Reasonable would be anything under 30m which is likely not happening. The chance that he does a Ings is fairly high.
Rasmus Højlund | Signed for United
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I mean, physical duels are Smalling's strongest suit by miles. He'd still be our first choice if that was all defenders needed to do.
Smalling was in the elite tier at that aspect in the prem too. No striker ever found it easy against him like that.
There is literally no evidence of this, unless by big fee we mean 120m, then maybe, and even then I suspect we would have to have waited until the end of the window.
Not at all. I've seen players before mention that Smalling is a particularly tough defender. Look at his attributes. He's incredibly fast, tall and strong. In a duel he is a strikers nightmare. I don't know who all the PL defenders are that are physically more capable.
His only problems were concentration and ballplaying. But those things don't really matter to an opposition strikers duel. They matter more to the team he is part of.
I agree with you - ETH is a mad bastard in the best way possible. I Love how he deals with players.
But he isn’t stupid, and that’s why I think, after musing more deeply on the Højlund signing, that he will bring MG back in to share the goals and pressure.
And in fact, bringing him back in would take a lot of focus off Højlund and the two of them will share the position imo.
I also think they could play together and be utterly terrifying to play against - imagine it.
I just think ETH is too pragmatic and ruthless to pass up such an opportunity, and I also think it makes the context of the Højlund signing make a lot more sense.
Just my opinion.
Happy with this signing and the business done in the market overall. Not perfect but steps in the right direction.
A young malleable prospect that EtH can blood into his own image of what he wants from his CF.
Another forward is needed though. Would like another Weghorst (but someone who isn't Weghorst) type loan to bolster the options up top for a bit of synergy.
A young malleable prospect that EtH can blood into his own image of what he wants from his CF.
Another forward is needed though. Would like another Weghorst (but someone who isn't Weghorst) type loan to bolster the options up top for a bit of synergy.
Christ, like a vampire looking for blood it’s like some of you are actively seeking negative spins.
I recall Luke Shaw pointing out Victor Moses as his toughest opponent - I also recall Tuanzebe pocketing Mbappé - Mbappé and Shaw turned out quite okay, no?
Goals are only one part of the logic of getting Hojlund, we could've kept Ronaldo for a guarantee of 15-20 goals a season, but how a player fits into a system and enables us to bring out the best not only of him but of the players around him. A player like Toney would've certainly got us goals, but he's a player who benefits from long balls and so if our system shifted to accommodate that sort of goal-seeking then it could easily harm the rest of the team and make for a drab visual display.
he has less than 2 years left on his current contract and by the time january comes we are talking 18 months. appears that he's looking to change agents as well in hopes of a move away from Brentford. i could see him going for 30m euros or less just given the timing and time left on his contract.
8 goals in the league or in all competitions? 8 in the league would be acceptable for now as long as his all-round game was good and he helped improve the team as a whole. I'm expecting the team to finish somewhere between 2nd and 4th, considering we're improving in general from last year when we finished 3rd in a league that had two of the big teams struggling.
8 in all competitions would be disappointing.
Totally agree.
Besides, we’re talking about teenager in his first season in a top league duelling against a 6’ 5” centre back who’s played over 300 games for United and still at the top level. Smalling ain’t a slouch.
Smalling was always one of the most physically dominant defenders in the PL as well. From memory Vardy said something almost identical about him, and he used to always dominate Kane as well.
The defenders in England are generally more physical dominant than in Italy so Hojlund will have to get used to that, but his comments on Smalling aren't a particularly bad sign in that regard.
Brentford it seem are pricing out Raya a keeper who is in last year of his contract by demanding £40million for him , Good luck getting Tony for € 30m their Prized asset .
But he isn't available for 30m today? I wouldn't touch him until next summer anyway, because I don't actually trust his 22-23 output.
Smalling had his issues, but how many strikers did you see win any physical duels against him?
My lord what a ridiculously misinformed post, which you can clearly tell by the amount of perplexed replies you’ve received.
Jamie Vardy on his way to a Premier League title and 24 PL goals in 2016 called Smalling his toughest opponent also.
https://www.football365.com/news/leicester-jamie-vardy-reveals-his-toughest-opponent-so-far
How on Earth could any United fan that has watched plenty of Smalling, not understand that he’s strong as feck, and fast as feck.
Think the fee is still some journo's guessing game and most likely it will be a lot of add-ons included, like Amad's. In anyway he seems to have a skillset of mentality and athleticism of someone who can take us a level up, just because we played without a striker for so long.
I mean Martial possesed technical abilities but lacked any kind of athleticism and workrate along with availibility itself. Here we have a young palyer who can press, fight for every ball, has good hold up play, is fast enough to join counter attacks, has decent technical ability for link up play at high speed, good dribbling etc.
The only thing which seems to be slighlty surprising is that he's not that good in the air taking the balls down, challenging for headers in the middle of the park, but I bet we won't hoof the ball so often now with Onana and overall his hold up play looks good, so won't be a big issue.
20 years old, big room for improvement in anyway.
Next window we can look in the market to add another striker but at least for now we have a fit striker who fits into our system allowing us play more compact way which is great regardless how raw he is.
I mean Martial possesed technical abilities but lacked any kind of athleticism and workrate along with availibility itself. Here we have a young palyer who can press, fight for every ball, has good hold up play, is fast enough to join counter attacks, has decent technical ability for link up play at high speed, good dribbling etc.
The only thing which seems to be slighlty surprising is that he's not that good in the air taking the balls down, challenging for headers in the middle of the park, but I bet we won't hoof the ball so often now with Onana and overall his hold up play looks good, so won't be a big issue.
20 years old, big room for improvement in anyway.
Next window we can look in the market to add another striker but at least for now we have a fit striker who fits into our system allowing us play more compact way which is great regardless how raw he is.
Especially since we are talking about a subjective take, he played against Kim, Skriniar, Bastoni, Tomori and a bunch of other defenders that are rated fairly highly but he felt that Smalling was the most difficult. It also implies that he wasn't as bothered with players that are considered pretty good.
Basically there is zero conclusion to build around these kind of quotes, you can't extrapolate them.
That guy describes every player like they are the best thing on the planet.
Yeah shame on on him for finding it difficult to against an experienced 13 stone, 6 foot 4 defender...
I think it's hard to know what he thinks about Greenwood because I think he'd play it the same way in either scenario. There's not much he can say when the player is under contract and under internal consideration. Talking about it is a no win scenario.
But even if he does, I think we have to be even more pragmatic and realistic in how he's used than what we're thinking about Hojlund. The guy hasn't played professional football in any guise for a long, long time. He's also lost crucial months of development time which is extremely detrimental for young players. He was a developing player to begin with that had plenty of flaws, particularly as a CF he was completely learning that aspect of the game compared to playing from the right. I think it could take most of the season to even get Greenwood looking like a useful option, and that's if he does come back.
I think currently he's probably banking more on Martial when available and juggling others around, like Sancho. It's hard to get too attached to the Greenwood idea.
The FA even had to apologise for tweeting that Smalling had Kane in his pocket.
What a useless, clueless post. It seems like you are doing everything possible to whinge about this signing.
Just try to be happy that we've got a young, promising striker. Even one who is a lifelong United fan and who our manager is eager to get on board.
The price might seem steep, but that's the market for you - and fortunately it's not your money. Let's save the complaining for when it's actually merited.
Greetings from Denmark
I'm tempted to say that it is the biggest football news in years here in Denmark, that we are FINALLY having a striker in one of the biggest clubs in Europe! We’ve waited for a guy like this since Preben Elkjær in the 80’s. We thought Bendtner would be the guy. Then we thought Viktor Fischer was. Then Dolberg. None of them really got there. I’m born a pessimist, but I actually think that Højlund could be the guy.
I guess everyone in this thread have seen the videos of him. Not even a blind man can overlook his physical attributes. He is ridiculously fast (someone asked how fast he is: as an 18 year old his pace was the highest measured in the danish league - even though Kamaldeen Sulemana was in the league at the same time), he is strong like an ox and he has a wonderful left foot. There’s no denying this. But the history is full of players with these attributes who didn’t end up super succesful. What really convinces me about Højlund are three things:
1. He is a crazy hard worker. He will work his ass off to be succesful. The steps he’s taken since leaving Copenhagen are remarkable. He has added so much muscle since then and you see it paying off in his game.
2. His mentality. He has major belief in himself. Just a month after his 20th birthday in his first start for Denmark, in his only second international appearance and in front of a full home crowd at Parken, he scored a hattrick. The reporter asked him if he felt nervous and humbled before the game. Højlund just replied: “No, I felt I was ready for this”. This is the most non-danish attitude, but luckily his belief in himself never turns into arrogance or just flat out stupidity as it did for Bendtner.
3. His movement in the box. Go search for "Gense Højlunds fantastiske aften i Parken" on Youtube (I'm a newbie in this site and is therefore not allowed to post links) and then look at his movement in the box at the first clip of this video. He completely loses his defender with the smartest run you’ll see. There are numerous of examples like this from his time in Graz and Atalanta, and my danish heart believes that this kind of movement is extraordinary for a 20 year old striker whose main skill seems to be he physical attributes.
However questions can be asked about his meteoric rise in his career. He left FC Copenhagen for Sturm Graz in January 2022 a month before his 19th birthday. He exploded in Graz and went to Atalanta, where he somehow managed to add another level or two - this happened within like half a year after he left Copenhagen where he didn’t get his breakthrough. It’s a remarkable rise, but it is also a rise that begs the question if he can just add another level like that again. Have in mind that it’s only 18 months since he left FC Copenhagen as the teenage prodigy whose talent seemingly wasn’t big enough to earn him a spot in the team and get a breakthrough season.
Anyway only time will tell how the history of Rasmus Højlund and Manchester United unfolds. My fingers are crossed for succes. But even if he’s not succesfull, he will never be lazy or have a bad attitude. He will work his ass off during training and in matches, both because that’s how he is and because he is a die hard United fan! Take good care of him please :-)
I'm tempted to say that it is the biggest football news in years here in Denmark, that we are FINALLY having a striker in one of the biggest clubs in Europe! We’ve waited for a guy like this since Preben Elkjær in the 80’s. We thought Bendtner would be the guy. Then we thought Viktor Fischer was. Then Dolberg. None of them really got there. I’m born a pessimist, but I actually think that Højlund could be the guy.
I guess everyone in this thread have seen the videos of him. Not even a blind man can overlook his physical attributes. He is ridiculously fast (someone asked how fast he is: as an 18 year old his pace was the highest measured in the danish league - even though Kamaldeen Sulemana was in the league at the same time), he is strong like an ox and he has a wonderful left foot. There’s no denying this. But the history is full of players with these attributes who didn’t end up super succesful. What really convinces me about Højlund are three things:
1. He is a crazy hard worker. He will work his ass off to be succesful. The steps he’s taken since leaving Copenhagen are remarkable. He has added so much muscle since then and you see it paying off in his game.
2. His mentality. He has major belief in himself. Just a month after his 20th birthday in his first start for Denmark, in his only second international appearance and in front of a full home crowd at Parken, he scored a hattrick. The reporter asked him if he felt nervous and humbled before the game. Højlund just replied: “No, I felt I was ready for this”. This is the most non-danish attitude, but luckily his belief in himself never turns into arrogance or just flat out stupidity as it did for Bendtner.
3. His movement in the box. Go search for "Gense Højlunds fantastiske aften i Parken" on Youtube (I'm a newbie in this site and is therefore not allowed to post links) and then look at his movement in the box at the first clip of this video. He completely loses his defender with the smartest run you’ll see. There are numerous of examples like this from his time in Graz and Atalanta, and my danish heart believes that this kind of movement is extraordinary for a 20 year old striker whose main skill seems to be he physical attributes.
However questions can be asked about his meteoric rise in his career. He left FC Copenhagen for Sturm Graz in January 2022 a month before his 19th birthday. He exploded in Graz and went to Atalanta, where he somehow managed to add another level or two - this happened within like half a year after he left Copenhagen where he didn’t get his breakthrough. It’s a remarkable rise, but it is also a rise that begs the question if he can just add another level like that again. Have in mind that it’s only 18 months since he left FC Copenhagen as the teenage prodigy whose talent seemingly wasn’t big enough to earn him a spot in the team and get a breakthrough season.
Anyway only time will tell how the history of Rasmus Højlund and Manchester United unfolds. My fingers are crossed for succes. But even if he’s not succesfull, he will never be lazy or have a bad attitude. He will work his ass off during training and in matches, both because that’s how he is and because he is a die hard United fan! Take good care of him please :-)
You realize that was almost a decade ago when Phil Jones was still a beast?
L Any more history lessons from you?So, £72m it is eh.
That's steep.
Looking at some obligatory YouTube videos, I'm still not convinced.
With that kind of budget, I would have thought United to at least bid for Leao.
I think he's more skillful and further along the development.
United have some Portuguese connection in the past and present.
Worth a try.
PS: That Nicolas Jackson doesn't look too shabby at all.
That's steep.
Looking at some obligatory YouTube videos, I'm still not convinced.
With that kind of budget, I would have thought United to at least bid for Leao.
I think he's more skillful and further along the development.
United have some Portuguese connection in the past and present.
Worth a try.
PS: That Nicolas Jackson doesn't look too shabby at all.
And this is why I don’t think we spent enough under the Glazers despite pundits and rivals etc always saying ’but United have spent a billion’!
What tune mate?
I find this quite an astounding perspective
certainly score 20? What?
he’ll help create through his pressing and work rate, that’s one of his primary functions in the team
and as for the hardest thing in the game being easy! My word
You’re woefully wrong in your Smalling assessment, you’ll struggle to find many with sense who agree with you.You realize that was almost a decade ago when Phil Jones was still a beast?
MG return isn't ETH's decision, for better or worse. Its an open secret that ETH wants him back in the squad, and that the mens team, at least, are fine on balance with welcoming him back in. There are a lot of people mistaking the court of public opinion for examination of evidence undertaken in a court of law as well as desperately signalling that they're amongst the 'virtuous', despite the fact that circumstances have complicated that initial 'public' judgement, and that players accused of sexual assault, hiring prostitutes aged under 16 and blackmail (with reasonable evidence in each case), or convicted of causing death by dangerous driving have been allowed to play for the likes of Bayern, Madrid, Chelsea etc.
On the other hand, given the circumstances, the profile of the club and the lurid material leaked online, it's almost impossible for MG to return to the squad without some kind of public show of contrition for 'toxicity' - regardless of what other players have done, he allowed some genuinely toxic behaviour to be exposed, unless we are to take at face view the witness's revised statements in full regarding All the materials being altered prior to publication - even if nothing meriting conviction happened according to the new witness statements. I'd expect some kind of interview, donations to appropriate charities, some kind of volunteering even, whether you see all of that as sheer face saving or not. The club will, not out of moral convictions but for PR/sponsor purposes as well as calculating potential disruption through any ensuing circus, weigh up whether he goes on loan with an option to buy or can be re-integrated gradually and brought to match fitness in the next 2-3 months... The football side, aside from chances of regaining pre-ban sharpness - is not in dispute.
PARKLIFE !!
Smalling was pretty fast when he played for us. He's 33 now. I don't think he's still better than most PL defenders anymore. I hope the kid was just being diplomatic.
Leao is a left winger and nothing else
Do you think Smalling is the best defender in Serie A?
No? Why do you ask?
You are making a meal out of a subjective take. Keep in mind that Hojlund also played against the likes of Kim, Bastoni, Skriniar and others.
smalling is brilliant physically?
the lads 20 and already looks strong, I’m not worried about that aspect of it
the biggest potentially issue for me is the pressure on the lad, the circumstances are not ideal to slowly bed him in
I’m sure ETH has a plan though
You seem more interested in me than Hojlund.
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