[cyberman]

I agree but when he played as a main striker, his second touch was a tackle, not good enough.

This isn't normal for an 18 year old. It can't be improved. If you watched Pogba when he was 18, his touch was just as good as it is now.


In my opinion, Rashford is already playing at 95% of his potential. The 5% he can improve is his strength and his maturity.

Your namesake never showed his technical ability on the ball when he made his debut yet that was developed?
Giggs was all pace when he began yet developed his game to such a standard that he could play infield later into his career.
Lampard is another example. Hell Ray Parlour became a new player under Wenger ffs.

 

[Santoryo]

Your namesake never showed his technical ability on the ball when he made his debut yet that was developed?
Giggs was all pace when he began yet developed his game to such a standard that he could play infield later into his career.
Lampard is another example. Hell Ray Parlour became a new player under Wenger ffs.

Not that I agree with what he said but both Giggs and Scholes technical gifts were clear and obvious to anyone to see even when they were very young.

Technical ability usually comes in at a very young age, more often than not naturally like a gift. Some player are naturally very technical and some aren't. One doesn't usually trains it via hard work, it is something that has to be from the root of one's natural talent.

Rashford is technically sound though, he might not be your Pogba or Januzaj but he's doing well in that department. His strength lies in other things such as pace etc.

 

[jb8521]

I agree but when he played as a main striker, his second touch was a tackle, not good enough.

This isn't normal for an 18 year old. It can't be improved. If you watched Pogba when he was 18, his touch was just as good as it is now.


In my opinion, Rashford is already playing at 95% of his potential. The 5% he can improve is his strength and his maturity.

As with most of your opinions on technique and development in young players this is completely false. Repeating it every chance you get isn't making it any less false

 

[cyberman]

Not that I agree with what he said but both Giggs and Scholes technical gifts were clear and obvious to anyone to see even when they were very young.

Technical ability usually comes in at a very young age, more often than not naturally like a gift. Some player are naturally very technical and some aren't. One doesn't usually trains it via hard work, it is something that has to be from the root of one's natural talent.

Rashford is technically sound though, he might not be your Pogba or Januzaj but he's doing well in that department. His strength lies in other things such as pace etc.

Nobody thought Scholes would become the player he did when playing behind the striker now. Great player yes but the ability to become one of the greatest central midfielders of all time?
People were still claiming we needed to find Keane a midfield partner up until mid 99!
Giggs was hit and miss with his final ball. The common theory was he had too much pace. Everything was at breakneck speed and his crossing let him down. He slowed his game down and he was picking forward players out for fun.
The players they ended up being doesn't reflect where they were when they started. They developed their technical abilities.

 

[LouisDanGaal]

As with most of your opinions on technique and development in young players this is completely false. Repeating it every chance you get isn't making it any less false

Haven't you heard that a player at 18 with about 30 first team games to his name was already basically at full potential before? Seems pretty obvious to me.

 

[Santoryo]

Nobody thought Scholes would become the player he did when playing behind the striker now. Great player yes but the ability to become one of the greatest central midfielders of all time?
People were still claiming we needed to find Keane a midfield partner up until mid 99!
Giggs was hit and miss with his final ball. The common theory was he had too much pace. Everything was at breakneck speed and his crossing let him down. He slowed his game down and he was picking forward players out for fun.
The players they ended up being doesn't reflect where they were when they started. They developed their technical abilities.

But this isn't my point. I'm not arguing whether people could tell Giggs or Scholes could go on and become world beaters. My point was about their respective technical ability being quite obvious to see even when their were very young.

Being a technically gifted player doesn't mean one is going to become a top player or anything, there is more to being a football player than that.

 

[cyberman]

But this isn't my point. I'm not arguing whether people could tell Giggs or Scholes could go on and become world beaters. My point was about their respective technical ability being quite obvious to see even when their were very young.

Being a technically gifted player doesn't mean one is going to become a top player or anything, there is more to being a football player than that.

Yes but they developed is what I'm saying. Scholes wasn't the ball spreading stud at 22 as he was at 30. Was Giggs technically good enough to play in central midfield at 18?
We're not talking turning Milner into Iniesta here, I'm just pointing out the nonsense post of not being able to improve your techincal ability past the age of 18.
I'm a bit lost at our disagreement so it's best to leave it at that!

 

[K2K]

Some people are just negative for negativity's sake.

Can't we just enjoy his great form?He's an 18 year old doing well.Of course he is not a finished product.

 

[11101]

Yes but they developed is what I'm saying. Scholes wasn't the ball spreading stud at 22 as he was at 30. Was Giggs technically good enough to play in central midfield at 18?
We're not talking turning Milner into Iniesta here, I'm just pointing out the nonsense post of not being able to improve your techincal ability past the age of 18.
I'm a bit lost at our disagreement so it's best to leave it at that!

He's talking the truth. The basic technical skills are ingrained by 18, you're not going to improve things like control, skill or shooting much after that. What you learn, and what Giggs and Scholes learned, was how to use it.

Rashford isnt going to learn much new but he could become a lot more efficient in when he makes his runs, when he passes etc. He's got a lot more than 5% to go.

 

[roonster09]

He's talking the truth. The basic technical skills are ingrained by 18, you're not going to improve things like control, skill or shooting much after that. What you learn, and what Giggs and Scholes learned, was how to use it.

Rashford isnt going to learn much new but he could become a lot more efficient in when he makes his runs, when he passes etc. He's got a lot more than 5% to go.

Coutinho had a weak shot and after signing for Liverpool he improved every season. Now he is one of the best at shooting from distance. Bale added dipping shot like Ronaldo once he started playing on right wing and I'm not sure how good Kane was at shooting when he was on loan to championship clubs but now he has a mean shot.

You can always improve your shooting technique.

 

[Zlaatan]

How did you rate Lingard higher than Rash?

Because I thought he had a better game. Like I said, I think Rashford was our "worst" player yesterday. He was very sloppy in possession and lost the ball way too many times. He tried running through 2-3 guys when he shouldn't have on several occasions.

Just because it says Rashford on the back of his shirt doesn't mean that I will give him a 10 every game no matter what he does.

 

[Kevin]

Because I thought he had a better game. Like I said, I think Rashford was our "worst" player yesterday. He was very sloppy in possession and lost the ball way too many times. He tried running through 2-3 guys when he shouldn't have on several occasions.

Just because it says Rashford on the back doesn't mean that I will give him a 10 every game no matter what he does.

B-but our academy player has scored his third tap in of the season! Does it matter that he was rooney-lite the rest of the game?

 

[Pexbo]

B-but our academy player has scored his third tap in of the season! Does it matter that he was rooney-lite the rest of the game?

No it doesn't because it's an investment in his future whereas Rooney has no future with us.

 

[Kevin]

No it doesn't because it's an investment in his future whereas Rooney has no future with us.

It does in relation to the post I quoted and their discussion, namely that you can call him out for a shit performance.

 

[Zlaatan]

It does in relation to the post I quoted and their discussion, namely that you can call him out for a shit performance.

Exactly. If Rashford would have had a Rooney shirt yesterday the majority of the caf would have slaughtered him every single time he did something poor and probably laughed when he scored because anyone and their mother can score from 1m. But when it's Rashford the performance is instead near worldclass because 'he's only 18 and showed that he has a great attitude in the pre-game interview'.

I said this a couple of weeks ago in regards to Zlatan as well but shouldn't the rating for one particular match be judged by that match alone and not how popular the player is or how old/promising he might be? Right now it definitely seems like it isn't, so what exactly is the point of voting then?

 

[cyberman]

B-but our academy player has scored his third tap in of the season! Does it matter that he was rooney-lite the rest of the game?

Being alive to the sitauation adds a bit more to just scoring a tap in.
In the Rashford v Iheanacho debate, Iheanacho plays for one of our biggest rivals yet gets praised for 'Knowing where to be in the box' how he's a natural predator etc.
Rashford is showing just that himself. Hell the biggest argument in favour of Iheanacho was his goals to minutes ratio yet Rashford is suddenly matching that as well.
Unless I've missed something I don't think Iheanacho came through our acadamy did he?
Are we really at tbe stage where we criticise an 18 year old for 'only' scoring a goal?

 

[united_99]

B-but our academy player has scored his third tap in of the season! Does it matter that he was rooney-lite the rest of the game?

Give it a rest. It's not Rashford's fault that your favorite Martial is not much in form currently. We are allowed to have more than just one exciting youngster without fans feeling the need to talk one down.

 

[BigTimeCharlie]

Because I thought he had a better game. Like I said, I think Rashford was our "worst" player yesterday. He was very sloppy in possession and lost the ball way too many times. He tried running through 2-3 guys when he shouldn't have on several occasions.

Just because it says Rashford on the back of his shirt doesn't mean that I will give him a 10 every game no matter what he does.

Lingard was worse. Zlatan was sloppy giving fouls away, missing chances but played the andy carroll roll very well...

 

[AN17]

Hope he keeps his head level and continue to improve and learn new things. Yes, he might have hit ceiling at certain aspects, but there are still a lot more to his game that can be vastly developed with training and tactical input. Learning when to take on defenders and when not to, not rushing into things and overlooking the better option in a critical situation, that sort of stuff. The boy looks special, hope he makes it to the top.

 

[Escobar]

What a talent he is, and with his mental strengths I'm sure he'll go all the way. He just needs to improve his first touch now

 

[m1y2]

he's not the best dribbler for a winger but certainly good enough for a striker with his other qualities.. still 18 so plenty of time polishing his weaknesses and mastering his strengths, with Valencia and Shaw back to full fitnesss, both player provide a lot of widht themselves , I would look at the option to paly Rashers off the main striker, he could always provide the width if needed but start more centrally up front.. Jose might not like this one but I reckond it would be worth a try

 

[Zlaatan]

Lingard was worse. Zlatan was sloppy giving fouls away, missing chances but played the andy carroll roll very well...

You think Rashford was better than Lingard and I don't, that's fine. But do you have to have a dig at Zlatan just because I gave my honest opinion on Rashfords performance? Is this pre-school? I seriously doubt you would have said that if I had a different nick. Or are you claiming that Zlatan was worse than Rashford as well?

 

[BigTimeCharlie]

You think Rashford was better than Lingard and I don't, that's fine. But do you have to have a dig at Zlatan just because I gave my honest opinion on Rashfords performance? Is this pre-school? I seriously doubt you would have said that if I had a different nick. Or are you claiming that Zlatan was worse than Rashford as well?

Oh, I didnt notice your nick. Just a coincidence.

 

[P-Nut]

Rashford didn't have a poor game yesterday it just wasn't one of his best. Lingard was excellent yesterday though. Lots of good off the ball work and adding much needed energy into the middle.

 

[SteveW]

I agree but when he played as a main striker, his second touch was a tackle, not good enough.

This isn't normal for an 18 year old. It can't be improved. If you watched Pogba when he was 18, his touch was just as good as it is now.


In my opinion, Rashford is already playing at 95% of his potential. The 5% he can improve is his strength and his maturity.

How many years can you keep on with this nonsense.

 

[kouroux]

How many years can you keep on with this nonsense.

Imagine if he was a scout (maybe he is )

 

[Zlaatan]

Oh, I didnt notice your nick. Just a coincidence.

Sure sure. So you really do think that Rashford was better than Zlatan yesterday?

 

[jb8521]

An awful lot of people seem to be taking this "technique is set by 18" thing as gospel without actually understanding it. 18 tends to be used as a basic guideline because many people stop growing around that time so from a body mechanics perspective the way they use and shape their body when running, controlling or striking a ball generally won't change a huge amount from that point on but the idea that ball control, skill and shooting can't be improved with practice is nonsense and along with having the right mentality, tweaking and improving consistency in these aspects is often the difference between being a stand out youth player and a stand out professional.

 

[LouisDanGaal]

An awful lot of people seem to be taking this "technique is set by 18" thing as gospel without actually understanding it. 18 tends to be used as a basic guideline because many people stop growing around that time so from a body mechanics perspective the way they use and shape their body when running, controlling or striking a ball generally won't change a huge amount from that point on but the idea that ball control, skill and shooting can't be improved with practice is nonsense and along with having the right mentality, tweaking and improving consistency in these aspects is often the difference between being a stand out youth player and a stand out professional.

I know you follow the youth football a lot, did Rashford stand out in the under 18s by a long distance? in terms of technique as well as other factors

 

[cyberman]

An awful lot of people seem to be taking this "technique is set by 18" thing as gospel without actually understanding it. 18 tends to be used as a basic guideline because many people stop growing around that time so from a body mechanics perspective the way they use and shape their body when running, controlling or striking a ball generally won't change a huge amount from that point on but the idea that ball control, skill and shooting can't be improved with practice is nonsense and along with having the right mentality, tweaking and improving consistency in these aspects is often the difference between being a stand out youth player and a stand out professional.

Spot on. It's not as if Bale was tweaking his techique as an 18 year old fullback so he could flourish as one of the best wingers in world football.
People were even saying he wouldn't be a hit in Spain because he needed space to run into yet he adjusted his game (technque ffs)to adapt.
Ronaldo wasn't hiding his 'one of the greatest goalscorers of all time' side of his game so he could bust it out in an unsuspecting world at 18 years old? Was he missing tbe goal or struggling with his final ball on purpose? Isn't that an improvement on technique?
Great post.

 

[jb8521]

I know you follow the youth football a lot, did Rashford stand out in the under 18s by a long distance? in terms of technique as well as other factors

He probably stood out more technically when he first came into the u18s as an u16 player because he was really small so had to rely on his technique more and his dribbling and striking of the ball was always very good but his finishing was very inconsistent. He's grown a huge amount in the past couple of years so has started to use his pace a lot more and turned into a more direct player but I don't think he's lacking technically. You can see some of his u18 highlights from 2014/15 here

 

[kouroux]

An awful lot of people seem to be taking this "technique is set by 18" thing as gospel without actually understanding it. 18 tends to be used as a basic guideline because many people stop growing around that time so from a body mechanics perspective the way they use and shape their body when running, controlling or striking a ball generally won't change a huge amount from that point on but the idea that ball control, skill and shooting can't be improved with practice is nonsense and along with having the right mentality, tweaking and improving consistency in these aspects is often the difference between being a stand out youth player and a stand out professional.

There is only known caf member who's been spouting this for years. I haven't met anyone in real life who has ever shared the same opinion. Are you saying that there are more weirdos out there ?

 

[LouisDanGaal]

He probably stood out more technically when he first came into the u18s as an u16 player because he was really small so had to rely on his technique more and his dribbling and striking of the ball was always very good but his finishing was very inconsistent. He's grown a huge amount in the past couple of years so has started to use his pace a lot more and turned into a more direct player but I don't think he's lacking technically. You can see some of his u18 highlights from 2014/15 here

Cheers mate!

 

[jb8521]

There is only known caf member who's been spouting this for years. I haven't met anyone in real life who has ever shared the same opinion. Are you saying that there are more weirdos out there ?

Yeah I've heard it a few times, Ive even heard it said about 15 and 16 year olds

 

[Giant Midget]

I agree but when he played as a main striker, his second touch was a tackle, not good enough.

This isn't normal for an 18 year old. It can't be improved. If you watched Pogba when he was 18, his touch was just as good as it is now.


In my opinion, Rashford is already playing at 95% of his potential. The 5% he can improve is his strength and his maturity.

Aren't you the guy that thought Nathan fecking Delfouneso was the next big thing in English football? With a track record like that, I'd take your opinion with a pinch of salt.

 

[charlenefan]

Aren't you the guy that thought Nathan fecking Delfouneso was the next big thing in English football? With a track record like that, I'd take your opinion with a pinch of salt.

Don't know about that but he was certainly hailing Delph as the next big thing when he was at Leeds

 

[Kraftwerker]

Don't know about that but he was certainly hailing Delph as the next big thing when he was at Leeds

Oliver Norwood was the midfield sensation.

Still, admirable how he at least sticks to his guns.

 

[sportsczy]

Technique is the x factor in football... the material you have to work with is god given. You then work on improving and honing the skills you are able to execute. But to suddenly develop something that isn't there? Won't happen.

I like Rashford a lot. My issue with him is that he plays selfishly, which is strange for a player his age. Maybe he's just unaware and makes up his mind even if a better option is available. Ignoring open teammates is not something you want to make a habit of.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

He's not selfish, his intent is just to go forward in all instances. It's not really a bad thing (considering the last few seasons). He's an incredible talent and he'll only get better.

 

[Yagami]

Maybe the only possible criticism of him, and one does sound more intelligent criticizing than praising. "Yes, he may be good for a young player, but he needs to work on..." Makes you sound like you reflect on the matter. Fact is, everyone can improve. I actually thought his hold up play against Simpson was good. He does miscontrol the ball from time to time at pace, but it is at pace...

He has games where his touch is off like today, but he still make an impact. There will be a game probably in the next few weeks where his touch will be perfect again and it will make the questioning look ridiculous because he does have superb technique just he can be quite inconsistent. It's gotta be stressed though we are literally watching him decide what player he wants to be, its incredible the difference between his first few games and now.

It's a bit sloppy is all. His dribbling comes off a bit loose and not very tight like when you see Martial run with the ball, and he's more reliant on his pace rather then technique. His touch is pretty good for the most part, but again like his dribbling, it's a bit loose at times like that one counter attack where he had a great chance but the touch let him down. Of course, it's normal for an 18 year old, but his technique is probably one of the weaker parts of his game.

I completely agree that his technique isn't perfect, but I wouldn't question said technique just because he isn't as consistent as Martial. His dribbling isn't great at the moment, no, but there's more to a players technique than his dribbling. His close control of the ball, even with an opposition player on his backside, is brilliant for his age. There's plenty of times Zlatan, a great technician, has lost the ball with a poor first touch being under pressure whereas I've seen Marcus keep the ball, and either shrug off the opposition player or manage to turn and cause panic to the opposition team. I've seen him play some beautiful passes and initiate some brilliant link-up play, too.

I've seen enough to suggest, in time of course, he could go on to be a good technical player. I'm not saying I 100% expect him to, but there's been a lot of signs to suggest so.

B-but our academy player has scored his third tap in of the season! Does it matter that he was rooney-lite the rest of the game?

If it was his standard performance then yes, but it isn't. Of course he's not above criticism and, if he has an awful all round game, calling him up on it is fair, but labelling him outright as someone who's technique is poor because of it isn't. He's young 'n' learnin'.