Matteo Darmian

Aint gota Kalou

Full Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2010
Messages
3,318
I'm fairly sure he started the first game for Italy and was dropped after a couple of games? I'm not sure why people are using his Italy games to prove that he's any good - he's looked rubbish so far barring the first month. Couldn't care less if he's sold.
 

whatwha

Sniffs Erricksson’s diarrhea
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
Messages
7,612
Location
Norway
He's decent enough as backup and he's not on high wages. I see no reason to sell Darmian unless someone is crazy enough to offer £20m.
 

m1y2

New Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2014
Messages
5,226
Location
Prague
We can easily line up TFM as a back up, much lower wages much higher potential, even though it's not his best position, he would hardly get bullied by pacy strong wingers. Being instructed by Mourinho to stay back and be patient with his runs he is comfortably better option than Darmian who is just believe it or not trash, he has no strenght pace, neither mentality and absolutely no skill going forward, can't see why people see him other than useless... If Jose doesn't believe in TFM being quite rash than he may as well line up with Axel, who could be like Smallin/Ivanovic-esque option own the right..

Some players clearly doesn't have the potential and it's a waste of time to play them to some sort of a form...
 

zenith

Full Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2013
Messages
1,792
Quite a snap judgement some posters are making on Darmian. We are just one bad game or injury to Valencia away from panic again. Darmian should not be judged on his first season in England. Give him time and I'm certain he would be first choice right back for us
 

shaggy

Prefers blue over red, loathed by Spurs fans
Joined
Jun 16, 2011
Messages
14,936
Location
Man United fan
Truly shocking player, 'up' there with Rojo. Don't see him having any future here at all.
 

Chesterlestreet

Man of the crowd
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
19,622
Everything else notwithstanding, he wasn't an LVG purchase in the sense normally implied - by which I mean someone who can be dismissed as an instance of LVG style folly.

He was regarded as an up-and-coming man (on the grand stage), and had done plenty to warrant such a description.

Personally, I thought he looked very sharp for Italy - and by all accounts (and by my own limited research into his club exploits) he did very well in the Serie A too.

He wasn't a random punt, in other words.
 

Full bodied red

Full Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2014
Messages
2,370
Location
The Var, France
I'd much prefer him as a squad RB than TFM, who hasn't looked very convincing in the RB position ( remember Everton Semi Final ) or Young or Jones....

Strange that only Martial of the signings during LVG's couple of years are all struggling to convince us that they're ever going to be regular first teamers....
 

Chesterlestreet

Man of the crowd
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
19,622
It's also - I have to say - interesting how many have now seemingly decided that Valencia is actually a first rate RB.

He isn't. Unless standards have dropped something wonderful. He does his job - and he is an asset offensively when he's on song (and full of confidence). Which is great. But he doesn't read the game like a defender at all - he chases his man, and that's it. If all else is in place, that's enough - but it's hardly the mark of a great fullback, not even a mainly offensive one.
 

#07

makes new threads with tweets in the OP
Joined
Oct 25, 2010
Messages
23,405
I would not be that unhappy to see Darmian sold. I think he's a very good defender who had his confidence sapped by Van Gaal. That being said, I do not think he will be essential to us competing for the title this season.

There's an argument that you want two top quality internationals in every position. Still, if Valencia continues to perform and we have Fosu-Mensah, and others, as options at right back do we need Darmian? If I were a full Italy international I might think it best to move on rather than being a glorified understudy.
 

Minimalist

New Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2013
Messages
15,091
Really don't have a clue what I make of Darmian anymore so it's hard to see if it's a bad loss or not.

Started well for a few games last season defensively but limited going forward in support. Then he suddenly couldn't do either. Then he returned with a bit better defending but still not great.
 

K2K

Full Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2015
Messages
18,367
Location
"Can Manchester United score? They always score"
It's also - I have to say - interesting how many have now seemingly decided that Valencia is actually a first rate RB.

He isn't. Unless standards have dropped something wonderful. He does his job - and he is an asset offensively when he's on song (and full of confidence). Which is great. But he doesn't read the game like a defender at all - he chases his man, and that's it. If all else is in place, that's enough - but it's hardly the mark of a great fullback, not even a mainly offensive one.
Go back as far as his 2014/15 thread when he started as a RB and you'll see that this isn't a new phenomenon.

Some people have appreciated how well he has actually done. So have both of his managers.

Darmiab was only bought here as a backup. Well according to Van Gaal anyway.


http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...ster-uniteds-back-up-right-back-10403751.html

Considering that ,I don't think Darmian hasn't done that badly. He can simply continue as backup.
 

Frank Grimes

Full Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2014
Messages
8,795
Location
Newbies 15/16 FPL Champion.
I'm well open to giving Darmian another shot. Disappointing season last season but he did start very promisingly and was curtailed by both injury(2 shoulder injuries I think) and Lvg's playing style.
 

Chesterlestreet

Man of the crowd
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
19,622
Some people have appreciated how well he has actually done. So have both of his managers.
I have no problem with that. I think he's done well too. But within reason. He has developed into a decent RB, but by no means a particularly good one.

Darmian, considered as a starter for United, made a lot of sense when he was signed. I don't think all that sense has vanished. Like I said above, when he was signed, he was a star of sorts. And there was a reason for that - it wasn't all LVG and his idiosyncratic plots.

People on here tend to deal in extremes. A bad season amounts to a player being utterly useless - for ever. I think Darmian has shown enough promise to warrant some faith in him - but it obviously comes down to systems and managers as well as abilities. If Mourinho doesn't want him - fair enough, he's hardly the biggest piece in the puzzle.

My point - if any - is that some people are now talking as though we have an undeniable top class RB in the shape of Valencia, so the very idea of Darmian, or anyone else, is a bit...redundant. I don't agree with that - as I don't think Valencia is a top class RB. And he certainly won't develop into one at this stage.
 

stevoc

Full Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2011
Messages
21,114
We've gone of tangent, but the main point , and I think one I have been trying to prove is that Van Gaal rated Valencia above him, thus he didnt see a need to play Rafa.

Thus Valencia in a way did see an end to Rafa's career.
Nah he didn't mate not in my opinion anyway, contributed to it maybe. But Van Gaal actually ended his United career not Tony. He decided early into that season that he didn't like Rafa, and then injuries didn't help the matter.

So he needed a stop gap for the rest of the season until he could get a replacement in. Tony is capable of doing a job at RB and is good at keeping possession, which is king for Louis so he probably thought it was a no brainer.

In comes Darmian who despite the bullshit LVG spewed at the time was definitely intended to be first choice and confirmed by the fact he started him in all the pre-season games and first 4-5 PL games.
 

stevoc

Full Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2011
Messages
21,114
Arguably his lack of adventure going forward was a symptom of LVG's approach. Maybe he doesn't get in our strongest 11, but very capable backup and rotation option for midweek games.
Possibly but Shaw, Valencia, and even Blind among others showed willingness to get forward under Van Gaal. With Darmian i just don't think it's in him, his stamina was terrible last season so that may have played a part in it, but there were games where he never entered the oppositions half.

If he stays i do hope he improves defensively and especially going forward, under Jose the former is possible and quite likely but the latter i honestly doubt he is capable of.
 

K2K

Full Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2015
Messages
18,367
Location
"Can Manchester United score? They always score"
I have no problem with that. I think he's done well too. But within reason. He has developed into a decent RB, but by no means a particularly good one.

Darmian, considered as a starter for United, made a lot of sense when he was signed. I don't think all that sense has vanished. Like I said above, when he was signed, he was a star of sorts. And there was a reason for that - it wasn't all LVG and his idiosyncratic plots.

People on here tend to deal in extremes. A bad season amounts to a player being utterly useless - for ever. I think Darmian has shown enough promise to warrant some faith in him - but it obviously comes down to systems and managers as well as abilities. If Mourinho doesn't want him - fair enough, he's hardly the biggest piece in the puzzle.

My point - if any - is that some people are now talking as though we have an undeniable top class RB in the shape of Valencia, so the very idea of Darmian, or anyone else, is a bit...redundant. I don't agree with that - as I don't think Valencia is a top class RB. And he certainly won't develop into one at this stage.
But Van Gaal did say he brought in as backup. But he gave Darmain a chance above that ,one which he couldn't take.

Valencia is a very good RB with very few in this league better. Look around the premiership and you'll see that.

The problem is that Valencia is really judged by ridiculous standards by some fans (not necessarily you) and some seem to be waiting for every mistake .

As for Darmian, I haven't given up on him but I fear that Mourinho just like Conte with Italy has.
 

Leftback99

Might have a bedwetting fetish.
Joined
Jan 11, 2015
Messages
14,710
I'd love to see the confidence in Valencia as a right back once he faces someone in the likes of coutinho, Sanchez or hazard.
Mentioning Sanchez is a strange way of defending Darmian's performances. He probably still has nightmares about that game before we brought Valencia on to shore things up.

Coutinho just scored 2 when up against the supposed 'best right back in the league' Bellerin.
 

K2K

Full Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2015
Messages
18,367
Location
"Can Manchester United score? They always score"
Nah he didn't mate not in my opinion anyway, contributed to it maybe. But Van Gaal actually ended his United career not Tony. He decided early into that season that he didn't like Rafa, and then injuries didn't help the matter.

So he needed a stop gap for the rest of the season until he could get a replacement in. Tony is capable of doing a job at RB and is good at keeping possession, which is king for Louis so he probably thought it was a no brainer.

In comes Darmian who despite the bullshit LVG spewed at the time was definitely intended to be first choice and confirmed by the fact he started him in all the pre-season games and first 4-5 PL games.
I really don't think so as Rafa basically started most of the preseaspn games and then played a lot of times in the league when the season started.

A lot peope blame the Leicester game too,but even that is disproved as Rafa played the next three games after that against West Ham ,Everton and Chelsea.

When Rafael got injured just before the City,Valencia came in and was more than a capable deputy. From then on,there was really no way back for Rafael.
 

stevoc

Full Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2011
Messages
21,114
I really don't think so as Rafa basically started most of the preseaspn games and then played a lot of times in the league when the season started.

A lot peope blame the Leicester game too,but even that is disproved as Rafa played the next three games after that against West Ham ,Everton and Chelsea.

When Rafael got injured just before the City,Valencia came in and was more than a capable deputy. From then on,there was really no way back for Rafael.
How you see it would only make sense if Rafael had became 2nd choice behind Valencia but he didn't. He was basically frozen out and not even in many squads after January as Van Gaal just didn't like him as a player, a decision he came to over the first half of that season it had very little to do with Valencia. Even as you have said McNair was in front of Rafa in the pecking order, which should tell you everything.
 

K2K

Full Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2015
Messages
18,367
Location
"Can Manchester United score? They always score"
How you see it would only make sense if Rafael had became 2nd choice behind Valencia but he didn't. He was basically frozen out and not even in many squads after January as Van Gaal just didn't like him as a player, a decision he came to over the first half of that season it had very little to do with Valencia. Even as you have said McNair was in front of Rafa in the pecking order, which should tell you everything.
The Mcnair experiment was only later in the season and hardly lasted a few games . I only remember Mcnair as a starter at Rightback for one /two games.

I think the fact that Van Gaal knew he had a capable rightback in Antonio meant he could take those kind of chances like freezing out Rafa and trying out Mcnair.

I think LvG didn't rate Rafa,but that was a gradual process over the season. His mind wasn't made up in the beginning like what Jose has done with Bastian for example.
 

Wednesday at Stoke

Full Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2014
Messages
21,836
Location
Copenhagen
Supports
Time Travel
Mentioning Sanchez is a strange way of defending Darmian's performances. He probably still has nightmares about that game before we brought Valencia on to shore things up.

Coutinho just scored 2 when up against the supposed 'best right back in the league' Bellerin.
I don't know, I'd rather give a specialist another crack at a tough assignment than expect a winger to do that job. I perfectly like Valencia and think he should get another chance at playing on the right wing again now that even half decent balls would be chances for someone like Ibrahimovic.
 

Devil81

Full Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2014
Messages
6,710
Truly shocking player, 'up' there with Rojo. Don't see him having any future here at all.

Agree with this, doesn't seem to have the heart to play for United, I honestly thought he was scared in certain matches last season.

I also think he faked injury to get off some time.
 

Chesterlestreet

Man of the crowd
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
19,622
Valencia is a very good RB with very few in this league better.
My take on him is that he's very good as long as things are flowing smoothly. If he has to act and think like a defender, under pressure, he is very far from being very good. *

That goes for many fullbacks, though - and like I said, Valencia has been decent. And he has seemingly regained some of his more agressive and direct offensive game, which is a considerable improvement right there.

* Which could conceivably be more of a problem under Mourinho than under LVG. If we need to go defensive, Mourinho style, I'd hardly fancy Valencia.
 
Last edited:

Raees

Pythagoras in Boots
Joined
May 16, 2009
Messages
29,474
It's also - I have to say - interesting how many have now seemingly decided that Valencia is actually a first rate RB.

He isn't. Unless standards have dropped something wonderful. He does his job - and he is an asset offensively when he's on song (and full of confidence). Which is great. But he doesn't read the game like a defender at all - he chases his man, and that's it. If all else is in place, that's enough - but it's hardly the mark of a great fullback, not even a mainly offensive one.
Says a lot about our options at the club and the lack of obvious options in the market, that most of us seem content with Valencia.
 

Chesterlestreet

Man of the crowd
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
19,622
Says a lot about our options at the club and the lack of obvious options in the market, that most of us seem content with Valencia.
There's that too, of course.

Perhaps Valencia will be just fine, or as fine as one can expect. I don't see any improvement in his defensive game whatsoever, though (if that matters). He plays like he always has off the ball and as a defender (not very well, in short - his game is almost purely reactionary, and limited at that).

On the ball and as a part of the offensive setup, he seems confident these days - and makes the sort of plays people were crying out for him to make before. Which is - again - very nice. And it makes him a more useful player, obviously.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jun 26, 2014
Messages
22,601
Location
Behind the right goal post as "Whiteside shoots!"
He's decent enough as backup and he's not on high wages. I see no reason to sell Darmian unless someone is crazy enough to offer £20m.
Someone was crazy enough to offer £30m for Benteke (and turned down! :houllier::eek:) so £20m shouldn't be that hard. Transfer fees seem to have jumped up 50% in a season due to increased income.
 

stevoc

Full Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2011
Messages
21,114
The Mcnair experiment was only later in the season and hardly lasted a few games . I only remember Mcnair as a starter at Rightback for one /two games.

I think the fact that Van Gaal knew he had a capable rightback in Antonio meant he could take those kind of chances like freezing out Rafa and trying out Mcnair.

I think LvG didn't rate Rafa,but that was a gradual process over the season. His mind wasn't made up in the beginning like what Jose has done with Bastian for example.
Now it sounds like we basically agree on a lot of points regarding Van Gaal and Rafael. Bar the Valencia ending Rafa's United career part, on that we can agree to disagree mate.
 

K2K

Full Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2015
Messages
18,367
Location
"Can Manchester United score? They always score"
My take on him is that he's very good as long as things are flowing smoothly. If he has to act and think like a defender, under pressure, he is very far from being very good. *

That goes for many fullbacks, though - and like I said, Valencia has been decent. And he has seemingly regained some of his more agressive and direct offensive game, which is a considerable improvement right there.

* Which could conceivably be more of a problem under Mourinho than under LVG. If we need to go defensive, Mourinho style, I'd hardly fancy Valencia.
Mourinho's style has always been to have one attacking full back and another solid one.

He is good enough defensively and has proven that imo.He's not perfect by any means though but not a single RB in the league is. That's the thing I was saying about unreasonable standards.

It's Darmian who has shown that he can completely fall apart when under the cosh, Valencia strength and speed makes it that much harder for the attacker. His positioning has also improved and he works well in tandem with his winger. Basically the good with him far outweighs the little negatives. My problem with a lot of negatives raised against him is that usually are people bringing up hypotheticals of what they think will happen in future. Things that probably won't even occur .
 

RooneyLegend

New Member
Joined
May 3, 2013
Messages
12,963
Why do you think he would be better at CB than RB?
He's got great natural defensive instincts. His reading of play and his positioning is of a high level. I said this the moment he started playing for us, and after a bit of research I found out that he started his career there.
 

Stormsurfer21

Full Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2015
Messages
707
Location
Driving up north
I'm fairly sure he started the first game for Italy and was dropped after a couple of games? I'm not sure why people are using his Italy games to prove that he's any good - he's looked rubbish so far barring the first month. Couldn't care less if he's sold.
You're right! He played the first game against Belgium and was dropped by Conte after that game. Since then he only made some appearances coming off the bench. He played a bad tournament in France. He certainly didn't look like a player with the (much needed) confidence to nail down a starting spot in an ambitious José side. Maybe his latest action sums up his tournament... it was a penalty miss against Germany. I'm not too sure about his future here, but I do hope for the best!
 

Mark Pawelek

New Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2014
Messages
2,598
Location
Kent, near London
I think it's too early to write him off. He's relatively young and he'll be a regular starter for Italy in the near future (he did start in the Euros). Tony has done well and if he susses out his positioning he'll be great. TFM is maybe more of a DM or even a center back for that matter (I'd always take TFM over Darmian btw) and Jones is a crock. Darmian's versatility is an asset. I don't see the urgency in getting rid. He's probably not earning loads either.
The fact he's a starter for Italy is a good reason to sell him while we can still get a price for him. Once he's spent a season as backup hardly playing he'll no longer start for Italy. I'm not urgent to get rid of him. Only if a reasonable bid came in. Talk of demanding £25m for him is silly.
 

Oaencha

Full Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2014
Messages
2,237
Darmian should not and will not be sold unless we get another right back in. I'm baffled by some of the comments in this thread. Valencia is a complete defensive liability and TFM has barely played right back; how can you be happy to go into a new PL season with just those options.

Darmian needs more time. This isn't FM; One season under LVG shackles is not enough to properly judge him. We will see his real ability once he has some Jose games under his belt.