If he is again injured then it makes no sense to have future plans with him.
Ethan Laird
- Thread starter Adnan
- Start date
Due to not being in the u23 squad or do you have any other info?
Will probably stop him having a career here at this rate. He'd be knocking on the door of the first team without the injuries and i'm pretty sure he's the reason we loaned Dalot out.
I have no information about his status but he has played against West Ham last week for the first time since he was long injured and i said "If he is injured again" (He could have the coronavirus or there are private reasons).......but he has played just 2 matches so far and if he would be out again then it is a real problem for everyone.
I love Laird but he is too injury-prone......of course he has still time and we shouldn't give up on him but to include him in future plans for the First Team must stop.
No, Milan wanted Dalot and he was a surplus for us. If there was no Covid, Milan would bought him.
Laird is no where near a first team level, maybe he needs a loan move too. Williams, TFM, and Tuanzebe are the back up players for RB, so I can't see Laird is part of Ole's plan this season.
The word ‘If’ on a chat forum.
Only Laird is a RB on that list.
The word "If" is acceptable considering his injury list
Williams too.
Who's entire first team experience has been at LB.
Surely if Dalot has a good season for Milan then he should be our no.2 full back for next season.... the guy is only about 20 is'nt he?
Williams is better than Dalot, and it's not even close right now.
Shaw/Telles on the left and AWB/Wiliams on the right. That's a really good set of fullbacks which gives great coverage for most tactical setups.
But although I do like Williams to an extent, I think there's definitely scope to improve on him if we want a top quality attacking right-back option in the squad. Laird would have been great, but it's looking less and less likely he'll be the one.
Shaw/Telles on the left and AWB/Wiliams on the right. That's a really good set of fullbacks which gives great coverage for most tactical setups.
But although I do like Williams to an extent, I think there's definitely scope to improve on him if we want a top quality attacking right-back option in the squad. Laird would have been great, but it's looking less and less likely he'll be the one.
Last edited:
He's played RB at first team level a few times now.
For about 30 minutes?
Dalot is a very raw talent and unfortunately doesn´t like defending or have any positional sense to play there for us now or any time soon, that´s why he was loaned out and I don´t think he can learn how to defend in one season when he also doesn´t start every week there.
I would hope we could loan him again to England or if he settles in Milan maybe another year there. Not sure about his contract situation but I´d be reserved about him being as our no2, that´s only about 10-15 starts looking at AWBs fitness which is not enough to further develop him and iron his obvious flaws out of his game.
By the start of the next season we should however at least know if Dalot can stay fit which was honestly his biggest issue and then who knows maybe we can flock him for some 20mil to champions league Milan or to their kind rivals if Conte´s still there, surely they can´t play with Young and Darmian for another season.
I for one believe that Brandon will have a better career here then Laird or Dalot simply because he´s a more resilient player who rarely gets injured. He will not take you out of your seat like some more attacking/skilfull fullbacks of these days but he will give us more Rafael-like aggression, precision defending on thefront foot, great pressing and never stop trying performances. I think that´s also why Harry Maguire is underrated here, he´s got very good injury record. Knock Knock. and that´s a good base to build on because then you become dependable and take your chance when it occurs.
And that´s how it happened for Williams, he was available when needed and shined. Ethan Laird unfortunately seems one of many cases of talented footballers whose career were hugely affected by injuries. At least Greenwood seems fine for now. But luckily we have a good academy and for every Tuanzebe there is Mengi or Fish..
Well like I said... if he has a good season for Milan which includes him defending well which is a main attribute for a defender then that will stand him in good stead in the coming years as an attacking full back for us who can defend well.
The word "If" is acceptable considering his injury list
Oh, you used the word correctly, it just never fails that three posts after someone writes ‘if we lose at home to Exeter, Fergie should go’, there is a buzz of posters writing ‘we lost at home to Exeter? Fergie must go!’ or ‘Isn’t Fergie fired yet? Edwards must be beheaded!’ It just never fails.
Is this guy injured or something? Wasn't he supposed to be one of the most promising prospects of the academy? I can understand sticking with Wan-Bissaka just out of sheer desperation and blind hope that he suddenly becomes a semi competent footballer, but why the feck is Fosu-Mensah getting minutes over Laird?
Yeah, he must be injured again.
So f*cking frustrating...
So f*cking frustrating...
missed two games again after coming back for 45 minutes, so probably injury again
Great to see he is back and he had another If-he-would-not-be-injury-prone-then-he-would-be-easily-in-the-First-Team-performance.
Looked like his old level
The question will always be asked,' for how long though?'
If it weren't for the injuries, I've no doubt he'd have got games or minutes to give AWB some respite
What kind of injuries he´s struggling from? Does anyone know?
Loan
Surprised he’s dropped down to league 1. Would have thought a few high end championship clubs would be interested. Fingers crossed he stays fit and makes a big impression.
Would be so happy if he makes it here. Come on lad.
I've noticed comments of this nature across various young players' threads. There seems to be a misunderstanding of the type of player that Championship clubs look to recruit on loan. All you need to do is go to Transfermarkt and look at who went on loan to the Championship in the summer, last season and the season before last. In simple terms, they have a strong preference for experience. They don't want to take risks with U23 players, regardless of how talented they may appear. If Laird impresses in League One, then Championship teams will be interested.
The difference between James Garner and Ethan Laird, in the eyes of Championship teams, is that United were prepared to take the risk of starting Garner in the EL games against Partizan away and AZ Alkmaar, matches in which United used first team players. United trashed the value of starting against Astana by fielding such a weak team.
I posted this in Dylan Levitt's thread back in September:
If you look at the loans into the Championship last season and the season before, they fall into the following categories:
- experienced player mid 20s to mid 30s, no longer wanted by their PL side
- young player with previous experience in the Championship, either on loan or has recently been bought by a PL team from a Championship side
- young player with experience on loan in either League One, Eredivisie or Scot Prem (Dean Henderson route, also Mason Mount Eredivise loan)
- young player with a few starts in the PL for his parent club (Tuanzebe at the time he joined Villa on loan)
- young player who plays regularly for England U19, U20 or U21 (Chelsea have/had quite a few in this category)
- a small number of elite talents from the top tier of PL2 U23
Last edited:
Could be the making of him. Our RB position is very much up for grabs and we don't have adequate back up for AWB as it is.
Who cares if it's the Championship, League One or League Two as long as he stays fit and gets playing-time.
Precisely, people make too much out of where our players go.
It is interesting that his rival for the RB position is Regan Poole, our former youngster. Not sure how Poole ended at RB, as I remember he was between CB and DM. So, definitely, Laird has a chance to get minutes. Also, Dons are often playing with 3 at the back and wing backs which also I think suites Laird. We will see how this will end. If he stays fit till the end of the season and get 75% of the games I would be more than happy.
I'll be watching MK Dons v Burnley tomorrow, hope he gets minutes..
I’d bet he doesn’t play 50% of games. However, any games are a bonus for him at the moment. He needs to play.
More chance of game time and higher chance of impressing as far as im concerened. Lad needs games or he'll stagnate.
It's a far better level than playing for the U23s. Physical though. We'll really be able to gauge how fit he can stay
It should be a good game, it’s a shame it’s not at Stadium MK. I’ve been looking forward to this for a while because we play a style more suited to a higher level, so a struggling PL team will be a good test. We played Liverpool in the LC last season and it took a GK blunder to break the deadlock and then we conceded the second pushing.
I fancy us if we turn up.
He played CB mostly for us too until last year where our first choice RB (Callum Brittain) was injured. Poole filled in there and did really well and Callum had to work hard to get his place back. Callum moved to Barnsley which gave Poole the chance to make the position his own. He’s very sharp going forward, he scored a brace a few games ago.
when does the loan start? is he eligible to play today v Burnley?