Why did we buy Fred?

Hugh Jass

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Herrera had a shocker today. Fred would have been ideal because he can pick passes.

If we were looking for goal he may have been brought on.
 

Yagami

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So Pereira ahead of Fred?
After his performance against Arsenal where he was the best player on the pitch I'm surprised to see him so far down the pecking order. Don't think he's played a single minute since then.
 

Isotope

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After his performance against Arsenal where he was the best player on the pitch I'm surprised to see him so far down the pecking order. Don't think he's played a single minute since then.
Yeh. He must be really awful in training.
 

el3mel

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Everyone know I'm not his biggest fan.

But Ole's management of him and Scott has been baffling tbh.

They both were starting to look better and played pretty well when Matic and Herrera injured, and instead of keeping them playing while letting Herrera and Matic return gradually to not rush them and to reward Fred and Scott for their hard work and improvement, Ole decided to freeze them completely again when Herrera and Matic returned.
 

Welbeckham

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This was thrown in his transfer thread when the rumours were growing. I remember making a comment about it being the most underwhelming all touches video ever. And I am still wondering who thought that this is a 50m£ player?

 

Lennon7

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What I want to know more, which links to the title question, is why do we consistently buy sub-par players? Has it been the management of these players - who are actually great players? Or is there something fundamentally wrong with how we scout talent and then go about acquiring said talent (overpaying massively)?

I just can’t wrap my head around it. Even world class players like Pogba and Sanchez have been largely disappointing here.
 

Fosu-Mens

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Fred | 2019/20 Performances
Ed was probably drunk and wanted to flash some cash at those Ukrainians. 50mil yeah whatever, chump change for Man United
Cheeky bid for Crimea?

What I want to know more, which links to the title question, is why do we consistently buy sub-par players? Has it been the management of these players - who are actually great players? Or is there something fundamentally wrong with how we scout talent and then go about acquiring said talent (overpaying massively)?

I just can’t wrap my head around it. Even world class players like Pogba and Sanchez have been largely disappointing here.
Amaturish recruitement. Probably presents a powerpoint/youtube video to the Glazers to get the green light.
Fred: Argument to the Glazers; City wants him.
Sanchez: Marketable. City wants him. Highlightvideo from his 16/17 season from Arsenal at 360p with darude sandstorm as a soundtrack.
Woodwards method is to release vague rumors that we might go for a player and then read what the media and supporters think of this.

On a serious note: Pogba has performed in periods. Now i think it is a mixture of mental fatigue and off field elements that makes him not function. He also needs movement ahead of him and not being man marked by 2-3 players each time he gets the ball (We are not taking advantage of this).
Sanchez: Did not like the transfer then. Seemed like a bad deal, something it turned out to be.
 

PoTMS

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Another example of everything that is wrong with Manchester United. In regards to transfers, when's our last unequivocal success? Van Persie?
 

Judas

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I'm still willing to give him time, but I don't know if he's got what it takes for the league. His control at times is shocking, takes so many extra touches. His range of passing has been disappointing too thus far.
 

Infra-red

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Another example of everything that is wrong with Manchester United. In regards to transfers, when's our last unequivocal success? Van Persie?
Van Persie and De Gea... that's about it in the last decade.

Our player recruitment is the worst of any large club in Europe.
 

Lennon7

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Van Persie and De Gea... that's about it in the last decade.

Our player recruitment is the worst of any large club in Europe.

And that may seem over the top to anyone reading this but it fecking isn’t.

Even seemingly savvy transfers turn out to be shite, like Schneiderlin or Depay. Which proves to me that the so called professional scouts barely do their research, or are shite at it. It’s like they know little more than the average football fan. They should be able to turn down a player that may seem to you or me like a good buy, because after watching him for several games they’re supposed to spot something we can’t. Load of shite. It’s why we went for Fred and City let us have him.
 

el3mel

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If we want to play him it should be always up front. He's the worst kind of player to have in front of your own goal.

It wasn't a trash game but he's a big bag of nerves in front of his goal it's ridiculous for a midfielder.
 

Kostov

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I'd have sold him at half time, along with half the team. Absolutely abysmal mistake that cost us the heavily. You don't buy a player for that much to have that as his contribution to an important season target. Ridiculous that some are trying yo defend that.
 

bosnian_red

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Think his touch isn't good enough to be a midfielder at a top club tbh. Way too sloppy so many times. He's capable of good moments, but the amount of loose touches he has is ridiculous.
 

#07

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Does all his best work in the final third. Always wants too many touches and looks vulnerable to pressing in our defensive third.
 

RedorDead21

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And that may seem over the top to anyone reading this but it fecking isn’t.

Even seemingly savvy transfers turn out to be shite, like Schneiderlin or Depay. Which proves to me that the so called professional scouts barely do their research, or are shite at it. It’s like they know little more than the average football fan. They should be able to turn down a player that may seem to you or me like a good buy, because after watching him for several games they’re supposed to spot something we can’t. Load of shite. It’s why we went for Fred and City let us have him.
I think City would prob turn him into a very good player...that's another problem you're letting us get away with....prob same with Sanchez.
 

Canagel

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I'd have sold him at half time, along with half the team. Absolutely abysmal mistake that cost us the heavily. You don't buy a player for that much to have that as his contribution to an important season target. Ridiculous that some are trying yo defend that.
Let me remind you what happen 2 weeks ago

We still acknowledge he was one of our better performers on the game and this season overall. So no it's not ridiculous to defend.
 

Kostov

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Let me remind you what happen 2 weeks ago

We still acknowledge he was one of our better performers on the game and this season overall. So no it's not ridiculous to defend.
And Shaw slipping and falling on a counter attack is the same as What Fred did tonight when we were in cruise control?
 

Canagel

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And Shaw slipping and falling on a counter attack is the same as What Fred did tonight when we were in cruise control?
Still cost us the games. Two unfortunate slips. And we deserved more from this one then the last.
 

Still ill

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What a bizarre player. Thought he was great for the 1st 20. Something brilliant about the way he zips the ball forward when it's going well for him. Then falls off a cliff after giving away the goal, I mean visibly falls apart, can't control a 10 yard pass. Just weird. I don't know what to make of him at all at all.
 

Kostov

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Still cost us the games. And we deserved more from this one then the last.
Shaw slip cost us the game? You sure? I seem to remember a string of fecking shit acts leading to that second goal and Shaw had his part as did Romero getting beaten as sloppy as he did, on an absolute abysmal night in which we weren’t getting anything.

As I already said to another poster, how often do you see that kind of mistake never mind one from a 50m+ midfielder? Not very doesn’t it? It shows the extent of the feck up.
 

Tony247

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For a midfielder of an elite club, when ball comes to you it should stuck to your feet. That's minimum.

Only Shaw is capable to demonstrate that control. And then probably mata.
 

manunited1919

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What a bizarre player. Thought he was great for the 1st 20. Something brilliant about the way he zips the ball forward when it's going well for him. Then falls off a cliff after giving away the goal, I mean visibly falls apart, can't control a 10 yard pass. Just weird. I don't know what to make of him at all at all.
Confidence is so important. More so for a player like Fred who is in a new league and hasn’t established himself in the first team. It’s tough to establish yourself in crucial matches and under pressure, but that’s what’s expected at Manchester United. Perhaps he isn’t cut out for us.
 

JPRouve

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I liked him when he was coached by Lucescu, I lost track of him and he is no a very underwhelming player. I have little faith in him becoming good.
 

Velvet Revolver

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It will be difficult for any player to gel with this united team. The only players who are performing well are the ones who've been here a long time and that is not a compliment in any form. Once we have a stable enough system and a team who plays well with each other you can see players performing well IMO. F

Having said that Fred needs to buck up and do more, first season with new league and different managers can be quite challenging for any one let alone someone with a meek personality.
 

Nou_Camp99

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He'll come good. A summer loan away somewhere for a season could be best for all parties.
Utter garbage. He's 26 isn't he? He's not a kid. We aren't going to loan one of our record signings are we.

Why do people go out of their way to defend the indefensible? He's crap. Up there with our worst transfer of all time given what we paid. Wouldn't get in many top half PL teams.
 

Hughie77

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Jose, bought him, his performance in champions league was much better, than we've seen so far, 1st season can be difficult, let's just see if he improves. Don't forget, away to PSG he was excellent.
 

Champagne Football

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Utter garbage. He's 26 isn't he? He's not a kid. We aren't going to loan one of our record signings are we.

Why do people go out of their way to defend the indefensible? He's crap. Up there with our worst transfer of all time given what we paid. Wouldn't get in many top half PL teams.
FYI - The current Ballon D'Or holder had such a horror first season for his new club at the ripe old age of 27 that he was voted the worst signing in La Liga for 2012.
Patrice Evra had a shocker at 25 years old when he first arrived at Utd.

Kovacic on loan from Real at Chelsea. I guess the hope is he can become the player they hope he can with gametime elsewhere. He's 25 in a few weeks.
 
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simplyared

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Why we bought him? Feck knows that! I can't figure out his roll in the team tbh. He certainly doesn't look like there's a goal in him. He creates nothing, runs into areas where he shouldn't be, and loses the ball in dangerous situations. And on top of that I don't think he's developable either.
 

Giggzy P

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Deserves a bump, brilliant performance from him, we need to look at what his trying to do, his vision and movement. You can see he knows what he wants to do before he recieves the ball. His now getting yhe hang if the pace of the PL. Quality Player and that's why we got him.
 

amolbhatia50k

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Starting to like him. Needs to cut out the odd moment of madnesses he has every game like taking his chances with Antonio today who is thrice his size and strength.
 

Tony247

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Played a good game yesterday. I would not suddenly rate him too high. But the improvement was genuine. He can be really good next year.

He needs to learn shooting though.
 

UNITED ACADEMY

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His vision, passing & decision making are miles better than Herrera & Matic in the no 6 role which I have been crying out loud why our no 6 after Carrick’s era has been so clueless with the ball & decision making, finally we got someone who can do decent job at least. He’s done very well recently. However, there is still room for improvement. He’s small so he needs to be careful when holding the ball under pressure, if a holding mid lose the ball especially in our own half, we will get punished like the wolves game. And also needs to work on his touches let’s be more consistent.

Happy with his performance recent;y but we need to see it more until end of season, this will save us more penny in the summer for searching Matic’s replacement if he can keep the performance and even improving.
 
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