Said before, but Kyle Walker has little on Fosu-Mensah for me. I can’t think of anything he has over him except being older. A harder shot perhaps.
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Pereira has a good cross on him from the right but he's nowhere near as good dribbler as he should be for a top team, the same with speed, he's even better from the left, cutting to the middle, where he doesn't need much speed and can shoot
Pogba would be a bit wasted on the very left, he's affecting the game better form the middle with a bit of freedom, and obviously he would have to defend and track back even more. flat 4-4-2 I don't think it can work these days, with two strikers upfront, the attack and defense would be too cut off..
and Martial and Rashford would have very little time to develop, they would probably start ahead of Pereira, who is just made for that role Pogba is good at - LAM
I'd rather play diamond with two strikers, would give us more control in midfield we desperately lack
Fosu-Mensah is nowhere near Walker.
Walker is a far better all-round FB/WB with better technical ability, ball carrying skills, better delivery and greater speed to name just a few things.
TFM could be a good FB/WB one day but the attacking side of his game is nowhere near Walker's at this stage and I'd expect him to become more of solid right FB/WB than a very good attacking one as Walker currently is.
Largely due to age. But attributes? Walker is largely just stronger and faster than most. Not the greatest positioning, not the greatest ability on the ball.
errr....No. He's street ahead of TFM there.
He is better than Fosu-Mensah in every way. You wouldn't be saying this if Timothy was a permanent Crystal Palace player.
What you should have said is TFM has the attributes to be as good as Walker one day. Saying Walker has little on TFM at this moment in time is completely ridiculous seeing as Walker is by far the best RB in the league.
I probably wouldn’t have bothered on watching a Palace RB as much tbh.
Which is the same thing as I’m saying. Age and experience are huge factors here. But what I mean is, I’ve seen most of Walker’s strengths in Fosu Mensah in his fledgling career so far. I’ve seen a lot of Walker. He doesn’t have the actual quality of like Dani Alves or Marcelo or something. He kicks and runs past opponents. Wingers won’t leave him because he’s so athletic. That is taking nothing away from him, but he’s definitely more of a natural athlete to me than a natural top footballer. His main attribute is something Fosu Mensah shares. Nobody in general cares enough about Fosu Mensah yet to be banging on about his strengths. He’s a Palace right back. That said, the fact that he’s younger and lower profile than Walker doesn’t just mean ‘maybe in a few years he’ll be fast and strong’ like Walker, as if that’s how football works. He already is, to the point where PL wingers can’t run away from him. He had that in his first season under Van Gaal. He also showed good ability running with the ball, and is a better tackler than most.
I think if he comes back and plays in the first team as he can next season, everyone will start saying he’s one of the best RBs. It’s all about platform. It won’t be because he’s just learnt to be faster and stronger than everyone else at the time they start talking about it, it will just be the time they started talking about it.
Please remember, I’m speaking only of attributes here. Walker’s experience allows him to use his attributes a lot more consistently than Fosu-Mensah. What I’m saying is, bar long range shooting, they are all attributes I have seen at some point in Fosu-Mensah. At PL level. There’s nothing Walker has in his game that I look at and think Fosu-Mensah needs to learn to do. It’s just consistency and maturity. Like, Fosu Mensah is probably as fast as him. But nobody in football is allowed to say that without sounding silly until he’s been as fast as him for many years and 100 games, when in reality, he was probably this fast when he was in the academy.
I'd beg to differ on the speed thing, TFM is absolutely rapid. That said he's a long way to go before he'll reach the levels Walker has, but that's not to say he cannot become an even better player, Walker isn't the best right back in the world and has his limitations.
Seems our youth players are being wildly over rated on here, people just love setting themselves up to be disappointed.
I understand what you are getting at but I feel like you're severely underrating Walker's ability on the ball. Three seasons back I'd have agreed with your assessment of Walker's qualities as he came across as Dwayne Chambers on a football pitch. However in the last 2.5 seasons his ability on the ball has improved massively and he's quite good at short passes now or else he wouldn't be at City and he has a cracking long pass.
I like TFM but his attributes currently aren't enough to come into a top side because his passing and crossing can be underwhelming. Of course he has potential especially on the defensive side but he's no where near being ready to start for us atm.
Ah, I forgot about Walker’s long passing tbh. It is quality. He’s a quality player to be fair. I just think Fosu Mensah is just as capable. I’ve seen him have games like Spurs away or West Ham away in his first season where it was the level you expect from a Walker or top full back. If we multiplied that level by a few years, he’d be rated higher. I know there’s a gap now, and Walker has earned that gap over the years, but TFM has many of the same tools, not all of them, but then has some of his own too.
I don’t think Walker is useless on the ball or anything, I just think his ability in this department is not what makes him a top RB. His overwhelmingly key facets are already shared by Fosu-Mensah I think, and I don’t think Walker’s ability in the ball is some zenith that Fosu-Mensah can’t ever get to, we’re not talking about Marcelo or even Grimaldo. He’s largely kick and run.
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Really has been an excellent loan so far. Just turned 20, he’s as good a defensive prospect as there is out there.
How in the word Walker's name is pop up in here. Just because both are currently playing as a right back doesn't mean they both have similarity. Mensah is pure defender with physical gifted, Walker is a pure attacking full back. If there is a similar player he will develop into as a right back, that will be Ivanovic.
I am really looking forward to having him come back here, what with Tuzanbe getting game time thanks to Sir Steve at Villa, the pair of them should mean that we should not need to speed on defensive players in the summer.
He is a good defensive fullback, but comparing him to Walker is a bit over the top.
Yeah his performance against Spurs in his first season and the recent one vs City gives us hope that he can one day reach that bracket. Fingers crossed because if he does he saves us £50-60m in this crazy market.
A few poor stuffs he did today against Newcastle United, his man marking & concentration weren't good enough, losing Diame for the first goal (to be honest Crystal Palace looked pathetic defending the corner), pathetic moment when he lost one on one vs Kenedy.
But they are cancelled out with some good stuffs as well, he had a few dangerous moment when going forward, made some good interception, there was a time during counter attack he was in a two vs one situation alone but he kept his distance by waitting for Kenedy to made the mistake and be aware there was another player behind him, overall to me it's neutral performance. 6/10.
But they are cancelled out with some good stuffs as well, he had a few dangerous moment when going forward, made some good interception, there was a time during counter attack he was in a two vs one situation alone but he kept his distance by waitting for Kenedy to made the mistake and be aware there was another player behind him, overall to me it's neutral performance. 6/10.
I watched the game today and he had a mixed performance, he made some good interceptions and created a good chance for Saha, but he's also positionally green and he needs to stop going to ground with rash slide tackles so often.
Sounds like a young player then?
He didn't mark Diame for the corner, where did that come from? Cabaye I think firstly fecked up the clearance, and Diame was behind on the second post, TFM was marking another player.
Kenedy did skin him once, but it was a solid performance.
Where did that come from you say? Here:
He kept eye on Diame before that goal. I did mention Crystal Palace defending corner was pathetic so I wasn't blaming Mensah entirely. It was poor as a team.
Calm down. Didn't you also say he was just as good a defensive midfielder as Kante once?
That picture proves nothing. If anything the other guy was marking Diame, and TFM the number 2. I can't say he was marking him since he never got even close to the guy. Usually when they double team up on set pieces, the ones that are closest take each other, the second guy is taken by the defender behind.
Either way it wasn't Cabaye, but Milivojevic that failed to clear the ball and it's on him in my opinion.
You don't always need to be tight mark to be called as "marking". Keep an eye on the player is also called as marking. Either way if he's not marking Diame, he still lost his man because he marked no one. I mentioned it because I would like to point one of the example of his man marking or concentration in that game, there was also times when he wasn't aware where Kenedy was during the throw in.
I never blame Mensah for the goal entirely, I told you it was poor as a team when they were defending corner.
As I said, I can't say he was marking him, cause he never intended to in my opinion. Giving someone a slight look I'm not classifying as marking. Maybe he was designed to attack the first ball, but Milivojevic was already there and fecked up. It was shambles anyway and when the captain makes a mistake what else can be said about a 20 year old defender.
I agree he had some difficulties with Kenedy, he is better than what he showed yesterday and it will serve him as a lesson.
So he was marking no one then which is the issue I have just mentioned about his marking and concentration because Diame wasn't the only one was being unmarked when he scored, there were 2 or 3 more Newcastle's players.
The worst part of what you said is if he was designed to attack the first ball not to mark player then his concentration is deserved to be questioned, because he should have kept an eye on the ball not on players.
Well he can't go through his teammate and Ayoze to get first to the ball can he? It looked like he was keeping Clark behind his back. That's where my original claim that he was more aware and intent on marking Clark rather that Diame. Either way as I said the mistake came from neither the one who intended to mark Diame or Clark, but Milivojevic, anything else is up for debate.
Not his best game by his own admition on twitter, but these are exactly the sort of games he needs to improve. No point playing at United where all he will do 80% of the time is attack.
He's going to learn his position much better defensively at Palace, and once he's got that sorted Jose is much more likely to play him.
He's going to learn his position much better defensively at Palace, and once he's got that sorted Jose is much more likely to play him.
Why do you keep making things up that I'm blaming Mensah for the goal when I never blame him?
So let's assume he was in charge to keep an eye on Clark, where was Mensah & Clark right when Diame scored then? Mensah clearly losing his man when he was in charge marking on whoever he was supposed to mark (Diame or Clark). The point what I'm making is that his man marking & concentration weren't good enough which needs an improvement.
Again, I said he had the same attributes. Which he does.
I am comparing TFM to other top players with great physical gifts but not unattainable technical levels. I saw the qualities in his first season that suggest he can be a top ball-winner in midfield, like Kante. He also has the ability to carry the ball at speed.
For the record, I’m aware TFM is not yet one of he best players in the league. But he has a lot of the same attributes as some of them already, and not ‘I can see him growing to be very powerful by he time he’s 25’ kinda thing, I mean right now. That can be harnessed into making him a new Kante or new Walker in my opinion, as neither are Fabregas or Marcelo on the ball themselves. I would never say I hope or expect him to develop like Fabregas, as I’m aware he likely never will. But the things that make Walker and Kante standout players are things that he has already.
He may not be on Walker’s level right now but having said that, Fosu-Mensah’s performance against City where he completely shut down their entire left flank, which included an in-form Sane, is by far one of the best defensive performances I’ve seen put in by a young and upcoming full-back. I don’t think Walker at Fosu Mensah’s current age could’ve been able to do that.
Where have I said that? What did I make up?
Get your shit together. I just said Milivojevic was at fault for the goal, anything else is up for debate (on the part who was marking who).
I think comparisons with well established top level players is premature. Though it's easy to see why people are excited .
He's got the raw tools to become a very good right back by the looks. Every chance he could go on to be a class act for us if he catches a break with fitness. Very successful loan so far. Getting playing time and good reviews.
He's got the raw tools to become a very good right back by the looks. Every chance he could go on to be a class act for us if he catches a break with fitness. Very successful loan so far. Getting playing time and good reviews.
Because you are keep talking about who was at fault for the goal, was that the point of discussion?
I think you are the one who needs to get your shit together because you are talking stuffs that isn't related to the original discussion and thread. We are talking about Mensah not talking about Crystal Palace. Who cares about Milivojevic or how they were conceded.
The point is Mensah isn't following whoever he's supposed to mark for the first goal, his man marking & concentration weren't good enough. How many times this incident happened this season with United's game, players are losing their concentration and their man during set pieces and crossings.
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Look pal, nobody said you blamed TFM for the goal, we were discussing who marked Diame. We didn't agree and I said it's up to debate and it wasn't that important to me since someone else made a crucial mistake. I thought TFM was taking care of Clark the way he kept him behind his back, you think he was keeping an eye on Diame because he gave him a look in the blink of a second. We didn't agree and that's it.
It wasn't the best of games by him but he was solid on occasions, Kenedy had his number in others, he had a very good cross to whoever missed but most importantly it will serve him a lesson and he will learn from that, that's why he is on loan.
Feckin hell this thread! Obviously he’s not the finished article, he’s a very good prospect. Seems some are way way over rating him and others are being overly critical.
He’s at Palace to learn, he’s doing very well, not fantastic but he’ll learn a lot there.
He’s at Palace to learn, he’s doing very well, not fantastic but he’ll learn a lot there.
If he was indeed marking Clark as I think, he didn't lose him, he realized the ball is coming low and put himself in front of Clark. That is contradicting with what you are saying cause Clark wasn't going to get to the ball in any way. He never got close to Diame, that's why I think it was absurd to say he lost him, he never even started marking him.
There were other things on which he could have been criticized, this one I think he shouldn't be, and that's the end for me.
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