[Paxi]

To be fair, criticism regarding his technique isn't anything new. Definitely a big issue and if teams cop on and target him like they did today (and Smalling in the past), it's only gonna get worse.

It’s more when teams press well collectively that he absolutely shits himself. It’s not good enough as a United right back imo. Hopefully laird can live up to the hype. Don’t get me wrong he’s brilliant defensively but I genuinely think he’s worse than smalling on the ball.

 

[Ace of Spades]

He was shit, but Southampton are very aggressive in pressing, which for a player with limited ability on the ball is the worst.

 

[E-mal]

He has to improve his technique and composure, else I fear for his place when the dust settles on other demanding positions.

 

[Superunknown]

He was shit, but Southampton are very aggressive in pressing, which for a player with limited ability on the ball is the worst.

The obvious question is should a player with limited technical ability on the ball be playing right back for Manchester United?
I feel that he's good/great at half the job, which is the defensive half. He seems like the type of player we needed in the past, but not necessarily the one we need right one.

 

[Adnan]

The issue was he and a few others got 'Hassenhuttl'd'

He needs to improve in that regard and we need to hope Ethan Laird can stay injury free so he can potentially give us attacking threat and combination play that is missing, especially against teams that are coached to press high.

 

[Rossa]

He’s not good enough for a top attacking side. Absolutely shambolic on the ball. Conference level bad.

You don’t tend to post like this, mate. He’s not that bad. He looks more clumsy than he is, but today he was really poor.

 

[el3mel]

He was terrible today no other way around it.

However he has improved his attacking play a lot recently so I won't hold it against him.

 

[Phil]

I'm worried about his performances since the restart, both in attack and defence. He's been disappointing versus his previous level. Perhaps he just needs a break.

 

[Utdstar01]

Laird will oust him from the first XI if he stays infury free. We couldn't beat the press on that right flank as AWB was constantly losing the ball/unable to find a pass forward, one of the reasons Mason was so isolated. After that, our CBs were reluctant to give it to him.

 

[11101]

Hes nackered. Noticed a few times he hesitated to start tracking back.

 

[Rafaeldagold]

You’re too emotional. Players have bad games some times. Just say he wasn’t good and move on. Regardless his had a very good first season.

Not just today’s game. Just today was especially bad.

In general I honestly don’t think he’s good enough to be Manchester United’d first choice right back. Clumsy, poor touch, crossing still not there & lately the tackles haven’t been either.

 

[Ace of Spades]

The obvious question is should a player with limited technical ability on the ball be playing right back for Manchester United?
I feel that he's good/great at half the job, which is the defensive half. He seems like the type of player we needed in the past, but not necessarily the one we need right one.

Even if he is limited, if he can just keep his game simple and keep working he can still be a great RB option. He was poor, but so were a lot of players who are a lot more technically gifted than him.

 

[Robbie Boy]

Probably his worst game for us. Even basic controlling the ball seemed to let him down.

 

[Isotope]

That last easy pass he messed up to James was a bit infuriating. But then it's not just him were having a day off.

 

[a_devil_inside]

Wasn't a good game for him today.
Hope he scores before the end of the season, I think he's the only first teamer not to score yet.

 

[Andycoleno9]

He had a bad game. It happens. Plays every game and needs a rest.
But i am not happy with one thing which i noticed that he is doing lately. Being too casual. Goal against Bournemouth and few times today; he falls down in duel, tackle or something and then he slowly and casually resumes playing. Without any sense for urgency. Young player and defender must be on his feet even before he falls down ffs.

 

[Sylar]

The obvious question is should a player with limited technical ability on the ball be playing right back for Manchester United?
I feel that he's good/great at half the job, which is the defensive half. He seems like the type of player we needed in the past, but not necessarily the one we need right one.

Neville states he himself was limited technically
I mean Neville had a great cross but are we now saying awb isn't good enough?
Or did I misread your post

 

[The Cat]

I despair sometimes at the over reactions after a match. Let's totally ignore the work he did to set the goal up and say he can't control a ball for example.

This forum is becoming toxic no wonder Pidgeon and Paris fecked off.

 

[Beachryan]

He's improved this season, is incredibly young and has still been a great purchase.

For me it's up to the other players to see when a player is clearly just not 'on it' and stop putting him in bad situations. There's no need for Lindelof to constantly be hitting it firmly to AWB, when he has a very quick player clearly going to close him down, and he's struggling.

I was most disappointed by both Ole and our 'senior' players in game management. It was obvious the high press was targeting the right hand side, sometimes you have to switch things up on the fly, recognise what is going on and change things. Fernandes was utterly useless where he was (I assume) being told to play when we had the ball in our third. If he drops to the centre circle, he gives three options for the CBs and solves the problem. But he was practically a tiny second striker up there.

 

[RedSky]

He needs a rest. He's played a lot of minutes this season for us.

 

[paraguayo]

He has a lot of difficulties when pressed, he's almost a carbon copy of Ferland Mendy. Same qualities and same defect

 

[HowYouDoin]

He's a liability, lets be honest. Holds up our play all the time going forward and he makes it easy to play against us especially for good pressing teams because they know what a liability he is. Then also what happens everyone else on the team is hesitant to pass to him and as a result our passing game becomes very slow.
He is not our full back of the future. Its something we will need to address.
To truly become an elite team our passing will need to get a lot quicker. I just think AWB holds up back a lot and we cant really compensate for him. Great pressing teams will easily expose him each and every time. Just not good enough.
Probably our weakest position. Shaw is at least all around solid. Doesnt really excel at anything but solid enough. AWB is just a liabilty.
I would upgrade RB before any other position, meaning I see him behind the likes of Lindeloff, Matic and Shaw in the pecking order.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

I'm not sure if you can win the top trophies now with a full-back who can be that poor going forward.

Though he has shown improvement since the start of the season to be fair.

 

[Freak]

Dog shit today. What has happened to his defending as well? He used to not give any winger any space and not allow crosses to come in. But now..

 

[Renegade]

Not just today’s game. Just today was especially bad.

In general I honestly don’t think he’s good enough to be Manchester United’d first choice right back. Clumsy, poor touch, crossing still not there & lately the tackles haven’t been either.

Who would you replace him with? with the exception of Trent, how many RB’s are better in the league?

 

[ash_86]

Think since the restart he's covered the most distance. Like 43km and this was the stat until last game. He just needs a rest but unfortunately we don't have a good cover for him.

 

[roonster09]

Had very poor game today, struggled whole game. Messed up even simple passes at times.

 

[CG1010]

We needed to count on him to break the press by Southampton but he let us down big time. Gave no support to our struggling midfielders. Lost every duel. Disappointing performance by him. But he is still quite young, I hope he bounces back in the next one.

 

[VP89]

We needed to count on him to break the press by Southampton but he let us down big time. Gave no support to our struggling midfielders. Lost every duel. Disappointing performance by him. But he is still quite young, I hope he bounces back in the next one.

Still only 22 years old, playing pretty much every minute for us.

 

[romufc]

AWB has been poor for the last few games now. Today was the worst of the lot. He is normally a good out ball from the back but everytime he got the ball, I was nervous, giving away simple passes, not taking the simple option in the final third.

 

[Fracture90]

He's being overplayed.

 

[romufc]

He's being overplayed.

This is the laziest comment I have seen. As a professional footballer, you want to play week in week out.

VVD has started every league game for Liverpool.
Trent, Robbo play almost every game in the last 2 seasons be it PL or CL.

Our last game was Thursday and before that Saturday. enough time to rest.

 

[Fluctuation0161]

I'm worried about his performances since the restart, both in attack and defence. He's been disappointing versus his previous level. Perhaps he just needs a break.

He has played well since the restart. Racking up 2 assists and 3 clean sheets in 5 games.

Yes, his game yesterday was terrible. But please be more balanced in his longer term assessment.

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

Arguably his worst game for us yesterday. I said at the time getting rid of Young was a mistake. He’s a decent option if Shaw & AWB get injured or knackered. Now that has happened & Brandon is out too. Young would have been a good option on either side as backup. Letting him go for just £1m was really bad business.

 

[roonster09]

It's amazing how one poor game means the previous few games are rewritten.

 

[sp_107]

Hes nackered. Noticed a few times he hesitated to start tracking back.

Looks like whole team was tired tbh. cant rotate much and I am worried how can we handle next 4 games in 10 days.

can we afford to rest Bruno, Martial or Matic in our next game?

 

[jamesjimmybyrondean]

This is the laziest comment I have seen. As a professional footballer, you want to play week in week out.

VVD has started every league game for Liverpool.
Trent, Robbo play almost every game in the last 2 seasons be it PL or CL.

Our last game was Thursday and before that Saturday. enough time to rest.

Liverpool is a terrible example because we've been better than them since the restart. Awb has been overplayed. And it's easy to see

 

[romufc]

Liverpool is a terrible example because we've been better than them since the restart. Awb has been overplayed. And it's easy to see

So overplayed can only be since the restart? In comparison to 2 players who have been playing at a high level for 2 years straight?

 

[jamesjimmybyrondean]

So overplayed can only be since the restart? In comparison to 2 players who have been playing at a high level for 2 years straight?

Players are built differently though. Quality aside some players have more stamina than others.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

It's amazing how one poor game means the previous few games are rewritten.

It’s not though he’s been poor 3 games on the bounce.