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Marc Cucurella - World Class Hairdo

Castia

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If Alvaro Fernandez is now considered one of our best academy players then our academy is in the gutter
He's highly rated coming off the back of a good loan he is without doubt one of our better academy players

The academy is pretty much in the gutter though you’re right
 

Loon

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I wonder if this is coming from the scouting department or, as most believe, Ten Hag?
 

Trequarista10

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If Alvaro Fernandez is now considered one of our best academy players then our academy is in the gutter
I'd be interested if you could name two left backs of the same age playing in England who are better than Fernandez (or considerably better even, as you clearly consider him to be well below the required standard).

Our academy at the moment has a few good players on the periphery of the first team. Thanks in no small part to our last ditch efforts to sign a number of players from abroad before the Brexit restrictions came into affect. Garnacho, Hannibal, Fernandez, Hanson-Aaroen, Kambwala and a few others. Plus decent homegrown prospects in Mainoo, Shoretire, Gore and a couple others. Plus recently we've recouped noteworthy fees for the likes of Garner, Henderson, Elanga and a couple others. Our academy is in decent shape.
 

Fortitude

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Does anyone think he's better than Dalot? Is he coming here to be a starter or understudy? Do we not trust Malacia?



He's been an absolute disaster at Chelsea, so are we looking at his work for Brighton and believing we can extract that? If yes, our whole method of attack has to be so much more assertive because he's really bad defensively and with Martinez and Casemiro on his inside channels and Rashford not tracking back, there's a real worry of us getting roasted by good flank play down our left with him in the team. On the other hand, if we manage to go the ultra attacking route, he'd be in his element.



EtH seems to be really intent on sticking to his attacking principles by even looking in this guy's direction.
 

AndySmith1990

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I'd be interested if you could name two left backs of the same age playing in England who are better than Fernandez (or considerably better even, as you clearly consider him to be well below the required standard).

Our academy at the moment has a few good players on the periphery of the first team. Thanks in no small part to our last ditch efforts to sign a number of players from abroad before the Brexit restrictions came into affect. Garnacho, Hannibal, Fernandez, Hanson-Aaroen, Kambwala and a few others. Plus decent homegrown prospects in Mainoo, Shoretire, Gore and a couple others. Plus recently we've recouped noteworthy fees for the likes of Garner, Henderson, Elanga and a couple others. Our academy is in decent shape.
The majority of our academy players get massively over hyped and amount to nothing. Half of them slip down the league pyramid and are never heard of again. I remember last preseason there were calls for Zidane and Charlie Savage to get a chance in the first team. Now Mainoo is the next big thing and Fernandez is one of our finest young talents. Nah, not for me. Our best so-called academy product is Gernacho, and he was signed from Atletico Madrid at 16
 

davidmichael

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One thing I know is that Ten Hag clearly needs a Marc Overmars-like figure above him to take charge of recruiting players.
Regardless of how he left Ajax I’d be all over bringing Overmars in at United to work with ETH, they clearly worked brilliantly together and with Overmars knowing how ETH wants to play he’d use that experience in bringing in specific players to work in that system.
 

BluesJr

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Fernandez is shite in the grand scheme of things. Let’s get it right. There is no way he can come in and be left back. It isn’t going to happen and that’s a good thing.
 

RedDevilQuebecois

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Fernandez is shite in the grand scheme of things. Let’s get it right. There is no way he can come in and be left back. It isn’t going to happen and that’s a good thing.
At least Louis van Gaal had the balls to try something with the kids a few times instead of recycling the same old people, unlike any of the other managers who came after Fergie.

Even Klopp managed to have 7 academy products on his bench against Newcastle on last Sunday, even though Liverpool's academy have not produced anything consistently worthy for quite some time now. Let that sink in for a moment.

Good player why not?
Because he has become a walking meme with the way he played since leaving Brighton.
 

Nani Nana

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Fernandez is shite in the grand scheme of things. Let’s get it right. There is no way he can come in and be left back. It isn’t going to happen and that’s a good thing.
Definitely not with Garnacho in front of him. Cucurella in might mean Ten Hag wants experience behind Garnacho.

I cannot imagine Fernandez - Garnacho being our left wing, would be targeted by every opponent.
 

Oldham

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Because he has become a walking meme with the way he played since leaving Brighton.
Shaw is injured. He's a good player to fill in...and if we see the Brighton version why not?
If he's performing and Shaw is fit again, we can always play Shaw as CB.were he excels.. cause he's world class
 

Nani Nana

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Rashford is our starting left sided forward.
I know, just looking for a theory why Fernandez would not get minutes despite being an academy product showing promise.

Maybe Rashford not expected to work defensively, and Garnacho still to learn about EPL plays a part.
 

Remember the geese

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I know, just looking for a theory why Fernandez would not get minutes despite being an academy product showing promise.

Maybe Rashford not expected to work defensively, and Garnacho still to learn about EPL plays a part.
Probably needs a loan to a club who will use him as a left back in a back four, rather than a wing back.
 

bond19821982

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I dont fecking understand the moaning here. Seems like the manager can't do a thing. For ffs, we have 2 left backs but they are out for long.
Fernandez is still a baby and can't be trusted. ETH knows whether he is ready or not.

Now options - what other options do we have ? We are looking at a loan who is ready to come in and do the job, right away . Tell me who else is available?

Stop this fecking moaning . It's embarrassing.
 

theatreofdreams777

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Our transfer window is going from bad to worse. £7m loan fee is a joke; just play the kid and wait for Malacia/Shaw to return FFS.
 

croadyman

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Our transfer window is going from bad to worse. £7m loan fee is a joke; just play the kid and wait for Malacia/Shaw to return FFS.
We will go for Tagliafico/Reguilon if they demand that sort of loan fee. Safe to say this is definitely being prioritised over midfielder. Fear we may well not have the money to get one.
 

Remember the geese

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How many games have you seen him ? You think he is ready and start as our left back against Brighton after the international break ?
I've seen him play on multiple occasions for the academy. He's a terrific footballer, but has to work on the defensive side of his game. No chance he will start over Dalot, but he's perfectly fine to back him up and get the odd game against weaker sides.
 

theatreofdreams777

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I can't believe people are seriously suggesting this. :lol:
I'd rather we play Fernandez at LB until Shaw/Malacia is back than sign Cucurella. Also Dalot is another option. £7m + wages is a complete waste for such an underwhelming player. But we do like to make stupid deals like that.
 

RedDevilQuebecois

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I can't believe people are seriously suggesting this. :lol:
Okay, then remind me again how and why Marcus Rashford got his break under Louis van Gaal. If anything, there are some people all over the place in need of having their memories refreshed.

I prefer giving the kid a shot behind Dalot and then correct whatever mistakes can be corrected, all of that on a temporary basis and until our injured come back. Better do that than waste our time on an overpriced walking meme unable to make his claim in a club that ended in the bottom half of the table. It's already bad that we already inherited another meme from Chelsea.

I've seen him play on multiple occasions for the academy. He's a terrific footballer, but has to work on the defensive side of his game. No chance he will start over Dalot, but he's perfectly fine to back him up and get the odd game against weaker sides.
That's also how I feel.
 

DuruttiColumn

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I'd rather we play Fernandez at LB until Shaw/Malacia is back than sign Cucurella. Also Dalot is another option. £7m + wages is a complete waste for such an underwhelming player. But we do like to make stupid deals like that.
Obviously the coaches who see Fernandez every day in training don’t think he’s up to being a first team starter, week in week out.
 

tenhagsimp

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Obviously the coaches who see Fernandez every day in training don’t think he’s up to being a first team starter, week in week out.
This. Idk why people are debating this. Surely if Fernandez trained like prime Carlos the manager will choose him instantly. He's not ready yet. People saying they prefer him over Cucurella is insane. He is far from guaranteed to reach Cucurella's peak at Brighton.
 

JoeyJoJoJrShabadoo

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I am all for this loan. He was shit last season, but he will be better than Dalot and Alvaro.

As for Alvaro, he isn't ready. He will get torn apart. He did well last season but the step up to the Prem is insane, especially when he's not there physically. The most we should hope for is League Cup games.
 

DuruttiColumn

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This. Idk why people are debating this. Surely if Fernandez trained like prime Carlos the manager will choose him instantly. He's not ready yet. People saying they prefer him over Cucurella is insane. He is far from guaranteed to reach Cucurella's peak at Brighton.
Class of 92 ruined our fans expectations of what youth players can achieve at OT. You have to he an exceptional talent to make it here and a good loan spell at Preston doesn’t mean he’s ready to start against the best wide players in the world
 

amolbhatia50k

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I'd be interested if you could name two left backs of the same age playing in England who are better than Fernandez (or considerably better even, as you clearly consider him to be well below the required standard).

Our academy at the moment has a few good players on the periphery of the first team. Thanks in no small part to our last ditch efforts to sign a number of players from abroad before the Brexit restrictions came into affect. Garnacho, Hannibal, Fernandez, Hanson-Aaroen, Kambwala and a few others. Plus decent homegrown prospects in Mainoo, Shoretire, Gore and a couple others. Plus recently we've recouped noteworthy fees for the likes of Garner, Henderson, Elanga and a couple others. Our academy is in decent shape.
That’s a shame then. I’d like to see this kid given a few chances at least. We need to trust our youth more.
 

bond19821982

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I've seen him play on multiple occasions for the academy. He's a terrific footballer, but has to work on the defensive side of his game. No chance he will start over Dalot, but he's perfectly fine to back him up and get the odd game against weaker sides.
"Multiple occasions for academy" - I will assume it as NO then. So a player who has absolutely no first team experience and you want him to start for next 3 months till Shaw is back.

Dalot won't be preferred because ETH prefer a left footed player to keep the width.

If you still don't get what's wrong with your post, I rest my case.
 

foolsgold

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He had a bad season at Chelsea last year, but so did everyone else, that alone doesn't make him a failure. He was excellent in an attacking Brighton team. With the correct coaching and setup he'll be excellent for us.
 

RedDevilQuebecois

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Class of 92 ruined our fans expectations of what youth players can achieve at OT. You have to he an exceptional talent to make it here and a good loan spell at Preston doesn’t mean he’s ready to start against the best wide players in the world
Anyone watching Ajax and/or Barcelona knows that giving kids their share of opportunities is part of their respective clubs' structure and ethos. Sir Matt Busby would be rolling in his grave if he saw how adverse we as a club have become when we should give kids opportunities to make or break. If kids find a way to make it, they will stay at the club for a long time. But if they don't succeed, they will be sold after they had enough games under the belt.

He had a bad season at Chelsea last year, but so did everyone else, that alone doesn't make him a failure. He was excellent in an attacking Brighton team. With the correct coaching and setup he'll be excellent for us.
Graham Potter was his coach at Brighton and then at Chelsea. I can't say it's a matter of coaching when he had the same guy with both clubs. Cucurella hit a wall somewhere at Chelsea and became a laughing stock within their fanbase, just like Maguire for us since 2 seasons ago.

It does not help that we already have another meme of an ex-Chelsea player and that we don't know if he will ever be worth the money.
 

DuruttiColumn

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Anyone watching Ajax and/or Barcelona knows that giving kids their share of opportunities is part of their respective clubs' structure and ethos. Sir Matt Busby would be rolling in his grave if he saw how adverse we as a club have become when we should give kids opportunities to make or break. If kids find a way to make it, they will stay at the club for a long time. But if they don't succeed, they will be sold after they had enough games under the belt.
well neither of us know how Sir Matt would feel from beyond the grave..


He was ruthless with young players (as was Ferguson) Neither “played the kids” out of any dogma about youth players. They played the Babes and 92 as they were exceptional talents.