Manchester United Thread 25/26 - Teamtalk/Transfers/Gossip Mod Note in OP 26.09.24

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No problem criticising him when he's poor or even making the case that he's not good enough to be first choice. But calling him shyte when he plays well is just odd.

Taking a ball out of defence and feigning a pass to keep going into nowhere and then losing the ball when the pass was easier is something I witnessed.

Something he does constantly.

Utter brainless tripe imho.

Each to their own of course.

he's a known quantity. his defensive numbers are elite. passing, possession is awful.

if he was a threat/defence in the box, it would add so much to his game.

He is a player that is beyond poor in what he’s supposed to do imho.

“If” keeps on being said about him and ya know what? Says it all.

Not a bad aul friendly tbh.

what is he supposed to do?

Don't agree. What benefit would it bring Rasmus to be handed a pity penalty just to make him feel good. It wouldn't in my opinion give him any confidence to score it but it could certainly wreck any remaining confidence if he missed.

Only time I ever agree with a regular penalty taker handing over to someone is if the result is secure and a player is on a hatrick. Or a final game etc like Eriksen at the end of last season.

Mbeumo to make his debut vs Everton, will sit out the Bournemouth game too.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Rodri was a write off his first season and took a few years to really bed into his position and get a grip on the league. I don't see why Ugarte can't be given the same opportunity. He's only put his first season down. He knows what's expected of him and now and what to expect of the league so should be given a chance to stake his claim on the first 11. A few people seem to be writing him off way too early.

How did Rasmus play. Do we still desperately need a striker?

He was pretty sharp tbh, I'd say really sharp but wouldn't be here for the battle that would being. Hit the post after about a minute showing great acceleration and determination to win a ball and confidence to take it early like he should have - good movement overall and constant runs in behind. Won some of the physical battles that he was losing last year and having Cunha really helps him, Mbuemo should add to this and there is a bit of hope there still.

Was that the one where he played the poor pass (wrong choice in general) trying to play I think Cunha in and it found it's way back to him and he put it over the bar? Definitely should have taken that one on himself originally and not played the pass.

I wouldn't have said acceleration was much of a factor there tbf but whatever you're into.

More of a factor maybe that time when he won the ball when Yoro knocked it up to him and cushioned it nicely into the path of Cunha to run onto. They played similar balls quite a bit, tactically one of the ideas obviously and the signs between Yoro, Bruno, Cunha, Hojlund etc were encouraging.

Still just pre season so nothing to go overboard about, nice to see the patterns of play and a continued lean towards central build up, Cunha is crucial to that imo with his ability to take the ball, turn and run injecting tempo.

Amorim said he's about 2 weeks behind the rest of the team. Brentford started pre-season a week after United and then when he was back it was just Gym work.

I'd be more than happy to have Hojlund stay as a second choice striker. Coming on for the last half hour, getting the odd start when we rest the main striker. Let him play that role for a year and see if he can regain some kind of form.

That's why I think Watkins is probably the most suitable option for us, especially if Garnacho could be sent the other way.

Watkins is a short term option, but he is as much of a guaranteed Premier League goalscorer as we can get at the minute and he'd do for a few years by which time Hojlund will either have got his sh*t together and displaced him, or bogged off back to Italy.

Overall Hojlund wasn't as bad as people make out but not much of an improvement on last season. He started brightly but disappeared as the game went on as per normal. I'd have no issue with him retained as a 2nd choice to fight it out with Obi considering Zirkzee will flutter between the 9.5/10 role throughout the season