I’m asking why do you think he’s any better than the other guy? Plus he’s double the price so what’s better in your opinion?
Sofyan Amrabat | signs for United on loan
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I think Amrabat will be 30m and Lavia 50m so it’s a bit of a jump for sure but then we won’t need to spend X amount to replace Casemiro in 1-2 years time because he will already be here.
I watched Lavia a lot last season and in every match he was a stand out player in a terrible Southampton side, I believe he’s got the potential to be one of the best midfielders in the league. Liverpool, Chelsea and ourselves have been linked whilst City have a buyback next summer which they would 100% take if given the chance.
Amrabat will be signed to sit on the bench and cover Casemiro there’s no long term plan. If Case leaves in 12 months Amrabat isn’t at the level to be a long term replacement so we’ll be spunking next summers budget on yet another DM
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What are you saying to Mainoo if you sign Lavia? Mainoo might not be good enough but Lavia might not be either. You won't know who is better out of Mainoo and Lavia for 3 or 4 years. Both look good prospects. Lavia is just 1 year and 29 premier league game's more experienced than Mainoo.
I watched Lavia a lot too last year. He's miles away from a finished DM. I think EtH sees a reliable, decent player in Amrabat who can rotate with Casemiro who can't play every game and Mainoo as a great prospect.
Amrabat will not sit on the bench he will play a lot of games because of his quality and versatility. The long term plan is that he takes over as elder statesman when Case moves on in a year or two. Mainoo will be coming through or we look to buy again in a couple of years. Lavia’s a good player, of course, but Amrabat is a better fit for us just now and very much fits the “long term plan”.
You probably heard EtH say that he is always planning for the long term. I guess you don’t like his plan but it exists.
Ok so take Lavia out of the equation we sign Amrabat and have Case where is Mainoo featuring anyway? He’s a third choice option at DM this season and probably needs a loan for his development
In the long term having both Mainoo and Lavia is great for the squad 2 highly rated midfielders that could be here for 10 years I don’t see the problem
The transfer reeks of ‘squad player signing’ a Fred replacement/backup for Casemiro
He isn’t a long term first team starter for me at all.
Lavia is quality.
But the reality is that insofar as we have a first choice eleven, the midfield in that eleven are set to be Casemiro, Mount and Bruno. Whoever we sign will play a lot due to rotation and may even provide serious competition, but on paper they're starting on the bench.
And it would be very odd for Lavia to turn down being first choice #6 for Liverpool for that. Whereas for Amrabat at his age profile, getting to step up to one of the big European sides is worth spending more time on the bench for.
There's not much point saying "why not sign X instead?" if X would say no.
But the reality is that insofar as we have a first choice eleven, the midfield in that eleven are set to be Casemiro, Mount and Bruno. Whoever we sign will play a lot due to rotation and may even provide serious competition, but on paper they're starting on the bench.
And it would be very odd for Lavia to turn down being first choice #6 for Liverpool for that. Whereas for Amrabat at his age profile, getting to step up to one of the big European sides is worth spending more time on the bench for.
There's not much point saying "why not sign X instead?" if X would say no.
You got to feel sorry for your sister by now?
This made me laugh. We might not even get him but if we do it’s because EtH wants to use him. It’s not EtH’s style to pad the squad with players to warm the bench. But, hey, your comments in this thread are not ambiguous - you don’t rate him.
ETH wants him that’s for sure there’s no argument there, he wants a replacement for Fred and someone who can cover Casemiro it’s not rocket science
Are you saying Amrabat will be a starter when everybody is fit?
I’m sort of agreeing with this but the “on paper” thing won’t stop anyone from outcompeting the notional first choice guys from week to week.
Yeah, if a player doesn’t think he can get into the team he is probably more reluctant to come here and if that’s his attitude then we wouldn’t want him imo.
They are all squad players and the starting XI is not only fitness related but form and tactics related.
With Amrabat, I’m saying he is good enough to start without the quality dropping off a cliff. He is good enough to out-compete Case if Case is not up to scratch. He’s good enough to hold onto his place if he comes in when Case is injured or suspended and good enough to make Case have to work to get back in. Amrabat is good enough to start if EtH wants a different profile or to play a different formation.
He’s being bought to play a lot of minutes imo.
Alright that’s fair enough. I have no doubt he will get plenty of minutes with Casemiro missing games he’s just not the player I would have gone for.
Yeah, he is one gettable solution to some of our midfield issues but there’s probably a few others out there.
Fair enough, I think they'll mainly play together. You are right in the amount of games will probably mean we will have to be able to play without both being on the pitch, so maybe that will become the preferred setup.
He will still get maybe 15 games, don’t forget we are in the CL this year. There will be games for a homegrown youngster. Actually CL, is another area where Amrabat can shine.
We play 60 game's a year and DM's a crucial position to have backup in. I'm expecting Mainoo to start 5-10 game's this year plus 20 odd subs apps this year, the same as Garnacho did last year. That's enough for an 18 year old. The year after you assess Casemiro for deterioration at 32, assess Amrabat's first season and look at Mainoo's impact when he played. It's a great situation to be in with a 31, 26 and 18 year-olds. All three are different but all can play 6, plus you save £25m on Lavia. It's a sensible transfer, something we never do.
Top work as always!
What is so funny about that? Rice is a decent dribbler with the ball at times. And Amrabat is also like that when you see him play. So what’s funny? Easy to laugh at others work I guess.Rice-esque dribbler
Yeah, it’s fascinating to me. It may turn out he can’t adjust and barely plays (we’ve seen that before!) but he looks to have the right mentality. Exciting addition and we’ll see how he is used soon, I hope.
I haven't watched this guy properly but the cheapish price tag puts me off a bit, whenever we've gone fishing for players below market average we normally end up with shite who we then struggle to shift further down the line.
He's got just a year on his contract.
Of central and defensive midfielders that made 20 or more starts last season in the top five leagues, there are 11 who are above average for progressive runs per 90, progressive passes per 90 and defensive duel win percentage. Amrabat is one of them (the others are: Bellingham, Rice, Goretzka, De Jong (surprise, surprise!), Zubimendi, Partey, Fofana, Skhiri, Danilo Pereira, Bentaleb and Rakitić). He has a skillset that is rarely found all at once. As great as Casemiro has been for us, he doesn't carry the ball or pass with enough security for what I think Ten Hag wants from his deepest midfielder in possession, hence the Mainoo (who fits the same profile) experiments before his injury. Amrabat is a high volume and secure passer over short, medium and long range, press resistant and very progressive with both passing and carries. He would be great alongside Casemiro against the better sides and an able deputy in games that we'd expect to dominate possession.
Yeah! Rice is more of a push and run type than a feint and skip type. Not exactly known for dribbling. Perhaps “carrying” is more appropriate.
I am more up for this than I thought I would be. Not sure about Amrabat's class but Case has really not looked the same player since his injury last season and that is a concern especially as we clearly had noone who could step in for him properly. At very least this solves that. And the price is good.
To use fecking Rice as a yardstick man for dribbling.
McTom is actually a much better pure dribbler and you certainly wouldn’t use him as a yardstick either. What Rice can do well on occasion is carry the ball.
The twitter thread is great mind, but if you can’t have a giggle at stuff then you’re taking yourself and others work waaaaay too seriously.
Read the damn thread and you’ll quickly see how it’s a misinterpretation of what dribbling is:
“His dribbling is reminiscent of Rice - a powerful runner, capable of driving through enemy lines with the ball. In tight spaces, his dribbling diminishes and he can be caught overplaying.”
So yeah, his ball carrying and driving is good, but his dribbling, like Rice leaves alot to be desired, neither of them are a Busquets, put it that way.
Although maybe I’m reading it wrong and it’s supposed to mean, like Rice, he’s not a very good dribbler.
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I'm worried this signing will somehow fall through and he'll end up at Liverpool and then they will get Lavia as well leaving us short in midfield.
Rice-esque dribbler
Oh fecking hell, he’s another former player? Where’s your imagination ETH.
kidding, signing former players is the most sure fire way to get it right quickly for your system
Positive comment for one is for some still reason to moan & criticise.
Nah we will definitely get one of them provided that Fred gets sold of course
Rice-esque dribbler
That sounds like an insult rather than a compliment.
It wouldn’t merely be a surprise…it would be a shock. Casemiro was arguably our best player last year. His rough patches generally followed suspensions when he was working off rust. People, as usual, overreacted to those games. However, Casemiro raised our midfield play significantly last year. There was no player whose absence more impacted our play than Casemiro’s. His presence transformed this team. Without him last year, we might not have been top 6.
He'll add a different option for us. Cover for Case when he inevitably gets suspended. Or you're holding a 1-0 lead and need to take off Mount for someone more defensively solid. We can start the bigger games with Casemiro / Amrabat.
Yeah he will fit that scenario perfectly
For a 19 year old hes incredibly raw and not ready for a top six club.
Dont take my word for it, the best player analysis channel on youtube said so.
I wouldn’t be shocked at all if he manages to outcompete Case at times. Case is brilliant but he doesn’t always play his best. If he gets a knock or goes off the boil, Amrabat will be straight in there. Then Case will have to fight to get back in, which is exactly as it should be.
I back Case to raise his level and keep it high (he’ll need to). Even then Amrabat will get plenty of minutes and a fair few starts in one system or another.
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