at least for us) out and got to this point no where near a 400k/week player. I'm not making my judgement yet, we will see. Hopefully Sanchez starts to perform.
You seen Sanchez payslip?
So when should you decide after 2 seasons? 3 seasons. He was diabolical for Arsenal last season, however this was excused as his head wasnt in the right place he wanted to leave. He was awful from Jan to May for us, however everyone said he needed time to settle in to adjust. I will back the team and I will back him. However if by Christmas his performance levels have not significantly improved to justify the astronomical wages he is on, then the tide will turn and it will be time to give the chilli the willy
Oh man, you just can not have a reasonable conversation regarding Sanchez it seems. Do you think that one assist removes the fact that he was badYou said it's a bad deal, or one of the worst deals (I forgot which and the post isn't worth reading twice).
Who gives a feck if there wasn't "individual brilliance" in one match this season? He had an assist, could have had two and that's job done. Move on to the next game and see how he develops further in the side.
Your stat point is outright ridiculous. "look at the stats except the assist"
? I am saying that he was not good last season and not good against Leicester. I believe most of us agree with me on this. But still I am not saying he is bad, or he is a bad deal. We will see...No I have not obviously, but from various sources I believe Sanchez is on about 350-400k. Somebody should correct me if I am wrong?
Oh man, you just can not have a reasonable conversation regarding Sanchez it seems. Do you think that one assist removes the fact that he was bad
You guys want to throw in last season which was his teething period and where he was settling down. I want to use this season.
The idea that you want to beat him with a stick because he wasn't settling down and played poorly in half a season where the entire team was disjointed is beyond ridiculous. Come quote this post in 2 months. Then tell me how good or bad he's been.
You should know not to believe bullshit from the media then.
If Mourinho is consistent he should bench Sanchez like he benching Martial last season.
But in reality, Sanchez is probably the "new Lukaku", which means untouchable and undroppable.
And this is kind of unfair to the younger players of our team.
But in reality, Sanchez is probably the "new Lukaku", which means untouchable and undroppable.
And this is kind of unfair to the younger players of our team.
- Status