Guardian and Telegraph.
Pedro | Agreed terms with Chelsea
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Ian Ladyman in the mail went with this Pedro to United story.
I wouldn't say he's crap but he's faded away at Barcelona. Not sure about him.
Seriously lads, he's an average player who can finish a bit. No idea why anyone would be excited about this one.
His best form has come in a position that Mata currently occupies and Mata offers much much more than Pedro would.
His best form has come in a position that Mata currently occupies and Mata offers much much more than Pedro would.
We are well stocked in the Pedro dept, we need a frickin striker.
I wouldn't call him average but yes, absolutely not the type of winger we need. He'd be giving the output Mata does minus the creativity. Really really not the player we should sign.
Buy Pedro, keep Di Maria?
He's very much the type of attacker that LvG utilizes. Quick, strong on the ball, good technique, team player and covers a lot of distance and space.
Mata should be more central, not on the wing where he is better.
Question is - if we presume that we will play with two holding midfielders (2 from Carrick/Schweinsteiger/Schneiderlin/Blind) and most probably Herrera as a 8, that will leave room for 3 other attackers - Pedro, Depay, AdM, Rooney, Mata, Januzaj, Wilson, Fellaini, Young - 9 players for 3 positions. Even if we drop Mata to #8 there are still 8 players for 3 positions.
It will require us to flog either Fellaini AND Young or AdM...
Sell Fellaini and loan out Wilson/Januzaj, if it was up to me.
Buy Pedro, keep Di Maria?
If we go down that route, I think that will be it in terms of signing attacking players this summer. Unless the opportunity to sign a Ronaldo, Bale, Levendowski presents itself which I doubt.
I assume that if we get Pedro it might mean Di Maria is on his way but maybe not. Maybe we'll use Depay centrally for example and send Wilson out on loan? Who knows.
Think Pedro is a decent player though.
I won't mind if we get around 40m. But knowing our board, they might sell him for 24m
But Enrique doesn't want to let him go, afterall all our front 3 can't play every minute of the season. Frankly he has more competition at United than Barca. All it needs in Barca for one of MSN to be injured for him to play. In United, he will have to fight with many more guys.
But Enrique doesn't want to let him go, afterall all our front 3 can't play every minute of the season. Frankly he has more competition at United than Barca. All it needs in Barca for one of MSN to be injured for him to play. In United, he will have to fight with many more guys.
Van Gaal also wants creativity and skill from his wingers, its actually essential. Pedro's best attribute is his knack for goals due to his superb finishing and movement. We need a creator more than a finisher. We control so many games without creating clear cut chances that it'd be disappointing to see him take up the right spot and Mata moved central. Herrera + Mata >>>> Mata + Pedro.
Regarding the rest of it, it's Rooney up top with Wilson back up. Young and Depay on the left. Herrera and Mata for the central spot with Fellaini a plan B, Januzaj, Mata and Di Maria for the right. I don't see the need for another winger at all unless we're selling Di Maria.
I won't mind if we get around 40m. But knowing our board, they might sell him for 24m
But Enrique doesn't want to let him go, afterall all our front 3 can't play every minute of the season. Frankly he has more competition at United than Barca. All it needs in Barca for one of MSN to be injured for him to play. In United, he will have to fight with many more guys.
He may fancy himself for a starting spot. Young benched AdM last season after all.
I'd like to see di Maria behind the striker, Depay left, Pedro right. With a midfield of Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin behind them, I can see that being near unplayable.
Herrera can come in for any of the central midfielders for variation.
Herrera can come in for any of the central midfielders for variation.
That says something is definitely not right. Either the player doesn't understand the manager, or the manager doesn't know how to make use of the shiny new toy he ordered. Most probably, it's combination of both.
BTW, I would take ADM instead of Pedro in a heartbeat, even after last season. I would throw in another 10-15m if required as well.
I don't think that Pedro lacks that to be honest, also he can play centrally as well, but with Neymar/Suarez/Messi I doubt he'll get a sniff this season, much like the last. He's versatile all over the attack which LvG likes. He's also Spanish which will bode well with the Spanish contingent - Herrera, Mata, DDG. He's very direct player which IMO we will need especially if we control the midfield.
All in all we will have a very flexible and fluid frontline if we get him and keep AdM.
We will have:
CM - Schweinsteiger/Schneiderlin
CM - Carrick/ Blind
AM - Mata/Herrera/Rooney/Januzaj
FWL - Depay/AdM/Januzaj/Young
ST - Rooney/Wilson/Depay/Pedro
FWR - Mata/Pedro/Depay
However that should spell the end of Young and Fellaini. I doubt Fellaini can grab a game, or Young if not used in full back position/Shaw cover.
Of course I'd prefer a Muller type of forward, but IMO if Pedro is our last bit of business in terms of attack I'll be fine with it as well.
If it was up to me I'd sell Young and Fellaini, but keep both Wilson and Januzaj.
Wilson because he can bring something else and Januzaj because if we decide to loan him now it's pretty much equal to selling him. Our loan deals never work out fine for us..
Do you see Pedro as someone that will open tight defences up for us be it by killer creative passes or by beating defenders?
Also, we have a very versatile squad now. I'd rather someone who's top drawer in 1 attacking position than good in all 3. I don't really care about his ability to play behind the striker. Unless something goes very wrong, he won't need to play there for us.
-----------Rooney
Di Maria Herrera Pedro
Backups
-----------Wilson
Depay Mata Januzaj
Di Maria Herrera Pedro
Backups
-----------Wilson
Depay Mata Januzaj
If we keep Di Maria I'd take him. Mata is just too slow on the right.
I can see him open tight defences with his movement and freeing space. He's not the most creative passers of the ball, but we have now Schweinsteiger, Herrera, Mata behind him to do that. He has the skills to beat his man and will be the best finisher in our team if he comes.
Let's put it this way I'd prefer Pedro to the alternatives - Kane, Lacazette, Benteke etc..
Sure I'd like Levandowski, Muller, Benzema, but I'm not sure if they are available or want to come..
He's definitely not average. He's a quality player and has proven it for years at Barcelona. No player who was first choice in a team considered by many as the best ever can be average. I wouldn't want him at United because we have Di Maria who is a notch above, but then again Di Maria is a notch above most of our players when playing at his usual level.
Maybe I'm cracking up but I don't recall Pedro getting any games as a front man for Barca, in a 433 here you'd imagine him playing right side surely? can't see him playing with his back to goal at the tip of a 433.
He's a good player, has an eye for goal, I wouldn't personally go for him, if Di Maria leaves.. perhaps, I've never seen anything truely.. individually spectacular from him.
He's a good player, has an eye for goal, I wouldn't personally go for him, if Di Maria leaves.. perhaps, I've never seen anything truely.. individually spectacular from him.
Definite downgrade.
That's why I keep its hard to agree with the decision to sell Di Maria. There's not many out there of that level as well as available. It has to be someone who is or can be (soon) a top player. Pedro is very good but a downgrade. He's an ideal second choice forward for any team.
I guess that depends how you define "usual" doesn't it? Average level of his career to date? Or average level in his career best season? Only using the latter definition we shouldn't be getting rid of Nani.
I actually think hes an ideal first choice player for most teams. He is definitely a downgrade on Di Maria though, but I doubt hes a replacement anyway.
I think he's good enough to play for a big club as a regular starter. He was a key member of quite possibly the best club side of all time.
That said, he's a downgrade on Di Maria and although currently an improvement on Depay and Januzaj I'm not convinced we should be signing a player who would block their progression into the first team side.
That said, he's a downgrade on Di Maria and although currently an improvement on Depay and Januzaj I'm not convinced we should be signing a player who would block their progression into the first team side.
I'm in agreement, thing is, he'll be leaving Barcelona only for prospect of starting more often, I'd presume LvG would see him as a regular starter coming off the right,
Di Maria is far... far more capeable of turning a game by himself, as an individual, and not just a decent cog in the machine like Pedro.
Ability wise yes he's a downgrade on Di Maria at his best, but Pedro would fit into our team better then Di Maria has and therefor perform so much better over the course of the season. He would be a better player for us then Di Maria, assuming he continues to struggle to adapt to life in england.
I think Pedro is a very good player who could thrive at the club where is a bit more in the spotlight. At Barca he has the likes of Neymar, Suarez and Messi who he needs to work for. Put him in a starring role and he would suprise many I'd think.
It's almost like Silva, Carzola etc were almost seen as lesser players when signed as they didn't play for the big two but proved a massive hit in this league. Similarly Sanchez was on the fringes at Barcelona and look at him now
It's almost like Silva, Carzola etc were almost seen as lesser players when signed as they didn't play for the big two but proved a massive hit in this league. Similarly Sanchez was on the fringes at Barcelona and look at him now
You see him slotting in on the left? Surely he will play on the right if he comes which means one of Mata or Herrera will be benched. Memphis on the left is another one who will be looking to get on the end of things a lot. Both Herrera and especially Mata who plays Pedro's position scores a lot. I don't see how Pedro would better mate's tally to be worth the downgrade in terms of creativity and benching one of Mata or Herrera.
Also, the 3 you listed would be going up vs Rooney for the striker's slot. Pedro wouldn't. Not really a choice of him or one of those.
Disagree. Di Maria has been a quality footballer for years and an important part of one of the best attacks during that time. Hes like Nani if Nani kept up his best form of those 1.5 years for much longer, and then stepped it up a notch further one season to become right amongst the best.
You may be right, if given a bigger role, there's no way to disprove it yet, but I stand by the fact I've still not seen anything individually spectacular from him, even Sanchez managed a few moments of individualistic brilliance in his time at Barca, I think with Sanchez he struggled to truely fit into the style of play at Barca, much like Fabregas more than anything.
If these were the options I'd rather not buying Pedro and having Memphis in the first team.
He's two footed, he can play on the left and on the right. Herrera and Mata should be in the middle.
the 3 that I listed most likely compliment Rooney and they should start together(probably Rooney on the left in 4-3-3 or behind the striker in 4-4-2).
Can't see Lewandowski, Benzema or Muller coming just to be on the bench or compete with Rooney for the striker position.
He's a very good player. He wouldn't have lasted so long at Barcelona, if he wasn't. To me the only question is, could he do it in the premiership? For Barcelona, it's all about proving that he can play in that team. In another league, it's completely different. Can he be the difference? I think he would have a similar influence as say Hazard at Chelsea. He's quick, he's got an eye for goal and I think the best is still to come because it can't be easy playing in anyones shadow.
He would have a chance to be the star in another team. His finishing ability stuck out like a sore thumb since day one and he's produced a fair few important goals along the way.
He would have a chance to be the star in another team. His finishing ability stuck out like a sore thumb since day one and he's produced a fair few important goals along the way.
Actually you are right. He is first team material but it works better for me when you have someone more individually brilliant complimenting him. For example if he plays on one flank and Sanchez on the other.
No thanks. Don't like his diving antics and thinkhe won't make it in England. Probably have a better chance that ADM comes good.
His best form was about 4 years ago. Based on your logic we should buy David Villa too.
I'd like to know what this leak is all about. Has there been a player that we acutally signed after we leaked our interest in him? It's rather strange tbh. Considering his buyout clause it won't make much of a difference but still....
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