Not sure about that - I think Sabitzer was better but just struggled with fitness.
Sofyan Amrabat | 2023/24 Performances
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I was reading through the Guardian's top 100 player list for 2022 and Amrabat came in at 49. Now I know how fickle and subjective these lists can be, but here is the write-up on him: "That tackle on Kylian Mbappé in the World Cup semi-final summed up the indefatigable spirit that has earned Amrabat a place in the top 50 on his first appearance in our list. The fulcrum of Morocco’s historic run to the last four in Qatar is now recognised as one of the best in his position having developed significantly since leaving the Netherlands in 2018, with Fiorentina facing a fight to keep hold of the 26-year-old. Atlético Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool are among the clubs to have been linked with a big-money move for a player whose inspiration is his older brother, the former Watford winger Nordin."
Is there still a chance he might come good?
Is there still a chance he might come good?
He’s a better fit than Sabitzer because the Australian wasn’t even a central midfielder. He spent most of the games floating in advance areas like all our supposed midfielders love doing. Amrabat is average and should be let go in the summer but he adds more to our team because we don’t have players adept at building from deep.
He wasn't Australian either
Yeah I meant Austrian
Ha, I figured as much. I was just being a pedantic bastard.
I agree with your overall point. We struggled when trying to shoehorn Sabitzer into a deeper role whereas at least Amrabat has the positional awareness to play that role, albeit this doesn't protect his limitations from being exposed from time to time. Should be let go in the summer and replaced with a more mobile DM.
I dont mind Amrabat. I cant see why all the hate - he's far better than Sabitzer. I think the Prem is not just a league for great footballers - you need to be a great athelete and be completely focused. If you aint you get found out. Amarabat is a good midfielder he'd make the 1st 11 at most prem teams and squad player in the others. He's not the 2nd coming of Bryan Robson but then again who is?
If the rumour doing the rounds is true and he's not staying on I'm not surprised. He looks lower end of the table standard in my opinion, the type of player you'd see pop up for Fulham or Everton.
Sabitzer played a bit further forward and found himself in the same situation as everyone other than Bruno who has played in that area of midfield for us. Same as McTom now, Mount, DVB in earlier seasons and so on. Bruno is the only one who manages to get himself involved in the game enough and has enough high quality contributions when he does get the ball further forward.
Sabitzer had that one game against Sevilla iirc where he got forward and scored both of our goals. Then he went quiet again. He was doing the running in front of the ball, the pressing, trying to win the ball etc but he was like the rest, too few touches and involvements and he just had that one game where he looked a major goalthreat. McTom has been more of a goal threat than that despite facing the same issues in general.
Amrabat gets on the ball a lot because he's playing either the deepest or dual deepest midfield role. Hes the one coming to the CBs and picking up the ball there. Like Mainoo has done when he plays instead. The point being you're going to get more touches, make more passes and on average you will receive the ball with more time and a bit less immediate pressure than if you're trying to pick the ball up 30-40 yards from the opponent's goal, turn and get a shot away. Theres some teams which will press incredibly well so its not every game. But on average yeah its certainly easier to be involved that deep. So yeah Amrabat has been more involved than Sabitzer was but they were playing 2 different roles with Sabitzer not being the deepest midfielder picking the ball up from the defenders. So its completely expected. Meanwhile he made far more runs ahead of the ball which is also expected.
I think Sabitzer was better but our team needs and needed a deeper midfielder like Amrabat. Sabitzer was playing with other midfielders who wanted to get forward and become a goal threat like Casemiro. So it didnt really mesh well with his style. Likewise if he was still here McTom is doing the same thing. Amrabat at least wants to play in the deeper area even if hes more average a player
Sabitzer had that one game against Sevilla iirc where he got forward and scored both of our goals. Then he went quiet again. He was doing the running in front of the ball, the pressing, trying to win the ball etc but he was like the rest, too few touches and involvements and he just had that one game where he looked a major goalthreat. McTom has been more of a goal threat than that despite facing the same issues in general.
Amrabat gets on the ball a lot because he's playing either the deepest or dual deepest midfield role. Hes the one coming to the CBs and picking up the ball there. Like Mainoo has done when he plays instead. The point being you're going to get more touches, make more passes and on average you will receive the ball with more time and a bit less immediate pressure than if you're trying to pick the ball up 30-40 yards from the opponent's goal, turn and get a shot away. Theres some teams which will press incredibly well so its not every game. But on average yeah its certainly easier to be involved that deep. So yeah Amrabat has been more involved than Sabitzer was but they were playing 2 different roles with Sabitzer not being the deepest midfielder picking the ball up from the defenders. So its completely expected. Meanwhile he made far more runs ahead of the ball which is also expected.
I think Sabitzer was better but our team needs and needed a deeper midfielder like Amrabat. Sabitzer was playing with other midfielders who wanted to get forward and become a goal threat like Casemiro. So it didnt really mesh well with his style. Likewise if he was still here McTom is doing the same thing. Amrabat at least wants to play in the deeper area even if hes more average a player
Honestly think he’s trash. Has the turning circle of the titanic and the nice passing we saw in his first game has never been replicated since. He’s shown up by Mainoo who is an 18 yr old in his first season with us.
Spend the extra £20m elsewhere
Spend the extra £20m elsewhere
Mainoo has even shown up Casemiro who is a multiple CL winner. So there is no shame in that. I think for the price, Sofyan is a great addition in the squad and we’ll be stupid to let him go.
Stupid not to play him today.
Ideal game for Mainoo and Amrabat to hold in midfield today.
Was he really ETH signing?
Maybe you should look at statistics, which are literal facts, instead of listening to three or four frustrated Fiorentina fans? You claim he is very error prone, but if you had bothered, you'd know he's not error prone at all.
What do you even mean by he barely got noticed? He was wanted by Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool and United. He was very close to joining Klopp, but he only wanted United. But sure, a couple Fiorentina fans know better.
oof, none of your takes aged well at all
Will go back to Serie A next season. Not a bad player, but did little to make things better, so...
Anyone now wonder why we got him so easily? I was a Fred fan but I understand why people werent but we sold him and replaced him with someone worse...he does everything people hated about Fred, but nothing that Fred did well....
Positionally disciplined but just not good enough on the ball and not quick enough with decision making on the ball. Will likely be sent back to Fiorentina.
He's better than Fred at staying deep and receiving the ball from the keeper and defenders. So in the role that we're currently playing him in. Fred obviously seems to be a better player in general, but then again Fred from any of the last few years would have been easily our best midfielder so far this season. We'd have to be playing him in the role that Scott is in though, rather than Amrabat's role.
Thankfully it’s a loan so the club and try before they buy.
I think we now know, anyone playing in that role is going to struggle...especially playing next to Scott!! Wheres the McCas, McBrat, McKobbie comments?
This midfield is absolutely no better than McFred...
To be fair, I don't think we can compare this season to any previous ones. We're playing Scott as a second #10 instead of as an #8 (or #6) like we did previously. So he's doing far less to help than he was before, which is saying something as he was already doing nowhere near enough. This is a deliberate tactic from ETH which leaves that single pivot massively exposed, even more so that we had previously where someone like Fred was having to be the main man at pretty much everything in midfield. I certainly think ETH would want Scott to be helping more than he actually is, but he's accepting a significant reduction even so.
So there's no McCas, McBrat or McKobbie comments because Scott isn't actually being used in a partnership with any of them.
Bit tongue in cheek some of my comments tbh but ultimately, the outcome is the same.
Called up to AFCON and potentially not back until mid Feb, cant see him staying past this season as he hasnt been great and now gone for a while unless he sets the world alight when he is back but I dont see it
Honestly wouldn't be arsed if we just ended the loan now.
If he plays vs Forrest I'd stick money on him getting booked for being way to slow to stop Gibbs-White on the transition.
I'd end the loan now.
With how we are faring with injuries that would stupid. We still need the numbers. But I certainly hope he is not part of the squad after the summer.
I mean, obviously fecking not. He’s not even good enough for where we are, much less where we want to get to.
He has been underwhelming and for some reasons never fit enough
Who was it that was tagging me in the summer when I said I didn’t think the club were interested in him? He was clearly sold to us by his agent and we had no real other choices.
Not surprising at all.
Was wrong about him. I thought he could be our Neves.
Other than just his ok-ish performance, probably Mainoo performs beyond expectation has fecked his chance here.
Other than just his ok-ish performance, probably Mainoo performs beyond expectation has fecked his chance here.
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Good thing it wasn’t a permanent deal. We tried it out, and it didn’t work.
I’ve been surprised by how heavy he looks, but admittedly I had only watched him a few times in the World Cup.
I’ve been surprised by how heavy he looks, but admittedly I had only watched him a few times in the World Cup.
Not surprised by this bit of baseless speculation. I speculate the same thing - I don’t think we’ll sign him. Hey, that was easy!
He can’t get fit and stay fit. He’s not quite good enough to force his way into the “first choice” XI but if he doesn’t play regularly, he can’t play his best so therefore he doesn’t quite hit the mark when he’s brought in. He has played very well in spells but we need better.
Really is baffling that Ten Hag keeps wanting these players he’s worked with before who aren’t good enough
Sooner there’s a sporting director in place the better. Reckon Ten Hag will be alright when he has an “Overmars” again and can just do the coaching
Sooner there’s a sporting director in place the better. Reckon Ten Hag will be alright when he has an “Overmars” again and can just do the coaching
It was a tough ask for him to hit the ground running immediately in a new country, in a dysfunctional team, at a transfer fee that would suggest a gamble or a backup. We were lucky to have him with our injury list really. He's a damn sight better than McTominay at #6.
In a wider sense i think we need to get rid of decent backups, we have way too many, so not too pushed.
In a wider sense i think we need to get rid of decent backups, we have way too many, so not too pushed.
The loan signing at the time was desperate as we had FFP issues, Mainoo had got injured, McTominay looked like he was for sale and we needed cover for Casemiro who then got injured too.
He served a purpose at the time but with returning players in January, the emergence of Mainoo and hopefully Gore to follow, and just planning on being better organised with hopefully a new recruitment structure in place means he shouldnt be staying.
He served a purpose at the time but with returning players in January, the emergence of Mainoo and hopefully Gore to follow, and just planning on being better organised with hopefully a new recruitment structure in place means he shouldnt be staying.
I just ask myself why Fiorentina were willing to loan him out. They took Arthur Melo on loan themselves beforehand from Juventus and thought he was better.
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