[Valencia Shin Crosses]

Consistent end product now as that was my only criticism of him from earlier in this season and didn't felt it was undeserved if he was dropped. In this form though when he's basically scoring/assisting every game, he's our best attacker by a country mile as he's technically way ahead of both Rashford and Garnacho and has much better workrate than them both.

I just hope this isn't a case of a player playing out of skin for a new contract or a purple patch and that he can show this is his normal level going forward.

I mean no player is going to score or assist every game unless you're basically world class level. Expecting that is a bit stupid.

Amad is the best player in our attack because his general floor of performances blows everyone else out of the water. His "bad games" are often still 6/10's which is why he's so vital, because the rest of the lot have a bad game and it's a generational stinker that can genuinely cost us matches.

 

[Idxomer]

My point is he got injured immediately after that 30-minute cameo. Possibly during it! That’s why he didn’t get any game time until Liverpool.

I don't remember that injury tbh, he was on the bench in 9 out of the next 11 league games.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

I wonder if Mata is the most similar we’ve had? Shame he never really hit the heights we hoped he would hit.

I've long held that prime Bernardo was Amad's ultimate form, but I'm not sure that's true now as he's too good as a take on threat. I don't know if Amad is quite as creatively brilliant as Mata (some of his passing and deft touch was absurd) but he's got far more PnP. Maybe he ends up just being mini Saka.

 

[Red the Bear]

Not enough praise has been heaped on his dribbling ability.

Feels great to have a player who can finally pass a player or two for a change instead of the usual kick and collision.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

My point is he got injured immediately after that 30-minute cameo. Possibly during it! That’s why he didn’t get any game time until Liverpool.

This isn't true though and I debunked it a while back. He was sick before the Wigan FA cup game for one match, but was fully fit after that and just never got minutes apart from the odd 10 minute cameo. Mind you during all of this Ten Hag blocked his ability to go on loan as well. Then he scored in ET to win us the match, and STILL wasn't played until he got 45 minutes a month later against Bournemouth (fully fit the entire time). He didn't get a single start until the season was essentially over in May.

It was stupid at the time and still is. Credit to the player for pushing through and sticking with it but I absolutely believe the club almost mismanaged the entire thing horribly.

 

[saik]

He had his first appearance under Ten Hag against Nottingham Forrest in December where he played well. In the next 11 league games, he played only 10 minutes. His first start was in May against Arsenal.

He featured in the Forest game on December 30th but wasn’t even on the bench again until the Newport match on January 28th. Transfermarkt also lists him as missing five additional games last season due to fitness concerns. The assumption would be that he picked up another minor injury following the Forest game or he was not fully fit.

From February onward, he was regularly named on the bench, often coming on as a substitute and getting minutes that way. During that month, the team performed strongly in the league, winning four out of five matches, so I don't think it's outlandish to assume that others had earned their starting spots ahead of him.

It’s also worth noting that he served a one-game suspension after receiving a red card against Liverpool. So yea, there were perhaps a handful of games from March until the end of the season where he deserved to start and did not.

 

[Zlaatan]

Garnacho’s a twig too though

Does he cut the back of his socks just for looks? Because surely it can't be because he's got bigger calves than anyone else on the team?

 

[Rolaholic]

Suffice to say he left quite an impression at Sunderland, they love him to this day

 

[Yagami]

I mean no player is going to score or assist every game unless you're basically world class level. Expecting that is a bit stupid.

Amad is the best player in our attack because his general floor of performances blows everyone else out of the water. His "bad games" are often still 6/10's which is why he's so vital, because the rest of the lot have a bad game and it's a generational stinker that can genuinely cost us matches.

That was never a thing for me as I saw him have some absolute stinkers for Sunderland. Mainly in the playoff match against Luton. He's not had one here but I wouldn't be surprised to see him have one either. Everyone does so it's nothing against him.

For me, his importance was more about the balance he'd bring to the team. Every attacker we were playing was too direct. Having someone like Amad who's unselfish in his play, thrives on linking-up with others which, in turn, elevates them, and just his general play in terms of being good under pressure is why I wanted him to start.

If we bring in more players of this ilk, it will not only improve us as a team but will naturally elevate Amad, too, as he's the type that thrives on playing with similar players.

 

[saik]

I mean no player is going to score or assist every game unless you're basically world class level. Expecting that is a bit stupid.

Amad is the best player in our attack because his general floor of performances blows everyone else out of the water. His "bad games" are often still 6/10's which is why he's so vital, because the rest of the lot have a bad game and it's a generational stinker that can genuinely cost us matches.

Consistent as in similar to this. Not exactly this run of form. He can have 1 or 2 bad games if he's delivering in the other 8 games. Other clubs have incredibly consistent players who deliver week in week out so I don't think it's outlandish to expect one of ours to do the same. Arsenal have Saka, Chelsea have Palmer, Liverpool have Salah, City had KDB and Haaland till last season. If we ever want to be title contenders we need to have atleast one player in team who can reach those levels consistently and deliver week in week out.

Bruno was that player for us when he joined but he dropped off to the point where's he's now missing simple one on ones.

 

[Footyislife]

Crazy ask, but can we support our best players and make them enjoy playing here so they stay? And for the shitty players, can we do the inverse so they respectfully feck off to other pastures.

 

[Smores]

The people who spent so much energy countering any praise for Amad last season aren't taking his success too well are they.

His talent was always very obvious as was the balance he'd offer the team. Thankfully the new regime seems things differently to ETH and these fans.

 

[Hammondo]

The people who spent so much energy countering any praise for Amad last season aren't taking his success too well are they.

His talent was always very obvious as was the balance he'd offer the team. Thankfully the new regime seems things differently to ETH and these fans.

We do not produce many players like this, and we tend to like runners more than technical players.

 

[Zumbi]

I think you’re missing the point. We’re not talking about wasted talent. We’re talking about someone who’s becoming a top PL player at a very young age. So backseat whinging about how his development has been mismanaged up until now just seems ridiculous.

As I said, he’s always been physically slight and also had issues with injuries. So a season being the main man at a Championship team, starting every game when available, will have done him a lot of good and there’s every chance he wouldn’t have played nearly as many minutes at a PL club trying to qualify for the CL. And the best thing for every young player’s development is time on the pitch. To call the decision to send him to Sunderland “complete mismanagement” is absurd.

When we’ve had major underperformance issues with all our other right wingers, and a defender was given a start at 10 over Amad when he was fully fit and back from all his injury issues, it is perfectly reasonable to question whether he could have been given more opportunities. Not sure why you seem so upset by such a reasonable observation.

As for your second paragraph, you’re contradicting yourself. The Championship is a notoriously high paced, physical league. So if was he too slight with injury issues, how did he play so much and thrive in such an environment? Make it make sense.

For what it’s worth, I agree his stint at Sunderland seemed to be very good for him. But you’re criticizing another poster for speculating whilst you are speculating just as much, because we have absolutely no way of telling which pathway would have developed him best. Thinking what we are seeing now at 22 from such a talent is the best case scenario seems like a very naive take to me. You have no fecking clue what was best for him. None of us do.

 

[sglowrider]

Yeah nah... it was as simple as him being a stubborn fool

I've been listening to a Norwegian MU podcast. Where they mentioned that ETH didn't like or trust Amass because he wasn't physically big enough, I really think that was the case with Amad as well.

And yet the 600+million quid that he spent didnt consist of many physical or athletic players either.

 

[Solius]

This might turn out pretty good in retrospect considering how much we paid for an unknown kid. Especially whilst run by Murtough/Ole with regards to their perceived lack of talent ID.

Another one to add to the evidence that just because someone isn't right for a job or fails that it doesn't mean they're a fraud, or a clown, or whatever the buzzword is for people who can't think for themselves.

 

[Harry190]

Surprisingly strong.

 

[MyBloodIsRed]

New star boy…. Criminal that ETH had him at his disposal

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

Consistent as in similar to this. Not exactly this run of form. He can have 1 or 2 bad games if he's delivering in the other 8 games. Other clubs have incredibly consistent players who deliver week in week out so I don't think it's outlandish to expect one of ours to do the same. Arsenal have Saka, Chelsea have Palmer, Liverpool have Salah, City had KDB and Haaland till last season. If we ever want to be title contenders we need to have atleast one player in team who can reach those levels consistently and deliver week in week out.

Bruno was that player for us when he joined but he dropped off to the point where's he's now missing simple one on ones.

Okay sure I agree, but you were originally insinuating that he needed to continue this level of production to be consistently in the starting XI. But you just named some of the best players in the world which I think at this point is unfair to compare him to given how little he has around him in attack and his relative inexperience.

It’s also why I think going out and making a statement attacking signing is arguably priority #1 this summer. Go get an Isak/Kvara/Rodrygo/ or other top rated attacker that will come in and immediately be able to be the star man going forward without needing “development” like so many of our current players do.

 

[Hughes35]

I was a bit skeptical at the start of the season but he's been brilliant recently. Workrate, keeps the ball, beats players and has end product in goals / assists.

Long may it continue. Amad, Hojlund and Garnacho has the potential to be very dangerous.

 

[elmo]

You do realise he was injured for almost the whole of the first half of last season? That’s the reason he “barely played him”

Once Amad got fit he was 100% a first team regular. And ETH repeatedly singled him out for praise. Bit weird for someone he didn’t rate. Yes, he didn’t start every game and - as I said - there were a handful of games where he could have started but didn’t. It’s still a massive stretch to conclude from that the manager didn’t rate him.

That’s bull shit. He was sat on the bench and hardly got playing time for nearly a month after the FA cup win over Liverpool. Meanwhile Rashford was stinking up on the pitch by doing feck all.

Same thing happened this season, got benched for no reason in September and barely got any playing time.

ETH was the worst thing that could happen for Amad.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

That’s bull shit. He was sat on the bench and hardly got playing time for nearly a month after the FA cup win over Liverpool. Meanwhile Rashford was stinking up on the pitch by doing feck all.

Same thing happened this season, got benched for no reason in September and barely got any playing time.

ETH was the worst thing that could happen for Amad.

the drama

 

[Yagami]

Sunderland forum thread for the derby after Amad scored:

https://www.readytogo.net/smb/threa...r-league-sky-sports-ultra-hdr.1646075/page-18

 

[saik]

Okay sure I agree, but you were originally insinuating that he needed to continue this level of production to be consistently in the starting XI. But you just named some of the best players in the world which I think at this point is unfair to compare him to given how little he has around him in attack and his relative inexperience.

It’s also why I think going out and making a statement attacking signing is arguably priority #1 this summer. Go get an Isak/Kvara/Rodrygo/ or other top rated attacker that will come in and immediately be able to be the star man going forward without needing “development” like so many of our current players do.

All his beautiful game or dribbling would mean nothing if there is no end product at the end of it. At the end of the day, he has to start scoring/assisting regularly, which he has started doing now.

I also don't think it's unfair to compare him to Palmer or Saka or even Haaland(who is only an year older) considering they are at a similar age now. Ofcourse their trajectories are different but all these are players from the same league playing for teams around us who we are aiming to compete with. Palmer especially, no one thought will have this kind of impact when he transferred to Chelsea before last season.

Amad over the last few games has shown that he has the talent to be that kind of player and I just hope he consistently shows that for us.

 

[luke511]

This might turn out pretty good in retrospect considering how much we paid for an unknown kid. Especially whilst run by Murtough/Ole with regards to their perceived lack of talent ID.

Another one to add to the evidence that just because someone isn't right for a job or fails that it doesn't mean they're a fraud, or a clown, or whatever the buzzword is for people who can't think for themselves.

I mean, Murtough did sack the chief scout that led the operation to push for Amad a year after. That resulted in us having to rely on his and ETH's judgement in the window and spending £85 million on Antony.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

When we’ve had major underperformance issues with all our other right wingers, and a defender was given a start at 10 over Amad when he was fully fit and back from all his injury issues, it is perfectly reasonable to question whether he could have been given more opportunities. Not sure why you seem so upset by such a reasonable observation.

As for your second paragraph, you’re contradicting yourself. The Championship is a notoriously high paced, physical league. So if was he too slight with injury issues, how did he play so much and thrive in such an environment? Make it make sense.

For what it’s worth, I agree his stint at Sunderland seemed to be very good for him. But you’re criticizing another poster for speculating whilst you are speculating just as much, because we have absolutely no way of telling which pathway would have developed him best. Thinking what we are seeing now at 22 from such a talent is the best case scenario seems like a very naive take to me. You have no fecking clue what was best for him. None of us do.

It's reasonable to question whether he could have got more opportunities. What isn't reasonable is the absolute hysteria in this thread about him being completely frozen out by a manager who didn't rate him, or how the club has made a complete mess of his development so far. Apart from anything else, he was competing for a place in the team with a player who had almost single-handedly scored all our goals the previous season and Garnacho, who looked like like a superstar in waiting at the time (and might still turn into one) Plus he missed a whole half a season with a serious injury, then immediately injured himself again on his comeback. Stands to reason that they might have been happy enough to give him cameos off the bench for the next few weeks after that. The reason he thrived in the Championship was because he was at a team/level where he was more or less guaranteed to start every game and get through the learning curve every young player goes through when they make the step up from reserves/youth football. Completely different to the pressure, mental and physical, of getting sub appearances here and there against the best defenders in the country when he hasn't yet had a chance to refine his game or get used to the physicality of senior football. Which is obviously trickier for a short, skinny player than someone like Hojlund, Haaland or Palmer.

And of course I have no fecking clue how his career developed in the weird parallel universe where he never went on loan. I'm only commenting on what is happening in the real world. Where it looks as though his development until now has been exactly what he needs, seeing as he has developed into a very good young footballer. So having a moan about his development being ruined by "unnecessary loans" just seems stupid and deserves to be called out as such.

 

[elmo]

Does he cut the back of his socks just for looks? Because surely it can't be because he's got bigger calves than anyone else on the team?

Does Ronaldo cut the back of his socks? Could be him trying to copy Ronaldo again.

 

[Big Ben Foster]

And yet the 600+million quid that he spent didnt consist of many physical or athletic players either.

Maybe not, but those players had a more important attribute: Eredivisie experience and/or a Dutch passport

 

[Oranges038]

Saw this on reddit, he was involved in nearly every chance.

 

[Dannn411]

Saw this on reddit, he was involved in nearly every chance.

Will forever have goosebumps on Amad's goal. Wildest celebrations i've done since Liverpool in the cup last season. Just incredible.

 

[RDCR07]

 

[GueRed]

Pounced on a mistake, wins a penalty.
Made a good run and showed great desire for the winner.
Top effort ALL game.

Hopefully he can keep this form up for as long as possible

 

[V.O.]

Sunderland forum thread for the derby after Amad scored:

https://www.readytogo.net/smb/threa...r-league-sky-sports-ultra-hdr.1646075/page-18

That all just quite sweet.

Hope he knocks in a couple against the barcodes at the end of the year for them.

 

[The Cat]

That all just quite sweet.

Hope he knocks in a couple against the barcodes at the end of the year for them.

We should send them a couple more on loan as a thank you.

 

[JJ12]

Sunderland forum thread for the derby after Amad scored:

https://www.readytogo.net/smb/threa...r-league-sky-sports-ultra-hdr.1646075/page-18

Enjoyed reading that!

They absolutely love him, fair play. Some thought he was going back there on loan before last night.

'Made in Sunderland' posts were a bit nauseating

 

[Gordon S]

Will never get tired of watching this guy play

 

[Schmeichels pinky]

Enjoyed reading that!

They absolutely love him, fair play. Some thought he was going back there on loan before last night.

'Made in Sunderland' posts were a bit nauseating

If you relish them praising him surely you’re big enough to acknowledge their pride as well

 

[JJ12]

If you relish them praising him surely you’re big enough to acknowledge their pride as well

What on gods green earth are you talking about. 'Big enough'

I said they love him fair play - pretty much acknowledging their pride I'd say.

 

[Solius]

I mean, Murtough did sack the chief scout that led the operation to push for Amad a year after. That resulted in us having to rely on his and ETH's judgement in the window and spending £85 million on Antony.

My only point was sometimes people get things right.

 

[sglowrider]

Maybe not, but those players had a more important attribute: Eredivisie experience and/or a Dutch passport

No doubt!! Plus they also knew that secret ETH handshake