Leighton Baines

I don't necessarily think he is, though Evra has quite obviously been below his best for a couple of years (so it could be argued it's less about form and more about him losing some of his ability).

As for replacing him, I don't agree that he needs to be replaced. I still think he can do a good job if he has some competition for his place and is rested at times.

As for who should replace him if we had to, I don't know really. I probably don't watch enough foreign football to comment on players outside the PL (as an example the left back for Bilbao looked excellent, but I've probably only seen him four or five times, so who knows?) so domestically Baines would be the obvious choice, albeit I wouldn't find it an especially inspiring signing.
 
He's a good LB and will probably offer better defensive cover than my namesake, whilst also offering us something different from set-pieces. I don't like his age or the price-tag and I'd have preferred to blood Fabio but it's not an awful idea.
 
The vast majority of Premier League -> United signings have done very well. In recent years; Valencia, Carrick, Rooney, Smalling, Jones, Van Der Sar, Tevez, Saha, Ferdinand even going back to Sheringham and Cole.

Less successful players might be Foster, Young, Kuszczak, Berbatov, Owen, although Owen was free and Berbatov did very well at first, and Young will end up being successful.

The flops have been from other leagues; Veron, Kleberson, the Djemba Twins, Miller, Howard?, Barthez?
 
rcoobc said:
The vast majority of Premier League -> United signings have done very well. In recent years; Valencia, Carrick, Rooney, Smalling, Jones, Van Der Sar, Tevez, Saha, Ferdinand even going back to Sheringham and Cole.

Less successful players might be Foster, Young, Kuszczak, Berbatov, Owen, although Owen was free and Berbatov did very well at first, and Young will end up being successful.

The flops have been from other leagues; Veron, Kleberson, the Djemba Twins, Miller, Howard?, Barthez?
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:rolleyes::wenger: Truly mental.
 
How is it mental? He is one of our most expensive players and highest earners, surely that means he should be one of our best performers too?
 
devilish said:
Do you think that Young transfer has been as successful as Vds or rooney?
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Are you fecking shitting me? The guy gets 12 goals and 13 assists last season and people are questioning his value to our side and asking whether or not he's been as successful as Rooney and VDS after one season.

I hope to feck this is a whoosh moment for you Devilish, but other posters that have called him a flop really need to take a step back and literally bang their fecking head on the desk.
 
ciderman9000000 said:
:rolleyes::wenger: Truly mental.
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I wouldn't put him there on personal opinion, as I have said elsewhere. By the time he leaves here I think people will look back on his time here as very successful.

However many would not accept him belonging in the other list. Yet
 
Why are we even discussing whether Baines is worth or not? There hasn't been a single rumour linking him to us ever since a few weeks ago, don't even think it will happen
 
Orton said:
I said he's been okay, but hardly a massive success.
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Numbnuts up there listed him alongside Foster, Kuszczak, Berbatov and Owen as an example of transfers not working out.

For christ sake! You have to question why this idiot is being called mental?!
 
Orton said:
Aye, and apparently it is mental to suggest he's not been a huge success yet.
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It's mental to suggest he's been a success or flop or otherwise. He's been here a season, I personally won't past judgement on what he's been for another 3 or 4, at least.
 
Orton said:
How is it mental? He is one of our most expensive players and highest earners, surely that means he should be one of our best performers too?
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It's mental because you are listing a player, who has played just 36 times for United (in that time scoring 11 goals, assisting a further 7, so 18 goals made in 36 games), as 'less successful'. He's been here for one season, talk about having ridiculous expectations and all that. It's weird to start jumping to such massive conclusions either way given he's had so little time playing for us.
 
rcoobc said:
The vast majority of Premier League -> United signings have done very well. In recent years; Valencia, Carrick, Rooney, Smalling, Jones, Van Der Sar, Tevez, Saha, Ferdinand even going back to Sheringham and Cole.

Less successful players might be Foster, Young, Kuszczak, Berbatov, Owen, although Owen was free and Berbatov did very well at first, and Young will end up being successful.

The flops have been from other leagues; Veron, Kleberson, the Djemba Twins, Miller, Howard?, Barthez?
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??
 
ciderman9000000 said:
Well yes it is, when Jones and Smalling are listed as the huge successes you mention.
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Because Jones and Smalling were bought for the future and all indications look like they will be fantastic then. Brilliant purchases.

Young was arguably not bought for the future but for the season just gone, and the following few seasons. As such many would argue he has not been as successful, although I don't think he has been a flop and will be very successful by the time he leaves here.
 
Fair enough, it's too early to call on them but Smalling has looked fantastic for us whenever he's played. Jones is only 19 and has a long way to go. Young has done pretty much as I expected him to when we signed him, some top performances and quite a lot of okayish/average ones. I did get abit excited after his game v Arsenal in thinking he would make the step up but he never really lived up to it again during the season minus a few games.
 
rcoobc said:
Because Jones and Smalling were bought for the future and all indications look like they will be fantastic then. Brilliant purchases.

Young was arguably not bought for the future but for the season just gone, and the following few seasons. As such many would argue he has not been as successful, although I don't think he has been a flop and will be very successful by the time he leaves here.
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Which is daft to do after 36 games.
 
rcoobc said:
Because Jones and Smalling were bought for the future and all indications look like they will be fantastic then. Brilliant purchases.

Young was arguably not bought for the future but for the season just gone, and the following few seasons. As such many would argue he has not been as successful, although I don't think he has been a flop and will be very successful by the time he leaves here.
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It truly is a dim notion.
 
Hectic said:
It's mental because you are listing a player, who has played just 36 times for United (in that time scoring 11 goals, assisting a further 7, so 18 goals made in 36 games), as 'less successful'. He's been here for one season, talk about having ridiculous expectations and all that. It's weird to start jumping to such massive conclusions either way given he's had so little time playing for us.
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Ashley Young has managed to make himself the one of the most hated players in England and the new Utd fans scapegoat in just one season. All this came about from two dives and one poor international tournament.
 
To be fair, I can think of loads of other teams who would be proper pissed off at their third winger having a debut season of directly creating/scoring 18 goals in 36 games, despite being injured at different points of the campaign, and starting behind two better wingers.
 
Yes, Baines. Let's buy him if we can get a good price from Everton. Can play in two positions, well avert a possible crisis at left back, has Premier League experience, would bugger off to Barcelona.
 
Young has done very well for us, he has scored and assisted enough. He did have a few very poor games and has been generally inconsistent but when in form he's been a very good player for us. Hopefully he'll further improve next season, with a bit of luck he could reach Valencia's level or get near.
 
Many of the caftards are extremely harsh on Young.Yes he is a diver and yes he deserves to be hated for that but all things considered, for a first season at a big club like United (stepping up from Villa to United isn't easy), he's done well.
 
rcoobc said:
Yes, Baines. Let's buy him if we can get a good price from Everton. Can play in two positions, well avert a possible crisis at left back, has Premier League experience, would bugger off to Barcelona.
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Left back and...?
 
Ekeke said:
How many goals was Valencia responsible for last season? Or Nani?

Baines set up more chances than either.
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If memory serves Darren Bent has the third highest goals per game ratio of any Premier League player in the last 5-6 seasons. I would be equally as underwhelmed if we bought him, particularly at an inflated price.

In fact I think Darren Bent is a very good comparison. We are losing Berbatov and Owen; Macheda and co aren't yet ready. What do the Cafe think about Darren Bent as good cover/competition to Rooney/Welbeck. He's Premier League proven and has one of the best goalscoring stats in the league. Surely he'd also be a great squad purchase?
 
Ekeke said:
We have the players to score our goals. You can never have too many to create for Rooney though
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We have the players to create our goals (Nani, Young, Rooney, Giggs, Scholes, Valencia, Kagawa etc). You can never have too many to score those goals.
 
finneh said:
We have the players to create our goals (Nani, Young, Rooney, Giggs, Scholes, Valencia, Kagawa etc). You can never have too many to score those goals.
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You can only have 2 strikers, or 1 as next season may be with Kagawa behind

There are 9 or 10 other players on the pitch who can all help contribute to creating goals

One of them is our left back who actually had his most productive season last season in terms of creating goals in the league. Baines would create far more
 
I'm aware Everton need the money but in fairness how many players have we given them over the years, plus we gave the Gibson for peanuts.

I expect them to do us a favour now and settle on £12m (a fair price for a 28 yr old) rather than try to haggle a couple of extra million quid off us..
 
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