Leighton Baines
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) and Imran (@Annihilate Now!) are here to discuss Amad saving our blushes in a win against Southampton as well as our now annual loss at home to Brighton. They discuss Amorim's post-match comments, revisit how mid-table we may or may not be, and discuss some transfer news.
Agree with your point Ekeke. Don't think we need to get drawn into a discussion on whether he's world class or not (he's not) - suffice to say he could give us something that we're currently lacking, a left-footed player who can cross, a set-piece taker, someone to push Evra or replace him when he's not up to par. It's not like there are loads of options out there who can give us all that. I'd assume Baines wouldn't demand a massive wage either, but that's a guesstimate. Also don't think reports of a fee north of 15m are accurate...
Would provide a similar crossing threat from the left as Valencia does from the right.
Nani/Young can do that.
Rarely did I see Young put in a first time ball with his left foot. He's good at cutting in and providing a cross (or a shot) but he doesn't hug the line, beat his man and put in a quick cross that often. I like him as a player - squad player - but I'd prefer to have Tony mirrored on the left. Allows for more width and more pace.
Sorry, but that's just wrong. Firstly, you are talking about a fullback providing the attacking threat of a winger, and secondly - both Nani and Young are very different kind of players to Valencia - they do not present the crossing threat he does.
Not outswingers with their left foot they can't.
I've still not seen anything about this being true. I am one of the few who would not object to the transfer. Some of the figures seem steep, but if they include bonus sums for winning titles then that is OK.
I would only ever see him as a squad player and in fact I think it will bring the best back out of Evra, when he has a direct rival for the spot.
Let's get him
I would only ever see him as a squad player and in fact I think it will bring the best back out of Evra, when he has a direct rival for the spot.
Let's get him
Yeah I think it would be a good signing I guess, just not for the prices being thrown around. If we get him for 10-12 million I'll be happy.
Prices in the press are always higher than the final price. If we sign him it'll probably be for £10m or so with bonuses up to £15m-£17m.
I think we would all happily pay the bonuses if he turned out to be good enough to play 100+ times for us, be part of a Champions League winning side and cement a place in the national side.
I think we would all happily pay the bonuses if he turned out to be good enough to play 100+ times for us, be part of a Champions League winning side and cement a place in the national side.
I'm against signing Leighton Baines because I don't think he's better than Patrice Evra defensively, which is everyones major gripe with Evra these days and the reason why we want to sign a left back in the first place. While signing Baines may put some pressure on Evra, wouldn't playing Fabio regularly do the same thing, save us money and help develop a young defender who can give us more than 3 years of service?
Evra isn't finished as a top player yet, and if we do bring in someone who isn't better, especially if there is a decent fee attached to the player, we'll be inclined to rotate them like we do in other areas and I think rotating your back 4 is a terrible idea and shouldn't be done unless it is absoloutely neccessary.
Evra isn't finished as a top player yet, and if we do bring in someone who isn't better, especially if there is a decent fee attached to the player, we'll be inclined to rotate them like we do in other areas and I think rotating your back 4 is a terrible idea and shouldn't be done unless it is absoloutely neccessary.
Fabio needs game time hence the reason he's been loaned out. My guess is that Evra will be gone next summer and that Baines is the reserve/stop gap for when Fabio comes back. Not only will he provide defensive cover but also an attacking back option as well.
Agreed that Fabio needs game time, but I think loaning him out was a bad idea. I think we could've given Fabio some game time like we've done with Rafael, Smalling, Jones and Evans. Loan deals are a crap shoot as it is, and theres no guarantee that Fabio will play left back or even play at all at QPR. With all due respect to other teams, there would be some games that we could play Fabio in and it shouldn't be detrimental to the team. We do need a left back eventually and we should be developing someone we already have on our books, as there are very few quality full backs around right now and alot of them are unattainbable for us.
I agree entirely with the desire to have Fabio at OT this season and give him games and rather go for someone more willing to be cover/squad player who'd be behind both twins and Evra in the pecking order. But in light of SAF already making a decision to loan out Fabio - for which there could be very good reasons, e.g strengthening the character of both brothers - I definitely think we'll need a full-back cover/competition for this season.
If we were to get Baines and were Evra to leave next summer, I'm not that convinced Fabio would come back as the first-choice left-back and Baines be his understudy. I think Fabio would probably come back as cover for both Baines and Rafael, and as such, get plenty of playing time anyways.
With regards to the loan deal - I can't imagine SAF not having a pretty solid idea of how Fabio will be used at QPR and in what position, it's not like he's just going to gamble on the future of one of the most promising full-backs around hoping that it'll pan out OK
Everytime Fabio has played left back he looks a little awkward imo. Think he has little chance of becoming a regular at left back. I think he will eventually turn into a decent right back somewhere else. It would not suprise me if he ends up playing right back in his loan spell.
This I agree with. It was one of the big reasons I thought that Evra was getting caught forward a lot last year. Young's attacking lanes were always down the outside, back inside to then offer a move off his right or to play or come back inside to Evra.
It doesn't tie in the with Evra's left sided ability and Evra loves the little move where he gets behind coming from touch toward goals with a reverse ball (or a tight left footed ball in behind) and Young nealry never played that last year. When your a righty it's easily telegraphed too. So Evra would come up from the back to Young coming back inside and then if we lost the ball they'd both be caught forward. Baines would probably add a better attacking cross from deep. But I don't think our forwards really play to that at all. Young's crosses were right footed and always to advancing players to the back post.
Many keep ignoring the 25 player rule, which insists on having a substantial number of homegrown (ie usually English) players in the team. Considering, these rules, how rare homegrown talent is (I am not pointing finger to our youth academy but the British talent as a whole), the lack of quality fullback available + the lack of loyalty Spanish, South Americans and South Europeans tend to have towards the EPL clubs then no wonder why, SAF is interested in signing any decent English player available.
Rumours going around, albeit from twitter, that a £12m (plus £4m add ons) has been agreed.
Yep, like i've said before him and Pienaar alone were creating as much chances as the rest of the team if not more than them. Him and Pienaar had a partnership that was good enough for a top 4 team. He did suffer because of Pienaar leaving but he was still top drawer for us and still making those chances. I'm sure he was still our top scorer until Jelavic came if i remember correctly.
I don't think there is any LB available to us that is as good as him. Pranjic would be a good short term option but i don't know about the long term unless a player like Garbutt manages to make the step up. As for other players who could improve the squad, it's hard because there are players who could be available but not financially available. Rodallega/Johnson at City/Hoilett might be available from a playing view.
We've been screwed, then again I can see no other LB's available. £16m for a limited player who will turn 28 this year with absolutely no sell on value, terrible business I think. Defensively he's definitely not an upgrade on Evra. I just hope he steps up if he signs for this club. Our fullbacks lack of concentration cost us the league last year, even more so than the injuries.
£12m for a guy that was in the PL team of the year last season, would be an England regular if not for one of the best left backs in the world in his position ahead of him, and won the club's player of the year, fan's player of the year and club's goal of the season last year doesn't seem that terrible a move.
Glass half full and all that.
Glass half full and all that.
I have always wanted to buy a player with that accolade.
Seriously though I don't think £12m is too much. For some reas.n English players being transferred seem to go for a lot more than a foreign counterpart,
Quite, given the fact that he's not exactly demanding a move, has 3 years left on his contract and there's not many other options I don't think 12million is too much for him.
It really isn't. Also being an English prospect/international automatically adds a couple more millions to the fee.
I'd like to see the list of those two types of players in the last 10 years that had more than 1 year left on their contract.
12m would be fine for an English player, and English clubs need English players. I mean it'd still probably be better value than Carroll, Henderson, Downing, Young, Lescott, Milner, Bent...
... actually most English players in the last 5 years.
... actually most English players in the last 5 years.
I wish people would stop worrying about the money - how the club's money is spent is probably best decided by the club and SAF. Debate about it, sure. But none of us can know that this signing (if it happens), will be the reason for us not buying a midfielder (if that happens). Then Baines will be unfairly targeted for criticism because his signing prevented the signing of a midfielder by a lot of people/posters.
I will do my best to debate the money issue without worrying about it unduly.
There's certain amount of budget for wages and transfers. Wasting some of it on a plodder like Baines means there's less available to strengthen elsewhere notably in CM.
Another plodder to join our ranks.
I wish people would stop trying to isolate the issue as if it's some sort of abstract afterthought rather than a pressing commercial reality. Every club has a budget and if overspending on a non-essential position (as we ordinary plebs see it) could mean we don't get to strengthen positions that are more important (again, in our opinions) then of course we're going to discuss it.
Lovely left foot. 
Can't wait for our corners and free-kicks!
Can't wait for our corners and free-kicks!
Lovely left foot.
Can't wait for our corners and free-kicks!
This is one thing he can really add, consistency with set pieces
Overall I rate him, he obviously isn't a great player but very very good at what he does and who knows may well raise his game further at a bigger club a la Valencia.
When was the last time there was even a link in this thread...
Assuming all these rumours are true, I would be more than happy if we pay 16m rather than 12m ...because most probably it will mean that by then we would have won more trophies....
Lovely left foot.
Can't wait for our corners
Some people like to live on the edge!
We are quite a harsh bunch here I must say. I like Baines. Provides great attacking opptions down the left as well as very good delivery from set plays, add to that defensively solid, if not great, you have got a good addition to the squad.
Fully agree... some people are pretty quick dishing out judgements. Initially I was not convinced but he ll have some healthy competition - in Evra next year and most probably Fabio the year after.
Lovely left foot.
Can't wait for our corners and free-kicks!
16 million for a corner taker?
I've said before he is too one-dimensional, too pedestrian for my liking. Imagine someone with rapid pace and trickery running at Baines...he doesn't have the nous to deal with that player in an open attacking game. If he is closed down by defensive wingers or midfielders he cant whip in a ball, and then doesn't have the skill set to mix it up. He becomes neutralised and in effect redundant..a waste. Its fine if United are dominating possession against an inferior side, but against true top end quality he won't be nearly good enough.
If this does happen I'm assuming Evra may be pushed further forward. If Baines were to start ahead of Evra then in my opinion that makes the team weaker.
If this does happen I'm assuming Evra may be pushed further forward. If Baines were to start ahead of Evra then in my opinion that makes the team weaker.
Plus he is complete garbage in the air. Absolutely dreadful.