[I'm David Moyes damnit]

Free transfer in June. He's got Watford or Everton written all over him.

I hope the culprit didn't use permanent ink.

 

[el3mel]

Sure it is. Mourinho completely destroyed his confidence and now we can only hope that he will get his touch back. He could have been a modern era Scholes for us.

That just shows how much we overrate our youngsters that we ended up getting shocked when they play to their true performance.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

He's not good enough.

 

[izec]

He is not a number 6, 8 or something between 8-10. His problem is defensive positioning and when to release the ball. He has good qualities on the ball and passing/vision, but his defensive game and love on the ball makes him inconsistent. Doesnt help that he isnt playing regularly and if he plays, either on the wing or as a DM. He would be terrific with game time and confidence, but he wont get it here and things are not falling into place.

 

[Andersonson]

He is not a number 6, 8 or something between 8-10. His problem is defensive positioning and when to release the ball. He has good qualities on the ball and passing/vision, but his defensive game and love on the ball makes him inconsistent. Doesnt help that he isnt playing regularly and if he plays, either on the wing or as a DM. He would be terrific with game time and confidence, but he wont get it here and things are not falling into place.

What makes you say he'd be terrific? He has proven nothing. Neither here or at Valencia. He's 23 now. He's not good enough for a top Club. End of

 

[Frank Grimes]

Definitely has been rubbish every time I've watched him play in central midfield. Would have liked to seen him on the right wing as he can deliver a good ball but maybe we are just hoping he could be good enough when he clearly isn't.

 

[Rozay]

Was poor. With 5 months left on his deal, can’t see him here next season. Maybe not even next month.

 

[Trizy]

Had a chance to show his potential today and didn't. Lost possession repeatedly in dangerous areas. I don't think he is United quality, we should cash in.

I was thinking exactly this at full time. We keep hearing how highly rated he is but in all honestly, he's never overly impressed me from what I have seen.

I think a low/mid table La Liga club would suit him perfectly.

 

[pablo__p]

Definitely has been rubbish every time I've watched him play in central midfield. Would have liked to seen him on the right wing as he can deliver a good ball but maybe we are just hoping he could be good enough when he clearly isn't.

This, unfortunately.

He's not a bad player and I still have some slight hopes we'd find a position for him (definitely not holding) and he'd flourish. That said, I think, as things stand, he's a mid-table player and the club will have to make a decision on his future.

 

[SteveW]

Been trying to figure this lad out for years.

Its finally becoming clear. He still has the exact same weaknesses he had 2 years ago and isn't improving. Not gonna make it.

 

[Red00012]

Let’s face it he’s not a no 6 I always thought of him in a more advanced position.
Did he not play wide for Valencia ?

 

[Raven]

Thought he was our best (least bad) midfielder today. My main annoyance with him was his reluctance to leave the centre of the pitch. He needed to pull out wide numerous times to help like up play from the flanks and he just wouldn't move.

 

[Ashley R1+O]

He wasn't good, but he hasn't really played much so he can be forgiven. It was a bit like the start of the season when he was 'okayish' and everyone tried to make out he was brilliant and was fuming after he was dropped and Matic should just go and fall in a hole for coming back into the team under Mourinho's desperation to get him away from the criticism before the fans turned.

Just one of those things, I like the kid. Not seeing where he fits this current team though, maybe as the Mata replacement? But that is a stretch and probably an option for spending on an elite level player.

 

[POF]

With his contract expiring in the summer, I would be shocked if he doesn't leave. He's 23 and doesn't even know his best position.

I think he could be a good rotation option for Herrera as one of the two 8s. His passing isn't good enough for the type of 6 he's trying to be.

Realistically, it's almost too late for him now. That was one of his last chances and it didn't go well. He won't sign a new contract and will leave in the summer.

 

[Toad]

He is great at taking on his man and provides a complete different dimension to what we are used to, whether or not he is good enough at this it’s yet to be seen.

 

[Dearg hÉireann]

He was dispossessed today more times than I can remember, he's built up quite a cult following on the Caf but he's nowhere near where he should be. Very unlikely that he'll make it here.

 

[Sean_RedDevil]

I'm still surprised that we play him as a '6' because he has said that he doesn't like to work in the own half and sees him as attacking midfielder.

 

[MrBest]

Was not great but neither was Lingard until 25. He has barely played and jose destroyed his confidence. Needs a few more months.

 

[breakout67]

I'm still surprised that we play him as a '6' because he has said that he doesn't like to work in the own half and sees him as attacking midfielder.

Anyone that watched him in the academy knows this, and anyone that paid attention in pre-season knew this. He was asked to do a job at no.6 because Matic had to have surgery.

He is a liability in a deeper role, doesn't have the anticipation or physicality to protect the ball and his line breaking passes are just not there (a few people thought some floated balls under no pressure meant he's a deep lying playmaker).

He is an advanced midfielder. He's good at pressing, can beat a man and has a cracking right foot on him. Suited to playing behind the striker. He's either a back-up to Pogba or replaces Mata. I have said for a long while that he should take up the mantle as a right midfielder because Mata is really getting on.

 

[Isotope]

Anyone that watched him in the academy knows this, and anyone that paid attention in pre-season knew this. He was asked to do a job at no.6 because Matic had to have surgery.

He is a liability in a deeper role, doesn't have the anticipation or physicality to protect the ball and his line breaking passes are just not there (a few people thought some floated balls under no pressure meant he's a deep lying playmaker).

He is an advanced midfielder. He's good at pressing, can beat a man and has a cracking right foot on him. Suited to playing behind the striker. He's either a back-up to Pogba or replaces Mata. I have said for a long while that he should take up the mantle as a right midfielder because Mata is really getting on.

Yeh. I can see him as attacking midfielder. Playing 367 minutes this season is apparently enough to write off a 23 y.o. promising midfielder.

Spoiler

 

[POF]

Anyone that watched him in the academy knows this, and anyone that paid attention in pre-season knew this. He was asked to do a job at no.6 because Matic had to have surgery.

He is a liability in a deeper role, doesn't have the anticipation or physicality to protect the ball and his line breaking passes are just not there (a few people thought some floated balls under no pressure meant he's a deep lying playmaker).

He is an advanced midfielder. He's good at pressing, can beat a man and has a cracking right foot on him. Suited to playing behind the striker. He's either a back-up to Pogba or replaces Mata. I have said for a long while that he should take up the mantle as a right midfielder because Mata is really getting on.

I agree with you in relation to his position but if he is ever going to play a reasonable number of minutes for United in this current set up then it's Herrera's position he needs to target, even just in rotation. That is because the gap between Pogba and Pereira as a creative force (Pogba and most players really) is huge. If Pogba isn't available for an extended period, it's more likely the club changes system than put Pereira in such a pivotal creative role.

Even with replacing Mata, if he's playing in the front 3, then he would need to add more goals to his game.

I think Pereira is a good all rounder. He is skillful, has an eye for a pass, can dribble, is good at set pieces and chip in with a few goals. He is also decent in the tackle and is far from a liability defensively. I think he needs to be the "other" midfielder that knits it all together rather than the holding midfield player or the creative fulcrum of the side.

Yeh. I can see him as attacking midfielder. Playing 367 minutes this season is apparently enough to write off a 23 y.o. promising midfielder.

Spoiler

I think his contract situation is the thing that makes "writing him off" more relevant. For his own future he needs to have a role in the first team squad by the end of the season or he's better off finding one somewhere else.

 

[haram]

There is nowhere to hide now. With his contract ticking down and the fact that I dont think he will play much until the end of the season he is probably done here.

 

[Isotope]

I think his contract situation is the thing that makes "writing him off" more relevant. For his own future he needs to have a role in the first team squad by the end of the season or he's better off finding one somewhere else.

The club didn't hesitate throwing off money with gigantic contracts to the likes of Rojo, Fellaini, Young, and giving Shaw 150k/wk. Pereira is a better asset than the first three, and will still have his worth even if things won't work out at United. So, the strong urge NOT to extend his contract is ridiculous.

 

[manunited1919]

Everytime we have a promising youth in our academy, we think they will turn out closer to Ronaldo or Scholes than to Cleverly. But I think the fact that Ronaldo & Scholes turned out to be world-class players had a lot to do with the way we developed them and the opportunities they got while here. If SAF hadn’t been here to guide these players, who knows if they would have ever developed to their full potential.

While it might be too late for Andreas, let’s hope Ole or the next permanent manager we get will be able to give the talented youth the proper guidance to realize their full potential.

 

[POF]

The club didn't hesitate throwing off money with gigantic contracts to the likes of Rojo, Fellaini, Young, and giving Shaw 150k/wk. Pereira is a better asset than the first three, and will still have his worth even if things won't work out at United. So, the strong urge NOT to extend his contract is ridiculous.

Not sure if there is a strong urge not to extend it from the club's perspective. I think it's most likely that he won't want to extend.

 

[Stacks]

Just an average player. Not United quality. Could of gathered that from his loan spell but hoped he might have something. I think his only good games in a United shirt are preseason

 

[Stacks]

Everytime we have a promising youth in our academy, we think they will turn out closer to Ronaldo or Scholes than to Cleverly. But I think the fact that Ronaldo & Scholes turned out to be world-class players had a lot to do with the way we developed them and the opportunities they got while here. If SAF hadn’t been here to guide these players, who knows if they would have ever developed to their full potential.

While it might be too late for Andreas, let’s hope Ole or the next permanent manager we get will be able to give the talented youth the proper guidance to realize their full potential.

It was more to do with their natural talent. If Pereira was good enough he would of displaced one of our many average CMds

 

[WR10]

Why is he usually liked by the average football watcher? Because he has great technique on the ball with fantastic telephone box dribbling. Why is he disliked? His feet can move at 100mph but his brain can't. He losses possession because he dwells on the ball and doesn't have the mental RPM of top-class midfielders. He also has poor decision making.

Why do I still believe in him? With regular game time, you sync your timing to the pace of the game and as a result you don't lose the ball as often and then you can really let your superior technical skills show - see preseason.

Why is he not going to make it here? We're never, ever going to give him a run of games over either Matic or Pogba. The only chances he might ever get is if either Fred or Herrara get injured.

Result? Another loan or he finally pulls his thumb out and makes a more permanent move because there is a very good player there that is not getting the chance to get that engine running.

 

[Mr Smith]

Been trying to figure this lad out for years.

Its finally becoming clear. He still has the exact same weaknesses he had 2 years ago and isn't improving. Not gonna make it.

That just shows how much we overrate our youngsters that we ended up getting shocked when they play to their true performance.

He has been excellent in two separate loan years. Clearly out of form right now but has never had an extended run in the team. He deserves a chance given the performances he's put in on loan. He may not be United quality, but he didn't show anywhere near his own quality agains Reading, and deserves some time to do so.

 

[Bwuk]

He should leave in the summer for his own interests. For his ages he’s played very little first team football.

 

[Cassidy]

Why is he usually liked by the average football watcher? Because he has great technique on the ball with fantastic telephone box dribbling. Why is he disliked? His feet can move at 100mph but his brain can't. He losses possession because he dwells on the ball and doesn't have the mental RPM of top-class midfielders. He also has poor decision making.

Why do I still believe in him? With regular game time, you sync your timing to the pace of the game and as a result you don't lose the ball as often and then you can really let your superior technical skills show - see preseason.

Why is he not going to make it here? We're never, ever going to give him a run of games over either Matic or Pogba. The only chances he might ever get is if either Fred or Herrara get injured.

Result? Another loan or he finally pulls his thumb out and makes a more permanent move because there is a very good player there that is not getting the chance to get that engine running.

Good assessment. I tend to agree

 

[breakout67]

I agree with you in relation to his position but if he is ever going to play a reasonable number of minutes for United in this current set up then it's Herrera's position he needs to target, even just in rotation. That is because the gap between Pogba and Pereira as a creative force (Pogba and most players really) is huge. If Pogba isn't available for an extended period, it's more likely the club changes system than put Pereira in such a pivotal creative role.

Even with replacing Mata, if he's playing in the front 3, then he would need to add more goals to his game.

I think Pereira is a good all rounder. He is skillful, has an eye for a pass, can dribble, is good at set pieces and chip in with a few goals. He is also decent in the tackle and is far from a liability defensively. I think he needs to be the "other" midfielder that knits it all together rather than the holding midfield player or the creative fulcrum of the side.

He is absolutely a liability defensively. Its been proven time and time again. He let's runners get on his blindspot very easily, loses the ball in dangerous areas, not physical enough to shield the ball. He's marginally better than Mata at midfield defending.

I think this guy could be a good attacking midfielder, but that has been shelved because we have Pogba. Which is not a problem since Pogba is just a better player than him in basically every area.

He came through the academy at the wrong time to be a starter, but he could still make a career here because he has good qualities. It depends on how he sees himself, does he think he can make it as the main midfielder at a big club, or is he willing to stay at United and play a squad role like Mata and Lingard.

 

[Di Maria's angel]

For someone who hasn't watched him play much other than the couple of games for the first team, I really don't get the hype. He's never impressed me and shown that he warrants a start in the next game.

 

[LoveFootball]

Why is he usually liked by the average football watcher? Because he has great technique on the ball with fantastic telephone box dribbling. Why is he disliked? His feet can move at 100mph but his brain can't. He losses possession because he dwells on the ball and doesn't have the mental RPM of top-class midfielders. He also has poor decision making.

Why do I still believe in him? With regular game time, you sync your timing to the pace of the game and as a result you don't lose the ball as often and then you can really let your superior technical skills show - see preseason.

Why is he not going to make it here? We're never, ever going to give him a run of games over either Matic or Pogba. The only chances he might ever get is if either Fred or Herrara get injured.

Result? Another loan or he finally pulls his thumb out and makes a more permanent move because there is a very good player there that is not getting the chance to get that engine running.

Very good analysis of the player. I still think that with 2 seasons playing regular football he can unlock his potential but I don't see him do it here at United. If he signs a new contract we should send him on a long loan spell of 2 years at a club where he's guaranteed game time, or sell him with a buyback close.

 

[SteveW]

He has been excellent in two separate loan years. Clearly out of form right now but has never had an extended run in the team. He deserves a chance given the performances he's put in on loan. He may not be United quality, but he didn't show anywhere near his own quality agains Reading, and deserves some time to do so.

I followed both loans closely. In and out of an average enough team. He's decent but not United quality

 

[kundalini]

He has been excellent in two separate loan years. Clearly out of form right now but has never had an extended run in the team. He deserves a chance given the performances he's put in on loan. He may not be United quality, but he didn't show anywhere near his own quality agains Reading, and deserves some time to do so.

Or to be more accurate. He was a regular starter for Granada when they were relegated. Got a lot of mins on the pitch. Either played left side moving inside, ahead of a back 5 (or back 4) or as a no 10. Took a huge number of low percentage, long distance, shots as well as free-kicks. Scored 5 goals with 3 assists in 34 starts. Generally viewed as one of their best performers, possibly their best.

For Valencia he got 12 starts 11 sub appearances in La Liga. Typically a sub in matches against Real Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, Atletico Madrid (he got one start against Atletico) etc. Played a different role, either wide right or wide left in a 4-4-2 system, more responsibility for creating chances, far fewer shots (down from 2.38 per 90 mins to 1.17). 1 goal and 4 assists. Valencia were underwhelmed by his performances, hence a lack of interest in signing him in the summer.

I think you can make a reasonable case, especially in hindsight, that United should not have signed Fred, thus giving Pereira enough playing time to succeed or fail here. Quite why Andreas thought Mourinho would give him a fair chance this season, having forced the loan move to Valencia the previous season, is beyond me.

Then there is the question of which position he can perform at PL level now, or in the near future ? In a Solskjaer team, the central midfielders need defensive and positional awareness to compensate for the full-backs being higher up the pitch.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

He's had quite a few chances now and im struggling to think of a performance that has warranted the hype that surrounds him.

 

[TheForgottenOne]

He's had quite a few chances now and im struggling to think of a performance that has warranted the hype that surrounds him.

Quite a few? The lad got to play 173 minutes this season, 135 of them were on DM in the first 2 games of the season. Mourinho wanted to turn him into a DM but he clearly is not.

I actually have some faith in him, but he needs to get a decent chance to show himself and he is not getting it. Expecting a player who hardly gets any time to show himself when he gets dumped in a cup match with other players who hardly ever get to play is a bit harsh in my opinion. When seeing the midfield line-up, I knew it was going to be crap game. That starting midfield was dreadfull and Fellaini should have played instead of McTominey so that there would have been some experience in midfield. Also, with Darmian playing CB which is not his natural position partnered by Jones, who has enough trouble handling himself, there is also less rest and coaching from the back. And Romero was also hoofing balls forward instead of trying to build up.

I am not saying Pereira did not perform poor, because he obviously did, but I do not think you can really judge him for this game when the things around the player did also set him up for failure a bit.

If there is any intention to retain him for the club, he should get a decent chance playing with Pogba and Matic/Herrera on midfield or just a 90 minutes at the rigth when we are at full force. When playing Lukaku, I would really like to see Pereira on the right and see how that works. Pereira actually has a decent cross, which should serve Lukaku well.

Personally, I would recommend him to leave to just be a starter at a smaller club and work his way up. It seems he will never get a decent run with us. I would think there are plenty of mid table clubs that would love to sign a player that made his debut for the Brazilian national team this year on a free transfer.

 

[Silas]

I agree with you in relation to his position but if he is ever going to play a reasonable number of minutes for United in this current set up then it's Herrera's position he needs to target, even just in rotation. That is because the gap between Pogba and Pereira as a creative force (Pogba and most players really) is huge. If Pogba isn't available for an extended period, it's more likely the club changes system than put Pereira in such a pivotal creative role.

Even with replacing Mata, if he's playing in the front 3, then he would need to add more goals to his game.

I think Pereira is a good all rounder. He is skillful, has an eye for a pass, can dribble, is good at set pieces and chip in with a few goals. He is also decent in the tackle and is far from a liability defensively. I think he needs to be the "other" midfielder that knits it all together rather than the holding midfield player or the creative fulcrum of the side.

My thoughts too. This was always the position that made sense to try him in, but we've almost exclusively used him as a #6.

 

[staniswin]

Quite a few? The lad got to play 173 minutes this season, 135 of them were on DM in the first 2 games of the season. Mourinho wanted to turn him into a DM but he clearly is not.

I actually have some faith in him, but he needs to get a decent chance to show himself and he is not getting it. Expecting a player who hardly gets any time to show himself when he gets dumped in a cup match with other players who hardly ever get to play is a bit harsh in my opinion. When seeing the midfield line-up, I knew it was going to be crap game. That starting midfield was dreadfull and Fellaini should have played instead of McTominey so that there would have been some experience in midfield. Also, with Darmian playing CB which is not his natural position partnered by Jones, who has enough trouble handling himself, there is also less rest and coaching from the back. And Romero was also hoofing balls forward instead of trying to build up.
.

Since he is poor defensively, his competition is either Pogba, Martial, or Lingard. I can't trust him in Matic or Herrera position and we better not wishing injury to Pogba just for him to play. I guess he realizes it as well and already try to find a new club right now.