Axel Witsel

thepolice123

Full Member
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Mar 25, 2008
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Watched a few Dortmund games recently and he’s been excellent for them. I think based on current form, he’s one the best midfielders today. Has very complete skill set.

He’s one of those players who seems like he has been around forever but you don’t really pay attention too. I searched him up on Wiki and realise he only 29 but has played over 100 games for Belgium. Had stints in Portugal, Russia and China. If he made the transition to a top European Club earlier in his career, I believe he would have made a better name for himself. For those who follows his career, what too him so Long to make the transition and what are your opinions of him?
 
Not sure why he chose to go to Zenit. Weird player, but the talent was always there IMO and big clubs were interested in him when he was at Benfica so the talent was recognized.
 
VorZakone said:
Not sure why he chose to go to Zenit. Weird player, but the talent was always there IMO and big clubs were interested in him when he was at Benfica so the talent was recognized.
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Guessing they offered him a feckton of money, same reason he'd go to China.
 
I was against his signing at the start of the season and thought it was poor investment. Boy oh boy I've been wrong, second best player for Dortmund behind Reus. He can everything in midfield great at holding/rotating possession and defending. Fantastic all round midfielder
 
VorZakone said:
It was certainly the money but I'm sure he'd have earned loads of money at a top club too?
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True. Might be that all the other clubs interest wasn't yet translating into firm offers so took the money that was on offer rather than wait and risk injury.
 
Surprised me no end that no club decided to take a chance on him because of his age all these years. He oozes class.
 
I think and feel Witsel is most important as a new manager. Get a player that dictate and control the ball and game week in and week out is as most important as a top manager which is delivering top result right now.

I think United shall sign both of Witsel and Sancho.
The alternative to Witsel is Ruben Neves from Wolves. I havent seen much of Wolves this season to rate him. He really impressed me before he join Wolves, but with Wolves in championship league and this year not much.

There are two option i consider to buy, to strength the team and cm midfield. Beside De Jong from Ajax.

De Jong + Witsel or Ruben Neves. Is the cm combinations United shall go for. With Witsel i know what i will get. Witsel is a top 4 material and with the current form playing for Dortmund. He is right now one of the best cm player right in Europe, include all the big leagues. Witsel is a must next summer. And after this season i will conclude about Ruben Neves.
 
Belgium media wrote that he wanted to go to Dortmund himself, his agent contacted Dortmund during the WC. Man Utd (after failing to get Kante) and Napoli were also interested, but he wanted to be one of the stars at his new club so he chose Dortmund.
 
Dutchjerry said:
Belgium media wrote that he wanted to go to Dortmund himself, his agent contacted Dortmund during the WC. Man Utd (after failing to get Kante) and Napoli were also interested, but he wanted to be one of the stars at his new club so he chose Dortmund.
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This might have been one of the reasons he chose Dortmund, but the main reason is an even more personal one: the distance to his hometown Liege, where the majority of his family including his parents (grand parents to his two little kids) still live (it fakes about two hours either by car or train to travel one way). They appearantly visit pretty much every of our home games and after spending so much of his career far away (Russia and China), this was a clear priority for him. He basically wanted three things for his move: high standing at his new club, competing in the CL and close distance to his family. We simply ticked all boxes for him which is why I´m very confident that his only move he might make is a move back home to Belgium at the end of his career.
 
Witsel should speak to fred and pogba before joining united under the mou
 
Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber said:
I don't want to hear us linked to this player. I dont want us attempting to sign him. He was in Russia for years playing this good. Went to China this good
Now we want to 'notice' now he is at Dortmund? Aged 29? To hell with that transfer idiocy:mad:
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We are all over the place, complete farce. After the WC, he was there cheap for the taking and nobody except for Dortmund went for him. Mind boggles
 
Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber said:
I don't want to hear us linked to this player. I dont want us attempting to sign him. He was in Russia for years playing this good. Went to China this good
Now we want to 'notice' now he is at Dortmund? Aged 29? To hell with that transfer idiocy:mad:
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While that might be true, it sounds silly to turn down a good player doing very well because of stubbornness

We'd obviously have to pay more than Dortmund did and he's another player moving into his 30s soon. But if he can come in and do what hes done at Dortmund I dont see any rational reason to be against it.
 
Ekeke said:
While that might be true, it sounds silly to turn down a good player doing very well because of stubbornness

We'd obviously have to pay more than Dortmund did and he's another player moving into his 30s soon. But if he can come in and do what hes done at Dortmund I dont see any rational reason to be against it.
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His 29. Will cost a needless fortune, a just punishment for us taking this long to notice him and after a season and a half of over use he will develop 'Maticlitis'' and all the cafe will hate him:lol:


I'm a huge fan of the player. But targetting him is a prime example of what I say Woodward running football operations is dooming us way more than having the I'll suited Mourinho as our current coach. Witsel would have made better sense alongside Fred in the summer
 
Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber said:
His 29. Will cost a needless fortune, a just punishment for us taking this long to notice him and after a season and a half of over use he will develop 'Maticlitis'' and all the cafe will hate him:lol:


I'm a huge fan of the player. But targetting him is a prime example of what I say Woodward running football operations is dooming us way more than having the I'll suited Mourinho as our current coach. Witsel would have made better sense alongside Fred in the summer
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I'm not saying he wouldnt have been a better buy last summer. Thats obvious.

But if he can come in and play like he has done for Dortmund this season I don't think its worth complaining that we should have done it the season before.
 
Ekeke said:
I'm not saying he wouldnt have been a better buy last summer. Thats obvious.

But if he can come in and play like he has done for Dortmund this season I don't think its worth complaining that we should have done it the season before.
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My point is its embarrassing, ashaming and down right incompetence on our part. That is whence my trepidation at such dealings comes from


As a player he is perfect for us and our current boss in all honesty. But we will have to shatter a record to get him
 
Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber said:
My point is its embarrassing, ashaming and down right incompetence on our part. That is whence my trepidation at such dealings comes from


As a player he is perfect for us and our current boss in all honesty.
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For sure. But its a bit of a pattern, like with Pogba, with signing Fellaini after his cheaper clause ran out, etc.

At this point I'd just be happy with signings that work out. Since we so rarely have them
 
thepolice123 said:
Watched a few Dortmund games recently and he’s been excellent for them. I think based on current form, he’s one the best midfielders today. Has very complete skill set.

He’s one of those players who seems like he has been around forever but you don’t really pay attention too. I searched him up on Wiki and realise he only 29 but has played over 100 games for Belgium. Had stints in Portugal, Russia and China. If he made the transition to a top European Club earlier in his career, I believe he would have made a better name for himself. For those who follows his career, what too him so Long to make the transition and what are your opinions of him?
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In my personal view It was never an issue of not being good enough. He has been this good since he was at least 23. For some reason once he went to Russia every scout of a major west Europe team looking for midfielders NEVER looked his way.

Yet he lacked nothing. He is blessed with size, skill, vision, tactical aptitude, speed and work rate. It's baffling
 
Any decent links from decent sources to post here about us wanting him, or we just working ourselves up for nothing?
 
VorZakone said:
It was certainly the money but I'm sure he'd have earned loads of money at a top club too?
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At the time no top club went for him. The likes of Dortmund (in terms of the stature of the club, not Dortmund specifically) were probably interested but they weren't able to match Zenit's offer. Plus they were on the rise, signing both him and Hulk, a very sought-after players at the time.
 
If I remember correctly Juventus all but signed him when his time in Russia came to an end and one of his agents(?) told Belgian media that Napoli, United and Bayern wanted him this summer.
So it's not like he's been completely under the radar, it's more like his career played out in reverse: when he was young he prioritized making money and now that he's entering the final years of his career he's looking at softer factors (proximity to home, important role, according to him atmosphere) and in joining Dortmund made a choice you would have expected him to make in his early 20s.

He's easily Dortmund's most important player after Reus, the undisputed head and heart of their midfield already. There is no way in hell they will sell him in the middle of a title challenge and even next summer it won't nearly be a fair asking price for a 30 year old.
 
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roonster09 said:
More likely he will talk to Lukaku and Fellaini.

Hopefully we aren't interested and these are just media bs.
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He will talk to Fellaini, because they haven been friends for more than 10 years.
They both started at the samen time at Standard de Liège (together with Defour).
 
hasanejaz88 said:
I was against his signing at the start of the season and thought it was poor investment. Boy oh boy I've been wrong, second best player for Dortmund behind Reus. He can everything in midfield great at holding/rotating possession and defending. Fantastic all round midfielder
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How do you feel about Delaney?
 
Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber said:
His 29. Will cost a needless fortune, a just punishment for us taking this long to notice him and after a season and a half of over use he will develop 'Maticlitis'' and all the cafe will hate him:lol:


I'm a huge fan of the player. But targetting him is a prime example of what I say Woodward running football operations is dooming us way more than having the I'll suited Mourinho as our current coach. Witsel would have made better sense alongside Fred in the summer
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He might go on for another five years. He is a real athlete, a real sportsman, so strong and so focused and living in the real world.
 
Rob said:
How do you feel about Delaney?
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He's been decent. A good player to have in the squad as defensive cover alongside Witsel/Dahoud. Weigl can play in that role as well but his form has been poor for a while, Delaney has stepped in well and formed a good partnership with Witsel in the center.
 
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