Leighton Baines

Baines would do well to get to take a free kick here anyway, with Rooney and VP already having trouble splitting them!
 
If were spending more then 12m then we should go for shaw and we keep evra for another 2 years. In 2 years time Shaw and fabio would be old/good enough to lead our left rear flank.
 
There some be an icon pic we can post - with Baines' face on
 
(He's definitely not.)

Still not at all bothered that we didn't get him. Evra is underrated amongst United supporters who take his assets for granted and only see his flaws. We need someone to be his replacement one day, but he's more than good enough to be a top European club's first choice LB now, so I'd rather we go for someone a bit younger than Baines. Fabio is perfectly good back-up for now.


This.

Great post, mate!

People see a great freekick and we MUST buy Baines! He was, according to many on here, easily the best left back in the league last year, but according to stats, Evra now creates more chances from open play and has better defensive stats. Baines wouldn't get to take those freekicks at United anyhow.
 
I'm not bothered and even a little happy that Baines wasn't signed. Evra is still the dog's bollocks for me.

Yup, this is how I feel. We don't need to own all the good players in the Premier League. Evra is brilliant, and with his ridiculous dribbling comfortably the more entertaining player to watch.
 
:lol:

Remind me how many free-kicks we've scored from that side over the last few years?

Baines is a better free-kick taker than van Persie is.


Those laughing-smileys always make for good arguments.

It doesn't always seem to matter who the better takers are; Young had fairly good stats from free-kicks from Villa but has hardly taken any at United. There seems to be a pecking order for those things at United - unfortunately at times.
 
Van Persie would still take some free kicks I imagine but Baines is the best free kick taker in the league so it's a no-brainer really. Young was never that good. He's probably scored less free kicks than van Persie in the PL and Rooney's really improved there in the last two years so there's a good reason he's far down the pecking order. Van Persie would probably welcome the chance to get in the box for free kicks from wide positions too instead of being the provider.
 
If Baines had people like RVP/Rooney/Hernandez getting on the end of his crosses he would be an assist machine. I expect him to get quite a few with Lukaku in the side.
 
I'm not bothered and even a little happy that Baines wasn't signed. Evra is still the dog's bollocks for me.



Yeah I agree, Baines is a good player but we simply don't need him. If we were to buy a left back id prefer to go for someone a bit younger as well.
 
Baines is a mediocre defender, scoring 4 good freekicks a season doesn't compensate.
Well it kind of does... He makes four feck ups a season which lead to opponents scoring but scores 4 goals from freekicks makes it equal... Math is a great thing..
 
If Baines had people like RVP/Rooney/Hernandez getting on the end of his crosses he would be an assist machine. I expect him to get quite a few with Lukaku in the side.

The same has been said about several players that had set-piece qualities before joining United. Fact remains, once they join the club our coaches seemingly work with them full time to drop their nasty habit of delivering quality crosses from set-pieces and after a season - at most - their set-pieces are as shit as Young's.
 
It's not just the set pieces, it's the crosses he puts into the box from open play I am talking about.
 
If you compare his crossing ability to that of Evra's there is no contest.

But then when you compare Evra's link up play and ability to get in great positions, and aerial ability, there is no contest as well. I'm glad we didn't bring Baines in because it wouldn't have been much of an improvement individually speaking if at all, and we would have loss Evra's persona which would be a big blow I think.
 
I wonder was the idea to play him and Evra, with Evra as a winger, we joked about it before, but it wouldn't be an awful setup, better than Evra behind Young at least, and apparently was also the plan they had with Coentrao.

Evra himself getting on the end of Baines crosses would have been sweet.
 
I wonder was the idea to play him and Evra, with Evra as a winger, we joked about it before, but it wouldn't be an awful setup, better than Evra behind Young at least, and apparently was also the plan they had with Coentrao.

Evra himself getting on the end of Baines crosses would have been sweet.

That's what I was thinking. We all love Evra but the Bains and Coentrao can provide excellent crosses consistently.
 
English football fans must be the most stupid fans in the world, how can a defensive player be so highly rated for everything other than actual defensive work? Because there is no way he is better than Cole or Evra defensively.
 
English football fans must be the most stupid fans in the world, how can a defensive player be so highly rated for everything other than actual defensive work? Because there is no way he is better than Cole or Evra defensively.


:lol:
 
English football fans must be the most stupid fans in the world, how can a defensive player be so highly rated for everything other than actual defensive work? Because there is no way he is better than Cole or Evra defensively.

Any examples of Baines' bad defending that you'd like to produce? Because there's tonnes with Evra's name on it.
 
Moyes wouldn't be making things easy for himself if he keeps on going after Everton players. One thing you can do to ensure that you're not punching above your weight and are not turning Manchester United into Everton is to not go after their players. As good as Baines is, I'm sure there are plenty of more than adequate left backs available who are younger and more longer term options.
 
English football fans must be the most stupid fans in the world, how can a defensive player be so highly rated for everything other than actual defensive work? Because there is no way he is better than Cole or Evra defensively.

Full backs are more than defenders in the modern game. That being said the only time I've ever seen him have a shocker was when Valencia was on fire and ripped him a new arsehole (as he did with Ashley Cole and others). Other than that always appeared one of the more solid players out there.
 
Any examples of Baines' bad defending that you'd like to produce? Because there's tonnes with Evra's name on it.


As pointed out above, even the best players have mares. I'm not going to waste my time trolling the internet looking for examples of Baines' mistakes, because I doubt you seriously believe that Baines is that one unique human being who never makes a mistake.
 
Don't need him as a FK taker now. RvP's shots on goal are poor but his delivery into the box is perfect most times and Rooney is now getting good at the direct-to-goal attempts.
 
If Moyes signs two of his former pets, I'm going to go ballistic. I don't know of any of you really would mind, but that would just piss me off - I hate it when managers sign players from their former teams, especially former lesser teams.
 
I see your point, Rossa. If Sunday is evident, Fellaini will never be dropped barring injury. Move him forward as a #10 when Clev subbed on while the likes of Kagawa and even Hernandez sat on the bench. Zero sense. Reeks of nepotism.