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Ok, he gave the shittest season I remember for a CB at this club in 2017-2018, and did alright in the second half of a dogshit season for the club in 2018-2019. Prior to that in the first half of the season he was being made to look a complete liability by the likes of Glenn fecking Murray.
Interesting. I mean, you’re wrong, obviously. But interesting all the same.
Interesting. Thanks.
Varane has sat out loads of matches this season. Ten Haag has generally tried not to play him twice/week because he’s so injury prone. I’m fairly sure we’ve seen Martinez-Lindelof a few times this season and it’s been solid every time.
Wrong? Ha ha.
They will have to get a CB in as it’s more than likely Maguire , Bailly and Tuanzebe will all leave
Interesting you appear to have forgotten his performances in the early part of 2018-2019 getting embarrassed against the likes of Glenn Murray. Very interesting.
Think getting a player who can fill both roles (not that I can think of anyone bar Shaw who can play LB and LCB off the top of my head) would be very useful.
Then again we already have one very good player (Shaw) who can do that so I’m not sure we’re that much in need of another versatile LB/LCB. Of course it wouldn’t hurt either.
I agree there’s more to it than Maguire being his kryptonite but disagree that the version we’re seeing of Lindelof this season is something we haven’t been before. He’s been very good for us plenty of times before. But this season he seems to be benefiting from having partners that complement his strengths. Probably also helps that this is the first time in his United career he’s had a competent DM mopping up in front of him. Hence his one really bad performance came this season when Casemiro probably had his own worst performance.
Completely agree.
Aye, could well be all of that and Casemiro certainly makes everyone look better. We’ll see I guess, I’d still be extremely sceptical about having him as a first choice CB.
If we want to compete at the highest level of competition Lindelöf is not an alternative as a starting player. He’s fine as a backup defender though.
I personally think Varane is our best CB but he needs to rest matches and is injured a lot. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lindelof end up playing more minute than Varane this season, just like the last season.
I think it has been mostly solid but they also had one or two weaker games like
His first season was definitely shit, and that's probably being kind. Second season he was decent and continued to get better as the season wore on, being quite good in the second half of the season. His third and fourth seasons (with Maguire) he was decent as well.feck me we finished 6th and got a manager sacked mid seasonit was one of those seasons you wished we didn’t have to give an award to anyone.
He’d been shite since his arrival but was one of the less shite players in the latter end of that shite season. And then he went downhill again.
So yeah, all in all since his arrival he’s been pretty ”shite” and if the best retort you’ve got is that a couple of teammates voted him in a dogshit season, that probably tells it’s own story.
Do you even know how many votes he got? I mean, maybe 3 close mates voted for him and 2 for Pogba with everyone else unanimously voting for Shaw.
Either way, he absolutely was shite pre Maguire, and post Maguire.
Like Maguire, he’s had periods of good form mind, most players who get to this level do, just look at Fred.
I don’t think he’s ever played this well though, so either something about our set-up is working much better for him, he’s coming into his prime, or, he suits being a bit part player.
Bailly and Tuanzebe are complete non-entities so they don't come into the reckoning about replacing. And for most of this season Maguire and Lindelof have been alternating for one spot, so with Shaw's performances in the centre I don't think it's a priority spot unless Lindelof leaves as well. If somebody comes along that is too good to pass up (Kim Min-jae?) then fair enough, but I wouldn't be surprised if Lindelof then asks to leave. Or maybe somebody we can get for cheap who is happy to stay while way down the pecking order as an emergency back-up.
With the injuries Varane is likely to face again this season, I think we should look for his long-term replacement this summer. Who knows if Mengi or Kambwala can stay healthy and become that, but I’m not holding my breath waiting for that.
Varane is injury prone , there’s no way we are going into a season with 3 centre backs and Shaw to slot in if needed .
hE iS bAd On tHe BaLl
Some of those long balls are amazing. He is almost as good with his left foot as well. Look at the left foot pass at 2:52. I don’t think we’ve seen any of our other defenders make such an assist even with the best foot.
I’d only sell VL if you could make profit on him. He’d be hard to replace at the price he was bought for and is coming into his peak. The “free” transfers on the market (Ndicka etc) are not anything like as experienced as him.
It’s an easy get out to ignore the multiple individual errors. Maguire doesn’t control him be RC and get him mistiming headers, being weak at the back post, physically losing battles or backing off and off until the opposition get a shot on goal. All Maguires fault
Varane definitely starts if fit. Lindelof has had a good spell in the team, but Varane is still heaps the better defender.
You have a weird fixation with Lindelöf, and it’s starting to look like he stole your girlfriend or something. To me, I love having Varane and Lisandro, who is my favorite CB since Vidic and Ferdinand, but if we’re honest Lindelöf does less individual errors than Lisandro. Lindelöf makes remarkably few clear errors. Lisandro just makes it worth it because his best is better.
For me
Yes, nine times.
