Sure. A use can be found for him, no doubt. But. This is a player with the potential to be a major force. It's also a player with the good kind of big ego, who clearly wants to be a big difference maker (ref his widely reported statements ahead of the WC). So, this is to my mind the sort of player you want to bring in if you can provide him with the sort of role that is commensurate with that. And I doubt we can. The roles we might need him for isn't the ones that will be optimal for him. And the things we most urgently need (top striker, Casemiro backup and ideally long-term replacement, Eriksen upgrade) aren't the ones he provides.
Mohammed Kudus
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Sure. A use can be found for him, no doubt. But. This is a player with the potential to be a major force. It's also a player with the good kind of big ego, who clearly wants to be a big difference maker (ref his widely reported statements ahead of the WC). So, this is to my mind the sort of player you want to bring in if you can provide him with the sort of role that is commensurate with that. And I doubt we can. The roles we might need him for isn't the ones that will be optimal for him. And the things we most urgently need (top striker, Casemiro backup and ideally long-term replacement, Eriksen upgrade) aren't the ones he provides.
true....we do have bigger needs like a top class CF and someone to play alongside Casemiro on a regular basis. However....circle back to the CF, is it smart to spend 120m on Osimhen or 120m on Bellingham which is your primary summer budget OR do you spend 120m on Ramos and Kudus?
then you address the other positions if we are able to sell Martial and Maguire for any sort of decent monies
will Casemiro, Eriksen, Fred, Scott, Bruno, Mainoo be able to get us through another season without investment in the midfield? Kudus can play the 8 role as he has for Ajax and Ghana in a pinch
As for the Ego and potential personality issues, i'd say EtH will know if he's a good fit for this team dynamic. Maybe he's already made that decision in which he bought Antony instead over the summer.
Much as I like Kudus, I think I'd favour addressing the midfield over investing in extra attacking depth. And those aren't really equivalent options, are they. If you think Ramos is good enough to be our top striker and you can get him for 50m or whatever, great. If you don't, him and Kudus won't give us what Osimhen would (if you think he is all that). And we don't really need someone who can play in the 8 role in a pinch - we need someone with fewer years in his legs who will elevate the position beyond what Eriksen can as a regular starter.
Glad more folks are aware about this chap. Of course it would be even more awesome if Ten Hag invents someone like that within Man United's youth, but still Kudus is one of his latest inventions and no one knows him and his ceiling better at present moment.
This will sound so stupid, but I loved this guy in PES 2021. He was one of the best prospects you could get in the midfield for cheap.
My point is that if ETH played him as no 8 and no 10 then ETH rates him as midfielder no 8 and no 10 not as false 9. So if ETH wants him then I expect him to play in the position where ETH rated him at Ajax.
Very similar profile.
Kudus main aspects are he's physically strong and very press-resistance. I don't think Amad has those two aspects at the moment right?
Correct me if I'm wrong but I feel like to describe Kudus is basically imagining what if Pogba doesn't have long range passing and left footed only, but has good work rate and very press-resistance. Both loves to hold the ball and dribble to drive and carry the ball forward (progressive ball carrier), except Pogba doesn't have low centre gravity, the low centre gravity allows Kudus to be very press-resistance, which suits to his way of playing to hold the ball and dribble the ball.
And what I’m saying is while he can play there, the only reason we’re linked with him from a performance standpoint, is because of his play as a 9. It would be like buying Joelinton then moving him back out wide.
It makes zero sense to say if the reason is only based on this season performance standpoint. That's like how Ole signed VDB, signed no 10 when he has Bruno just because VDB was performing at Ajax.
If ETH wants a player then he doesn't just look at random good performance only, he will see it whether he meets the profile of what he/we need. When ETH was at Ajax, he viewed Kudus as midfielder which I based this from Kudus played as midfielder under ETH. We are linked with proper no 9 like Osimhen and Kane because ETH views proper no 9 is what he wants for his team. Coincidentally, reports said he wants proper no 9 and midfielder. Beside, people said he was performing good as no 8 under ETH and he was being unlucky when he got his injury.
Whichever position he will end up, there is a stronger point of ETH rates him as midfielder as that's where ETH plays Kudus.
Physically superior. He was the talisman for Ghana at the WC and looked like a man on the pitch.
Amad has bags of ability but think he needs to improve his physicality drastically to be a star for us.
What do you consider Kudus' best position by the way?
This season has to be brought into account because his performances in a much more attacking role as a 9.5 is how he has gained traction as a potential top level club target. As an 8, he hasn't really played or done well enough (to me) to be a target at that same level, because, while yes he was injured for large parts of the previous season, he didn't play much even before the ribs. Roughly 500 minutes over 20 games is nothing (excluding Jong minutes.) Even then, after his ribs in the middle of the season, he was deployed more as a 10 if memory serves rather than an 8. I reiterate my point that I've made not just here but in other threads that he has the skillset to play in several different positions, but its been made clear to me his most productive games are those where he is deployed in an attacking position.
For your second paragraph, ETH's main 8 last season, Gravenberch, has made a lot of noise about being unhappy at Bayern, and assuming both are gettable + require roughly the same financial package, I would bet my house on us picking up Gravenberch before we target Kudus for the same role.
Of course, and greater top level experience, not to mention older. No reason why Amad will not be stronger in a couple of years.
I see Kudus best as a 10/SS personally.
The issue about your point is that has no justification of what ETH views him as a player in his system, which is the critical part. These days is about how to fit players into system. We know Schreuder views him as attacker but we don't know if ETH also views him as attacker. The only thing we know is that ETH views him as a midfielder in his system based on the position ETH played him (20 games as CM and 24 games as AM). If ETH doesn't view him as a midfielder, he wouldn't play him there. ETH might play him as false 9 for certain games like how Pep used KDB or Gundogan as false 9 but up to this point we can only say that ETH views his primary position is midfielder. The limited time Kudus received under ETH was down to three things because one at that time his game wasn't matured yet, two he was injured when he got his chances and three while he was injured ETH was able to find his winning midfield trio and no manager will change the winning recipe (Even ETH benched Casemiro for few games).
There will definitely be investment in the midfield I am certain of that. Could see either De Jong/Sabitzer and maybe free signing like Kroos/Tielemans. Only thing is that doesn't solve our backup CDM issue
I remember when Kudus first came to my attention he was playing at 8 and I have to say I really wanted someone with his exact profile for our midfield. He is absolutely brilliant at taking the ball on the turn and dribbling something none of our midfielders are good at and something we desperately need. I do think his defence would need much improvement, particularly with our susceptibility to counters and in a way can see why he seems to have drifted further forward over time.
Van Basten saying that Kudus is more gifted than Antony
https://strettynews.com/2023/02/21/...ohammed-kudus-is-a-better-player-than-antony/
https://strettynews.com/2023/02/21/...ohammed-kudus-is-a-better-player-than-antony/
Van Basten is a little sore over losing Antony. Plus he talks a lot of shit.
That doesn't really say much.
I absolutely loved Van Basten as a kid and alongside Maradona and Robson he was my favourite player as a kid but there’s a reason he’s a technical director for Uefa rather than in any kind of of management or coaching position, comparing Kudus and Antony is like comparing Fernandes and Antony as they play completely different positions.
Should we look at Kudus to play on the right wing because Van Basten said he’s more gifted than Antony ? He may not have hit the ground running but tactically Antony is important to how ETH wants to play, also Sancho has shown he can play as a 10 if needed as well as Eriksen so we’re well stocked on back up for Fernandes at 10.
No doubt Kudus has great potential but we need a centre forward and quality partner for Casemiro in midfield ahead of everything else then probably a keeper (Raya), back up left sided centre back (Ndicka) and maybe a right back if either AWB or Dalot leave.
Should we look at Kudus to play on the right wing because Van Basten said he’s more gifted than Antony ? He may not have hit the ground running but tactically Antony is important to how ETH wants to play, also Sancho has shown he can play as a 10 if needed as well as Eriksen so we’re well stocked on back up for Fernandes at 10.
No doubt Kudus has great potential but we need a centre forward and quality partner for Casemiro in midfield ahead of everything else then probably a keeper (Raya), back up left sided centre back (Ndicka) and maybe a right back if either AWB or Dalot leave.
Dunno about that, Kudus has already scored as many goals as him in a season with 3 months to go.
That's a valid opinion.
been banging on this drum since before the world cup.....this is a kid we SHOULD ABSOLUTELY buy in the summer. He can play anywhere across the front 4 and he's damn solid at all of them. That type of player versatility would be invaluable to this squad.
Certainly hope EtH goes back to Ajax in the summer for him.
Certainly hope EtH goes back to Ajax in the summer for him.
“Kudus has much b better technique and he knows what he is doing. Antony may be faster, but Kudus is smarter and more technical."
What? Not sure if another slow player is what we should add to our front line with Sancho and Antony not being particularly rapid. However, he does look like an overall exciting prospect that would add both depth, class and tactical variety to our squad. Doubt he'll be cheap though.
What? Not sure if another slow player is what we should add to our front line with Sancho and Antony not being particularly rapid. However, he does look like an overall exciting prospect that would add both depth, class and tactical variety to our squad. Doubt he'll be cheap though.
Kudus isn't slow. Antony is just faster, even though he hasn't really shown it yet for some reason this season.
Ajax must be sick of the sight of that 0161 code showing up on their phones.
Does ETH see him as 9/false 9?
I don't want him purely because he'd in effect end any chance Amad has at making it at United, and I'm convinced Amad will go onto be something special.
Before his departure Overmars confided in van der Vaart that he saw the transfer of Kudus as his masterpiece and the player that would sell for the club record so by all means bring your checkbook.
this kid can play anywhere across the front 4....even if he cost 60m that would be well worth the value
No one beats the Antony record fee in a long while
I don't think he anticipated anyone paying what we did for Antony. I am sure Kudus won't be cheap, but he won't be as much as Antony.
That's absolutely true.
As replied to SF you're probably right since nobody expected Antony would sell for so much but I'm sure Ajax will do anything they can to get it up to those amounts. Much will be decided if there will be competition for him and if Mo has a clear favorite like Martinez had.
Kudus might be a good player but I'm not exactly sure where he fits in the United team. We probably sign a striker and midfielder for the first team in the summer, but Kudus doesn't really fit the bill for either of those positions. I doubt we'll spend enough to be bringing somebody like him in as a squad player.
He can be our false 9. I think he's very good at it.
The only problem with that is that he doesn't see himself that way so if ETH wants him in that role he has a job to do in convincing him. Erik once opted him as left back.
Edit: What doesn d-a-t mean in English since my type-o was censored?
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No thanks, we can do better.
this is a guy that played for him, knows what he wants and more importantly EtH knows the qualities of the player....why woudl anyone doubt this?
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