I'd imagine EtH will have a good look at them in pre season. I think probably Amad and Hannibal will be the most likely to be involved in the first team next season. Probably too soon for the others.
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Agreed.
Still out with his hamstring injury.
Back in the lineup, starting for QPR today.
I see that he's still struggling with injuries. He's 21 and will be 22 at the start of next season sadly I don't think he'll make it here because of that. He's way too injury prone he simply can't stay fit and playing in the EPL will only make it worse.
What a waste for a player that was casted as the best talent in his age bracket, which includes Greenwood.
What a waste for a player that was casted as the best talent in his age bracket, which includes Greenwood.
Not quite.
Back in the day it was between those two, many claimed Laird was the better talent. Even some coaches if I recall correctly.
Easily in eachothers league, he was a freak at that age.
Laird was brilliant, agreed. Greenwood was something else in my opinion. That's all it is though I guess, opinions
You’ll be surprised when both players are in United shirts next season by the sounds of it
After seeing how ETH improved AWB or made him useful at least, I really wanna see what would happen if he gave Laird a chance.
In the U18 league, Ethan Laird got 3 goals + 7 assists in 2174 mins
In the U23 league 0 goals + 4 assists in 1140 mins
League One (playing as a wing-back) 0 goals + 4 assists in 1847 mins
Championship for Swansea (wing-back) 0 goals + 3 assists in 1613 mins
Championship for Bournemouth (full-back) 0 goals + 0 assists (expected assists 0.1 according to Fbref) in 375 mins
Championship for QPR (full-back, apart from a few games) 1 goal + 2 assists (his expected assists are 1.9 according to Fbref) in 2294 mins
With each step up in level, and switch from wing-back to full-back, his attacking productivity has dropped, to the extent that it is now nothing special for a Championship full-back.
His Fbref profile looks so ordinary (compared to full-backs in next 8 leagues, rather than top 5 European leagues) though it does contain 300+ mins from his time at Bournemouth. Whoscored have him as the 9th highest rated QPR player this season.
Where is this optimism coming from ? QPR are just above the relegation zone with the 2nd worst defence in the division. I don't even see why a team from a superior league to the Championship would even be interested at this stage.
In the U23 league 0 goals + 4 assists in 1140 mins
League One (playing as a wing-back) 0 goals + 4 assists in 1847 mins
Championship for Swansea (wing-back) 0 goals + 3 assists in 1613 mins
Championship for Bournemouth (full-back) 0 goals + 0 assists (expected assists 0.1 according to Fbref) in 375 mins
Championship for QPR (full-back, apart from a few games) 1 goal + 2 assists (his expected assists are 1.9 according to Fbref) in 2294 mins
With each step up in level, and switch from wing-back to full-back, his attacking productivity has dropped, to the extent that it is now nothing special for a Championship full-back.
His Fbref profile looks so ordinary (compared to full-backs in next 8 leagues, rather than top 5 European leagues) though it does contain 300+ mins from his time at Bournemouth. Whoscored have him as the 9th highest rated QPR player this season.
Where is this optimism coming from ? QPR are just above the relegation zone with the 2nd worst defence in the division. I don't even see why a team from a superior league to the Championship would even be interested at this stage.
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Ever thought the bolded have some correlation between them? Many consider Kyle Walker-Peters to have been one of the best RBs in the league this season (rightly so). He's got 1 goal and 0 assists so far.
From the academy days. He was regarded as the best of his generation along with Greenwood.
He clearly hasnt developed as spected. Injuries have definitely affected him he's already 21 and will be 22 at the start of next season without almost any PL experience and doing nothing special in the championship.
He's clearly not going to make it here that's for sure but I doubt he will even make it at all at top level. At this point is not looking like it at all.
I'm genuinely surprised that Laird's attacking qualities haven't had much impact at Championship level so far. I would have expected him to be a genuine asset going forwards but a liability defensively, at least until he learned how to defend against quality opponents.
I don't think U18s and U23s (now U21s) give much of an indication of how a player will perform in the men's game. So many of the predictions on here turn out to be miles out.
It's obviously a huge gap in quality between the boy's and the men's game. Most players won't make it but it's always exciting to see youngsters tear it up in the academy. We all know about 1 in 10 will actually make it in the premier league and way less than that make it here.
Are you just basing this off stats or have you actually watched him play?
Goals from fullbacks, no matter how attacking they are, are a rarity. Assists numbers are highly dependent on the attackers. Shaw’s numbers wouldn’t look that good either because our forwards just can’t score but anyone who watches him play knows he’s one of the most important player in our offensive system.
He’s clearly doing something right that despite QPR being near the bottom, they’re still starting a player who’s on loan and won’t be there next season.
Most of our youth players who get touted here as the next big thing are completely forgotten by the time they become 23. They usually are nowhere to be found either in that yearly top 100 most exciting prospects list. So my logical conclusion is that they are overrated in here.
Yet each year I hope you guys are right for once, so hopefully this Laird guy is as good as you hope he is!
Yet each year I hope you guys are right for once, so hopefully this Laird guy is as good as you hope he is!
I have not watched him play since the U23s/his rare 1st team appearances (apart from a few highlights posted on here), hence my question - where is this optimism coming from ?
Yes assist numbers are highly dependent on the attackers; that's why I included his expected assists numbers too and mentioned his Fbref profile. His pass completion stats are marginally lower than the QPR team average. Fbref rate him very highly for progressive carries relative to other full-backs playing in next 8 competitions (so below top 5 European leagues) but for most stats he is slightly above or below average for that group.
Laird is getting regular starts in the Championship; that's better than many young players from United's youth system manage at that age. However, last season James Garner was one of the better performers in the Championship, got sold in the summer and is currently either a sub or unused sub for an Everton team that is hoping to avoid relegation.
He is out of contract in the summer though I suspect United have a + 1 year option. Championship teams paid a fee for 45 incoming transfers this season. That includes 5 players bought for under £500K and 7 for between £500K and £999K. Is Laird sufficiently good enough for Championship teams to be willing to pay a fee for him ? If so, how much ?
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Guys it doesn't matter how good a fullback is going forwards if the whole team isn't keeping the ball high up the pitch.
I haven't watched Laird this season but a fullbacks attacking output is limited by playing in a poor team. There's only so much they can do.
Robertson(big baby) got two assists in his last season with Hull. Moves to a good team and obviously goes on to be the second most productive fullback in the Prem.
I haven't watched Laird this season but a fullbacks attacking output is limited by playing in a poor team. There's only so much they can do.
Robertson(big baby) got two assists in his last season with Hull. Moves to a good team and obviously goes on to be the second most productive fullback in the Prem.
He’d do himself good moving to a league like Germany’s and inflating the opinions on himself
Watching this QPR team play football makes it really easy for me to understand why he doesn't get more goals or assists. They're shit.
Back in the starting XI.
He’s 21 and ETH seems to be looking for a new RB. Eventually, Laird will probably make a permanent move to QPR and we’ll all forget about him. Unfortunately, like you said, this happens a lot
This. It's always the same story. Garner, Fosu-Mensah, Gomes, Tunnicliffe, Wilson, etc. All touted on here as the next big thing, with frequent appearances in the "starting XI in five years" threads. Now it's Hannibal and Iqbal. Next year it'll be someone else.
Youth players can look brilliant and simply that's their level. Very few youth players can take the step up to top flight football. It's always tricky to predict those that can make the step up imo, talent only gets you so far.
Having watched every QPR game this season I was dissapointed with Laird overall. Started out really well under Beale and I was really hopeful. However he really struggled in the second half of the season and was really poor (constantly seemed to pick up little injuries, was always out of position and rumours of attitude problems). At one point he was dropped to the bench for a youth team player. He had a couple of half decent games towards the end of the season, but I think the majority of QPR fans would be suprised if he ever became a regular for United. It was a big contrast to someone like Iroegbunam (on loan from Villa) who looks like he could play in the Premier League now.
He's fading fast. He was regarded as the best of his generation along with he who should not be named.
But another disappointing season, I don't think he'll make it here. He may not even make it at all.
But another disappointing season, I don't think he'll make it here. He may not even make it at all.
Unless he's going to challenge the 1st team and I don't see that at the moment, we should try and sell him in the summer, along with Williams and probably Hannibal.
If ten Hag feels any of them could reach 1st team level, negotiate a buy back clause.
If ten Hag feels any of them could reach 1st team level, negotiate a buy back clause.
Has it even been confirmed if we have taken the option on his contract for a further year?
How has he been?
I don’t think the RB’s in the world are that jaw dropping-ly good to be honest & the best in the world could be argued to be English anyway.
Could he take a sub’s spot next season as an attacking RB?
I don’t think the RB’s in the world are that jaw dropping-ly good to be honest & the best in the world could be argued to be English anyway.
Could he take a sub’s spot next season as an attacking RB?
danke, thats dissapointing.
Shame, he was really quite promising at the start of the season.
Hopefully he can get himself another decent loan somewhere.
Tough to see how he has a place here unless it was just a case of the club being a bit of a mess after Beale left.
Hopefully he can get himself another decent loan somewhere.
Tough to see how he has a place here unless it was just a case of the club being a bit of a mess after Beale left.
Another loan and a sale if he does well seems the best case scenario. Shame, I thought he may have been good enough to play for us.
Yeah, their form in general fell off a cliff once Beale left and none of the players exactly covered themselves in glory.
Having said that, Laird has a huge way to go before being ready to play for United. Now is the right time to sell given his contract situation.
I'd like to see what Hannibal does under ETH.
Yeah, it's hard to disagree with that...hopefully whatever happens, he sees a career at a decent level.
Wonder if Swansea would be keen given he was good there? Or even Carrick potentially?
If I had to guess I would say at his peak he'll probably end up being a regular for a top championship side/relegation battling prem side. Be suprised if he consistently reaches a higher level than that
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