Jeremie Frimpong

Status
Not open for further replies.

Zehner

Football Statistics Dork
Joined
Mar 29, 2018
Messages
7,982
Location
Germany
Supports
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
@Adnan just wrote an excellent post in the Ten Hag thread, that goes into why a fullback that can 'invert in-field and play in midfield' is crucial to enabling the midfield part of the build-up/attacking style Ten Hag will want to implement - see the bolded bits below. In that sense, getting the right RB signing might be a higher priority than people think: it's not just about adding an attacking thread on the right that better complements Antony's particular style/skillset.

I suppose this doesn't necessarily change the priority list (CF ahead of GK/CM ahead of RB), but I'm thinking it might rank the RB priority a lot closer to the others than people seem to think. That might mean, for example, that it's more important to Ten Hag to sign exactly the right RB if he's available now than to sign a CM or GK stopgap that still doesn't really offer what Ten Hag needs.

I don't know if that 'exactly the right RB' is Frimpong, mind. Could he play this midfield role, or is he 'just' the type that flies up and down the field along the touchline? (@Zehner, @ForEverEleven? I would think Dumfries is primarily like that and hence not really what Ten Hag would need.) I'm just trying to provide some further tactical context.
I wouldn't worry too much about that as long as you play him with a CM that holds his position. Frimpong is definitely more of a wide player but I wouldn't say he's not suited for the system @Adnan described. In the end, you build up in a 3-2-5 formation in possession and some sort of 4-4-2/4-3-3 against the ball. But how the players rotate between positions is different from team to team. For instance, although Cancelo and Frimpong would both play RB against the ball, Cancelo would be one of the two CMs in possession while Frimpong would occupy one of the 5 attacking positions.

For instance, Alonso rotates in the following ways. Base formation 4-2-3-1:

-----------------ST------------------
--LW---------AM---------RW---
-----------CM-----CM------------
--LB-----CB-----CB-----RB----


In possession, he switches to:

------------------ST--------------------
--LW------AM------RW-----RB---
-----------CM-------CM-------------
------LB------CB--------CB---------

Occasionally he even starts two attacking FBs and has one CM drop between the CBs:

-----------------ST---------------------
--LB----LW--------RW-----RB---
-------------CM-----AM-------------
------CB------CM------CB---------



In contrast, a team like City that has FBs who are very comfortable in the CM and CMs that like to attack, rather lines up like this:

----------------ST-------------------
--LW---AM-----CM----RW---
-----------LB----RB--------------
------CB----CM-----CB-------


There are almost indefinite variations and many coaches vary based on the players in their team, often from season to season, if I'm not mistaken. In the end, you need a set of players that complement each other well. What you don't want is e. g. Busquets and Rodri in CM and Cancelo and Trent as FBs since all four would like to play CM in possession.
 

Dazzmondo

Full Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2013
Messages
8,993
Doubt Ten Hag sells AWB. He is starting him nearly every game. He is better in every single way to Dalot even technical ability like dribbling & passing. Defensively AWB has improved heading ability, awareness, concentration and positioning.

He has about 1 odd game every 10 games compared to Dalot who has looked off every time he has started at RB post WC but better at LB.

Getting a Frimpong type dynamic attacking RB will suit AWB - because both are like opposite versions of each other and used depending on what utility is needed.

Using Frimpong against Mitoma in the PL or Mbappe in the CL will lead to more problems than needed. Likewise using an AWB against a Southampton maybe shooting ourselves in the foot a bit more than necessary.
I agree with this. I think AWB could have his uses in certain games, even if he's not good enough in attack to play most games. I too would have concern with Frimpong against the likes Mitoma. I could even see situations where we push Frimpong higher up the pitch and play AWB behind him to give us that extra defensive solidity. This position has clearly been a priority for ETH since he's come here with initially Dumfries and then Frimpong, both very attacking full backs, being targeted according to many reports. He clearly sees it as more important than positions like gk despite most on here seeming to not think rb is an issue.
 

UNITED ACADEMY

New Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2018
Messages
13,127
Supports
Erik ten Hag
@Adnan just wrote an excellent post in the Ten Hag thread, that goes into why a fullback that can 'invert in-field and play in midfield' is crucial to enabling the midfield part of the build-up/attacking style Ten Hag will want to implement - see the bolded bits below. In that sense, getting the right RB signing might be a higher priority than people think: it's not just about adding an attacking thread on the right that better complements Antony's particular style/skillset.

I suppose this doesn't necessarily change the priority list (CF ahead of GK/CM ahead of RB), but I'm thinking it might rank the RB priority a lot closer to the others than people seem to think. That might mean, for example, that it's more important to Ten Hag to sign exactly the right RB if he's available now than to sign a CM or GK stopgap that still doesn't really offer what Ten Hag needs.

I don't know if that 'exactly the right RB' is Frimpong, mind. Could he play this midfield role, or is he 'just' the type that flies up and down the field along the touchline? (@Zehner, @ForEverEleven? I would think Dumfries is primarily like that and hence not really what Ten Hag would need.) I'm just trying to provide some further tactical context.
Imo, this inverted role that @Adnan mentironed might be slightly different (May be this is what adnan meant) to the inverted role that ten Hag used ’’this season’’. I don’t believe this is the same to what Pep used on Stone or Walker.

This season, ten Hag doesn’t positioned his players on the same role constantly. Sometime we see Dalot and Bissaka played the invert in-field and sometime we see them going wide by swapping position with Antony. However, one thing for sure that I realised is that we often see Dalot or Bissaka made a forward run from that in-field position to the space in the opposition penalty box trying to score but they rarely score because of the lack end product. This is something Frimpong is best at (scoring goals) and also threat in his end product.

Bissaka has xG of 0.06 which is 73 percentile for full back, Dalot has xG of 0.09 which is 84 percentile for full back. On the other hand Shaw is 0.03 which is 39 percentile for full back. This shows the amount of times our right back is assigned to make run from that invert in-field position to the space in the opposition penalty box in comparison to our left back. This makes Frimpong a very ideal right back for the way how ten Hag set up his right back. For another reference to Pep’s inverted full back, Walker has 0.02 xG with 21 percentile for full back.
 

L1nk

Full Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2017
Messages
5,064

I dont think we are selling Dalot, so it’s AWB or this Frimpong story isn’t true
 

NoPace

Full Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2014
Messages
9,340
My guess now is we're not gonna sign him because Ten Hag needs the money for a striker, 2 midfielders, and probably a new CB with Maguire going, and a keeper who can pass.
 

waza7111

Full Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2013
Messages
1,106

A right back is not really a priority for me but it looks like he has a lot of pace and skill.
 

sullydnl

Ross Kemp's caf ID
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
34,063
AWB (combined United seasons) - 2 goals 8 assists
Dalot (combined United seasons) - 1 goal 4 assists.
Frimpong (22/23) - 8 goals 7 assists.

I believe he plays as a wingback at Leverkusen, but generally the difference between a wingback role and a fullback role in a possession side is exaggerated as you'll often want at least one of your fullbacks spending most of the game occupying those same attacking positions anyway.

Having that sort of very attacking option at RB would change our team dynamic quite a bit, I think.
 

Plant0x84

Shame we’re aren’t more like Brighton
Joined
Jun 23, 2020
Messages
12,555
Location
Carpark and snack area adjacent to the abyss
is he a rb? sure doesn't look like in that twitter post
Are we sure he's a right back?

Doesn't look like one to me.
My thoughts exactly. He seems a VERY attacking player to be playing at RB.

My other thought on that Twitter video would be how bad are bundesliga defenders?!!:eek:
 

JPRouve

can't stop thinking about balls - NOT deflategate
Scout
Joined
Jan 31, 2014
Messages
65,353
Location
France
Yes, Frimpong is a rightback and yes he is very attacking.
 

Dazzmondo

Full Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2013
Messages
8,993
I'm excited for this one. I think he'll transform us way more than most expect. Rb is one of the biggest issues with our team imo despite AWB doing as well as he can. Having a proper threat on the overlap will give us way more options instead of just Antony cutting onto his left over and over again.
 

Abraxas

Full Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2021
Messages
6,023
He looks very exciting. I think we'll have to balance the books a little if we finalise this. If we're extending Dalot it suggests AWB should be sold, as 3 RBs is pretty ridiculous. That's a semi surprise given AWB's improvement, but ultimately, if the manager doesn't like his skillset then he has to go. Ultimately he has been here for numerous reasons now and at no point has he really become the total package.
 

Nou_Camp99

what would Souness do?
Joined
Apr 1, 2013
Messages
10,274
My thoughts exactly. He seems a VERY attacking player to be playing at RB.

My other thought on that Twitter video would be how bad are bundesliga defenders?!!:eek:
Sancho being one of the best players in that league says everything. Havertz n Werner were class too.

Can't believe how naive German teams are in defence. It's like they all have an agreement to be absolutely wide open to make the league entertaining.
 

Plant0x84

Shame we’re aren’t more like Brighton
Joined
Jun 23, 2020
Messages
12,555
Location
Carpark and snack area adjacent to the abyss
Sancho being one of the best players in that league says everything. Havertz n Werner were class too.

Can't believe how naive German teams are in defence. It's like they all have an agreement to be absolutely wide open to make the league entertaining.
I suppose that’s necessary when everyone knows from the start that Bayern will cake walk the league every year.
 

Nou_Camp99

what would Souness do?
Joined
Apr 1, 2013
Messages
10,274
Shame but I think this is AWB out of the club.
Not a shame for me. He's nowhere near good enough technically to play at this level. Offers nothing on the ball.

Not that Dalot is good enough either mind you but AWB is basically just a good 1 v 1 defender. We need a lot more than that for 50m.
 

Ekeke

Full Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2006
Messages
53,080
Location
Hope, We Lose
Are we sure he's a right back?

Doesn't look like one to me.
He's played at rightback and wasnt very good, he was played as right wingback (3 CBs and wingbacks down the wings) and has good end product. At best he'd give TAA at rightback problems. Good going forward, not much interest defending
 

Nou_Camp99

what would Souness do?
Joined
Apr 1, 2013
Messages
10,274
He's played at rightback and wasnt very good, he was played as right wingback (3 CBs and wingbacks down the wings) and has good end product. At best he'd give TAA at rightback problems. Good going forward, not much interest defending
Competition for Antony then? Can't be a bad thing if Amad is going on loan again to a PL club.
 

Ekeke

Full Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2006
Messages
53,080
Location
Hope, We Lose
Competition for Antony then? Can't be a bad thing if Amad is going on loan again to a PL club.
That and flexibility for formation imo. We can play 3 at the back and get width from bombing wingbacks at times, or if we need a goal after 60 mins and we have the opponents pinned back but we cant find the quality in the final third he could come on and overlap our right winger gambling on 3 points at the risk of losing the 1 point from a draw.

His stats this season from his positions essentially sum it up



Rightback he statistically provided the least. And just 1 assist. Playing as the wingback right with a 3 CB formation, he scored 9 goals and 7 assists. Lots of end product especially compared to most of our attackers. And he's not going to score 9 goals from making runs from our rightback, where our rightbacks do lots of defending.
 

dinostar77

Full Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2014
Messages
7,198
Competition for Antony then? Can't be a bad thing if Amad is going on loan again to a PL club.
Not competition, more compliment and helping get the best out of antony. Antony needs a attacking fullback, to get the best out of him.
 

Rajma

Full Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2012
Messages
8,571
Location
Lithuania
He and AWB will share duties, Dalot will most probably be moved.

They will both have their uses depending on the opponent.
I think it’s the other way round fella, by the sounds of it we’re extending Dalot’s contract and are looking for takers for AWB.
 

TrebleChamp99

Full Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2021
Messages
993
Has anyone seen this in Bild itself? that account I posted is notorious for making up tweets these days it seems.
 

Bondi77

Full Member
Joined
Jun 28, 2019
Messages
7,203
AWB (combined United seasons) - 2 goals 8 assists
Dalot (combined United seasons) - 1 goal 4 assists.
Frimpong (22/23) - 8 goals 7 assists.

I believe he plays as a wingback at Leverkusen, but generally the difference between a wingback role and a fullback role in a possession side is exaggerated as you'll often want at least one of your fullbacks spending most of the game occupying those same attacking positions anyway.

Having that sort of very attacking option at RB would change our team dynamic quite a bit, I think.
AWB and Dalot are playing in the toughest competition in World football and Fimpong is playing in a farmers league where average players look like superstars.
Frimpong would be a turnstile in England.
 

Telsim

Full Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2021
Messages
4,681
Will help our attack immensely. I'm usually very apprehensive about Bundesliga transfers, but we have to eventually get it right for once, surely?
 

dinostar77

Full Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2014
Messages
7,198
That sounds like a poor signing in Antony then to me.
@Raees on his "Pythagoras in boots" youtube channel covered antony before we signed him. The biggest takeaway for me at the time was that he really needs a very attacking fullback behind him to provide overlaps and open up space for antony to come inside. So when we did sign antony, i wasnt expecting to see him at his best with either dalot or awb behind him.

Put frimpong/cancelo/hakimi behind him and he will probably shine.

Not too dissimilar to sancho at dortmund, where hakimi really helped him shine. Its poor recruitment and squad planning from Utd buying wide playmakers like sancho and anthony without having the fullbacks to help them shine.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.