Wasnt Robertson playing leftback in a 4 at the back?
Your Hidden Gems or under the radar - Wanted Signings
- Thread starter Dan600
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I do feel like this notion of players only being able to play as wingbacks is generally massively overplayed. People said Pedro Porro could only play RWB and now look at him. Frimpong is one of most attacking versions of a wingback out there and even he played excellent at RB for Celtic. Admittedly you should not expect him to rack up the same numbers (eg double digits for both Goals and Assists) as a RB in a back 4 but to say that a wingback categorically isn’t or cannot play as a LB or RB is, to put bluntly, dumb.
It’s largely about the system and how well the individual learns their role in the system as well as how well those around them support that system too. Keeping with Porro as an example, he looked all over the place last year in a disfunctional system, even when at RWB, now he’s arguable 3rd best RB in the league.
So one player does well playing rightback when he normally plays wingback and every one can. Sure. There's been loads of attacking minded players played as fullbacks in the premier league and done a poor job and you've forgotten they existed. Porro is a £34 million player and has done well but still at times has looked vulnerable. He's obviously been worth it because of how good he is going forward and still puts in the effort to try and defend even if he isnt the best at it. That said he's also Spurs most dribbled past player with 1.9 times per game and none of their other defenders averaging being beaten 1 time per match let alone almost 2.
Spurs have also fallen off down to 5th and have conceded the same amount of goals as we have in one less game. This is absolutely not all on Porro, Udogie is still young on the other side and has had trouble at times too.
Just worthy information when talking about how well Spurs new wingback has done at rightback that Romero has been better than any of our CBs and we've had loads of injuries at the back and Spurs have still conceded the same amount as we have. Given their record they'll probably concede again in their match in hand and end up having conceeded more than we have.
Oh yeah I’m not saying every WB can play FB equally adeptly, I was just challenging the notion that I keep hearing on here that players who play WB in their current system CAN’T play FB too, when they literally have done in previous systems. An example of that being that you implied Doughty cannot be a LB because currently he is playing well at LWB for Luton. If you didn’t mean that quite so categorically then fair enough.
On Porro, Spurs as a team play a very attacking high-line brand of football so comparing how many goals they concede versus us with a much deeper set-up at the back isn’t very useful. Worth also mentioning that although they’ve conceded the same as us they’ve also scored 18 more goals, and Porro himself has 7 assists and on FBref has a sea on 90th percentiles across attacking and defensive stats. Much better than any other our current fullbacks.
I guess it’s all about the system and what the Head Coach wants from his wide defenders. A lot of the most exciting and successful teams have WBs in back 3/5s or attacking FBs in a back 4 (eg. Leverkusen, Liverpool, Inter, Spurs this season - Man City being an exception due to their unique tactics). I hope Utd can be categorised as an exciting team to watch in the next couple of years, so with that, I’d like to see our FBs (or WBs if we change manager to one who plays a 352 or 343) provide more of an attacking threat. That’s why if I was playing Football Manager with the team this summer, I’d sign both Doughty and Frimpong, along with a couple of more athletic CBs who can cover the FB/WBs in wide spaces when they push higher up. Admittedly with our current CBs like Maguire and Lindelof this would not work haha.
Hull were a back 3 team the relegation season he was there
Nice video. I don’t normally like when a defender goes to ground but he seems to have good timing and be proactive. He seems to have a profile similar to what I think we will be targeting. Young, youth international and slightly under the radar.
Leo Querfeld, a very aggressive centre-back playing for Rapid Vienna in Austria. He’s built on his breakthrough season last year and has been terrific throughout this campaign in a rather average Rapid side. Not quite United quality yet, but some team will pick up a bargain in the summer as he reportedly has a release clause of just 2,5 million Euros.
Nico Gonzalez FC Porto. Formerly of Barca. Has serious potential to be a top DM of the Casemiro mould. Yet with better ball retention
Is it annoying to paste my recent post from the Striker Options thread? If its against the rules or something, I apologize.
Rodrigo Muniz turns 23 in May and Fulham got him for 8M from his Brazilian club a few years ago. So he is at a good age, is getting experience in the league, and it wouldn't take a ridiculous offer for Fulham to double their money on the investment.
I have been impressed every time I see him. He leads the line very well and from my uneducated perspective it looks like he would fit ETH's role as the number 9 perfectly. A few weeks ago he was a 22 year old playing at Old Trafford going up against two experienced CBs that both have loads of caps for their respective national teams, and I think Muniz more than held his own. I'd say it was a wonderful display of a battling center forward who was running the channels and in behind with energy, but also did well at winning headers and holding the ball up to play in teammates.
So far this season he has 5G and 1A in 16 league games, so he isn't exactly lighting it up, but that could help in keeping his price reasonable! It looks like he had a small injury in November and he missed a bit of time, but since he came back in the squad in December he is now a regular starter for them.
I think the talent and potential is there for him to be an excellent center forward and considering the budgetary concerns we will apparently be under this summer we probably won't be able to compete for the obvious big money signings like Ivan Toney or Watkins from Villa etc. So this would be a great option to increase our striking depth and quality for a good price. I really want us to sign him!
Rodrigo Muniz turns 23 in May and Fulham got him for 8M from his Brazilian club a few years ago. So he is at a good age, is getting experience in the league, and it wouldn't take a ridiculous offer for Fulham to double their money on the investment.
I have been impressed every time I see him. He leads the line very well and from my uneducated perspective it looks like he would fit ETH's role as the number 9 perfectly. A few weeks ago he was a 22 year old playing at Old Trafford going up against two experienced CBs that both have loads of caps for their respective national teams, and I think Muniz more than held his own. I'd say it was a wonderful display of a battling center forward who was running the channels and in behind with energy, but also did well at winning headers and holding the ball up to play in teammates.
So far this season he has 5G and 1A in 16 league games, so he isn't exactly lighting it up, but that could help in keeping his price reasonable! It looks like he had a small injury in November and he missed a bit of time, but since he came back in the squad in December he is now a regular starter for them.
I think the talent and potential is there for him to be an excellent center forward and considering the budgetary concerns we will apparently be under this summer we probably won't be able to compete for the obvious big money signings like Ivan Toney or Watkins from Villa etc. So this would be a great option to increase our striking depth and quality for a good price. I really want us to sign him!
Saw him over the weekend on something, looks an interesting player. Reminds me a bit of Hazard in how he carries the ball.
Isn't the LB Kerkez highly rated? I think Bournemouth may have spent a fair bit on him - like £15m? So potentially may cost quite a bit to get him out of there.
From what I have seen of Rodrigo Muniz recently I must say I have been impressed.
We need another striker and he could fit the bill IMO.
We need another striker and he could fit the bill IMO.
Luciano Rodriguez. Liverpool (Uruguay)
Would make a great quiz question. Last player to join United directly from Liverpool.
It was actually Queen's Park who converted Robertson to being a full-back/wing-back. In the Celtic youths he was a left winger... they released him for being too small.
The funny thing is that Robertson complained that he couldn't play at wing-back when Gordon Strachan briefly flirted with three at the back.
We changed to a permanent three at the back under Steve Clarke... 2 successful qualifications later.
Anyway.
I'd love to see Billy Gilmour at United. He's had a brilliant season at Brighton and it's just a matter of time till he gets a big move.
A double pivot of Gilmour and Mainoo would be interesting.
Should be all over him on a free, very good player.
Another similar fee option is Lloyd Kelly from Bournemouth at LCB who can also do a job at LB. Linked to some Italian clubs and a couple prem sides.
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Tosin would be a shrewd signing in my opinion. Being a freebie, we could then allocate the centre back budget on a lcb like Branthwaite.
Aaron Hickey from Brentford has always impressed me when he’s played. Can cover both full back positions and comfortably both footed too. Has a good strike and delivery from wide and set pieces on him too.
Been injured since October and no surprise since his injury that Brentford have struggled
Been injured since October and no surprise since his injury that Brentford have struggled
It would be nice to get me of these guys available on a free transfer in their prime. If we can save money in this way to fill squad places as well as youth promotions I can see is us going hard for 3/4 regular starters too hopefully. Ie centre back, centre midfielder or two and a proven striker if possible to support up top.
Ronnie Edwards - Peterborough United
I agree.
Personally Gilmour strikes me as another Carrick type like Garner. Won't be ready for a big team till about age 24
Shouldn’t this thread be called ‘Players I desperately want us to buy that I have never even heard of’
He would be a shrewd signing, he’s been good this season. Ex City youth and he was extremely highly rated there at one point… we always seem to love them. Probably a very decent squad player at a top club with his experience. City’s youth setup was in much better shape than ours at the time. According to Wiki he was playing U18s football at 14 and he was their youngest ever player to play in the CL at one point. He looks to have developed into a really interesting player.
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Konstantinos Koulierakis would be a decent punt.
Plays for PAOK in the Greek League. 20 years old, 6ft 1 left footed CB. Has had some links to AC Milan quite recently. Price wise would be around 8-10 million potentially which isnt bad money for a good CB prospect. Obviously would be a punt but could be a good bit of business even if we only end up selling him for a profit
Plays for PAOK in the Greek League. 20 years old, 6ft 1 left footed CB. Has had some links to AC Milan quite recently. Price wise would be around 8-10 million potentially which isnt bad money for a good CB prospect. Obviously would be a punt but could be a good bit of business even if we only end up selling him for a profit
Any other clubs interested in him? Would have thought there'd be huge interest from overseas in a player like him.
Just seen Spurs and Liverpool apparently interested as are Milan.
Soulaymane Isaak Toure. Simply the quickest giant cb mf on the planet. Quick, athletic. Left footed. Dominant in the air. Good on the ball and freaking 6ft 8! 
Ross Berkley from Luton
Maximilian Mittelstädt left back. Abnormally good statistics....
I don’t think he would be a success at a club that is located in anything more than a medium-sized city.
Perhaps. But his FBREF stats!!! #meingott
Which is completely insane. That guy is statistically one of the best leftbacks in the world this season. He is 27. He moved for 500k before this season and that was the first time ever that someone paid a transfer fee for him! (Ok, to be fair, he spend his full career at Hertha BSC before this move)
Really the big question if everything just clicked for him this season or if he really can keep and replicate this form in the long term as his new permanent level.
Indeed
He looked impressive at times at Berlin I remember, but I don't think he can fit as a left back. I think at Berlin as well they preferred Plattenhart at left back to Mittelstadt.
But I may be ofcourse wrong, it wasn't as if I was watching Berlin regularly and same case for Stuttgart this season, just weekly highlights on Sportschau. His defensive stats on fbref are insane!
Absolutely huge. But looks a bit awkward. The question is he genuinely a good CB or is he another Samba in the making?Soulaymane Isaak Toure. Simply the quickest giant cb mf on the planet. Quick, athletic. Left footed. Dominant in the air. Good on the ball and freaking 6ft 8!
He looks genuinely good. Especially this season. Time will tell though