The article just confirms that those of us who thought we saw something special in him weren't crazy. For me, it was not just his technique, but his balance and grace when he handled the ball, and that touch of arrogance that many great players have. It's probably a similar feeling that many felt about Ravel. Unfortunately he never had the mentality to become a top player, but if we had a more stable environment after Fergie retired, we probably could've developed him into a useful player. We often use consistency as a stick to beat young players with, but as a club we've lacked that for the past eight years.
Adnan Januzaj article in The Athletic
- Thread starter jem
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Wouldn't go that far, he's playing at a very good level. Still 26 and having a good career.What a waste of a talent and a great chant
Makes you think about the loan process in general. For Joyce to say both Januzaj and Wilson were sent out on loan merely to cover their wages while their potential wasted away is a damning indictment of how the club was managing its youth players, saving a pittance in the grand scheme but seeing a decrease in player value too, financially speaking.
Why haven't we struck up a relationship with a continental club in the last two decades?
Why haven't we struck up a relationship with a continental club in the last two decades?
Sad that he didn't make it here at the club, in what was a dreadful summer with no new faces except Fellaini, he was a breath of fresh air. He gave us a little flair in what was a dour United team. Should have been a star player for us but maybe that was part of the problem, we were desperate for a young star in what was an ageing 11, was overhyped and perhaps it went to his head and was never properly managed by the club.
Glad he is making something of his career though hope he doesn't play a blinder tonight.
Glad he is making something of his career though hope he doesn't play a blinder tonight.
He was great at times during that Moyes season, a ray of light in an otherwise grim season. Sadly it wasn’t to be and he only really has himself to blame by all accounts.
That said, it’s funny how some media outlets are subtly pushing the narrative that we ruined his career, that he was outcast from the club etc.
That said, it’s funny how some media outlets are subtly pushing the narrative that we ruined his career, that he was outcast from the club etc.
For me the larger story is how badly managed we were during the first few post-Ferguson years.
But Warren Joyce gave an interview ages ago and said this
“The frustrating thing is seeing ones like Januzaj, Wilson or Federico Macheda get up to that level and stop doing the work they did to get them to that level.
“Not play the games, not train as hard, sit in jacuzzis and not do the same weights and sessions they did to get there. Those are the frustrating ones for me, because that could be avoided.
“You’re in football for sport, to be competitive and try to do your best and challenge yourself, so those things are on the periphery. You either want to be in a boyband in a pop star environment, or a footballer.”
Januzaj is deluded if he's blaming LVG
“The frustrating thing is seeing ones like Januzaj, Wilson or Federico Macheda get up to that level and stop doing the work they did to get them to that level.
“Not play the games, not train as hard, sit in jacuzzis and not do the same weights and sessions they did to get there. Those are the frustrating ones for me, because that could be avoided.
“You’re in football for sport, to be competitive and try to do your best and challenge yourself, so those things are on the periphery. You either want to be in a boyband in a pop star environment, or a footballer.”
Januzaj is deluded if he's blaming LVG
Sorry but to me that's a coach just making excuses for a poorly coached player. Januzaj is completely right to blame LVG. Every other manager he has worked with so far has had nothing but praise.
In reality, you do not get to the level someone like Januzaj gets to without putting in the work. That simply doesn't happen.
Truth is during a time we have had Sanchez, James and Martial on the right wing Janzuaj would have been more than capable.
Hey, if James was Mbappe tonight, then Adnan was Obertan!
Thomas Tuchel on Januzaj
"It is a pity he did not show the desire and attitude you need to progress at his age. My feeling was that he never was completely with us, that a part of him always stayed in Manchester and he compared everything here with United.
We were not able to help him to shake that off."
Probably not the game he envisioned against his former club.
he never had a strong inner desire to become a super star. that has been his downfall.
No. That’s a coach explaining why a supremely talented player will never fulfil his potential.
And you’re confusing doing very little work with not doing enough work to be the best he can be. Hence he’s looking bang average at a mid-table Spanish team, when he had the potential to be one of the elite.
I totally agree. At the age a lot of factors come into play and talent is just one of them. I have a good feeling about Greenwood and Amad, maybe they won't be elite but hopefully will be regular contributors.
I never felt he had what it takes. He was always tidy on the ball and had bags of ability, but he could never make an impact on a game. Tonight was his United career all over again. Properly skinned Telles (?) then knocked it out himself for a goal kick.
He started off well but very quickly faded.
Nice summary of his career.
I disagree...
All of Sociedad's great chances came from Januzaj, once they conceded 2 goals, it's normal for the whole team to fade away.
Didn't really do too much to make me feel like we missed out on him. Sociedad seems like the right level for him.
We all knew we didn't miss out of him anyway. Had he been absolutely destroying La Liga it would have been a different matter.
I thought he was a brilliant talent when he came through. His close control, balance and initially even intelligence were excellent. But eventually he sort of became a middle of the road player - neither a true attacker who can decisively impact games, nor a true 10 who had exceptional playmaking qualities - never really excelling enough at anything to be the player one felt he could have been.
Yeah - I just haven't really paid attention to what he's been up to over the last few years.
He only stood out from the shower of shit that Moyes made us play.
Still had loads of work to build on but he never did push on.
Still had loads of work to build on but he never did push on.
Yep he nearly scored with the first one. But he went quiet after a while to me that's fading away.
I know I'm probably just trying to save face, but even watching him yesterday its clear the talent is still there. I'd probably still have him as an option on the RW which we sorely lack.
I think the most interesting thing I took from that article is our loan system, which can be evidenced from the recalls we have done this season due to a lack of minutes, has received a massive overhaul since Ole came in and development is now prioritised over wage coverage.
The issue is with Amad and maybe another signing, RW should be covered next season.
Thats bollocks
Are you really saying that you believe a 17 year old Rashford was regarded as more of a rising star/ higher potential than a 17 year old Januzaj? Because that really does not fit with the reality of the way Januzaj was thought of at the time. What you are saying is totally revisionist.
Januzaj, Morrison, Macheda, all the same. They look for excuses but in the end, they are to blame
Agreed.
Perhaps not Rashford no, my bad, but certainly Greenwood. Look I’ve addressed his demise and over hype in previous posts - yes he was an exciting talent at 17/18 but we’ve had a metric tonne of players like that. He proved just to be another flash in the pan here and declined as quickly as Ronaldo rose up.
It’s not. Half of our academy are over hyped, what was different with Januzaj?
Yup. The player development has been prioritised since Ole arrived.
It’s one of the key things I look for with any manager of ours.
Not just becuase it’s nice to have a few local lads in the squad but because we actually churn out some very good players and always have done.
I think Macheda has admitted it was his fault and he stopped working hard. Januzaj became a decent player who has been playing in top leagues for 8 years, so in the end he probably does not feel he has failed in his career.
Come on now, there's a big difference in the level of effort required to excel in top level football vs. just turn up each week. Maybe it was our fault for not motivating players properly as we had a lot of prospects fall by the wayside around that time, but it was pretty obvious he didn't have the desire.
The type of player who moans publicly about being mistreated by a coach is almost certainly one with attitude problems, and will never be a world class player because they don't have the maturity or mentality.
There are a couple of exceptions, but they prove the rule (Zlatan springs to mind)
There are a couple of exceptions, but they prove the rule (Zlatan springs to mind)
It's amazing how many coaches have managed to misuse him during his career, absolutely amazing.
Still had the stuff that made him potentially great. The dribbling, the creative passing, the intelligence.
His type of creative passing is something that he does and only a few top players do. He passes not between the line where the striker is running. If the striker is running between CB and CB, most players try slotting it through there, which defenders expect. But he goes between LB and CB to catch them out. He used to do it a lot in our u23s and even first team.
At the beginning of the game he wasn't holding the ball up when played to feet, instead being knocked off the ball, but after a while he was holding off Telles and Maguire (!) and starting attacks. I honestly don't think he'd look out of place if he was still here, but he's definitely not reached his potential. I don't care what anyone says, he was a top talent.
I have my own views on why he failed (handed the no.11 then shipped out on loan etc). LVG wasn't a good fit for him at all.