Zakora it is then

[Instant Karma]

I haven't watched too many matches of Zakora before but against the Argies he was absolutely brilliant - possibly the man of the match for IC along with their short left back.

In a match that contained many of our rumoured midfield targets - Mascherano, Cambiasso, Riquelme and Yaya toure , Zakora was the one who stood out and dominated the midfield.

Have any of you watched his other performances ? Is he consistently as good as yesterday or is it a one off ?

 

[032Devil]

Possibly. Some of the prices being demanded for the others is outrageous - £20m for Carrick!

Your having a laff!

 

[bbest]

don't know if a successful world cup performance can be translated into the league level as evident by the past failures of many world cup stars so a cautionary note here. if the above is an exception, is he better than diarra who has proven himself in both domestic and CL level?

 

[ehsanul]

I haven't watched too many matches of Zakora before but against the Argies he was absolutely brilliant - possibly the man of the match for IC along with their short left back.

In a match that contained many of our rumoured midfield targets - Mascherano, Cambiasso, Riquelme and Yaya toure , Zakora was the one who stood out and dominated the midfield.

Have any of you watched his other performances ? Is he consistently as good as yesterday or is it a one off ?

Yaya toure and mascherano were more impressive,imo zokora is not the solution to utd DM midfield problem

 

[Instant Karma]

don't know if a successful world cup performance can be translated into the league level as evident by the past failures of many world cup stars so a cautionary note here. if the above is an exception, is he better than diarra who has proven himself in both domestic and CL level?

True...there is no guarantee that he will translate his World cup performances into the league, but atleast the potential is there. It is upto the manager and the coaching staff to translate that potential into performance. Isn't that what they are paid for ?

I don't see Carrick in a million years coming up with such a performance, since he is not a dominant CM but more of a passer. Diarra is good too but he has proven himself only in the French league and Cygan was player of the season in the french league when Arsene bought him.
Also, I doubt Diarra has ever come up against a midfield of Mascharano, Cambiasso and Riquelme before.

 

[Instant Karma]

Yaya toure and mascherano were more impressive,imo zokora is not the solution to utd DM midfield problem

I am not sure what game you were watching. Zakora was a lot better than both of them yesterday. Yaya was playing as an attacking CM and not as a holding midfielder.

 

[Parks Life]

Yaya toure and mascherano were more impressive,imo zokora is not the solution to utd DM midfield problem

On the basis of last night?

He was superb, the only one last night I would say was anything Keane like. Must got through miles of running, his passing was sharp and he is a proper powerhouse.

Mascherano would be twice his transfer value and I'm pretty sure Yaya Toure will be joining Arsenal.

If we do get the Carrick deal sorted and signed Zakora we will have our midfield sorted.

 

[bbest]

ya, it's a gamble and so is the transfer fees.

 

[Instant Karma]

On the basis of last night?

He was superb, the only one last night I would say was anything Keane like. Must got through miles of running, his passing was sharp and he is a proper powerhouse.

Mascherano would be twice his transfer value and I'm pretty sure Yaya Toure will be joining Arsenal.

If we do get the Carrick deal sorted and signed Zakora we will have our midfield sorted.

Spot on....yesterday was the only time when watching our transfer targets over the last year, I was reminded of Keane.

Edit : DeRossi (Italy / Roma) reminded me of a young Keane too, but we will not get him.

 

[Epic]

looked decent, nothing special to me

 

[ehsanul]

looked decent, nothing special to me

Thats what i am talking about,mascherano looked far more solid

 

[Parks Life]

Thats what i am talking about,mascherano looked far more solid

& would cost around £10 million more.

 

[032Devil]

Thats what i am talking about,mascherano looked far more solid

Commentator compared him to Makalele. A compliment methinks.

 

[bbest]

is makalele a good passer of the ball? one of the AM's official has made a negative comment about him when the pay dispute arises.

 

[032Devil]

is makalele a good passer of the ball? one of the AM's official has made a negative comment about him when the pay dispute arises.

He does the simple things simply. Which is what makes him a great player and such a treasured asset. Madrid fell to pieces when he left.

 

[Parks Life]

Thats what i am talking about,mascherano looked far more solid

I wasn't majorly impressed by Mascherano. Very static ala Makelele and I'm not sure thats the kind of player we should be after. Very good passer though.

 

[bbest]

this 'replacement' search is no easy feat.

 

[thewelshconjurer]

Eric....

 

[Parks Life]

this 'replacement' search is no easy feat.

Yep and Fergie's current reputation could rest on it.

I've not seen one target where a major majoirty has agreed he would be a great signing. Zakora, Diarra, Mascherano, Carrick, Reo-Coker, Gudjohnsen, Torres, Riquelme have all faced opposition.

The only one that come close to everyone agreeing was Carrick.

 

[Instant Karma]

Thats what i am talking about,mascherano looked far more solid

Mascherano / Makelele may not fit into the 4-4-2 system. They have always played will other midfielders who also sit infront of the defence and are box to box ( Cambiasso, Vieira, Essien ) in a 4-2-3-1. Their passing is limited and can't go past players.

We need someone who is box to box, a midfield powerhouse with a much higher work rate than what Mashcherano would provide.

 

[Parks Life]

Mascherano / Makelele may not fit into the 4-4-2 system. They have always played will other midfielders who also sit infront of the defence and are box to box ( Cambiasso, Vieira, Essien ) in a 4-2-3-1. Their passing is limited and can't go past players.

We need someone who is box to box, a midfield powerhouse with a much higher work rate than what Mashcherano would provide.

Yep, although I'm not sure if that was how he was asked to play as I have seen him more mobile than that.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Thats what i am talking about,mascherano looked far more solid

I liked Mascherano. Nice passer, good positioning. But people said he was more of a playmaker than the likes of Diarra, didnt see much of that.

I was really surprised by Zakora. People here have been mocking him for a while as an absurd transfer target. But he's got a lot of things going for him. First of all the man doesnt seem to stop running, hes bloody strong, and has got an amazing burst of pace. Only thing is he's a little bit of a headless chicken. Im not sure how good a defensive midfielder he would be.

 

[Parks Life]

I liked Mascherano. Nice passer, good positioning. But people said he was more of a playmaker than the likes of Diarra, didnt see much of that.

I was really surprised by Zakora. People here have been mocking him for a while as an absurd transfer target. But he's got a lot of things going for him. First of all the man doesnt seem to stop running, hes bloody strong, and has got an amazing burst of pace. Only thing is he's a little bit of a headless chicken. Im not sure how good a defensive midfielder he would be.

It will be interesting to see him against Holland, with the likes of Cocu, Van Bommel and Van Der Vaart in there midfield.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Yep, although I'm not sure if that was how he was asked to play as I have seen him more mobile than that.

Actually it was obvious he was told to play like that because he was VERY deep. It was practically him sitting infront of the defence letting the rest bomb forward. Everyone else played way further upfront.

BTW, what do people think of Cambiasso? Gets forward quite a bit doesnt he?

 

[Hassan]

Mascherano is so good you dont notice him very much on the field, he does nothing wrong, reminds me of Carlos Dunga. Only when such players are taken off is when you realize just how good that position was covered.
Zokora was very good yesterday, if that is how he always plays, then he would be a worthy buy.

 

[bbest]

a "headless chicken" trait is dangerous.

I liked Mascherano. Nice passer, good positioning. But people said he was more of a playmaker than the likes of Diarra, didnt see much of that.

I was really surprised by Zakora. People here have been mocking him for a while as an absurd transfer target. But he's got a lot of things going for him. First of all the man doesnt seem to stop running, hes bloody strong, and has got an amazing burst of pace. Only thing is he's a little bit of a headless chicken. Im not sure how good a defensive midfielder he would be.

 

[Parks Life]

Actually it was obvious he was told to play like that because he was VERY deep. It was practically him sitting infront of the defence letting the rest bomb forward. Everyone else played way further upfront.

BTW, what do people think of Cambiasso? Gets forward quite a bit doesnt he?

I might be being over critical as all the midfielders on show was very good, however I would of put him 4th out of the 4 based on last night. Still be better than anything we have at the moment and his passing is good.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

A cheaper option than Diarra it must be said. And more atatck minded too.....

 

[Escobar]

Mascherano and Yaya Toure were the better midfielders yesterday, that's right. What impressed my about Toure is his physical power and strenght and he's also good going forward, made runs and dangerous passes.

But somehow we're just not getting our main targets, dont know if the money is the problem or what it is as it does not look like we'd get our main targets Ribery and Diarra but Carrick and Zakora (i'm not saying they're shit though, but they're 2nd or 3rd choice).

 

[Freak]

To be honest, I didn't think either of the 4 midfielders on display yesterday truly put in a dominating performance. I was especially disappointed by mascherano to be honest. After hearing so much about how he's a dominating midfielder, a leader if you would like, I didn't see much of him controlling anything. He sat very deep and at times was like a 4th defender.

In order of how they performed yesterday, I would rate the four of them as:

1. Zokora
2. Yaya Toure
3. Mascherano
4. Cambiasso

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

This Zokora fellow I mean. About Mascherano he was instructed to take care of Kalou and Dindane. The Ivorian versions of Riquelme and they did keep him rather busy and away from attatcking duties.

 

[ehsanul]

Mascherano and Yaya Toure were the better midfielders yesterday, that's right. What impressed my about Toure is his physical power and strenght and he's also good going forward, made runs and dangerous passes.

But somehow we're just not getting our main targets, dont know if the money is the problem or what it is as it does not look like we'd get our main targets Ribery and Diarra but Carrick and Zakora (i'm not saying they're shit though, but they're 2nd or 3rd choice).

Mate if a club ask for 24 and 25 million pound respectively for both player then there is nothin utd can do

 

[Instant Karma]

Mascherano is so good you dont notice him very much on the field, he does nothing wrong, reminds me of Carlos Dunga. Only when such players are taken off is when you realize just how good that position was covered.
Zokora was very good yesterday, if that is how he always plays, then he would be a worthy buy.

I'm doubtful about Mascherano's pace. Zakora picked up the ball in the middle of the park, Mascherano and Rodriguez were right in front of him. He left both of them dead with his burst of pace and had to be hacked down.

Anyways I would rather see United sign a talented CM who is under 25 than someone in his late twenties ( Cambiasso, Gattuso ). Winning the league next year is not realistic, we could rather build a team around Rooney, Ronaldo, Mascherano / Diarra that will be dominant in a couple of years time.

 

[cesc's_mullet]

You'd sign him for the money you recieved from the Obi incident... A virtually free Zokora, why not.

Then you could focus the rest of the budget on another class signing, unless ofcourse Fergie decides to go 'all in' (what a pun/gag-thingy) on Diarra.

 

[Escobar]

Mate if a club ask for 24 and 25 million pound respectively for both player then there is nothin utd can do

That might be true for Diarra, but Ribery's price will be much lower! And tbh, i doubt that Carrick's addition would make our midfield much better or would solve our midfield problems, we need a proper DM and that's why i dont see the reason for Carrick's bid

 

[amolbhatia50k]

I'm doubtful about Mascherano's pace. Zakora picked up the ball in the middle of the park, Mascherano and Rodriguez were right in front of him. He left both of them dead with his burst of pace and had to be hacked down.

Anyways I would rather see United sign a talented CM who is under 25 than someone in his late twenties ( Cambiasso, Gattuso ). Winning the league next year is not realistic, we could rather build a team around Rooney, Ronaldo, Mascherano / Diarra that will be dominant in a couple of years time.

True. But then again theres a difference between Gattuso and Cambiasso isnt there. Isnt Gattuso nearing 30 whereas Cabiasso around 25? Im not sure. I've always liked Cambiasso, very useful player, good passer, great energy.
About the youngsters, it actually opened my eyes a little. There definately is talent out there to be worked on. Actually Zakora does seem to have a rather extroardinary burst of pace. I saw that a couple of times yesterday, the right back couldnt deal with it. If there was a loose ball and he was on to it first, he was usually pass the defender.

From what i saw, Mascherano seems to be the type of player who will sit back and clean things up. Had a tough time doing that at time because he was swamped by numbers. But i like his game, good passer, very sensible passer, a little liek Roy. Good range, short and long. And Zakora is all energy. Very impressive, if we can get him cheap, i think we definately should. I can just imagine how good he would be on the break with the likes of Rooney and Ronaldo around.

 

[Escobar]

I'm doubtful about Mascherano's pace. Zakora picked up the ball in the middle of the park, Mascherano and Rodriguez were right in front of him. He left both of them dead with his burst of pace and had to be hacked down.

The physical strenght of the africans was impressive, especially Toure's. Very strong, fast and not afraid to tackle and great stamina!

And Mascherano wasnt that bad, look how Argentina played!!! His job was actually reduced to stay back and just break their play up in the 2nd half, not his fault. But generally he's a great talent, no question

 

[Instant Karma]

You'd sign him for the money you recieved from the Obi incident... A virtually free Zokora, why not.

Then you could focus the rest of the budget on another class signing, unless ofcourse Fergie decides to go 'all in' (what a pun/gag-thingy) on Diarra.

I am worried about this Diarra signing. Lyon want 24 million and plan to replace Diarra with Zakora. Why are we paying 24 million for Diarra when someone as good is available cheaper ? If Lyon felt that Diarra cannot be replaced, they'd hardly be willing to let him go even at 24 million. They don't need the money and top clubs rarely let their best players leave.

 

[mamboza]

In order of how they performed yesterday, I would rate the four of them as:

1. Zokora
2. Yaya Toure
3. Mascherano
4. Cambiasso

The players were set to play different roles.
Zokora was quite impressive but a lot like DJDJ, may be with better technique, work rate and pace. But Yaya easily the better of the two in IMO. And to put Mascherano ahead of Cambiasso based on that performance?? They had different duties, and Cambiasso was quite a bit better with his role than Mascherano, in fact I think he was the most intelligent midfielder on the pitch with great sense of positioning but his work rate, pace and strength can not match Yaya.

For me:
1. Yaya
2. Cambiasso
3. Zokora
4. Mascherano

 

[Escobar]

I am worried about this Diarra signing. Lyon want 24 million and plan to replace Diarra with Zakora. Why are we paying 24 million for Diarra when someone as good is available cheaper ? If Lyon felt that Diarra cannot be replaced, they'd hardly be willing to let him go even at 24 million. They don't need the money and top clubs rarely let their best players leave.

I doubt we're still interest in Diarra, as we never heard something anymore, probably too expensive. As for Zakora, i dont think he's good enough, as others said, a bit of a headless chicken. Would prefer Yaya or Mascherano (who was not that bad as many think, especially when you look at what his job was on the pitch!)