Iker Muniain

Brwned said:
One of the newbies was saying Carlos Vela has been more impressive than him which says a lot.
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Carlos Vela has been impressive, Brwned. To be fair, he is one of the top performers of la Liga this season outside the top 3. He's been very productive and has been playing great football. I think he's got more goals than any of Arsenal's strikers, as a matter of fact (although I'd have to check that).

Munian hasn't been great, but the whole team of Bilbao has been underperforming, as TheReligion said, because they couldn't replace Martínez and what he gave to the team and Bielsa wouldn't use Llorente (usually calls him to the squad, gets him to warm up around the '60th minute and if they're winning he'll put him 5 minutes), who was the man who shaped the team in attack last season. He is still a great prospect.
 
Bilbao coach publically called him out for being mentally weak recently, is what i read.

He's been having a lot of problems this season.
 
If the rumours of Nani leaving turn out to be true then he would be a very good replacement. Can play out wide or a more central role - would fit in well with the likes of Rooney and Kagawa for sure.

In fact a narrow 4-2-3-1 with those three behind RvP sounds very tasty, Carrick and Cleverley behind them.
 
Walrus said:
If the rumours of Nani leaving turn out to be true then he would be a very good replacement. Can play out wide or a more central role - would fit in well with the likes of Rooney and Kagawa for sure.

In fact a narrow 4-2-3-1 with those three behind RvP sounds very tasty, Carrick and Cleverley behind them.
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What is he? 20? I think Bielsa is giving him a kick up the arse. Can't see a talent like him being allowed to leave unless it's for a big fee
 
Never thought he was quite as good as his hype. I reckon he's a bit more untidy on the ball than some of the Spanish talents, not in the same class in terms of natural giftedness.
 
Was thinking about this guy and checked out his stats. Just recently turned 22 but has already played 178 league games and has close to 250 appearances for Athletic. That's mental. Especially considering he plays in a position that's one of the hardest position for a young player to maintain. Just to compare, Phil Jones is 10 months younger and has less than half his appearances. Danny Welbeck is 2 years younger and plays a similar position and he hasn't gotten to 200 appearances.

I reckon a good coach should buy this player. He's going to stale, if he's not already beginning to do so, where he is. Athletic won't do any better than what he has achieved with them. A lot of teams could do with his talent. It doesn't even have to be a big club straight away. Just a new environment could do wonders. His price tag is a bit high and that combined with his lack of goals has probably put teams off.
 
Snow said:
Was thinking about this guy and checked out his stats. Just recently turned 22 but has already played 178 league games and has close to 250 appearances for Athletic. That's mental. Especially considering he plays in a position that's one of the hardest position for a young player to maintain. Just to compare, Phil Jones is 10 months younger and has less than half his appearances. Danny Welbeck is 2 years younger and plays a similar position and he hasn't gotten to 200 appearances.

I reckon a good coach should buy this player. He's going to stale, if he's not already beginning to do so, where he is. Athletic won't do any better than what he has achieved with them. A lot of teams could do with his talent. It doesn't even have to be a big club straight away. Just a new environment could do wonders. His price tag is a bit high and that combined with his lack of goals has probably put teams off.
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Welbeck's two years older.
 
I don't really get your point @Snow

Welbeck was competing for a first team place at Manchester United, versus RVP, Rooney and Hernandez. It stands to reason that he wouldn't have as many appearances.

It's impressive stats for the Spanish lad but keep it in context, it's a different league at a much smaller team.
 
Very talented player. Depending on £££ could be worth having a look at him for one of the wing positions. although knowing Bilbao they'd want a small fortune.
 
Bwuk said:
Very talented player. Depending on £££ could be worth having a look at him for one of the wing positions. although knowing Bilbao they'd want a small fortune.
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His stats in recent years are as bad as Zahas' whom you referred to as 'shite'. The chances of him justifying whatever fee Bilbao would ask for him seem real slim. I think I'd sooner take a punt on the shite that we already own.
 
JohnnyLaw said:
His stats in recent years are as bad as Zahas' whom you referred to as 'shite'. The chances of him justifying whatever fee Bilbao would ask for him seem real slim. I think I'd sooner take a punt on the shite that we already own.
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He's been on their bench quite a lot and that is in a team fighting relegation.
 
Thought we would be interested, just to find out there is nothing. :confused:

He needs to move on if he wants to go further in his career. I just dont think he will realise his potential at Athletic. He stagnated the last years i believe, there was a time a few years ago under Bielsa where he really was excellent though.
 
Talented player, but does not seem to have kicked on much. Another Nani maybe?
 
I think players can stagnate there, probably why they leave if they get the chance. They always seem so up and down, no consistency. They are either fighting to get in the CL or fighting relegation. There never seems to be a middle ground with them. There policy of only recruiting Basques is admirable in a way, but it is also stopping the club from progressing as a club.
 
Still young enough to kick-on & become a really top player but I can't really see it happening now.
I don't think Bilbao's style has helped him much. I'm not making excuses for him but for a Spanish team they play pretty direct & so he'll always be a wide-man in their system. Always thought he would kick on a level if he moved into a more central role after a couple of years in the team but it hasn't happened.

Unless he does what Llorente did (run down his contract leave on a free transfer) you'd imagine he'll be there for the rest of his career.
Isn't good enough for anyone to want to pay his buyout clause & Bilbao don't really sell anyone for less than that unless they're not needed. Not the worst thing in the world though, great club to play your whole career at.
 
He's gotten stale. Needs to get out of there if he's to reach his potential.
 
Dr Baltar said:
Still young enough to kick-on & become a really top player but I can't really see it happening now.
I don't think Bilbao's style has helped him much. I'm not making excuses for him but for a Spanish team they play pretty direct & so he'll always be a wide-man in their system. Always thought he would kick on a level if he moved into a more central role after a couple of years in the team but it hasn't happened.

Unless he does what Llorente did (run down his contract leave on a free transfer) you'd imagine he'll be there for the rest of his career.
Isn't good enough for anyone to want to pay his buyout clause & Bilbao don't really sell anyone for less than that unless they're not needed. Not the worst thing in the world though, great club to play your whole career at.
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That is probably the one good thing for the players, that they have a career for good with the club.
 
JohnnyLaw said:
His stats in recent years are as bad as Zahas' whom you referred to as 'shite'. The chances of him justifying whatever fee Bilbao would ask for him seem real slim. I think I'd sooner take a punt on the shite that we already own.
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Much better player than Zaha. Stats don't prove everything.

Give me Muniain over Zaha any day of the week.
 
Stats can be misleading, especially since he's not a good goalscorer at all. He had a good season last year and was an integral part of the Muniain-Herrera-Susaeta triangle that led them to 4th in La Liga. All these 3 had an excellent season and so did Ituraspe behind them.
 
Stall? He's only become one of Bilbao's best players this season, in previous seasons he was just potential and dribbling.
 
His shit and will never be good enough to play here. Get over it lads... Quote this in 3years time.. He'll still be shit.
 
Bwuk said:
Much better player than Zaha. Stats don't prove everything.

Give me Muniain over Zaha any day of the week.
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Stats might not prove anything but they an give you a pretty good inclination and it's not looking particularly good in Muniains case.
If someone were to 'give' us Muniain then hell, I'd be all for giving him a go. Athletic aren't exactly the giving type though.
 
JohnnyLaw said:
Stats might not prove anything but they an give you a pretty good inclination and it's not looking particularly good in Muniains case.
If someone were to 'give' us Muniain then hell, I'd be all for giving him a go. Athletic aren't exactly the giving type though.
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He had a great season last season. Hes also had great seasons previously, that more than Zaha has achieved at the top level.
 
Mainoldo said:
His shit and will never be good enough to play here. Get over it lads... Quote this in 3years time.. He'll still be shit.
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Agreed. Swansea level.
Nice reading of the game, but untidy technique.
 
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golden_blunder said:
I don't really get your point @Snow

Welbeck was competing for a first team place at Manchester United, versus RVP, Rooney and Hernandez. It stands to reason that he wouldn't have as many appearances.

It's impressive stats for the Spanish lad but keep it in context, it's a different league at a much smaller team.
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I used Welbeck, a player that plays for a big club in a similar position as a comparison to show how much Muniain has actually played. Welbeck has played a lot given his age but yet he's still far behind Muniain. It's not a slight on Welbeck but just goes to show how young Muniain started, how injury free he's been and how much he's been relied upon.
 
Ekeke said:
Stall? He's only become one of Bilbao's best players this season, in previous seasons he was just potential and dribbling.
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I wouldn't say he's made 250 appearance worth of improvement since I saw him first. Him being their best player this season also has to do with the players around him being poorer. Statistically he hasn't been better than last season.
 
Snow said:
I wouldn't say he's made 250 appearance worth of improvement since I saw him first. Him being their best player this season also has to do with the players around him being poorer. Statistically he hasn't been better than last season.
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Statistically he hasnt been that good this season either. But his team have been poor and he's done better than most of them.

Iturraspe has been their best player for sure.

I meant that until the last lets say year, he really wasnt that good. He was just young and able to beat a player. Now he's a bit more than that and can develop a lot more still at Bilbao, its not like he's a one man team. He's just a part of it.
 
Ekeke said:
Statistically he hasnt been that good this season either. But his team have been poor and he's done better than most of them.

Iturraspe has been their best player for sure.

I meant that until the last lets say year, he really wasnt that good. He was just young and able to beat a player. Now he's a bit more than that and can develop a lot more still at Bilbao, its not like he's a one man team. He's just a part of it.
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I'm not sure he can develop a lot more. Their system is limited. Athletic is a great base for young Basque players to grow up in but it's not a team for the future unless you want to be stuck in midlevel football with the odd season where you play a level above.
 
I remember watching him against us in the Europa League and thinking wow this kid is something special. Seen him a few times since then and he doesn't seem to have got any better.
 
Acole9 said:
I remember watching him against us in the Europa League and thinking wow this kid is something special. Seen him a few times since then and he doesn't seem to have got any better.
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Peaked early I guess. That's the problem with young players being very good at an early age, doesn't necessarily mean they're going to get better.
 
Adam-Utd said:
Peaked early I guess. That's the problem with young players being very good at an early age, doesn't necessarily mean they're going to get better.
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Its not that he peaked its just that the type of player he is people tend to get carried away talking about him. A flashy dribbler easy on the eye.

At some point a player needs to do more than beat a man and Muniain is still developing that part. Last season was his best output with 7 league goals and 3 assists which is okay, but nothing impressive and this season he hasnt been able to follow it up, with just a goal and an assist in 16 games.

He's 22 now, it might be that he doesn't consistantly deliver in the final third till his late 20s or he might never develop it. Or something might click over night and he's producing nearly every week for the next year, nobody knows.
 
Ekeke said:
Iturraspe has been their best player for sure.
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I haven't seen them this season as often as I usually do, but assuming that's true it's just puzzling that he hasn't moved yet, considering how many big clubs have had trouble with their DM spot. There's a younger Carrick basically just sitting there for Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs, Inter or Milan to sign, and they've all had big problems at that spot for years now.

He's very good on the ball, positionally solid and consistent. Not the flashiest signing, but for a team looking to pass, a great DM option, surely.

Bruno Soriano was another one like that. Available for cheap (which presumably Iturraspe isn't) when they went down and he's never been anything but solid and tidy on the ball. He's someone United should probably have signed once Scholes started getting old, as Carrick's backup or a partner when we wanted a defensively solid double pivot.
 
NoPace said:
I haven't seen them this season as often as I usually do, but assuming that's true it's just puzzling that he hasn't moved yet, considering how many big clubs have had trouble with their DM spot. There's a younger Carrick basically just sitting there for Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs, Inter or Milan to sign, and they've all had big problems at that spot for years now.

He's very good on the ball, positionally solid and consistent. Not the flashiest signing, but for a team looking to pass, a great DM option, surely.

Bruno Soriano was another one like that. Available for cheap (which presumably Iturraspe isn't) when they went down and he's never been anything but solid and tidy on the ball. He's someone United should probably have signed once Scholes started getting old, as Carrick's backup or a partner when we wanted a defensively solid double pivot.
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Yeah I think its down to A) Not being the most in-demand midfielder at the club, with Ander outshining him till last summer and B) Bilbao being a club that will insist you pay a premium, even for a less fancy role like DM.

I think this summer might be when he moves and we might be interested ourselves if the likes of Strootman and Schneiderlin cost a lot more than he does, simply because as I mentioned in the Strootman thread there arent that many CMs who have both strength and good passing. LVG's comments and selections of Fellaini over technical players suggests he wants a more powerful midfield and there arent too many better CMs than Iturraspe that fit the bill
 
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