Wing-back prospects

For those saying Garnacho it makes no sense, he isn't a great crosser, his strength is having shots at goal and running in behind. He can't do that from a LWB/RWB position.

Out of the wingers we've got Antony but on the left is probably the closest winger come wing-back.

Out of our full backs both Dalot and Mazraoui seem more than capable of doing a job on the right. The left is a bit screwed though. I wonder if we'll see a Matuidi type play there and tucking into midfield rather than bombing on the overlap, at least until we can sign someone.
 
Obviously if you could get Davies, you go for him.

But if not, Alvaro or Maatsen (Villa is not a good fit for him, so might be gettable) to rotate with Dalot and Mazraoui. I don't think any of our wingers would suit the wingback role tbh.
 
Clearly if we can get top of the line options, the likes of Davies and Frimpong would be ideal, but I wouldn't mind the club looking at Dwight McNeil if we can't get the obvious.

He's got 200+ PL games under his belt while still only 24 - almost all as a wide supporting midfielder, rather than an inside forward/cut in and shoot merchant like most of the wide players in the league. Everton are playing him as a #10 this year and he's probably their best player, but I think if he could step up to a better club it would be back out wide, and LWB in a system like Amorim's could be ideal.
 
quadrant said:
Hard to say until we see his system in action. There's a lot of assumptions floating around that he'll play two full backs in those positions, but from what I gather he plays true wingers there at Sporting. He also seems to play one winger higher than another, based on heatmaps I've seen, so he might play a FB on one side and a winger on another. Im sure he'll start out with fullbacks there, simply based on our squad composition, but in terms of who he brings in, I think we'll be looking at wingers more than attacking full backs.
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Interesting if true as I did have some reservations if Martinez can defend the wide channel effectively as LCB given his pace.
 
The Athletic's mentioned in a few different articles that Jorge Mendes is now a regular fixture at the club again - meeting Berrada almost monthly after spending some time in the wilderness.

Ait-Nouri is one of his clients. So is current Sporting wonderkid Geovany Quenda. Joao Mario too (not that one, the Porto right-back)
 
Martial'sEmergingSmile said:
The Athletic's mentioned in a few different articles that Jorge Mendes is now a regular fixture at the club again - meeting Berrada almost monthly after spending some time in the wilderness.

Ait-Nouri is one of his clients. So is current Sporting wonderkid Geovany Quenda. Joao Mario too (not that one, the Porto right-back)
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João Mário is great attacking but shit defending, don’t think he is good enough for United to be honest.
 
I’d like to think that just because he played a certain formation at Sporting it doesn’t mean he will do the same here. Conte doesn’t play a 343 at Napoli.
 
If we fully embrace the wing backs, Ait-Nouri would be a good fit. Alvaro Fernandez buy back could be an option too.

We have to be careful going down that route though, I wouldn't want us to be pigeonholed into only playing one way and wing-backs can be quite specialised roles. Ideally you want players who are capable of being full-backs or wing-backs without compromising too much if they have to switch.

I can see it being something thrown at us if we go that way with Amorim and it doesn't work out well. It'll be a problem if we feel wedded to a system that nobody ends up liking.
 
P-Nut said:
For those saying Garnacho it makes no sense, he isn't a great crosser, his strength is having shots at goal and running in behind. He can't do that from a LWB/RWB position.

Out of the wingers we've got Antony but on the left is probably the closest winger come wing-back.

Out of our full backs both Dalot and Mazraoui seem more than capable of doing a job on the right. The left is a bit screwed though. I wonder if we'll see a Matuidi type play there and tucking into midfield rather than bombing on the overlap, at least until we can sign someone.
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You can do that as a wingback easily. Dalot is making runs in behind the defence from rightback and there have been inverted wingbacks coming inside to shoot before too
 
Alvaro looks way too slow to play as a wing back.

Amorim has to decide if Amass is his standards or not and if he isn't good enough then go for Alphonso Davies.

As dreamland as it sounds - I wouldn't even mind having both Amass & Davies for the LWB position because I feel like we need to move on from being a club with just one top player for one position.

Get 2 great quality players in each position and then your ultimately left with a squad.

I know there's links with Davies & Madrid - but he just doesn't seem like a Madrid player to me especially when you consider how many Bundesliga fans call him overrated.
 
Shaw's Shank Redemption said:
Alvaro looks way too slow to play as a wing back.

Amorim has to decide if Amass is his standards or not and if he isn't good enough then go for Alphonso Davies.

As dreamland as it sounds - I wouldn't even mind having both Amass & Davies for the LWB position because I feel like we need to move on from being a club with just one top player for one position.

Get 2 great quality players in each position and then your ultimately left with a squad.

I know there's links with Davies & Madrid - but he just doesn't seem like a Madrid player to me especially when you consider how many Bundesliga fans call him overrated.
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Dreamland? Amass is 17. He might be 3-4 years away from being good enough to start if he gets there at all. Mainoo and Garnacho are great talents but they shouldn't be starters. Starting teenagers is not a recipe for success. We definately need more quality!
 
Patrick Dorgu, a Danish LB/LWB (this season he plays mainly right winger, ask the Lecce manager not me) from Lecce just turned 20 years old and yesterday scored his second league goal of the season. Last year, in his debut Serie A season when he was deployed mainly at the LB/LWB, he played 34 games and scored two goals. He's already really good and will only improve, hype around him and his potential was quite big for a while now, but he's now reaching high level of consistency and maturity. A very attacking player and he's a bit suspect in defence, but certainly a great offensive wing back that I fully expect to see in the Premier League soon.
 
greater wall said:
Mantato plays as a left back for England and right wing for United. Could he be a contender for a left wing back role?
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He could, although realistically he's still only 16 of course. Although Amass would deserve a shot there too. Would be cool to see Amass left wing back and Mantato on the right for a game.
 
Dorgu and Frimpong are two that standout. Although I think Dalot and Mazraoui are decent options on the right I think Frimpong would be an upgrade and Amorim uses attacking players in those roles.

Some of the younger players like Amass Mantato could also find it a bit easier to transition into to the team if we switch to a back three.
 
As suggested by many, Davies feels like the best choice if its a viable option. Miguel Gutiérrez at Girona seems a more realistic alternative if not, or potentially a revisiting of Alvaro Fernandez if we're confident it was the wrong decision to have shifted him in the summer.

Amass should be incorporated into the first-team as a long-term option, given he looks like an excellent prospect with fantastic technical ability and playing as a wingback should help with the step up as there will be less pressure on his defensive abilities.

Shaw and Malacia would ideally be sold, though buyers will naturally be hard to find given their obvious struggles. Malacia will be easier to shift but we're likely to be stuck with Shaw given his wages, so he can nominally be a backup at LCB/LWB if fit - an enormous caveat on that if though.

I think between Mazraoui and Dalot, the RWB slot is better stocked internally with Mazraoui the better attacking option.

Onana
Yoro - De Ligt - Martinez
Mazraoui - Ugarte - Mainoo - Davies
​
This feels like a well-balanced unit with Amorim free to then choose the attacking options he wants to roll with, and if anyone can make Ugarte work as the CDM it's him.


​
 
Bwuk said:
Unless we moved Dalot or Mazraoui on, I think we are covered at RWB.

LWB - I would seriously hope we don't rely on Shaw or Malacia to fill this. I'd be looking for 2 options here.
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At this stage Malacia and Shaw are basically two Phil Jones/Eric Bailly types. You may as well not consider them part of the squad, chronic injury problems and when they are fit they will break down again for months within a game or 2.

No slight on them, they’ve been injured playing football for us but we shouldnt really include them in squad planning. We have no senior left backs from that point of view
 
Remember the geese said:
He could, although realistically he's still only 16 of course. Although Amass would deserve a shot there too. Would be cool to see Amass left wing back and Mantato on the right for a game.
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Six months betwen him and Quenda. Amass is same age as Quenda. But big difference between England and Portugal.
 
Frimpong becomes a prime target now. We will likely go full speed ahead for him in the summer. I'd also take Grimaldo too. Mazraoui, Dalot, Frimpong and an LWB is an excellent wing back group.
 
LWB

Alphonso Davies
Theo Hernandez
Fede Dimarco
Air-Nouri
Patrick Dorgo
Leif Davis
Dwight McNeil

RWB

Achraf Hakimi
Frimpong
Tiago Santos
Vanderson
Dumfries
Michael Kayode


Lots of options.
 
Fabio Coentrao.

Though in all seriousness it would probably be Alvaro Fernandez, with a prayer that we'll somehow convince Davies in the summer.

Or who knows, he might have some unearthed gem from the Portuguese league in mind.
 
Stadjer said:
And how many realistic options?
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All but maybe three? Theo, Dimarco and Hakimi are the least likely but INEOS seem very ambitious so I wouldn’t rule anyone out completely if we have the budget.


LWB

Alphonso Davies - Madrid competition but not impossible as we saw with Yoro and we also have some old Bayern teammates

Theo Hernandez - Difficult but will only have 1y on his contract in the summer

Fede Dimarco - Even more difficult as Italians are hard to get out of their homeland

Air-Nouri - Straightforward but likely to at least £40-50m

Patrick Dorgu - Straightforward but rumoured to be a lot of interest in him

Leif Davis - As straightforward as it gets

Dwight McNeil - Former academy product but might cost similar to Ait-Nouri

RWB

Achraf Hakimi - Pipedream but his contract is up in 2026 and most of his pals have moved on so maybe there’s a chance

Frimpong - Will be competitive but there aren’t many top teams that play a system that gets the best out of him.

Tiago Santos - Very gettable and probs not too expensive

Vanderson - Also very gettable but has rumoured interest from elsewhere too.

Dumfries - Contract upon the summer so likely to have competition but very gettable if he’s the type of WB Ruben would want.

Michael Kayode - Young prospect that had interest in the summer. Competitive but very gettable.
 
IrishRedDevil said:
Are we watching the same Garnacho? He doesn't track back or defend well.
Amad is actually better at that.
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A caveat that Im no Ganracho fanboy, but Im stunned you dont think he doesnt track back well. I think his work rate is immense, and while he clearly cant actual tackle, I find myself often being impressed with how far back he tracks, and wish that Rashford would do the same. I dont think hed make a wing back or anything but I feel as if he runs himself into the ground.
 
As I said in another thread I’d offer Alphonso Davies the guarantee of being a star player and more money than Real offer as he’s basically the perfect left wing back, I’d also use the buy back to bring Alvaro back then let Alvaro and Amass fight it out to rotate with Davies.

Anyone thinking Shaw or Malacia offer anything as a wing back with their atrocious fitness records are crazy, I’d move Malacia on and use Shaw as a back up left sided centre back as I believe playing as a centre back would be far less stress on his brittle body but also he has the ability to be a good ball playing centre back too.
 
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