I suppose Sterling if you can count him but he's really the exception rather than the rule.
Tammy Abraham - Roma Striker
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
Yeah he's utilised very will in the City system, nearly a second striker how has the freedom to pop up anywhere. Same for Mbappe, Messi, Neymar, they aren't what I would call a traditional winger.
Hazard scored 21 goals last year. It depends on what you consider a winger to be. "An attacking midfielder who plays in a wide position" seems to be fair representation of the role and both Sterling and Hazard fit that description.
I think this started with somebody comparing Rashford and Abraham. They are different players and any direct comparison doesn't really achieve anything. The only similarity is that both of them are relied upon to score. Abraham more than Rashford. Rashford is more of a provider than Abraham and Abraham is more of a striker than Rashford.
I would say that Abrahams role within the Chelsea side is clear while Rashfords is less so. Rashford has been played in a couple of different positions and I think his skillset is more suited to the inside forward role. This dictates how Utd set up whereas Abraham's more clearly defined skillset suits differing set ups. Both can be effective but from the outside it looks like Rashford has received criticism for not having a clearly defined role.
I'd actually say Rashford isn't really a provider, he gets the lions share of our chances, especially when Martial plays due to how selfless Martial is. He didn't used to have a defined role but since Martial's come back into the side we've pegged him as an inside forward, like you said.
I do think you're right though, there's little to be gained by comparing them directly, they're both quality young players thriving in their current teams and that's as simple as it needs to be.
I'm going to rise above the Tammy v Rashford bunfight and say I really like the look of Tammy, he looks to have the makings of a fine modern 9.
Rashford isn't an out and out winger. He plays just like a forward for us. In fact often Martial will drop deep Rashford will run off him. It's much like Benzema and Ronaldo except its not skewed as this relationship was (with Ronaldo designated as scorer and Benzema as work horse).
At the same time some of the comparisons are incredibly silly. Rashfords penalties do count and considering his prior year stats instead of this season's makes no sense whatsoever.
Both players look very good. One as a wide forward and the other as a number 9. Too early for conclusive comparisons but as things stand, I'd pick Rashford - he's got more in the locker. But let's see how it goes. The posters who dismissed Abraham early on sure look stupid now. I felt it was too early to be critical then.
Sorry if I was unclear - I meant more that Rashford is a versatile attacker that can play wide or narrow, ideally suited to attack space. Didn't intend to suggest his role was identical to Anelka's, but for me they're very similar types of player.
Maybe but I have never seen Anelka working like Rashford. Even against Brighton just check the positions he took when out of possession. He helps his team off the ball and when we win the possession he sprints back to attacking positions.
Tbh I didn't see any similarity at all, but I feel Anelka and Martial are comparable.
What makes Abraham interesting is that he isn't just a light finisher. He can actually hold up the ball rather well despite his still growing frame. A striker who can lead the line both as a background threat and as a hold up striker is very rare indeed. Those type of players are far in between. The potential he has in that department makes him rather exciting.
I think, personally, that he can improve a lot on his hold up play. He does a good job sometimes, but it feels a bit hit and miss whether the ball will stick when it's passed into him at pace or cleared by the defence.
It's a part of his game he can improve pretty easily, so it's not a concern, but I thought I'd at least highlight the fact that it isn't that polished yet.
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He not that great in the air either so imagine what he'll be like if that also improves. He does win headers to knock on to others but in front of goal he isn't a patch on Drogba. Maybe he can improve in this area but I suspect learning to head is harder than learning hold up play.
Anyway he is proving to be an instinctive finisher and that's enough at the moment.
I think his general play has been a lot better than expected.
Low key he's fallen off the wayside a bit in terms of goals since Molinauex, only 4 in 11 games (2 in 8 at one point), if he wasn't offering enough in general play he'd have been getting criticised a lot more than he has been.
Do love how people say Rashford is not a striker when he idolised fat ronaldo when he was a boy and I'm pretty sure he stated during the Mourinho years he wanted to play through the middle.
To be an inverse winger, you need to be strong in all forward aspects. Rashford is not. He isnt very good at crossing a ball and he isnt particularly clinical. So besides being a pace merchant who you can long ball it (air or ground) behind a defence, what does he excel at?
Robben at his age, was light years above Rashford. He isnt very tricky like a Ribery or Hazard. He wont come close to C.Ron.
Comparisons with Anelka are way of the mark. He was never played on the wing. He played in the space between a 10 and a 7, deep lying forward. Carlo played a Xmas tree after he failed to implement a diamond formation and Anelka ghosted between the lines.
You can hope that rashford grows into a true role but to define someone as 'forward' shows pretty much that no one can define his strengths or where best to play him. A phil jones, jack of all trades player.
In fact he is holding you back, you dont have a real winger besides James in your squad. So he will have to take up a centre forward place in your side, ironically where you say he cant play.
To be an inverse winger, you need to be strong in all forward aspects. Rashford is not. He isnt very good at crossing a ball and he isnt particularly clinical. So besides being a pace merchant who you can long ball it (air or ground) behind a defence, what does he excel at?
Robben at his age, was light years above Rashford. He isnt very tricky like a Ribery or Hazard. He wont come close to C.Ron.
Comparisons with Anelka are way of the mark. He was never played on the wing. He played in the space between a 10 and a 7, deep lying forward. Carlo played a Xmas tree after he failed to implement a diamond formation and Anelka ghosted between the lines.
You can hope that rashford grows into a true role but to define someone as 'forward' shows pretty much that no one can define his strengths or where best to play him. A phil jones, jack of all trades player.
In fact he is holding you back, you dont have a real winger besides James in your squad. So he will have to take up a centre forward place in your side, ironically where you say he cant play.
Just because you don’t know his strengths doesn’t mean he doesn’t have any and just jack of all trades.
Wow, he isn’t tricky like Ribery or Hazard, and Robben was better at same age, must be a shit player considering he isn’t as good as best wingers of the generation. And also not even worthy to play considering he won’t be close to one of the greatest player ever to play the game.
There is interview where he clearly said he doesn’t just want to play as pure 9 but a player who can play in all attacking positions.
Not sure how idolising Ronaldo makes him a CF, DeLigt must be CF too or LW going by that logic.
The fact that you think Rashford is holding us back shows how clueless you are, with all due respect.
I stopped reading after that (OK, not really, but the post did not get any better).
You make some decent points, but then a really strange one at the end.
If you really think Rashford is in anyway holding this current United team back you can't have watched us.
There's way, way bigger problems than Rashford not being able to cross it or dribble.
Fair enough! You'd know him better than me. I would say that Anelka got a lot of stick for being lazy when I don't think this was the case at all - he'd often work quite hard for the team but he had a way of gliding around the pitch that made him seem languid.
I do think that of the two, Anelka was the more technical player on the ball, while Rashford may be the better of the two in terms of attacking space. Whilst I think Rashford is impressively explosive and a frightening prospect to deal with 1v1, he also may need to better optimise when he uses his energy - particularly vs Bournemouth I thought he was poor in terms of his poaching runs in and around the box.
Yeah, Anelka was better technical player but Rashford has different qualities which are very different from Anelka's. That's why I said, Martial with Anelka is better comparison.
Cant believe how well the kid is doing. Fair play to him and frank. Would have been easy to have played giroud after the penalty miss fall out. I said at the start id be happy if he ended with 15 goals but now theres no reason why he shouldn't hit at least 20.
Makes sense! Funny that I hadn't made that connection in my head until you brought it up but it is definitely apt.
This is what he doesn't do. Definitely the next step in his development.
First of all, apart from Messi, Mbappe and them levels find me another player at 21 who is clinical ?
Robben at 21 scored 6 goals in the league, I am sure Rashford will get more than him.
You clearly have a biased considering Rashford is more skillfull than some of the players. Hazard is a natrual talent with great agility.
Rashford is an inside forward who can link up with Martial really well, so for you to say he is holding us back is just a poor statement.
Just because we don't have anyone who can't header the ball, our crosses look worse but Rashford is probably one of our better crossers.
Are people still lying to themselves that he is shit?
His development has been fantastic, effortlessly made the transition from Championship to Premier League. Lucky to have him and Kane as #9s for England.
At least he proved that players from the Championship are not necessarily garbage. Vardy, Kane and Abraham all played there before.
Maddison, Mount.
Daniel James too.
IMO the championship is now closer to the premier league than ever before.
The parachute money has really helped raise the game, they've got some good managers and some great young players.
We really should be using the loan system more often, it did wonders for the Chelsea lads and Wilson also.
Abraham does look interesting but I still think it is too early to say where he will end up. When I watch him, I am still unsure of what type of CF he is. When I have seen him he appears to be best when he is playing inbetween the lines and attempting to break the offside trap, which reminds me of Torres at Liverpool. That said, he does not seem to attack the six yard area of the near post enough to quite fall into that category.
Further, he is also clearly being told to play as a hold up striker like Drogba or Shearer, which I think he is pretty hit at miss at, although as he only 22 that may develop.
At this moment in time, I still think he looks like a good prospect but whether he can continue to score like he is in the medium to long term is still up for debate.
Comparisons with him and Rashford are moot as Rashford is more of a 2nd CF which requires different skills.
Further, he is also clearly being told to play as a hold up striker like Drogba or Shearer, which I think he is pretty hit at miss at, although as he only 22 that may develop.
At this moment in time, I still think he looks like a good prospect but whether he can continue to score like he is in the medium to long term is still up for debate.
Comparisons with him and Rashford are moot as Rashford is more of a 2nd CF which requires different skills.
Not understanding these comparisons with Rashford, both very different types of forwards and both have potential to be excellent forwards
Abraham has surprised me the most so far out of Chelsea's youth revolution, i didn't feel he would be able to truly make an impact at this level but he's proving me massively wrong
Still early days for him but he could become a truly top class striker in the next few years
Abraham has surprised me the most so far out of Chelsea's youth revolution, i didn't feel he would be able to truly make an impact at this level but he's proving me massively wrong
Still early days for him but he could become a truly top class striker in the next few years
I think his Bristol City loan is actually the most impressive season he's had. Considering that he's always been in dominent teams (Chelsea youth and Seniors, England youth, Aston Villa) and he still scored 23 goals in a Bristol team that finished near the relegation zone.
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CHO is on 180k-a-week? Seriously?
They bent over to please CHO and now will be have issues keeping other players happy.
Wow. That's phenomenal. Didn't realise they had been forced to pay him that to keep him. If that's true their wage structure is fecked!
And he really doesn’t look that special IMO
I'm still kind of unconvinced by him, hard to see what he does well but seems to get the goals. Decent hold up play, decent passing, decent pace / close control but can't really say he excels in any of the aspects beyond an average premiership striker.
He has the movement and finishing ability, I guess that's all you need if your overall game's fairly well rounded.
He has the movement and finishing ability, I guess that's all you need if your overall game's fairly well rounded.
How the feck is CHO on 180?
Hudson Odoi was in the last year of his contract with serious interest from Bayern Munich before he renewed. He and his agent had Chelsea over a barrel.
He's not.