What can we do with peripheral players: TFM + CBJ?

[Mark Pawelek]

I define 'peripheral player' = drawing a wage who never plays for United.

Contracts ending:

• Timothy Fosu-Mensah: June 2021
• Borthwick-Jackson: June 2020

Both are tall (190cm), fast (TFM is faster than Linderof) and good defenders. One might think: ideal centre-back material? But we only ever see them played at fullback. As full-backs, neither have the quality needed going forward (although CBJ looks more adept than TFM).

There are other peripheral players at OT, but I'm hoping Smalling, Jones, and maybe even Rojo will be sold in the summer. Leaving a gap at CB for at least 1 more. Can CBJ or TFM be that guy?

Before you say "CB is a specialist position", I'll remind everyone that SAF has no problem playing Carrick there when injuries demanded. Recently was saw McTominay play part of a match at CB too.

 

[2cents]

We could sell them to the highest bidder.

 

[Mark Pawelek]

We could sell them to the highest bidder.

Not in CBJ's case. Contract ends this June. PS: I'm not disagreeing with you. Sell, sell, sell!

 

[thegregster]

CBJ contract is up in June.

TFM is going to be the next Roy Keane.

 

[2cents]

Not in CBJ's case. Contract ends this June. PS: I'm not disagreeing with you. Sell, sell, sell!

Yeah sorry it was just my way of saying let them go. They’re both way off, just let them go and continue their careers at the appropriate level.

 

[Samid]

TFM is the next big thing at DM.

 

[limerickcitykid]

We could sell them to the highest bidder.

We offered CBJ for free and still couldn’t get a bidder.

 

[Sky1981]

This is the sort of thinking that made Jones stays with us for 10 years. They're so bad at LB nobody even wanted them on free, let's try them at CB

If they're no good, sell them

We're not a charity

 

[SAFMUTD]

Let their contracts run out and say farewell.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

Both clearly need to be gone ASAP. Most players coming through the ranks won’t make it at United, nothing wrong with that, but now they need to leave and get game time elsewhere so they can have a career in the game.

 

[edcunited1878]

CBJ isn't even in the peripheral. He's a United player by contract only. At least TFM has been training and seen within the first team squad.

CBJ is the most overrated player from the LVG area. Frightening that people actually rated him because he could cross a ball decently a few times.

 

[Sandikan]

Easy and obvious to say, but we really need to get better at judging which players have a chance and which don't.

How is CBJ still in contract this many years on? We must have smashed him on a 5-6 year deal or something, and no doubt on ridiculous money - hence no chance of shipping him off.

And you can't blame him for seeing it out, as chances are he'll have to drop 2-3 divisions and be on about a 1/10th, 1/15th of his United wage, and very unlikely to see that increase much again.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

CBJ isn't even in the peripheral. He's a United player by contract only. At least TFM has been training and seen within the first team squad.

CBJ is the most overrated player from the LVG area. Frightening that people actually rated him because he could cross a ball decently a few times.

I agree, a decent crosser and that's about it. Very slow for a full back, very weak for a defender. I didn't see the fuss. Not a patch on Williams.

TFM probably doesn't have a future here either, but if I was a PL club had had to pick one of TFM or CBJ, it'd be the former, by a mile.

 

[Champ]

It's a shame as CBJ had a decent run if games if I remember rightly under LVG, and actually looked like he could have been useful, but some poor loan moves have scuppered any progress.
TFM could be useful, but needs to get game time and I don't see that happening.

 

[Brophs]

Get them to do some work on Daniel Levy’s estate?

 

[2 man midfield]

Genuinely didn't even know Borthwick-Jackson was still a United player. Feels like he should be about 28 by now.

 

[tenpoless]

Maybe try TFM as a DM first before buying a new one?
Sell CBJ.

 

[limerickcitykid]

Easy and obvious to say, but we really need to get better at judging which players have a chance and which don't.

How is CBJ still in contract this many years on? We must have smashed him on a 5-6 year deal or something, and no doubt on ridiculous money - hence no chance of shipping him off.

And you can't blame him for seeing it out, as chances are he'll have to drop 2-3 divisions and be on about a 1/10th, 1/15th of his United wage, and very unlikely to see that increase much again.

We signed him on a 4 year deal for about £10k a week. Wolves reportedly paid a substantial loan fee for him and covered most if not all his wages. Even if the rest of the loan clubs paid none of his wages we lost virtually nothing. Easily worth the risk of an even slim chance of him become a decent player worth a few million.

 

[Mark Pawelek]

Maybe try TFM as a DM first before buying a new one?
Sell CBJ.

But we're not likely to try him in our midfield are we? So he'll need a loan. His contract ends June 2021. Unless he miraculously turns into the next Ndidi I can' see us keeping him even if his loan is a success in the DM role.

PS: Bellingham is basically a DM right now with box-to-box potential. In addition we have Garner, who may not be as speedy as TFM but plays DM very confidently.

 

[Baneofthegame]

CBJ let him walk.

TFM see if we can sell him for anything, if not, let him walk if he can’t be of any use to the team.

 

[Ekeke]

Small fees and good luck to them or let them leave on a free. I did think TFM was going to be a useful player for us but he just hasnt been developed the way he needed to and other than his physical attributes there are younger players coming through in the positions he plays that seem to have more potential and deserve more chances.

 

[Sandikan]

We signed him on a 4 year deal for about £10k a week. Wolves reportedly paid a substantial loan fee for him and covered most if not all his wages. Even if the rest of the loan clubs paid none of his wages we lost virtually nothing. Easily worth the risk of an even slim chance of him become a decent player worth a few million.

Now that, if true does sound sensible.
And fairly surprising he can't get someone to pick him up for free.

 

[limerickcitykid]

Now that, if true does sound sensible.
And fairly surprising he can't get someone to pick him up for free.

No surprise when you consider how his last few years went unfortunately. Outside being ok for Scunthorpe his other loans have been terrible with him earning a rep for being lazy and having a bad attitude. van Gaal hooked him up with trials at Heerenveen and he didn’t impress there either. The only clubs that’ll touch him are bottom league two clubs who even for free can’t afford 10k a week.

 

[Sandikan]

No surprise when you consider how his last few years went unfortunately. Outside being ok for Scunthorpe his other loans have been terrible with him earning a rep for being lazy and having a bad attitude. van Gaal hooked him up with trials at Heerenveen and he didn’t impress there either. The only clubs that’ll touch him are bottom league two clubs who even for free can’t afford 10k a week.

I was a bit taken back when he popped up against my boys Wycombe either this season or last.

 

[Nick7]

CBJ will leave in June and probably join a league two team. Maybe go up to Scotland if a team there is desperate enough.

 

[Luke1995]

Don't forget the big dog in the room Sanchez

 

[dalriada]

I agree, a decent crosser and that's about it. Very slow for a full back, very weak for a defender. I didn't see the fuss. Not a patch on Williams.

TFM probably doesn't have a future here either, but if I was a PL club had had to pick one of TFM or CBJ, it'd be the former, by a mile.

Thought CBJ showed promise when he had a run under LVG, but agree Williams is well ahead of him, so his time has been and gone. His loans all seem to have gone badly, so he's either very unlucky or there really is a problem. He's almost certain to be released.

Difficult to see where TFM fits in given our oversupply of defenders, but as the club's taken up his one year extension, it looks as if Ole and his team want a proper look at him now he's back from a long injury. From what I've seen of his U23 performances this season, he could be a useful player, but his loans have not gone well either.

 

[el3mel]

They have no place here,. Sell or release.

 

[The holy trinity 68]

TFM is 22 and CBJ is 23 now, both are clearly not good enough. If Ole deemed Rojo and Smalling not good enough at CB, then in what world are TFM and CBJ good enough.

 

[RedNed77]

Can’t believe some are still talking about these two as potentials. TFM had one good game against spurs (what was it 4 years ago?) and has been an utter failure wherever he has been or in whatever position he has tried ever since, the less said about CBJ the better.

Let their contracts run down and be rid of them, /thread.

 

[wolvored]

Are they any better than the senior players we have got? Are they any better than the youngsters we have got? No? Ship them out.

 

[P-Nut]

TFM should try and go to one of the Dutch clubs to rebuild his career, Ajax or PSV would be ideal for him now.

CBJ will likely sign for a league 1 side on a free and be a good player for them.

 

[Based Adnan]

CBJ will likely sign for a league 1 side on a free and be a good player for them.

He could barely get a game at Tranmere who cut his loan short and they're 21st in League One atm. He'd be lucky to have a League Two side pick him up as things stand.

 

[P-Nut]

He could barely get a game at Tranmere who cut his loan short and they're 21st in League One atm. He'd be lucky to have a League Two side pick him up as things stand.

Yeah I know what you mean, but when he's registered with them as their player I'd expect him to get more chances.

 

[limerickcitykid]

Yeah I know what you mean, but when he's registered with them as their player I'd expect him to get more chances.

That doesn’t make any sense in this situation. He wasn’t some teenager with no senior experience that they couldn’t benefit from. He was a 22 year old with experience who was available on a free. If they were interested in him at all they could have signed him for free at the end of it. But they didn’t because they didn’t want him, at all.

 

[TheReligion]

I define 'peripheral player' = drawing a wage who never plays for United.

Contracts ending:

• Timothy Fosu-Mensah: June 2021
• Borthwick-Jackson: June 2020

Both are tall (190cm), fast (TFM is faster than Linderof) and good defenders. One might think: ideal centre-back material? But we only ever see them played at fullback. As full-backs, neither have the quality needed going forward (although CBJ looks more adept than TFM).

There are other peripheral players at OT, but I'm hoping Smalling, Jones, and maybe even Rojo will be sold in the summer. Leaving a gap at CB for at least 1 more. Can CBJ or TFM be that guy?

Before you say "CB is a specialist position", I'll remind everyone that SAF has no problem playing Carrick there when injuries demanded. Recently was saw McTominay play part of a match at CB too.

Sorry I'm not sure on the point of this. Both have had chances and both haven't impressed. TFM got to loan deals and didn't show much. Tuanzebe is the best bet given how he's performed for United and given how successful his loan to Villa was last season. Mengi has more potential.

 

[Mark Pawelek]

Sorry I'm not sure on the point of this. Both have had chances and both haven't impressed. TFM got to loan deals and didn't show much. Tuanzebe is the best bet given how he's performed for United and given how successful his loan to Villa was last season. Mengi has more potential.

I agree. Over the last decade we've seen some youth players given long contracts without it paying off. It seems to work against them, making them too complacent (like CBJ and Januzaj). Who, apart from Henderson, made a success of the loans? Lingard and Perierra haven't really worked in the end. I wouldn't shed a tear if both left. Players who never went on loan: McTominay, Rashford, and Greenwood are doing better, which flies in the face of accepted wisdom! I expect, in future, it will be rare for us to keep youth players past the age of 19 or 20. The academy now put more effort into recruiting potential stars earlier on. I expect loanees with get 1 year renewals after doing well on loan. Like Ethan Hamilton and Kieran O'Hara did last year. Keep them on their toes.

 

[UnrelatedPsuedo]

I define 'peripheral player' = drawing a wage who never plays for United.

Contracts ending:

• Timothy Fosu-Mensah: June 2021
• Borthwick-Jackson: June 2020

Both are tall (190cm), fast (TFM is faster than Linderof) and good defenders. One might think: ideal centre-back material? But we only ever see them played at fullback. As full-backs, neither have the quality needed going forward (although CBJ looks more adept than TFM).

There are other peripheral players at OT, but I'm hoping Smalling, Jones, and maybe even Rojo will be sold in the summer. Leaving a gap at CB for at least 1 more. Can CBJ or TFM be that guy?

Before you say "CB is a specialist position", I'll remind everyone that SAF has no problem playing Carrick there when injuries demanded. Recently was saw McTominay play part of a match at CB too.

CBJ will be released. TFM too probably.

 

[BenitoSTARR]

Neither are up to standard so I can’t see them staying.

Of the two I’d say there is a slightly more convincing argument to keep TFM but I can’t see either making it at United now.

 

[red woppit]

Was never a CBJ fan, but probably one of the best crossers of the ball at that time, but defensively weak and one paced. TFM I have time for, but needs a few months of competitive football to see where he stands, admittedly has not shown much, but I think there is a decent player in there somewhere. Very good defensively, but passing can be wayward, think Ole will give him his final year to see what he can get out of him, he will certainly need to improve technically, but perhaps a guy who wouldn't mind being on the bench, especially with more subs available to come on.