Rojo or Fred as backup LB?

paraguayo

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How about signing an actual LB? Nah dont make Woody do stuffs
 

12OunceEpilogue

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We should end playing players out of position. We are Manchester United!
I disagree, in as much as it has always been a virtue to have versatile players who can play a couple of positions well, not to mention the strength of quality utility men like an O'Shea or even a Milner. Where I do agree is that shoehorning players in all kinds of odd positions just to accommodate them on the field, (some thought vdB could slot into Matic's deepest midfield position, which I don't see happening at all and certainly not right away) isn't something we should be entertaining.

Funnily enough I think part of the OP's point is that we are guilty of playing a player out of position in Williams, who is more of a RB. That said I see the way forward for us at least in the very near future being Shaw-Williams-Dalot-Impressive Youth Prospect over Fred filling in, but I could be wrong.
 
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Infra-red

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Couldn't we just buy a left back? I mean we are supposed to be one of the biggest, richest clubs in the world.
 

Schmeichel's Cartwheel

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That was more than 6 years ago :lol:
Still did it.

Honesttly, would you feel any more uncomfortable with Rojo or Fred out there than Williams? I feel my anxiety rising whenever he’s on the ball or a winger breezes past him like he’s not there. He made Rasmus Falk look like Lionel Messi.

Fred & Rojo are better footballers than Williams. None are ideal obviously but I do not want to see Williams out there again.
 

Robertd0803

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Rojo as left back for any other team maybe. For us NO.

No idea what Fred would be like at LB and no desire to find out.
 

Nickelodeon

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We should give up playing someone at left back if those two are the options.
 

Pericles

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Fred lacks both the strength and speed to play full back.
The few times he has had to chase down attackers to prevent a counterattack he has failed miserably.
Just because you are left footed and small does not mean you can play LB.
There are other LBs in the market so trying to make do with square peg in a round hole is not the way forward.
 

Levenstein

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So really..
Good point! I understand what you mean. I just thought that there are better options available and team, as big as us, should use these options. There is nothing wrong to try players in positions that they are not used to play and may flourish, but not to rely on that if there are more reasonable ways. Fred is great midfielder, I want to see his development there, not in LB.
 
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Lee565

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Why are so many fans so against the idea of a player being tried in a different position when we have seen how well it has worked out for the likes Bayern, city, barca and united under fergie.

I would rather at least give fred a chance there instead of Williams ever playing another game in the position.
 

Okey

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If we need a left back, why don't we just sign one??? There's loads on the market, for good value too. No need for experiments.
 

r3idy

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When we saw peak Fred a few months back he was quite adept at filling as Auxiliary full back as RB / LB Pushed up.
 
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Desperate times call for desperate measures. Rojo has played a fair amount of his career there, including a World Cup & FA Cup final. And most importantly he’s left footed & isn’t afraid to try to put a cross in. Of course the downsides are he’s reckless in the challenge & is even more injury prone than Shaw.

Fred has an engine, can tackle, can cross better than Williams & again, is left footed, so he doesn’t have to cut in if he wants to put a ball on. He also makes far less mistakes than Williams on the ball. The downside would be it’s a roll that he hasn’t played in ages & would only play it when needed so may not get enough time to adjust to it before being thrown.

The alternative is Williams, one of the most right foot heavy players in our team, playing out there with Rashford, who likes to cut inside himself. We’ve seen that it doesn’t work too well & I really don’t want to see him out there again next season.

Right now we’re 2 injuries away from a left side of Williams & James. Honestly that left side could probably be bettered by teams in League One. We can’t afford to let that happen.

One thing is clear, with Shaw’s fitness record, we desperately need a left back. I can’t see us getting one though.
Sorry what?

Out back up left back is Williams. He’s clearly the best option. If you don’t like him fine, but easily a better option than Rojo or a midfielder who has presumably never player there.
 

limerickcitykid

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Why are so many fans so against the idea of a player being tried in a different position when we have seen how well it has worked out for the likes Bayern, city, barca and united under fergie.

I would rather at least give fred a chance there instead of Williams ever playing another game in the position.
Why are so many fans against the idea of a young player being tried to develop when we have seen how well it has worked for the likes of Barca, Ajax, and united under Fergie.
 
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Williams is clearly the back up left back. He did pretty well in his first year in the team, i hope the lad gets a good shot this season.

Rojo should never be anywhere near our team again. He's a clown.

I like Fred and think he could do a job at left back in a crisis. But does he have the pace to play there?
 

Foxbatt

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Why are so many fans against the idea of a young player being tried to develop when we have seen how well it has worked for the likes of Barca, Ajax, and united under Fergie.
Actually Ajax and Barca do try to get players to play in different positions. Especially defenders in defense and midfield. And attackers in attack and midfield. It's good to try out.
 

Dan_F

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Why are so many fans so against the idea of a player being tried in a different position when we have seen how well it has worked out for the likes Bayern, city, barca and united under fergie.

I would rather at least give fred a chance there instead of Williams ever playing another game in the position.
Christ.


Actually Ajax and Barca do try to get players to play in different positions. Especially defenders in defense and midfield. And attackers in attack and midfield. It's good to try out.
There’s a bit of a difference from moving a LB to centre back, compared with a 27 year old midfielder to left back. Its basically because he’s left footed I’m assuming? Would you suggest McTominay at right back?
 

AltiUn

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What is it with the Caf and shoehorning players into random positions? Fred is and never will be used at LB.
So you don't think we should shove him in as a deep-lying, double pivot false 9 Libero?
 

acnumber9

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Why are so many fans so against the idea of a player being tried in a different position when we have seen how well it has worked out for the likes Bayern, city, barca and united under fergie.

I would rather at least give fred a chance there instead of Williams ever playing another game in the position.
I know, it’s just silly isn’t it? I’ve been suggesting we play Matic in nets for ages and people think I’m mad.
 

Schmeichel's Cartwheel

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Williams is clearly the back up left back. He did pretty well in his first year in the team, i hope the lad gets a good shot this season.

Rojo should never be anywhere near our team again. He's a clown.

I like Fred and think he could do a job at left back in a crisis. But does he have the pace to play there?
Well he’s faster than Shaw...
 

limerickcitykid

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Actually Ajax and Barca do try to get players to play in different positions. Especially defenders in defense and midfield. And attackers in attack and midfield. It's good to try out.
Actually what Ajax and Barca do is not bitch and moan about a young player and say a 20 year old should never play again. It’s pathetic.
 

Skills

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I like the idea of Fred as a LB. Might turn out horribly but I'm convinced he'd be awesome there
 

Skills

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What is it with the Caf and shoehorning players into random positions? Fred is and never will be used at LB.
It's not really a random position. In modern football a lot of teams have asked their players to make that transition or play interchangeably.

Kimmich, Sergi Roberto, David Alaba, Fabian Delph, Zinchenko, Lahm
 

pascell

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It's not really a random position. In modern football a lot of teams have asked their players to make that transition or play interchangeably.

Kimmich, Sergi Roberto, David Alaba, Fabian Delph, Zinchenko, Lahm
Ok you've convinced me, let's get Maguire upfront as a Target Man too? Rashford as LWB? Martial as RWB? Pogba as CB? Might as well complete the set of positional changes that make no sense.
 

Jericho

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No, just do it properly. Get Telles and let him and Shaw fight it out.
And honestly, we know Shaw will probably get injured at some point anyway.
 

Van Piorsing

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No, just do it properly. Get Telles and let him and Shaw fight it out.
And honestly, we know Shaw will probably get injured at some point anyway.
Telles or any solid backup would help him minimising the risk in rotation system.

Reality is we'll probably be playing Dalot and Mensah there with random effect.
 

BazzaBear

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I have never seen a place as obsessed with playing people outside of their actual position as Redcafe is. There's constant calls for half of our defenders to be played as midfielders and half our midfielders to be played as defenders.
It's bizarre, when the other major theme of posts on here is people bemoaning the form of players and blaming it on them playing out of position.
 

Crustanoid

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Woodys punishment for cocking up the Reguilon deal should be that he has to play there. And if the fans are allowed back, we can heckle him if he’s shit.
 

Lee565

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Christ.




There’s a bit of a difference from moving a LB to centre back, compared with a 27 year old midfielder to left back. Its basically because he’s left footed I’m assuming? Would you suggest McTominay at right back?
So that is terrible but fergie moving the likes of Phil Neville from left back into midfield was completely normal or pep putting zinchenko from midfield to left back/wingback during a title winning season?

There many other instances and there is more to the idea than just fred being left footed = left back, he has a lot of qualities that can be found in a good fullback/wingback.
 

Henandez14

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A lot of posters out to prove how “smart” they are with the smileys and derisive comments. If you watched the games you would know Fred spent 50% of the time covering for Shaw on the left flank anyways. Just because that one poster suggested we try [insert ridiculous suggestion] doesn’t mean players can’t cover other positions satisfactorily. In football right fullbacks playing DM and vice versa is very common no? I think they’re similar positions based on the level of tactical awareness they require
Lahm RB/DM
Kimmich RB/DM
Fabinho RB/DM
Alaba LB/DM
Blind LB/ DM
Just off the top of my head
...
Delph LB/DM
Zinchenko LB/DM
I would say it’s a fairly easy transition
 

TrustInJanuzaj

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Williams isn't a bad player, I mean Rojo is one of the worst left backs I've seen and only becomes slightly passable when he plays CB. This just screams of someone who has an obsession with the favored foot of the player.
 

el3mel

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I will take Williams with all his problems ahead of both everyday. I don't even know how Fred being a left back suddenly became a thing.
 

stepic

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Start Henderson and play De Gea as a back up left back. He’s good with his feet so will be perfect out there defensively and can bomb long kicks into the box in attack, perfect innit