Zidane Iqbal

Lovely player but don't think he can go much further. Reminds me of Garner, Levitt etc, just not fast enough to make a big difference. Technically very good though and will have a good pro career in the game.

Something of a paradox methinks
 
I was just curious to hear your thoughts mate. Also welcome aboard and hope to see you contributing regularly in the youth forum.
Thanks mate, I've been a silent reader for many years and really enjoy watching the 18's and 23's for too many years to remember. Over the years I have rated certain players who have gone well and others who have failed to make it further. Hit and miss but watching the kids is still our United DNA and hopefully for years to come. I was never a fan of Scott McT and who would have guessed he ended up our main CM. Angel was another and always looked like a Bruno clone but wasn't to be with us. To be honest. I have high hopes for quite a few. Shola, Hansen, Elanga, Hannibal, Laird, Hardley, Kambwala and Vitek. Fingers crossed we can keep chatting about them as they progress into our firsts squad.
Yes you can work on speed drills to increase pace up to a certain point until that person reaches a plateau.

There are also players with slow and fast twitch muscles that impact speed in terms of short and long distance.

Players do this in training all the time. They also do distance running to increase Vo2.

I think Scott McTominay was clocked at around 15 mins for a 5k recently which is exceptionally quick. Yet, he isn't the fasted player at the club. Elanga and others can do 100m in a crazy time but can't beat McTominay at 5k distance.

Every player is different and when you lack speed, particularly in midfield, you compensate with technical and positional play.
Something of a paradox methinks

Hi mate, not concentrating or making myself fully understandable. :) I think what I was trying to say that he mightn't make our firsts but could have a good pro career like Ben Pearson, Phil Bardsley, Oliver Norwood type of players with good skills and can get a pro career in lower levels etc. Zidane is in the moment and if he can improve then who knows what he can achieve. As I mentioned, watching Scott come through, you would have never guessed he would make 1sts, he did grow half a foot or something though that helped.
 
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He is playing for iraq u21. He scored his first goal yesterday at 1:10.
 
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I'm not going to be popular but I can't see him or Forson making our first squad. Good talents but remind me of Garner, Levitt, Galbraith levels. They have more skill on the ball though. I'd be very happy to be proven wrong.
 
I'm not going to be popular but I can't see him or Forson making our first squad. Good talents but remind me of Garner, Levitt, Galbraith levels. They have more skill on the ball though. I'd be very happy to be proven wrong.

He's set tbh.
Representing Iraq at NT level opens him up to a whole new world of opportunities in Asia and the Middle East. He now counts as an Asian player so the biggest teams, especially in the Gulf, will be after him if he fails to make it at a decent level in Europe. Teams in the Asian CL are allowed 4 foreigners out of which 1 has to be Asian.
 
I'm not going to be popular but I can't see him or Forson making our first squad. Good talents but remind me of Garner, Levitt, Galbraith levels. They have more skill on the ball though. I'd be very happy to be proven wrong.

I dont think talent is the problem, its getting a chance in the team and taking it on the rare occasion it comes. So it'll probably be down to how he does in a friendly or cup game in the future. If Garner had played well in our friendlies he might have got his chance this season. He didnt so we wont know.
 
I'm not going to be popular but I can't see him or Forson making our first squad. Good talents but remind me of Garner, Levitt, Galbraith levels. They have more skill on the ball though. I'd be very happy to be proven wrong.
So why did you post this?
 
He's set tbh.
Representing Iraq at NT level opens him up to a whole new world of opportunities in Asia and the Middle East. He now counts as an Asian player so the biggest teams, especially in the Gulf, will be after him if he fails to make it at a decent level in Europe. Teams in the Asian CL are allowed 4 foreigners out of which 1 has to be Asian.

Not sure how much truth is in it but I heard he’s actively looking for a move abroad.
 
I'm not going to be popular but I can't see him or Forson making our first squad. Good talents but remind me of Garner, Levitt, Galbraith levels. They have more skill on the ball though. I'd be very happy to be proven wrong.
I don't think he's as good Garner or Levitt were, to be honest. Still has lots of talent though.
 
Different types of players though...Garner and Levitt don't play in the 10 role at all...
If Iqbal bulks up, I think he'll be an 8 long-term.

Played deeper the other day which I think he prefers as he likes getting on the ball as much as possible:
 
Looks a talent. Him and that kid from Tromsø
 
If Iqbal bulks up, I think he'll be an 8 long-term.

Played deeper the other day which I think he prefers as he likes getting on the ball as much as possible:

He played deep for Iraq too. He was very good there too.
 
Considering the odds on one of our youngsters making it anyway I just thought it was pointless.
Yeap. My pet peeve in this forum is when people slag players off and then end the comments with 'but I hope they prove me wrong' ... like the players give a flying feck!
 
Yeap. My pet peeve in this forum is when people slag players off and then end the comments with 'but I hope they prove me wrong' ... like the players give a flying feck!
My take on life is I would rather be optimistic and be proven wrong than pessimistic and proven right....life is more fun that way.
 
Imagine if this leads to United unearthing a load of talented British South Asians. There must be a whole load of skill there. Good luck to young Zidane.
 
Need a thread in player performance forum
Now. Looked good today
 
Great to see him get some play time. Hoped to see him earlier on. Hope he gets more chance later on.
 
Looked good, put in defensive work and wasn't scared to take the ball in duels.
 
Imagine if this leads to United unearthing a load of talented British South Asians. There must be a whole load of skill there. Good luck to young Zidane.
Imagine if this leads to United unearthing a load of talented British South Asians. There must be a whole load of skill there. Good luck to young Zidane.
A lot of British south Asians were excited at this and more so when he came on. (Me being one also)

There are a lot of talented British south Asians but for whatever reason haven’t really seen many eventually make it big.

Hoping this opens the door to more young British Asians making that step up as there is a lot of talent out there.
 
Well done, I love this club.
 
Imagine if this leads to United unearthing a load of talented British South Asians. There must be a whole load of skill there. Good luck to young Zidane.

Being a British South Asian myself, it’d be amazing if it did!
 
Haven’t heard or seen much about him, but purely from his name I’ve decided he’ll be world class
 
He's not the first, Fellaini was of Arab descent was he not?
Moroccan, so Africa.

Zidane is half Pakistani Half Iraqi. South Asia refers to Pakistan as Iraq is in West Asia. He plays for Iraq internationally, making him the first Iraqi to play for United and the first British South Asian to play for us too hence why so many communities are excited about him.

Regarding Fellaini, you can be African and Arab, the whole of North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Lybia and Egypt) is Arab.
 
Zidane is half Pakistani Half Iraqi. South Asia refers to Pakistan as Iraq is in West Asia. He plays for Iraq internationally, making him the first Iraqi to play for United and the first British South Asian to play for us too hence why so many communities are excited about him.

Regarding Fellaini, you can be African and Arab, the whole of North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Lybia and Egypt) is Arab.

I think we're getting into semantics a bit, I didn't really want to get into the whole history of North Africa and it's relationship to the Middle East.

The point I was trying to make is that Fellaini isn't from any part of Asia, he's from Africa. Well, he's actually from Belgium, just like Iqbal is actually from the UK, but you know what I mean.

Anyway, it's beside the point. As you said, he's the first British South Asian to represent the club, and there are so few overall through the pyramid. Hopefully that'll change.