Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted November 22, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted November 22, 2021 1 hour ago, tiger_rick said: As an aside, when did the United academy last produce a top defender or defensive midfielder? For all the talk about Class of '92, blah, blah, they produced Brown, Evans, O'Shea and Fletcher long after that. Who since? McTominay is it isn't he? It ain't McTominay! High hopes for Teden Mengi and I think Ethan Laird has something, but yeah, the cupboard has been bare for some time. The U23s defensive record last season was awful but they were scoring goals for fun, the attacking talent at the Academy is incredible. Which additionally makes the sheer number of attacking signings all the more daft - Shoretire and Elanga could be brilliant, given the chance. 1 hour ago, PunkStep said: Michael Keane is the only one I can really think of. LVG threw quite a few of them into the first team, but they mostly seemed to end up at Sunderland and by default went to shit. edit: specifically, Paddy McNair, Donald Love, Tyler Blackett,Cameron Borthwick-Jackson Borthwick-Jackson definitely had something but I've heard his issues were more external rather than any problems with his on-pitch performances. McNair was definitely a solid centre-back but van Gaal was trying him at right-back. Love was never good enough and Tyler Blackett was / is terrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Curious Orange Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 Tuanzebe looked good in his first loan spell at Villa, and had a really good game away at PSG in the Champions League. But injuries and being part of that Demba goal when everyone just left him alone up front seem to have halted his progress I'm not sure he'll play much at Villa going forward too, now they've gone back to the Cash/Konsa/Ming's/Targett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members WeeAl Posted November 23, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted November 23, 2021 2-0 loss at home for the Swift's tonight against Crusaders. We were really poor in the first half, when both goals were scored. Offered no threat going forward and defended poorly. The second half was much better though. Really took it to the Crues, especially down our left side. They still had their chances though, but we retained the ball a lot better and drove at their defence when the chance arose. Crusaders have a big lump of a forward, 6ft 6" I'm told, who I haven't seen in person before. If he was any use with his head, or didn't find himself out on the flank crossing towards the 4 ft 3" wingers, then he'd be a real handful. Impressed with O'Brien and Glynn down our left side. It must be Dungannon-itis. Absolutely nothing ever happens on our right, everything feeds down the left, and then every summer we find ourselves having to replace the departing LB/LW and the personnel on the right hand side stays the same. Anyway, it's proper football weather now. Baltic. Think I've lost a number of toes. Might allow me to save a few pounds and buy shoes in the kids section next time out. Every cloud and all that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
METAL ON METAL Posted November 24, 2021 Share Posted November 24, 2021 On 11/22/2021 at 5:34 PM, PunkStep said: Michael Keane is the only one I can really think of. LVG threw quite a few of them into the first team, but they mostly seemed to end up at Sunderland and by default went to shit. edit: specifically, Paddy McNair, Donald Love, Tyler Blackett,Cameron Borthwick-Jackson Whereas, these days it’s Man Utd signing youngsters from Sunderland - Logan Pye and Joe Hugill. The latter is going to be a cracking player.  To be fair to him, Paddy McNair was looking to be a really good player but rupturing his cruciate (and being out 12-18 months including concurrent injuries relating to it) at such an important stage of his career development just really fucked him. He came back to be a solid player and the only bright spark of the second half of our disastrous Championship season (Netflix S1). Donald Love was just a perennial local TV competition winner who was given a free kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members CleetusVanDamme Posted November 25, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted November 25, 2021 Never thought I'd be so hyped about tying up a player until he's nearly 39, but he's still on a different level. I always love watching the last stand of a legendary defender staying at the very top through positonal know-how. Not that he's even declined that much physically yet. A warrior. Your turn, Rudiger... Â Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Danger Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 AVB would have him performing to my own personal expectations. Huffing and puffing on the halfway line with John Terry and Ashley Cole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Teedy Kay Posted November 26, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted November 26, 2021 On 11/22/2021 at 5:34 PM, PunkStep said: Cameron Borthwick-Jackson He came to Wolves on loan after his breakthrough season and every Wolves fan I know including myself was excited by the prospect. He went on to do absolutely nothing, what little he played he was awful and put no effort in at any stage, he apparently was atrocious in training and the main stories circulating Molineux were generally about his attitude being disgraceful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted November 26, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted November 26, 2021 37 minutes ago, Teedy Kay said: He came to Wolves on loan after his breakthrough season and every Wolves fan I know including myself was excited by the prospect. He went on to do absolutely nothing, what little he played he was awful and put no effort in at any stage, he apparently was atrocious in training and the main stories circulating Molineux were generally about his attitude being disgraceful. I heard this too. He thought he was a player after he played a few games with United, was put out by being sent out on loan, and still has a massive strop-on that United sent him on his way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Danger Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 Probably bottled it being sent on loan to a bigger club. Ralph Rangnick could be the most interesting thing that’s happened to United in years. I mentioned it depends on what Woodward’s input would be to the United fan in work and he reckoned it’s Carrick and Fletcher who could get in his way. Like those two midfield cucks have any actual sway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted November 26, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted November 26, 2021 The most appealing part of the Rangnick appointment is that he will be staying on as essentially a director of football for two years afterwards. I suspect that might rule out ten Hag as next permanent manager as I think he would want to bring van der Sar, but just a guess, really. I personally don't see United's on-field results improving much but looking forward it's certainly encouraging beyond this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Danger Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 That’s what I was thinking. What United need more than any players or a manager is a structure so that whoever comes in is working within a set of parameters that are a constant within the club. They should be targeting specific player types that suit the playing philosophy and they should do the same when appointing managers. Actually having someone who’s good at that overseeing things for a couple of years will be massive for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members CleetusVanDamme Posted November 26, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted November 26, 2021 Rangnick has a great eye for talent, the amount of gems he brought to the Red Bull clubs is insane. I have my doubts United will really want to move away from signing superstars, though. The "consultant" role I've seen thrown about a lot sounds pretty iffy. Let's see how much say he has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members ColinBollocks Posted November 26, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted November 26, 2021 Yeah. United already have Fletcher and Murtough in similar positions. It was also Murtough that helped push this through so I doubt he'd be doing so if it meant a demotion for him. If Ragnick can get a tune out of the team, then great, but the midfield is buggered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members PunkStep Posted November 26, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted November 26, 2021 4 hours ago, CleetusVanDamme said: The "consultant" role I've seen thrown about a lot sounds pretty iffy. That's what I'm thinking. If it actually means he becomes technical director or whatever you want to call the role after this season, then it's great for them because if he can put the right structure in place then that club will once again do big things. But my experience with almost every consultant at every company I've worked at means they do fuck all for very few hours and get paid stupidly for it. Otherwise known as the 'Tory second income'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Teedy Kay Posted November 26, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted November 26, 2021 Ragnick is obviously the Godfather of the Gegenpress in Germany, but there's no way he's going to instill that style on United in such a short period of time. It feels an odd appointment. Which leads me to believe there must be some form of plan for the next manager. And for me it must evolve into ten Hag and United trying something new. It's the experiment Liverpool grasped at with Klopp, and I think ten Hag with Ragnick as Sport Director could work if given time, Ole was, so they need to commit to whatever direction they appear to be going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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