It's a tough division, and Mengi is very inexperienced, but he would have hopefully learnt a lot tonight facing an international striker. It's how he takes these lessons on board which will define him.Started CB tonight, having a tough time out there though
So how did he play?Started CB tonight, having a tough time out there though
Very shit, wasn't the only one though and the defence was shuffled about by Rooney for some reason but I'd be surprised if he gets another start for a few games at least. Looked quite out of his depth.So how did he play?
Mengi 8 - really impressive, read the game well
Mengi............8 MOTM Beast-like. Showed tremendous appetite and desire not to be dominated. This chap is going to be a big player.
Mengi 7 - good game also & looked 10 times better than at Cardiff. Positionally pretty good & cut out plenty of attacks but recovered very quickly when caught out. Only big error was letting their lad get beyond him late on but was lucky he decided to dive instead of drive onto goal
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His contract runs out in 2024 (option for an extra year). My guess: United loans him out, hopes that he does great, triggers the option for a year, and sell him for like £2m, a bit like Ethan Laird.Another one who won't make it here, I'd say a straight sell would be better but maybe there aren't any suitors?
Or things don't go great and he's let go next year. When it's so clear a youngster won't make it why delay the decision? Just straight sell.His contract runs out in 2024 (option for an extra year). My guess: United loans him out, hopes that he does great, triggers the option for a year, and sell him for like £2m, a bit like Ethan Laird.
Laird and Mengi were the Cafs nailed on future stars a few years ago. Closest I've seen to consensus sure things. Future England captain etc. Neither look likely to make it here sadly.His contract runs out in 2024 (option for an extra year). My guess: United loans him out, hopes that he does great, triggers the option for a year, and sell him for like £2m, a bit like Ethan Laird.
The vast majority of transfers are loans and free transfers. In practice, selling Mengi at the point in time would mean receiving a fee that is either zero or a tiny amount. Perhaps you could find a Championship or League One team willing to pay £75K for him. On Transfermarkt you can find the list of incoming transfers to the Championship with the related fees. Last season Championship clubs paid a transfer fee for 47 players (11 of which were CBs), the rest were loans and free transfers.Or things don't go great and he's let go next year. When it's so clear a youngster won't make it why delay the decision? Just straight sell.
Didnt knew the prices were so low on lower divisions. If its as you say then its the same to loan him than to sell him, 75K makes absolutely no difference.The vast majority of transfers are loans and free transfers. In practice, selling Mengi at the point in time would mean receiving a fee that is either zero or a tiny amount. Perhaps you could find a Championship or League One team willing to pay £75K for him. On Transfermarkt you can find the list of incoming transfers to the Championship with the related fees. Last season Championship clubs paid a transfer fee for 47 players (11 of which were CBs), the rest were loans and free transfers.
There is a reason why United didn't use the +1 year option on the contracts of Di'Shon Bernard and Ethan Galbraith; it's because there is no market for that standard of player.
The most likely scenario is that Mengi will get released next summer, though if he plays regularly (at Championship level or equivalent) then we might get £500K to £750K + a sell on percentage. If a manager with connections to United wants him, then perhaps they might rate him highly enough for United to get more.
It's always been that way here. Caf posters will never learn.Laird and Mengi were the Cafs nailed on future stars a few years ago. Closest I've seen to consensus sure things. Future England captain etc. Neither look likely to make it here sadly.
I think we all need to cool the jets with the young players!
Yep I think that’s true. I never saw much potential in Mengi but others raves about him. Laird, though, seemed really talented and a good character to boot. I still think he’ll be a PL player if he can stay fit.Laird and Mengi were the Cafs nailed on future stars a few years ago. Closest I've seen to consensus sure things. Future England captain etc. Neither look likely to make it here sadly.
I think we all need to cool the jets with the young players!
True.Laird and Mengi were the Cafs nailed on future stars a few years ago. Closest I've seen to consensus sure things. Future England captain etc. Neither look likely to make it here sadly.
I think we all need to cool the jets with the young players!
It's also worth noting that not one player who plays for us is 'shit' or as one of our eminent experts put it 'a stinking pile of dog shit in the middle of the pitch' or words to that effect.True.
Though they've both been greatly affected by injuries which, I guess, is tough to weigh into the equation beforehand when judging a young players potential.
Obviously some do go overboard when predicting just how great the young players are / can become, or say they're already 'way better' than the 'useless' senior options, etc.
However, I think it's still a fair thing to predict which players have the most potential / best opportunity to become part of the first team squad (if they avoid injuries and get genuine opportunities, etc).
For instance, in this latest group, I think it's fair to say that the likes of Mainoo, Amad, Hannibal have far more of an opportunity to make it here than the likes of Savage, Hugill, McNeill, Forson, Emeran, etc. And to go on to say that it would be nice to see them get a genuine opportunity at some point to try to prove themselves.
But, yeah, some will probably get a little carried away in their eagerness to see them selected for the first team.
True.It's also worth noting that not one player who plays for us is 'shit' or as one of our eminent experts put it 'a stinking pile of dog shit in the middle of the pitch' or words to that effect.
People need to understand that it is impossible to predict the future. Plenty of 'wonderkids' have failed and plenty of average players have gone on to be successful players. A player's career is constantly changing, and very few actually reach the top.True.
For all the ones maybe guilty of exaggerating just how good some of the better young players coming through are, then there's as many who go to the opposite extreme and exaggerate about how 'poor' a player is that they don't rate.
That decision should not be on Ten Hag, but on Murtough and Fletcher, I guess. Sometimes it is valuable to keep average players as you need a little bit experience in younger teams, and a little bit of physicality. Talents won't develop properly if they are playing in the team that can't cope with physical teams and that is often our problem when we play U18 in U21 league. It is not an easy call. You should not expect to have 5 or 10 squad players from generation, even 1 is success. So, having average striker for example is better, than not having a striker that can play U21 football.I read somewhere,( but cant find it now typical) that TH only wanted Utd to recruit and keep the best talent and get shut if they wasnt showing excellent progress at an early age, not keep average players into their 20s, before letting them go. We may see more of these players leave early if that is correct.
The article was about the benefit of making the first team, not sell ons and that was TH take on it. Basically saying he would not promote for the sake of keeping youth progression, unless they were as good or better than he had, technical wise. Mctom being a good example I suppose.That decision should not be on Ten Hag, but on Murtough and Fletcher, I guess. Sometimes it is valuable to keep average players as you need a little bit experience in younger teams, and a little bit of physicality. Talents won't develop properly if they are playing in the team that can't cope with physical teams and that is often our problem when we play U18 in U21 league. It is not an easy call. You should not expect to have 5 or 10 squad players from generation, even 1 is success. So, having average striker for example is better, than not having a striker that can play U21 football.
Also, players with average potential can make good career in lower divisions, and with loaning them out later on or even releasing them and sending them for free to League One or CH clubs can help you later on to get connections with those clubs and talents later on.
Good points. It's virtually impossible to predict which academy players will make it to the top, who knows what would have happened to Marcus Rashford if he hadn't got that opportunity due to injury a few years ago.People need to understand that it is impossible to predict the future. Plenty of 'wonderkids' have failed and plenty of average players have gone on to be successful players. A player's career is constantly changing, and very few actually reach the top.
But the two things that are certain imo are, 1. you need to actually play games to develop as a player, and 2. you never know how a player will react to playing at a higher level from the academy unless given a chance.
Right now, what we saw was that most of the young players held their own, and no one looked absolutely awful.
Fish for example looked terrible last pre-season, this time he looked very comfortable. Just shows how quickly things can change for players in a short span of time.
I totally agree with your analysis of Ethan Laird, and 2/3 years ago I would have marked him down to be a cert to make it at United, but hamstring injuries have certainly held him back.Ethan Laird has already proven himself to be a more than useful player, would not be at all surprised to see him in the Premier League at some point. That is pretty good going for any academy product, so I don't think those who marked him out as one to watch can be considered wrong. Mengi could definitely go the same way, he did well for Derby when he was on loan there.
Making it at United is of course a very high bar. Predicting who will do that is a difficult game as posters above have stated. There is a tendency to see promise in a player early on and think they might make it, but that is part of the excitement of kids coming through.
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Don't think Nice would be happy with that deal.Can we offer him on loan to Lens in a deal to get Tadibo
Sorry , my bad. Getting excited with his and Pavard link ;-)Don't think Nice would be happy with that deal.
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