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A lot of pundits we see today played the game in bygone eras and their thoughts and beliefs are still entrenched in the past. A short CB playing for a coach who attempts to exert control in and out of possession is a alien concept for the likes of Nicol and Souness.
Ah, you're one of those smartasses that spend time digging through old posts reacting to a player's performance in a game? I doubt you even watched the game these comments were based on because Martinez wasn't playing well in that game. Life would be boring if it was full of opinionless people like only you that only dare to say something once you have the answer in hand.
True but your statement seems to imply that that particular height is what made Baresi great, and it really wasn't
Otherwise I'd be out there, raking millions as a top-level CB too Look at how half the caf posted about Eredivisie players or achievements. Many clubs are really also not as smart as you'd expect them to be.
Well, Baresi is one of the greatest players to ever play the game, so it sort of just highlights the point. ETH had to be hugely confident in Martinez' ability, because if his aggression, anticipation, bravery, etc. were not to the level we are seeing, he could easily be found out in a relatively physical league. And as we have seen, there were plenty of pundits that were eager to jump on the "he's too small for the PL" train, but thankfully ETH was smarter than them.
It is actually sad how they keep taking the piss out of him. He is a joke
They’re only there for entertainment value tbf
Varane or Casemiro for me. They ooze class and leadership qualities.
We have like 2 seasons max with Casemiro and Varane ageing well into 30s.
I'm talking about building around Casemiro, Varane and Martinez for next season. And I agree both Varane and Casemiro will probably decline in the next 2 years, so I hope we get rid of any player that is a detriment to us being a imposing front foot team from back to front.
Exactly. Honestly thinking about this, I was against signing Kane, but now I think signing Kane is pivotal for us to achieve great things in the next 2-3 years.
Agreed.
Agreed Ideally we need starting Midfielder , Striker and a Keeper minimum to genuinely challenge on all fronts next year as well as truly go toe to toe against Elite opposition and depending on sales a young Casemiro's understudy along with Center Back would be a nice bonus.
Why would Varane necessarily decline in two years? He's 29? Casemiro perhaps, but not if we bring in someone who can rotate with him. It's as if people think you are physically shot after 25 these days. Look at Modric. Ronaldo was pretty phenomenal up until at least 35-36. Giggs. Robben was better after 30 than he ever was before. To suffer a serious decline at 30-33, I'd argue it requires poor training and/or a serious injury. Casemiro is fit as a fiddle, and Varane looks great physically - he seems to not go full pelt to avoid muscle injuries, which I think is wise - save it for the one time you might need it (still blew Lewa out of the water, mind).
Varane relies on pace, Casemiro relies on robust tackles and challenges, both are relying most on their physical abilities.
I'm not saying he will decline for certain but he could decline. He's a player that is very important in rest defense where his speed and athleticism helps us control the defensive transition in large spaces. And if he starts losing pace, then imo you lose quite a bit of Varane. Casemiro on the other hand doesn't really really on pace as much, and has a good passing range. So I can see Casemiro possibly outlasting
Sorry to disagree with you on this too
That’s exactly how ETH has been using Wout recently.Sorry to disagree with you on this too
I think Kane will clash stylistically with the majority of our offensive players. Bruno, Sancho, Antony are all creators. As well as Pellistri and Amad.
Only Rashford and Garnacho are actual runners and scorers. We need a striker who will stretch defences and will consume the chances created.
Kane likes to drop deep, orchestrate and then get back to the box. We don't need that. If anything, it will slow things down for us. He plays like a Lampard, late arriving midfielder. We have Bruno and Fred doing that.
Osimhen, or someone with a similar profile, is a much better fit. To be the focal point on the end of passes and crosses.
Agree, but do you think that's how he sees the perfect striker in this team working? A striker we would pay a fortune for.
I think getting a striker like Kane who can score difficult chances and playmaking for Rashford and Garnacho would be immense. He is also very good shooting from outside, so we have more "weapons". I would also think he will link up very very well with Sancho.Sorry to disagree with you on this too
I think Kane will clash stylistically with the majority of our offensive players. Bruno, Sancho, Antony are all creators. As well as Pellistri and Amad.
Only Rashford and Garnacho are actual runners and scorers. We need a striker who will stretch defences and will consume the chances created.
Kane likes to drop deep, orchestrate and then get back to the box. We don't need that. If anything, it will slow things down for us. He plays like a Lampard, late arriving midfielder. We have Bruno and Fred doing that.
Osimhen, or someone with a similar profile, is a much better fit. To be the focal point on the end of passes and crosses.
I agree that it would be great for Rashford if we want to play predominantly on transitions.
I mean how many weak final through balls we have wasted this season? With Kane, can you imagine?
Again, Kane in Manchester United of season 2022/2023 - sure. He'd fit great.
I wouldn't necessarily say Varane relies on pace, he was an absolute speed demon at Madrid and doesn't have anywhere near the same level of speed and he's still a top defender. I also wouldn't be surprised to see Casemiro bossing games at 34 injuries permitting. Fernandinho was still delivering top performances at that age. I can see Cas giving us three more good seasons.
tbf in the case of Nicol he's not even watching us and just talk out of his backside. In that very clip the guy said Licha has played half the games. Dude literally played 34/39 games and the only games he missed were after WC where he needed to get his fitness back up, or is rested for a big game.
Ten Hag's philosophy is not possession, he said he wants Man Utd to not play boring football.
