In Defence of Jesse Lingard

[sugar_kane]

After Fellaini he seems to be our most unfairly maligned player, and I don't really understand why.

Yes, he's comfortably a level below Martial, Mata and Mkhitaryan but he's shown some absolute moments of class in the past two seasons.

Aye he seems like a bit of a goon on social media sometimes and with his celebrations but he's an academy product, local lad, seems to do his bit for charity, and always comes across very well in interviews.

He has a decent goals/assist tally and scored the winning goal in the FA cup and scored an absolute peach in the Charity Shield.

I suspect being a fan and local lad he is happy for now to be a squad player and you'd struggle to find many better back up wingers in the league.

I'm not a massive fan by any stretch but he does seem to take a lot of flak on this forum.

 

[harms]

Yeah, don't get the criticism. He isn't a starter for us, and he shouldn't be, based on his talent, but he already proved his worth many times and is a great back up choice, with his movement and work ethics. Plus he has that match-winning bit about him, quite surprisingly

 

[AndyJ1985]

Some people don't agree with you and have the opinion that he isn't good enough for a team aspiring to compete for major honours. Why do some of you always have to take criticise of our players so personally? Just accept that not everyone shares your opinion.

 

[sugar_kane]

Some people don't agree with you and have the opinion that he isn't good enough for a team aspiring to compete for major honours. Why do some of you always have to take criticise of our players so personally? Just accept that not everyone shares your opinion.

That would make for a really interesting forum wouldn't it

 

[Mister_Stubbs]

I don't rate Jesse and think he is much more suited to an Everton or Southampton for example. That said, every top team needs squad players like Jesse whose work rate is second to none, he is very good off the ball which causes trouble for the opposition. He hasn't got the ability of the likes of Martial and Mhkitaryan and does waste so many good opportunities but he is useful throughout a long season.

 

[2 man midfield]

He's stepped it up a level since that FA cup goal. This season he's been largely very good.

 

[OohAahMartial]

He's given his whole life to the club but is reviled almost as much as Fellaini. If I were him I'd find a club that appreciated him. The academy doesn't always produce Gary Neville's and Ryan Giggs, but also Phil Neville and Nicky Butt's. In a squad game these level of players, happy to stay at the club and not demand more playing time or top pay, are necessary too. And he's actually having a productive season. I think half the criticism is due to expecting him to be a traditional winger which he isn't. I think LVG actually was right to try him as a #10 and he could maybe even do a role as an #8, but despite this he still creates a lot of chances and makes our play more cohesive.

 

[Lentwood]

I have been critical of him as he is a level below what we need from a regular starter but as you say he is an excellent squad player able to play a few positions well, works hard, never moans and seems popular amongst the other players. Sometimes we should be careful what we wish for, having 23 superstars doesnt work and you need a few O'Shea's, Butt's, Phillip Neville's, Wes Brown's (although i thought Wes was quality) and David May's who where generally just good blokes and happy to play one game in three

 

[OohAahMartial]

I don't rate Jesse and think he is much more suited to an Everton or Southampton for example. That said, every top team needs squad players like Jesse whose work rate is second to none, he is very good off the ball which causes trouble for the opposition. He hasn't got the ability of the likes of Martial and Mhkitaryan and does waste so many good opportunities but he is useful throughout a long season.

Too many expect our entire squad to be at the same level as our first #11 forgetting they would need to be paid as much and would be unhappy being benched (like Martial possibly). Martial is way better when on form but for most of this season he has been not as good as Lingard. Having the competition for places that Lingard offers forces Martial to work harder and make more of his opportunities.

 

[Mister_Stubbs]

Too many expect our entire squad to be at the same level as our first #11 forgetting they would need to be paid as much and would be unhappy being benched (like Martial possibly). Martial is way better when on form but for most of this season he has been not as good as Lingard. Having the competition for places that Lingard offers forces Martial to work harder and make more of his opportunities.

Like I said, every top team needs players like Jesse in their squads who aren't at the level of the better players and are happy to be backup to the likes of Martial etc. A squad full of world class players just wouldn't work, even our treble winning squad and the 3x league winning, champions league winning squads had Jesse type of players.

 

[OohAahMartial]

Like I said, every top team needs players like Jesse in their squads who aren't at the level of the better players and are happy to be backup to the likes of Martial etc. A squad full of world class players just wouldn't work, even our treble winning squad and the 3x league winning, champions league winning squads had Jesse type of players.

From my memory the Caf complained loads about Wes and Phil too.

 

[Mister_Stubbs]

From my memory the Caf complained loads about Wes and Phil too.

I think as fans we are perhaps guilty of always wanting to see our very best players play every game but as I've said, the lessser players if you like are vital throughout a long season in keeping the squad fresh.

 

[luke511]

The problem is it's evident our attack suffers when he's playing.. He has moments of class there's no doubt about that, but so does every top level footballer. He disappears wayyy too often, and his end product inconsistency kills a lot of our attacks. He can be a very frustrating player.

 

[OohAahMartial]

Good

I think as fans we are perhaps guilty of always wanting to see our very best players play every game but as I've said, the lessser players if you like are vital throughout a long season in keeping the squad fresh.

Good point, everyone criticised Jose for not playing Martial and using Rashford instead, which Jose revealed was due to them mutually agreeung to rest him and have him fresh for this game. And of course Rashford did well in that game and Martial started well in this (and yet still grew tired). I'm sure much hate against Lingard is blaming him for 'stealing' Martial's place in so many games.

 

[MikeUpNorth]

He's a decent fourth choice winger. You need these kinds of capable squad players, and it's nice that he's home grown.

 

[Rado_N]

SirScholes and Paul the Wolf will be along shortly.

 

[2cents]

After Fellaini he seems to be our most unfairly maligned player, and I don't really understand why.

Yes, he's comfortably a level below Martial, Mata and Mkhitaryan but he's shown some absolute moments of class in the past two seasons.

Aye he seems like a bit of a goon on social media sometimes and with his celebrations but he's an academy product, local lad, seems to do his bit for charity, and always comes across very well in interviews.

He has a decent goals/assist tally and scored the winning goal in the FA cup and scored an absolute peach in the Charity Shield.

I suspect being a fan and local lad he is happy for now to be a squad player and you'd struggle to find many better back up wingers in the league.

I'm not a massive fan by any stretch but he does seem to take a lot of flak on this forum.

He has his uses. That video should be about 2 minutes shorter though.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

He's a good player, makes some excellent runs and he'll improve.

Perhaps, this is the thing we have to resort to complaining about after winning 8 on the bounce?

 

[The_Order]

I think some people just don't like him, it personal. he's a first team player, by that I mean a guy you want on your bench at the very least.

He's quick, agile, reads the game well, has a great understanding with his peers, Rash, Pog, Martial, has a belter of a right foot and probably has the best movement in and around the box in the team (sans Mata), on top of all of that he has been at the club since he was in nappies through to the academy (which you would think would buy him benefit of the doubt since academy lads are fetish in these parts, but no).

Some people just don't like him on a personal level, most likely down to his social media antics.

 

[Lawman]

I think some people just don't like him, it personal. he's a first team player, by that I mean a guy you want on your bench at the very least.

He's quick, agile, reads the game well, has a great understanding with his peers, Rash, Pog, Martial, has a belter of a right foot and probably has the best movement in and around the box in the team (sans Mata), on top of all of that he has been at the club since he was in nappies through to the academy (which you would think would buy him benefit of the doubt since academy lads are fetish in these parts, but no).

Some people just don't like him on a personal level, most likely down to his social media antics.

Nothing to do with his as a person for me just ability as I find him likeable and was desperate to see him do well. But He hasn't got a belter of a right foot and is about Cleverly level (decent player) will have a good career just not United level long term imo. I understand the frustration as he keeps much more gifted players out the team but I think that has come to an end an Jose see's this. I will stand corrected but think he will get less and less game time now.

 

[villain]

Some people just don't like him, they camp out in his player performance thread telling everyone that he should be sold.

I don't like Fellaini but I don't spend my energy criticising him at every opportunity.

Other people do, I don't understand it but leave 'em to it.

 

[SirScholes]

He's given his whole life to the club but is reviled almost as much as Fellaini. If I were him I'd find a club that appreciated him. The academy doesn't always produce Gary Neville's and Ryan Giggs, but also Phil Neville and Nicky Butt's. In a squad game these level of players, happy to stay at the club and not demand more playing time or top pay, are necessary too. And he's actually having a productive season. I think half the criticism is due to expecting him to be a traditional winger which he isn't. I think LVG actually was right to try him as a #10 and he could maybe even do a role as an #8, but despite this he still creates a lot of chances and makes our play more cohesive.

I think you mean the club have given him his chance and contract, he hasn't given the club his life haha
Most the criticism comes from him not being at a good enough level to play for a team wanting to get back to the level we were at.
We are much much more effective when he is out the team

 

[SirScholes]

Nothing to do with his as a person for me just ability as I find him likeable and was desperate to see him do well. But He hasn't got a belter of a right foot and is about Cleverly level (decent player) will have a good career just not United level long term imo. I understand the frustration as he keeps much more gifted players out the team but I think that has come to an end an Jose see's this. I will stand corrected but think he will get less and less game time now.

This this and this.
Nail on the head

 

[The_Order]

Some people just don't like him, they camp out in his player performance thread telling everyone that he should be sold.

I don't like Fellaini but I don't spend my energy criticising him at every opportunity.

Other people do, I don't understand it but leave 'em to it.

THis is very true, see my earlier post. Some people can't or don't want to acknowledge that their dislike is personal

Nothing to do with his as a person for me just ability as I find him likeable and was desperate to see him do well. But He hasn't got a belter of a right foot and is about Cleverly level (decent player) will have a good career just not United level long term imo. I understand the frustration as he keeps much more gifted players out the team but I think that has come to an end an Jose see's this. I will stand corrected but think he will get less and less game time now.

I was willing to give your points sincere consideration, until your Cleverley comparison.

oh and with the team fighting on four fronts, he will get plenty of game time.

 

[SirScholes]

THis is very true, see my earlier post. Some people can't or don't want to acknowledge that their dislike is personal



I was willing to give your points sincere consideration, until your Cleverley comparison.

oh and with the team fighting on four fronts, he will get plenty of game time.

i amount of people that don't like his social media posts is small and actually hardly brought up.
The guy is right tho he is about cleverly level, below welbeck, neither were good enough.
No one can point to anything he can do consistently well at other than "high energy" that's the problem.

 

[villain]

SirScholes and Paul the Wolf will be along shortly.

 

[Scholesy]

Our win percentage when Lingard is on the field is 27%. And also very unlikely to score when he is on the field.

Lingard = playing with 10 men.

 

[Lawman]

THis is very true, see my earlier post. Some people can't or don't want to acknowledge that their dislike is personal



I was willing to give your points sincere consideration, until your Cleverley comparison.

oh and with the team fighting on four fronts, he will get plenty of game time.

Cleverley was an England regular when at United plus he was a regular here. Lingard has to do either as it stands. I don't see much difference in terms of levels of quality both are decent premier league players just not got the special edge (Rashfords pace) to make a difference as an attacking or inventive player at United. For defenders it is much easier as you need reliability and you can gain this with experience.

 

[SirScholes]

SirScholes and Paul the Wolf will be along shortly.

I detected bullshit

 

[ChaddyP]

SirScholes and Paul the Wolf will be along shortly.

Isnt there another paul scholes account that hates his guts?

 

[SirScholes]

Isnt there another paul scholes account that hates his guts?

I can only speak for myself, I don't hate any united player.
I don't like that some aren't good enough and potentially cost us points

Edit: how lazy are you, all you had to do was read three or four posts up to see the other posts haha

 

[The_Order]

Cleverley was an England regular when at United plus he was a regular here. Lingard has to do either as it stands. I don't see much difference in terms of levels of quality both are decent premier league players just not got the special edge (Rashfords pace) to make a difference as an attacking or inventive player at United. For defenders it is much easier as you need reliability and you can gain this with experience.

I don't understand the pertinence of bringing up playing for England, not exactly a barometer of measuring perceived quality.

 

[drdoityourself]

As I've said in the Lingard thread, he's mostly exempt from criticism here because you think he's a squad player and fourth or fifth choice. But he's started 9 out of 17 league matches he's been available for. More than Martial, Micky and Rashford. He's more than a squad player at the moment and that's why I want more from him. In a 4-3-3 the front three have to be creative and proactive. He's such a safe player, keeps within his limits.

Yes I realize that the 3 were out of form but I'd have liked them to play a little bit more, their upside is so vital to our game. Pace, technique and power.

After Mkhitaryan's rise to form I also question playing them together. Both like to drift inside, causing the midfield to be flooded.

I question playing him with a defensive fullback like Darmian. Lingard keeps it nice and tidy and likes to link up with his fullback, in Darmian's case a fullback who rarely ventures forward. Lingard with a defensive fullback renders that flank void in an attacking sense.

It's likely his playing time will be cut now that those three have returned to form. But that's yet to be seen, he's a safe player with high workrate so I fear he will still start too many vital games and in my view United's attack is simply much better without him at the moment.

If he were an obvious fourth or fifth choice, then I'd rate him because that's what he should be at this club.

 

[Bwuk]

Our win percentage when Lingard is on the field is 27%. And also very unlikely to score when he is on the field.

Lingard = playing with 10 men.

Exactly. He isn't good enough. If Lingard had been bought by the club he'd be seen as a waste of money, but because he's an academy graduate some people let him off.

He wouldn't start for Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, City or Spurs.

 

[AdNani]

Our win percentage when Lingard is on the field is 27%. And also very unlikely to score when he is on the field.

Lingard = playing with 10 men.

Except, of course, the FA cup final.

 

[AdNani]

Exactly. He isn't good enough. If Lingard had been bought by the club he'd be seen as a waste of money, but because he's an academy graduate some people let him off.

He wouldn't start for Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, City or Spurs.

He's not first choice though, he's a squad player, and a good one at that.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

Except, of course, the FA cup final.

Which, when broken down, is simply a cup game against a weak Crystal Palace side.

 

[Massive Spanner]

I used to think he wasn't good enough to be a squad player, but I think he probably is at the moment, to be fair, though that might say more about our lack of quality out wide than him.

My god though his finishing is rubbish. I actually can't think of a worse finisher for Man Utd than him, maybe Anderson? It's even weirder when you consider his ability to pull off truly spectacular goals from time to time.

Edit: I do suspect he will move on eventually as the squad continues to improve, and, much like Welbeck and Cleverley, we will all learn to accept that he's not good enough for a top tier club and not look back.

 

[pacifictheme]

Our win percentage when Lingard is on the field is 27%. And also very unlikely to score when he is on the field.

Lingard = playing with 10 men.

Good stat if true.

Want him to do well, not sure hes good enough for a top team.

 

[AdNani]

Which, when broken down, is simply a cup game against a weak Crystal Palace side.

But it's an FA cup final, in which none of our other, much more talented players could come up with anything, trying to pass an fa cup winning goal as a normal goal is pathetic