Marwood
Full Member
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2021
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- 4,331
Neither has Fred but you(and I actually) still value everything else he gives the team and believe it warrants him starting.Nah I don't agree with that. People here didn't know Fred because they didn't watch the Ukrainian league, not because he was a worse player that all of a sudden became good. If I recall, before we signed him he was being scouted by both Pep at City and Barcelona as well. If a player at 24 hasn't shown a good level of talent in a few key areas like passing ability and the usefulness of their passing, I seriously doubt they ever will. McTominay hasn't been a creative player ever at any level, he's not a progressive passer, has never shown the ability to do so, has never showed a great level of technique or anything, so why would he all of a sudden pop up with these attributes after 24? He's not some young player with raw attributes. That would be someone like Garner who has shown the ability on the ball and good passing, both short and long range and incisive passing that you hope he can step up and show it at a big club too.
What I'm saying is that Fred showed his talent at Shakhtar, he hasn't been able to translate is as well or as consistently in the prem, but it doesn't mean that he was a nothing player. Players will still show their levels of talent by a certain age and then build off it. We already know what McTominay is, and he doesn't provide much in the way of passing which is what our midfield needs. So I have no problem writing him off for ever being anything more than a squad player. 24 should be the start of a players prime, but regardless they should have shown their talents long before that.
Plenty think McTominay is already better, I'm not sure, kind of depends who is in form.
But I don't think it's crazy to say with another four years experience McTominay can get to Fred's current level. There's barely anything in it now.
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