Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho are real pace merchants
Joao Neves | signed for PSG
- Thread starter Zoo
- Start date
- Status
Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho are real pace merchants
I meant more technical ability on the ball rather than pace, probably used the wrong word
the Portuguese seem to produce a lot of them nowadays
Scouting report from a Benfica supporting colleague -
"Young kid, still teen and very humble. Never lose a ball, intense pressure, but not very physically strong. He's closest to Moutinho, but 10cm taller. That kind of number 8"
"He's the kind of guy where the ball smiles when he receives it"
That final line from him is brilliant by the way.
"Young kid, still teen and very humble. Never lose a ball, intense pressure, but not very physically strong. He's closest to Moutinho, but 10cm taller. That kind of number 8"
"He's the kind of guy where the ball smiles when he receives it"
That final line from him is brilliant by the way.
Wait we’ve got wolves playing? At least they hunt in packs so should be good at pressing
I know nothing about him either. The only thing I'm really replying to say is that if he is playing as an 8, he is only 18 and can be developed into any midfield position. So I wouldn't really worry too much about what role he is playing up to this point as a lot of 18 year olds position changes
Surely Mainoo under good coaching from Erik will be able to cover .ost midfield roles.
He looks like even at his young age that he has the strength and technique to compete at a high level and I look forward to watching him develop over the coming years.
He looks like even at his young age that he has the strength and technique to compete at a high level and I look forward to watching him develop over the coming years.
So we should only have one player for the future? When we have 3 midfield roles and 2 players over 31 as midfielders in the squad?
Where in my post have I suggested that??
Well your entire post suggests that. Otherwise why are you bringing up Mainoo in a discussion about Neves?
Well, now that both Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves both gone. They must be looking for a replacement and who can fit a profile better than a player who is also Portuguese and is called Joao Neves? Too much of a coincidence for it to not happen.
Would be a canny bit of work, but if we were to get him I think you'd see him get a bit of Amad treatment. He looks too raw for the PL as it stands. Caftards expecting him to immediately start getting subbed on for Case etc would be disappointed.
We should be doing these deals though. Especially in a window where our funding won't be enough to secure big targets for all our squad holes.
We should be doing these deals though. Especially in a window where our funding won't be enough to secure big targets for all our squad holes.
I brought him up because we are in a thread about an 18yo midfielder based at a club in Europe that notoriously ask for big money for their players whereas we have a player of a similar age that is English and has huge potential and has been under the watchful eye of Erik for the whole of the just completed season.
We also have talented young midfielders like Hannibal, Gore, and Isak that are all around a similar age that are coming along nicely as well that will be given good consideration if they can transition into the first team setup in the years to come.
I don't know if you are a new supporter but Manchester United have always tried to bring youngsters through the club rather than buying in and IMO they really do need to focus more on this when you look at the ridiculous prices that clubs quote for their young players and that is partly because they expose them to first team football at an earlier age.
Do you think this has any relevance to this absurd question:
"So we should only have one player for the future?"
So ultimately what is your point regarding Neves when bringing up Mainoo? That we can only have one of them? If not that I'm struggling to see why you'd bring Mainoo up at all.
If you cannot see it then don't worry about it mate.
Life is too short.
Looks like a nice player, but Benfica would need a silly bid to let him go now. They want their youngsters to have a good 1-2 years in the shop window performing well to maximise their market value.
Much rather us future-proof our midfield with Lavia. Mainoo and Lavia feels like a nicely balanced and very promising midfield duo.
Much rather us future-proof our midfield with Lavia. Mainoo and Lavia feels like a nicely balanced and very promising midfield duo.
Probably because you're not making a whole lot of sense. From what I can see, Mainoo is an entirety different profile of player to this kid.
I'm not familiar with all of the other youngsters you've brought up, but what is it exactly that you're trying to say? We shouldn't sign youngsters from other teams and only develop in house? Were you against the signings of Ronaldo and Rooney too?
It's nonsense. No price has been quoted yet for this lad. If the right player is out there on the continent, why wouldn't we be in for them?
I'm not saying that this player is the answer, but you need to realise that not every academy product is going to make it, and there are a lot more youngsters with potential across Europe than there are at Carrington
Geez...this is hard work.
We have Bruno, Mount and Casemiro that in my estimation will play the bulk of the main games next season and definitely all the important games and then we have Mctominay, Fred and DVB that will be on the bench as I have yet to see any credible links of them being sold and we have Hannibal coming back from a decent loan spell.
Amongst all that I think we will do very well to try and integrate a youngster into the first team and I would rather we do that with Mainoo whom looks like a versatile mid as I think he has all the tools to be successful at our club.
I presumed you watched us last season and realise that Erik does not do a lot of chopping and changing when it comes to team selection so I hope that has cleared it up for you.
Not at all, buddy. Not one of the players you mentioned is a suitable cover for Casemiro. According to his fbref, Neves is a defensive midfielder, the position we need to address in midfield.
Every poster on the caf will tell you that Fred and Mctominay aren't up to it And according to reports, they're available for sale this summer anyhow. Shows what Ten Hag thinks of them.
I would love to see us integrate some academy talent into the first team next season, but I don't think you understand how squad composition works.
If you cannot see it then don't worry about it mate.
Life is too short
Re read your post
Squad composition??
Spend 70mil on a DM and then next season have to buy cover for him....genius.
Most posters on the Caf will tell you that 80% of the squad are not up to it on any given day but last time I checked none of them are their agents so not much happening there.
I don"t know much about this kid either but the Youtube clip that is in this thread does not give me the impression he is a DM but more of an all action number 8 and it is noted that physical strength is not his forte so hardly fit for purpose.
I do like the last two lines though
Or in other words Cassidy is correct, you are saying we can only have one player for the future in that midfield area.
You don't bank on one young player making it and give up opportunities to bring others in.
Sorry mate but I just cannot help you anymore.
Have a good day.
Most if not all of those kids will not make it at United. Unfortunately that’s the sad fact.
If even one could make it at the highest level we will be doing really well.
The point I was making which some just really struggled to grasp is that it is so hard for a teenager to get game time at the top level in England and virtually no chance of two in virtually the same position at the same time in a club like Manchester United. We have Mainoo at the club and Erik seems impressed with the young man so I would rather see him get the chances when they arise.
Which is your opinion and you are entitled to it, but you then basically proceeded to argue that you had not made that very point when challenged on it. What you have again said is that it is ‘so hard for a teenager to get game time at the top level’ and we have Mainoo who you ‘would rather see get chances when they arise’. When others have asked you ‘so are you saying that we can/should ONLY have one promising young/teenage midfielder’, your response has been that you didn’t say this.
So what exactly are you saying, with regards to signing Neves, and how does the fact that we already have Mainoo matter if indeed your point is not that we can only have one promising young midfielder?
For the last time...I have never said that we only have one promising midfielder.
I have said that if there is a spot for a young midfielder in my humble opinion it should go to Mainoo as I think he has the physical prowess and technical ability to cover most midfield positions and I think he has huge potential.
Everyone on here can bang on about how shite McTominay, Fred and DVB are but the simple fact is that while they are still at the club they will be taking a bench spot in front of any of the youngsters. I would love to see Fred and DVB torpedoed out of the club and then we can see what else is out there but until that happens we have what we have.
And the response given to you was that this does need to be limited to one, and you have continued claiming that this is not the point you were making, while reinforcing it again and again. It seems to come down to you feeling the ‘young midfielder spot’ should go to Mainoo, and others saying there can be one for Mainoo AND Neves. If you don’t disagree with that, then you are all on the same page. And if you think there is only room for Mainoo, then you are not.
There’s also u18s player of the year Dan Gore. From what I saw of Neves vs Belgium they seem quite similar in style. Neves may by all means be far more talented and Gore a bit of a pipe-dream.
I’ve gotten the impression that I’ve seen Gore regularly featured in photos training with the first team squad. Hopefully he’s made an impression, apart from pissing off Martial.
I’ve gotten the impression that I’ve seen Gore regularly featured in photos training with the first team squad. Hopefully he’s made an impression, apart from pissing off Martial.
@Adnan
I wonder if our south American scout expert brought his name ? as he did with Garnacho
Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Harrison worked for us and left to City ? or is it someone else ?
Wanted to ask you about Varela and your opinion on him ? saw an analysis on him on twitter and thought to myself "why the hell aren't we targeting him ? he can come and complete that understudy to Casimiro, probably won't cost that much and has that south American "sauce" that ETH likes. Really hoped that we go for him, looks like a great potential.
I wonder if our south American scout expert brought his name ? as he did with Garnacho
Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Harrison worked for us and left to City ? or is it someone else ?
Wanted to ask you about Varela and your opinion on him ? saw an analysis on him on twitter and thought to myself "why the hell aren't we targeting him ? he can come and complete that understudy to Casimiro, probably won't cost that much and has that south American "sauce" that ETH likes. Really hoped that we go for him, looks like a great potential.
Last edited:
But w dont just have one. We have Mainoo and Hannibal and oterhs coming through. In another position as well we spent a lot of money in ones for the future in Pellestri and Amad and neither were ready so spent a fortune on Antony (yes this was effected by Greenwood of course).
I am all fo rsigning promising players for the future, but we have as many players for the future in central midfield as we do players over 31 you mention, so personally unless they are absolutely exceptional (and no idea if Neves is or not), I dont see spending some of this years transfer kitty on a cm teenager this summer is the way forward and that the poster you were arguing with has a very valid point, Mainoo looks like an excellent young midfielder that is fully capable of breaking thorugh next season here
Isn't he Portuguese?
None of the players you mentioned is a DM
Yeah, down old South America way.
Is Neves?
Yes he plays as a 6
Last edited:
It's difficult to say because the scouting at the club is split in two where you have a group focused on the youth scouting which is led by David Harrison who is the head of youth recruitment. And currently the first team scouting is led by Jose Mayorga and Simon Wells who replaced Bout and Lawlor. So i'd say the scouts at youth level led by Harrison, have likely done most of the work on young Neves.
But i'm hoping Mayorga will have a few names from his native South America for us to target. And one name in particular that looks interesting is Alan Varela from Boca Juniors. But with the reported uncertainty surrounding budgets, i think a deal for Varela only happens near the end of the window, if at all.
Mayorga? Hopefully he has a few 18-21 year old South Americans on the shortlist.
Snap Adnan just answered far better than I ever could.
Just watching him now, he definitely isn't playing as a 6. That's Dantas. He looks like a very talented 8 though. Youngest player on the pitch by some distance and not at all out of place, with some neat touches and good pressures and recoveries.
Is this like your Amazon shopping list and you get an alert when his price drops?
- Status