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Joe Hugill | heading to Wigan on Loan
- Thread starter RedMachine03
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He would probably be playing for Sunderland this season. I think he should go out on loan next season.
He's really not that slow though. Don't think he's slower than Berbatov or Kane certainly. For me his main problem is just his all round technical ability, but nobody is going to complain about that if you're banging goals and laying in teammates your whole career.
This is actually a really good point.
If we’re resting Cavani why not try this guy? I doubt we will but Rashford was not particularly outstanding before he got promoted.
When the forwards are ineffective, I would like to see someone given a chance. Sometimes they have a little purple patch and score a few, even if they ultimately don’t make it. Wilson, Macheda spring to mind.
When the forwards are ineffective, I would like to see someone given a chance. Sometimes they have a little purple patch and score a few, even if they ultimately don’t make it. Wilson, Macheda spring to mind.
He’s only turned 17 ffs
I have watched very little of his matches, only a few highlights really. When you say a traditional #9, would you say him having a player profile like Giroud would be an apt comparison. Imo Kane is like Giroud, but with better creativity and slightly better general abilities like long shots/finishing. Berbatov on the other hand was way more technical and less of an aerial force. Trying to create an image of the lad whilst being unable to watch the games...
He's just turned 17, he does not need a loan.
Definitely a natural finisher.
Keep up the good work and he will take Cavani's place in 2 year's time.
He is good but its a ridiculous step up. The bar really is how well they can do in the Championship. If a youngster can look decent there they have a real chance. Sadly at the minute our loanees are looking pretty average at any decent level despite tearing up at reserve level.
He was already fantastic for Sunderland but his improvement for us in the few months is really crazy......but this "loan talk" is ridiculous 
He's not really that slow. Its those lanky long strides that make him look that way. Actually, I think he's still growing. Looked a tad taller in the match yesterday.
So f’ing what. Rooney played at 16. He’s playing against guys who are older already. If good enough he is certainly old enough. However, quite possibly not good enough, I’ll give you that.
He reminds me of Kane the most - he scores most of his goals with his feet with clever touches rather than jumping above others to score headers. I would definitely try to get him a different challenge next season - he already looks like he has aced the U-23 level.
Defenders would ran over him in men's football. Needs to fill out and it will take time, once he stops growing he we will see improvement in his speed and spring too imo. There's a great player there. How far he goes it's too soon to say. We should make those transfers more often, probably was just some little compensation fee to Sunderland wasn't it?
Agree far too early for the first team but there’s nothing stopping him from training with them. He looks a special player. His finishing and composure are super impressive.
Couldnt be any worse than martial and rashford. I mean that genuinely, I can no longer watch those two.
I think you need to temper your expectations a little
Sit the f down and let the players time to grow.
You cant seriously compare Rooney to Hugill - Rooney was built like a tank and could bully senior players, Hugill as talented as he is would be destroyed if he was up against a good P.L defender.
There is a reason why you can count on one hand the number of teenagers currently playing regularly in the P.L
If he’s not good enough yet, fine. But the rest is all bollox.
I expect nothing from him. Certainly not implying he is in Rooney’s class. Pretty much nobody is. I am saying I like to see the kids given a chance when the senior players are not doing it.
(If we have no kids worth considering in that situation, it is a problem).
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It’s premature; the standard of defending at u23 is generally atrocious. Many young players before hugill have done similar or better but didn’t make it in the first team. I can think off the top of my head;
Robins, Rossi, Macheda, that Italian lad I forget his name Davide something, Wilson, keane, etc
Robins, Rossi, Macheda, that Italian lad I forget his name Davide something, Wilson, keane, etc
How is the likelihood of adult premier league defenders being stronger than him 'bollox'?
Rooney was a legitimate generational talent, you can’t compare the two. It’s actually a ridiculous comparison tbh.
Davide Petrucci - what a blast from the past. He's 29 now, and plays in the Serie B.
On that note - you make a very valid point.
Yea i agree. We have to be realistic, almost cynical. I remember when people were creaming themselves over Wilson and Ben Pearson.
Yep, a comparison of apples and oranges. As well as know, Rooney was unnaturally strong, dynamic and compact at a young age...those assets aided him in the transition to first team football since he could tough it out with grown men. In comparison with that, Hugill is thin, stringy and will progressively fill out his frame over the years to come — right now, he would be battered by the brick shithouses most Premier League teams field in the centerback position.
Precocious players who have freaky characteristics like Wayne or Lukaku have a distorting effect on folks' expectations and shouldn't be used as a guiding stick. Realistically, United will have to patient with Hugill, even though he seems to possess a great eye for goal in addition to perceptiveness of movement and a competitive technical skill set, as he is unlikely to be ready for the rough and tumble of top-flight first team football in the immediate term — not just physically, but in terms of navigating the greater dimension of defending and organisation at Premier League level.
That isn't even a bad thing for center forwards of his ilk per se, as Lewndowski debuted in the Polish first division at 20 after spells in the second and third division, Kane started getting regular chances at Tottenham at a similar age after loans in League One or the Championship, and so forth. Should temper expectations and let the kid mature at his own pace, instead of throwing him off the deep end on the basis of a few U-18/U-23 showings.
That’s the one, great player at this level.
but as the old saying goes “there’s many a slip between mouth and cup”
Many strikers are not necessarily strong, it is not in itself a deciding factor. It’s bollox to use that as a reason for not considering giving a kid a chance. Plenty of undersize, under strength youngsters have been given a chance in the past. Now, this lad looks more of a man than a boy to me but even if he is not as strong as your average centre back, it doesn’t mean he can’t contribute off the bench in a period where our strikers look rather ineffective.
Having said all that, if the kid is not up to it yet then, of course, don’t play him.
I appreciate the defending at u23 is poor and it is a big step up. If this lad ain’t ready, he ain’t ready, fine.
On a general note, it is disappointing if there are no kids in the club who can be given a chance when the likes of Martial are in such a pit of poor form that a goal seems a very remote possibility. (Much as I like Martial).
Exactly. Just to add if the young player had a chance and got slaughtered it could set him back for a long time.
I know if he’s good enough he’s old enough but that’s generally been used to describe young players who already have had a sniff at the top league. This u23 level is nothing but a training league, he will go out on loan when he’s physically ready
Off the top of my head of all those you listed the ones who went on to have any real success (Rossi Pique) went on loan early and made a name for themselves at other clubs at 19/20. The ones that stayed with the club and eventually got a minute here and there stagnated and were sent on loan when it was too late and fell straight down the levels when they were released. I understand most won’t make it anyway but I think we leave too many promising kids in the U23s for a bit too long. I think Hugil would be getting some minutes for Sunderland this season so I don’t see why everyone is so against a loan down the divisions next season when he’s 18. I think it’s a logical step.
He's already 6'2 to be fair. Might be closer to 6'4 by the time he's ready to play in the first team but yeah, he's twice the size of Dan James already.
Edit: that 6'2 listing was from a year ago, at 16 years old
The other thing you’re not taking into account is the pressure at the top. Throw in a young un, imagine the pressure to score goals if he’s thrown in to replace martial for example? It’s not the time for experimentation. Ole is fighting for points, take our eye off the target and we could easily drop out of top 4. Leave the kids to develop naturally. Hugill has only had a handful of games at u23, he’s not ready
To add, I’m not against a loan if the coaches think he’s ready. I’m against throwing him into the pressure of the United first team squad with expectations to replace martial and Rashford etc. That’s just completely out of reality
Had a bad injury iirc. Stalled his progress and was never the same again
True and, I’m sure, fair. I wouldn’t expect wonders but he would probably feel pressure to deliver.
If anyone has any ideas of how to shake up our bench and our strikers for a game or two, I’d love to hear them.
He’s Totally not ready to play for a massive club. Too much pressure. He’s already scoring plenty in u23s though I don’t think another full season of that standard will be of much use to him next year. He’s already got the tools to be a starter down the divisions. Toughen him up a little There’s definitely something about this lad. I’ve thought it for a while. He has the knack of being in the right place at the right time and he’s obviously physically blessed. I think he could very well make it here and end up being a good PL player. He’s funny looking. A giant with a baby face. Exciting player. It’s a pity the timing is off because we currently need a big physical player who’ll move defenders around and create space for others