Anyone understand why we bought van de Beek?

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lex talionis

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Strange question. Might as well ask why we even bother fielding a squad to play football.
 

USREDEVIL

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Ed thought he played right wing....

squad depth and rotation. Why he didn’t appear in the Brighton game? That’s the real question.
 

Gasolin

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Why are people thinking Pogba is leaving? We don't need 11 players, we need 18 players. VdB is part of the 18, the only way for us to guarantee consistency despite issues we will face during the seasons, including fitness, form, injuries, etc...
 

Adnan

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He's the correct signing but there should've been other players bought in before him which is the issue IMO. The squad looks unbalanced which is the issue and the transfer strategy doesn't make alot of sense to me as far creating balance goes.
 

SambaBoy

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He wasn't necessarily needed.

I'd been happy with him coming in once we'd sorted all the other positions out. He's not a 6 which if we were to plump for a midfielder we needed. Fred/McTominay can play as the 8, Pogba and Fernandes too. Only got Matic who can effectively play as the 6 and he can't be expected to play every week.
 

Icemav

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He's the correct signing but there should've been other players bought in before him which is the issue IMO. The squad looks unbalanced which is the issue and the transfer strategy doesn't make alot of sense to me as far creating balance goes.
Yep.

Bruno was depth for Pogba. Then it became Bruno and Pogba can play together. Now its Donny is depth for Bruno.

I hope people spot the problem here.

Dysfunctional.
 

nainaisson

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I'm as bewildered as anyone. All of our starting midfielders are immortal and infallible, so there's absolutely no conceivable reason they'd miss any games. Van de Beek will have to content himself with washing Ole's car and doing his laundry, I guess, because there's no chance he'll play football for us for the foreseeable future.
 

Marcus

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I'm as bewildered as anyone. All of our starting midfielders are immortal and infallible, so there's absolutely no conceivable reason they'd miss any games. Van de Beek will have to content himself with washing Ole's car and doing his laundry, I guess, because there's no chance he'll play football for us for the foreseeable future.
:lol:
 

DRJosh

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We may have resigned ourselves to losing Pogba over the next 12 months or so, in which case the signing makes perfect sense.
It would make sense ordinarily but ...our club are horrendous at formulating future plans to most things so I highly doubt that was the case. We are true connoisseurs of the scatter-gun approach
 

NJM78

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We signed him for his name obviously as there is a Y at the end of his name already.
 

Icemav

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It would make sense ordinarily but ...our club are horrendous at formulating future plans to most things so I highly doubt that was the case. We are true connoisseurs of the scatter-gun approach
Yep. There is some logic behind it but I doubt they have really though about realistically replacing Matic for the dlp position, or whether Pogba can effectively play as a holding mid long term (he is looking terrible at it presently).

Actually this whole issue of not solving the holding mid situation with world class players has contributed to Pogba not being played in his prefered AM position. Then Bruno came when he was out injured and the fact that Bruno became viewed as undroppable from the AM role presents a problem. Also the fact that Pogba is viewed as a do it all midfielder if only he got he attitude right. Hint..... he cant do it all, he is an AM.

Now we are shoving Pogba into the team and pretending it solves the longer term issue that has been discussed ad nauseum for 2 seasons. This and attacking wingbacks.

Poor planning and wishful thinking again. We really like to avoid taking the hard decisions.
 
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Relevated

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I cant think of a single reason we've bought him. It can't be the fact that our midfielders aren't robots who can keep up 90 mins every single game. And it can't be because rotation is a good thing either. The only reason I can think of is that the kitman needed more kits to wash.
 

Icemav

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Because we can't run Bruno into the ground like last season. I'm pretty sick of this idiotic idea some people seem to have that we only need 11 players.
The point is not about squad depth in this instance. Bruno was signed as backup to Pogba. Now Pogba has been shunted to holding mid and currently performing poorly. For the AM position we would if we wanted have Pogba and Bruno. Now we have Pogba, Bruno and Donny. The real problem is that there is not direct replacement for the Matic role, and we have 2 b2b midfielders as backup for the DM role.

Many ways to skin a cat but at the moment our insistence of playing a holding mid and x2 10s isn't looking very good.
 

kouroux

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The point is not about squad depth in this instance. Bruno was signed as backup to Pogba. Now Pogba has been shunted to holding mid and currently performing poorly. For the AM position we would if we wanted have Pogba and Bruno. Now we have Pogba, Bruno and Donny. The real problem is that there is not direct replacement for the Matic role, and we have 2 b2b midfielders as backup for the DM role.

Many ways to skin a cat but at the moment our insistence of playing a holding mid and x2 10s isn't looking very good.
Not really. Even without Bruno, the few times Pogba played, he wasn't advanced in the 19/20 season
 

The Red Thinker

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Simple question can somebody explain?
Might be the most naive OP I have EVER seen in this forum and I've been around a while.

Do you know the concept of 'quality squad depth' ? It's been around a while this concept. Competition for places and all that... jeez.
 

reddevilz007

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To put Pogba on the bench until he takes the game seriously and gives his all for the club.
 

Icemav

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Not really. Even without Bruno, the few times Pogba played, he wasn't advanced in the 19/20 season
Well in an ideal world then. Everybody knows Pogba performs best in that advanced midfield role whether starting or cameos off the bench. This has been the case at both Juve and United. Playing him deeper was more or a response to our holding mids being seen as subpar and getting Pogba more involved in overall team play. Now I clearly remember the talk of Bruno being signed and that being great depth for the advanced midfield role especially as Pogba was out injured.... then the debate was whether Pogba and Bruno could play together in the same team. This was not a discussion about their personalities but because they were clearly seen to both perform best in the same role and Pogba not really being a holding mid.

Pogba is presently demonstrating what many worried about. He is not a good deep midfielder. You think about Roy Keane.... keeping it simple, controlling play, keeping possession, and busting his lungs to recover the ball. Pogba does none of these.

Things can change is football but this in my present diagnosis. It will be interesting how Ole tries to find a solution to this.
 

Eddy_JukeZ

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Well in an ideal world then. Everybody knows Pogba performs best in that advanced midfield role whether starting or cameos off the bench. This has been the case at both Juve and United. Playing him deeper was more or a response to our holding mids being seen as subpar and getting Pogba more involved in overall team play. Now I clearly remember the talk of Bruno being signed and that being great depth for the advanced midfield role especially as Pogba was out injured.... then the debate was whether Pogba and Bruno could play together in the same team. This was not a discussion about their personalities but because they were clearly seen to both perform best in the same role and Pogba not really being a holding mid.

Pogba is presently demonstrating what many worried about. He is not a good deep midfielder. You think about Roy Keane.... keeping it simple, controlling play, keeping possession, and busting his lungs to recover the ball. Pogba does none of these.

Things can change is football but this in my present diagnosis. It will be interesting how Ole tries to find a solution to this.
I think Bruno is clearly better than Pogba in an advanced midfield role.

He is more productive than him and has better instincts closer to goal.

I still think Pogba's best performances at the club have come from him in deeper roles vs advanced roles.
 

kouroux

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Well in an ideal world then. Everybody knows Pogba performs best in that advanced midfield role whether starting or cameos off the bench. This has been the case at both Juve and United. Playing him deeper was more or a response to our holding mids being seen as subpar and getting Pogba more involved in overall team play. Now I clearly remember the talk of Bruno being signed and that being great depth for the advanced midfield role especially as Pogba was out injured.... then the debate was whether Pogba and Bruno could play together in the same team. This was not a discussion about their personalities but because they were clearly seen to both perform best in the same role and Pogba not really being a holding mid.

Pogba is presently demonstrating what many worried about. He is not a good deep midfielder. You think about Roy Keane.... keeping it simple, controlling play, keeping possession, and busting his lungs to recover the ball. Pogba does none of these.

Things can change is football but this in my present diagnosis. It will be interesting how Ole tries to find a solution to this.
Ole has to do something for sure. Pogba being benched at the start for a few games (specially considering the tough ones coming up where we could do without his lackluster form) isn't the end of the world, it might even make him react. We need something to change
 

Slysi17

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Feck sake give Van De Beek a break op. He has hardly played to be fair. And he's shown potiential i think. Should play instead of Pogba as Pogba again was abysmal today.
 

The Siege

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From every perspective, this question is a little odd.

If you're questioning his ability, that's a bit harsh considering he is certainly a very talented midfielder with European experience and might add some much needed goals from midfield.

If you're questioning his place in the squad, the cover players for Pogba and Bruno, should they get tired or injured, are currently Fred and Lingard. That's bluntly not good enough at this point, and we have a talented player breathing down their necks and willing to fight for his place.
 
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UmbroDays

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I can see why the opening poster is asking the question, as at the moment we look like we need proper starter upgrades.
So to make one signing, and he's just a squaddie does raise questions.

Hopefully we can produce some magic this last week of the deadline, but it's hard to see.

Thank goodness we scrambled a win out today.
This is my point!
From every perspective, this question is a little odd.

If you're questioning his ability, that's a bit harsh considering he is certainly a very talented midfielder with European experience and might add some much needed goals from midfield.

If you're questioning his place in the squad, the cover players for Pogba and Bruno, should they get tired or injured, are currently Fred and Lingard. That's bluntly not good enough at this point, and we have a talented player breathing down their necks and willing to fight for his place.
Again, a 23 year old has not left his home club, country and friends to be backup and a squad player for a team barely in the Champions League
 

Berbasbullet

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This is my point!


Again, a 23 year old has not left his home club, country and friends to be backup and a squad player for a team barely in the Champions League
We’ve only played 3 games in the season and he’s featured in everyone.
 

Matriac

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Might be the most naive OP I have EVER seen in this forum and I've been around a while.

Do you know the concept of 'quality squad depth' ? It's been around a while this concept. Competition for places and all that... jeez.
But VdB doesn't have the same flair or ability as Pogba or Bruno if I swap him in for either of those when I play FIFA??
 

royalewithcheese2006

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Sign Daniel James for 15m -
Fans: Championship level player, offers no depth nor challenges for the first team

Sign Thiago for 30m -
Fans: Too old, crock. The second coming of Schweinsteiger. Can offer only 2-3 decent years and not worth it on his wages

Sign a ucl experienced Van de Beek for 40m, doesn't start the first 2 games
Fans: What's the point of him?

Sign nobody -
Fans: We don't have any depth. Sign someone.


Wonder what kind of signings will please everyone on the caf:confused:
 

Oldyella

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Rotation. Squad rotation. He'll be in the next game.
Surely these last couple of games were exactly why we bought him? Pogba looks way off the pace fitness wise, this was the ideal time for VDB to start in his place.
 

stevoc

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Anyone understand why this site is full of feckwits these days?
 

SteveW

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The point is not about squad depth in this instance. Bruno was signed as backup to Pogba. Now Pogba has been shunted to holding mid and currently performing poorly. For the AM position we would if we wanted have Pogba and Bruno. Now we have Pogba, Bruno and Donny. The real problem is that there is not direct replacement for the Matic role, and we have 2 b2b midfielders as backup for the DM role.

Many ways to skin a cat but at the moment our insistence of playing a holding mid and x2 10s isn't looking very good.
Wrong.
 

Kweku Amonoo

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The real issue is why we aren’t lining up in a 4-3-3. With Matic as the 6 and Bruno and Pogba either side of him. This would create much more balance in the midfield and help us control games better. I don’t get this insistence on playing 4-2-3-1 when the squad we’ve got don’t fit.
 

cyril C

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Ed thought he played right wing....

squad depth and rotation. Why he didn’t appear in the Brighton game? That’s the real question.
I thought VDB should have started instead of Pogba. Pogba was clearly unfit. May be he doesn't trust VDB yet.
 
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