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

Carl

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There are 8 full backs in the PL with more than 2 assists. Some of them take set pieces which inflate their numbers. How is the modern full back supposed to be exactly?

Don't know why he includes Shaw like this. 14 games, one of them being a whole minute and another game being 3. He has missed more games through injuries than he has started. Young has more minutes than Shaw this season and didn't assist or score once. Lazy clickbait/retweet journalism.

Liverpool have scored 24 goals more than us in the league. Compare any position you want, it won't be any less frightening than the full backs assisting goals.
Spot on.
 

Adcuth

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That's seriously bad. I can't even imagine a comparison with Liverpool's fullbacks.
Well just for fun let's.

TAA: 25 games, 2 goals, 10 assists

Robertson: 25 games, 1 goal, 6 assists.

So 18 goals morw coming from that area of the team. The best reading although slightly off topic is.

Salah/Firmino/Mane: 33 goals, 20 assists

Rashford/Martial/James: 27 goals, 13 assists.

Not a million miles away considering they're unbeaten and smashing everyone, kind of shows where our issue lies. On a quick glance were hard push to make double figures in goals or assists for the rest of the team COMBINED
 

Sandikan

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He's not a right back, all of his attributes cry out defensive midfielder. I swear he'd be world class in that position
Course he's a right back. No one gets past him there.

And he doesn't have the passing a midfielder has.
 

Classical Mechanic

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Big chances created by full backs in the PL this season

1. TAA - 13
2. Robertson - 9
3. Aarons - 7
3. Digne - 7
3. Targett - 7
4. Azpi - 5
4. Chilwell - 5
5. Aurier - 4
5. Pereira - 4
5. Chambers - 4
5. Sidibe - 4
6. Cancelo - 3
6. Wan Bissaka - 3
 

Devil81

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Think he's a rough diamond that's worth sticking with but he needs a proper top right-winger to take the weight off him a little bit. Daniel James is dreadful and far too often his limited ability means that AWB is expected to do all our attacking down the right-hand side.

I think we should give Dalot a bit of run at right-wing myself, he's an attacking full-back who has more skill and ability than Daniel James will ever have. Him and AWB could make a fantastic partnership and one that we could get a number of years out of.
 

Lee565

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I look at the recruitment of him and James and their lack of ability on the ball and it sums up the crap simplistic way Ole only knows how to play, I fear ole being allowed to rebuild this side.
 

Lynty

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Compared to this, they might as well play different sports

Except that video was taken from a player playing in possibly the most successful season in Madrid history.

The other was on his first season of football at Crystal Palace.

Our system isn't set up to benefit attacking fullbacks.

They rarely find options for an overlap. It looks like fullbacks are told to pass to feet rather than cross.

I'm not blind, I can see he isn't ever going to be Alex-Arnold, but the exaggerations about AWB are ridiculous.
 

Nou_Camp99

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Give the kid a brake. Our attackers and midfielders look clueless in attack yet the problem is AWB?
Fullbacks are the ones getting the space. The forwards are being swamped as teams just sit back deep against us because they know we have no threat from anywhere else.

People on here have zero understanding of the game. It's scary. When teams sit back deep fullbacks become very important. Watch City, Barca, Bayern, Liverpool etc. Then compare to us.
 

el3mel

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Big chances created by full backs in the PL this season

1. TAA - 13
2. Robertson - 9
3. Aarons - 7
3. Digne - 7
3. Targett - 7
4. Azpi - 5
4. Chilwell - 5
5. Aurier - 4
5. Pereira - 4
5. Chambers - 4
5. Sidibe - 4
6. Cancelo - 3
6. Wan Bissaka - 3
That's more than enough of a replay on anyone who is still trying to argue otherwise.
 

Classical Mechanic

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That's more than enough of a replay on anyone who is still trying to argue otherwise.
He can improve though. He's not that far off being at an acceptable level. Robertson is excellent but Trent is an outlier. It's the attackers as well, there was a moment yesterday when he had the chance to cross but no one in the box so he made the right choice and didn't.
 

el3mel

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He can improve though. He's not that far off being at an acceptable level. Robertson is excellent but Trent is an outlier. It's the attackers as well, there was a moment yesterday when he had the chance to cross but no one in the box so he made the right choice and didn't.
Well he's still 22 so obviously he can still improve especially if we get a good offensive coach next year. Actually he HAS to improve in that regard otherwise I won't be against thinking about an upgrade 2-3 years from now on.
 

Adnan

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I don't think he'll ever be considered a all round top fullback but he could become a effective one under a excellent coach.
 

Buster15

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Course he's a right back. No one gets past him there.

And he doesn't have the passing a midfielder has.
That is right.
We need to remember that he is still developing as a footballer and has many good attributes.

Yes he needs to be better going forward but surely the coaching team needs to work on that with him.
As a full back he has made numerous great tackles and got the team out of a hole defensively.

There are many other players who need to up their game more than AWB.
 

UnitedFan93

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Fullbacks are the ones getting the space. The forwards are being swamped as teams just sit back deep against us because they know we have no threat from anywhere else.

People on here have zero understanding of the game. It's scary. When teams sit back deep fullbacks become very important. Watch City, Barca, Bayern, Liverpool etc. Then compare to us.
Correct

Our problems are:
1) Our fullbacks can't cross the ball
2) Our forwards lack movement/desire to get on the end of the odd good cross.

So we need better quality attacking fullbacks and attackers willing to break their nose to score a goal.
 

Gavinb33

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The amount of times he was on the right yesterday stranded with no support or there was no one in the box to cross it to.

He has moved from Palace to United at 21 been playing full back for all of 2 years or so and people want the finished article, I see improvements week in week out, it's like the people haven't learned from seeing Rashford kick on this season players can improve, also he looks fecked we haven't given him a break all year he plays almost every game league and cups
 

andersj

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I said it when we bought him as well. My worry is not his lack of assist or goals. It is his lack of understanding on where to play the ball and even move on the last third.

He has completed four passes/crosses into the penalty area this season. He as played 1971 minutes. Brandon Williams has completed 13. Playing 592 minutes. In his first year in the PL.

Football is a passing game. And AWB cant pass.
 

ottosec

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Hmmm, I personally think that this lad will be the only one of our summer transfers that will come good.

But he's been trash lately, so who knows...
 

Kostov

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Fullbacks are the ones getting the space. The forwards are being swamped as teams just sit back deep against us because they know we have no threat from anywhere else.

People on here have zero understanding of the game. It's scary. When teams sit back deep fullbacks become very important. Watch City, Barca, Bayern, Liverpool etc. Then compare to us.
"Space" is not just given for fulbacks to run into and attack freely. "Space" is created by teams who have proper attacking game plan and know how to play attacking football, how to create an extra man in attack.

Now forgive us mare mortals that have zero understanding of the game and see it this way. I guess teams like Liverpool are where they are because their full-backs are getting the "space" and AWB can't do that while facing 2 defenders constantly, while our midfielders are exchanging safe passes 30m away for goal.
 

Kostov

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Big chances created by full backs in the PL this season

1. TAA - 13
2. Robertson - 9
3. Aarons - 7
3. Digne - 7
3. Targett - 7
4. Azpi - 5
4. Chilwell - 5
5. Aurier - 4
5. Pereira - 4
5. Chambers - 4
5. Sidibe - 4
6. Cancelo - 3
6. Wan Bissaka - 3
To add to that, Salah has created 11 big chances. How many has our RW? Our LW or Any other midfielder?
 

Litch

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AWB needs support from the right rather than like yesterday having to beat both the left midfielder and left back, not to mention having to get back....
 

DevilRed

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Crossing is not his problem, it’s being able to dribble into a position to make a cross. He’s simply not very good or confident with the ball at his feet.

He’s constantly killing froward momentum on the right side. He’s a great defender but he shouldn’t be undroppable. I would love to see Dalot or Williams over there from time to time especially against teams that drop back and defend like Wolves did today.
Sancho ahead of him would solve any problem we have on the right wing :lol:
 

Suv666

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Wont be suprised if he's playing CDM or CB in a few years. Defensively he's the best there is but fullbacks have to more all rounded these days.
 

gajender

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Wont be suprised if he's playing CDM or CB in a few years. Defensively he's the best there is but fullbacks have to more all rounded these days.
His tackling is great but his positioning needs improvement he would be exposed badly at both CDM as well as Cb position.
 

Mcking

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Forget assists and crossing, the biggest drawback is that he looks like he's playing football with an oval ball while wearing slippers.
His posture is all wrong, his passing isn't good enough and he doesn't play with the ball fully under his control. The only technique that he has that is remotely good enough for the EPL is his tackling technique.
He dribbles but struggles to get away from his man, he takes ages to get off the mark when running and when kicking the ball, he can't shoot, he can't bend a cross or a pass round an opponent, his passes tend to wrongfoot the recipent when he actually gets the ball on target, he controls the ball in a way that means he takes ages to get the ball off his foot, he runs with the ball under his foot in a way that means he can't accelerate, and he struggles to get the ball moving in a straight line.
His technique with the ball is so unorthodox and couldn't be worse for an EPL footballer. He has zero awareness of space too and is too laid back off the ball.
He is a player that should never have left Crystal Palace.
 

Rista

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He has to be the most predictable signing we've made in years. As in, we got exactly the player that we bought. Good defensively, mainly at tackling, poor on the ball and ultimately a very limited footballer. I don't know why people think he would make a good defensive midfielder. His positional sense isn't very good and we don't play with a midfield destroyer who runs around and tackles people. He'd be a disaster at CB too imo. Fullback is the only position where you can kind of get away with being so limited but he still needs to improve his all around game a lot.
 

JJ12

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Defensively brilliant and needs to keep improving going forward. He’s actually a good dribbler of the ball and I do wonder if he struggles with assist stats due to lack of aerial ability in the box (great header last night mind).
 

Infra-red

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Unpopular opinion, writing off 21 year old players is idiocy.
Have people written him off?

He's a decent fullback, I don't think anyone would dispute that. His technique and positioning need to improve (the latter is quite likely, the former less so).
 

Samid

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50m?! People love shitting on Maguire but at least he has solid footballing ability. This guy doesn't even have basic motor skills. And he isn't anywhere near being that 'great defender' that gets thrown around by United fans. We got totally mugged off.
 

freeurmind

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50m?! People love shitting on Maguire but at least he has solid footballing ability. This guy doesn't even have basic motor skills. And he isn't anywhere near being that 'great defender' that gets thrown around by United fans. We got totally mugged off.
We probably overpaid but let's wait till net season before formulating a final opinion. He's still young.
 

Sandikan

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Unpopular opinion, writing off 21 year old players is idiocy.
It's a defeat. The cafe will systematically abuse every player, the manager, the Glazers, Woodward etc.

You should know the drill by now
 

Lee565

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We may as well just stick tuanzebe at right back, he's far better on the ball than bissaka, has good pace and is better defensively than bissaka as well.
 

arnie_ni

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we need a good attacking bench option.

Not so much talking about this game, but if you nil nil with say palace 60mins gone, bringing on an attacking right back for him could be as good a change as any.

Good season in my eyes. Played class against all the top teams and even looked better going forward before the lockdown.

Has been poor since the restart though, but i wont over react.
 

quirkey

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It's a defeat. The cafe will systematically abuse every player, the manager, the Glazers, Woodward etc.

You should know the drill by now
Nonsense. I don’t care about the EL; dog and duck competition. I’ve been watching UTD all season, wan Bissaka is not a full back. I can’t understand why he hasn’t played beside Maguire, he has all the attributes to be a perfect partner for him. He cannot attack or assist like a modern fullback should. I’d rather we played him there and have Laird a chance than ever see Lindelof play again. I have said it since he signed but Lindelof is not nearly good enough to be at UTD.
 

Revan

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He’s going to be downgraded soon from ‘the best defensive fullback’ in the league to ‘the best fullback at tackling in the league’.

A really bad signing especially considering that Ole wants to play from the back. We could have just stick Smalling there and be done with it.
 

Bwuk

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Said it in his thread all season.

He’s not magically going to improve his technique. He’s far too poor with the ball to play at the level we want to be at. What other top European side has someone as poor on the ball as him regularly starting at full back?
 

VorZakone

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Said it in his thread all season.

He’s not magically going to improve his technique. He’s far too poor with the ball to play at the level we want to be at. What other top European side has someone as poor on the ball as him regularly starting at full back?
Is Pavard better going forward? He played right back for Bayern.
 

Bwuk

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Nonsense. I don’t care about the EL; dog and duck competition. I’ve been watching UTD all season, wan Bissaka is not a full back. I can’t understand why he hasn’t played beside Maguire, he has all the attributes to be a perfect partner for him. He cannot attack or assist like a modern fullback should. I’d rather we played him there and have Laird a chance than ever see Lindelof play again. I have said it since he signed but Lindelof is not nearly good enough to be at UTD.
He’d be hilariously bad as a CB. He’s completely reactive rather than proactive. If you had to move him it’d be to midfield to try and play as a ball winner infront of the back 4.
 

Sandikan

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Nonsense. I don’t care about the EL; dog and duck competition. I’ve been watching UTD all season, wan Bissaka is not a full back. I can’t understand why he hasn’t played beside Maguire, he has all the attributes to be a perfect partner for him. He cannot attack or assist like a modern fullback should. I’d rather we played him there and have Laird a chance than ever see Lindelof play again. I have said it since he signed but Lindelof is not nearly good enough to be at UTD.

Wan Bissaka will never play centre back.
To start your post calling someone else's opinion nonsense, and then post that is incredible.

We need to bring the newbie system back properly.