If I was the opposition manager I'd just load his right side because he isn't getting anything playing down the left. Fast becoming my favourite player in todays squad.
29
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He's just so good defensively it's not fair.
It was more his off-the-ball positioning which got him into dangerous positions much more often, rather than him driving forward with the ball himself (although he wasn't too bad in that regard until his last couple of seasons). But yes, as I said once he got into those positions his final ball was shocking and that's where AWB is better.
no no no.
completely agree. AVB is not particularly refined going forward, but he tries to go past people and cross, and should improve - not to say he’s suddenly going to be Cafu, but he creates space and options for team mates. Valencia was pathetic for the vast amount of time he played as a full back. Let’s not rewrite history, the improvement we have seen this season compared to the past half decade is evidence of how bad Valencia was (and young last season).
AWB got talent, but Valencia during his peak fullback years was much better.
Valencia was much better at getting into dangerous space for his teammates to get it to him. I'm not sure how that can even be up for debate. He wasn't any good at actually doing anything with the ball once he was in those positions, but he still got into them and stretched the play a lot more than AWB does. AWB gets into dangerous positions a lot less, but in his favour he is more likely to do something decent with it when he does. If he had the off-the-ball movement and positioning that Valencia had then we wouldn't really be talking about him being a weakness going forward.
completely disagree. Even when he was half decent (for about 18 months), Valencia was vastly overrated. Has good biceps though.
AWB is twice the signing that Maguire is and has the time to develop his game. I think he is the only visible improvement we have made to our defense.
Excellent defensively as per, unbeatable in 1 v 1's and times his tackles to perfection.
In contrast, he's terrible going forward, no great control when dribbling and his end products leaves a lot to be desired. There was one instant where McT played it in behind for him and he had a chance to take a touch and steady himself, pick someone out or try take on the man but instead just hit it slowly along the floor and didn't beat the first man. In games like these, he needs to offer more in an attacking sense.
In his defence, he's the main source of attacking on the right due to the balance of the team. We are lopsided down the left.
In contrast, he's terrible going forward, no great control when dribbling and his end products leaves a lot to be desired. There was one instant where McT played it in behind for him and he had a chance to take a touch and steady himself, pick someone out or try take on the man but instead just hit it slowly along the floor and didn't beat the first man. In games like these, he needs to offer more in an attacking sense.
In his defence, he's the main source of attacking on the right due to the balance of the team. We are lopsided down the left.
He was terrible in going forward today. I thought Shaw has much better overall game than him. Bissaka’ s end product was poor but today I don’t see enough movement for overlapping from him. It would at least make slightly difference if he makes overlapping run more often especially in this type of game because full backs overlapping are important to unlock low block teams.
Question: Why doesn't he make more overlapping runs? It's not exactly a hard thing to run in a straight line. He doesn't need to think about it. Just make it a habit. Fecking run.
Answer: coaching. Basic. Fecking. Coaching.
Answer: coaching. Basic. Fecking. Coaching.
His tackling is insane. Its just crazy how good he is. Do wish he could at least put in one or two good crosses a game. He seems to underhit it or hit the first man almost every single time, even when he has so much time and space. Id actually prefer he went to the byline and just pulled it back instead. May get some odd deflection out of it.
But saying that, him coming back to make a back three wouldnt be an issue if we had somebody on the left who could help in attack.
But saying that, him coming back to make a back three wouldnt be an issue if we had somebody on the left who could help in attack.
I am not sure what I mean
I just feel there must be some way to take advantage of his skills against teams that sit back.How, I don’t know. Maybe Maguire could move up for headers, maybe Lindelof could move higher up, if they know AWB would kill anybody trying to attack on their right half.Yes he had a rough match, like many others. Maybe it was a reaction from the two great games they had last week.
Because he has to be defensively responsible? If you only have two center mids who are already pushed forward and more central, you have to be aware of your positioning.
Doesnt trust our CBs to cover him is the obvious answer. We conceed to every team even with the best defensive RB in the league helping to cover our CBs so I can understand why he would think they need his help every game
I made the comparison a few weeks back and I think it sticks too. Obviously they are differently stylistically, but I think both essentially have the same strengths and flaws - Wan Bissaka is a monster defensively due to his spider-like legs at tackling behind him - but as you mention, Valencia was a brick in a 1v1 too. Neither look *that* amazing doing anything else.
Wan Bissaka is a little bit skilful, although his dribbling never looks in control of the ball. Valencia had one of the best first touches in the side, but he was strangely passive going forward and hideously one footed.
I love him but he does need to improve his attacking game. His crossing needs improvement.
One of Valencia's best qualities was his short passing and keeping possession, positioning and one footedness being probably his worst. Tbh I think they're nothing alike really.
I wonder if we will ever use Wan Bissaka at left back to deal with a teams right winger. I just can't see many players being able to cut in with ease on to their left foot. Would love to have seen him up against Prime Robben.
Watford 2:0 Man Utd
Yeh so...
He was shite today but it won’t be worthy of the overreaction that we’ll inevitably get.
Getting Smalling vibes. Good defender, but terrible with the ball at his feet.
Decent first half defensively (as usual) then absolute nightmarish second half.
He lives and dies by the tackles and today was the latter. He's got good feet but he's needs some serious coaching and help on his side to be more effective when he has space down that right attacking wise.
He lives and dies by the tackles and today was the latter. He's got good feet but he's needs some serious coaching and help on his side to be more effective when he has space down that right attacking wise.
His worst game this season. He has been terrible going forward but he was also piss poor defensively today.
Valencia's positioning was dire.
Was only a matter of time until he concedes a pen with his sliding tackles. But I still like him defensively. He is utter shambles going forward though. As this seems to be something we simply do not coach I'm not blaming him though.
Silly mistake from him today. Understand he likes a slide tackle and he's normally fantastic at them, but he didnt need to go to ground leading to the pen. Still young and learning.
Going forward, if we're to go back to a 433, then then the right centre midfielder can create an attacking overload with the right winger, with Bissaka taking up the midfielder position to stop any potential counters.
It'd be similar to what Pep does with Bernardo, De Bruyne and Walker.
It can work, we just need to find that right balance, but its a game to forget for Wan-Bissaka today.
Going forward, if we're to go back to a 433, then then the right centre midfielder can create an attacking overload with the right winger, with Bissaka taking up the midfielder position to stop any potential counters.
It'd be similar to what Pep does with Bernardo, De Bruyne and Walker.
It can work, we just need to find that right balance, but its a game to forget for Wan-Bissaka today.
Was probably absolutely disheartening from him today that in the last half hour we basically ignore him on the right flank when he was in space. But I can't blame the team TBH.
He's not good enough, fair and simple. He's got one special quality only and that's sliding tackles. How the feck is that good enough for a United-fullback?
Inclined to agree with this, especially as Shaw is guilty of the same on the other side.
Looking for ways to look better in attack? Maybe try being ready to collect the ball in an advanced position.
The amount he tackles it was only a matter of time before he got one wrong
Probably his worst game In a United shirt today although the whole team was poor, bad tackle to give the penalty but I’ll let him away with it cause he’s usually so good at it, been a brilliant signing overall though, my one criticism I have of him is his attacking play which is essentially non existent but it wouldn’t really be an issue if we were creating chances in the areas that really matter I.e from midfield, wide players.
Given the huge number of saving tackles he makes inside our penalty area, there was a certain inevitability that he would get it horribly wrong one time and concede a penalty. Distribution was shocking through-out the match. One good challenge that saved us in the 2nd half when Watford had a good opportunity to counter.
Outside of his brainfart on the penalty he gave away he was agurably Uniteds best player today, especially his defensive work.
He needs to be converted to a cdm - defensively he's great and he has the pace to deal with players at rb but I can't help but think he's not going to help us in the long run if he can't attack or cross.
Whenever I think of a utd rb, I think of Neville and how he used to always ping crosses into the box at every opportunity.
The way we are set up with just a purely defensive RB to me shows we are happy to be attacked full time from other teams. But imagine AWB as a cdm... Constantly breaking up the play with those spider legs.
Whenever I think of a utd rb, I think of Neville and how he used to always ping crosses into the box at every opportunity.
The way we are set up with just a purely defensive RB to me shows we are happy to be attacked full time from other teams. But imagine AWB as a cdm... Constantly breaking up the play with those spider legs.
Was bound to happen eventually if you go to ground that much but I’ll give him leeway when he is as good as he is at that particular skill. Probably only the 2nd one he has mistimed this season so far.
Attacking wise I can’t tell if he and James are just a bad combo or do both really just lack quality in the offensive 3rd. Like you see Bissaka do some little nice moves and drag backs to create space but that’s really as far as he goes. There was like a 30 second spell with some nice link up with Martial so I wonder how he’d do with someone who is better on the ball than say James. A Sancho for example.
Attacking wise I can’t tell if he and James are just a bad combo or do both really just lack quality in the offensive 3rd. Like you see Bissaka do some little nice moves and drag backs to create space but that’s really as far as he goes. There was like a 30 second spell with some nice link up with Martial so I wonder how he’d do with someone who is better on the ball than say James. A Sancho for example.
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It was poor awareness from him than a mis-timed tackle. He didn't see Sarr coming in from behind and slid in.
When Greenwood replaced James, our attack from the right was dead.
He's comfortably better than Smalling with the ball at his feet, but the fact that he's a fullback means he actually has a much larger (negative) impact than Smalling ever did.
He’d probably get away been poor going forward if we had someone decent on the left to attack.
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