Elanga vs Dan James

UnitedFire

New Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2021
Messages
853
Bare with me. The thought crossed my head of how good is Elanga from early impressions and who you might compare him to as an indication of how he might progress.

20 games 4 goals so far for Elanga as a Man Utd senior.

74 games 9 goals Dan James

Elanga certainly looks a touch more productive, but so did Dan James early on.

My question comes more from the eye test. Both look very quick, both look strong and half decent in the air. But I'm not seeing anything special so far. Not much in the way of skill of great creativity, just athletes. I know in the Premiership that is a prerequisite, but is it enough.

Very harsh to judge this early and in a team that creates very limited opportunities, but does this feel a reasonable comparison to you?

Do you see anything yet to suggest Elanga is more than just a surge of energy, which effectively replaces Rashfords dire form? If this is the case it's still a win. We still have the first team player in Rashford, but we have a youngster to offer something in his absence. This is how the youth system should work.

I guess the question is whether you've seen anything to suggest he could be more than a squad player.

There was another high energy player, a certain Park Ji Sung who set the benchmark for energetic players, but he had a little bit of everything. As well as unbelievable stamina and pace he was also fairly skillful and could create opportunities. He was never going to be an Mbappe, but he did provide a serious engine, which could give you the extra 10% needed to turn draws into wins.

I don't question the need for Elanga right now. I think he is providing energy that we are sadly lacking or maybe it's enthusiasm or willingness, but he certainly has something others aren't giving.

Thoughts?
 
In terms of profiles: sure. In terms of actual potential: probably not? Elanga is scoring CL goals at the age of 19, and I believe was our YPOTY last season.
 
For me what elanga represents on the field has been a big part of his starting.

He's setting an example to supposedly better players that you have to run and work and be positive and honest and all the other clichés if you want to play. These are things which the likes of Marcus (who I love btw), martial and lingard have forgotten. You could've perhaps thrown sancho in there too but I'd say he's responded to elangas inclusion and now produces the required effort and is frequently picked as a result

Elanga taking the place of the so called better players should be inspiring them to up their game to oust him. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to have worked which says far more about the others players issues than it does his or the managers

He's not great but at the moment he's the best we have
 
If I'm being honest I don't think Elanga will be more than a squad player here ever and I don't see a talent anywhere near the levels of Januzaj/Martial/Rashford/Greenwood so far... And those clearly turned out so well....

Who knows with young players. Right now his benefit is a good work rate and a positive attitude. It should be easily replaced with a top talented player as well, but that's clearly not always the case.
 
Elanga will go on to have a better career I think. It's not really hard to guess since the other one has literally "failed" at United and went to Leeds.
 
Not entirely relevant to the OP, but I was concerned with the sale of Dan James. Not because I thought he was necessarily good enough to regularly hold down a first team place, but he was an attacking player who worked just as hard defensively as he did offensively and he was pretty much the only player across our front line to do so which was why he was picked so often for bigger games - I have little doubt he'd have been picked last night and that he'd have got back for the goal for example, where Elanga didn't.
 
That bit of skill on the touchline yesterday is something you would never see from James. I really rate Elanga, I think he will have a good career at United, at least as the 1st/2nd guy off the bench and Cup starter after we reinvigorate the squad.
 
It's too early to say how Elanga's career will go. It's not too early though to say he's better than Forrest Gump, Dan James had the worst end product I've seen in years. No vision, no techinal ability on the ball, awful link up. He couldn't read the game. Elanga has all these things already. Weird thread.
 
UnitedFire said:
Bare with me. The thought crossed my head of how good is Elanga from early impressions and who you might compare him to as an indication of how he might progress.

20 games 4 goals so far for Elanga as a Man Utd senior.

74 games 9 goals Dan James

Elanga certainly looks a touch more productive, but so did Dan James early on.

My question comes more from the eye test. Both look very quick, both look strong and half decent in the air. But I'm not seeing anything special so far. Not much in the way of skill of great creativity, just athletes. I know in the Premiership that is a prerequisite, but is it enough.

Very harsh to judge this early and in a team that creates very limited opportunities, but does this feel a reasonable comparison to you?

Do you see anything yet to suggest Elanga is more than just a surge of energy, which effectively replaces Rashfords dire form? If this is the case it's still a win. We still have the first team player in Rashford, but we have a youngster to offer something in his absence. This is how the youth system should work.

I guess the question is whether you've seen anything to suggest he could be more than a squad player.

There was another high energy player, a certain Park Ji Sung who set the benchmark for energetic players, but he had a little bit of everything. As well as unbelievable stamina and pace he was also fairly skillful and could create opportunities. He was never going to be an Mbappe, but he did provide a serious engine, which could give you the extra 10% needed to turn draws into wins.

I don't question the need for Elanga right now. I think he is providing energy that we are sadly lacking or maybe it's enthusiasm or willingness, but he certainly has something others aren't giving.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Elanga is more skillful and more two-footed than James as well as being a better finisher. No one knows how Elanga will develop of course but I think he has a broader skillset.
 
Speedy wide men both but really not that similar as players.

We had a good record with James in the side and one of the reasons for that and why he was often selected tends to get overlooked and that was his willingness to put in a shift defensively, something we have sorely lacked since his departure. Elanga was rightly criticized for not tracking the run of his full back for Atletis goal yesterday and that is an area where James was very dependable.

On the flip side I do see more potential for Elanga as an attacker, he does seem to have a better first touch and seems to make the right decision with the ball more often when he is played in. With having played so few first team games so far clearly there is a lot of scope for him to improve, not sure he is good enough to be a regular starter for us with where we would like to be but his energy and pace unsettles defenders and he deserves more opportunities to show what he can do, certainly he is contributing more on the pitch than Marcus right now and so should retain his place.
 
Elanga looks decent enough, probably just a squad player but no shame in that. James was shit, and had zero composure in the box (which Elanga has).
 
Elanga seems comfortably more skillful than James, beating players by skill as well as pure pace. He's also much stronger and better in the air.

It's far too early to say whether he'll end up being 'good enough', but there's potential there. Whereas James was always basically just a pace merchant. James was better defensively, although Elanga does seem to be the best defensively of the Rashford/Greenwood/Sancho/Elanga group.
 
I think Elanga has a great attitude, which is half the battle. Players peak at different ages, if he keeps learning from Ronaldo and working as hard as he does, along with his decent natural ability, he can end up a lot better than some "pheonomenal" talents.
 
As for the comparison — I do believe that Elanga has more in his locker, James was absolutely one-dimensional. But I doubt that he has in it him to become a long-term starter for us — although I’d be happy to be proven wrong.
 
Tarrou said:
Elanga looks decent enough, probably just a squad player but no shame in that. James was shit, and had zero composure in the box (which Elanga has).
Click to expand...

Kind of harsh. We had a better record with him in the team than we did without him and we easily sold him on for a pretty tidy profit. A few more "shit" players like that would be welcome right about now. Certainly he offered a lot more than quite a few players still in the first team this season and you can count on the fingers of one hand the players in our team right now that matched his effort or desire to play for the badge.

He was not good enough for the long term at United but no need to be disrespectful when there are any number of other chancers stealing a living here and taking the piss.
 
I did get Dan James vibes about him last night. He’ll probably be better but he should t have to be starting games like last night. Circumstances have dictated that he needed to start which sums up our current situation.
 
Elanga has been fast-tracked before he should have been, due to the way this season has unfolded and our attacking options.

He has something, without question, but he isn't yet ready to start consecutive games. Can't blame him for any of this though. The education he is getting now will be good for him long term.
 
james never looked strong or good in the air that’s for sure.

all he had was the ability to press well and run well off the ball. the odd occasion he’d put in a decent cross but never regularly enough to be effective.

Time will tell with Elanga but he looks way more a natural footballer than james ever will be.
 
Elanga looks like a decent squad player and I mean that as a compliment. James had a great start but dropped in promise very quickly after that.
 
Few of my man utd mates think Elenga will end up at midtable/relegation sides in the future. Like some of our past younger players, they have little spell where they do well and then relise eventually there just not cut out to play at top club. Welbeck, Januazi, Macheda, sure few more on the list over the years.
 
The decision to sell James and replace him with Elanga was the right one. Elanga provides everything James does (tad bit less pace) and is generally a better player. He'll be a decent squad option but as an academy graduate there was no need to keep James when we could get the fee we got for him whilst upgrading him slightly for free. Though think Ralf should be credited with bringing him into the squad.
 
I don’t think he will become a special player, but he’s certainly a good squad player already. And we are talking about someone who has a lot of time to improve yet. Bearing this in mind, it’s positive signs for me.

He always seems to give It his all, and has good pace to burn sometimes. I think he can be a very valuable squad player for us.

Also Dan James and strength just don’t go hand in hand sorry.
 
James is a decent player but contributes with nothing against low block teams (which is about 85% of our games) whereas Elanga can both run behind defenders and has the trickery and confidence to take players on. I clearly remember how useless James was against teams defending against us and his most notable contributions came against teams weak against the counter.
 
Completely different players for me. James has more utility as an impact sub or tactical option because he's got a particular skillset, but his limitations elsewhere mean he struggles to contribute outside of that context. On the other hand, Elanga looks far more comfortable when slotted into the first team because he's more well rounded, but doesn't offer the same impact off the bench or utility as a tactical option.

The main thing they have in common is that they've both gotten a lot more first team football here than they otherwise would have because our big names aren't performing.
 
‘Both are strong and good in the air’… :confused:
 
I would rather have Dan James instead of Rashford now. At least he gives everything.
 
Dan James probably would have faired better under ragnick as he likely would have started a lot more on his favoured left side.
 
I think there’s a bit more composure in Elanga’s game. I do think he’ll be a world beater, but the squad doesn’t need all players to be that.

The academy is here to provide us with players like this, good mentality, enough skill and can be effective. He can develop into a useful player for us.
 
The difference is night and day for me. Elanga has more of an array of skills than James, we just haven't seen them yet in the first team. For instance, he's a much better dribbler with good technique and footballing intelligence. He's exhibited this at youth level and for the Swedish youth national sides. In my opinion he has potential to be a dead cert starter.

James is still playing like a deer in the headlights at Leeds and he'll be 25 this year. His level is championship football or lower PL football. He was sold for a reason
 
The main difference is we actually paid money for James, on Giggs say so apparently, because he was Welsh maybe? There was nothing to suggest then and certainly not now, to suggest he would be a good player. He is a 5/10 player and the championship would suit him better.
Elanga is into his first few months and although he wont be the next Ronaldo or Rooney, its too early to compare him at James level. He could end up that bad, but needs a season or two for comparison.
 
wolvored said:
The main difference is we actually paid money for James, on Giggs say so apparently, because he was Welsh maybe? There was nothing to suggest then and certainly not now, to suggest he would be a good player. He is a 5/10 player and the championship would suit him better.
Elanga is into his first few months and although he wont be the next Ronaldo or Rooney, its too early to compare him at James level. He could end up that bad, but needs a season or two for comparison.
Click to expand...

We made money on him did we not? It was a decent move. He served his purpose in the side.
 
He isn't what the cool kids label as a "generational talent". What he is though is a 7/10 talent, with what looks like a really good mentality. That can take him far. Further than his good/very good natural talent would 'entitle' him to reach. The other part of the equation is his manager and the level of coaching he will receive. That is all very much up in the air right now, as we know.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.