Unpopular (AKA fickle) opinion time on AWB.....

afrocentricity

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That's a pretty ludicrous claim to make about a player we've seen team after team target with their press over the last few years.

All for giving the guy his due but lets not ignore reality to do so.
I thought the issue was that he was targeted (to stop an outlet) and he would always play the ball back instead of forward. Don't recall him giving it away often but correct me if I'm wrong?
 

sullydnl

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I thought the issue was that he was targeted (to stop an outlet) and he would always play the ball back instead of forward. Don't recall him giving it away often but correct me if I'm wrong?
Yep, that's true. Obviously there were times when he'd lose the ball as well but a lot of the time the impact was simply that he'd keep having to make the safe pass backwards to Lindelof as he couldn't progress the ball forward, which helped shut down our right hand flank. We just ended up passing the ball along our back four a lot with nowhere to go.

In fairness to AWB, he didn't exactly get a lot of help from midfield inside of him or the RW in front of him either so it wasn't all on him.
 

afrocentricity

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Yep, that's true. Obviously there were times when he'd lose the ball as well but a lot of the time the impact was simply that he'd keep having to make the safe pass backwards to Lindelof as he couldn't progress the ball forward, which helped shut down our right hand flank. We just ended up passing the ball along our back four a lot with nowhere to go.

In fairness to AWB, he didn't exactly get a lot of help from midfield inside of him or the RW in front of him either so it wasn't all on him.
This is why I think he should be given some time. Let's be fair if it turns out he's not up to it ETH will sell him. That's a fact...
 

sullydnl

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This is why I think he should be given some time. Let's be fair if it turns out he's not up to it ETH will sell him. That's a fact...
Yep. At least he's now getting the gametime to try and win ETH over, unlike earlier in the season. If he does he does, if he doesn't he doesn't. Either way, his improved form is welcome.
 

Herman Toothrot

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Nobody saw Dalot having such a good season, perhaps ETH can get something out of AWB and save the blushes of those scouts and their 800+ excel doc. Assuming we're not bankrolled by some gay-bashing death cult and I'm still supporting United in the summer, it'd be nice to spend money on a sexier position than right back.
 

Red in STL

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Nobody saw Dalot having such a good season, perhaps ETH can get something out of AWB and save the blushes of those scouts and their 800+ excel doc. Assuming we're not bankrolled by some gay-bashing death cult and I'm still supporting United in the summer, it'd be nice to spend money on a sexier position than right back.
So your support for United is dependent on who owns them
 

Red in STL

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I've stayed away from most threads today as I anticipated the OTT reaction from last night.
I didn't - I stuck around - everything was the fault of the referee or the FA

I mean they're berating the FA for something that they had zero to do with anything, berating a player for being useless and incapable of doing anything right and then bemoaning that we didn't get a penalty - for a foul on a layer incapable of doing anything right
 

noodlehair

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I find a bit weird all the recent praise. I guess compared to last year he is a different player. But for me, this is the AWB of the first 1 and a half years. Some amazing tackles and some weirdly efficient dribbles. But overall, hopeless in attack with pointless runs, and useless overlaps. He can be useful in some specific games and can give a solid 7/10 performance. But put an inform Dalot in yesterday's match, and we probably win. With AWB the attacking right side is non-existent.
What exactly would Dalot have done so much better than Bissaka that would mean we "probably win"?

I'm genuinely confused by this. There's this weird thing on this forum where Bissaka is judged by this unique set of standards that only seem to apply to him, where in he's expected to be more productive going forwards than most actual forwards are.

Dalot has 1 assist this season, the same as Bissaka. The goal we conceded had nothing to do with Bissaka at all and he actually played pretty well. So i dont understand the criticiem and i doubly don't understand how Dalot would have been that much better. Maybe I imagined it but he also saved us from losing at the end with a brilliant piece of defending.

Our Fullback positions are probably the only ones where our second choice options are good enough to be interchangeable with the first choice ones.
 

led_scholes

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What exactly would Dalot have done so much better than Bissaka that would mean we "probably win"?

I'm genuinely confused by this. There's this weird thing on this forum where Bissaka is judged by this unique set of standards that only seem to apply to him, where in he's expected to be more productive going forwards than most actual forwards are.

Dalot has 1 assist this season, the same as Bissaka. The goal we conceded had nothing to do with Bissaka at all and he actually played pretty well. Maybe I imagined it but he also saved us from losing at the end with a brilliant piece of defending
Thats exactly the issue. You compare AWB with Dalot using the number of assists.

Its their differences in their overall game play (for example how Dalot communicates better with Antony etc), that (till now) makes Dalot much more important than AWB. It's the same with DDG. Yes he made two good saves, however if you had someone like Alison or Raya yesterday (or actually in any game) you have more probabilities of winning just because they are more positive and productive in their game play.

Just to be clear: I m not blaming AWB (or DDG) for yesterday's result. They did their job much better than most yesterday. I m just saying that
a) this AWB is not much different than the 2019 AWB
B) I completely disagree with the praise that he was Motm etc
C) Dalot is a more complete player and we are playing better with him in the squad, regardless if AWB is playing solidly.
 

Red in STL

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To an extent. I certainly would not be cheering on my new sugar daddy, whoever they are. I believe there's another thread for this if you want to talk about it.
Not really, IMO there's a difference between supporting the team vs supporting the club
 

Yakuza_devils

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The way AWB is playing now I won't be surprised that he will be the first choice.

Totally disagree that we were much better when Dalot played. Both of them are pretty close overall but AWB is better defensively.
 

poleglass red

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AWB is in the driving seat now. Once Dalot is fully fit, if AWB drops his standards for one or two games then Dalot comes in, he'll be hungry to get his place back and play well. Its great having competition for places, it drives players to continue to maintain form and also strive to improve. It brings pressure as well but AWB is thriving, same way Shaw has been since he was brought back into the team after being left out.
 

Irwin99

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Dalot plays at RB and I don’t think we concede possession so easily and cheaply.

On the other hand, no way Dalot could make that goal saving tackle against Palace.

Neither are elite full backs but I’d pick Dalot overall .
 

Castia

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He’s been really good lately so I’m not going to hammer him but he needs to do better on their goal

He’s looked off it all half tbh
 

Raoul

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Dalot is a better player. Not just because of todays goal, but he just seems to offer more in terms of presence and consistency.
 

led_scholes

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How can him and McT be so bad at reading the game? They run, they try, the are not talentless, but they are always away from action.
 

Kag

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Wan Bissaka’s back post defending will cost you a goal at least once every two to three games.

It’s abysmal.
 

Malone_Post

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Horrific footballer. Always has been, always will be. Terrible on the ball, terrible off the ball. All he can do is tackle & run.

Never, ever, in a million years good enough for a club like United.
 

InfiniteBoredom

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Like clockwork, ‘twas only a few games before we conceded due to him falling asleep at the backpost. He’s probably incorrigible at this point, I refuse to believe that none of the coaches we had since he came here pointed that out to him.
 

Shinjch

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Just so bad with his defensive awareness when at the back-post. Always has been.
 

sullydnl

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Unfair to be overly critical after one bad goal but it was a snapshot of some of the reasons Dalot is favoured. Better in possession, better in the air, better at dealing with balls to the back post. Mistakes happen but those are classic AWB mistakes.

He has been better recently so don't want to be too harsh, but his basic skillset is still his basic skillset.
 

Rampant Red Rodriguez

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Dalot is essential to our team attacking dynamics, and AWB has performed admirably in his absence. But Dalot offers so much more to help the team in attack and with the high press we like to use now.

I dislike how AWB let his man dribble from the halfway line to our box before making the tackle, costs us space on the pitch that is essential. And he is unsteady in possession of the ball, everyone knows this and Arsenal exploited it for the process in their goal.

Dalot links up with Anthony better and so for me he goes back into the team in February.
 

JustCoco

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Palace and Arsenal, 2 games back to back he doesn't challenge his man and lets them get a free header that results in a goal.

When is Dalot back?
 

Giggs' right foot

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I think he’s atrocious, and a good AWB game is a game where he’s as little involved as possible. That’s saying a lot in todays football where his exact position has been heavily prioritised.
 

jem

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Palace and Arsenal, 2 games back to back he doesn't challenge his man and lets them get a free header that results in a goal.

When is Dalot back?
I thought Palace's goal was from a worldie free kick?
 

Zen86

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He’s very hard to beat one on one with the ball on the ground, unfortunately he doesn’t have much else in his locker. He’s capable of being better going forward but he generally doesn’t have enough composure on the ball. He can pull off some skills every now and then, but he looks like he’s winging it and it’s not the kind of thing that works when trying to play out from the back.
 

Nou_Camp99

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He's played fairly well of late I will give him that but I don't change my mind on players after a small upturn in form like many on here do.

Thought he handled Martinelli well today but he still cost us a cheap goal because he can't defend his back post. He also offers zero threat in attack. Overall it's still been a pretty disastrous signing for 50m.