Nigel De Jong

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De Jong would be fine if we were playing a three man midfield and he was the holding player.

When you consider that against most teams in the league we will be expected to be attacking them not them attacking us, De Jong probably isn't good enough on the ball imo.
 
He is a average player who has got his reputation boosted by a decent WC. He is only linked to us because he is dutch international.

It is lazy journalism, just as we are linked with De Vrij,Blind,Depay etc. And just like them, if we wanted him, we would have got him a long time ago.

The fact that it started from the express, whose source was goal means that this is not even worthy of discussion.
 
Adam-Utd said:
People on here used to call De Jong a thug, a useless midfield bruiser etc etc...

We do not need players who are just good at breaking up play and nothing else. We need more all round players like Herrera. Somebody who yes can tackle and position well, but also carries a good pass and a goal scoring threat.

De Jong may be cheap, but that's because he's old and doesn't offer much apart from the odd kung fu kick.

Will personally be very disappointing if this is our midfield option we want, but then I suppose LVG know's what he is doing.
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He's 29, so hardly old, and has 70+ caps for Holland. He's also (I think) only ever been sent off once and did very well when he was at City. At the fee quoted, it looks like a sensible deal. That's the reality of the situation, rather than the myth that he just runs around kicking people.

You can make the (reasonably obvious) point that we would ideally want a player who does what he can do and a lot more. Hence why we've been looking at Vidal. Doesn't mean De Jong wouldnt be a useful addition.

For what its worth in my opinion we've lacked steel in the midfield for years. I have no problem having a disciplined player in there who's job is to break up play and upset the opposition's rhythm - it makes us harder to beat and gives the attacking players a platform going forward. We've been a soft touch at times and that's not how it should be.

De Jong is a player who wouldn't expect to start every game but would get regular games - especially next year if we get back into the CL.
 
RustyS said:
not-sure-if-serious-or-sarcastic.jpg
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Best poster on the site, lad
 
Feels like last season all over again, going for Fabregas but ending up with Fellaini, looks like this year it will be De Jong instead of Vidal.
 
Ace of Spades said:
He is a average player who has got his reputation boosted by a decent WC. He is only linked to us because he is dutch international.

It is lazy journalism, just as we are linked with De Vrij,Blind,Depay etc. And just like them, if we wanted him, we would have got him a long time ago.

The fact that it started from the express, whose source was goal means that this is not even worthy of discussion.
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I'm not sure. This one seems slightly more realistic to me for some strange reason.
 
SolidState said:
1. city offloaded him on a cut price deal to AC Milan because he was off the pace of the premier league.
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He left after a contract dispute.

http://www.theguardian.com/football...ign=Feed:+theguardian/football/rss+(Football)

SolidState said:
2. he can't break into the Milan squad In a league severely slower than our own.
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He had 32 league starts, more than any other player.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013–14_A.C._Milan_season#Appearances_and_goals

I don't think anyone's suggesting De Jong is an outstanding player, or a shoo-in for a first team place. However even if we got Vidal, having a player like De Jong, who can offer a more robust presence in midfield and can screen the back four when we're under the pressure, is a solid idea.
 
2mufc0 said:
Feels like last season all over again, going for Fabregas but ending up with Fellaini, looks like this year it will be De Jong instead of Vidal.
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Yep, would rather stick with Cleverley, Fletch, Herrera until Carrick returns to be honest. IF we can't get top quality like Vidal whats the point in buying more average players.
 
Never been a fan of players like De Jong in the past but if we're going to consistently play 352 or 433 I think he'd be a good option. Someone like him would be a far better foil - in terms of the role he usually plays - for Herrera than the Caf's wet dream, Vidal.
 
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If we are signing a midfielder we can do a lot better than Nigel De Jong, I would hope.

He would be a "useful" signing but imo either we should be happy with our current midfield options or sign a starter. De Jong strikes me as just being another in the Cleverley, Fletcher, Carrick pool of "decent but not great" players, of which we have an abundance.
 
Walrus said:
If we are signing a midfielder we can do a lot better than Nigel De Jong, I would hope.

He would be a "useful" signing but imo either we should be happy with our current midfield options or sign a starter. De Jong strikes me as just being another in the Cleverley, Fletcher, Carrick pool of "decent but not great" players, of which we have an abundance.
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In terms of what he does best, winning the ball back, he's an upgrade on all those players. He can't pass the ball as well as any of them but with the formations Van Gaal likes that's not a big problem.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
In terms of what he does best, winning the ball back, he's an upgrade on all those players. He can't pass the ball as well as any of them but with the formations Van Gaal likes that's not a big problem.
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I agree - but more the question is should we be signing a limited, ball-winner of that type then?

I would prefer us simply not sign a midfielder and believe that LVG can improve Cleverleys game.

Basically, in order of preference
1) Sign a top quality midfielder.
2) Dont sign anyone - utilise Kagawa/Jones in CM when a specialist is required and trust that LVG will bring out the best of them and Cleverley (probably get Strootman in January).
3) Sign a limited player like De Jong.
 
bishblaize said:
He left after a contract dispute.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2012/jan/18/manchester-city-nigel-de-jong?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed: theguardian/football/rss (Football)



He had 32 league starts, more than any other player.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013–14_A.C._Milan_season#Appearances_and_goals

I don't think anyone's suggesting De Jong is an outstanding player, or a shoo-in for a first team place. However even if we got Vidal, having a player like De Jong, who can offer a more robust presence in midfield and can screen the back four when we're under the pressure, is a solid idea.
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Good points, but the first article is hardly confidence inducing.

"De Jong who is now behind Toure and Barry in the pecking order"

Also mentions at 27 in that season he had made 4 appearances.....I just dont think he is good enough for the Premier League and the pace of the game.
 
De Jong should be signed regardless of the Vidal situation. He's cheap, knows LVGs system well, provides something our other midfielders don't, and came off a great season for Milan. He was good in his final season with City too. I would rather have him as a squad player over a lot of our squad options.
 
SolidState said:
Good points, but the first article is hardly confidence inducing.

"De Jong who is now behind Toure and Barry in the pecking order"

Also mentions at 27 in that season he had made 4 appearances.....I just dont think he is good enough for the Premier League and the pace of the game.
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True enough, but that article was written in January & he missed the beginning of the season with injury, so not as awful as it first sounds. It also says starts, not appearances, and only referred to the league.

It does also point out how popular he was with City fans, as you can also see here.

http://forums.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=265825

Feels like a low risk signing to me, since he's not going to be near the first team. Anyway its hardly from a reliable source, so its probably just tittle tattle anyway.
 
In Rainbows said:
De Jong should be signed regardless of the Vidal situation. He's cheap, knows LVGs system well, provides something our other midfielders don't, and came off a great season for Milan. He was good in his final season with City too. I would rather have him as a squad player over a lot of our squad options.
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Exactly. We've bemoaned the lack of options in midfield for years. Carrick is 33 now & it still remains to be seen how reliable & consistent Fletcher & Cleverley will be. In certain away games, big matches or if we're protecting a lead a player like de Jong is a good option to have.
 
Dr Baltar said:
Exactly. We've bemoaned the lack of options in midfield for years. Carrick is 33 now & it still remains to be seen how reliable & consistent Fletcher & Cleverley will be. In certain away games, big matches or if we're protecting a lead a player like de Jong is a good option to have.
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I wouldn't mind getting de Jong. He could do a job for us and it would give Rothwell and Pearson some more time to develop. Roma knows LvG wants Strootman and the price will sky rocket. If we do well without him Roma could not hold us to ransom. Strootman was no star at PSV before he moved to Roma, and I'm not sure he was so brilliant before he got injured. The fact that they fell away after he got injured indicated his importance to the team. In the last few years Carrick has been important to us but he is hardly a world beater.
 
Speak said:
Why should the club let potential taunts from rival fans dictate who they buy?

I'm sure Bayern and their fans are ever so embarrassed with their reputation since signing 'City reject' Boeteng...

Opposition fans can always find something to cling onto:
If we sell Rooney, We're a club that sells our best players; if we keep him - he's rubbish.
Van Persie was ageing and destined to get injured the second we signed him.

The club should focus on securing whoever the heck they want. Rival fans are irrelevant. No wonder some care about fees so much. It's basically because they're worried they'll get the puss taken out of them if the player flops.

And he's a better midfielder than Fellaini, as he at least has a rough idea where to position himself.
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You cant expect us to take you serious with your argument about Bayern being embarrassed about buying a "City reject"
Allot of united fans have city fans as workmates, neighbours and family.

De Jong is a one trick pony, and we can get much better than him.
 
SolidState said:
JESUS CHRIST how anyone can think this is a good signing is beyond me. First off I don't care if he's Lionel Messi himself I don't want any motherfecking ex City player at our club.

1. city offloaded him on a cut price deal to AC Milan because he was off the pace of the premier league. He would instantly be third best to ANY of our midfield players. He severely lacks any ball control or quickness of mind to compete at the top level.

"oh what about him In the Holland squad" WHAT?! you mean the same Holland squad that eventually dropped him for Calsie, Wilderhein and Blind for the higher energy teams such as Argentina.

2. he can't break into the Milan squad In a league severely slower than our own.

I'm severely worried that us signing him would mean the death of the Vidal deal and if that's the case I will be royally pissed off, even a crocked Vidal is better than this idiot. Sadly it's probably the most realistic deal we've had all summer and I see it happening. I'd be disgusted to see him in a United shirt and I think it would damage our reputation.

Imagine all the City fans larking about how he used to play for them and was too shit and all we can sign are crocked useless players they used to have. Embarrassing.
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What bullshit are you on about ?

1: I know many City supporters that are very upset at the idea of him signing for us because they felt he was an important player for them that they shouldn't have sold. Not a big name, not a fancy player, but somebody who puts his head on the line, a fighter, a worker and a leader. Alot of City fans in retrospect felt they made a gigantic mistake in letting him go for a cut price deal.

2: He has broken into the Milan squad, he is one of their most important midfielders and has played 44 games for them last season. On top of that all Milan fans I know find him one of their most important players and he is one of the few that actually played well for them last season as he always shows up and performs at an acceptable level even if things around go tits up.

3: What do I care about what city fans think, if you are worried by getting into an argument about signing ex-players that are crocked, just drop Hargreaves name and that should shut them up.

4: LVG never dropped De Jong for Clasie, and it is Wijnaldum not Wilderhein (and Blind that plays in a completley different position). LVG was forced to do that because Nigel ruptured his groin after 9 minutes versus Mexcio. It was believed he would be out for the rest of the WC but he made a speedy recovery and LVG rushed him back in because he was such an important player for him in the midfield.

God you come on here shouting like a raged baboon at the idea of signing him but you know jack about De Jong...
 
SolidState said:
I'm

I'm not being confrontational and just arguing for the sake of it but I honestly think Fallana is better suited to the premier league and I think he is terrible for United.

Seriously everyone is thinking De Jong would be great off the back of a fairly average to poor world cup from him. If we are looking for midfielders we should be ones that can impact a game not simply sit in the middle and "do a job".

What happened to LVG and his words saying the players will buy will be for the future of the club? Is our new manager That short sighted that the only player in world football he can think of to do that role is De Jong. FFS he doesn't even start for AC Milan regularly.

He'd play one game against Swansea, be pressed to shit and taken off because he either fouls too many times or is found pissing about in midfield.

I'm waiting with baited breath for this to go through and our "strengthening" to be complete. Seriously pissed off if this goes through its very different taking Arsenals best player or Chelseas best player than taking a City cast off who has shown literally no improvement over the couple of years he's been away. Very very disappointed if it went through and I'd definitely sigh to see him on the teamsheet.

this is not how I imagined us going forward at all.
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Calm down man, if we sign De Jong it is clearly as a short term fix because Vidal or Strootman are too much of a risk for us to sign at the moment. I have no doubt we'll back in for them come Winter or next summer when we have a better idea about how they will come back from their injurrys and we might be in a better position to get them if Roma/Juve are out of the CL by Winter or we are back in it by Summer.

Everybody prefers Vidal or Strootman above De Jong, but as a short term fix to our midfield situation it isn't a bad move at all.

-------De Jong-----
---Herrera---Mata---

Is a very good balanced midfield that would do well in the PL.
 
Bloxy said:
You cant expect us to take you serious with your argument about Bayern being embarrassed about buying a "City reject"
Allot of united fans have city fans as workmates, neighbours and family.

De Jong is a one trick pony, and we can get much better than him.
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g
Bloxy said:
You cant expect us to take you serious with your argument about Bayern being embarrassed about buying a "City reject"
Allot of united fans have city fans as workmates, neighbours and family.

De Jong is a one trick pony, and we can get much better than him.
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SolidState said:
JESUS CHRIST how anyone can think this is a good signing is beyond me. First off I don't care if he's Lionel Messi himself I don't want any motherfecking ex City player at our club.

1. city offloaded him on a cut price deal to AC Milan because he was off the pace of the premier league. He would instantly be third best to ANY of our midfield players. He severely lacks any ball control or quickness of mind to compete at the top level.

"oh what about him In the Holland squad" WHAT?! you mean the same Holland squad that eventually dropped him for Calsie, Wilderhein and Blind for the higher energy teams such as Argentina.

2. he can't break into the Milan squad In a league severely slower than our own.

I'm severely worried that us signing him would mean the death of the Vidal deal and if that's the case I will be royally pissed off, even a crocked Vidal is better than this idiot. Sadly it's probably the most realistic deal we've had all summer and I see it happening. I'd be disgusted to see him in a United shirt and I think it would damage our reputation.

Imagine all the City fans larking about how he used to play for them and was too shit and all we can sign are crocked useless players they used to have. Embarrassing.
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Do you purposely write a post out and then go back and change every detail so it's completely wrong?

De Jong is the kind of person I'd be happy with alongside another quality signing. A bit like Fellaini last year, who I would've been less bothered about had he not been our only option.
 
Yes, it's different, but a player being a 'reject' of any team (and De Jong isn't even a rejject, seeing as half of their fans didn't want him to go) isn't a good enough reason to not pursue them if they'd fit our plans. How much does it matter that City flopped buying Garcia or 'overpaid' for Fernandinho, who's not played for Brazil or in a top league now that they're Champions and we aren't. Opposition fans tried to find fault in us signing Van Persie. It's inevitable. But if they make that difference, that's all that matters.


Not rating him is obviously fine, but caring so much what other fans will say is pathetic, whether it's about the fees we pay or the players we sign.

Bloxy said:
You cant expect us to take you serious with your argument about Bayern being embarrassed about buying a "City reject"
Allot of united fans have city fans as workmates, neighbours and family.

De Jong is a one trick pony, and we can get much better than him.
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I'd take him. Agree with what Pogue says about him fitting the formation and think he would contrast well with Herrera. I also think he would add to our central midfield options as we have lacked a ball winning midfielder for some time and provide some balance in the centre of the park. If we signed him, I really don't see any role for Fellaini and I really don't think United will be signing Vidal.

I'm reasonably confident Carrick can get back to something like his 11/12 and 12/13 form under LVG so adding De Jong gives the squad an alternative to him. I would struggle to see both playing together.

If Fletcher can continue with his very good early pre-season form, then Herrera, De-Jong, Fletcher, Carrick, Cleverley and Kagawa, with a number 10 ahead of them, would be better than last season and at the least a balanced set of midfield options all with different qualities.
 
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Steven Seagull said:
Do you purposely write a post out and then go back and change every detail so it's completely wrong?

De Jong is the kind of person I'd be happy with alongside another quality signing. A bit like Fellaini last year, who I would've been less bothered about had he not been our only option.
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i agree
 
SolidState said:
JESUS CHRIST how anyone can think this is a good signing is beyond me. First off I don't care if he's Lionel Messi himself I don't want any motherfecking ex City player at our club.

1. city offloaded him on a cut price deal to AC Milan because he was off the pace of the premier league. He would instantly be third best to ANY of our midfield players. He severely lacks any ball control or quickness of mind to compete at the top level.

"oh what about him In the Holland squad" WHAT?! you mean the same Holland squad that eventually dropped him for Calsie, Wilderhein and Blind for the higher energy teams such as Argentina.

2. he can't break into the Milan squad In a league severely slower than our own.

I'm severely worried that us signing him would mean the death of the Vidal deal and if that's the case I will be royally pissed off, even a crocked Vidal is better than this idiot. Sadly it's probably the most realistic deal we've had all summer and I see it happening. I'd be disgusted to see him in a United shirt and I think it would damage our reputation.

Imagine all the City fans larking about how he used to play for them and was too shit and all we can sign are crocked useless players they used to have. Embarrassing.
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:lol:

He played against Argentina you fool.
 
SolidState said:
J
"oh what about him In the Holland squad" WHAT?! you mean the same Holland squad that eventually dropped him for Calsie, Wilderhein and Blind for the higher energy teams such as Argentina.
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There's no such human.
 
An Irish Red said:
He also played 33 league games last year, so neither part of that post is even remotely close to being true.
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Surely that can't be right, I didn't really follow Arsenal too much last season so can't say for sure, but one of the reasons he wants to leave is because he's behind Mertersacker and Kos in the pecking order and can't get a game, so surprised if he played 33 games last season unless it was in a position other than CB.
 
2mufc0 said:
Surely that can't be right, I didn't really follow Arsenal too much last season so can't say for sure, but one of the reasons he wants to leave is because he's behind Mertersacker and Kos in the pecking order and can't get a game, so surprised if he played 33 games last season unless it was in a position other than CB.
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Talking about Nigel De Jong.
 
2mufc0 said:
Surely that can't be right, I didn't really follow Arsenal too much last season so can't say for sure, but one of the reasons he wants to leave is because he's behind Mertersacker and Kos in the pecking order and can't get a game, so surprised if he played 33 games last season unless it was in a position other than CB.
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That awkward moment when you post in a thread without properly checking the title...
 
Pogue Mahone said:
That awkward moment when you post in a thread without properly checking the title...
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Indeed awkward, sorry my bad, it's coming to the end of the working day well that's my excuse :D.
 
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