I don't understand why he got lower ratings than Valencia did. Did an excellent job defensively with his quick closing downs and it wasn't from his flank that the cross came in from. Are people blaming him for losing out in the header? If so, that's harsh.
36
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 29
- Clean sheets
- 12
- Goals
- 0
- Assists
- 1
- Yellow cards
- 3
- Status
I like him, but he's just not good enough or lacks consistency to play like he did tonight all the time. The left-back position is something we need to improve next season and we can't wait on him or be sentimental sadly.
I find it quite bizarre that ratings plummet based on the concession of a goal and consequent draw. We generally played pretty well tonight but lacked any cutting edge up front.
Valencia made a goal line clearance and a decent block, and that's what the average fan sees. The fact that he allowed Acheampong to turn and run at him every time, and that all of their attacking threat came from that side, or that he allowed the cross leading to the goal etc. is lost on the average supporter.
As a squad player, I think his versatility makes him valuable. He's the type of defensive full back that can be important for a certain type of opponent, and that makes him a usable asset.
He may, of course, want to move back to Italy and play every week.
Also the fact that he is supposed to be our attacking full back, but doesn't really attack all that much. The one time he actually decided to do something other than pass it back to Carrick and made that cross, we scored.
I like Valencia, but man I miss Rafael. Even Varela, in his short run in the team, provided more attacking impetus for us.
I'm oscillating between thinking he's completely blameless for their goal and thinking that the pair of them deserve blame. There's not much he can do once their player has got the run on him, but his body position and how he shapes up and his positioning mean he sees the run much earlier than Fellaini (who is completely blindsided and would be reliant on a shout from Darmian) and still reacts too late.
Now he may have thought that Fellaini would go and win the header anyway, just as Fellaini may have thought that Darmian or Romero would deal with it, but between them one of them had to take responsibility and neither did.
Now he may have thought that Fellaini would go and win the header anyway, just as Fellaini may have thought that Darmian or Romero would deal with it, but between them one of them had to take responsibility and neither did.
This being the problem. I've always liked Darmian defensively. He's good at it. But he's fecking horrendous going forward. Probably the worst fullback I've ever seen play for us in an attacking sense, infact.
I like Valencia. He definitely didn't seem himself tonight, he pretty much refused to attack the opposition full back on the outside, and I thought Mourinho's post match comments were intriguing - he said Antonio isn't or hasn't been right, or something along those lines.
He's certainly no John O'Shea.
He actually isn't. José has stated on occasion that he prefers to have one attacking full back while the opposite full back tucks in to form a back 3. Darmian is doing what is expected of him, and one of them is not being an attacking outlet. If José wanted to play an attacking full back, he could have played Shaw or Blind at least who are naturally left footed.
Very good tonight. His best performance of the season. They didn't get a sniff down his flank all night and all our best attacking play was on that side too. A big change from being so massively reliant on Valencia down the right.
Jose has a habit of doing this though, one marauding fullback and one that just stays back as almost an extra CB, I think that might be part of the issue with Shaw as him and Valencia both like to bomb on.
My thoughts exactly. I remember his Chelsea days of Ashley Cole bombing forward on the left and has less attacking full backs like Paulo Ferreira on the right, who was also a comfortable CB
Good game. Always looks better when he's more aggressive in the tackle, he closed down his man well.
I hope not. United full backs should be good at doing both. As are the full backs over at Bayern, Madrid, Atletico and Juventus.
Very good performance again, twice in a row he's been decent. It seems Darmian or Blind will always play with Valencia or Shaw.
He was good today but it won't be acknowledged cause he's keeping the English Darling and "future best LB in the world" Luke Shaw out of the team.
He had a decent game alright but you can't help but wonder if he could have been a tiny bit more ballsy for their goal.
That post you replied to was about Valencia being the attacking fullback, not Darmian
Darmian made a pathetic attempt to prevent their goal. The striker quite simply wanted to get his head on that ball more than Darmian. Darmian ducked out of it and lowered his head into the player chest high. He's crap and will be first out of the door.
Not really. The player who scored was not a striker like you said, he was the central midfielder. That's not a matter of opinion.
Also not a matter of opinion, is who was marking him. If you watch the replay again you'll see Darmian is marking a different man, their RW, but when Dendoncker waltzes past Fellaini (who was the man supposed to be marking him) he has to try and come across. Dendoncker had both the better run and is taller than Darmian.
It was a very good cross and a brilliant header, but if you really want to assign blame for the goal, then that blame lies squarely with Fellaini not with Darmian. Again, opinion doesn't even come into this, that's simple observation.
Darmian was good today. Whether he's good enough to be here long term is another matter, perhaps not. And that, is an opinion
Nah he just plays like that, he did the same under Van Gaal.
Tonight he was alright defensively and had a good cross to Mkhitaryan on a rare attack.
Gave him my MOTM but before the game I was fuming Shaw was benched for him.
He was actually good tonight, and he's been decent in a few performances this season. He's had plenty of bad matches as well but who hasn't? It would be interesting to see how good he'd be with consistent game time and being told by Mourinho to get forward as much as possible.
Probably not very but you never know.
Probably not very but you never know.
Good player but like a lot of our players, the partnerships are just wrong. We have a lot of solid players but just too many individuals with no continuity on the pitch.
I was talking about Valencia there.
I'd like us to have two box to box fullback's as well, but when we hired Jose we were always going to get some of his foibles.
I think that English game doesn't suit him. He will have the good occasional game but he can't compete every week with the wingers in this league. He is really good at 1vs1 situation but lacks the needed stamina and pace. I think he is a good fullback and can also see him playing really well as a cb. I think Guardiola wanted him in this role. I want him to stay but I think he will have a better career elsewhere and we can find a better full back.
Yesterday, he was one of the best for sure and their goal wasn't his fault.
Yesterday, he was one of the best for sure and their goal wasn't his fault.
Get a grip, his man was out on the left and he tucked in to try to save it. Our CB's and Fellaini who had the duty to track the midfielder running into the box are to blame. He had a really good game and saying otherwise has to be with an agenda..
We should get Fuchs to replace him. Better player.
Right. And at least Darmian attempted to defend it eventhough it's not his job aka not his mark. He failed to defend the crosses, but it's appreciative how much he's into the game playing seriously. He threw his body to defend the crosses and almost get himself injured during and after falling over. Only him and Carrick play seriously that game defensively.
Also, if you watch the replay, the other players too fail to do their defensive duties, Mkhi and Valencia fail to close down the crosser, Fellaini not sticking to his man, and Rojo are not dealing with the cross well. Solely blaming Darmian for doing the job others are supposed to do is... hmm.
Do you realise how stupid that is? Perhaps he should use ''the force'' to control all things round him.
You're also over reaching with the cross argument, it was a cross from the side line, nowhere near touch and he did everything correctly by showing him the outside.
He knows the basics of defending so well. Like, at LB he will never get skinned by the winger or misreads the offside line. He is solid defensively. The big issue however is his attacking contribution. He usually, provides very little going forward.
In this match however, he was excellent. Hope he continues with this good form.
In this match however, he was excellent. Hope he continues with this good form.
He did well the other night, but he's been skinned plenty of times this season.
Hmm... has he? . I remember Blind getting beaten number of times by even the most mediocre wingers, but I can't remember Darmain being skinned though Darmain has never been used consistently and I don't remember his games clearly so I might have been wrong about this then.
You are mate, fair enough he's mostly been played at LB this season but he's had problems containing any winger with pace. Been quite a few games where Martial or more often Rashford has had to drop in a lot to help him out.
Ok. Think you are right about this then. I just want to see some more of our players turn a corner and maintain their good form. Mostly, they start doing something good then then revert right back.
Like, Mikhi looked like he was finally turning into the player Mourinho wanted him to be and then his performances dropped. Pogba was on an upward trajectory towards the end of last year and then his form dipped. Martial looked like finally regaining last years form and then he went back to being frustrating. Lingard looks excellent in one match but looks like a squad player in the next. Only Rojo has been consistent.
Darmain has been putting in decent cameos and was good in the last match. Just want him to keep playing well now because the LB position is very problematic.
Both Blind and Darmain are not good enough to be consistent starters at United. Both capable of doing a job but both weak links. Darmian played well on Thursday but offered nothing in attack.
Man Utd 2:0 Chelsea
He's been really solid so far.
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