Smashley Young

[FlawlessThaw]

Fergie's plan worked only because Torres has been sent off. Giggs didn't help us close out anything.

We always have the options of 3 subs every game and always use at least 1. To call it a waste is garbage at its finest frankly.

It is part and parcel of it. You won't ever get to last 90 minutes if you never get to play any minutes.



''Anderson is a difficult one to leave out but I don’t think there’s been anything wrong with the form of Paul Scholes or Michael Carrick, which makes it difficult to involve other central midfielders when there’s always a desire to play with two wide players,”

“Anderson has done nothing wrong. His pre-season form was terrific and he’s a top player, but I still think that Scholes is a great player.''

SAF.

Anyone who is still using that ''he is fat and doesn't work hard'' excuse is doing an Ace Venutra and engaging in arse talking frankly.

He can't last 90 minutes. That's why he isn't playing. Anyone who is still not facing that has their head stuck in the ground deeper than an ostritch and engaging in bum chat frankly.

Playing him solely for 60 minutes and taking him off does no one any favours or else he would be playing. If he wasn't getting knackered after 60 odd minutes no one would say he was fat.

 

[Ash_G]

Surely his fitness will only improve the more he plays. Also giving Ando 60 mins, or any mins, when he needs to progress is surely more beneficial than bringing on Giggs etc who really doesn't need the minutes?

 

[FlawlessThaw]

Surely his fitness will only improve the more he plays. Also giving Ando 60 mins, or any mins, when he needs to progress is surely more beneficial than bringing on Giggs etc who really doesn't need the minutes?

All players need minutes. But Fergie didn't bring Giggs to give him minutes, he brought him on for his experience.

It's a stamina issue with Anderson not a match fitness one. He could play tomorrow and be top notch till he gets tired. He also had a pre-season and no real injuries so far so he isn't lack in match fitness.

 

[Ash_G]

But he's only going to get that by playing, you can train as much as you want but it doesn't match getting actual minutes, at least that's what I've always heard being said.

 

[FlawlessThaw]

But he's only going to get that by playing, you can train as much as you want but it doesn't match getting actual minutes, at least that's what I've always heard being said.

So you think you only increase stamina by playing? I am not so sure about that. Stamina is the issue here. Given he can't be trusted to last 90 minutes, you can't risk him in the big matches.

His overall match fitness is fine. He will start tomorrow and he won't look off the pace to begin with.

 

[Ash_G]

No not only but it's the thing that will make a significant difference, playing periodically surely won't help. He's gone about what 3-4 weeks counting the international break without playing. Fergie could easily have given him some minutes.

I agree he will probably play tomorrow and I'm sure he probably will start lagging after an hour or so but I also expect that the more minutes he gets the more his stamina will improve providing he doesn't get another injury or is doing something wrong personally.

 

[FlawlessThaw]

No not only but it's the thing that will make a significant difference, playing periodically surely won't help. He's gone about what 3-4 weeks counting the international break without playing. Fergie could easily have given him some minutes.

I agree he will probably play tomorrow and I'm sure he probably will start lagging after an hour or so but I also expect that the more minutes he gets the more his stamina will improve providing he doesn't get another injury or is doing something wrong personally.

I think stamina is different to match fitness which is drastically effected by game time. Stamina is more about how long you can last and Anderson for the long period he has been here has never been able to last 90 minutes.

Fergie would know best and given he is only giving him minutes when the game is of less importance, there is probably something wrong personally.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

He can't last 90 minutes. That's why he isn't playing. Anyone who is still not facing that has their head stuck in the ground deeper than an ostritch and engaging in bum chat frankly..

I Insist. Anyone still buying that bullshit is engaged in arse talking. Stamina doesn't improve sans game time. We dont need him to last 90 minutes to use him. There is a reason why teams have 3 subs as options during a 90 minute game.

Playing him solely for 60 minutes and taking him off does no one any favours or else he would be playing.

Playing him for 60 minutes sure beats us having 2 old guys on pitch and having us get walked through like a wide open gate in midfield like happened vs Spurs. Or us making 9 men look competitive for 15 mins.

If he wasn't getting knackered after 60 odd minutes no one would say he was fat.

If he was getting game time he wouldn't have a being knackered problem. How people expect a player who has spent alot of his time here injured to get stamina, now that his fit, sans game time is beyond me.

 

[Ash_G]

Well another thing about stamina is that it can be about pacing yourself through games, again by getting more consistent time, Ando should get a better understanding about timing himself over a whole game. I don't think it matters what age you are that's always important. I think it's interesting that this season and last season Scholes has looked fitter and I think part of that is that he got a better understanding of his own fitness and you see him spend some time just sitting back and others trying to make the odd run forward.

Either way going weeks without playing any significant minutes isn't going to help.

But tbh I'm sure Ando will get more time, personally I think we should look to give him as much time as we can, even over Scholes and Giggs as long as he performs because I would rather see how he can do now whilst they're still around as insurance rather than it get to later on in the season where they've played a lot and are flagging and he hasn't had much game time. It was always going to be tough to balance this many players but I think unless there are internal issues we should try to concentrate on the players that need time.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

Well another thing about stamina is that it can be about pacing yourself through games, again by getting more consistent time, Ando should get a better understanding about timing himself over a whole game. I don't think it matters what age you are that's always important. I think it's interesting that this season and last season Scholes has looked fitter and I think part of that is that he got a better understanding of his own fitness and you see him spend some time just sitting back and others trying to make the odd run forward.

Either way going weeks without playing any significant minutes isn't going to help.

But tbh I'm sure Ando will get more time, personally I think we should look to give him as much time as we can, even over Scholes and Giggs as long as he performs because I would rather see how he can do now whilst they're still around as insurance rather than it get to later on in the season where they've played a lot and are flagging and he hasn't had much game time. It was always going to be tough to balance this many players but I think unless there are internal issues we should try to concentrate on the players that need time.

I agree 100%

 

[FlawlessThaw]

I Insist. Anyone still buying that bullshit is engaged in arse talking. Stamina doesn't improve sans game time. We dont need him to last 90 minutes to use him. There is a reason why teams have 3 subs as options during a 90 minute game.

Playing him for 60 minutes sure beats us having 2 old guys on pitch and having us get walked through like a wide open gate in midfield like happened vs Spurs. Or us making 9 men look competitive for 15 mins.

If he was getting game time he wouldn't have a being knackered problem. How people expect a player who has spent alot of his time here injured to get stamina, now that his fit, sans game time is beyond me.

I disagree, you may talking bum chat but his weight is still an issue. By saying he has played 150 games for the club and still needs game time to work on his stamina is a bit stupid. Injuries aren't the sole reason for this, he is overweight or was. over 5 years now and its still the same issue from day one.

I already said he should start over Giggs and Scholes. I wouldn't start him over Carrick or Cleverley for that matter. Or over Fletcher when he is fully ready. We looked fine against 9 men, Valencia should have scored for a start.

If he could last 90 minutes we wouldn't be having this discussion. It should be the bare minimum you expect from a footballer.

 

[Platato]

IIRC, the last game Ando started, he went the whole 90. So what's the issue again?


Think we're trying to make sure he doesn't get injured again and easing him back slowly as we will need him throughout the season. I believe he was set to start against Newcastle (away) but think he suffered a slight knock and he's had sub appearances ever since.

 

[Comsmit]

When comparing Young and Nani to me it is fairly simple. Nani has the greater talent and is a better footballer...on his day pretty much unplayable. Arguably our most exciting player.

His only issue appears to be translating that ability into effectiveness on the pitch. It has all clicked before as who can forget his 2010 it was outstanding. Since then he has become less productive for a number of reasons that have already been discussed.

Although Young is a lesser footballer he appears to be able (while at United) to better translate his ability into effectiveness and productivity on the field. If Nani could replicate this as well as Young there should be no doubt whatsoever as to who should be starting games for United.

Personally I want to see Nani in the line up every week....he belongs in a United shirt....but there is a flip side to every coin and it would be wrong to dismiss the wisdom of Young's inclusion.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

I disagree, you may talking bum chat but his weight is still an issue. By saying he has played 150 games for the club and still needs game time to work on his stamina is a bit stupid. Injuries aren't the sole reason for this, he is overweight or was. over 5 years now and its still the same issue from day one.

Injuries are the chief reason he has stamina issues. He has not spent a single season fully fit at United. That has put serious breaks on the progress of his overall development. Weight has had zilch to do with it.

This talk of him being over weight is just that. Talk. Very stupid talk at that.

I already said he should start over Giggs and Scholes

Rather you said you would only start him ahead of them if he could last more than an hour.

''If Anderson could last more than an hour. I would start him over Giggs and Scholes at this moment''

That doesn't sound like an endorsement of any kind...

If he could last 90 minutes we wouldn't be having this discussion. It should be the bare minimum you expect from a footballer.

He has already shown he can last the 90 minutes this season. Yet his reward for that has been a prolonged spell on the bench and two old men getting more game minutes than him, even when its entirely unnecessary. It's plain ridiculous.

 

[Forevergiggs]

WTF?!! What part of ''function like a left wing back in a 3-5-2.'' do you not understand? It's obvious to anyone not intent on arguing for the sake of it that I wasn't saying we were playing 3-5-2. Rather I said Young was tactically functioning like a wing back does in that formation.

Anyone who watched us play Chelsea cannot deny Young spent a lot of the time in the left back position with Evra tucked in next to Rio and Evans, whenever we were defending Chelsea attacks. Yet he still had his winger job to do.

Crap. He wasn't playing as a wingback. It was fairly obvious that we were trying to utilize both wings as Chelsea's wide-men tuck inside and leave them vulnerable down the flanks. The plan was to exploit that weakness and attack down the wings. If anything the formation was a 4-1-4-1 with Carrick staying deep and the other two midfielders working hard to try and get ball down the side and build up attacks.

Right. So Johnstone, Tunnicliffe, Macheda, Keane, Wooton, Buttner, Bebe and Powell are all first team squad players?
It makes one wonder why they wont end up with as many games this season as a Young, a Hernandez or a Welbeck. Even if you combined their appearances....

What? Who is talking about those players? The discussion was whether Young was brought in to start games or just "keep others on their toes". What are you trying to prove by mentioning all those players?

Young is more of a left sided player than Nani or Welbeck will ever be in wide man based formation. He built his career in the role after all .

Nani only keeps him out of the role because he is simply the better player when on top form. As for Welbeck, he is no competition to a fully fit and firing Young.

That is what I have been saying from the beginning and what you kept refuting leading to this multi-quote nonsense. Young is a left-sided player, who was brought in to start games on the left. Not so that Nani, or anyone else, can feel pressure and up his game.

Now you don't forget to steer your argument to suit yourself. I'll be waiting.

Seriously You don't even understand what you are arguing against yet you are continuing? Do I really have to spell this out for you?

It's really you who don't understand what the original argument was but decided to butt in to try and prove a point. What ever it was.

Says the man who is denying that Young is a first team squad player. The mind boggles...

A.K.a first team squad players. Yet you wonder why I said you have been arguing for the sake of it........

I am denying that Young is a first team "squad" player? You are confused. I am saying if you want to categorize it, then everyone besides Rooney and RVP is a first team squad player.

 

[marjen]

I thought Young did his job fairly well, in that he denied Ivanovic the chance to contribute offensively.

In addition he played a key role for our first goal and the red card for Ivanovic, and his movement and energy was good throughout, even if his touch was a bit off at times.

I doubt Nani would have done as good a job defensively.

 

[Jonno]

I think we all forgot what Young does offer us, and at times, he really does provide big moments in big games, he does pop up with important goals or assists. Great to have him back, and at the moment Nani drops further down the pecking order.

 

[Massive Spanner]

I think we all forgot what Young does offer us, and at times, he really does provide big moments in big games, he does pop up with important goals or assists. Great to have him back, and at the moment Nani drops further down the pecking order.

And our other attackers don't?

 

[marjen]

And our other attackers don't?

I think his point wasn't that other players don't pop up with important goals.

It's that people often overlook the fact that so does Young.

Also, as I mentioned in my latest post, he does many of the basic things really, really well, which is important to a balanced team. He was very good for the first 30 minutes vs Chelsea for instance.

 

[Massive Spanner]

I think his point wasn't that other players don't pop up with important goals.

It's that people often overlook the fact that so does Young.

Also, as I mentioned in my latest post, he does many of the basic things really, really well, which is important to a balanced team. He was very good for the first 30 minutes vs Chelsea for instance.

I don't think he does to the extent that others do.

Anyway, I should stop being critical, it looks like he'll be a regular in the first team now so let's hope he can get fully fit and put in performances like the start of last season. I think he plays it safe all too often, and hopefully he can get a bit of confidence and actually take his man on.

 

[marjen]

I don't think he does to the extent that others do.

Anyway, I should stop being critical, it looks like he'll be a regular in the first team now so let's hope he can get fully fit and put in performances like the start of last season. I think he plays it safe all too often, and hopefully he can get a bit of confidence and actually take his man on.

I don't think Chelsea away, the first time after coming back from injury, is really the time to show how confident in taking on players are. I thought he did well, and did what he was supposed to do as well.

 

[Massive Spanner]

I don't think Chelsea away, the first time after coming back from injury, is really the time to show how confident in taking on players are. I thought he did well, and did what he was supposed to do as well.

He hasn't been confident for a while though, even the latter end of last season. He has been troubled by injuries though in 2012, to be fair to him.

 

[Plechazunga]

If he gets his confidence back he'll play lots of nice first-time balls and make runs into the box. I doubt you'll see him take players on a lot because that's just not his game.

 

[marjen]

If he gets his confidence back he'll play lots of nice first-time balls and make runs into the box. I doubt you'll see him take players on a lot because that's just not his game.

He's quite good at turning to face the goal and slide an unexpected through ball into the attackers, actually.

His movement is top notch. I see him as a Park-upgrade really.

Also, I look forward to his crosses meeting RvP's various body parts.

 

[Gee Male]

He's quite good at turning to face the goal and slide an unexpected through ball into the attackers, actually.

His movement is top notch. I see him as a Park-upgrade really.

Also, I look forward to his crosses meeting RvP's various body parts.

That's massively underrating Young's creativity. His record in the Premier League has been top notch over the last 4 or 5 years, up there with Nani in terms of stats and played mostly with a Villa team lacking an alternative goal threat to Darren Bent.

Young is a quality footballer. People are calling for Nani to play as he "needs games" - same can be said of Young. I wouldn't mind seeing him get a regular run, though that might be difficult to accommodate given our other options.

 

[8thWonder]

I think we all forgot what Young does offer us, and at times, he really does provide big moments in big games, he does pop up with important goals or assists. Great to have him back, and at the moment Nani drops further down the pecking order.

And our other attackers don't?

Pack it in Cina, he didn't say anything resembling that. Just because he praises Young doesn't mean he's critisizing Nani.

 

[Massive Spanner]

Pack it in Cina, he didn't say anything resembling that. Just because he praises Young doesn't mean he's critisizing Nani.

I don't recall mentioning Nani?

RVP, Rooney, Valencia, Kagawa. They can all do the exact same thing.

Maybe I should put a disclaimer at the end of all my posts, because nowadays even if I mention midfielders and defenders people probably think I'm talking about Nani.

DISCLOSURE: I was not referring to Nani when talking about midfielders and defenders.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

Nani is benching because of contract issues. Till he sorts them out he won't be a priority for SAF

 

[marjen]

That's massively underrating Young's creativity. His record in the Premier League has been top notch over the last 4 or 5 years, up there with Nani in terms of stats and played mostly with a Villa team lacking an alternative goal threat to Darren Bent.

Young is a quality footballer. People are calling for Nani to play as he "needs games" - same can be said of Young. I wouldn't mind seeing him get a regular run, though that might be difficult to accommodate given our other options.

I meant "Park at his best-"upgrade really. I rate Park, even though his last season was poor.

I'm aware of his record, which is quite good. He fitted in very well in a Villa-side who's gameplan was tossing crosses into the mixer(and Young's got great delivery) and countering(in which he excels).

As a United-footballer, I'd say he's not as good as Valencia or Nani for instance.

 

[KingEric7]

Still think the more I consider it that the issue with playing Young in this team is that it could really contribute to what is essentially one of our biggest problems. Perhaps even our main issue as a matter of fact. At times this year (and further back, to be honest), we have struggled to keep the ball in high pressure situations whereby we've been up against it or have been harried by the opposition.

The reason this keeps happening is as follows - when we play just 2 in the centre, we are dependant on our whole central midfield (both of them) being on form, as well as our wingers being comfortable in possession. If Carrick is not on his game, say, it's very difficult for Cleverley to take complete control or vice versa. In this situation, we need players on the wings or out wide - your Nanis, your Kagawas, etc - who are comfortable enough to help take control of the situation and to come inside whilst doing so. This is what Chelsea had against us the other day when we went 2-0 up.

Unfortunately, Young and to a lesser extent Valencia are not examples of highly technical footballers who are exceptional when it comes to ball retention, and this is why we sometimes lose a real grip of the situation in the middle of the park. If we're going to play 442, it is a real risk against top opposition with quality midfields in my opinion to go without someone as gifted as Scholes in the centre as well as going without wingers that are extremely comfortable on the ball. Whilst Young has some good attributes and is overall a decent footballer, I think this needs to be taken into account. The game is getting so tactical now that I don't think this is over-analysing the situation.

Anyone agree with that by any chance? Like I say I think Young is decent, but when we've a 2 man midfield that has often found wanting playing whilst being pressurised, it's easy to forget how important having highly technically gifted/composed wingers actually is. It goes way beyond considering the actual quality of players, and more towards considering our current issues and what worsens them. I think we were let off the other day by the quality of Van Persie/our attack and our fantastic start (and a bit of other help also although we did look to be getting back into the swing of things by then), and should consider in future the role that wingers have in keeping possession when we play just two in midfield. This isn't to say that Young gives the ball away every time he gets it, but I don't think he has the standard of composure and skill required to compensate in the above situation.

 

[Brwned]

Young's ball retention is good for a winger which is the reason he's played some of his best stuff in a more central role for Watford, Villa and England, and when he plays out wide he regularly drifts into the middle to offer another option, IMO. I'm not sure Nani's any better at doing that. He's better at relieving pressure by carrying the ball when pressed because he's obviously much more comfortable on the ball but on balance I don't think he contributes any more to the team's ball retention.

 

[marjen]

I think one of Young's biggest strengths is that he very, very seldom loses the ball. This is more apparent when he's on form.

Also, his movement infield is one of his biggest assets as well, as we saw ample evidence of during the start of last season. Even against Chelsea when we were on top in the first half an hour I think he really helped us by providing an out-ball when our midfielders were under pressure.

So I'm not sure I agree with you. If loss of possession is a big issue for us, then I can't se how playing say Nani would rectify this. In fact I'd say Young is the best option in tight games when we need to control possession as he'll more often than not make the right choice of when to slow it down and maintain possession, and when to pounce.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

I am denying that Young is a first team "squad" player? You are confused. I am saying if you want to categorize it, then everyone besides Rooney and RVP is a first team squad player.

That's plain wrong. Carrick, Vidic, Rio and Evra seem to start whenever fit and in form over anyone else in their position. Rafael is getting there now and De Gea will soon. Young never will IMO. There IS a difference, and that's what he is saying.

 

[Plechazunga]

Pretty much guaranteed starters in crunch games: Rio, Vidic, Evra, Carrick, Scholes, Rooney, RVP

 

[Dargonk]

Young's ball retention is good for a winger which is the reason he's played some of his best stuff in a more central role for Watford, Villa and England, and when he plays out wide he regularly drifts into the middle to offer another option, IMO. I'm not sure Nani's any better at doing that. He's better at relieving pressure by carrying the ball when pressed because he's obviously much more comfortable on the ball but on balance I don't think he contributes any more to the team's ball retention.

I wouldn't say nani is that great a ball retention. Generally he is looking to pick the ball up and take it forward and create something. So quite often he ends up losing the ball eventually. Young I feel does offer a bit better ball retention if only for the fact that he doesn't try to beat his man quite as often and plays the ball back more than nani. We saw quite a few times young drifted in behind the midfield against Chelsea and picked up the ball held onto it until he could play it off fairly safely. If that was nani he would be looking for a more direct route towards goals

 

[KingEric7]

Young's ball retention is good for a winger which is the reason he's played some of his best stuff in a more central role for Watford, Villa and England, and when he plays out wide he regularly drifts into the middle to offer another option, IMO. I'm not sure Nani's any better at doing that. He's better at relieving pressure by carrying the ball when pressed because he's obviously much more comfortable on the ball but on balance I don't think he contributes any more to the team's ball retention.

His ball retention alone is decent (which is not unusual given he is a fairly low risk player), but I'm thinking we need someone of a higher level on the ball to get round the issues I'm discussing. Ball retention, being comfortable on the ball and being constantly willing to ask for it to also. Young is no Heskey don't get me wrong - he isn't wasteful or inept - but I think in order to compensate for a 2 man midfield that isn't on its game we need something more than what he offers. A player who can consistently keep hold of the ball in tricky situations and actually welcome those opportunities. Nani is that sort of player when he's on form, no doubt. Kagawa last year for Dortmund was another such player (although I cannot say I've seen much of him on the left) - it looked at times like he thrived on expressing himself like that, and there were signs of it in pre-season and at the start of this one. I think anyone who has played football against a decent defender knows that they smell blood when they feel you aren't comfortable. Young is someone who never quite looks fully comfortable, in my opinion, and I think playing him against top teams when our midfield is struggling to take control - something that will perhaps happen with some frequency if we play just two midfielders (of whom neither are often absolutely top draw) - is a mistake. First and foremost, I think we should be lining up to take control of a game, but if we play Young in the midfield with Carrick, Cleverley and Valencia, it genuinely means that 3 or perhaps even 4 of them really need to be on form against top teams for us to come out on top throughout the whole game. This isn't to say it is necessary for us to be on top throughout the whole game, but it's what we should be aiming for.

If we instead played 3 in midfield - Carrick/Cleverley/Scholes, for example - or if we played Nani and Kagawa on the wings with a midfield two, I think these spells whereby we tend to fall apart a bit would be less frequent. It would seem Young was played the other day to give a bit of defensive protection, but I think it does far more damage in a defensive sense to not have enough possession and go through long spells of not having the ball than it does to have one potential area whereby there is a weakness to be exploited.

Edit: Was going to say also, this isn't something to just say that our problems are all solved by playing Nani/Kagawa/whoever. Just think it's more something to take into account in the future with new signings and formations.

 

[Starkie_1]

Do people watch the same Ashley Young as me?

He's a good player, that's it. For a winger he is extremely limited in his skill set, but makes up for it with his defensive positional sense. Our James Milner with added flair. He's a safe bet, but for me should only be used in case of injuries/rotation and maybe games where the expectations aren't as high.

 

[8thWonder]

Still think the more I consider it that the issue with playing Young in this team is that it could really contribute to what is essentially one of our biggest problems. Perhaps even our main issue as a matter of fact. At times this year (and further back, to be honest), we have struggled to keep the ball in high pressure situations whereby we've been up against it or have been harried by the opposition.

The reason this keeps happening is as follows - when we play just 2 in the centre, we are dependant on our whole central midfield (both of them) being on form, as well as our wingers being comfortable in possession. If Carrick is not on his game, say, it's very difficult for Cleverley to take complete control or vice versa. In this situation, we need players on the wings or out wide - your Nanis, your Kagawas, etc - who are comfortable enough to help take control of the situation and to come inside whilst doing so. This is what Chelsea had against us the other day when we went 2-0 up.

Unfortunately, Young and to a lesser extent Valencia are not examples of highly technical footballers who are exceptional when it comes to ball retention, and this is why we sometimes lose a real grip of the situation in the middle of the park. If we're going to play 442, it is a real risk against top opposition with quality midfields in my opinion to go without someone as gifted as Scholes in the centre as well as going without wingers that are extremely comfortable on the ball. Whilst Young has some good attributes and is overall a decent footballer, I think this needs to be taken into account. The game is getting so tactical now that I don't think this is over-analysing the situation.

Anyone agree with that by any chance? Like I say I think Young is decent, but when we've a 2 man midfield that has often found wanting playing whilst being pressurised, it's easy to forget how important having highly technically gifted/composed wingers actually is. It goes way beyond considering the actual quality of players, and more towards considering our current issues and what worsens them. I think we were let off the other day by the quality of Van Persie/our attack and our fantastic start (and a bit of other help also although we did look to be getting back into the swing of things by then), and should consider in future the role that wingers have in keeping possession when we play just two in midfield. This isn't to say that Young gives the ball away every time he gets it, but I don't think he has the standard of composure and skill required to compensate in the above situation.

Totally agree about the wingers needing to be good at ball retention, especially in a 4-4-2 and especially here at United where if we're not counter attacking we like to build pressure up. But I was going to post in another thread that its the one thing imo that stops Nani being in the same bracket of players as Mata and Silva for example, he gives it away very cheaply at times.

Completely agree about the sentiment but not the conclusion that Nani is better than Young or particularly Valencia at retaining the ball. Valencia is probably one of the best wingers in the world at keeping the ball but remaining a threat imo.

Nani is one of the best players if not the best player in the league at keeping the ball in a one on one situation which is what I presume you're getting at but he gives possession away a lot (relatively) from short passes.

 

[KingEric7]

Totally agree about the wingers needing to be good at ball retention, especially in a 4-4-2 and especially here at United where if we're not counter attacking we like to build pressure up. But I was going to post in another thread that its the one thing imo that stops Nani being in the same bracket of players as Mata and Silva for example, he gives it away very cheaply at times.

Completely agree about the sentiment but not the conclusion that Nani is better than Young or particularly Valencia at retaining the ball. Valencia is probably one of the best wingers in the world at keeping the ball but remaining a threat imo.

Nani is one of the best players if not the best player in the league at keeping the ball in a one on one situation which is what I presume you're getting at but he gives possession away a lot (relatively) from short passes.

Fair enough. With Nani, I more mean the ability to receive the ball in tight areas where other players would lose it immediately, but I would also say his ball retention is exceptional when on form. Start of last year/year before that version of Nani just never seemed to lose it, miscontrol it etc. The one we've seen recently is a different article, mainly because he's not played enough to build up momentum I'm guessing.

 

[Hernandez - BFA]

I thought he had a good game against Chelsea - up until a certain point which I'm guessing he just became tired. It was great to see him back - however annoying he was at times last season, he's an effective asset to have.