I never get the massive hate for him on here. If he was as bad football wise as many insist on here he wouldn't get a regular place for the Dutch national side.
Nigel De Jong
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I'd be happy to have him.
A midfield of de Jong, Herrera and Mata is a massive improvement, especially if Strootman is to join in January.
A midfield of de Jong, Herrera and Mata is a massive improvement, especially if Strootman is to join in January.
What do you mean by "regular athlete" ?
I thought that he was older than 29 TBH. He wouldn't be a bad signing at all along with Herrera.
Most athletes can focus more on their physical improvement than football players. A tennis player also has a low professional career and their declines starts early because of nagging injuries and the fact that most or near all of the training is done with a ball at your feet and the main thing you are training are related to the ball rather than solely your physique.
If a footballer never trained football and instead just focused on strength, flexibility and stamina then they would have monster physiques for much longer.
Yes please.
Oh to take the title back with him celebrating in May
Oh to take the title back with him celebrating in May
There are plenty of 29 year old players - and older, still doing very well - especially since they are wrapped in cotton wool and given the very best training, diet and nutritional advice. Players will play longer and longer at the top level because the are and advice they get is better than it used to be. Look at the players Milan have had over the years.
The demands of "modern football" may be significant but is arguably less physical in terms of contact and for me this is far outweighed by the professionalism of the vast majority of clubs and players in looking after themselves.
If your logic was right you'd get player retirning at a young age, not older - but the evidence doesn't back that up at all. Vidic, Carrick, Evra, RVP, Ferdnand, Giggs, Scholes, Neville and others all had plenty to offer past 29 and in some cases, arguably had some of their best seasons - and that's just at United.
Even if you're right, which I dont think you are - why would he have to be at that level until he's 35? That's six years away - he'd get a four yer contract maximum and could be replaced in 2 to 3.
Beside De Jong being a natural midfielder, I do not see the difference between putting Jones in midfield and playing De Jong their.
Absolutely wrong, a tennis career starts around 15-16 years old and end around 32 at the highest level but generally they continue until their 35-36 at least.
A footballer, if he is not coached by Bielsa trains at most 2-3 hours a day, and can if he feels the need add some exercise like pliometrics or cardio without problem.
Furthermore football isn't a sport particularly demanding physically, by particularly i mean pushing your boundaries, if you are a great professional you can play until you reach 35 without problem, obviously you will have to adapt your playing style a little bit.
If a rugby Union player can play way after his 30's a football player can too.
De Jong is a better more experienced midfielder.
Phil Jones needs to develop in his natural CB position, same with Smalling.
I'm all for this signing.
Ideally we sign him on a 3 year deal and then sign Strootman in January. He can then be a very good squad player for the seasons following that when we'e hopefully back in the CL, so he'll still get plenty of games.
I generally agree with you about shoving midfielders into arbitrary categories, but given that Herrera seems to be on the verge of joining us its reasonable to consider the type of player we'll try to partner him with. Herrera by all accounts puts in alot of work defensively, but he also needs to be free to get forward to play his natural game. In this regard its not unreasonable to state that we'd ideally partner him with someone who is more comfortable playing (mostly) in the holding role.
Yea, it was never so much even in reaction to this one time, more an ongoing "thing" nowadays... I'm sure most realise what they mean by writing that, it's just that growing minority that take things very literally
He was really quite good for City the year they finished 4th. The next year he got dropped for Barry for stylistic reasons rather than form/ability, Mancini knew there wasn't a need to have an out and out destroyer like De Jong when City were gonna dominate most games and Toure was in midfield too, and he still impressed me when brought in then. I haven't seen him play more than a handful of times since then though.
Because De jong is an established ball buster.
Jonesy needs to refine himself into a better centre back
He has been Holland's most consistent player for the last year and certainly in this world cup. Both Sneijder and de Guzman (and Winaladum when he has come in) have been very ordinary. de Jong has held the midfield almost on his own
De Jong would be a cheap stop gap until Strootman os available.
Same here, at best he give our forward players the freedom to specialize on what they do best, allowing the fullbacks to push forward and stopping counters whilst he will also help when we need to close out tight matches . Some posters have been intoxicated by the tiki taka mantra and seem to think a player like him is beneath us but having seen the effect a player like that can have on a match, watching what Makalele did for Real Madrid, I appreciate what a player of this ilk can do especially with the forward line we have. You do not want to be in a position where you expect too much defensive work from Januzaj, Rooney and Mata, you'd want them to focus on creating and scoring match winning goals.
The idea that Jones is as good as De Jong in midfield is completely ludicrous.
Completely agree. De Jong is far better in midfield.
Phillip the Jones is a central defender, not a midfielder. We need to start playing players in the positions we bought them for. We've messed around playing Jones in midfield, Smalling at right back, Valencia at right back, Giggs in midfield, O'Shea in goal etc for too long now. We really need to establish a first 11 where everyone plays in their correct position. And I feel that LVG will do make sure we do that.
He's only linked to us because he's Dutch, and Louis van Gaal is Dutch. That is it.
Think there's more to it than solely that considering Ogden's reporting it. Better than it would be if it was coming from TribalFootball or something.
We don't know this. Quite a few sources running with this.
De Jong would be cheap, reliable, still 29 so has a few years in his tank left, would make both a fantastic squad and first team player.
Just look at Bluemoon last season to see how much they missed him - he's an excellent player.
50% of the bloody Dutch National Team have been linked to us already, and there's better players than De Jong.
Yeah by shite sources.
Who also btw, linked him with us.
Even if the only reason he was being linked with us is because he's Dutch, that is still a reasonable clue. We are bound to sign one or two Dutchmen and he plays in the position where our need is greatest.
Yeah but when there's reliable journalists reporting it aswell there's probably more to it than a lazy rumour because of Dutch + Dutch.
Yeah I don't think it would be a bad signing at all, especially now we have Herrera. If he'd been our only midfield signing it would've been hugely underwhelming. I'm a lot more OK with this link the the Vermaelen one anyway!
Very true mate. Its painful to read when people take that stuff too far.
It's all about improvement for us in midfield. Yes De Jong is not particularly the most popular option but his better than what we have, just because he isn't world class shouldn't stop us from improving our weak spots.
Let's say we bring in Herrera and De Jong we've just improved our weakest area a lot, bring in Strootman in January we then have a very good midfield of variety an quality. Then in the next summer window we look to improve again with a higher calabre of player, while selling of our older/dead weight players.
Let's say we bring in Herrera and De Jong we've just improved our weakest area a lot, bring in Strootman in January we then have a very good midfield of variety an quality. Then in the next summer window we look to improve again with a higher calabre of player, while selling of our older/dead weight players.
Same here, but then again I also thought he was taller than his listed 5 ft 8.5 in. Similar to Mascherano and Gary Medel in build, short and thick.
I'd be more than happy with De Jong, he's similar to a Mascherano and he's 'prem proven' but in a good way as he's played at the highest level even internationally. Him and Herrera sounds mouthwateringly good.
I think you misread my text, my text was directed at players who particularly rely on having great fitness level especially in terms of pace and stamina. You won't see the worlds best striker peaking when he is 38, you will see wingers and forwards peak around 27-30 rather and after that just because a decline has started doesn't mean it is abrupt.
For dribbling wingers it is quite rare to be above 31 and still be the best in the world and for strikers it is quite rare to be considered the best in the world if you are over 31 as well. If you look back in history and take the best players you will see that it is rare to find anybody at their peak when they are above 35 years old you would probably have to go 80 years back to see the best player in the world be at that age.
99% of the times the WPOTY is below 32.
@JPRouve
I'd be more than happy with him too. Herrera and De Jong would fill me with confidence against City for one, who've enjoyed walking through our midfield with ease for a few years. Pure pure energy to set the tone for the team.
A midfielder with knowledge and awareness of how to break up the oppositions attacks and the energy and mobility to actually do it.
He'd allow our attackers to get on with it, and he's fine on the ball. I was happy when City sold him, for sure.
We'd suddenly have a bit of everything in midfield, and we'd be able to put out a number of combinations for different games.
A midfielder with knowledge and awareness of how to break up the oppositions attacks and the energy and mobility to actually do it.
He'd allow our attackers to get on with it, and he's fine on the ball. I was happy when City sold him, for sure.
We'd suddenly have a bit of everything in midfield, and we'd be able to put out a number of combinations for different games.
Still maintain that we should at least try Fellaini as the holding midfielder to see how he gets on with a more dynamic player next to him (Herrera).
It's his defensive ability that's the problem. Remember the derby at the Etihad last season? He spent all game chasing shadows getting caught out, not tracking runners the speed was to quick for him and he can't tackle.
Overall his better further up the field but we have better players in those positions.
Fellaini just hasn't the brain for it, in my opinion.
It's just something players have or they don't. He's constantly seconds behind, and just jogs about when the other team has the ball, because he doesn't really know what else to do.
The only time he looks comfortable is when he barely has to use his brain. He'd look better with Herrera next to him for sure, but he'd still just be doing a job that two-dozen midfielders in the league could do and another dozen could better. And the minute things get a little tricky, he'll look lost.
Play him there in games we're going to completely dominate anyway, if it's needs to be given a try.
It's just something players have or they don't. He's constantly seconds behind, and just jogs about when the other team has the ball, because he doesn't really know what else to do.
The only time he looks comfortable is when he barely has to use his brain. He'd look better with Herrera next to him for sure, but he'd still just be doing a job that two-dozen midfielders in the league could do and another dozen could better. And the minute things get a little tricky, he'll look lost.
Play him there in games we're going to completely dominate anyway, if it's needs to be given a try.
Could be a very cheap and important utility signing if this comes through. His defensive awareness would fit in very well with the rest of the creativity in the squad and the younger center backs would appreciate his work a lot.
As a pure DM he's decent, he breaks up the oppositions attack and loves a tackle, I'd like him he would do the job we have tried to get Jones to do in the past perfectly.
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