Park was briliant..... WELL DONE JI SUNG.... WELL DONE
PARK-A true unsung hero
- Thread starter Devil_forever
- Start date
Out wide, yes, I agree he can and should start a good number of games (probably didn't make that clear... my bad). Especially since Giggs can't play every game and Nani is still fairly inconsistent.
However, centrally, there's no way he can be a regular starter. He can't play central midfield in a 4-4-2, and we simply won't play a 4-5-1/4-2-3-1 in all our games... It just won't happen.
That'll fly over everyone's head though, sadly.
That second point's a very astute one, one that probably would've flew over my head as well, so you're either a Park expert or very observant. Or both.
Oh aye, gotcha.
We'll still play 3 in midfield in most away games in the league and he could play in a lot of them but he'd be behind Carrick, Fletcher, Scholes and (probably) Anderson in the pecking order - so chances would be very limited.
MOTM today - and if someone wants to contradict my opinion - I will simply ask - how many times did you see Pirlo pass the ball forward today ? Most brilliant piece of man-marking I have seen in my life - poor Pirlo never had Park more than 50 cm away from him when he had the ball!
Very good tonight and for the last few games. Does he ever really let us down?
Its much more obvious now, but to be honest, I had never thought of it before.
His movement and workrate are ace.
He's be sensational for us ever since the away leg of the Milan tie, I think we've really found his best position playing him central as the main support for Rooney
Brilliant player
Brilliant player
He's been awesome lately.
Park, Fletcher and Valencia were awesome tonight. Their energy in the middle was just too much for Milan's OAPs.
Yep, the movement off the ball and the closing down was fantastic.
I also thought Scholesy was quietly very effective again tonight. Made some good interceptions and his use of the ball excellent as usual.
There were a few games at the start of the season where he would literally offer us nothing, would give the ball away poor decision making... But to be fair to the lad since Nov whenever called upon he does a good job for us and a lot of what he does is underestimated by some.
Its a shame that Rooney takes ALL the headlines.
For me it was quite clear that Park was MOM.
For me it was quite clear that Park was MOM.
Well I share your opinion mate, but you have to understand that there are a bunch of empty minds which controls the sport journalism. Rooney scored 2 goals and its a top footballer. Park and Fletcher are no near Rooney in terms of image.
see my point?
To be fair, in the first half I felt like we were playing with 10 men. Nani certainly thought he was wearing the wrong shirt, mind you that all changed after the 1st minute in the 2nd half. A hairdryer certainly does the trick
What I never understood was why he was immediately pushed out wide for us like Fletcher was at first, and the difference it made when Flether was finally stationed inside was immense. He did a job for Eindhoven and IIRC he was in the middle. I always reckoned his skill set overlapped nicely with our midfield. Better than Anderson all around I reckon. Runs like Fletcher though not such a tackler. More mobile than Carrick, but doesn't get his up up as much. Pretty much easily fills any role in midfield except for out wide.
Still nothing from Mockney? 
I want a third lung.
Played out wide because we haven't really played with a left winger in nearly 5 years, and because it was the easiest place to play him without disrupting key components of the team.
We don't play players where they're best suited, that's never been the way Sir Alex has run the team, it's where they best complement the team.
Park gave us balance, intricate short passing and a tendency to drift on the left - i.e. the perfect complementary to Ronaldo. He sacrificed so much of his game for the good of the team, and to good effect, yet it was constantly overlooked and he was just called a mediocre player.
Park's never been mediocre.
I didnt watch the first half. The second half was brilliant. Every player played very well. But I heard the first half was kinda uninteresting as a whole except for the goal. Probably that's why Logan wasnt feeling so happy with one of our players.
Was he that bad in the first half? Honestly.
Was he that bad in the first half? Honestly.
He was our best player in the first half, linked up play well & kept Pirlo completely silent.
I don't think you can say that. We've always been accustomed to his work rate, but what made Park stand out was that he could always be relied upon to keep it simple, get past players and keep play flowing.
The past year or so, he was at times really poor with the ball at his feet, completely bereft of any magic in his play and many who had Park as one of their favourite players at the club took to vilifying him.
You could say its down to sacrifice on his part, but I just think his general footballing game had gone backwards due to a lack of confidence due to constant injuries.
What we're seeing now is a resurgence, the real Park is back.
Maybe Fergie is now watching the Korean games as he has played there many times for his national team.
Get in there Park!
Nah, Park is an incredibly intelligent and disciplined little footballer. His reading of the game, movement and tactical awareness is well above 99,9% of other footballer. His ability to keep it simple and such is just a consequence of those things.
this
While the first game was a bit confusing, he was great tonight. In the 451, his central role is fantastic because he can act as a defender and attacking midfielder. It could be very useful against Barcelona if we just put Park on Xavi to harass him and get forward. I'm not sure how well it would work since Xavi gets forward a lot more than Pirlo.
He doesn't do anything spectacular, but he's effective as hell.
He doesn't do anything spectacular, but he's effective as hell.
I think you mean Pirlo. It was funny as hell to see Pirlo playing so high up the field at one point, almost as a striker, in hope to shake himself from Park or for whatever reason.
Indeed. Old Italian guys who look the same...
I noticed that too, but mostly because I was watching for it. Pretty sure this was a combination of what you said (to negate the man-marker) + Milan having no choice at that point.
But if you change shape purely to try and pull the opposition out of theirs, it means you've lost the initiative and you're screwed anyways.
With Park man-marking and Fletcher breaking up passes, it really could be quite an effective midfield for disrupting possession type sides.
It's hard to overlook Park over the two legs - he was great in the middle of the park, but I think Carrick will come straight back into the side with Park/Valencia/Nani fighting for the two places on the wing.
I dont see why everyone thought he was shit, he puts in a good all around game and gets forward well. he isnt flair and often doesnt have the best end product but his is still better than some.
Or it could be Scholes or Carrick fighting for a spot along side Fletcher/Park.
Fletcher gives the strength and breaking up passages of play.
Park gives you a defensive presence that but, also gives you a thrust through the middle with good ability on the ball.
That leaves Carrick and Scholes to fight over a spot for the puppet master role, with the passing.
Personally, I think we've hit on a gold mine here with Park in the middle when playing with 1 striker. For a long time I've been thinking it should have been Giggs in the creative/link up with striker role but, Park has been excellent.
Park starts most big games and does well, his effort and 3 lungs are something that can't be nullified by opposing talent, regardless of how much they have. The only reason he missed the CL FInal, is that United had Hargreaves fit, who does a better job at most of what park does and plays in a more conventional manner. Park will play in both legs and I reckon start as well.
TBF Milan are hardly a hard-working side. Yes, Park executed the technical side of his game brilliantly, but he was also given a lot of time and space, time and space that any future opposition will be loathe to give him should SAF use him in that way again.
It's a case of the 'better' you get, the more attention the other team gives you. What happens if Park turns into a regular in this role and opposing sides start putting Park-like players on Park? Do we invest energy in developing such a system only to have to re-adjust down the road? IMO yes he's been brilliant, but we need to see this over the course of a season before saying it's nothing more than a role he can play when we need to mix things up now and then (read: CL games)
And again, Park behind Rooney can't be used in the PL until the FA refs follow the example of their continental counterparts and realize that they're biased: Park getting 'muscled' off the ball is 9 times out of 10 Park getting fouled off the ball. And until the refs address this - or either the media or SAF forces their hand by making this an issue - Park through the middle will remain a huge gamble in the PL.
It's a case of the 'better' you get, the more attention the other team gives you. What happens if Park turns into a regular in this role and opposing sides start putting Park-like players on Park? Do we invest energy in developing such a system only to have to re-adjust down the road? IMO yes he's been brilliant, but we need to see this over the course of a season before saying it's nothing more than a role he can play when we need to mix things up now and then (read: CL games)
And again, Park behind Rooney can't be used in the PL until the FA refs follow the example of their continental counterparts and realize that they're biased: Park getting 'muscled' off the ball is 9 times out of 10 Park getting fouled off the ball. And until the refs address this - or either the media or SAF forces their hand by making this an issue - Park through the middle will remain a huge gamble in the PL.
Park has a work ethic that would embarrass a pit pony
the opportunity of punnage was so on for this thread.
Park a true 'Jisung' hero
Park a true 'Jisung' hero
If he had a bit more pace he'd the BPITW
there i said it
there i said it