Transfer Tweets - 2021/22 | Check the OP for blacklisted sources before posting
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Did this then lead to bout and lawler leaving?
Probably this and a number of things.
He's not a ten Hag type of player, but fits like a glove into a Pochettino/Rangnick approach.
Quality-wise he is obviously good enough for us. Style is another matter.
I used to watch Gladbach regularly and he's a good player for a coach who bypasses the midfield, and he's also adept at defending space in 1v1 scenarios. But he's not a player that would be ideal for positional play and there's far better players to enhance ten Hag's approach on the ball. This would've been the wrong signing for ten Hag imo.
How long has McLaren been out of the game? Two or three years? And he's been a bit of a journeyman for ages before then too.. 'Proven top class' is stretching it a bit don't you think. And no way was he a better finisher than van Persie. I would rather RvP be coaching the strikers than McLaren any day of the week.
I am not sure about that one. I'm inclined to agree with the scouts, assuming the report is true.
to be fair every defensive midfielder in a top flight league that has the legs for 90 minutes is probably better then what is at the club currently.
What? He's almost exactly a ETH type player? Good on the ball and comfortable in multiple positions. This seems like some Fifa analysis to me.
I honestly don't even know where to start with that tbh mate.
Better finisher? Who even said he was and what's that got to do with anything? Ole was an incredible finisher and most on here seem to dislike him.
McClaren is a proven coach and number 2. We won the treble with him in that role. What the hell as RVP done to warrant being our number 2 other than being a top player. Carrick was a top player for us and people didn't think he was qualified either.
He's good at covering space in defensive transition and is also good at driving through the lines with the ball. But his passing is limited for positional play.
I feel like he rarely gives away the ball & generally takes care of it really well. His passing isn't very progressive but ETH likes a DM that will drop into a back 3 and allow the fullbacks to rotate on attacks & I think Zakaria is very capable at dropping into the defence. I'd say he wouldn't fit if you wanted him higher up the pitch.
Personally not one for stats or you would say Fernandes has been really good this season, as you mention, he certainly hasnt been.
Im not saying I dont like Mkunku and think he is a good player....but if Greenwood for example leaves, we realistically NEED a centre back, right back, defensive midfielder, right winger and striker.
If the budget is £200m which seems generous though needed, would you genuinely spend £60m on Nkunku to compete with SAncho and Fernandes and leave £140m for five more signings?
Im not saying he wouldnt replace them just as it was folly a couple of years ago when people said Grealish is a poor signing as expensive when we already have Rashford and Fernandes, Nkunku may or may not be better than both as I felt Grealish was (and thats when both were on form) but we werent as depleted first eleven wise in quality and number of signings as needed now.
We do have on the left Sancho, Elanga, Rashford, Garnacho, Greenwood, Martial currently as left wing possible options. Of course wont all be here, but thats a lot of options.
We also have currently Fernandes, Hannibal, VDB, Fred, Pogba, Mata, Lingard, Pereira....of course a lot of those may leave...but leaving the first three are decent options.
Like I said I like Nkunku, versatile and a real team player which is important. Not sure I see him as a world beater. See the comparisons with Salh which are way off the mark, he reminds me more of Payet without the flashyness, which is no bad thing, But looking at other areas in the pitch on our first eleven, virtually every other postion needs a signing more and even with players leacing there are more options in both positions within the squad than virtually all other positions, that is why I said I dont think he is needed, not because he istn a very good player....though I think there are others less versatile but possibly more talented cheaper for the left anyway
He wasnt very good as a manager, but he always seemed very impressive as a coach, whether he still is now as the game is different who knows, think a bit unfair to compare him to Van Persie based on his management experience and Van Persie as a player though
The aim will be to create a compact high block, especially against the smaller teams with the CBs on the half way line with and without the ball. And midfielders will have to provide progressive passes, as well as help build play in a vertical axis. And in such a approach there's better players than Zakaria to dominate the ball with the aforementioned approach.
But under Pochettino, Rose, Rangnick, he'd be the correct profile of player because they place a heavy emphasis on winning the ball back high up the pitch to force quick counters, whilst bypassing the midfield. So in such a setup Zakaria can be utilised as a high energy player to help implement the counter press or to defend space in 1v1 scenarios in a high line.
Not seen him much, but I remember people raving about him for a year or two before he did actually move. Didnt see it myself, looked to have good positioning and a good engine but not sure he was the answer even if so cheap (wasnt he free?).
Not one for signing players jsut because they are free, its a consideration, but should want players because they help us progress, Kamara for example certainly would do over the next few years, not sure Zakaria was more than just a decent signing for a problem position...
What RR should be saying to the the scouts is why the hell havent you found a single defensive midfielder for this club when we only have one who is old and most of our midfielders arent very good, Matic the only defensive midfielder signed over the last 4/5 years and before that who was there Fellaini (pffft) and Herrera who was good for a spell, was a decent player but wasnt exceptional or value really.
Hope that is rectified this summer, there are so many really good defensiev midfielders in Europe at the moment and a lot of them young too. If we dont sign one or even two quality additions there I would be stunned rather than just surprised like last summer
He’s not necessarily leading the training though. That’s probably more Van Der Gaags remit as No.2. It’s been stated repeatedly that Ten Hag wants somebody who knows the club and knows English PL. Steve is a good fit for that and he’s worked with Erik at Twente so they get on. It seems a very sensible appointment and I’m not sure why so many have such an issue with it.
It’s a weird blessing in disguised that the WC isn’t this summer. Gives us time to actually get the players we need.
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It’s taken nearly 2 years @Adnan but you’ve finally admitted Zakaria is a limited passer.
Proud of you
Edit: Do you still think he’s a better passer than Fabinho and Henderson?
He's a limited passer in the positional play approach but not in a uber vertical high tempo/high intensity fast transition approach of Rangnick, Pochettino Rose etc.It’s taken nearly 2 years @Adnan but you’ve finally admitted Zakaria is a limited passer.
Proud of you
Erik ten Hag's approach is very different and hence my opinions change on a player depending who the coach is and what his approach is.
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Will you at least accept he’s not a better passer than Fabinho and Henderson and never has been?
His passing was more than fine in a high tempo/ fast transition approach which placed emphasis on pressing high and bypassing the midfield.
And the reason I wanted him at the time was due to his ability to keep it simple and cover ground quickly in defensive transition.
Fabinho and Henderson probably are better passers but a midfield is judged by its composition and the midfield 3 of Casemiro with Kroos and Modric as the conductors more than makes up for any short comings.
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His passing was average for the position at the time but he made up for it with above average progressive dribbling instead.
It would have been passable but nowhere near the level of the other names suggested at the time. Note that Koopmeiners, Locatelli and Rice are now getting further plaudits at their respective sides.
The lack of mobility Koopmeiners allegedly had has seen him play DM/CM and more recently No10 for Atalanta and 94th percentile for pressures in the attacking 3rd he’s even surprised me with his ability here. Locatelli is keeping Zakaria out of a starting position at Juventus and Rice is now one of the most coveted DMs in world football.
I still believe Zakaria would have been a sub standard signing for the PL when compared to the other options.
Zakaria did suffer a bad injury which has affected him. And Koopmeiners was never a top EPL player in the making because he's poor going the other way (as Hassenhuttl would put it). You can't have players who are slow on the turn over in the EPL if the ambition is to adopt a high line. And Serie A is the correct league for a player like that.
Locatelli is a much better player than Zakaria in a slower paced game, which Serie A is. And like I've told you before, Zakaria is best utilised in a approach where defensive stability is sacrificed for goals. You have to understand the profile of player both in offensive and defensive transition in such a approach.
Locatelli is a better player on the ball than Casemiro, but I'd still pick Casemiro ahead of him and put two creative #8s either side with high energy/mobility.
According to Twitter ITK's Rangnick's wandered around Carrington and OT the last few months asking questions in an almost constant state of surprise.
What is that even means ?
He has his contact, connection, and now using them to find suitable available position within PL clubs, perhaps?
Who said anything about him being the No. 2?? Ten Hag already has that position lined up for Van Der Gaag. You can have more than one coaching assistant and RvP would be perfect as the striker coach which is what he does at Feyenoord currently. How the hell is McLaren going to be a better choice?
Not that it will ever happen now but imagine Greenwood under Van Persie's tutelage?
He'd have helped us because he moves well for his size and one of him or Fred in the midfield would make us tougher to play against, but I haven't seen much to disagree with the scouts on this one overall.
Fair point about being the second assistant. On the last sentence "Imagine Greenwood learning under Ronaldo/Cavani"...
Not a good deal IMO at this price.
A lot of money for a lot of nothing. Let's hope Luckhurst is wrong about this one.
He's not that good but it would piss off Leeds fans so worth it.
So we've seen a lot of 'back the manager' and then the 2 immediate responses to what would appear to be his first target are met with 'not good enough' 
Backing the manager doesn't mean signing club's Brexit profile target.So we've seen a lot of 'back the manager' and then the 2 immediate responses to what would appear to be his first target are met with 'not good enough'
Kalvin Phillips is not making wave on global scale of thing, that would make you think ETH personally wants him.
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Locatelli is the smarter player, Zakaria has a more powerful engine, neither is able to lead or decide elite games by themselves… which is still good enough if you are trying to build a compact unit with occasional individual masterstrokes (a la Conte), pretty bad if you want speculative football on top of constant individual masterstrokes (a la Allegri).
United will need a number of system players for Ten Hag, though, so both types would be up to the task in a good and coherent midfield, provided that the third one is a Modric/Jorginho distributor. I am not sure Ten Hag will be able to replicate Ajax, simply because the culture and the pressure are different in England, much heavier… and he will be allowed only one season to set up a pleasant and contending squad.
He’d be useful not my first choice by any means. Unfortunately Luckhurst is adamant about this similar to how he was with Matic in 2017.
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