There were plenty of people that rated Martial's promise, it's not like he'd only been on the scene 5 months. As far as the price goes, every player is going for stupid money these days and the Portuguese clubs never sell cheap, I see no reason to doubt he'll be expensive. You may not have seen Sanches play but many others here have and thus have an opinion on him, and scouts make as many mistakes as successes so I don't see them as some infallible measuring stick. This is a message board for discussion, not a cheer leading convention where we all just fall in line with a Hive mind.
Renato Sanches
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There were plenty of people that rated Martial's promise, it's not like he'd only been on the scene 5 months. As far as the price goes, every player is going for stupid money these days and the Portuguese clubs never sell cheap, I see no reason to doubt he'll be expensive. You may not have seen Sanches play but many others here have and thus have an opinion on him, and scouts make as many mistakes as successes so I don't see them as some infallible measuring stick. This is a message board for discussion, not a cheer leading convention where we all just fall in line with a Hive mind.
Well if we sign him for a large amount of money, I'm no wizard but I can imagine that infers we think he's a top talent. If we don't sign him then clearly he's not as good as first though and as far as I know (tell me if I'm wrong) but opinions on players are allowed to change over time as the sample size of game time increases. All I know is that Utd scouts are watching him and taking and interest in him, if they think he's worth 10 million or a 100 million I couldn't care less because they are a far better judge of abilty than me or you and they showed that with the martial deal. I just don't see why people are making these claims that we shouldn't sign him if that goes against the Utd scouts, to me that just shows a lack of support and allows people to play the 'I told you so card' ala Memphis.
Lots of people were excited about Martial because it doesn't take a genius to appreciate raw talent and skill, in fairness. There are literally thousands of cases of great players being discovered by unpaid youth coaches because it's really not rocket science. The things that come after it (e.g. nurturing the talent) take plenty of skill, no doubt, but recognising it in the first place? Come on.
Eh? Every Benfica fan I know thinks he's already good enough to get games at United and will go on to be top class.
So you can speculate on that but we can't?
But...but they are Utd scouts and if they think Bebe is in the Martial bracket we should all defer to them and not think for ourselves. It seems nowadays having an opinion is akin to disrespecting the club and not showing 'support', obviously the memo that informed everyone else that United had relocated to North Korea is still in circulation.
Whether they are paid scouts or otherwise doesn't matter at all (in the context of a forum), and that's a rather simplistic point of view too, might I add. Infact, going by your logic, since we aren't paid scouts - let's not discuss any of these targets (unless the reviews are positive, in a way that glorifies our scouting team) and shut the transfer forums down, why don't we? The fact of the matter is that even with paid scouts, the success rate isn't guaranteed - if it was, clubs across the football world wouldn't waste hundreds of millions each window chasing the wrong kind of players (qualitatively, or in terms of system fits), while gems pass through the cracks. Improper/ inefficient scouting and assessment of footballers is what ultimately leads to heavy attrition rates every year. By and large, even the greatest expert with have his fair share of misses to go with the hits.
In saying that, I don't mean to imply that United's scouts are doing a poor job, just that not all of their assessments are exempt from criticism - otherwise, every player we ever signed would've been a success (which hasn't been the case, historically). And, it isn't to say that the Caf's amateur brain trust can do a better job than professional scouts either (can't speak of the others, but I've been wrong about players a million times in the past). Just that people have a right to voice their opinion (and believe it or not, a lot of folk on here do watch the players we're linked with before opening theirs gabs - adding a hint of credence to their opinion - in terms of them doing their homework, though I'm inclined to believe the skeptic in you is not going to believe that).
But that is in itself the nature of young players, some work some don't, if you don't like signing young players your supporting the wrong club as that's what we are about. I have no doubt that any signings we make will be expensive but for god sake we are the biggest club in the world, who cares about money when we make it by the boatloads. The club (despite popular belief) are not run my monkeys who can't do basic economics, they take calculated risks on every signing and that's just the way it is. Also you can say what you like but the scouts are far better at doing there job than random people on the caf, these are people at the top of their field so it's no wonder thier opinion holds stronger. There are plenty of people also saying they don't want him based on clips, there's no way you can judge a player without seeing full matches and lots at that and that's what scouts get paid to do. I'm all for expressing an opinion but people are far to quick to jump to negatives of ever deal rather than looking at it objectively.
Clearly the scouts are looking at what we need in out team (as they well should be). What we need is a cm that is physical, pacy and shows a real abilty to drive and intensify the midfield. Perhaps sanches offers these traits best out of all the other comparable players and that's why we are interested.
I'm not close to any Benfica fan, so fair enough. To me, he is an impressive 18 years old player but not an impressive player.
I'll be honest I have no idea what the point is your making. I'd say it's a fairly basic assumption to say increased price= increased quality. That's very different from saying sanches lacks the technical abilty to ever make it at the top level which I've seen some people saying. How is anyone in a position to say that he will or won't become a top player. Players develop at completely different rates so why are people making judgments so quickly, it's just overly extreme.
Where did I say I didn't like signing young players? I've said more than once there are several much better young players than him out there, and while the club has lots of money that shouldn't mean just throwing it around on half chances. I agree with Brwned's view on scouts, the idea they are anything particularity special or superior to very low level, meagerly paid equivalents is a fantasy IMO. I've watched Sanches a number of times, I have said what I think his strengths are and what his weaknesses are, and IMO the latter far outweigh the former, especially with many good options around. If you don't like my opinion or care about it that is fine, but this is a forum for opinions so I am going to give it regardless.
The team needs a CM that can use the ball effectively more than anything, it needs a CM that can basically be what Carrick is but with legs. Sanches doesn't offer anything Schneiderlin can't already give us IMO.
I fail to see anything special in him except his physicality. No one is gonna pay €60m for this kid, not even Woodward.
If Brwned was correct then we would all be football scouts, it's an absolutely fallacy to pretend they are just everyday joes watching football matches when clearly they will have a higher percentage chance of finding talent than most people on here. Your first point tho, "severe much better young player" how on earth can you say that. Have you seen enough of all of them to tell me that's true and have you even seen enough of sanches over full 90 minute matches (not just clips). If the club signs sanches then clearly they feel that he offers many features in his game that Schniderlin doesn't have.
Given the amount of dud transfers we see every year across the leagues I'd say Brwned is pretty much on point about scouts, it can often be a job for the boys role at clubs. How on earth can I say it? I watch a lot of football, sometimes a dozen matches from Friday to Monday, so I've seen a lot of Weigl, Neves and Goretzka who all fit into the young CM bracket, and IMO are better, more rounded players than Sanches.
I haven't read all the posts but who said that he will never make it at the top level? People said that currently the hype is unwarranted and very premature. The technical part of his game has been targeted because you can easily see that he isn't special and no one praised him for his tactical nous, which leaves us with an 18 years old player who isn't out of place at senior level because he is a physical freak, now to justify a transfer at United he will need to show tactical or technical proficiency, that's what people are telling you.
There are players out there who have shown a lot more like Adama Traoré who won the U20 golden ball, he is also very strong but his technique is also very good, there is Saul granted that he is 3 years older but he is far better, there is Weigl, Rabiot, Goretzka wasn't bad at all the last time I saw him, Bazoer is an other one and even our own Fosuh Mensah is comparable to Sanches.
Who cares?
What's the big deal about whether people on here rate him or not? Why's it always about point scoring?
Are people only allowed to comment if they thinks he's amazing?
What's the big deal about whether people on here rate him or not? Why's it always about point scoring?
Are people only allowed to comment if they thinks he's amazing?
Well yes, I would absolutely agree with your assessment then. He's a cracking player for an 18 year old. Perhaps we differ on whether he's good enough to get games at United now? I'm not suggesting by any stretch he would be an automatic first choice. Even great talents like Ronaldo and Rooney had periods where other players were preferred to them and, as I've said before, for my money central midfield is probably the hardest position to impress in at a young age. Any kid who doesn't look out of place in centre mid in a Champions League team at 18 should go on to have a good career (barring attitude or injury problems of course e.g. Wilshere).
The fact is Sanches not only doesn't look out of place, he's actually one of their better players. And yes part of that is because he already has a man's physique but the thing I'm most impressed by when I watch him is his composure and decision making. Which is unusual for such a young lad. Even if you don't think he's got great technique (he's obviously no Messi), I find it very surprising that he's getting slaughtered for it as to me he's clearly no mug. So he appears to have a good physique, good mentality, and at worst a reasonable level of technical skill (personally I think it's rather good) which to my mind marks him out as a potential top player.
I think it's difficult for people to see that when compared to other midfield talents he doesn't match up. I've seen more talent in Ben Pearson and Charni Ekangamene. But hey, there were not heavily linked with United as the creme dela creme, with overrated price tags.
Some people going on like he's Bebe for crying out loud 
Yes his touch/passing can be a little loose at times but they can all be tightened. What I like about him is he's always looking forward and trying to carry the ball up the pitch.
Add his absolute rocket of a shot and we will have a threat from the box for once.
Let's just see how he develops. I can see him becoming what we all wanted Anderson to be - which will hardly be a bad thing!
Yes his touch/passing can be a little loose at times but they can all be tightened. What I like about him is he's always looking forward and trying to carry the ball up the pitch.
Add his absolute rocket of a shot and we will have a threat from the box for once.
Let's just see how he develops. I can see him becoming what we all wanted Anderson to be - which will hardly be a bad thing!
No. You haven't.
Charni Ekangamene (born 16 February 1994) is a Belgian footballer who plays as a midfielder for OH Leuven, on loan from Zulte Waregem. Born in Antwerp, he began his career with Royal Antwerp before moving to their English sister club,Manchester United, in 2010. Having failed to break into the first-team, he was loaned to Carlisle United in January 2014, before making a permanent move back to Belgium with Zulte Waregem in July 2014.
You haven't seen him play! How the hell can you form an opinion on him? That's what annoys me nothing about the player himself.
Fair enough if you've seen all those players in great detail, but I can only imagine your in the minority when it comes to watching multiple leagues every day of the week. I guess then it comes down to what we think we need as a club right now, I think we could really use an injection of pace, power and the abilty to drive through midfield but I think you'd prefer a passer which I can understand to be fair.
Is your opinion based on a copy and paste of Wikipedia or having watched the players in question?
I know a number of Portuguese guys, and in particular Benfica fans and I haven't seen them ever rave about a player as much as they are with Renato this season.
They're adamant he's nailed on to be world class. I'll take their opinion over people in this thread tbh, no offence to anyone, it's just they see him every week and posters on here haven't seen him other then an international debut and some YouTube videos.
I will give it some value but no one is nailed on to be world class after 5 months and that's the problem the hype is just crazy, even Dembélé who is impressive by every standards isn't nailed on to be world class. In a way Sanches's hype is reminiscent of Talisca.
Looks like he's nailed on to sign this summer. The experts already passing judgment in this thread will just have to deal with it
We have Schneiderling for physicality and energy. I have no doubt TFM would be putting in impressive performances if he was playing weekly in a second rate league as well.
The top four teams in Portugal are no mugs. They have proven that over the past decade or so.
I don't see Schneiderlin providing much energy at all, really; he has looked awfully passive since joining. Almost everybody is pining on this belief that he'll become great under Mourinho and I hope he does, but so far he has underwhelmed. And more than that - what I should have included in my initial post - is mobility. Nobody in our central midfield can move forward with the ball competently. Re: Fosu-Mensah/Sanches and his league; I'm not particularly bothered about whether it's Sanches we sign, or it's Gundogan, or Andre Gomes, or Nainggolan, or whoever. I just want to see some legs in midfield for once.
Looks an interesting prospect, from the clips I just saw it seems like he's already trying to set the tempo in midfield, which considering his inexperience is quite impressive.
Nah dont buy it
I think we could do with both personally, I just think there are options better than a raw 18 year old for the ball carrying CM.
No one's claiming to be an expert, just people giving an opinion.
The technique argument is BS. Reading some of the criticism on here you'd think Sanches has the first touch of a rapist. His technique is par for the course and will be more than enough in England. The EPL is not La Liga FFS
@Devil may care thats my opinion about some of the posts
Three, Braga are bog standard. The point still stands, it is a second rate league and loads of the top young players at English clubs or Spanish clubs for that matter would be putting in impressive performances if they were playing there. We can even see with Memphis who hasn't done much here was destroying the Eredivisie with ease. Renato has played a total of 1 game against a top team in Atletico, and 4 games against decent opposition in Zenit, Porto, and Sporting.
He proved at Southampton that he offers energy, van Gaal trying to play him as a shield for the back four doesn't change what he can offer.
I think that was in reference to you stating the club hadn't been linked to him, as he was actually under contract to them at one point. So obviously there used to be a link!
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I signed him in my FIFA career mode, 19 and 80 now, he'll be a star. FIFA has done well to replicate his playing style, his stamina, agression, balance, strength and speed is immense. So lets sign him.
He's very good at something which we're lacking at the moment which is the quick transition from defence to attack. Something which the videos don't show which has impressed me is how often other teams lose the ball because of how quickly and aggressively he presses them. I don't really get why some posters are using his physicality as if its a negative thing. If he was just dominating physically against other players his age then it would be valid but he's doing it against senior players already and at 18 he can develop further physically. His technique may not look particularly silky or pleasing on the eye but it's generally effective and hes made a huge difference to the Benfica team since he came into it. Hes provided them with drive and energy and upped the tempo of the whole team
Good enough analysts for me. Not every midfielder has to play like Xavi to be good.
Holy shit, Sanches, a player that is consistently starting games for Benfica, whom is on top of their league and is playing in the quarter-finals of CL, is said to be less talented than Ekangamene, who barely even plays for a mediocre Belgian team, as well as Pearson, who is hardly lighting the League 1 up.
Don't change caf, don't ever change.
Don't change caf, don't ever change.
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