Did not put a foot wrong, his passing is good, he is good going forward, solid defensively, and he got a goal!!! Really much better than Darmian
17
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 39
- Clean sheets
- 19
- Goals
- 1
- Assists
- 2
- Yellow cards
- 4
- Status
Fantastic strike for his goal. Very well taken. Really like him at left back. Does lack pace, but going forward he times his overlaps well and when he gets into position, he puts in some wicked crosses.
He did, had a couple of poor moments in first half with a terrible piece of positioning that left him dragging a player down on the edge of our box and getting a yellow and that a very very lame cowardly header which gave Sunderland their best chance of the game.
After that though he just grew and grew and was superb from minute 40 onwards.
Eh?
He was good, but I don't think he's safe enough to start in defence against better teams. Was he the one at fault when De Gea had to make that save in the first half?
His finishing is always top notch and I bet it is better than most attackers too.
Look at his strikes since he joined us. His accuracy is insane even for attackers let alone a defender.
I always hope he does some runs into the box and has a chance to strike the ball at the goal due to that.
Look at his strikes since he joined us. His accuracy is insane even for attackers let alone a defender.
I always hope he does some runs into the box and has a chance to strike the ball at the goal due to that.
Poor clearing header that led to Anichebe's chance. Also was out of position and had to pull a Sunderland player near the box for which he conceded a freekick and got a yellow card. He's always good for giving De Gea something to do.
Great finish though. That first touch to set up the shot was real nice. He's also much better offensively than Darmian.
That was a superb run for the goal.
His first start in a while right? Thought he was a bit off in the first half hour or so, but he did well from then. Well taken goal too.
He's a far better player than Darmian, it's bizarre he's had so few chances at LB.
Really hard to understand Mourinho's thinking in favouring Darmian over him so far. Blind is brilliant as a left back. Defends well, brings so much composure on the ball and passes it out well, has good delivery from out wide and links intelligently with the players around him. Easily our best left back I think in terms of impact on the team. Shaw needs to massively improve his attacking game (assuming his overall game returns to pre injury of course) to be better as a left back I think, because even at his best that part was pretty bad.
Did not think that Anichebe's chance was his fault, just Anichebe is just physical monster, even Valencia got beaten once or twice, but fair enough if you think that was a mistake
I just thought that he did not make a mistake like Darmian would, he is strong in one on one, did not get beaten once today, much better in lb than cb, and I thought that if he is fit then he should play instead of Shaw
I'm just always happy to see him on the pitch. CB, FB, DM, I don't really care. He's got a good head on his shoulders, and a team can never have too many of those.
The Anichebe mistake had nothing to do with physicality. It was because Blind, who is a forward thinking footballer to be fair to him, opted not to head a ball he was struggling with out for a corner. He instead headed it back out to the edge of the 6 yard box, probably thinking a team mate can keep possession or something from there, I don't know.
He had a good game otherwise I thought. Just disagreed with you saying he didn't put a foot wrong, that's all.
Especially when you consider he's a natural leftie
In fans' eyes. A few games out and he's back to being junk according to some upthread.
So nice to have somebody out there who can use his left foot. It adds the width but also the overlap (which means we dont see them cut back in to the right foot). Also allows the person out wide to cut and get away from out wide. Think he should be first choice until we get Shaw (hopefully) up and running there. Good delivery and good finishing (and passing too)
His one (or two bad moments) involved him getting a booking but he recovered well after that and was superb second half.
His one (or two bad moments) involved him getting a booking but he recovered well after that and was superb second half.
This may be the festive beers talking but I bloody love him.
If defenders and midfielders were weighted equally against attackers, he'd be valued as our best player pound for pound across 2016.
In @fontaine style he's a full member
ful
ful member
ful member
ful member
Although his number does say 1-7.
If defenders and midfielders were weighted equally against attackers, he'd be valued as our best player pound for pound across 2016.
In @fontaine style he's a full member
ful
ful member
ful member
ful member
Although his number does say 1-7.
I had to check his goal on Yotube, nice finish and him, Pogba and Carrick closed out everything in that left channel in the second half.
He is my favourite player in this squad, love his calmness and intelligence. Think Jose will play him in the next game and then Darmian at West Ham
Would love to see him start a few games in Carrick's role, just to see if he has what it takes to be Carrick's successor.
Agreed he was sloppy first half but tidied up second half.
Great goal too.
Better in different sense. Blind has big flaw with his positioning discipline. He have a weird knack of making wrong movement & playing opponent's attacker onside.
This game is the Anichebe chance which Anichebe should be trapped offside. Defoe (Edited: it was Borini) was marked and wouldn't reach that cross and that attack ends with Anichebe is offside, if Blind have done his job right at the beginning. I won't talk about Blind header that nearly put the chance on plate for Anichebe since Darmian is as awful with his clearance. Just saying, Darmian is better in keeping the defensive play.
I believe Darmian is played in game where Mourinho anticipates the opponent can put a lot of cross into the box and require great positioning discipline. We on paper should dominate and prevent crosses into our box Sunderland and Crystal Palace. Crystal Palace scored in a short period they and piled pressure on us. Sunderland had a period of unexpected dominating time and caused us problem.
Edit: As other posters in various thread said LB position is now a weak link in our team. Blind and Darmian has obvious flaw. Shaw is excellent defensive 1vs1, but after long lay off, he needs time get back to his best form then develop the understand of tactic demand from Mourinho.
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He should be starting at left back from now on and not Darmian, he's not strong enough there and gets skinned frequently.
Brilliant player. Although this forum has a strange fascination with the thought of Mourinho selling him.
Was so surprised to see Rojo carrying the ball up the pitch that I (and probably Sunderland) didnt even see Blind arriving for the goal 
Complete exaggeration brilliant he is not. His goal papered over the two mistakes he did yesterday that could have caused goals. Better than Darmain without doubt but not good enough other than being a very good back up.
Back up to who? We need to start identifying who these first choice players are, or start buying them, because it seems nearly everyone in our side is only a squad/backup player. He's currently our best left back option by a distance.
Blind is back up cm centre half to Smalling Bailley and now Rojo and Jones. He will be back up to Shaw when he is fully fit and I suppose he can be back up as a midfielder if needed.
One of the problems with Blind is that he can be very vulnerable in the early stages of a game. He's excellent at adjusting his play to the opposition but in the first half I thought we were going to concede from that side. Anichebe looked ready to torch him. Good goal, though, and he's a hell of a lot better than Darmian.
Shaw wouldn't and shouldn't stroll back into the starting XI. He's been no better than Blind has.
No, but his ceiling as a full back is much higher so he'll get chances for certain.
Martial's ceiling is high too, but he won't start games until he starts proving himself.
The same goes for Shaw. I see no reason to drop Blind, or to remotely suggest the idea of selling him because we have a young LB with a high ceiling.
Totally agree.
Shaw should have a bright future here but the players all need to have that hunger to get into, and then stay in the side.
Too many players have been picked on reputation and not form in the recent past.
He was miles better before he had his leg break.
Blind played as a CB in that season, and was pretty good there too.
A lot of Blind's contributions go underrated here, presumably because he lacks pace on attack and therefore doesn't have the bursting runs going forward that Shaw had pre-leg beak (for about 8-10 games). Its obvious however that Blind maintains his physique better and has the mentality required for our manager. Defensively, I've seen Shaw caught out of positions on some occasions that are seemingly ignored more often than if Blind were in the same position.
I agree Shaw has potential to be a better LB, but he's not showing to be one at the moment. And he certainly wasn't "miles better" pre leg break either - that's overkill.
Sometimes a good defense is the best offense... or something like that.
Apart from the brain farts, which a young player like Shaw has too, Blind's intelligence and reading of the game means he knows when to go shoulder to shoulder (to slow the player down), when to tackle aggressively from behind (ohh-er) to stop them turning, when to close and when to lay off etc etc. These little things make him a very good player as he stops momentum, which is probably as effective as tackling a player outright and winning the ball. The problem is when he get's isolated and the game is kick and run.
However, that all aside, his passing and versatility is great. He's a fantastic passing option from deep and offers so much in that respect.
I want Shaw to succeed so badly because he has all the tools but it may be time for him to take a step back and learn from the sidelines. Hopefully his confidence doesn't suffer and he genuinely can push hmself to be better, injuries aside.
However, that all aside, his passing and versatility is great. He's a fantastic passing option from deep and offers so much in that respect.
I want Shaw to succeed so badly because he has all the tools but it may be time for him to take a step back and learn from the sidelines. Hopefully his confidence doesn't suffer and he genuinely can push hmself to be better, injuries aside.
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Blind played at CB when he had Fellaini there to protect him. Since Fellaini's been dropped, so has Blind from centreback.
Meanwhile, Blind has played at left back 6 times. On only two of those occasions have either Martial/Rashford played in front of him, despite them being the most frequent starters at leftwing. In fact, Blind has played leftback EVERY SINGLE TIME someone other than Rashford/Martial has been on the leftwing (when Lingard, Rooney, Young and Mkhitaryan started there).
It's pretty clear that Mourinho likes Blind at leftback. Indeed, he's first choice depending on who plays at leftwing. But the manager doesn't trust either Martial or Rashford to give him the protection he needs.
That's always the problem with Blind. He needs someone in front of him whether it's in the middle or on the flank. He simply lacks the positioning and pace to go with his great passing and crossing ability.
Meanwhile, Blind has played at left back 6 times. On only two of those occasions have either Martial/Rashford played in front of him, despite them being the most frequent starters at leftwing. In fact, Blind has played leftback EVERY SINGLE TIME someone other than Rashford/Martial has been on the leftwing (when Lingard, Rooney, Young and Mkhitaryan started there).
It's pretty clear that Mourinho likes Blind at leftback. Indeed, he's first choice depending on who plays at leftwing. But the manager doesn't trust either Martial or Rashford to give him the protection he needs.
That's always the problem with Blind. He needs someone in front of him whether it's in the middle or on the flank. He simply lacks the positioning and pace to go with his great passing and crossing ability.
The CAF suffers from amnesia! He was very good last season. I'll never forget how he handled Aguero and Lukaku.
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