I just hope that we have someone who can play the Patrick Roberts role. The two of them together combine brilliantly.
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A Sunderland v Boro play off final is definitely a strong possibility. Amad v Carrick.
Definitely possible.
Although we’d need to cut Amad the same slack we should be cutting Anthony in adjusting from playing an inferior league to playing in the Premier League.
I would rather him going on loan to the PL next season with guaranteed game time than sitting on the bench here. Anthony and Sancho will be preferred by ETH, price tag plays a role as well, like it or not.
How long do you want to cut Antony slack though? I don't see a player that's struggling with the speed of the league or something that you might think would happen. I see a player that's actually uber confident. He just lacks quality in vital spots. And every metric says he was never a great scorer nor any sort of creator even in the Dutch league.
So then you think Garnacho will be going on loan too?
I see a player who was 22 when we signed him, is still fairly raw and wasn’t expected to be the finished article, either at Ajax or in his first season here.
Amad is even younger and may well also take a season or two to develop into a player who will start every game for us. But would be a great addition to a team that’s looked seriously light on attacking quality beyond the first XI. The only attacking players we should definitely be moving on are Elanga and Wout. You could make a good case for getting rid of Martial too. Antony’s place will be secure, whether or not Amad is added to the squad.
Garnacho is on the left
Again I'm not saying Antony won't be in the squad, he obviously will. But you're repeating cliches instead of actually refuting the points I made ("raw" "he's young" "not expected to be the finished article"). I don't think anyone here expected him to be Arjen Robben upon signing, but to just close my eyes and repeat to myself "he's young and it's his first year" is stupid because, as I said before, the parts of Antony's game that concern me aren't things that just randomly improve over time. He's never shown himself to be creative even at Ajax, and he's a high volume shooter without showing a lot of promise in front of goal. This isn't even factoring in that he's as one footed as any player in the PL, which puts him at an even bigger disadvantage as it means you have to be unbelievably good to make up for being so predictable for defenders. My point in Amad being good enough to challenge him next season is that it's not exactly a high baseline that Amad has to reach to improve us. Antony's main sticking point in being a regular so far here has been that he's normally quite good tracking back and keeps the shape of the team well because he's our only left footed RW. He's also generally good at maintaining possession under pressure. If Amad improves his running next year a bit, I'm comfortable in saying his technical level is without question higher than Antony's and he has a great chance at making the position his own without needing to truly light the league on fire.
I'd add Sancho to the list too if someone like Villa could be tricked into dropping 40m for him. He is never going to have the mentality of a United player and is not someone I'd ever trust in a hostile environment. Garnacho and Amad are well placed to play as squad options and would develop well in the minutes Sancho is getting, needless to say Amad is versatile and talented so he could get a lot of minutes covering all the three positions behind the striker.
Another thing with Amad is that his technical level is already high what he lacked were experience and physicality. Those two are the easiest for a player to get as his current loan spell attests. I am sure that if given a fair crack he will at least grow into a useful squad player but I don't discount his chances of one day ousting Antony out of the team.
This. Amad has the technique and awareness to be a threat in a variety of ways, more ways than Antony has patience and guile for. If he can work on his physicality he doesn't need to do much to overtake Antony if Antony stands still himself.
Sancho has more than double the games playing on the left over the right this season
Sancho and Garnancho on the left, Antony and Diallo on the right. 4 boys that all can grow into top class players.
Rashford? I've been advocating this idea the whole season, but I think Rashford should be cultivated as a nr. 9. I'd argue his best games this season have been up front; his finishing has improved, especially on the headers, pluss, he doesn't have the defensive awareness/attitude to play on the wing.
Rashford? I've been advocating this idea the whole season, but I think Rashford should be cultivated as a nr. 9. I'd argue his best games this season have been up front; his finishing has improved, especially on the headers, pluss, he doesn't have the defensive awareness/attitude to play on the wing.
The problem with it is he, like Martial, doesnt like not seeing much of the ball and wants to come wide and deep to get on it. When he does that we dont really have that player who breaks in and becomes a good fill in 9 to make the runs and score the goals that he isnt there for. Sabitzer did it against Sevilla first leg, and had a run where we would use him trying to get him to do that but it hasnt really worked. And Bruno wants to be on the ball more, so he isnt making the runs in behind enough. So we'd require a CM/AM who wants to go in the #9 position and score goals
I’m actually annoyed that the media absolutely tore him a new one for using little bits of skill and trickery, that was literally the point of him.. they’re not happy unless he’s just boring but functional.. the absolute state of the uproar when he did the spin thing, it was embarassing really
It was, but the whole point of tricks and skill is to beat your man, which he rarely does.
I'm all in favor of giving time to players, especially new ones, but for 100mil he should have looked better in his first season. At the moment he's no better than Nicholas Pepe and that's very worrying.
And let's be clear on something, he is not out of form or not confident, I think he just doesn't have the quality. Hope this is a jinx post.
It was, but the whole point of tricks and skill is to beat your man, which he rarely does.
I'm all in favor of giving time to players, especially new ones, but for 100mil he should have looked better in his first season. At the moment he's no better than Nicholas Pepe and that's very worrying.
And let's be clear on something, he is not out of form or not confident, I think he just doesn't have the quality. Hope this is a jinx post.
In this instance, he did and played the ball onto a player in the box though didn't he?
Unless you randomly control the ball with your back in a derby, in which case it's a moment that sums up your team's brilliance and how embarrassing your opponent isIt was, but the whole point of tricks and skill is to beat your man, which he rarely does.
I'm all in favor of giving time to players, especially new ones, but for 100mil he should have looked better in his first season. At the moment he's no better than Nicholas Pepe and that's very worrying.
And let's be clear on something, he is not out of form or not confident, I think he just doesn't have the quality. Hope this is a jinx post.
You reckon that Antony would've got the same reaction from any media outlet if he did the spin in a 2-0 derby win?
Absolutely agree, that was embarrassing on all accounts
Hopefully he's given a chance here next year.
He's shown he can handle himself physically in a tough league, no doubt he's got the skills and ability to be a really good player.
Whether he's good enough long term or not remains to be seen, but he has to be given a chance to prove himself at Utd.
He's shown he can handle himself physically in a tough league, no doubt he's got the skills and ability to be a really good player.
Whether he's good enough long term or not remains to be seen, but he has to be given a chance to prove himself at Utd.
I could see the case for giving Sancho more time, except that it's not clear we have the money for a #9, a #8, a #6, a replacement for Maguire and a keeper. Tough to see the argument for keeping him when we have Rashford and Garnacho at LW and need quality signings down the middle at multiple spots (the #6 can be a backup and sometimes keeper is cheap, but the 9 will cost a fortune, as will a quality #8, and the backup for Varane we sign should really be a potentially world class youngster if we can get one, since Varane will be better off not having to play twice a week and he's not going to last a ton longer playing first choice minutes you'd guess).
And we have Varane on 300k a week and not even completed two seasons that have been littered with injury spells so far.
When will this club learn to stop rewarding players for what they have accomplished at their previous club/career as it proves extremely expensive.
How much did we pay for him? $30 m?
Sunderland’s Ekwah seems a very good prospect. Have we sent anyone to scout him?
We'll sign a striker, and then it's really Garnacho vs that Striker with Rashford playable in either spot.
I feel we should keep him next season and get him involved in a few games like we've done with Garnacho this season. Loans need to be done right in order to work and another loan just seems like a risk for his development as they go wrong so often.
I think Sancho may prefer a move back to Dortmund, it seems to me that he's very comfortable playing in that league, and from what I've seen from him this season in the EPL, is not overwhelming.
I appreciate that he still is learning the game, and could eventually come good, similarly Antony, who needs to add more to his game. Garnacho certainly excites me when he plays, and Amad, I'm sure will be the same.
Amad seems to be comfortable playing wide on the right, and centrally, so you will be getting a versatile player who could eventually replace Antony and/or Bruno.
That is a great comment. So many loans do not work out, and unless Sunderland get promoted, and Amad returns there next season, a loan to a different club may hamper his continued progress.
I'd rather loan Sancho back to Dortmund for a season and give Amad a chance on RW/no10. Don't think Sancho will break through just by playing in this league. ETH also clearly doesn't see him as a right winger, and on LW Garnacho is much hotter prospect who deserves to play ahead of Sancho based on what I've seen this season.
I agree but I don't think Dortmund would want Sancho back as they have made their money on him and would be looking at their next project.
We have a top coach that is known for working with young players so now Amad has done his stint in a physical league Erik should be aching to work with this prodigious talent and improving him further.
Can be any club, I just don't think EPL is the league in which Sancho will break through. I would be looking to move him on but I think a loan is also a good option.
What club will pay his wages or even half when they can get better for less?
I think the best hope for shifting Sancho is to package him up as a part ex for a player we fancy on the continent, possibly pay off some of his contract to cover wage disparity if that is a thing. He'd thrive in Germany or Italy and would hopefully hold some interest for clubs over in the two places.
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I am sure he would do very well in any other league than EPL.
I would be all for using him in a deal for Ramos at Benfica but It would depend if he wants to drop his wage which is doubtful
Has to be giving a fair chance to compete with Antony next season, surly the Cup games and last 20-15 minutes of EPL games would do him the world of good and the occasional starts here and there whenever injury sets into the squad.
Can be a backup to both Antony and Bruno next season and if he plays as well for us as he did for Sunderland, I see no reason why he shouldn't be able to bench Antony from time to time.
Agree with this, in a fair competition I think Amad has more about him than Sancho and Antony. Sancho is rather pointless when we have Rashford as the starter and he is so ineffectual on the right. If there is a buyer, even for 30m I'd sell him and use the money to fund the rejuvination of the team's spine.
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