Plugsy
New Member
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2013
- Messages
- 6,584
Thank christ he came off, that game was giving me the hump.
Spoilsport :/ .But if you expect an 18 year-old making his competitive debut to be the one grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck then you have problems!
He was playing like a man paranoid that Januzaj would eventually take his place tbf.He was very quiet but Mirallas and especially Mertens seemed determined to ignore Januzaj at every possible moment. Mertens had 6 or 7 really poor attempts on goal.
Childish as anything. They should accept who the manager has picked and get on with it. England players weren't resentful towards sterling - they treated him like a bright new star and something positive to the team. Belgium should do the same with Adnan.It's not an unreachable thought for some Belgium players to be slightly resentful towatds Adnan. Especially after he didn't contribute in the WC qualifying campaign. Just get yer head down at United and the rest will happen, in time.
Did you just seriously put Carrick next to Gladiatore Pirlo, Sir Scholes and Matador Xavi?Barely a chance to show what he's made of tonight. I don't agree that anyone was deliberately ignoring him - I don't think footballers are actually that childish, and even if they are when it comes to a game the drive to win will always completely overwhelm everything else.
But Mertens and Mirallas were effectively playing one side of the pitch and Januzaj was left with Fellaini for company. Add to that the total lack of vision or passing range in that Belgian midfield and they just couldn't get him on the ball, and certainly not in any sort of useful position or space. Dembele, Defour and Witsel might be good midfielders in terms of their defensive work, their physical presence and their competency in possession of the ball, but not one of them has the wherewithal to look up and pull off a nice diagonal, or really any pass other than the ten-yarder to a teammate who's barely in a better position than the passer is.
Over the last couple of years I've not been able to fathom why such a talented group of players can't ever produce at a tournament, but it's really coming clear at this world cup: it's that lack of a brain in midfield - a Pirlo, a Scholes, a Xavi, even a Xabi Alonso or Carrick. Someone who can move the ball around the pitch with pace and purpose, who can pick out a man in space on the wing before his defender can get tight to him. All the talented wide AMs in the world are useless if it takes two minutes of Dembele and Defour faffing around in midfield before they actually get the ball.
Why do people do this? Read what he said: "...even a Xabi Alonso or Carrick." He clearly doesn't rate them as highly.Did you just seriously put Carrick next to Gladiatore Pirlo, Sir Scholes and Matador Xavi?
Team mates weren't ignoring him...such bullshitIf team-mates are ignoring him, I suspect he isn't pulling up any trees in training. A tournament too soon for him methinks.
Did you seriously just do... that? Whatever that was.Did you just seriously put Carrick next to Gladiatore Pirlo, Sir Scholes and Matador Xavi?
Or senior players feeling threatened perhaps? Not saying this is so but it does happen.If team-mates are ignoring him, I suspect he isn't pulling up any trees in training. A tournament too soon for him methinks.
No-one was ignoring him. But he was horribly isolated because Mirallas and Mertens stuck close to one another on the left, because Defour and Dembele take an age to move the ball from side to side or back to front, and because Belgium were generally playing with a serious lack of tempo. Also, credit where it's due, because South Korea's clever energetic pressing was making that pitch look very cramped for Belgium. Couldn't get any space.If team-mates are ignoring him, I suspect he isn't pulling up any trees in training. A tournament too soon for him methinks.
He is one of the more talented youngsters in the world, but he was poor today no excuses about it really. He is still young and very inconsistent, at his best he dominates matches for us and at worst he can be anonymous with his dribbling especially.Come on guys. I know that he is in your team and hyped up(for what by the way?) to be the next big United thing.
But he just was poor today and is overall not as good as he is made in the English press.
He could become all that he is promised but I dont see it yet.
Januzaj is hyped up - rightfully so - because he has all the right attributes to become a world class playmaker. Watch his appearances last season - there were so many occasions where he was our main man. It was embarrassing to rely on a young talent in the manner we did. You're being very harsh. His performance against South Korea (in his first competitive game for Belgium) was poor, but it was only his third appearance for Belgium. It's a nugatory appearance because it doesn't really tell us anything different to what we know.Come on guys. I know that he is in your team and hyped up(for what by the way?) to be the next big United thing.
But he just was poor today and is overall not as good as he is made in the English press.
He could become all that he is promised but I dont see it yet.
What 6 months would these be?I just hope he gets game time. It's been a long while since he's had any kind of significant football, which IMO is fecking barmy at this crucial stage of his development. One of the most promising players we've had in years and we effectively make him sit on the bench for 6 months, the odd game aside. Part of me worries what such inactivity has done insofar as stunting his growth.
He wasn't even getting reserve games, was he?
I agree, they weren't ignoring him because they disagree with him being there, however, they didn't pass to him much but I think that was more to do with selfishness than anythingTeam mates weren't ignoring him...such bullshit
We were asked (made) not to criticize the poster but his/her posts so I'll just state that you're post was full of shit. We have exactly 19 times more reasons to hype him (he played 38 games for us while 2 for you) than you have to downgrade his ability. In each of those 38 games he lighten up the pitch at least once. Your team are playing like a bag of shit at the moment (attacking-wise) mate and it's a bit difficult to express yourself when you're wicked into that crap of a football. You should thank God for drawing the easiest WC group ever and pray for better performances and, first of all, better formation.Come on guys. I know that he is in your team and hyped up(for what by the way?) to be the next big United thing.
But he just was poor today and is overall not as good as he is made in the English press.
He could become all that he is promised but I dont see it yet.
He wasn't poor or good. He wasn't anything, really, because he barely saw the ball. Belgium's midfield soundly failed to provide any kind of good possession or service for the forwards to work with all game. Even Mirallas and Mertens, who benefited from sticking close to one another all game, didn't really have much to work with. We've seen similar problems for long tracts of earlier games for Hazard and Mertens. At the moment Belgium's system is not working, and they're lucky to have progressed from the group stages.Come on guys. I know that he is in your team and hyped up(for what by the way?) to be the next big United thing.
But he just was poor today and is overall not as good as he is made in the English press.
He could become all that he is promised but I dont see it yet.
....ok. Im German btw and I saw him in a United shirt also. He was fine overall for his season but nothing incredible. And you are harsh on Belgium. They had all the pressure, dark horse and so on. Thats not easy. They are young.We were asked (made) not to criticize the poster but his/her posts so I'll just state that you're post was full of shit. We have exactly 19 times more reasons to hype him (he played 38 games for us while 2 for you) than you have to downgrade his ability. In each of those 38 games he lighten up the pitch at least once. Your team are playing like a bag of shit at the moment (attacking-wise) mate and it's a bit difficult to express yourself when you're wicked into that crap of a football. You should thank God for drawing the easiest WC group ever and pray for better performances and, first of all, better formation.
He only started 3 games since the end of January. Given that his World Cup call him wasn't expected at all it would have effectively meant going from 1st January to mid/late August having played where he's started just 3 games. It's only the surprise intervention of Belgium that has prevented this. If not he'd have started the new season having had no real game time for about 6 months aside from 3 sporadic starts and, I believe, one sub appearance.What 6 months would these be?
I don't know. There were definitely a few situations where spraying it wide to him was clearly the best option, and then went for a useless sideways/backwards pass. Mertens had a couple of chances to play him into great positions and took rubbish shots instead.No-one was ignoring him. But he was horribly isolated because Mirallas and Mertens stuck close to one another on the left, because Defour and Dembele take an age to move the ball from side to side or back to front, and because Belgium were generally playing with a serious lack of tempo. Also, credit where it's due, because South Korea's clever energetic pressing was making that pitch look very cramped for Belgium. Couldn't get any space.
He barely got on the ball, but it's hard to blame him for that given that the same thing has happened to both Hazard and Mertens for big chunks of the tournament too. Their system isn't really working.
In this case he was just unlucky to play alongside two dickheads of Mirallas and Mertens who were selfish enough to try shooting from idiotic angles and positions rather than trying to pick a pass.Team mates weren't ignoring him...such bullshit
The only reason why no other club's fans (including you) think Adnan was incredible is because Adnan wasn't playing much at all since February. This was the opposite with Sterling. Sterling didn't play before December really and kicked on from then on with amazing performances. It's a "what have you done for me lately" mentality. People forget that Januzaj was our player of the month in January, but rarely played in the following months after playing so well. It wasn't due to him under performing, but rather due to Moyes thinking he had to rest. After the semi finals in the cup, he didn't play 30 minutes in a single game until a month later. In March, he only played 3 matches in total, one of which was a sub appearance. In April he played a grand total of 81 minutes (all from the bench). It's no wonder everyone thinks he had a bad 2nd half of the season. He didn't get to play!....ok. Im German btw and I saw him in a United shirt also. He was fine overall for his season but nothing incredible. And you are harsh on Belgium. They had all the pressure, dark horse and so on. Thats not easy. They are young.
But in the end they made it and now they face a good USA team. They did the job. Great itself. Ask England.
But ok, lets see how much he plays the rest of Belgiums way.
I get your point but United was poor and if he would be on the levels you and others see him already Moyes had played him more often. He is a good young player but one of some at this age around the world.The only reason why no other club's fans (including you) think Adnan was incredible is because Adnan wasn't playing much at all since February. This was the opposite with Sterling. Sterling didn't play before December really and kicked on from then on with amazing performances. It's a "what have you done for me lately" mentality. People forget that Januzaj was our player of the month in January, but rarely played in the following months after playing so well. It wasn't due to him under performing, but rather due to Moyes thinking he had to rest. After the semi finals in the cup, he didn't play 30 minutes in a single game until a month later. In March, he only played 3 matches in total, one of which was a sub appearance. In April he played a grand total of 81 minutes (all from the bench). It's no wonder everyone thinks he had a bad 2nd half of the season. He didn't get to play!
Adnan had a terrific season when he was playing consistently. From October to January he was really impressive. He showed a bit of everything apart from physicality.
As for the WC match, he was indeed invisible as he didn't see much of the ball. I don't even think Mirallas was particularly active. The ball seemed to gravitate towards Mertens, Vertonghen, Fellaini, and Dembele. If you fail to involve two of the three attackers on the pitch, the team will naturally look toothless. I'm honestly surprised they didn't let Adnan take the set pieces. He's quality in that department. It's not surprising that he looked subdued though. Belgium haven't really looked like scoring much in their past 4 matches. Extremely disappointing.