Right Winger... Who do we go for?

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Merterns has played on the right quite a bit, look it up


Did a bit of research.


Numbers are as follows: (according to transfermrkt)


Left Wing

Games - 188

Right Wing

Games - 18

Centre Forward

Games - 58

Second Striker


Games - 8

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/dries-mertens/alletore/spieler/56416


So, you're right, he has played as a right winger before. Don't think anyone was disputing that, however as @MadMike said, and statistics would back him up, that Mertens hasn't spent much time on the right.

Think it's safe to say that I wouldn't someone who has only made 18 out of 272 starts as someone to be our right winger.

This has been our problem recently. Buying players and asking them to 'do a job'. We need specialist. Someone who knows the position and has mastered it, not people that will 'do a job'.

As for the article you posted, that doesn't say Mertens has played right wing. Sure he may pop up in those areas - guess that's down to Sarri's flexibility in the final third. However, that doesn't make him a right winger.

How many times do you see Rom pop up in the right channels? Quite often I'd say. Wouldn't want him lining up on the right wing for us, though.
 
Pulisic. I don't want Malcom because he reminds me of Memphis Depay.
I would love to have Pulisic as well. He's still only a teenager, but he's proven to be mentally tough as nails, loves to attack defenders while also creating opportunities for others, with an off the chart footballing IQ.
 
Did a bit of research.


Numbers are as follows: (according to transfermrkt)


Left Wing

Games - 188

Right Wing

Games - 18

Centre Forward

Games - 58

Second Striker


Games - 8

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/dries-mertens/alletore/spieler/56416


So, you're right, he has played as a right winger before. Don't think anyone was disputing that, however as @MadMike said, and statistics would back him up, that Mertens hasn't spent much time on the right.

Think it's safe to say that I wouldn't someone who has only made 18 out of 272 starts as someone to be our right winger.

This has been our problem recently. Buying players and asking them to 'do a job'. We need specialist. Someone who knows the position and has mastered it, not people that will 'do a job'.

As for the article you posted, that doesn't say Mertens has played right wing. Sure he may pop up in those areas - guess that's down to Sarri's flexibility in the final third. However, that doesn't make him a right winger.

How many times do you see Rom pop up in the right channels? Quite often I'd say. Wouldn't want him lining up on the right wing for us, though.

Nah Wally, I think he is good enough for right wing so get over it.
 
Nah Wally, I think he is good enough for right wing so get over it.

He's having his best times right at the striker position, Mertens isn't the right man for the right wing.
 
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The way Mata played the position in the front 3 yesterday was great, I want us to get a more dynamic player who can dribble but who plays the role like Mata does, Dybala, Eriksen, Fekir, Pulisic would all work great and are versatile as well.
 
I would love to have Pulisic as well. He's still only a teenager, but he's proven to be mentally tough as nails, loves to attack defenders while also creating opportunities for others, with an off the chart footballing IQ.
He does look very promising but I'd have reservations about signing yet another Dortmund attacking midfielder after the last two.
 
The way Mata played the position in the front 3 yesterday was great, I want us to get a more dynamic player who can dribble but who plays the role like Mata does, Dybala, Eriksen, Fekir, Pulisic would all work great and are versatile as well.
Its a shame city got Bernardo Silva, he'd have been terrific for us in that role. He barely gets a game at city.
 
Its a shame city got Bernardo Silva, he'd have been terrific for us in that role. He barely gets a game at city.

In a 4231, he'd be very good. He's the type that pops up in between the lines and creates. He was excellent in a 442 system for Monaco, where he could drift inside and link up with the strikers.

In a 433, especially in a Pep system, where he's asked to stay wide and sometimes run in behind, doesn't suit his main attributes.
 
I still don't understand how Mahrez plays for Leicester. He is a right winger and we have been crying out loud for a right winger for a couple of years!
 
The way Mata played the position in the front 3 yesterday was great, I want us to get a more dynamic player who can dribble but who plays the role like Mata does, Dybala, Eriksen, Fekir, Pulisic would all work great and are versatile as well.
Agreed. As much as I love mata, he's just too damn slow at this stage of his career. Any of those options would work great in that position.
 
I still don't understand how Mahrez plays for Leicester. He is a right winger and we have been crying out loud for a right winger for a couple of years!

Whilst he's been back in great form recently and 'PL proven', I think you have to consider two things:

1 - He's shone in Leicester sides built purely around counter-attacking. At a bigger club like United, where teams are typically going to be more cautious and sit deeper, how would he fare without the same kind of space to run in to?
2 - He's another inside forward/inverted winger who cuts inside all the time as he's incredibly one-footed, maybe United are targeting a more traditional winger who can provide more actual width, hug the touchline & get to the byline and put crosses in?
 
Mahrez or Willian, January is not the time to introduce players who are playing outside the prem unless they are proven international class, and I can't think of any out there that tick that box.
 
It really isn't. You can ask any PSG fan. Lucad Moura has never actually improved since his first season there. The guy cannot cross for shit either. It would be a waste of money IMHO
Hehe. :D

https://www.redcafe.net/threads/lucas-moura-man-utd-bound.435150/page-3#post-21938482

It would be a smart acquisition: excellent price-quality ratio in the current crazy market. A deal around 25 millions of euros should be possible and we are talking about an offensive player.

At least, he's a proven winger with a god pace and decent stats: he scored 20 goals last season all competitions.

Potential for improvement if he plays under the right coach.

Even if his football IQ isn't his best asset, he will clearly strengthen your squad: more choices for the coach, more competition. within the squad...

He's a fresh quality player.
 
Mahrez or Willian, January is not the time to introduce players who are playing outside the prem unless they are proven international class, and I can't think of any out there that tick that box.

Willian must've been Jose's first choice, followed by Perisic. And presumably unattainable. I get what a lot of people say about Mahrez maybe not being ideal because he's left footed and cuts inside on the right, but he would still provide width and he often takes his man on, either side. And like someone mentioned, he'd improve our set pieces immediately (corners mostly). Whether he's enough of a workhorse for Jose is doubtful.
 
It really isn't. You can ask any PSG fan. Lucad Moura has never actually improved since his first season there.

It's true that he doesn't seem to have improved his decision-making skills and his game still lacks variety.

He also lost a bit of his pace but he is a better finisher now.

The context also matters. Lucas Moura in another team would be much more rated and the competition has been tough:

- easy starter in 2012,
- 2013-15: Cavani on the left wing, competition with Menez-Pastore-Lavezzi
- 2015/16: 50-50 with ADM
- 2016/17: starter instead of Di Maria
 
Guedes (21 years) loaned to Valencia would be a better idea than Lucas Moura (26 years).

PSG need to sell both players in 2018 to avoid UEFA sanctions.
 
It really isn't. You can ask any PSG fan. Lucad Moura has never actually improved since his first season there. The guy cannot cross for shit either. It would be a waste of money IMHO
This makes me think you haven't really been following the progression of him at PSG.

/watch?v=09tgRJXGUu8

This is from a couple seasons back but you can clearly see he has good crossing ability. More recently PSG like to play with their fullbacks really high up and their wingers to cut inside more, so the fullbacks do most of the crossing, which is why he played a lot of last season on the left wing, but you can see that the ability is there if need be.
 
This makes me think you haven't really been following the progression of him at PSG.

/watch?v=09tgRJXGUu8

This is from a couple seasons back but you can clearly see he has good crossing ability. More recently PSG like to play with their fullbacks really high up and their wingers to cut inside more, so the fullbacks do most of the crossing, which is why he played a lot of last season on the left wing, but you can see that the ability is there if need be.
Au contraire mon ami, I have been watching him closely since he's arrived there. There is ability but not much brain in there.

It's true that he doesn't seem to have improved his decision-making skills and his game still lacks variety.

He also lost a bit of his pace but he is a better finisher now.


The context also matters. Lucas Moura in another team would be much more rated and the competition has been tough:

- easy starter in 2012,
- 2013-15: Cavani on the left wing, competition with Menez-Pastore-Lavezzi
- 2015/16: 50-50 with ADM
- 2016/17: starter instead of Di Maria

This is exactly why I think he's not what we should be looking for even if his stats are rather good.
 
I would love to have Pulisic as well. He's still only a teenager, but he's proven to be mentally tough as nails, loves to attack defenders while also creating opportunities for others, with an off the chart footballing IQ.
But signing him makes too much sense! We don't do that
 
I still don't understand how Mahrez plays for Leicester. He is a right winger and we have been crying out loud for a right winger for a couple of years!
Personally I think his attitude is a tad suspect, and I'm fairly certain that's why we weren't in for him this summer. He's definitely a talent, but it seems to me like he hides when things aren't going well.
 
Well, this is why I was asking.

Do you think that's more to the individual, or the fact that we don't do much work on attacking plays in training?

I mean, I didn't watch Mkhitaryan much at Dortmund, but whenever I did, he didn't give the ball away as much as he does here.
Hard to say. I've no idea what goes on in training.
 
I love the way some posters say they don’t want a player because he has bad decision making (usually as defined by some other random poster)

I dare say this lot would sell Ryan Giggs if he was breaking through now!

The perfect winger, with great pace, beats every man, perfect passing, perfect crossing, perfect finishing? Doesn’t exist
 
I don't see Moura happening. He was being linked to Galatasaray in French press just last week. Don't see United going for him.
 
I don't see Moura happening. He was being linked to Galatasaray in French press just last week. Don't see United going for him.

Galatasaray can not afford him in a milliion years. That's just paper BS. Actually, no Turkish club can afford him with the prices quoted. Maybe Beşiktaş can have a shot and that's only possible if they managed to sell Cenk Tosun to Everton.
 
What about that other Lucas (Vazquez)? Isn't he still riding the bench for Real Madrid?
He's like a poor man's Jesse Lingard. Nothing to see here.
Galatasaray can not afford him in a milliion years. That's just paper BS. Actually, no Turkish club can afford him with the prices quoted. Maybe Beşiktaş can have a shot and that's only possible if they managed to sell Cenk Tosun to Everton.
Those prices are being quoted because it is Manchester United he's being linked to. It would be in a region of 10-20m euros if he moves to Turkey. I'm convinced PSG can't wait to get rid btw.
 
Personally I think his attitude is a tad suspect, and I'm fairly certain that's why we weren't in for him this summer. He's definitely a talent, but it seems to me like he hides when things aren't going well.
Yeah, I'm of a similar opinion but you know what, we might have said the same about Nani. Let's get the guy, he's young, an awesome dribbler, plays in the EPL, has won and is infinitely available. Let's not over think this Woody.
 
Those prices are being quoted because it is Manchester United he's being linked to. It would be in a region of 10-20m euros if he moves to Turkey. I'm convinced PSG can't wait to get rid btw.

I highly doubt that as PSG need money for FFP and they would want to sell Lucas to the highest bidder. Even if that was the case, no one in Turkey could pay 20 millions+ a significant amount of wage for this transfer. BTW, Lucas is priced at 38 million euros on transfermarkt so, he may be a little bit more valuable player than what you might think of him. He is not a useless player for sure.
 
Yeah, I'm of a similar opinion but you know what, we might have said the same about Nani. Let's get the guy, he's young, an awesome dribbler, plays in the EPL, has won and is infinitely available. Let's not over think this Woody.
I actually don't think that was Nani's problem at all, he was usually pretty fired up for big games and was always trying things. His problem was more inconsistency, his form seemed to zip between outstanding and abysmal.
 
Galatasaray can not afford him in a milliion years. That's just paper BS. Actually, no Turkish club can afford him with the prices quoted. Maybe Beşiktaş can have a shot and that's only possible if they managed to sell Cenk Tosun to Everton.

No, it was talked as a loan deal and Galatasaray can afford him for 6 months on loan. No Turkish club, including Besiktas even if they sell Tosun, can afford to buy him.
 
Personally I think his attitude is a tad suspect, and I'm fairly certain that's why we weren't in for him this summer. He's definitely a talent, but it seems to me like he hides when things aren't going well.
Things aren't going well for Leicester half the time and he always seems to try to make something happen. He'd be perfect for us give Dembele is completely off limits, he'd be a modern day Giggs for us although obviously playing the wide position slightly differently.
 
Lucas is a good player, he isn't always the most eye catching but he has improved his stats consistently, defends well and doesn't lose possession much.

I don't know if he's what United needs but I think he's well worth the prices quoted.
 
Lucas is a good player, he isn't always the most eye catching but he has improved his stats consistently, defends well and doesn't lose possession much.

I don't know if he's what United needs but I think he's well worth the prices quoted.

How much are PSG quoting a price for him?
 
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