Sheriff Tiraspol 0:2 Man Utd
Played right back and was constantly in midfield controlling play.
Great signing !
Great signing !
12
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 39
- Clean sheets
- 16
- Goals
- 0
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 9
- Status
He’s great.
Thought he was easily our best player. Thought he was the only one that was at it in terms of intensity of his running, passing. He was everywhere as well.
my Motm
Love this kid. Bags of energy - always 100% left on the pitch.
Improved when he went to the right.
Kid is a bargain.
Love him. So good in possession too, never seems to lose the ball and is so agile. He's pretty cautious with it, but he definitely has it in him to be more adventurous with it. A lot like Evra with less flair really. Hopefully he develops Evras aerial ability the way Evra did as his career went on too. So comfortable tucking into midfield though, suits him perfectly.
That moment we realise, he's better than Shaw on the left and AWB on the right. Really liking him so afr.
He is brilliant. A few more years of experience and he has the potential to be among the best in the world.
See this is the sort of signing we need more of. He's hungry, disciplined and eager to improve.
Says it all that of our signings this summer he's head and shoulders the standout (so far).
Says it all that of our signings this summer he's head and shoulders the standout (so far).
Martinez and Eriksen surely better standouts?
Totally agree that he has been a superb signing. The fee, the hunger, the tenacious attitude, the quality. But, I would disagree that he’s been head and shoulders our best signing of the summer. Not least because he still looks a little raw and needs more development.
Firstly, Eriksen, on a free transfer, is now the heartbeat of this team. I think he’ll go down as the signing of the summer for the whole league.
Secondly, Martinez, I can’t remember the last time I saw a player come in and transform an entire defensive unit almost overnight. His quality, fighting spirit, tenacity, aggression, passing, leadership and enthusiasm, just fecking incredible. First name on the team sheet. He’s the Roy Keane of centre halves.
He can play from the right, good. Really better to play this kid to get him better and better every game, than pointless AWB. Shaw`s top level is worth considering if he can kick on, so alternating between Malacia, Shaw and Dalot might be the way, hopefully we don!t burn the two starters that soon.
Surprised how well he did on the right. But have to keep in mind opposition too with regards to if he can do that again.
Great signing and do agree we should target players like him for signing
Great signing and do agree we should target players like him for signing
Hes great.
He is someone Pep would love as an inverted FB. Obviously, he is still a long way to become a class player for a top team. Hopefully, the team and he get there soon.
He's Lahm in the making. I disagree that he plays like Evra.
I was wondering what the feck your problem was with that. And then the penny dropped.
. good spot. I don’t know if I should change it or notI think this is more relevant, yeah.
Evra was ultimately very good at keeping wide and overlapping, and eventually became an attacking threat. That's not really Malacia yet, he builds play centrally which is never something Evra was required to do. Apples and oranges in my opinion, the only comparison is the sides they came from and their stature.
And that’s half the battle, isn’t it? No one can be brilliant every game (except Irwin), but with Malacia you just know that even if things don’t go his way, or he has an off day, he’s never going to stop fighting, trying, and putting in every scrap of effort he can. That means that even if he’s shit, he’s still an annoying, tenacious little fecker that opposition attackers hate.
I think that might be his best quality. He got torn to pieces by Saka early on in that game, but he never gave up and just kept coming back until he won that duel. That’s huge. He doesn’t let his head go down. He’s the polar opposite of Shaw. It feels like this guy tries even harder after he’s made a mistake or been beaten.
I have to say that that is a quality I’ve seen emerge in Dalot this season too. Maybe it’s the Ten Hag effect, or Martínez’s leadership at the back. But Martinelli pulled Dalot apart early on, but by the second half, Dalot shut him down completely.
Having that kid of tenacious, fighting spirit in your fullbacks is something we’ve missed for so long.
Need to stop buying from the dutch league.
feck you pundits
feck you pundits
You just nailed it, mate.
I think you're good mateI was wondering what the feck your problem was with that. And then the penny dropped.
The whole post was bang on the money 
I am a bit suprised that he is receiving so much praise for today, didn't think, he did anything that really stood out, but the bolded part is absolutely true for sure. I also like the determination he shows. Lets hope he will become influential spreading that mindset around other players as well. We have many that lack in that department.
I think, it is way too early to come to conclusions on that. I am sure, Evra was asked by Ferguson to play a certain way, just like Malacia is now being asked by ETH to play a certain way. Concluding this is because they are better at that, wouldn't be correct in my eyes. I am pretty sure, ETH is trying to make use of a relatively recent trend of inverted Fullbacks. Dalot makes sense in that regard. Not so sure about Malacia. Still think, he is more of a traditional wingback or fullback. But he certainly is young enough to learn a new role and gain more competencies.
Neville made the point but he came on Vs Brentford when we were down. Came on with purpose and energy. It was a start for that game. The game was done and he could have strolled but instead wanted to prove something. Took Shaw's place
It's not so much a conclusion as an observation. Malacia is playing nothing like Evra at the moment in my opinion. It doesn't mean he can't develop some similar attributes but at the moment there is no indication he is asked to play in the same way, and there's no real practical difference between not doing something because the manager tells you not to or simply being unable in terms of what we see as a style of play. Just seems a lazy comparison to me, not that it's massively important.
Ha! Only just got it - was wondering the same!I was wondering what the feck your problem was with that. And then the penny dropped.
First great fullback since Evra??? He's mint
Seems like we are on the same side then. I'd argue though, that there is a difference between not being wanted to do something (but being able if needed) and not doing something because you aren't able to do it. Sure semantics but in case something goes wrong, a broader skillset will always be better than a narrower one.
EtH might've stumbled onto something with Malacia in that right back role. He of course didn't play as an actual RB but more tucked in the way Lahm did at times under Pep. It looked great for our balance n he was very good on the ball there.
I found it interesting that Malacia first played as the width-keeping fullback in his first two games. Then he played more contained against Liverpool and Arsenal. Today he tucked in midfield, next to Casemiro once McT was subbed off and we needed someone to shuttle throughout the width of the pitch (Fred's role) and finally he played as the inverted fullback (which I think was more dictated by Ten Hag wanting to give minutes to Shaw than anything else).
He (Malacia) proves to be quite the utility player.
He adapts very well in games. Struggled in the first 10 but adapted very quickly and the oppo winger never got the better of him for the rest of the game. Similar situation with Saka vs Arsenal (although it took him more than 10 mins).
Looks very comfortable coming inside and playing as an auxillary midfielder as well.
Looks very comfortable coming inside and playing as an auxillary midfielder as well.
His attitude is spot on and defensively he’s sound, but he lacks vision and passing ability. Unlike some others he seems aware of his lack of passing so doesn’t try too much, but it’s an issue. He’s rarely in the right position when we’re looking to attack and when he is, he ends up taking it backwards instead. He’s a very good option and a great buy at what we paid for him, but I’d like to think we can do better. Reminds me of a Gabriel Heinze kind of player, almost got it and very likeable but not quite there.
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I think he's very good in possession. A little safe at times, but he isn't lacking technically.
I don't think he's a brilliant player or anything but I absolutely love his grit and determination.
He doesn’t give the ball away, I agree. I just want to see more from him as the season goes on if he’s going to become our new long term left back.
Agreed. Not sure he has the acceleration of Evra, and he certsinly doesn’t have the dribbling ability nor Evra’s sheer capacity at his very best. He was everywhere. Good on the ball and plays it silky smooth though.
Yeah I can agree with that. I remember the odd switch of play from him in one of our league games. Generally though I think he is playing according to instructions and pulling it off to the letter. Think he has it in him to be a bit more expansive, but is playing within himself a bit.
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