In any case he's far more of a winger than those two. He's rapid and can take a man on. Add in the fact that he can score 8-15 goals a season and grab you a similar-ish tally of assist, he sounds as much of a winger as we need him tom sound.
LvG Says He Needs A New Winger Soon....
- Thread starter drmuji
- Start date
Those suggesting Griezmann - does he have pace / can he beat a man / is he actually a winger?
I have only seen him play about a dozen times and I remember him influencing games more centrally. Little bit like Mata and Silva do
I have only seen him play about a dozen times and I remember him influencing games more centrally. Little bit like Mata and Silva do
Yeah, because logic happens.
Griezmann is not a winger. Attacking midfielder who can and has played wide? Sure. But he's not a traditional winger, and it would be a waste of his talents to play him there and be asked to stretch the field instead of operating in the final third where he is at his most threatening self. His best position would be a at #10, or as a SS, maybe even as an inside forward in a 4-3-3. Luckily we need a #10/ SS too, so he would fit that criteria.
What attacking midfielder doesn't fit that description nowadays? Not that many traditional wingers left really, especially those good enough to improve us.
He only ever played as a wide player at La Real. How can you be so sure of that?
He has played wide for Atletico and France as well.
I think getting a world class winger helps Memphis. There is too much pressure on him. We need someone to guarantee assists and goals so memphis can contribute in fits and starts and that be acceptable. At the moment he isn't playing well and we don't have very good options to replace or support him. Same for Martial tbh.
I don't want someone who is a bit better than what we have. Memphis, Lingard, Martial and Young can all play on the left and Mata and Lingard can play on the right.
Wouldn't it be wiser to stick with these options till someone like Bale/Reus can be brought in?
Wouldn't it be wiser to stick with these options till someone like Bale/Reus can be brought in?
He doesn't say he needs a NEW winger, does he ? ....theoretically he could be satisfied if Lingard continues his form (or even Memphis finds form)
We should have bought Griezmann last summer before Atletico increased his buyout clause from €65m to €80m, he is a long standing MUFC fan as well.
I think Mane is class and is Premier league ready.
Mane is the most realistic. Do not want Greizmann.
Loads don't fit that description. If there aren't a lot of traditional wingers of requisite quality, then maybe we should scout more thoroughly, or maybe we shouldn't insist on playing with 'wingers'; and switch back to a 4-3-3, where they will be more inside forward types and closer to the goal. If you have to buy certain players who are excelling in central roles, especially for massive prices, why shift them out wide and ask them to do things that will detract from their goal-scoring threat (which has become arguably Griezmann's biggest quality)? His best performances have come as a secondary striker or a #10. He has developed in to a world class player in Madrid in those positions, why sign a world class player and use his in a position that isn't his ideal fit?
Ref. above. He was as much of a winger for Real in his last season (which is when he started shining) as Neymar is for Barcelona, or David Villa was in the past. They played a base 4-3-3 with Griezmann tucking in and having the license to go centrally, which will again bring up the same conundrum of lack of width at United. He has become a world class player as a #10, or secondary striker under Simeone. If you don't want to believe me ask someone like kouroux, or the regular La Liga watchers. Ask them how good he will be as a classic winger, as opposed to a #10/ support striker/ inside forward; and playing just behind or off Martial in the left or right channels.
Juan Mata played wide for all three of Valencia, Spain and Chelsea, moreso the former two. Griezmann is a bit faster but playing wide for Atletico in some games here and there doesn't detract from the fact that he is most effective centrally. It's like buying Aymeric Laporte and using him as a left-back because he played there for Athletic Club a few times. Use players in their best positions, instead of toying around.
Souness thinks he's destined for the top and for once, I agree.
Has he ever been linked to us?
griezmann would be the perfect #10 for van Gaal, but he´d suffer out wide, if he can´t roam around.
We won't sign any marquee players in Jan.
I actually like him and think he is capable of playing a step above Napoli, But for us though i'm not sure.
He isn't exactly speedy, and nowhere near the level of Manchester United quality.
Exactly mate. He would be brilliant behind Martial, and maybe they'd benefit from a bit of French chemistry too. Shunting him out wide in a 4-2-3-1 and asking him to operate as a winger will negate a lot of qualities that have made him a world class player, or atleast one on the verge of being world class. We need a Douglas Costa type player to inject some venom and scorching pace on the outside, stretch the field, and keep fullbacks honest. Someone like Felipe or Lucas Moura would be better systemic fits than Antoine in that role, even though they aren't as good in terms of overall quality.
Adnan Januzaj?
hehhehehehehe
That's more of what we play with now anyways though. Mata is a great example. I don't think thats a reason not to consider him to be that player for us.
I'd say that's what we played more with in the last half of last season, with Young - Rooney - Mata as the front three and Fellaini and Ander in behind. It's a little more rigid now.
Yes, we have played that way under Van Gaal, moreso last season that this year, because now we're seeing more defined roles. But he's openly trying to rectify the weakness out wide, not just in terms of quality, but pace to threaten, and the ability to stretch the field freeing up central attackers to pile on, hence the public proclamations. Using Griezmann in that winger role would be counter-productive because he's not a winger even though he has played wide on the occasion for Atletico (which btw is not a great indicator with Simeone also plays Koke, Óliver and Saúl as wide midfielders).
Griezmann is at his best when he's given a free role in the center just behind the lead striker, and he can arrive into the box. He's more suited to be a player who can expertly link up play, and finish off chances instead of carrying the ball in wider areas like a winger is supposed to. Why take a player like that, and use him as a winger when we also need a #10 (the role Rooney had played in the last 2 matches), and Antoine would be ideally suited for that position. It's hard to understand the rationale behind it to be honest.
As said before, we need a Douglas Costa type winger who operates at hyper speed, can take people on all day long, and is more of a creator of space and chances for Lewandowski and Müller, than a finisher. Who that player might be I dunno. But Lucas Moura and Felipe are close to him stylistically, if not necessarily in terms of quality (yet), and they might be good fits for what we need.
Talking about a lot of different names but it may be as well a surprise just like in Martial's example.
Disrupting Adnan's loan deal may have all sorts of different effects. I'm not sure if that decision would be good while he's fully focused on his Borussia job.
Disrupting Adnan's loan deal may have all sorts of different effects. I'm not sure if that decision would be good while he's fully focused on his Borussia job.
No question about that but Mata's example shows that the club with reasonable budget can do maneuvers like this one from time to time. If Louie will be able to sign someone in vein of Vidic, less known and cheaper then it's gonna be hard to complain really.
So LVG's finally seen what we could all see before the season had even started?
Well its progress, I guess.
Well its progress, I guess.
Except he has been saying it for a while
Like? Don't see that many good enough for us or available. Also, I am just pointing out that Griezmann could play there and he wouldn't be horrible. Like most players we should look at he's at his best through the middle. Van Gaal's definition of 4-3-3 is vague and he's probably not looking for the traditional winger. Even Douglas Costa is playing through the middle for Guardiola recently.
Yeah he has repeatedly talked about the need for more speed and creativity.
Yet he had the whole Summer to do something about it, and did nothing.
That is correct, we didn't sign Memphis, attempt to sign Pedro, Bale, Mane
Possibly we were, but couldn't get our targets?
It's weird that LVG keeps saying we need speedy wingers but always starts with Mata wide right. Admittedly we're not overflowing with alternative options, but any two from Depay, Lingard, Martial, Young and Januzaj before his loan would have offered more pace than Mata.
Obviously everyone would want Bale or Reus from that list, but beyond that I'd actually like Mane.
Reus and Bale are the obvious ones from that list. Bale is impossible, while Reus unlikely.
Griezmann is an another good option. He is easily in the level of the other two players I mentioned.
Not convinced in Mane and Mahrez. Felipe Anderson is an interesting one, we were linked with him for some time.
Why we missed on Costa? I remember us getting linked with him since Fergie's time.
Griezmann is an another good option. He is easily in the level of the other two players I mentioned.
Not convinced in Mane and Mahrez. Felipe Anderson is an interesting one, we were linked with him for some time.
Why we missed on Costa? I remember us getting linked with him since Fergie's time.
I have nothing more to add to be honest. Sign one of the Top 5 #10s in the world, and play him as a winger. Makes sense.
That's true and we got rid of so many attacking players like Nani, Hernandez, RVP, Di Maria, Adnan on loan but we could easily have our attacking formation cluttered with Firmino, Gaitan & Pedro but still made the right choice about Martial in the end.
Think about what if Chelsea took Martial and left us with still trying to settle Pedro. It's the kind of player that would help Mourinho incredibly. Wonderful attitude, fresh energy needed to inject into the team, he would almost instantly have an impact and tear shit apart with Hazard and Willian who all three got matching pace.
I got no doubts that we got the most exciting option but still can't deny that it may be not enough. Big hope in players we already have for now.