[CM]

Was targeted by Luton, very much snapping at his heels whenever he got the ball.

Was dominated physically tonight, he will come across plenty of teams who will do likewise in the premiership so only a learning experience for him.

Not sure I agree. Most of what Sunderland do goes through Amad which isn't likely to be the case at United so teams won't be directing their attention to him.

Sunderland as a whole lacked physicality and had no presence in either penalty area. If they had a couple more battlers and some variety in the way they played, I think the appraisal would be quite different. All of their forwards were diminutive players looking to take defenders on so it was doomed to fail.

 

[Champ]

Have to say it’s amazing what he has done in the championship if what I saw today are his teammates. Number 10 was good a good baller it was clear to see but the rest...

They came 6th in the championship, pretty sure they are a decent team with some very good players!
O Nein, Pritchard, Roberts, Gelhardt and Clarke are all very good players.

 

[Champ]

Not sure I agree. Most of what Sunderland do goes through Amad which isn't likely to be the case at United so teams won't be directing their attention to him.

Sunderland as a whole lacked physicality and had no presence in either penalty area. If they had a couple more battlers and some variety in the way they played, I think the appraisal would be quite different. All of their forwards were diminutive players looking to take defenders on so it was doomed to fail.

So you don't think defenders will be physical with Amad given his size and close control?

I'd say he will be targeted by defenders due to how dangerous he can be on the edge of the box, so I think attention will very much be on him, especially if he plays through the middle.

 

[jem]

Was he confronted by a fan after ?

Surely not! Do tell more

 

[ti vu]

Not sure I agree. Most of what Sunderland do goes through Amad which isn't likely to be the case at United so teams won't be directing their attention to him.

Sunderland as a whole lacked physicality and had no presence in either penalty area. If they had a couple more battlers and some variety in the way they played, I think the appraisal would be quite different. All of their forwards were diminutive players looking to take defenders on so it was doomed to fail.

Genuine question: how Amad plays without getting many touches? I meant does he stays sharp for key moment when he is less involved overall, or he's like what Dani Alves described Messi as he wanted to get involved, touching the ball to have a feel of the game.

This is important element. Some players are not as good in cog of the machine role as when they're the focal point of the system. Yet they're not good enough to build the team around especially when they're not starter.

 

[CM]

So you don't think defenders will be physical with Amad given his size and close control?

I'd say he will be targeted by defenders due to how dangerous he can be on the edge of the box, so I think attention will very much be on him, especially if he plays through the middle.

He may well be but that's not why Sunderland had trouble tonight, it was because they didn't have anybody up front who could handle the physical side of the game.

Amad did actually have some good moments in the game but there was nobody for him to bounce off. If he returns to United next season we'll almost certainly have more of a presence up front with him to help him out.

 

[Red00012]

I thought he was a bit slow getting into the box towards the end , it seemed like he was just watching the Sunderland attack

 

[Red00012]

Surely not! Do tell more

He was bent over , there was a player next to him and they were stewards surrounding him. Sky cameras skipped to something else then. He could have been just disappointed and player and steward wanted him off the field for his safety

 

[top1whoisman]

I thought he was a bit slow getting into the box towards the end , it seemed like he was just watching the Sunderland attack

Absolutely. While that is very much a coachable attribute and I’d expect our staff to iron out those issues, it is a bit concerning that this happened in such a big game.

It’s natural to see it sometimes with such a young player but he better be ready for some very direct feedback and have the right type of attitude to further develop himself.

 

[Rampant Red Rodriguez]

1985 March 13th.

2nd August 1905.

Any other dates for me?. How does 1066 or the year 1666 sound to you?

 

[Rampant Red Rodriguez]

Would love to see him stay and play, but honestly do not see where he will fit. We struggle with non pacey wide fwds as it is. That he is inverted is a + for him to stay, but is a struggle.

 

[sglowrider]

Would love to see him stay and play, but honestly do not see where he will fit. We struggle with non pacey wide fwds as it is. That he is inverted is a + for him to stay, but is a struggle.

It will be a struggle because he isnt ready. He needs more education & experience.

 

[Seij]

If he returns to United next season we'll almost certainly have more of a presence up front with him to help him out.

Like who? With the club's sale looking like it'll be done around 2053, I wouldn't be surprised if we start the season with injured Martial and Weghorst up front again.

 

[city-puma]

Is it allowed for him to play our last four games?

 

[Bondi77]

I really cannot see what the issue is with him staying at the club from now on.
We need two strong players for each position so he can fight it out with Antony for the RW spot and he is a lot better suited to play as a 10 than Sancho will ever be so minutes will not be an issue.
If Pellistri was going to get any decent minutes under Erik he would have done so this season so it would be best to sort out a good loan for him next season.

 

[OrcaFat]

Pretty relevant comparison, Amad compared to championship players and Antony compared to PL.

Can’t tell if serious? Did you mean irrelevant? I’m not sure what the bottom line is - looks like Antony is slightly better in Prem than Amad is in Championship, no?

Best thing is to bring him back for preseason, keep him until the end of the window and, if he’s not holding his own (as I suspect will be the case), loan him with option to recall.

 

[OrcaFat]

I really cannot see what the issue is with him staying at the club from now on.
We need two strong players for each position so he can fight it out with Antony for the RW spot and he is a lot better suited to play as a 10 than Sancho will ever be so minutes will not be an issue.
If Pellistri was going to get any decent minutes under Erik he would have done so this season so it would be best to sort out a good loan for him next season.

In preseason, EtH can have a look at Amad and compare him with Pellistri and the rest. From what I’ve seen, Pellistri looks more likely to be useful at RW. Amad is more suited to no10 imo but I don’t think he’s at the required level to get minutes there. Time will tell.

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

In preseason, EtH can have a look at Amad and compare him with Pellistri and the rest. From what I’ve seen, Pellistri looks more likely to be useful at RW. Amad is more suited to no10 imo but I don’t think he’s at the required level to get minutes there. Time will tell.

Man City have quality over quantity in their squad depth because they have players that not only offer good quality but also versatility. IMO Pellistri should go on loan because he is rarely getting any minutes this season while Amad should stay after good experienced in championship with good amount end product and we can use Amad's versatility to cover the RW and no 10 position. To be able to cover 2-3 different positions means he will get lot of minutes and we can start selling player like VDB and this will help us to counter FFP.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Sunderland as a whole lacked physicality and had no presence in either penalty area. If they had a couple more battlers and some variety in the way they played, I think the appraisal would be quite different. All of their forwards were diminutive players looking to take defenders on so it was doomed to fail.

Perfect preparation for a role in this United team anyway.

 

[Meep]

Perfect preparation for a role in this United team anyway.

Watched the game half-paying attention yesterday. Diallo didn't impress (look light defensively) but he wasn't as bad as that city player dribbling every time and losing the ball or shooting over the moon. Sunderland looked tired as a team and it wasn't even closed. Hard to judge Diallo on that perfomance. He wasn't involved but looked in control the few times he had the ball. I'm not so convinced, for me right now, it is another year on loan...

 

[jeff_goldblum]

At the end it looked like he'd been asked to drop deep, collect the ball and help build attacks rather than being on the end of them. Sunderland have a few players who can make things happen in the same sort of positions he can, but he's tidier on the ball and can find a pass where those other options can't so I guess that's why.

Generally I thought he was decent when he got the ball but poor off it, although it's possible he was told not to chase back to provide an option for the counter. My big concern about him, which I've heard a fair bit, is that he doesn't try to get involved enough. A lot of the time you'd see a Sunderland player on the ball and Amad would be standing behind a Luton player instead of trying to offer a passing option.

 

[JJ12]

What will be his position in the end? RW or Bruno role?

I think he’d be at his best floating around like Bruno.

 

[Bondi77]

In preseason, EtH can have a look at Amad and compare him with Pellistri and the rest. From what I’ve seen, Pellistri looks more likely to be useful at RW. Amad is more suited to no10 imo but I don’t think he’s at the required level to get minutes there. Time will tell.

Erik has had Pellistri under his watchful eye all season and he has barely made it on the pitch...he will be loaned out if not sold in the summer, no doubt about it.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

At the end it looked like he'd been asked to drop deep, collect the ball and help build attacks rather than being on the end of them. Sunderland have a few players who can make things happen in the same sort of positions he can, but he's tidier on the ball and can find a pass where those other options can't so I guess that's why.

Generally I thought he was decent when he got the ball but poor off it, although it's possible he was told not to chase back to provide an option for the counter. My big concern about him, which I've heard a fair bit, is that he doesn't try to get involved enough. A lot of the time you'd see a Sunderland player on the ball and Amad would be standing behind a Luton player instead of trying to offer a passing option.

Agree with this. He’s an exciting talent but a work in progress. I think he’s got what it takes to make it at United but he’s still very young and the stuff I read on here about how he must immediately take Antony’s place in the first team is just silly. Another season (or two?) on loan might well be the best option.

 

[jeff_goldblum]

Agree with this. He’s an exciting talent but a work in progress. I think he’s got what it takes to make it at United but he’s still very young and the stuff I read on here about how he must immediately take Antony’s place in the first team is just silly. Another season (or two?) on loan might well be the best option.

Yeah I think the fundamentals are absolutely there with Amad but he needs regular gametime to learn how to make his talent count in terms of impact on the pitch.

Mowbray has done brilliantly with him, but torn as to whether a Premier League loan would be better for him. In the Championship he's good enough to justify a role with less defensive responsibility, but if he wants to make it at United he shouldn't get used to that.

The defensive/off-the-ball side of the game is somewhere where Antony's contribution is severely underrated.

 

[Gavinb33]

Not sure I agree. Most of what Sunderland do goes through Amad which isn't likely to be the case at United so teams won't be directing their attention to him.

Sunderland as a whole lacked physicality and had no presence in either penalty area. If they had a couple more battlers and some variety in the way they played, I think the appraisal would be quite different. All of their forwards were diminutive players looking to take defenders on so it was doomed to fail.

Agree with this, Sunderland badly needed a focal point in the middle all their main attackers were seemingly dribblers and Luton are exceptional in defense only Burnley conceded less goals than them in the league, Roberts and Clarke were even more ineffectual than Amad who was miles above both he just wasn't able to do it on his own against a very well drilled defense.

 

[top1whoisman]

At the end it looked like he'd been asked to drop deep, collect the ball and help build attacks rather than being on the end of them. Sunderland have a few players who can make things happen in the same sort of positions he can, but he's tidier on the ball and can find a pass where those other options can't so I guess that's why.

Generally I thought he was decent when he got the ball but poor off it, although it's possible he was told not to chase back to provide an option for the counter. My big concern about him, which I've heard a fair bit, is that he doesn't try to get involved enough. A lot of the time you'd see a Sunderland player on the ball and Amad would be standing behind a Luton player instead of trying to offer a passing option.

Yeah I think the fundamentals are absolutely there with Amad but he needs regular gametime to learn how to make his talent count in terms of impact on the pitch.

Mowbray has done brilliantly with him, but torn as to whether a Premier League loan would be better for him. In the Championship he's good enough to justify a role with less defensive responsibility, but if he wants to make it at United he shouldn't get used to that.

The defensive/off-the-ball side of the game is somewhere where Antony's contribution is severely underrated.

Very much agree with more or less everything you've posted here.

I would've liked to see that desperation and pure will yesterday to get into the box, to up the tempo etc. Their season was about to come to an end and he was still walking on the pitch, no urgency. Must say I was disappointed to see that.

Regarding chasing back you might be right, although he does that even when their RB is higher up the pitch and they really need help in defense when the opponent is counter-attacking.

It's the off the ball movement when his team is in possession that worries me. Again that is a very coachable thing and I'm sure EtH and his staff will be able to iron that out of his game. It's somewhat understandable that a young player drifts in and out of games and loses concentration every now and then. But yesterday wasn't an example of that, as they were desperate for anyone to do some magic. He probably didn't even enter their box during the last 15 minutes.

I'd say a Palace type of team in the PL would be the best option. Of course there's a risk that he doesn't get enough minutes. But as you said in the Championship he might get away with the lack of defending and off the ball movement, but he won't in the PL.

 

[Idxomer]

His passing was uncharacteristically off yesterday but his dribbling and ball carrying were miles ahead of anyone else on the pitch. He completed 9 out of 11 dribbles which is a bit absurd considering he looked exhausted for most of the 2nd half.

One of the things he needs to improve the most is his fitness, his workrate dropped in recent weeks after playing a lot of games. It's worth noting he has never played that much football in his career. Going from playing a few hundred minutes a season to 3000 minutes this season can't have been that easy on him physically. That probably makes a loan the best thing for him next season though we do need a cover for Antony when he's injured or tired.

 

[Bondi77]

Is Encisco a bigger talent than Amad?
I don't think so but he has been given his chance this season and he is thriving.
Amad at the very least can play Cup games next season as we know Antony will start most PL games but Amad should be on the bench and getting 20-30 minute cameos if Antony isn't producing the goods and we take it from there.

 

[top1whoisman]

His passing was uncharacteristically off yesterday but his dribbling and ball carrying were miles ahead of anyone else on the pitch. He completed 9 out of 11 dribbles which is a bit absurd considering he looked exhausted for most of the 2nd half.

One of the things he needs to improve the most is his fitness, his workrate dropped in recent weeks after playing a lot of games. It's worth noting he has never played that much football in his career. Going from playing a few hundred minutes a season to 3000 minutes this season can't have been that easy on him physically. That probably makes a loan the best thing for him next season though we do need a cover for Antony when he's injured or tired.

That is good point. And half of those minutes prior have been at youth/reserve level.

Will be interesting to see what EtH decides. The raw potential is there so will we speed up the development by including him in the first team while coaching those issues. That would probably mean a very limited amount of minutes during the first half of the season, but a more PL-ready Amad after new year.

The other option is to try find the PL loan but it’s crucial to have the right club and manager for that. Not all managers have the patience to really coach a player on loan as he won’t be there long term anyway.

Boro & Carrick?

 

[bosnian_red]

Can’t tell if serious? Did you mean irrelevant? I’m not sure what the bottom line is - looks like Antony is slightly better in Prem than Amad is in Championship, no?

Best thing is to bring him back for preseason, keep him until the end of the window and, if he’s not holding his own (as I suspect will be the case), loan him with option to recall.

Relevant for people who think he is better than Antony already or that he'd start ahead of him because he scored some long range shots.. amad is good with high potential. But he hasn't torn up the championship, and is performing at roughly a similar level as Antony relative to peers but in a lower division.

 

[Idxomer]

That is good point. And half of those minutes prior have been at youth/reserve level.

Will be interesting to see what EtH decides. The raw potential is there so will we speed up the development by including him in the first team while coaching those issues. That would probably mean a very limited amount of minutes during the first half of the season, but a more PL-ready Amad after new year.

The other option is to try find the PL loan but it’s crucial to have the right club and manager for that. Not all managers have the patience to really coach a player on loan as he won’t be there long term anyway.

Boro & Carrick?

Amad got lucky with Mowbray who rated his talent very highly and saw it worthwhile to invest in him. It's more likely he runs into another GvB but Carrick would be interesting if Middlesbrough gets to the PL. Otherwise, it might be better to just keep him. It's gonna be a tough decision especially if he impresses on tour.

 

[pastyfool]

Is it allowed for him to play our last four games?

Good point. Had a quick look online and from what I could figure out, UTD can call him back. Seeing that the season is now over for Sunderland it's a bit of a no-brainer. Whether or not he's allowed to play in the Premier League for the last few games, that's something I can't seem to find out. My guess is that he could but please don't quote me on that.

 

[top1whoisman]

Good point. Had a quick look online and from what I could figure out, UTD can call him back. Seeing that the season is now over for Sunderland it's a bit of a no-brainer. Whether or not he's allowed to play in the Premier League for the last few games, that's something I can't seem to find out. My guess is that he could but please don't quote me on that.

We can’t call him back outside of transfer windows. So no he’s not eligible.

 

[pastyfool]

We can’t call him back outside of transfer windows. So no he’s not eligible.

Ahh, OK. Makes sense. Thanks.

 

[DWelbz19]

What will be his position in the end? LW or Bruno role?

I think he’d be at his best floating around like Bruno.

Right wing. He’s left footed.

 

[kaiser00]

If him and Garnacho draw plenty of fouls then defo need some free kick specialists. Two from relegated teams could be Maddison and Ward-Prowse.

 

[JJ12]

Right wing. He’s left footed.

I meant RW sorry

 

[King Kendrick]

 

[OrcaFat]

Erik has had Pellistri under his watchful eye all season and he has barely made it on the pitch...he will be loaned out if not sold in the summer, no doubt about it.

Quite possibly but Amad is not necessarily better; for me, he isn’t.