Sofyan Amrabat | 2023/24 Performances

croadyman

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True - but if you think ETH is just going to throw him in after a few days training with the club and with recent injuries and no pre season for his first game since Conference league final then you will be disappointed.

Everyone clearly wants to see him but ETH will want him physically ready and definitely injury free before he starts.

More likely that Mount will be back.
Surely there is no harm in at least putting him on the bench and just giving him last 10 minutes
 

Tibs

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Imagine the melt down here in a couple of weeks when he's fit, and Mount plays ahead of him every week.

I'll be a part of those contributing to the said meltdown
 

Trophy Room

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Imagine the melt down here in a couple of weeks when he's fit, and Mount plays ahead of him every week.

I'll be a part of those contributing to the said meltdown
Have a feeling that Amrabat and Casemiro will play together in the middle with Mount and Bruno further up - we will only play with Hoijlund and Rashford as forwards.
 

Ted Lasso

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Bruno -- Mount
Amrabat -- Casemiro

On paper this has plenty of bite, skill and guile to be a strong midfield against any team in England and Europe. Let's see how EtH sets up exactly and how it feels after a few months together.
 

Giggsy13

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Bruno -- Mount
Amrabat -- Casemiro

On paper this has plenty of bite, skill and guile to be a strong midfield against any team in England and Europe. Let's see how EtH sets up exactly and how it feels after a few months together.
Not nearly enough width if all 4 play. Of course we don’t have any wingers anyways.
 

Big Ray

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Imagine the melt down here in a couple of weeks when he's fit, and Mount plays ahead of him every week.

I'll be a part of those contributing to the said meltdown
Im putting the balls on the table now to say that will never happen, no chance.
 

TheGodsInRed

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Bruno -- Mount
Amrabat -- Casemiro

On paper this has plenty of bite, skill and guile to be a strong midfield against any team in England and Europe. Let's see how EtH sets up exactly and how it feels after a few months together.
You need quality attacking fullbacks to play the box midfield. We don't have that.
 

Ted Lasso

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You need quality attacking fullbacks to play the box midfield. We don't have that.
I could actually see us doing okay with the current lot. AWB has come leaps and bounds and I had no hopes . Couldn't Mainoo get time at RB maybe?
 

Kaos

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Bruno -- Mount
Amrabat -- Casemiro

On paper this has plenty of bite, skill and guile to be a strong midfield against any team in England and Europe. Let's see how EtH sets up exactly and how it feels after a few months together.
Think this is feasible, but if we do end up fielding all 4, then I'd expect one of Bruno or Mount to start on the right. Its not like we have an abundance of right wingers available anyway.
 

Mercurial

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Bruno -- Mount
Amrabat -- Casemiro

On paper this has plenty of bite, skill and guile to be a strong midfield against any team in England and Europe. Let's see how EtH sets up exactly and how it feels after a few months together.
Think this is feasible, but if we do end up fielding all 4, then I'd expect one of Bruno or Mount to start on the right. Its not like we have an abundance of right wingers available anyway.
I'd like us to do this. Mount at RW. Need more resilience at mid and more creativity upfront.
 

OrcaFat

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ETH completely changed everything last year after 2 games because we started poorly.
The midfield with Mount clearly doesnt work and now we have a much better alternative in Ambarat and the chances are it will work.

That midfield with Mount isnt going to work, Casemiro will continue being alone on the island trying to close everything down by himself.
Some things are immediately obvious they wont be a good fit.
On the other hand I do think it will be immediately obvious the midfield with Ambarat will be a good fit.
I don’t think the start of last year is remotely relevant. The system with Mount at high 8 is very carefully planned and it will work. It just takes a bit of time to get this system right. If I’m wrong and Mount ends up at RW, what can I say? I’ll hold my hands up for sure. It’s just incredibly unlikely.
 

VP89

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ETH completely changed everything last year after 2 games because we started poorly.
The midfield with Mount clearly doesnt work and now we have a much better alternative in Ambarat and the chances are it will work.
Thats actually not true at all.
And Mount has had one and a half games. You're just talking presumptious BS.
 

MadDogg

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I don’t think the start of last year is remotely relevant. The system with Mount at high 8 is very carefully planned and it will work. It just takes a bit of time to get this system right. If I’m wrong and Mount ends up at RW, what can I say? I’ll hold my hands up for sure. It’s just incredibly unlikely.
Us signing Mount doesn't necessarily mean ETH wants him playing the current role every game. It's a possibility that he always saw Mount as someone who would sometimes play deeper and sometimes play higher, but we haven't really seen the latter yet due to us not having the right options available - somebody who can handle the physical aspect and who is good on the ball. It is how we started against Real Madrid in preseason (Casemiro and Mainoo sitting deeper with Mount and Bruno in more attacking roles), but then Mainoo got injured in that match and we haven't had a similar option for that role since. Now with Amrabat we might have that option.

In saying that, based on what ETH has done so far it's more likely to be Mount at #10 with Bruno on the right, as that's how he's played them so far when they've both been in the more attacking positions.
 

poleglass red

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This is the kind of game where we could really use his presence. I don't think we'll see him feature though, history has shown with players like Casemiro and Hojlund that ETH doesn't throw in players that aren't 100% match fit. I'd love to see him get a run out at some stage in 2nd half, but again I don't see ETH doing it. He started the season without us playing a recognised centre forward as he felt Hojlund wasn't ready.
 

GoldanoGraham

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Surely there is no harm in at least putting him on the bench and just giving him last 10 minutes
Can you imagine the hysteria if he throws on Amrabat and he gets a muscle injury and then out for a few extra weeks…..just don’t think ETH risks players the way some previous managers would do.

That being said - this is a high risk game as we have players coming back in from all over the world and I’m sure that subs will play a big part in the game.

Casemiro, Martinez, Garnacho only flew back to the UK yesterday - lots of players going to be knackered Saturday. Using effective subs will be key.
 

bond19821982

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I don’t think the start of last year is remotely relevant. The system with Mount at high 8 is very carefully planned and it will work. It just takes a bit of time to get this system right. If I’m wrong and Mount ends up at RW, what can I say? I’ll hold my hands up for sure. It’s just incredibly unlikely.
Exactly. Forget the knee jerked arm chair expert posts. Do you really think that ETH wouldn't have thought about this ? Do you really think Murtough wouldn't have asked the question how this player would be a fit. ?
That's why I am relaxed. He has a plan and it may or may not work. Too early to talk about it.
 

3KDré

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Thats actually not true at all.
And Mount has had one and a half games. You're just talking presumptious BS.
Is it not true? The first two games he played Maguire Martinez and Shaw, we tried to play out from the back with De Gea. Eriksen was up top for the first game because of no Martial. The second game with the same backline and Ronaldo up top we played a midfield 3 of Fred, Eriksen and Bruno with Fred at the base again trying to play out from the back and we got absolutely mauled.

3rd game against Liverpool we started McT- Eriksen with Varane next to Martinez and Malacia at LB with Sancho - Rashford - Elanga (very counterattacking front 3). Almost every goal kick we went long and we scrapped playing out from the back until later on in the season when we were in good form and had Antony/Casemiro and Shaw at LB - again even then it wasn't consistent throughout every game.

With the double 8 topic... don't forget how flexible Ten Hag has been. We've seen us building up in a 3-1, and in a 3-2 with a fullback dropping in. We've seen Eriksen drop into the backline (goal against forest away) with Dalot in midfield. Everyone will be rotating constantly. I think Amrabat and Mount will get an even share of games.
 
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croadyman

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Has been very little from the Utd journos about him so think it's safe to say he isn't ready yet
 

3KDré

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This is the kind of game where we could really use his presence. I don't think we'll see him feature though, history has shown with players like Casemiro and Hojlund that ETH doesn't throw in players that aren't 100% match fit. I'd love to see him get a run out at some stage in 2nd half, but again I don't see ETH doing it. He started the season without us playing a recognised centre forward as he felt Hojlund wasn't ready.
Hojlund was carrying an injury. He may start him as he's played in his system before, and is fit. Same as with Antony who he played straight away
 

Chaky_Best

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I am not really sure Amrabat will play alongside Casemiro.

Think he will be his replacement, with Mc Tominay playing a bit higher.

Last year we were missing that type of player on the bench.

Unless we play City and we want to sit deep and counter, I don't see the point having two holding midfielders, I don't think it's ETH's game anyway.
 

DJ_21

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I am not really sure Amrabat will play alongside Casemiro.

Think he will be his replacement, with Mc Tominay playing a bit higher.

Last year we were missing that type of player on the bench.

Unless we play City and we want to sit deep and counter, I don't see the point having two holding midfielders, I don't think it's ETH's game anyway.
If he try’s it and it shores up our midfield then he’ll stick with it surely? We’ve tried 2 number 8s together with 1 sitting and we get battered every game. I remember under Ole when we had 2 sitting we played our best football as the front 4 knew they was protected so they could focus on the final 3rd. The thing with Amrabat aswell is he’s alright on the ball and his passing stats are really good so it shouldn’t be a problem with him paired next to Casemiro, the front players should still receive the ball through Amrabat.
 

Longlivekeano

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Think our best XI looks like this at the current moment

———————-Onana—————————-

-AwB——Varane—Lindelof—Martinez-

—————Casemiro—-amrabat————-

——Mount———Bruno———Rashford—-

——————————Hojlund——————-
 

theballisround

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I am not really sure Amrabat will play alongside Casemiro.

Think he will be his replacement, with Mc Tominay playing a bit higher.

Last year we were missing that type of player on the bench.

Unless we play City and we want to sit deep and counter, I don't see the point having two holding midfielders, I don't think it's ETH's game anyway.
I don't really get this "Amrabat is a holding midfielder" thing.

Have you lot actually watched him fecking play?
 

VP89

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Is it not true? The first two games he played Maguire Martinez and Shaw, we tried to play out from the back with De Gea. Eriksen was up top for the first game because of no Martial. The second game with the same backline and Ronaldo up top we played a midfield 3 of Fred, Eriksen and Bruno with Fred at the base again trying to play out from the back and we got absolutely mauled.

3rd game against Liverpool we started McT- Eriksen with Varane next to Martinez and Malacia at LB with Sancho - Rashford - Elanga (very counterattacking front 3). Almost every goal kick we went long and we scrapped playing out from the back until later on in the season when we were in good form and had Antony/Casemiro and Shaw at LB - again even then it wasn't consistent throughout every game.

With the double 8 topic... don't forget how flexible Ten Hag has been. We've seen us building up in a 3-1, and in a 3-2 with a fullback dropping in. We've seen Eriksen drop into the backline (goal against forest away) with Dalot in midfield. Everyone will be rotating constantly. I think Amrabat and Mount will get an even share of games.
I completely missed the bit where you said "last year" and thought you were talking about this season :lol:
 

sullydnl

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It was already from the start of the season one of my wishes to get another 6, another holding midfielder in the squad. In that position, we only had Casemiro who can play there and others we have to make compromises.

He [Amrabat] can also play alongside Casemiro because he's able to play a bit higher up the pitch. So it's a very good thing to have him and I think he fits very well. well in the Premier League and the Champions League.
The quotes suggest what common sense would also suggest, that he's here as an alternative option for Casemiro and an alternative option to the more attacking #8 we'll play regularly, depending on circumstances.
 

sullydnl

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Im putting the balls on the table now to say that will never happen, no chance.
It's pretty clear which of the two was more of a priority for ETH given we signed one of them for big money at the start of the summer and loaned the other at the end. With Mount expressly having been signed as an #8 as per ETH, and ETH having trialled that double attacking #8 system in the second half of last season, it's fairly obvious that (all else being equal) Amrabat is behind Mount in the #8 pecking order.

However, our RW issues may change things as there's an argument that one of our first choice AMs are now the best option at RW too. And even without that, we should still have expected enough rotation to see Amrabat play plenty, especially in tougher games.
 

OrcaFat

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I don't really get this "Amrabat is a holding midfielder" thing.

Have you lot actually watched him fecking play?
EtH specifically referred to him as a deep midfielder, in the same breath as talking about Casemiro and competition for that part of the team. Yes we have watched him play and he is essentially a no6. Sorry if you don’t get it!
 

LInkash

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Training photos have been released and no Amrabat, assuming he won't even make the bench this weekend then.
 

RuudTom83

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Training photos have been released and no Amrabat, assuming he won't even make the bench this weekend then.
I never saw Hojlund training in the official footage either the week leading up to Arsenal.

So I’d only use that footage as a hint more than anything concrete.

Fingers crossed he makes the bench at least.
 

LInkash

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I never saw Hojlund training in the official footage either the week leading up to Arsenal.

So I’d only use that footage as a hint more than anything concrete.

Fingers crossed he makes the bench at least.
Yeah, Ten Hag does like to keep his cards close to his chest so hopefully photos of him were intentionally left out.
 

poleglass red

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Hojlund was carrying an injury. He may start him as he's played in his system before, and is fit. Same as with Antony who he played straight away
So is Amrabat, he just missed the recent Moroccan game, plus like Hojlund, a minor issue showed up in his medical . I hope he does play, as we need help in midfield, just going by ETH's previous form on new signings. The Antony one, we know that's his guy, so that is more exception than norm
 

croadyman

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Will take it somewhat as a positive that Erik didn't rule him out,however might have helped if journos actually asked in presser