I think he should be played as a midfielder. Far less pressure to rub up against centerbacks, and far less pressure to affect the final 3rd. He's a very tidy footballer. You can negate his struggles by playing him there. He was really good in that role for United's youth sides when played in that role.
Angel Gomes Watch
- Thread starter Classical Mechanic
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Indeed, 21 is way too young. I thought he left United in search of opportunity so he either thought he was more ready than he is or he never hoped to get it at United.
I think he looked at some of the other young players who were signing extensions and then getting crap loans or wasting time on the bench and decided to back himself and go and find first team football on his own. It is a gamble and to some degree it has paid off for him, certainly cannot fault him for showing ambition.
Good goal.
A brilliant goal. But he’s nowhere near good enough for United.
This is probably rude but I think he doesn't have the physique of a professional footballer.
What a shame.
What a shame.
Really small players not named Messi can still do well. Just have to have great technique.
Giovinco was the best MLS player ever. He was incredible. He was so good it was harsh that he never cracked the Italian team.
Giovinco was the best MLS player ever. He was incredible. He was so good it was harsh that he never cracked the Italian team.
Nice play by David. Good finish.
yeah exactly.
He’s miles off. No shame in it. If Gomes isn’t good enough how is McT or Garner? Genuinely.
Different positions? Plus they are both 6footers.
I still root for him, wanted him to succeed at United. Good finish, but that was poor defending to let him cut in and get the shot off.
Great goal. Go on Angel, I hope he does good.
Are we going to ignore how bad that defending was?
You sound so outdated with that view, this kind of view is the reason the England national team have failed for so long. Putting emphasis on physique over technique.
Right. Let's see how flexible Angel is by putting him as a ball-playing central defender.
Not the best start to the season for Angel, but he is getting minutes, albeit getting hauled off before 90.
I guess people who said maybe he just wasn't ready for United's first team were right.
He still has time on his side obviously but I think he got bad advice from those around him that if he moved from United he would be an instant hit elsewhere.
Hopefully it still works out for him but I can't help thinking he should have just stayed
He still has time on his side obviously but I think he got bad advice from those around him that if he moved from United he would be an instant hit elsewhere.
Hopefully it still works out for him but I can't help thinking he should have just stayed
I think maybe it's still too early to write him off, but certainly it looks as if he is still no where near the level needed for United level.
Which suggests that maybe United done well to not bow down to his demands.
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Yeah. That's what I thought his long term role should be. Less pressure to produce stats that prove your worth, and less times you rub up against their CBs with your back facing the goal. Amazing first touch, with ability to turn, and can play 1 touch football. He was also strangely combative when played there for United's youth teams. Gomes has the tools to become a good 6.
Great technique and he could even be a late bloomer in his mid 20s when he has more bulk.
He’s played there in all three games this season.
As press resistant as it gets.
Rooting for him. Hope he makes it. Good player to watch.
Based on those highlights alone, it honestly reminds me the best of Fred, which is a compliment. However, he's got to be doing it for a seasons at a high level.
Maybe he can return like Pogba in a few years and be his successor
In the starting lineup against PSG tonight as CM
Same. Also strange we didn't keep him and loan him out for 2-3 seasons. Not sure if that was our decision or his. But he's the sort of player Liverpool or Chelsea would have loaned out and then sold for a decent fee.
I will forever not understand how we fought to keep chong over him
Lille got battered by a full strengh PSG side but Gomes's on the ball stats look pretty good. 100 touches, 82 passes, 91.5 pass completion rate, 1 tackle & 3 interceptions. I didn't see the game so he may have got overrun in the middle but he was certainly very involved. He had 17 more touches than the next highest player in Neymar and 18 more passes than the next highest which was Neymar again.
If he plays the whole season as a starting 6 for nantes we should look at possibly bringing him back next season
He is at Lille, not Nantes.
You can’t play as a 6 and not have any influence on the defensive side of the game, he has zero influence. His distribution and passing is great but that’s half of the work. Anyone thinking he would get away with that in the Premier League is kidding themselves. He’s just not physical enough. Bernardo Silva is slight or David Silva but they know how to ride challenges and played further forward too. Gomes won’t survive for long playing that deep.
He wanted to go, he is the modern young player he is determined to make it if he feels he will get the opportunity somewhere else sooner he is gone.
Leon Britton springs to mind. He was even smaller than Gomes and was a decent PL player in that position for a number of years.
I haven't watched his latest performance, but as a 6, he does have influence on the defensive side of the game. The guy isn't afraid to be physical in that position possibly because he gets to crash in from behind.
But while in possession, I don't share your opinion seeing as you're bringing up the Silva's in possession. As long as you can stay tidy as a 6, it really shouldn't be a problem. It might mean he won't get to dribble (riding tackles), but that is just a very small portion of the dribbling a 6 can do. He can easily carry the ball with space, and can easily use his dribbling skill to shake the defenders off him like in that twitter video of his performance vs Nantes.
I was specific about him not being able to replicate that in the Premier League. He won’t get that luxury.
He was way better at positioning himself and intercepting than Gomes is. Gomes is better on the ball but Britton from the championship days was always a great reader of the game defensively and always had high interception stats. That Swansea team with him and Joe Allen was very effective despite their size because they were good positionally, something Gomes will need a full season to even get close to having. He’s not played as 6 nearly long enough to think he’s any good at the position. Few games is not enough.
Britton averaged between 1.6 & 2.5 interceptions per game during his time in the PL. Gomes managed 3 against PSG which was more than his other games but there's a chance he can improve on this count. 3 games isn't enough granted but I don't think you can write him off at this point either. It's unlikely that'll he'll become good enough as a 6 for United and England but you never know.