Think Iqbal might be a bit waifish for Ten Hag. He's quite press-resistant but he's also at risk of being bullied off the ball in one of the most vulnerable positions on the pitch.
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So we're not recalling Mejbri, McTominay is currently out injured, and it seems the club is casting a wide net in the loan market to see if something can be caught in the next half a day.
If we're not signing anyone surely Iqbal will have to be given a go here.
If we're not signing anyone surely Iqbal will have to be given a go here.
Starts for Iraq in a friendly v Russia in St. Petersburg.
Is he still a bit of a push over?. I would love to see him get a chance in the first team. Pellistri did the same, got international experience first before making his club debut, I wonder if our Zizu can do the same.
Pretty poor not refusing to play there
He will be playing in the U20 world cup in the summer too.
Why?
Oh you are one of those
From the player or the FA?
Maybe you are one of those. This is a performance thread. If you have any political views, take it to another place.
Played for his country not the gov I guess.
Player. I don't expect the FA to give a shit
Playing really well
Is it just me or does he seem to have grown a little bit? Really wish he could have gotten some game time in Europa to bring him on. We have no press resistant mids and that profile would be so good for us.
Love that! Thought he looked good preseason, needs a loan.
He’s so good. Featured heavily on Erik Ten Hag’s benches but seems like Mainoo is training better as he’s featured on the pitch.
Hopefully Iqbal can make it here! Was super super super impressive in pre season 2022.
Yeah would like to see more of him
Surprised Ten hag hasn't played him after the impressive pre-season he had. Hopefully he'll go on loan next season, needs 1st team minutes somewhere
Probably gets monstered by the others in training.
Hopefully we bring Hannibal back into the squad next season and get this guy a League 1 loan and see if he can get regular football.
I'd definitely loan him out next season. Though I think he'd maybe suit a league like Eredivisie to the EFL?
I've never been overly convinced by him at U18 and U21 level. He's a pretty player if given time on the ball with decent technique, and has chipped in with some end product at times. But, for me, too slow on the ball, not athletic enough for a box to box, doesn't 'dominate' / run the game as a ball playing playmaker, and not particularly physical or aggressive enough for a midfield battle.
He did all right in pre-season friendlies, but the slow pace / non-combative nature of friendlies suits his game.
I'd certainly put him ahead of Savage, but definitely below the likes of Mainoo, Hannibal and Amad. I'd be happy enough to see the latter three as part of the first team squad in the next season or two. But can't see Savage making it here at all and would be surprised if Iqbal did. Definitely think he needs to go out and really impress on loan next season if he is to have any chance.
I've never been overly convinced by him at U18 and U21 level. He's a pretty player if given time on the ball with decent technique, and has chipped in with some end product at times. But, for me, too slow on the ball, not athletic enough for a box to box, doesn't 'dominate' / run the game as a ball playing playmaker, and not particularly physical or aggressive enough for a midfield battle.
He did all right in pre-season friendlies, but the slow pace / non-combative nature of friendlies suits his game.
I'd certainly put him ahead of Savage, but definitely below the likes of Mainoo, Hannibal and Amad. I'd be happy enough to see the latter three as part of the first team squad in the next season or two. But can't see Savage making it here at all and would be surprised if Iqbal did. Definitely think he needs to go out and really impress on loan next season if he is to have any chance.
Oh you are one of those
Great play. Just wish he didn’t over hit the pass
Looks too good not to be getting a game considering our midfield options. In ETH is trust though.
Even if it would suit him better, it's not going to do him any good in terms of preparing him for English football. If he did well for a Dutch club, he'd still need a season after that in the EFL before he could ever be considered for Utd's first team.
Playing in the Championship is a much higher standard to most minor European leagues now anyway, a lot of teams play good football. Look at how well Amad has been doing for Sunderland this season.
If we didn't have such a bloated squad, I think he'd be getting a few 15 minute cameos in the 3-0s- problem is, even with the midfield injuries there's normally at least one more senior reserve or Mainoo, who already seems to be conventionally sturdier at around 2 years younger, in addition to having to use subs in other positions to give players minutes.
Hopefully he gets a Championship loan - you don't need to be 'hench' to deal with the CM hurly burly if you show good off-ball movement, press-resistant first time short passing and moving to receive etc...
Hopefully he gets a Championship loan - you don't need to be 'hench' to deal with the CM hurly burly if you show good off-ball movement, press-resistant first time short passing and moving to receive etc...
Any concerns EtH has must be off the ball because he looks so good in possession. Lovely weight and range of passing and the confidence to execute it which I don't remember from our pre-season games. Hard to tell how good he is defensively/positionally but he's not afraid to make challenges. Looks like he has a good frame that he can fill out as he gets older. Would love to see him get an opportunity to see if he can handle the higher pace.
Has been playing games this season? Reserves/ u21s? As he really needs to be playing regularly - he’s a talent. We could use someone of this skill set right now. Maybe in training he’s seeming too light
He's very lightweight when you compare him to Mainoo. I'm also not sure what his best position is, his skillset is that of a 10, but he simply doesn't have the numbers in this position.
He's a poor man's Gomes.
Glad to see Gomes is doing better at Lille now but he was nowhere near United's men's level and never once stood out during any of the opportunities he got. Zidane did, looking very good in pre-season. Also, he's 5'11, so even though he's a bit on the light side now, there's no reason he can't bulk up considerably while maintaining a physique optimal for footballers.
Development isn't linear so just because Gomes was a child prodigy it doesn't mean he won't be usurped by someone who may not have had quite as distinguished an underage career.
Yeah, that's how I've seen him during his time with the U18's and now U21's.
And that's what I was describing in my earlier post - doesn't offer enough defensively or physically for a 6. Doesn't have the mobility or athleticism for an 8. He's most suited to a 10 as he's decent technically with a good eye for a pass - if the games played at his slower pace and he's given time on the ball - but he just doesn't dominate games at all, or hurt teams enough with goals or assists, to play as a #10 at a high level.
If he can find a level where he's allowed to spread balls about in midfield and be a tidy player without offering much defensively or athletically - or who are prepared for him to play as a 10 despite, not yet anyway, offering enough end product to really justify the free role - then he could look quite an attractive ball playing midfielder at the right level.
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I find it hard to agree with the idea that Zidane Iqbal has stood out any more than Angel Gomes did. I remember Gomes scoring against Spurs during pre-season and various other cameos where he was decent enough. He is taller than Gomes, yeah I give him that.
On your final paragraph, I very much agree. Anything can happen. However, Gomes was far superior to Zidane Iqbal at youth level and a bigger talent. That's the only point I was making really.
He looks really good, had a great preseason as well but he hasnt had any opportunities during the season. There must be something in training that ETH doesnt like.
People do see things differently, eh? 'Decent technically' - to me he looks so much better than decent. There's a real fluidity about the guy and his touch is exquisite. His passing, too, is really intelligent and sharp. Maybe you're right and he lacks the robustness necessary for the premiership; I'm not sure as I have not really seen enough of him. But I do find him an exciting player, with creativity and the technical abilities to allow him the retain the ball without having to rely on brute force. So I hope he makes it here. However, I do tend to trust in ETH and if he thinks Zidane isn't good enough for us, in whatever way it is, I am prepared to live with that. We'll see, I guess.
Nice to see him shooting and playing passes off both feet. Always good to watch a tricksy midfielder who can do that. I think, because he's quite slight and also playing a position where experience and strength are important, he's definitely going to be a bit of a late bloomer. I could see him taking at least a couple more seasons to show his true level. What that true level is I don't know of course, most likely it's not United level, but he certainly deserves the chance to find out.
Interesting to see the Gomes comparison, I can definitely see it to some degree and I was actually thinking that he might fit in quite well in the French league if we could find him a good loan to a lesser team there next year. It's got the physicality of the championship but perhaps a bit more time on the ball and the sort of technicality that might suit him. Portugal might be another good shout if we could find a team who wanted him.
Interesting to see the Gomes comparison, I can definitely see it to some degree and I was actually thinking that he might fit in quite well in the French league if we could find him a good loan to a lesser team there next year. It's got the physicality of the championship but perhaps a bit more time on the ball and the sort of technicality that might suit him. Portugal might be another good shout if we could find a team who wanted him.
Scholes wasn't getting in the team until he was 22ish. I think ten hag probably likes Iqbal but he's not quite there yet.
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