Jurriën Timber | Arsenal player

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Judas

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It's their own source apparently.

If this really is close I'll be impressed/surprised, because there really isn't much noise, and it would mean maybe we're finally sorting out the leaks.
 

Bestietom

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Looks a really good defender, very proactive and technically skilled. I wonder how he'd fare at CB at his height in the PL though? Call me old fashioned but I do still consider aerial ability important in centre-halves.

I've only seen highlights though really so, don't have a clue how he'd do.
Probably play at RB or maybe in a 3 at the back.
 

mu4c_20le

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This is the weird thing, it's coming from what's usually an aggregator. Supposedly this is a one-off where the aggregator has close links with the player and agent.
Anyone know if this account has actually been right when it goes off the rails like this?
 

Yagami

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What a performance. Absolutely everywhere. CB, CM, down the right. Even won a penalty dribbling in the oppositions box.

Also, that feint and turn under pressure @ 3:10 that sold the entire opposition was de Jong-esque :drool:

He will surprise a lot here. We can’t pass up the opportunity if he’s available.
 

the_cliff

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Could this be our RB signing ?

Having watched some highlights and seen his skill set I can see him playing as a rb or a CB in a 3 man defence, don't see him as a CB in a 2 in the Prem and I'm sure ETH knows this.
 

daba

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What a performance. Absolutely everywhere. CB, CM, down the right. Even won a penalty dribbling in the oppositions box.

Also, that feint and turn under pressure @ 3:10 that sold the entire opposition was de Jong-esque :drool:

He will surprise a lot here. We can’t pass up the opportunity if he’s available.
I really like what I see in that video (had to delete the link as can’t post media yet).

Looks extremely confident and calm (almost VVD-like) as well as very technically sound and versatile. Think he’d be a great option this window as it has the potential to support the gaps we have in CB whilst also improving us at RB (not too hard to do that though really).

He also looks very comfortable in the middle of the pitch and further forward so he could also be cover for DM too.

Given the number of gaps we need to fill I think a couple of versatile signings like this will be important and I also think this summer is the best chance we’ll have at getting him.

Fingers well and truly crossed for this one.
 

Adnan

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Could this be our RB signing ?

Having watched some highlights and seen his skill set I can see him playing as a rb or a CB in a 3 man defence, don't see him as a CB in a 2 in the Prem and I'm sure ETH knows this.
He could definitely be utilised as a inverted RB (half back) because ten Hag has shown a propensity to want his fullbacks to tuck in and wide forwards to stay wide. And Timber is hands down the best player we could potentially have in such a role, from our current options.
 

bosnian_red

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Optimistic for this and excited for his potential. Think he'd be a huge improvement for us at right back instantly, and eventually move to CB (or just stay RB). Excellent on the ball and moving forward with it, strong defensively on the ground and would be solid in the air for a right back compared to being weak for a CB. It makes a lot of sense, plus would slot in easily for Ten Hag.
 

pratyush_utd

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He could definitely be utilised as a inverted RB (half back) because ten Hag has shown a propensity to want his fullbacks to tuck in and wide forwards to stay wide. And Timber is hands down the best player we could potentially have in such a role, from our current options.
But we don’t have wide players who can play that role. Most of our wide players like to come inside.
 

Kaushal

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Yeah, if we do sign him then I’m pretty sure he would be our RB. No chance ten hag plays him as a CB and plays dalot as a RB given Timber is also very good as a RB. A backline of Timber, lindelof, Varane, Shaw is so much better than Dalot, Timber, Varane, Shaw.
 

UNITED ACADEMY

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He could definitely be utilised as a inverted RB (half back) because ten Hag has shown a propensity to want his fullbacks to tuck in and wide forwards to stay wide. And Timber is hands down the best player we could potentially have in such a role, from our current options.
But we don’t have wide players who can play that role. Most of our wide players like to come inside.
It depends on how ETH wants to play. In 18/19, his full backs stayed wide more than tuck in. But this season 21/22, his full backs played as inverted full backs. We will see more what he wants to do based on his summer signings.
 

Adnan

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But we don’t have wide players who can play that role. Most of our wide players like to come inside.
They would still come inside but their starting position would be to stretch the pitch horizontally, which would potentially open up space out wide or centrally due to the forwards, midfielders and fullbacks overloading the half spaces and centre space.

Sancho, Rashford/Amad would potentially thrive in such a scenario due to the extra pass options available and space which will open up due to the numerical superiority the approach in question offers. So it's important to have players who are comfortable playing the inverted fullback role in the half spaces for things to function at a optimal level.
 

Adnan

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It depends on how ETH wants to play. In 18/19, his full backs stayed wide more than tuck in. But this season 21/22, his full backs played as inverted full backs. We will see more what he wants to do based on his summer signings.
It'll be interesting to see what he does, but if we sign Timber, then the potential to play Timber/Shaw as inverted fullbacks might be the way to go. It would probably suit Shaw as well.
 

UNITED ACADEMY

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Any possibility of Ten Hag playing 3 at the back?
During build up play he tends to use that 3 at the back principle. FDJ for example in 18/19, while this season Ajax with Blind (his left back). So I guess there is bit of possibility.
 

Caesar2290

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What a performance. Absolutely everywhere. CB, CM, down the right. Even won a penalty dribbling in the oppositions box.

Also, that feint and turn under pressure @ 3:10 that sold the entire opposition was de Jong-esque :drool:

He will surprise a lot here. We can’t pass up the opportunity if he’s available.
Some interesting highlights. From the video looks more like a DM and RB mixed into one player. We'll see how Erik will utilize him.
 

bosnian_red

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Any possibility of Ten Hag playing 3 at the back?
Unlikely but he has his players build up in different ways as others have said. He used to have De Jong drop deep and build up as part of a back 3 and then roam around, and then he liked having Blind central to do it, but this season with Timber and Martinez he moved Blind to left back and has him build up from there as an inside fullback almost. So he could do the inverse with Timber at right back, but bring an inverted full back kind of. Depends who our right winger is too though.
 

Invictus

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Any possibility of Ten Hag playing 3 at the back?
A permanent Back 3, rather than his customary transitional ones? Probably not given the evidence at hand, but never say never; Cruyff played with a lot of 3—4—3 diamond base setups in his time as a coach, and ten Hag could be inspired by them.

As regards Timber, there's a historically significant convention of defenders transitioning into more center-of-the-pitch roles (and vice versa): Neeskens (fullback to midfielder), Rijkaard (stopper to midfielder), Breitner (fullback to midfielder), Júnior (fullback to midfielder), Desailly (stopper to midfielder at Milan), Fabinho (fullback to midfielder), at times even de Jong featured as a central defender with de Ligt. This lad could potentially trend along similar lines too, given his technical level, maneuverability/dynamism in tight-ish spaces, obvious footballing intelligence and the fact that he does not mind putting in the legwork. While relatively short central defenders can be successful to varying degrees (from meh like Ben White and Nathan Aké to imperious like Fabio Cannavaro and Roberto Ayala), he has some attestable fragilities in the air (which could be magnified and exploited in the Premier League, vis-à-vis the Eredivisie or Europe):



That being said, what he brings to the table as a ferocious Swiss army knife type of central defender (especially in a possession-focused team than employs an aggressively high defensive line) is undoubtedly more special and peculiar and valuable than what he would bring to the table as a midfielder — and if successful in the former role, he could emerge as a reference point and minor trend-setter in the Premier League and open the door for more vertically challenged central defenders (as there's a lot of monkey see, monkey do escalation and general destigmatization in the quest for success/relevance). For that possibility alone, we should probably persist with him as a central defender through the early goings (if we sign him, of course). :)
 

Rozay

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Yeah, if we do sign him then I’m pretty sure he would be our RB. No chance ten hag plays him as a CB and plays dalot as a RB given Timber is also very good as a RB. A backline of Timber, lindelof, Varane, Shaw is so much better than Dalot, Timber, Varane, Shaw.
‘No chance’ he plays in his actual position?
 

Kaushal

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‘No chance’ he plays in his actual position?
Talk about intentionally ignoring all the context. He is a 20 years old whose position is still not set in stone. A versatile player who is good at cb and good at RB. A 5’10” 20 year old cb coming from dutch league and playing for united is a huge ask. On top of that Man Utd have many cb’s but don’t have a good RB. And Timber is good at RB. Also, Man Utd has a limited budget where they need to cover a lot of positions. So, if we don’t sign a RB, there is NO chance Jurrien timber plays as a cb whilst we keep ignoring the RB issue and continue playing dalot there.
 
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lenny_1248

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A permanent Back 3, rather than his customary transitional ones? Probably not given the evidence at hand, but never say never; Cruyff played with a lot of 3—4—3 diamond base setups in his time as a coach, and ten Hag could be inspired by them.

As regards Timber, there's a historically significant convention of defenders transitioning into more center-of-the-pitch roles (and vice versa): Neeskens (fullback to midfielder), Rijkaard (stopper to midfielder), Breitner (fullback to midfielder), Júnior (fullback to midfielder), Desailly (stopper to midfielder at Milan), Fabinho (fullback to midfielder), at times even de Jong featured as a central defender with de Ligt. This lad could potentially trend along similar lines too, given his technical level, maneuverability/dynamism in tight-ish spaces, obvious footballing intelligence and the fact that he does not mind putting in the legwork. While relatively short central defenders can be successful to varying degrees (from meh like Ben White and Nathan Aké to imperious like Fabio Cannavaro and Roberto Ayala), he has some attestable fragilities in the air (which could be magnified and exploited in the Premier League, vis-à-vis the Eredivisie or Europe):



That being said, what he brings to the table as a ferocious Swiss army knife type of central defender (especially in a possession-focused team than employs an aggressively high defensive line) is undoubtedly more special and peculiar and valuable than what he would bring to the table as a midfielder — and if successful in the former role, he could emerge as a reference point and minor trend-setter in the Premier League and open the door for more vertically challenged central defenders (as there's a lot of monkey see, monkey do escalation and general destigmatization in the quest for success/relevance). For that possibility alone, we should probably persist with him as a central defender through the early goings (if we sign him, of course). :)
It's (fbref stats) only CL games, I think. It counts only top-5 european leagues.
I think he has 60% in aerial duels in Eredivisie.
 

Leftback99

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Could this be our RB signing ?

Having watched some highlights and seen his skill set I can see him playing as a rb or a CB in a 3 man defence, don't see him as a CB in a 2 in the Prem and I'm sure ETH knows this.
Seems most likely for me if we did sign him. Like the 'man of the match' video above where he started at right back. Also obviously covers centre back but is unlikely to play over Maguire or Varane.

If we were to sign a centre back as an intented starter (low priority in my opinion) I think it would be a left footer.
 

the_cliff

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Seems most likely for me if we did sign him. Like the 'man of the match' video above where he started at right back. Also obviously covers centre back but is unlikely to play over Maguire or Varane.

If we were to sign a centre back as an intented starter (low priority in my opinion) I think it would be a left footer.
From that video he looks like he's being used similarly to how Cancelo is used by Pep. He does have the skillset for it.
 

AjaxCunian

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It's (fbref stats) only CL games, I think. It counts only top-5 european leagues.
I think he has 60% in aerial duels in Eredivisie.
And that stat shows aerials won, not aerial win percentage right?
 

Rozay

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Talk about intentionally ignoring all the context. He is a 20 years old whose position is still not set in stone. A versatile player who is good at cb and good at RB. A 5’10” 20 year old cb coming from dutch league and playing for united is a huge ask. On top of that Man Utd have many cb’s but don’t have a good RB. And Timber is good at RB. Also, Man Utd has a limited budget where they need to cover a lot of positions. So, if we don’t sign a RB, there is NO chance Jurrien timber plays as a cb whilst we keep ignoring the RB issue and continue playing dalot there.
His position is as set as most other players. He plays weekly at centre half, at a club that has other centre half options. As for the part about United having ‘many good CBs but no good RB’ that is in your opinion. Every report has stated that we want a centre half as a priority position, not a right back. Timber is a centre half, so that would figure. Perhaps we’d be more aggressively targeting players who actually play at RB if what you say is the way ETH sees things. But we’ve been linked to 0.

There is far from NO chance that Timber will be played at centre half by the very manager who plays him weekly at centre half (despite being aware that he is 5’10).
 

Leftback99

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From that video he looks like he's being used similarly to how Cancelo is used by Pep. He does have the skillset for it.
It does. Huge step up to do the same in the PL but if we bought a hard working right winger with quality (someone like Raphinha would be ideal) it could work.
 
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