[soap]

Potentially our best outfield player if he avoids injury and the players around him keep doing their job. There's an incisiveness and urgency about his passing that no one in our team can match.

Add on top of that, he's pacy, highly ambidextrous and a skillful dribbler. He's perhaps not a leader or the type of player to "grab the game by the scruff of the neck" but hopefully Pogba, Matic and/or Herrera can take up that mantle

 

[Jerch]

Do you guys think he will be regular starter for us?

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

Do you guys think he will be regular starter for us?

This season for sure, long term I don't know.

Already has 2 assists.

 

[AndyJ1985]

Potentially our best outfield player if he avoids injury and the players around him keep doing their job. There's an incisiveness and urgency about his passing that no one in our team can match.

Add on top of that, he's pacy, highly ambidextrous and a skillful dribbler. He's perhaps not a leader or the type of player to "grab the game by the scruff of the neck" but hopefully Pogba, Matic and/or Herrera can take up that mantle

Yeah, he's not close to being our best player.

 

[soap]

Yeah, he's not close to being our best player.

Martial and Pogba probably have more talent but it remains to be seen if they can harness it. Same with Mkhi of course.

 

[JJ12]

Yeah, he's not close to being our best player.

Im not saying he's the best but how many are better out of interest?

 

[BluesJr]

Im not saying he's the best but how many are better out of interest?

I'd say Pogba, Matic, De Gea, and Lukaku are all better players. I rate Martial slightly more than him too, what he did show against West Ham though is that he can be much more effective than we've previously seen in his league form. So if that continues through the season then he could become our most important player, time will tell.

 

[MadMike]

Im not saying he's the best but how many are better out of interest?

De Gea is probably the only World Class player in the squad. A genuine top 3 in his position world wide. So he is ahead.

If Pogba gets some consistency this season, he can break into that category himself. He is the next second strongest candidate.

In terms of overall importance to our attacking play Mkhi is behind Pogba and Lukaku for sure. Both are respectively better players in their positions than Mkhi. I'd put him perhaps top 5 but not top for sure.

 

[Pace Abuser]

He's potentially out best player in the sense if he hits top form and harnesses all his qualities to their maximum effect, he'd be that player you pay to watch. He'd also be unique in what he brings to our team as his passing is so fast and incisive, unstoppable when he goes on his mazy runs too.

I have a good feeling about him. A lot has been said about him being mentally fragile. With the current team spirit and big characters running through our spine taking the responsibility, we could maybe see him settle and really thrive.

 

[JJ12]

@MadMike @BluesJr @andy1985

I think this season we will find out who our better players are because at the moment it's all 'potentially' x could be or y could be.

Bailly, Matic, Pogba, Mkhitaryan, Rashford, Lukaku and Martial are all in the mix for our best outfield players but at the moment I just couldn't tell you what order.

If they all reach potential it could be an amazing year for us.

 

[Z_Wolf]

Potentially our best outfield player if he avoids injury and the players around him keep doing their job. There's an incisiveness and urgency about his passing that no one in our team can match.

Add on top of that, he's pacy, highly ambidextrous and a skillful dribbler. He's perhaps not a leader or the type of player to "grab the game by the scruff of the neck" but hopefully Pogba, Matic and/or Herrera can take up that mantle

He is ambidextrous in a sense that he's equally bad with either foot. He has many qualities but his finishing leaves much to be desired tbh.

 

[Hed Zitin]

He did nothing when West Ham got behind the ball. When the game was open he was much better, but his job is to unlock these teams.

 

[iamjacks]

He did nothing when West Ham got behind the ball. When the game was open he was much better, but his job is to unlock these teams.

Exactly. It appears stupid to criticise after a comfortable win where said player got 2 assists, but he still goes missing far too often. He should be picking that ball up, even demanding it in the middle of the pitch, and then getting the opposition on the back foot by driving the team forward. Then pick the right pass.

West Ham will be far from the hardest team we'll face all season, but it's a good start. We need to see more from Mkhi when the games tight and opposition can defend. He's at the age where he should be a big presence and dictate out there, has he got it in him? Hope so.

 

[MiceOnMeth]

Honestly, can see him being hugely underwhelming again and in 10 months time being back at Dortmund for half of what we paid.

 

[Godfather]

Strange all the negative comments he is getting after being one of our best performers in pre season and against West Ham.

 

[AdNani]

Honestly, can see him being hugely underwhelming again and in 10 months time being back at Dortmund for half of what we paid.

Strange that youd see this after he got 2 very good assists in the last Match

 

[WoodysWallet]

He had a bad first half, but he did plenty of positive things in the second. I don't think you can look too much into one performance, but I wouldn't go dropping such dynamic player, for someone like Fellaini or Lingard.

 

[Inter Yer Nan]

He's a strange case for me. I like him a lot as a player and sometimes he does stuff few can do and other times he's struggling with something very basic. A knock on him coming to us was that he's supremely talented, but also a bit on the fragile side from a mental standpoint. He hasn't shaken that for me but the fact that Jose still has him as a important member of the squad says that perhaps behind the scenes there's been improvements there. I'd consider Mata a more steady player and perhaps a better one and he's more likely to give you 7/10's on a consistent basis but Mkhtaryan will probably give you more 8/10's but you'll also have to put up with some 6/10's. Having said that Mkhtaryan does create endless chances even on an off day and has more of a wow factor when he's on his game. He's obviously very fast, a good dribbler too which Mata isn't but Mata is way more composed. I think they play well together and I'd like to see them in the lineups in games like Sunday's but perhaps the trickier home games he's the better fit and the trickier away games Mata's the better fit.

I guess we will have a firm answer in 2-3 months on whether Mkhtaryan will be a consistent starter for the season. If he gets the consistency down and the mental toughness he'd be nailed on for me.

 

[I Believe]

Only player we have who can go (genuinely) left or right, which is why he should always be played in a central position. Will my advice be heeded, no he will be played wide right, at least to start with.....................then, who knows...!

 

[Dave46]

Strange all the negative comments he is getting after being one of our best performers in pre season and against West Ham.

Yeah, stupid, really.

 

[Dave46]

He had a bad first half, but he did plenty of positive things in the second. I don't think you can look too much into one performance, but I wouldn't go dropping such dynamic player, for someone like Fellaini or Lingard.

He did not have a bad first half. He had better second half.

 

[Dave46]

Strange all the negative comments he is getting after being one of our best performers in pre season and against West Ham.

Even if we assume that Miki underperforms, why would Jose sell him for 15-16 mil back to Dortmund, where Miki would never go? Tuchel is not there, Watzke and Miki don't have a good relationship anymore. 15 mil, some Championship players go for 15 mil these days

 

[Dave46]

You put Miki right now for sale, 40-50 would be the going price.

 

[Canagel]

He's the player I'm most excited about this season. I'm surprised that people question his mentality because this is a guy who didn't get a run in the team until December last season. He could have let his head drop at that moment but he came back really strong. Basically he played half a season and was one of the key players in our EL campaign. I think playing with a quick striker like Lukaku may bring the best out of him this year and he's my bet to get the most assists in the PL.

 

[WoodysWallet]

He's the player I'm most excited about this season. I'm surprised that people question his mentality because this is a guy who didn't get a run in the team until December last season. He could have let his head drop at that moment but he came back really strong. Basically he played half a season and was one of the key players in our EL campaign. I think playing with a quick striker like Lukaku may bring the best out of him this year and he's my bet to get the most assists in the PL.

It's a big season for him, without a doubt. We saw glimpses of what he can do last season, and it looks like he's going to get the opportunity to play in his favoured position.

Jose will be expecting big things from him, and I don't think Sunday was a bad start at all.

 

[Mike09]

With Lukaku, Rashford and even Martial pace I think Mkhy will produce a lot of assists by playing more central. However it's so frustrated when I see him lose possession because he tries to dribble and beat his men in the situation of counter attack or when in our own half.

 

[MadMike]

With Lukaku, Rashford and even Martial pace I think Mkhy will produce a lot of assists by playing more central. However it's so frustrated when I see him lose possession because he tries to dribble and beat his men in the situation of counter attack or when in our own half.

When there's space to run into he's great. He's fantastic on the counter. In tight games he ends up taking too many players on, running down blind alleys and losing the ball. On top of that he often messes up infuriatingly simple passes.

It's no surprise Mata was better in the league last season. His movement and finishing are better suited in these types of games. First half against West Ham and until the goal, it was Mata's movement that was threatening WHU the most. Nearly assisted Lukaku twice.

My assessment of Mkhi is that he is a very useful tool but his inconsistency as well as his unsuitability to certain types of games means he's precisely that. A useful tool, but not someone you'd build the team around or consider part of the core of your team like De Gea, Bailly, Pogba, Matic, Lukaku.

I hope he proves me wrong but that's my assessment so far.

 

[Bestietom]

He has real talent and can open up a defence, but he needs to step up a pace, this season.

Could be our match winner in some big games,where it takes something special.

He has everything, but just needs to show it more often.

 

[Mike09]

When there's space to run into he's great. He's fantastic on the counter. In tight games he ends up taking too many players on, running down blind alleys and losing the ball. On top of that he often messes up infuriatingly simple passes.

It's no surprise Mata was better in the league last season. His movement and finishing are better suited in these types of games. First half against West Ham and until the goal, it was Mata's movement that was threatening WHU the most. Nearly assisted Lukaku twice.

My assessment of Mkhi is that he is a very useful tool but his inconsistency as well as his unsuitability to certain types of games means he's precisely that. A useful tool, but not someone you'd build the team around or consider part of the core of your team like De Gea, Bailly, Pogba, Matic, Lukaku.

I hope he proves me wrong but that's my assessment so far.

You sounds like Michael Owen in your first sentence. Any attacking midfielder who got pace are great when there is no space. Thanks for telling me the obvious lol.

I don't know how Mata's comparison came from out of nowhere but neither should be called better because both of them were equally inconsistent last season in the league but at least Mkhy had better season in Europa League competition.

 

[Pace Abuser]

We have to remember this guy was part of a team that was very well tactically drilled at Dortmund. Some of the things people find infuriating are possibly down to his instincts being on a different wavelength to his current team mates and they need curbing or coaching out. Last season we had a lot of chemistry issues as we didn't have a settled side. This season the team synergy should be improved giving Mikhi the platform.

Play him in the middle, he'll cause havoc with his ability to go either way. The only thing that frustrates me about him is he has all the required qualities for the #10, he just needs to consistently and effectively apply it.

I'm a fan and predict a big season.

 

[MThomas]

Absolute fecking rubbish....Swansea will have to move higher up the pitch, which will hopefully get him involved. At the moment, he'd be miles more suited to a bench role when matches opens up a bit more

 

[VorZakone]

Play Rashford on the right, Mata as #10 and Martial on the left. Mkhitaryan is way too casual.

 

[rooney2009]

Not very good so far but a good team player,not sure I will start him and Mata together

 

[MadMike]

I thought he had a good half. Nice runs, some sharp turns, good control and fine passing mostly. It's a bit tight and he's had to drop a bit deep but he's having an impact on the game I believe.

 

[OneUnited24]

Been terrible today. In games like today you need players like him to unlock defences but both he and mata look so far off the pace. He had a bit of the Rooney about him. Comes back from preseason a bit heavier and will spend the next couple of weeks getting back to it.

Maybe I'm being harsh. But I think he and mata should never start together

 

[Minimalist]

He bizarrely gets shit on for having an average game. He's been fine.

 

[MThomas]

He bizarrely gets shit on for having an average game. He's been fine.

Dire first half, miles from average or fine. If this is Mkhi being fine, then christ almighty.

 

[Phil]

He bizarrely gets shit on for having an average game. He's been fine.

Yeah, weird responses here

 

[finneh]

Not good enough in my view.

 

[Minimalist]

Dire first half, miles from average or fine. If this is Mkhi being fine, then christ almighty.

You obviously believed we were meant to steamroll Swansea. It's been a fight as expected and in that context most of our players have been fine.