Problem tonight is he was crap defensively too. That was a shocking game in general.
Unpopular (AKA fickle) opinion time on AWB.....
- Thread starter Nou_Camp99
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I think that is a fair point about Shaw. He is a very odd footballer. But for me it comes down to a lack of professionalism with Shaw, not ability. We have seen Shaw's ability to play in the other teams half in fits and starts before the injury, and plenty with Soton before we signed him. He looks overweight to me, and I can't believe the coaching staff haven't been all over that.
I really don't have any huge issues with AWB. Seems like a decent lad, gives his all, etc. It's more the signing that winds me up... We already have 3 right footed full backs in the squad under 22 (Laird, Williams and Dalot), one of which being a recent multi million pound signing. How does it make sense to spend £50m on another when we had gaping holes elsewhere all over the squad.
And unfortunately, he is an old fashioned FB not at all suited to the system we want to play. We are playing a 2 man midfield pivot, there to give ample cover for the full backs whose main responsibility is to give us width in attack, with the 'wide' 'inverted' forwards playing in the channels. If this is the system Ole wanted to play and he didnt have the confidence to play Williams, Dalot or Laird there, we should have been looking for the next Cafu, not the next Ashley Cole.
AWB, Lindelof and a few others seem to be lacking confidence in possession at the moment. One of the reasons for this, in my opinion, has to be the lack of movement in midfield and the wings which leaves no options other than a lot of sideways passing. This inevitably invites pressure from the better teams in the premiership.
Quicker passing and more movement is required and inevitably, with Bruno and other additions to the team (hopefully), as the results improve so will the players confidence in possession.
Quicker passing and more movement is required and inevitably, with Bruno and other additions to the team (hopefully), as the results improve so will the players confidence in possession.
He has only recently turned 22. Which means he is not the finished article and he will be inconsistent.
This..
If people think a quality RW is gonna paper over AWBs attacking deficiencies then you're very much mistaken. Top quality sides will isolate the winger and render him useless if he doesn't have a top quality fullback for support.
But I'm not worried because I believe Ethan Laird will be our long-term RB.
That is only one way to set up a football team though, admittedly one that has been very popular in the past few years. You can win in different ways, and Walker for example has never played that role for City while they've been winning the league and going deep in Europe.
Honestly think he’s a waste of £££. A good defender but he’s so poor with the ball.
I agree, I don’t think he’s the best going forward but get the right winger in front of him and they can purely stay forward.
A certain Jadon Sancho would be perfect
I wonder what he could do as a CB?
Don't ask the kid to be something he is not. Pep realizes that Walker isn't Mendy/Cancelo and has a different game for him. It works fine for them.
I think he's still got plenty of possibilities as a player with the right coaching, development and tactical approach. How would Trent Alexander Arnold be be as a player if his manager the last 3 seasons had been Big Sam or Moyes?
Really odd post, we bought a defensive RB and have a counter attacking manager and your expecting us to play like City or Liverpool, not sure what your watching or maybe you knew nothing about AWB before we signed him. Whether we like it or not all teams don’t play the same.
This is the player we bought, if the manager didn’t have a plan to highlight his strengths and down play his weaknesses then he shouldn’t have bought him.
Think that we need at least one genuine attacking full back. AWB, Shaw and Williams don't offer enough in this regard. Dalot is an attacking full back but isn't up to standard at the moment. It adds some credence to the rumours of Ole looking for a another left back.
That’s the obvious part he has missed though, look at how we actually play. It’s all about counter attacking and quick transitions not movement and passing etc.
First game against City this season we left our wide players high up the pitch and then we beat the press they were in on goal. AWB was one on one against Sterling and excelled, that’s how you get best out of him (not as a wing back). Of course that causes problems when the opposition sit back but that is the reality of how we play.
I made this article a good while ago and nothing I have seen since has changed my mind. He's solid defensively so I suppose that's something but his overall game just isn't good enough for us going forwards. I actually could see us playing him as RCB in a back 3 eventually. He just doesn't have the skillset to play fullback for a team that hopes to get back to competing for titles.
I'm glad many more people are now seeing what I did. I got laughed at when I created this article before Xmas. Doesn't look as silly now does it guys?
I'm glad many more people are now seeing what I did. I got laughed at when I created this article before Xmas. Doesn't look as silly now does it guys?
against the smaller teams I've noticed Ole encouraging him to get forward more and overlap more
I don't think he's as bad at getting forward as people make out, to be honest.. but TAA has set the bar that everyone compares to now, it seems
I don't think he's as bad at getting forward as people make out, to be honest.. but TAA has set the bar that everyone compares to now, it seems
You would think people would have patience and give players time to grow and develop but nope not here on good ol' RedCafe where every man and his dog is a footballing expert.
This is where I see him excelling. Hopefully Dalot kicks on a bit. AWB to keep it tight in the big games and Dakot as a more attacking rotation option for teams who sit back/as a sub option if we are chasing a game.
Bizzare comparison. Ashley Cole was very good offensively
It was a fairly prevalent opinion before we even signed him
It feels this is what some fans are not understanding because we are desperate. He is a defender, not a winger.
Out last long term right back Neville was never full of teks and his stats weren't really stand out:
Neville got*:
-35 assists in 400 games
-178 crosses in 400 games with 30% accuracy
-Average of 6 passes a game
*from season 2006+
The difference is he had Ronaldo, Poborsky, Sharpe, Giggs and Beckham as his wingers. Who has AWB got? James one week, Martial the other, Perrera another week. In addition, I think it was the Burnley game and he put in a ball across the 6-yard box and no one at all was there. Our strikers and midfield movement is offering no outlets for the lad, you can see it multiple times a game he throws his hands up in frustration hem passes it side ways or back as there is no movement.
This lad should not be relied on for his crossing because we have TERRIBLE right-wing play. Let his grow as a 22 year old defender and put in a quality right-winger who can do the majority of the assist play
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When we play 3 at the back, he should be one of the 3 at the back imo.
I think people are being way too unfair on him.
I do want him to improve on his output from the right, but saying that, that game against Burnley showed he can put dangerous crosses in from the wide area (could and should have had a few assists).
Hes 'only' just turned 22. So much time for development. Right now, him being strong defensively is a good thing as it discourages wingers going at him, and thus allows him to push them the other way.
A problem we have also is that none of our strikers seem to know that running across a defender especially to the front post (and leaving space at the back for somebody else to come into) is an asset to have.
I think people are being way too unfair on him.
I do want him to improve on his output from the right, but saying that, that game against Burnley showed he can put dangerous crosses in from the wide area (could and should have had a few assists).
Hes 'only' just turned 22. So much time for development. Right now, him being strong defensively is a good thing as it discourages wingers going at him, and thus allows him to push them the other way.
A problem we have also is that none of our strikers seem to know that running across a defender especially to the front post (and leaving space at the back for somebody else to come into) is an asset to have.
I don't think it's fair to compare him to TAA, whose defending is questionable. If we swap them TAA would get slaughtered on here for all the defensive mistakes and there will be numerous threads suggesting we should play 3 at the back so there's somebody covering for him.
Yes, AWB's attacking output is not the best - last night I saw him struggle to beat Sterling on a few occasions. He finds it hard to deliver a cross and when he does, it's rare of great quality.
It's clear he's a great defending talent rather than attacking. I think it's wrong to criticize him for his lack of skill in the attacking third.
But all that doesn't mean he won't improve with time or he won't build a good understanding with a quality RW. He is still very young and raw and just came out of a season at Crystal Palace where he had one job - defend.
Strongly disagree with previous suggestions he is waste of £. He's a great investment - if we were to sell him on the next 7/8 years he'll fetch the ssame fee or bring profit, especially with transfers' inflation.
Overall I'm really happy with him, but I am expecting him to improve when going forward.
Yes, AWB's attacking output is not the best - last night I saw him struggle to beat Sterling on a few occasions. He finds it hard to deliver a cross and when he does, it's rare of great quality.
It's clear he's a great defending talent rather than attacking. I think it's wrong to criticize him for his lack of skill in the attacking third.
But all that doesn't mean he won't improve with time or he won't build a good understanding with a quality RW. He is still very young and raw and just came out of a season at Crystal Palace where he had one job - defend.
Strongly disagree with previous suggestions he is waste of £. He's a great investment - if we were to sell him on the next 7/8 years he'll fetch the ssame fee or bring profit, especially with transfers' inflation.
Overall I'm really happy with him, but I am expecting him to improve when going forward.
That’s fine in terms of performances but if he doesn’t have a natural attacking mentality and natural willingness to get forward and run his man to the end line then that is something that is very hard to learn. You either have that or you don’t.
Looks like a deer in headlights most the time for me... even when he’s having a good game.
And I think the rest of the team know because there are countless times he is wide open to be switched to but the ball never goes to him. I can accept the argument that some of our players are numpties who don’t lift their heads, but even when they do they decide not to pass to AWB in an advanced position, presumably because they don’t trust that aspect of his game.
Guess we know why he’s no longer a winger. He really does need to improve in the attacking third.
There’s something to work with and at times he does alright. Seems to lack confidence when he gets there more than anything.
There’s something to work with and at times he does alright. Seems to lack confidence when he gets there more than anything.
If I were to make a list of everything wrong with Man United's first team right now, AWB's attacking ability would be nowhere near the top. So, sure, he's not the perfect full back by any means, but there's plenty of bigger things to worry about.
Think he could be more than useful as the right side of a back 3, but reckon he'd be exposed in a back 4. Bit like Walker for England in the 2018 World Cup.
Do you think Ashley Cole is an example of an old school defensive fullback?
Our best player so far this season.
Well said.
Your are spot on mate. That is a great post with valid points.
Nonsense. Absolute ridiculous thing to say. Rashford been far better.
Very curious to hear what 'Harry Harries' has to say on the matter......
Right guys? Guys?
Really?? Great player, but I would say he is far better remembered for being a stand out defender that an attacking force.
Case in point... Ashley Cole got 31 assists in his entire Premier League career. TAA already has 23. TAA has just turned 21 and is playing in his 2nd full season.
He needs to dramatically improve offensively if he is going to be our RB for years to come. I think there could be potential for him to be converted into a CB or DM
He was good offensively for the time (although no Roberto Carlos). Arsenal didn't really cross into the box but he got forward a lot to allow Pires to cut inside, and then at Chelsea Mourinho didn't like his full backs getting too far forward, instead sitting back to allow Robben and Duff a lot of freedom.
He doesn't need to be converted into a DM, he can play the role Walker does normally for City (and Lahm did under Guardiola for Bayern frequently) which is play classic RB in out of possession and cover a right sided defensive midfield zone in possession.
You are misremembering and comparing an older player to modern standards.
Ashley Cole was considered an attacking full back throughout his career. Would you consider Evra an attacking fullback? He most certainly was but his numbers will pale in comparison to TAA, who frankly is the best attacking fullback I've seen in the PL.