Lukaku was and still is weak in duals. That's the issue with him, his game relies on avoiding physical battles otherwise he is cooked. What Lukaku was very good at from a young age was to carry the ball powerfully on the counter, he later added the ability to close the second post and score "easy" goals, basically Lukaku was and is a fast poacher.
Rasmus Højlund | Signed for United
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
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Oh look who broke the news first
The potential is there. He gives me the impression that he's just started to learn how to play with his back to goal. Falls over a bit too much for me, especially as PL defenders will be much stronger and more intense.
See this is what I was worried about. I thought it was because ETH really wanted him. If he's just a name on a list below the likes of Osimhen, Kane and Muani, then it's a big gamble.
Because he has started most games since his return.
He’s above Muani. Reports suggest he’s after Osimhen and Kane
that compilation video against Juve you could see his hold up play was pretty good with a guy on his back...he had some really nice once touch layoffs included under pressure
where i see him fitting into EtH's system is his constant movement to go in behind the back line. the lad has pace to him and he can finish with both feet. Criticizing him for some of his technique and questioning him being ready to lead the line at only 20 is a bit daft. He's a goal scorer and i see this kid with his movement and style of play and it brings me back to seeing RVN when he first made a name for himself at Heerenveen before making the move to PSV. Remember Fergie wanting Ruud at the age of 22 before tearing his ACL and waited another year to bring him in simply b/c of that style of play you see a bit in Hojlund
where i see him fitting into EtH's system is his constant movement to go in behind the back line. the lad has pace to him and he can finish with both feet. Criticizing him for some of his technique and questioning him being ready to lead the line at only 20 is a bit daft. He's a goal scorer and i see this kid with his movement and style of play and it brings me back to seeing RVN when he first made a name for himself at Heerenveen before making the move to PSV. Remember Fergie wanting Ruud at the age of 22 before tearing his ACL and waited another year to bring him in simply b/c of that style of play you see a bit in Hojlund
Yeah - but I mean Lukaku knew how to use his body when running with the ball to be a battering ram poacher. Under pressure when he had to combine it with his technique, he struggled as you said, and Hojlund is already showing a higher level at that. But Lukaku broke out early because of his pace/power when running through on goal and being able to hold off defenders that way. Haaland is an extreme version of that but he broke out early because of the same thing. Otherwise even the best taller strikers of the modern day took a bit of time to put it together, but the thing is that having that mix of qualities is rare I think, so he's worth the shot just like clubs saw the qualities of Ibra, Dzeko, Cavani, Lewandowski, etc.
Muani is not same type, not even a pure striker, I doubt we were ever interested. Also find him overrated.
And being below Osimhen and Kane is nothing bad though is it, they are at the very top.
That first offer is more than fair. I suspect like all our business so far we’ll find a middle ground and a deal will be done. The fact he’s snubbed PSG means it will take some of the pressure off Utd and also weakens Atalanta’s position a bit as well.
How do you send in a verbal offer? Voice mail?
No way. And this bid is obviously getting rejected. This would be the expectation of both parties anyway.
From Atalanta’s POV - they obviously know we’ll come back with a second one. Even United’s briefings yesterday said that we expect (more like hope) to struck a deal at £60-65M, which means that this is our ideal scenario, but we’re prepared to go for more. All in all, we’re not the best negotiators.
Given that he recently turned 20 and just had his first half season of actually playing regularly in a top 5 league... Yeah it makes sense that he's just started to learn how to play with his back to goal *at that level. He's progressing very quickly, jumping up a level every year for club and country, forcing his way into the team and showing more and more of his qualities. He'd have a transition period in the prem, but just having the knowledge of how to play like that along with the raw abilities to actually pull it off gives me lots of confidence in his potential.
Also, he's ahead of Kolo Muani. Hojlund is the profile of a complete CF, a focal point to play off of, has the strength and height and willingness to get his head on the ball as well as having the ability to play with it on the ground and the pace to run in behind. Kolo Muani is mostly a wide forward I'd say? Those guys can play centrally for smaller clubs but ten hag wants a focal point, and I don't think he is that type. Kolo Muani is a better player currently sure, he's like 5 years older.
It's better to spend big on a player who might become a genuine top CF and is the exact type you need, rather than spend big on the type of player who isn't right for your team or spend big on a mediocre prospect or average CF who will never be more than a stop gap anyway.
I don't know if I see Van Nistelrooy because he had something special in the way he played that I can't attribute to other players. The player I have in mind is Ivica Olic, potentially I can see a player that is jack of all trades but at a good level. Today it's a bit of anachronistic with most strikers being seemingly pretty specialized, you basically have the great technicians on one side and the great athletes on the other, with very few in the middle at top level.
Reckon this lands around 50m pounds + 10m pounds. Or roughly 58m euros + 12m euros.
EXCLUSIVE: We're interested in signing this lad. Heard it here first.
PSG needs to feck off - buzzing around like flies wtf
They cant drive up the price on him if he doesnt want to go there I hope, otherwise it could get very expensive very fast
No time to doddle on this one. Too risky with PSG sniffing around
definitely get hte Olic comparison, especially given he's left footed as well, but Olic was more of a wing player not an out and out striker if i recall.
I think Hojlund might at this point be a bit less technical and a bit more athletic but they do have very similar qualities and styles of play. I think what i see in Hojlund that gives me early shades of Ruud is the constant channel runs and his quick ability to receive, turn and accelerate. He almost runs like ruud in terms of body style.
Not only its verbal its also the first one. Feck me we have snails in charge of transfers i swear.
That was a great centre forward performance?
Relax, he isn’t going to PSG unless we are pulling out of this. I also think Atalanta will grant him his wish and let him come to United, which i can see them eventually accept our offer
vErBal ProPosAl.
Btw, is he injury prone? No? Then that´s even more important than some bad first touches etc.
Btw, is he injury prone? No? Then that´s even more important than some bad first touches etc.
Olic has done both, he has played wide as a sort of inside forward but also played a lot centrally as an example he did it for Van Gaal with Bayern.
Tbf, we don’t really have a large data set on this one.
PSG can't even buy him now, they need to sell Mbappe or some of their deadwood first.
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Love how Fabrizio Fraudano breaks the bid down into 50+10...as if he has any knowledge on the deal FFS!
What a clown he is spamming twitter every day with the same tweet wrote 100 different ways just so he can quote himself weeks later.
What a clown he is spamming twitter every day with the same tweet wrote 100 different ways just so he can quote himself weeks later.
You're assuming we hadn't already made a hand gesture offer.
FFP is a paper tiger, as City and Chelsea have proven. But there is a great deal to be said for fiscal prudence. Yet at the same time IF we have already brought in Hojlund and Amrabat and IF Kane were available for 100m on September 1, we would be out of our flucking minds to refuse the deal.
I'd be keen on having him, but it's a shame he hasn't been brought in sooner.
Out of the new players, he would require the most coaching, adaption and settling in period. I see him as an expensive project that may pay off, as opposed to a solution to the current issue.
I've got faith in EtH to coach him to an elite level, but I'm not expecting much for a while.
Out of the new players, he would require the most coaching, adaption and settling in period. I see him as an expensive project that may pay off, as opposed to a solution to the current issue.
I've got faith in EtH to coach him to an elite level, but I'm not expecting much for a while.
If that involved slapping some sense to the transfer committee then I'm happy.
5 times? Hojlund will cost around 70 mil and Kane would cost around 100 mil. How is it 5 times more? Even if you include wage?
Kane is world class striker about we know every single thing and Hojlund is only big potential. At this moment we don't even know what are Hojlund's strengths. Is he quick or not? Is he good in finishing? In passing? In holding the ball?
I don't mind signing Hojlund but we should sign him only if Kane or Osimhen are 100% out of reach. Osimhen is i guess because of his fee but for Kane i am not so sure. That excuse "Levy will never sell Kane to us" is a BS.
The more videos I see from him the less convinced I am. Its logical he has flaws as he's young but I'm not seeing the hype nor numbers to grant a 70M move for him. I know strikers are scarce right now but I feel bringing him for that fee will inevitable end up in failure.
You've done one in euros and one in GBP. Kane will cost at least £50m more than Højlund, probably more than that to be honest.
I like the look of him but we would be overpaying with 60m
I was talking about euros because everything what we know about their prices are rumours so those are not their precise prices. We "know" (according to rumours) that we offered 60+10 mil euros for Hojlund and that Bayern offered 80 mil euros for Kane so far.
More importantly, what will his fifa rating be in September?
Levy isn’t going to sell Kane to us for 100m euros
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