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2020-21 Performances


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5.3 Season Average Rating
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14
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7
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Rozay

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He’s a natural right foot full back, of course he is both right and left back. Similar to Phil Neville plays both right and left. He was used as right back against Istanbul and remember he was originally right back converted to left back because Laird plays right back while we probably didn’t have a left back in academy.

Development is not just based on 6 months. Players develop within years!

You need to start somewhere, getting 6 months on loan of football is the next step after last season, and then if the manager still thinks he’s not ready yet then he can go on loan again. The guy is still 20 ffs. You are making it sounds like he is already above 23 and has only 6 months left in his development. How do you know he will likely barely get a kick at Southampton and Leverkusen?
He may be able to play at RB, my point was more that he isn’t seen as an option at RB for us. He is probably, just about, seen as a LB option. That has been the case with him for a long time. He doesn’t seem to be in any sort of consideration as a RB here. He’s been in the squad a year, and it isn’t like he’s swapped back and forth between both. It would be like me continuing to talk up Fosu-Mensah’s future here as a midfielder, based on me saying ‘trust me, it’s his most natural position’. Maybe it is, maybe it was when he wad 14, but he’s not considered there by Ole, and no point continually mentioning it as his role.

6 months isn’t forever, no. But when he returns, he will still have two senior established players ahead of him. They aren’t 34 either.

And my prediction of him not playing much at the clubs he has been linked with is only a prediction, and largely based upon my opinion that he’s not good enough to play for those clubs either.
 

Rozay

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I agree that it is difficult to put him there. But in five years time, he will be a right back. Of that, I’m rather confident.

Maybe it is strategy from OGS? Easier to ask for a new right back when he has to play Lindelof, Tuanzebe or TFM there.

I found these quotes from OGS on Williams a bit weird too;

«He had a slow start to the season for different reasons. I think he’s now coming back to himself. I can see more Brandon being Brandon again.»
Why should he want to ask for a new RB at all if he sees Williams as a RB? He’s a player who has 20 odd first team games and just got a mew contract. If he were seen as a RB by Ole, he would be playing him as RB.

He may well be playing at RB in 5 years. It is highly unlikely he’ll be doing it here though.
 

Devil may care

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If he goes on loan then it needs to be a club where he's guaranteed starts, he needs regular PL football as RB to really get gauge on him.
 

andersj

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Why should he want to ask for a new RB at all if he sees Williams as a RB?
Good point, but if so, probably because he want someone better here and now? But still view him as a talent.

Several good fullbacks where not ready to play for a top PL-team at that age, but developed and turned out good.Robertson played in the Championship at the same age. Did not stand out for Hull. Chilwell could hardly get a game for Leicester. Same thing for Walker-Pieters at Spurs. Matthew Cash were a sub at Notthingham. Coleman played in the league of ireland. Baines played in the Championship. Cancelo could hardly get minutes for Valencia. Ricardo Pereira played for Portos B-team.
 

TwoSheds

More sheds (and tiles) than you, probably
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Bissaka is a right back, and Williams is a left back, to the people who matter anyway. Ole just signed a new, LB, and reportedly wants a new RB. Loaning him for 6 months is kicking the can down the road, and not very far down the road either. It’s just 6 months.
It's not though is it. Either he impresses or he doesn't. If he impresses he might be ready to come back and challenge for his place, or at least he'll fetch a better price. If he doesn't we can either get shut or loan him out again, and either way all we've lost is 6 months of his wages. Which we'd most likely lose anyway if nobody wants to pay a reasonable price for him in Jan.
 

UNITED ACADEMY

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He may be able to play at RB, my point was more that he isn’t seen as an option at RB for us. He is probably, just about, seen as a LB option. That has been the case with him for a long time. He doesn’t seem to be in any sort of consideration as a RB here. He’s been in the squad a year, and it isn’t like he’s swapped back and forth between both. It would be like me continuing to talk up Fosu-Mensah’s future here as a midfielder, based on me saying ‘trust me, it’s his most natural position’. Maybe it is, maybe it was when he wad 14, but he’s not considered there by Ole, and no point continually mentioning it as his role.

6 months isn’t forever, no. But when he returns, he will still have two senior established players ahead of him. They aren’t 34 either.

And my prediction of him not playing much at the clubs he has been linked with is only a prediction, and largely based upon my opinion that he’s not good enough to play for those clubs either.
He played as a right back against Istanbul so he was also seen as a RB option not just LB. He also played as RB against LASK & Aston Villa last season. Why is Mensah in the discussion? The guy never used as midfielder in professional football, Brandon has been used as RB in his professional football. A right foot full back isn't seen as RB option? Come on mate, not rocket science.

There are so many full backs out there were not ready to play for top PL team. Danny Rose went on loan multiple times until he was 23. Brandon Williams is still 20, if the manager still sees him as talent then there is nothing wrong to go on loan for couple of years, 6 months of this season is the start, it doesn't mean he can't go on loan again next following seasons like Danny Rose to develop.
 

crossy1686

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I’d think it’s simply the case that there’s two pretty seasoned players ahead of him in the position he plays who are quite better at football than him.
He can't even get on the bench though, to the point where we don't have a recognisable full back playing the match. He was benching Luke Shaw last season so it doesn't really make sense unless he's simply as good as Phil Bardsley was?
 

crossy1686

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Do we think he's refusing to play LB now? Has he played there at all this season? He's a RB by trade but had to play LB to get in the team because Laird was too good in the reserves. Something has to have happened, there was talk of an England call up last season...
 

DWelbz19

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I think you might just be looking for something that isn’t there, @crossy1686. He absolutely isn’t the first and won’t be the last youth player to get game time during a time where the side is lacking in options, and then drop out (basically) forever when those issues are remedied.

It could be a behind the scenes issue, but I’d highly doubt it. He’s played 7 times this season — which is 1 fewer than Axel Tuanzebe and Daniel James. I don’t think this is anything more than him being just one of the first fringe players to not make the squad when near enough everyone in our side is fully fit.

Who knows — Maybe he’ll get some more involvement with the current injuries — Lindelof’s back issues and Tuanzebe and AWB seeming to have some sorts of issues. But it’s not like this is some mystery omission of one of our best players. He’s an okay-ish youth product who probably won’t make it here.
 

Nick7

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Do we think he's refusing to play LB now? Has he played there at all this season? He's a RB by trade but had to play LB to get in the team because Laird was too good in the reserves. Something has to have happened, there was talk of an England call up last season...
He’s just not good enough.
 

crossy1686

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I think you might just be looking for something that isn’t there, @crossy1686. He absolutely isn’t the first and won’t be the last youth player to get game time during a time where the side is lacking in options, and then drop out (basically) forever when those issues are remedied.

It could be a behind the scenes issue, but I’d highly doubt it. He’s played 7 times this season — which is 1 fewer than Axel Tuanzebe and Daniel James. I don’t think this is anything more than him being just one of the first fringe players to not make the squad when near enough everyone in our side is fully fit.

Who knows — Maybe he’ll get some more involvement with the current injuries — Lindelof’s back issues and Tuanzebe and AWB seeming to have some sorts of issues. But it’s not like this is some mystery omission of one of our best players. He’s an okay-ish youth product who probably won’t make it here.
You're probably right. I think now we have options at left back there's no need to create competition to make Shaw kick on, I think that was the main reason for his inclusion last season.

Giggs also spoke about being a youth player at United and said it's easy when you first get in the first team because you're flying on confidence and everything is a high, but he said you know who will make it when you're all of a sudden dropped back down to the reserves because you're no longer giving it 100%.

Williams is probably in that area somewhere but it was Andy Mittens comments about him perhaps not having a future at United anymore which made me question whether or not something had gone on.
 

lysglimt

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Newcastle-fans saying we have agreed a loan-deal with them for Brandon - but none of them understands why Newcastle needs him as they have a good left-back in Lewis. So they are basically wondering why they should help us by promising Williams game-time when they have their own left back :) And to be honest - I hope this isn't true - Bruce could be fired in weeks if Newcastles slump continue.
 

TwoSheds

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Newcastle-fans saying we have agreed a loan-deal with them for Brandon - but none of them understands why Newcastle needs him as they have a good left-back in Lewis. So they are basically wondering why they should help us by promising Williams game-time when they have their own left back :) And to be honest - I hope this isn't true - Bruce could be fired in weeks if Newcastles slump continue.
What about their RB?
 

lysglimt

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What about their RB?
It's Yedlin playing isn't it ? Not sure how he has performed - Newcastle are one of the teams I have seen the least this season. But I am naturally sceptical about any player joining Newcastle - you will struggle to find 5 Newcastle-signings over the last 20 years who improved after joining the club
 

croadyman

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Not on the bench yet again but Ole talks about needing him for the squad
 

AshRK

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Another player along with James, lingard who is just not good on the ball. A loan move would be better.
 

Annihilate Now!

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He badly needs a loan for his own development. He'll never find out what kind of player he is (not) sat on our bench.
 

siw2007

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Doesn't look physically strong enough yet. He's too easily bullied by opposition wingers and he needs to do that to them.
 

Nick7

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Needs a loan. I don’t think he’s close enough to being good enough for our first team but hopefully a loan will help him.
 

Acole9

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I'm not sure if that loan deal is as close as the media have suggested otherwise I don't think he would've played tonight. He will now also be cup tied for any potential deal that may happen.
 

AltiUn

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Gets bullied physically too easily for the type of player he is, if he wants to be the nasty sort of full back then he needs to bulk up.
 

Forevergiggs1

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Thought he would of been a good option to give AWB a rest once in a while. Don't think that anymore.
 

kundalini

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It's a difficult situation for Brandon; so much playing time last season, barely any this. He may need to develop for a few seasons before he is ready to compete for a first team place.

At the moment he doesn't appear to offer anything special at either end of the pitch. When he first got his chance, within a few games he'd scored a goal, won a penalty, missed a good chance, seemed to want to get forward whenever possible. After a while that side of his game wasn't so evident. Defensively he needs a lot of improvement. If he wants to play left-back then he needs to be able to use his left foot far more.

He hasn't played enough as a right-back for me to have a sense of what he offers. He was ok against Watford.

Is he prepared to put in the work or does he think he has made it already ?
 
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Ballache

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Needs an 18 months loan somewhere decent.
I personally don't see it with him but maybe he just needs more playing time.
 
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I'm not sure if that loan deal is as close as the media have suggested otherwise I don't think he would've played tonight. He will now also be cup tied for any potential deal that may happen.
most of the noise is around Newcastle. So being cup tied won’t matter to them.
 

sillwuka

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He does look a completely different player to the one who emerged last year. Almost Shy in his play.

Hasn't played much at all so was never going to be easy. Hope he gets a loan and his confidence grows.
 

MikeKing

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I think a loan to Southampton would be really cool for the sort of player he is. The coach there seems to learn his players to press collectively and Brandon might find his confidence again in a setup like that.
 

RuudtheRed

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Ole definitely rates him - but at the moment, I don't see what he offers that Telles/Shaw or AWB/Tuanzebe/TFM don't. He offers neither attacking threat in behind nor the defensive capabilities of all of the abovementioned players, and his physical attributes are average at best.


It's a shame as he seems to have regressed from his early outings for the first team - I recall a game against West Brom(?) where he was bombing up and down the left wing and he looked the bee's knees, and a couple of outings in the cups where he won penalties with driving runs. That all seems to have faded for now.


His touch also seems to be loose far too regularly, and when he came on against Leipzig in the UCL our left flank really suffered for it in an attacking sense. Might be best for him to go on loan to a lower PL team or even a Championship team for now.
 

Sylar

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I think a loan to Southampton would be really cool for the sort of player he is. The coach there seems to learn his players to press collectively and Brandon might find his confidence again in a setup like that.
Came in to say this, and totally agree
Think it would suit all parties
 
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