[Tosicsleftpeg]

To me it looks like he is underestimating his opposition at the moment. He's been using some very obvious and poor dribbling moves to take people on that may have worked in Holland but won't work at the top level.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Bebe-esque cross from him today. I do believe he will come good, though. He's already shown signs of quality this season.

 

[Borys]

To me it looks like he is underestimating his opposition at the moment. He's been using some very obvious and poor dribbling moves to take people on that may have worked in Holland but won't work at the top level.

Or it's all he's got in his locker currently.

 

[YouOnlyLiveTwice]

He needs to go out on the pitch with the same attitude that Lingard has, that way you can excuse his mistakes if he Works his arse of to get the ball back.

 

[criticalanalysis]

To me it looks like he is underestimating his opposition at the moment. He's been using some very obvious and poor dribbling moves to take people on that may have worked in Holland but won't work at the top level.

The lead up to the goal, where he tried to reverse the ball back onto the outside with a behind-the-leg-instep was so poor. If you're gonna do skills, you got to be in the moment or do it with full conviction. That could have easily led to a counter attack.

Even if it's a confidence thing i.e he'll be able to use his skillset regularly and effectively there's fundementals that needs to be addressed.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

1:45 Explains how the whole Memphis too late for the team bus story was bullshit.

Media is shambles. Morgan was out and Memphis had to come last minute.

 

[RedStarUnited]

To me it looks like he is underestimating his opposition at the moment. He's been using some very obvious and poor dribbling moves to take people on that may have worked in Holland but won't work at the top level.

To me he isnt sharp enough right now. In the build up to our goal today for example, he lost the ball so easily and cheaply it annoyed.

 

[RDCR07]

We have some run of 'easy' games coming up. Might be the best time for him to play his way out of the terrible form he is in. Hopefully he gets chances. There is only so much you can accomplish by dropping him for a while. The only way he is coming out of this dip is by playing.

 

[Spock]

He's been inconsistent, not consistently horrible. I'm not too concerned. He'll come good.

 

[Galactic]

He got to "show " some commitment/effort. Get the fans behind him.

 

[Tosicsleftpeg]

If like him to show a bit more direct running like Lingard I love that kind of play, if defenders sit deep run toward them at pace and it forces them to make a decision otherwise they will just face you up all day and squeeze the space.

He clearly has pace and strength I wish he'd use it instead of trying to showboat and do little turns that aren't working.

 

[Cnaiür urs Skiötha]

To me it looks like he is underestimating his opposition at the moment. He's been using some very obvious and poor dribbling moves to take people on that may have worked in Holland but won't work at the top level.

I have noticed this as well. If he wants to be a dribbler he should work on his skills.

 

[Massive Spanner]

The fact that he can't beat his man is really worrying.

Even at their worst, Nani and Valencia could always beat their man (it's what they did after that that was the problem). Hell, even Young is pretty good at beating his man (and then falling). Memphis has neither the dribbling skills of Nani nor the pace of Valencia which really worries me. Beating your man is more about natural ability than something you pick up with age, after all.

 

[Rockets Redglare]

If like him to show a bit more direct running like Lingard I love that kind of play, if defenders sit deep run toward them at pace and it forces them to make a decision otherwise they will just face you up all day and squeeze the space.

He clearly has pace and strength I wish he'd use it instead of trying to showboat and do little turns that aren't working.

Does he have pace though? He's looked pretty slow whenever I've watched him, and he doesn't seem very strong either.
I can't figure out what his strengths are at all, if he has any.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

It was a bit of a shit performance but that free-kick he won (and fecked up spectacularly) came from a tidy bit of dribbling through a crowd of defenders. That's what he offers at his best, nimble footwork, balance and close control. He's not a speed merchant, so won't be able to kick and rush past players but he has proven himself more than capable of beating players in tight areas with great pieces of skill. Another example being the way he created space for himself to shoot (and hit the post) in our 40 pass goal, as well as his goal in the defeat against PSV. He's also shown that he has a great shot and cross on him, as well as being a very good finisher when he was in Holland. The attributes of a quality player are there, even if he hasn't shown them nearly enough so far.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

1:45 Explains how the whole Memphis too late for the team bus story was bullshit.

Media is shambles. Morgan was out and Memphis had to come last minute.

That whole segment is very funny. "It ish un... believable!"

 

[GloryHunter07]

It was a bit of a shit performance but that free-kick he won (and fecked up spectacularly) came from a tidy bit of dribbling through a crowd of defenders. That's what he offers at his best, nimble footwork, balance and close control. He's not a speed merchant, so won't be able to kick and rush past players but he has proven himself more than capable of beating players in tight areas with great pieces of skill. Another example being the way he created space for himself to shoot (and hit the post) in our 40 pass goal, as well as his goal in the defeat against PSV. He's also shown that he has a great shot and cross on him, as well as being a very good finisher when he was in Holland. The attributes of a quality player are there, even if he hasn't shown them nearly enough so far.

Yeah i think he has the skill to make it here, but he needs to improve his decision making. Its good that he wants the ball, but he can be quite selfish and not make the simple pass when he had nowhere to go.

 

[Joga Bonito]

It was a bit of a shit performance but that free-kick he won (and fecked up spectacularly) came from a tidy bit of dribbling through a crowd of defenders. That's what he offers at his best, nimble footwork, balance and close control. He's not a speed merchant, so won't be able to kick and rush past players but he has proven himself more than capable of beating players in tight areas with great pieces of skill. Another example being the way he created space for himself to shoot (and hit the post) in our 40 pass goal, as well as his goal in the defeat against PSV. He's also shown that he has a great shot and cross on him, as well as being a very good finisher when he was in Holland. The attributes of a quality player are there, even if he hasn't shown them nearly enough so far.

Aye, he has shown glimpses of his dribbling ability, esp in that game against Newcastle where he got past their LB several times, if I'm not wrong.

Likewise, as you've stated, this was a great piece of skill to score against PSV



Obviously they haven't been happening enough and he has been dispossessed plenty of times but I think he has it in him to be a good dribbler and a good player, once he gets through this patch of poor form and acclimatises to the league.

He has been woeful for most parts of the season and looks to be overwhelmed, both mentally and physically, by the demands of playing in a more competitive league - something that he himself admitted. Unfortunately he also seems to be suffering from a severe loss in confidence as well - seems more dejected nowadays rather than the more enthusiastic player that we saw in the early stages of the season. Hopefully, he gets past this rut and develops into a good player.

 

[Speak]

Aye, he has shown glimpses of his dribbling ability, esp in that game against Newcastle where he got past their LB several times, if I'm not wrong.

Likewise, as you've stated, this was a great piece of skill to score against PSV



Obviously they haven't been happening enough and he has been dispossessed plenty of times but I think he has it in him to be a good dribbler and a good player, once he gets through this patch of poor form and acclimatises to the league.

He has been woeful for most parts of the season and looks to be overwhelmed, both mentally and physically, by the demands of playing in a more competitive league - something that he himself admitted. Unfortunately he also seems to be suffering from a severe loss in confidence as well - seems more dejected nowadays rather than the more enthusiastic player that we saw in the early stages of the season. Hopefully, he gets past this rut and develops into a good player.

Nice bit of play in that video. But it's nothing new. We know he's a good runner once he's gathered momentum. It's from a standing start where he looks unable to beat a man consistently.

And when you look at the best teams for possession play over the past few years, the wingers have all had the ability to skin a man from stand still. When the team is as dominant as van Gaal sets his team up to be, there aren't going to be loads of opportunities to move with pace onto a pass like that.

I don't believe that ability to dribble like that just pops out of nowhere, so I doubt he'll ever be great at it. But he can get better at what it is that he already does well. And maybe the system will change over the years, to one that plays into space more than this current team. This current system is pretty unsuited to his strengths, unfortunately.

We're seeing with Douglas Costa exactly the type of winger that thrives in a possession team.

 

[Adisa]

Nice bit of play in that video. But it's nothing new. We know he's a good runner once he's gathered momentum. It's from a standing start where he looks unable to beat a man consistently.

And when you look at the best teams for possession play over the past few years, the wingers have all had the ability to skin a man from stand still. When the team is as dominant as van Gaal sets his team up to be, there aren't going to be loads of opportunities to move with pace onto a pass like that.

I don't believe that ability to dribble like that just pops out of nowhere, so I doubt he'll ever be great at it. But he can get better at what it is that he already does well. And maybe the system will change over the years, to one that plays into space more than this current team. This current system is pretty unsuited to his strengths, unfortunately.

We're seeing with Douglas Costa exactly the type of winger that thrives in a possession team.

I think the key is acceleration, pace over 5-10 yards. I don't think he's quick. The problem is the type of winger you described is very rare.

 

[Joga Bonito]

And when you look at the best teams for possession play over the past few years, the wingers have all had the ability to skin a man from stand still. When the team is as dominant as van Gaal sets his team up to be, there aren't going to be loads of opportunities to move with pace onto a pass like that.

That's fair enough, but even possession oriented teams are heavily reliant on movement in the final third to create spaces for forwards - something which we are severely lacking in at the moment, which results in forwards being asked to do too much on their own. Being required to repeatedly beat a player from stand-still is quite something and only the best dribblers possess it (Robben, Messi, Hazard etc).

Tbf to Memphis, he was never really a jinxing dribbling type of a player but rather a more well-rounded goalscoring inside forward. I agree that the possession based system doesn't quite suit Memphis and it only makes the adaptation process that much harder for him. Still, think he will be a fine player for us once he settles in and gets going for us.

 

[Borys]

Nice bit of play in that video. But it's nothing new. We know he's a good runner once he's gathered momentum. It's from a standing start where he looks unable to beat a man consistently.

And when you look at the best teams for possession play over the past few years, the wingers have all had the ability to skin a man from stand still. When the team is as dominant as van Gaal sets his team up to be, there aren't going to be loads of opportunities to move with pace onto a pass like that.

I don't believe that ability to dribble like that just pops out of nowhere, so I doubt he'll ever be great at it. But he can get better at what it is that he already does well. And maybe the system will change over the years, to one that plays into space more than this current team. This current system is pretty unsuited to his strengths, unfortunately.

We're seeing with Douglas Costa exactly the type of winger that thrives in a possession team.

This, this this and this.

I doubt he will become a really good player in a possession based team. It would require a total change of his skillset, and probably a few years work. He might turn into a decent one but I see a bigger chance for Pereira and Januzaj to excel in our setup. Depends on who will be our next manager but I expect him to struggle in van Gaal regime.

 

[jem]

1:45 Explains how the whole Memphis too late for the team bus story was bullshit.

Media is shambles. Morgan was out and Memphis had to come last minute.

He might be a frustrating manager, but he's got to be the best interview out there.

 

[Sam]

He's amazingly hopeless. I almost feel sorry for him at this point.

Lingard currently looks miles the better player, and I don't think he's particularity good himself.

 

[khoazany]

Another hypothetical question: if his form doesn't improve much from now till the end of this season, would you consider loan him out to a PL team next season?

No intention to write the lad off here, just seeking for opinion.

 

[Shamwow]

Another hypothetical question: if his form doesn't improve much from now till the end of this season, would you consider loan him out to a PL team next season?

No intention to write the lad off here, just seeking for opinion.

Definitely not for me.

 

[Devil may care]

I think in hindsight LvG's experiment with him as a #10 during pre-season made sense, he lacks the pace off the mark for the wide role in the PL.

 

[K2K]

Another hypothetical question: if his form doesn't improve much from now till the end of this season, would you consider loan him out to a PL team next season?

No intention to write the lad off here, just seeking for opinion.

I'd definitely consider strengthening our forward line which may hinder his game time further. I'd make the decision after the preseason to see how he does , seeing as he has the summer off.

 

[SoCross]

I always give young players two seasons of consistent football with us before making a judgement on them. Will do the same with Memphis; he's still young & learnin'

 

[Borys]

I always give young players two seasons of consistent football with us before making a judgement on them. Will do the same with Memphis; he's still young & learnin'

The thing is, we can't give every player such an opportunity. And currently Memphis is the last one who deserves that time. Martial is in another bracket, and I rate both Januzaj and Lingard higher than Depay, who is living off his reputation in Holland.

Yeah I'd loan him, it's highly probable we'll bring another winger so his chances will be limited.

 

[Cassidy]

The thing is, we can't give every player such an opportunity. And currently Memphis is the last one who deserves that time. Martial is in another bracket, and I rate both Januzaj and Lingard higher than Depay, who is living off his reputation in Holland.

Yeah I'd loan him, it's highly probable we'll bring another winger so his chances will be limited.

Hes only played a handfull of games in a new league. You are being extremely harsh.
Any new player you buy from another league is living off their reputation in another country btw

 

[Dirty Schwein]

It feels like Memphis might become the next Nani. Flashes of brilliance without ever becoming a long-term regular. Of course, I hope I am completely wrong.

It feels weird reading the recent comments about him as opposed to the comments before he arrived which said that he is one of the hardest working footballers, a bit like CR7 and is a player that does everything for the team.

 

[finneh]

It feels like Memphis might become the next Nani. Flashes of brilliance without ever becoming a long-term regular. Of course, I hope I am completely wrong.

It feels weird reading the recent comments about him as opposed to the comments before he arrived which said that he is one of the hardest working footballers, a bit like CR7 and is a player that does everything for the team.

Becoming the next Nani would be a huge compliment to him at the moment. He's shown nothing so far for us to suggest he can reach that level of quality and productivity.

 

[Cnaiür urs Skiötha]

I think in hindsight LvG's experiment with him as a #10 during pre-season made sense, he lacks the pace off the mark for the wide role in the PL.

He seems to lack the eye for the killer pass and the creativity which would be needed on the 10. Rooney has the same issue most of the time.

I would think about turning Depay into a 9.

 

[JohnnyLaw]

The thing is, we can't give every player such an opportunity. And currently Memphis is the last one who deserves that time. Martial is in another bracket, and I rate both Januzaj and Lingard higher than Depay, who is living off his reputation in Holland.

Yeah I'd loan him, it's highly probable we'll bring another winger so his chances will be limited.

Every player? Who are the other ones, Lingard and Januzaj haven't achieved what Memphis has so this far in their careers, so I find it strange that you'd find him to be the least deserving of the three. Martial had a brilliant start but has started to drop off a bit in the last few games which is natural as I'd be amazed if he'd be able to uphold the level he showed in his first few matches, I believe he's just as raw as Depay which i'm sure will become evident in due time.

Besides we've a shortage on wingers so he'd get more than enough game-time even if we did bring in another one. Young will be turning 31 next year, Lingard and Januzaj we don't know what their roles will be if they'll be here at all, Valencia won't return to the wing and Mata isn't really a top class winger IMO.

 

[Borys]

Every player? Who are the other ones, Lingard and Januzaj haven't achieved what Memphis has so this far in their careers, so I find it strange that you'd find him to be the least deserving of the three. Martial had a brilliant start but has started to drop off a bit in the last few games which is natural as I'd be amazed if he'd be able to uphold the level he showed in his first few matches, I believe he's just as raw as Depay which i'm sure will become evident in due time.

Besides we've a shortage on wingers so he'd get more than enough game-time even if we did bring in another one. Young will be turning 31 next year, Lingard and Januzaj we don't know what their roles will be if they'll be here at all, Valencia won't return to the wing and Mata isn't really a top class winger IMO.

We can’t give unlimited playing time to every young talent, that’s what I had in mind.

Memphis has done nothing since coming here. I know what are Januzaj strengths, the same applies to Pereira and Lingard (who is the least talented of the four of them, yet is currently first XI player). I really don’t know what Depay strengths are. It seems what worked in Holland doesn’t work here (in different system also). Martial definitely isn’t as raw as Memphis, he is just inconsistent.

Young, Lingard, Januzaj + one winger who we’ll probably bring, that’s 4 players better than Memphis. I think there is enough space for him but I think we should consider a loan.

 

[Kag]

We can’t give unlimited playing time to every young talent, that’s what I had in mind.

Memphis has done nothing since coming here. I know what are Januzaj strengths, the same applies to Pereira and Lingard (who is the least talented of the four of them, yet is currently first XI player). I really don’t know what Depay strengths are. It seems what worked in Holland doesn’t work here (in different system also). Martial definitely isn’t as raw as Memphis, he is just inconsistent.

Young, Lingard, Januzaj + one winger who we’ll probably bring, that’s 4 players better than Memphis. I think there is enough space for him but I think we should consider a loan.

Depay's greatest strength is his movement, that's obvious. He uses space very intelligently and will get into goalscoring positions as a result of that. Against Moscow the other night, he was positioned in behind Rooney in the event Rooney mistimed his header. It's not an obvious strength, but it's a definite one. His finishing is good, too.

His biggest problem at the moment is a lack of confidence and an inclination to prove a point with wild shots, wild crosses and poor decision making. That's why people are comparing him with Nani. Nani would never hide when having a bad game; he would rather try and try the same old trick, pissing people off in the process. I don't mind these players albeit I can understand that some get that bit more annoyed.

The idea we send him on loan is silly, for me. He's a better player than Lingard and Januzaj and offers more in front of goal than Young. He may not be showing that right now, but on the whole that is my belief and with a calmer head I think he's more than capable of showing that over the coming weeks.

 

[JohnnyLaw]

We can’t give unlimited playing time to every young talent, that’s what I had in mind.

Memphis has done nothing since coming here. I know what are Januzaj strengths, the same applies to Pereira and Lingard (who is the least talented of the four of them, yet is currently first XI player). I really don’t know what Depay strengths are. It seems what worked in Holland doesn’t work here (in different system also). Martial definitely isn’t as raw as Memphis, he is just inconsistent.

Young, Lingard, Januzaj + one winger who we’ll probably bring, that’s 4 players better than Memphis. I think there is enough space for him but I think we should consider a loan.

And we clearly don't, seeing as Januzaj's off to germany and Memphis is now sidelined. They'll play when they're deemed ready.

I think that to say he's done nothing is an exaggeration but I'll agree he hasn't done enough to earn his spot in the team. Not strange that you're more familiar with the strenghts of players who've been here for several years compared to a player who's only been here a few months, especially if you didn't see him play in and for Holland. But I think his strenghts are pretty obvious; pace, power, movement, decent enough trickery and a wicked right foot. I do think that the system we play don't really cater to his strenghts much, which were my concerns before we bought him. But Van Gaal bought him and must believe that he can adapt to this style of football, but it might take time for him, time which he has.

I don't know what makes you say that Januzaj and Young are better wingers than Memphis, Lingard might appear the better winger RIGHT NOW, I'd argue he hasn't shown enough yet to really base an opinion on though. Januzajs been sent away after a start to the season where he was very inconsistant, Lingard's only made four appearances for us in which he's been ordinary and inconsistant but most recently he was brilliant in the last game vs CSKA (although again, inconsistent) and then pretty ordinary for large parts vs West Bromwich but scored a wonderfully taken goal.

I think that Memphis has produced enough for us to be persist with, and I really don't trust loan-moves and would only consider it as a last resort.

 

[Kopral Jono]

Becoming the next Nani would be a huge compliment to him at the moment. He's shown nothing so far for us to suggest he can reach that level of quality and productivity.

Indeed

 

[Sammyjunn]

Indeed

Productivity no, he had 4 goals and 4 assists in like his first 10 games and even that could be more easily. His general play will never be good imo but when in form or at his standards he can easily he productive.