I just hope it is.
Sofyan Amrabat | 2023/24 Performances
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I just hope it is.
I don’t think he’s shown anything to justify starting over McTominay, who at least has some good qualities.
Today was the most acceptable way of using him. Coming on to give someone better a rest, in a game basically won already.
Which is exactly what ETH probably envisaged using him to do when we signed on loan late on in the window. We didn't think we would have half the team out and chaos.
Sorry but this guy is no good. He is not even PL level never mind a supposedly top team like United.
I think it undermines our Academy when the club goes out and pay relatively big money to loan a player with such limited qualities.
I think it undermines our Academy when the club goes out and pay relatively big money to loan a player with such limited qualities.
Oh yeah I agree. I’m not even sure that we end up signing him if Mainoo didn’t get injured. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not criticising Ten Hag for signing him, we were desperate for bodies. I would be shocked if we made it permanent for the money quoted.
I'd sign the bolded part 100% but not sure about the rest of the sentence. Skillset wise, I think, Amrabat has to be in almost every thinkable midfield combination when Casemiro is out. I'd don't see him as a DM but he at least has some defensive positioning worth noting. My issue with him would be that, again skillset wise, he is a little to similar to Mainoo. I don't see what McTominay adds to the team other than being a bit physical. He adds goal threat, ok great, bring him on then when we are chasing a goal. But as long as we do not, there is no point making midfield battle harder than it should be by playing such a passenger.
Amrabat is our player for now so we might as well make use of him (even trying to play him into form). Obviously this applies to McTominay as well but we all know his ceiling and it is nothing really to strive for...
Not a chance we sign him IMO.
Very poor and the way Kobbie looks I think they are similar in style and makes little sense to sign him permanently.
I always thought we waited so long because some people weren't convinced if he's the right choice (although I can see why we wanted his "profile").
I always thought we waited so long because some people weren't convinced if he's the right choice (although I can see why we wanted his "profile").
Yeah I have to admit I expected way more
For all McT's weaknesses he does have the physical profile to compete in the PL, decent in the air, strong, covers ground. Amrabat is slow, might be the worst DM in the air in the league and although he will see a lot of the ball he has dropped so deep to get his numbers that it really hasn't helped the team. Don't think we can underestimate how much his weakness in the air will have contributed to his lack of action. Utd are already a pretty small team.
Yeah, that is a good point. He is really bad in the air, no question about it. I'd still play him over McTom every day of the week but I see your point (not just you, also the other user)
Im happy its only a loan. I think we can do better than him.
Agree although he hasnt been playing that much yet. He can still prove himself but for now he isnt amazing. He was worth taking a look at though.
Not just bad as in losing challenges, there are many times when he just backs away and gives his opponent an uncontested header. Even if you are losing challenges at least if you are contesting them it makes it harder for the opponent to do something constructive.
You couldn't possibly play him in front of a CB pairing with Martinez in it.
I kept reading he was the profile we needed in midfield when we were linked to him in the summer but what is that exactly as he certainly hasn’t shown a glimpse of it so far?
Way too slow to play in midfield. ETH sees him as an emergency leftback now.
Best bit of transfer business this summer was not making his signing permanent and it was only because we couldn't afford him.
Clearly struggling to adjust to the pace of the PL, should do better 2nd half of the season
He's mostly just a ball winner so good option to come off the bench to see out a game
He's mostly just a ball winner so good option to come off the bench to see out a game
Too slow as a few of us pointed out. He isn’t a premier league midfielder and never will be. He wouldn’t get into the top teams in Italy, Germany or Spain either. He’s a mid table player
Not going to write him off completely but he has been underwhelming so far.
I won't be shocked - even though the 21M left (if that's right) is too high - if he is signed just because I think McTominay and Casemiro might leave this summer. Say they go in order to pay for a proper midfield signing like Everton's Onana (replace him with another name if you like or adjust the fee, it's just an example because he's sort of McTominay but less mistake prone on and off the ball, though less goals too).
Bruno-Mount-Eriksen/Hannibal
Onana-Mount
Mainoo-Amrabat
would be the midfield. We'd need to keep Amrabat around, or sign another sitting DM, and if you figure we're already signing a striker to replace Martial, a starting CB to replace Varane and that first midfielder, that would be 3 pretty big signings already (strikers are expensive and we need another decent one as Hojlund gets up to speed and just to have an actual option off the bench or for when Hojlund is hurt).
I think I slightly prefer that midfield group to:
Bruno-Mount-Eriksen/Hannibal
Onana-McTominay-Mount
Mainoo-Onana
We have 4 (5 if you count Hannibal) small midfielders and McTominay is terrible as a #6, so 21M for a limited DM isn't inconceivable. It's easy to say we should just clear out, sell Mount, McTominay and Casemiro and sign quality #8 and #6 starters and a cheap backup DM who somehow isn't terrible, and have Hannibal, Mainoo and Eriksen as backups but that looks light, and I doubt Mount leaves this summer anyways. Though if we can grab another bog standard DM like De Roon or Guido Rodriguez as a backup for free that's probably smarter than spending 20M more on Amrabat.
TLDR: Amrabat might stick around if Casemiro (old, Saudis last chance to recoup 25M) and McTominay (if a 30M+ offer comes in for him I'd sell, that's just too much value to pass on. Kessie just went to Saudi for 10M and they're basically the same level of player with similar problems, just McTominay wins more headers and Kessie dribbles better) leave. We might have seriously limited options by spending 55M+ on Mason Mount when someone like Kamada was available on a free and might have done pretty much the same thing as a sort of #8/#10 option.
100% this. I was thinking if we could do it with all future signings.
Another weird signing from us after Weghorst, Antony, Malacia, Mount.
Always said that he's only a back up option. Nevertheless, his spell at left back damaged his confidence and he looks now shy on the ball.
He's not the best with the ball, but normally his activity and leadership should be better than what he proposes.
He's only on loan and with Casemiro leaving soon, Mc Tominay almost gone this summer, we'll have another rebuild in midfield to do.
He's not the best with the ball, but normally his activity and leadership should be better than what he proposes.
He's only on loan and with Casemiro leaving soon, Mc Tominay almost gone this summer, we'll have another rebuild in midfield to do.
Not sure. We seem to be playing with only 1 CM out of choice, not necessity. McTominay or Mount mostly play higher up the pitch, closer to Bruno.
Which means we only need 1 starting CM/DM in this system, plus 1 backup. So I'd say we need 1 DM to replace Case and that's about it. Mainoo will be the other DM. As for McTominay, he can be replaced internally by Hannibal. Who along with Mount, Bruno and Eriksen, will be making the 4 players available for the 8/10 positions.
Also I expect that if Amrabat and Case were to leave, then we'll keep McTominay and sign only 1 DM. With McTominay being the jack-of-all trades guy who can fill any midfield role in an emergency.
Watching this dude struggle, and then considering Sabitzer last season, you wonder what a CM needs to be successful in ETH United. Both players have done very well either before or after United.
Sabitzer was poor at Bayern and has been bang average for Dortmund on his return while the Amrabat hype is built on a decent season for Verona years ago, a good WC and a Europa League final performance. Nothing special for Fiorentina across 3 years.
Malacia has been fine and cost less than £20 million.
He’s been disappointing. It is certainly the case that he’s been injured and I think he is carrying a back problem. Whatever anyone says, he has played well for us at times but recently he has been very limited. I assume he is not fully fit but his confidence must be pretty low as well.
He can still get it together and provide some value for his loan fee but I’d be amazed if we sign him permanently. He’s the sort of player who will go to a lesser team, get fit and become effective. And we’ll wonder why he never played that well for us.
He can still get it together and provide some value for his loan fee but I’d be amazed if we sign him permanently. He’s the sort of player who will go to a lesser team, get fit and become effective. And we’ll wonder why he never played that well for us.
He's nowhere near United standard, you could see from his first game he turns like a bus and not good enough.
Wouldn't trust any of your judgements on players, no doubt there's plenty more posts on this forum from chancers praising Amrabat.
I think that’s a bit harsh?
Yeah, he’s not even played 4 full league games, without a pre-season, moving to a new country and league.
Not saying he’ll definitely turn it around but there are plenty of instances of players having a slow first 6 months in the PL - notably Fabinho.
Shock horror: football fans' opinions turn out to be wrong.
Such a pointless signing.
Also weren’t there reports that much like Antony our scouts were convinced he wasn’t good enough for the PL but Ten Hag chose to overrule them once again.
Also weren’t there reports that much like Antony our scouts were convinced he wasn’t good enough for the PL but Ten Hag chose to overrule them once again.
I don't think he deserves any criticism tbh, but the loan signings have been somewhat of a blessing lately, like a try before you buy.
Shame Donny wasn't a similar scenario, would of been better for both parties.
Shame Donny wasn't a similar scenario, would of been better for both parties.
Looks bang average - thank god he's only on loan
Not been great, the pace of the PL seems a bit much for him. Not sure he's ever been entirely fit since he got here though. Bit like the Sabitzer signing last season, not turned out as good as hoped for.
This is one of the saddest posts I've seen on the forum, and that is saying a lot.
Looks like he should go home and tell his mom he's being bullied. He's like that kid that hasn't had his growth spurt yet and everyone is kicking the sht out of them. He just looks so little even though he's a grown arse man.
Some on here were saying he was as good as Declan Rice
I was one of them
This was based off the conference league final where I thought he played really well, better than Rice. Shows what I know
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