Saul Niguez, Yea Or Nay

tjb

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United really need something to scare them into looking outside of just Rice, clearly the £90-£100m pricetag that Moyes put on his head didn't have any effect on our pursuit whatsoever
I DO NOT want Rice. That signing scares me because its partly our passing in midfield that's the problem
 

croadyman

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I DO NOT want Rice. That signing scares me because its partly our passing in midfield that's the problem
Yeah his passing is my biggest concern as well but clearly United don't seem to share that worry for some reason
 

Judas

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Have I been watching a different Rice to quite a few on here? The way his passing is spoken about with sheer panic and disdain you'd think he was some conference level clogger.
 

Champagne Football

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Think I'd prefer Tielemans to Niguez but I think Tielemans is off to Liverpool.

I wouldn't say no to Niguez though. I think West Ham will ask too much for Rice, unless we can use Jesse to get a good deal.
 

Blood Mage

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He's been average for ages and hasn't fulfilled the enormous potential he once had. He'd be a minor upgrade over our current defensive midfield options but that isn't good enough.
 

beingshe7don

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Think I'd prefer Tielemans to Niguez but I think Tielemans is off to Liverpool.

I wouldn't say no to Niguez though. I think West Ham will ask too much for Rice, unless we can use Jesse to get a good deal.
I think Rice is destined to go back to Chelsea. as for Tielemans, I like his ability to control the tempo of the game. Him and a destroyer like Zakaria could work very well behind Bruno. As for Saul, he's technically very sound and appears to be box to box player. I'm not sure that's the type of player we need at the moment. I'd prefer a destroyer and a deep lying playmaker like the Gattuso/ Pirlo combo behind Kaka. Tielemans is only 24 and I'm upset that we didn't get him before Leicester bought him after his loan.
 

meamth

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I want him just for the chant potential. :nervous:


Said United signed motherfecking Saul Niguez
The fee wasn't that high, which will satisfy the Glazers
Controlling games we play all day with Saul Niguez
And we are gonna win everything with Saul Niguez

Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez
Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez
Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez yeah

First things first we love Saul Niguez
Ole's team sheet, first name Saul Niguez
You looking for a six? Let me call Saul Niguez
Or play him on the right, we need Saul Niguez

Saul Niguez spoke spoke, Saul Niguez think think
Saul Niguez signed up, dotted line with ink, ink
Fred can be his back up and we'll play Pogba up top
Sancho is on the right, if Murtough can get his act up

Wanda to Old Trafford switch, yo that's Saul Niguez
He's rippin up the pitch yo that's Saul Niguez
Attacking all the space, yo that's Saul Niguez
Give him the number eight, yeah that's Saul Niguez

Playing out from the back, pass it to Saul Niguez
Hit first time balls yeah that's Saul Niguez
feck them other players cause we've got Saul Niguez
We love Saul Niguez, fecking Saul Niguez

Said United signed motherfecking Saul Niguez
The fee wasn't that high, which will satisfy the Glazers
Controlling games we play all day with Saul Niguez
And we are gonna win everything with Saul Niguez

Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez
Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez
Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez yeah
Have you seen Thomas Partey song?
 

SinNombre

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Yay.

Price will have to be lower though.

He is a very good all-rounder who is excellent in the big games.
 

bosnian_red

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Yeah his passing is my biggest concern as well but clearly United don't seem to share that worry for some reason
Hes a safe and reliable passer with some range. He's good enough on the ball to go towards being fine and getting the best of his defensive midfielder ability, which is arguably our biggest need.
 

Adcuth

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I want him just for the chant potential. :nervous:


Said United signed motherfecking Saul Niguez
The fee wasn't that high, which will satisfy the Glazers
Controlling games we play all day with Saul Niguez
And we are gonna win everything with Saul Niguez

Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez
Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez
Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez yeah

First things first we love Saul Niguez
Ole's team sheet, first name Saul Niguez
You looking for a six? Let me call Saul Niguez
Or play him on the right, we need Saul Niguez

Saul Niguez spoke spoke, Saul Niguez think think
Saul Niguez signed up, dotted line with ink, ink
Fred can be his back up and we'll play Pogba up top
Sancho is on the right, if Murtough can get his act up

Wanda to Old Trafford switch, yo that's Saul Niguez
He's rippin up the pitch yo that's Saul Niguez
Attacking all the space, yo that's Saul Niguez
Give him the number eight, yeah that's Saul Niguez

Playing out from the back, pass it to Saul Niguez
Hit first time balls yeah that's Saul Niguez
feck them other players cause we've got Saul Niguez
We love Saul Niguez, fecking Saul Niguez

Said United signed motherfecking Saul Niguez
The fee wasn't that high, which will satisfy the Glazers
Controlling games we play all day with Saul Niguez
And we are gonna win everything with Saul Niguez

Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez
Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez
Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez yeah
You should really Google the word chant
 

Giggsy13

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If Bayern want the player, they’ll get it done. They’re no nonsense with transfers.
 

Mylock

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Saul is a very good utility midfield player but not the type of player we need at the moment, we need more of a DM like Kante or Casemero.
 

Bojan Djordjic

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love him, Rolls Royce of a player, I wouldn't worry too much about one season not up to his usual standards when a player is that technically gifted, you don't lose that over night. If he's available for that kind of money we should pounce on it.
Not having a go but when you say he's technically gifted what do you mean? His passing statistics look decidedly average - this can obviously be tolerated if you're playing in advanced areas making risky passes like Bruno Fernandes but is harder to excuse for someone playing deeper and who would be expected to control games for us.
 

Redrum1982

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Not having a go but when you say he's technically gifted what do you mean? His passing statistics look decidedly average - this can obviously be tolerated if you're playing in advanced areas making risky passes like Bruno Fernandes but is harder to excuse for someone playing deeper and who would be expected to control games for us.
He's a excellent passer, as well as and excellent finisher. He's got a great touch and can dribble. i haven't looked at the stats but I could see why they might not be as good as they could be, simeone tends to employ tactics that look for longer passes, passes into channels and switches of play, obviously the stats for someone who is asked to play these kind of passes aren't going to be as high as players in other systems.
 
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DSG

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Meh. He doesn't provide progressive passing really. Doesn't provide key passes. Doesn't create chances. Is a decent pressing midfielder and gets stuck in, good tackler but not a pure defensive midfielder so you can't use him as the lone guy. Doesn't make bursting runs through the middle up the pitch. I'm not really sure he's all that much better than McTominay tbh. Statistically this year at least, Saul played more key passes but significantly worse than McTominay for dribbles/carries/progressive passing and pass completions. Better tackler and "pressures" but fewer interceptions and gets dribbled past often. Gives the ball away a bit less but not a strength of either.

Honestly don't see what the point to his signing would be. Depth for the #8 position, unsure of him being any different to VdB or McTominay level who are all probably similar overall. Fred at least is a controller type who offers excellent pressing, but the others are all kind of all action midfielders who aren't that good at anything, but decent at best in most things. We need a properly holding midfielder next to a deeper playmaker.
Wow. Okay, excited to see who you want for the midfield. Clearly you have no idea when comes to scouting players.


Yeah, I've watched him in big games over the years but nothing more. Looking at his stats in combination with some videos and those few games says enough though that he's not what we need IMO. Picking his stats from 19/20 to ignore this seasons slump and comparing to McTominay

It's a marginal passing improvement, with a big loss in running with the ball (if you like that), and then a more engaging style of defending (more pressing and tackling, whereas McTominay is harder to get the ball past). He's just very "meh". He's not a progressive passer. Look at 18/19, 19/20 or 20/21. Compared to midfielders he's barely above to 75th percentile of midfielders in progressive passing in his best season, and below the 50th in the other 2. Barely above 50th percentile in final third passes in his best attacking season, we'll below in other 2. Below 50th percentile in shot creating actions, whether it's passing or dribbling in the lead up to chances.

The 2 things that he's excelled in consistently is tackling, and pressing in the defensive 3rd... he has better close control than McTominay sure, but neither of them are the style of player we need, and both are far from the quality of player we need to be a fixture there.
You haven’t watched him. Fred comes out okay in the advanced stats, but is clearly not good enough. Need to start watching games mate.
 

bosnian_red

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Wow. Okay, excited to see who you want for the midfield. Clearly you have no idea when comes to scouting players.



You haven’t watched him. Fred comes out okay in the advanced stats, but is clearly not good enough. Need to start watching games mate.
Maybe I would watch him more if he wasn't on the bench half of the time ;)
But of course I've watched him. Not regularly, I doubt anyone here watches atletico regularly because frankly, why would they unless they had some attachment to them? He's a decent midfielder. But he's not a defensive midfielder. He's not a creative midfielder. He's an all action energetic midfielder, who doesn't really excel at anything in particular.

United, the way we're preparing our team, need a proper holding midfielder next to a deep lying playmaker. We need a whole new midfield 2 since neither Fred nor McTominay are good enough. Stylistically Fred is far more of a dictator from deep though, which has literally never been Saul's game. He isn't much of a passer. He's a guy who wins a lot of tackles then is decent at best at most other things. Sure, he'd be an upgrade on McTominay (marginal IMO), while also not suiting that role in the premier league as much as McTominay, and ultimately not being good enough to start in that role for United. Or at least, not what we should want.

I'd love to get Rice for the defensive midfielder spot and then an actual passing midfielder who can control games, progress the ball up the pitch with his passing and not be a disaster/useless defensively (like Pogba, which is why we've stopped trying to play him there). Locatelli is a good shout for that, but there isn't any interest there so whatever. Bennacer is kind of a decent all rounder too who would improve us more. Ruben Neves would improve us more stylistically while not necessarily being good enough either.

Like Bruno?
Hope this is sarcasm...
 

dinostar77

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Any confirmation from credible outlets about Saul going to Bayern for €68mil ?
 

DSG

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Maybe I would watch him more if he wasn't on the bench half of the time ;)
But of course I've watched him. Not regularly, I doubt anyone here watches atletico regularly because frankly, why would they unless they had some attachment to them? He's a decent midfielder. But he's not a defensive midfielder. He's not a creative midfielder. He's an all action energetic midfielder, who doesn't really excel at anything in particular.

United, the way we're preparing our team, need a proper holding midfielder next to a deep lying playmaker. We need a whole new midfield 2 since neither Fred nor McTominay are good enough. Stylistically Fred is far more of a dictator from deep though, which has literally never been Saul's game. He isn't much of a passer. He's a guy who wins a lot of tackles then is decent at best at most other things. Sure, he'd be an upgrade on McTominay (marginal IMO), while also not suiting that role in the premier league as much as McTominay, and ultimately not being good enough to start in that role for United. Or at least, not what we should want.

I'd love to get Rice for the defensive midfielder spot and then an actual passing midfielder who can control games, progress the ball up the pitch with his passing and not be a disaster/useless defensively (like Pogba, which is why we've stopped trying to play him there). Locatelli is a good shout for that, but there isn't any interest there so whatever. Bennacer is kind of a decent all rounder too who would improve us more. Ruben Neves would improve us more stylistically while not necessarily being good enough either.


Hope this is sarcasm...
I don’t disagree with the middle paragraph. McFred is not a good enough midfield to challenge for major trophies. Both are good squad options.

Regarding Saul, he hasn’t played as much this season due to the emergence of Llorente and formation changes. Still appeared in 41 matches, so you must have been watching Atletico with your eyes closed if you missed him. Before this season, he was in every important match. A couple things happened that were mostly outside of his control. They sold Partey and Rodri and really don’t play a true holding midfielder any longer. Secondly, they brought in Felix, and while he can play on the wing in a 4-3-3, he’s really a classic 10 / second striker. In the big matches against better teams and in the CL, from what I’ve seen, Simeone benches Felix and plays Llorente as the 2nd striker in a 4-4-2, with Saul and Koke as CMs and Carrasco/Correa as the wide midfielders. Against teams where they expect to have possession, they play Felix as 2nd striker and Llorente drops back with Koke. Or, at times, they’ll play the midfield 3 of Koke / Llorente / Saul against lesser teams.

He is known in Spain as a midfielder that can do it all, and can match that with brilliant technique and passing. Do your research and you’ll find that is the case.

He is not a DM. But he could play the deep lying playmaker role because he actually does defend, unlike Pogba. He would be a huge upgrade to our midfield and the comment that he’s basically the same as Fred is way off base.

my comment on Bruno was that if you go back thru the Bruno transfer thread, there is a large portion of the Caf who were against the Bruno signing, and they were saying that the pro Bruno camp was over rating Bruno. Well, here we are. Frankly, none of us really know. But watching a 10 minute YouTube video is not enough to fully scout a player.
 

Lay

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One of those players that I watch that always underwhelm me. I expect more for some reason and always end up forgetting he’s on the pitch. Maybe it’s the Atletico play style
 

dinostar77

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Atletico proposed a swap deal for Bernardo Silva ( who desperately wants to leave manchester and go to another country). However City havent accepted. May try for a different atletico player i.e. joao felix. However the priority this summer is a striker and an attacking midfielder i.e. grealish.

Atletico need to sell or do a FFP swap to fix the books.

Transfer Window Podcast.
 

Withnail

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Atletico proposed a swap deal for Bernardo Silva ( who desperately wants to leave manchester and go to another country). However City havent accepted. May try for a different atletico player i.e. joao felix. However the priority this summer is a striker and an attacking midfielder i.e. grealish.

Atletico need to sell or do a FFP swap to fix the books.

Transfer Window Podcast.
Massive dose of salt with that one so.
 

Carl

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How come he hasn't made the Spain squad?
 

arthurka

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His stock might not be as high a couple of years ago but I think he might be worth it.