Cybereagles

danfo driver wrote:This will hurt some people. After all their agenda about Mou hating Mata. etc etc.

It does not Mata

danfo driver wrote:This will hurt some people. After all their agenda about Mou hating Mata. etc etc.

Have you heard the expression fattening the cow to command a bigger price?

Not all teams are dumb and directionless like Arsenal who allow their prized asset to run down the lane of depreceation while penny pinching only to lose it all at the end. While i am noy saying there is trouble between Jose and Mata, the truth here is there is more to a cobtract extension thaan being in the manager's good books, especially when the club is being run like a proper club as opposes to elemu n get on club down over at north London.

Benteke, thanks for that link. One interesting (and often forgotten) element of the Glazer takeover, is that SAF was indirectly responsible for the instability that allowed the Glazers to buy the club (a fact that Roy Keane famously taunted SAF about to his face just before his acrimonious exit from the club): viewtopic.php?f=1&t=254069&hilit=keane

It was SAF's dispute with shareholders Magnier and McManus (men who owned nearly one-third of the club) that led them to sell their shares to the Glazers. Imagine an employee picking fights with the owners of the company that employs him. Not even the legendary SAF could win that one.

I have been saying for years that Man Utd should stop this experiment of playing Tony V and Young (wingers) at FB. It works against lower division/weaker teams where they rarely get tested, but they can be exposed against quality attackers. Yesterday was a case in point. Young just switched off and watched Eriksen run past him and score. A "natural" defender would have been more alert. It is not Young's fault that he is being asked to do things that are not natural to his game.

Why play Young at LB at all when the club has Shaw, Blind, Rojo, and Darmian (ACTUAL defenders) who play LB?

Of the generation of young CDs signed by big clubs this season, Umtitti and Skriniar are head and shoulders above everybody else.

txj wrote:Of the generation of young CDs signed by big clubs this season, Umtitti and Skriniar are head and shoulders above everybody else.

Laporte?

Chairman Bailly is head, shoulder and stomach above Umtiti, Skriniar, Laporte etc without any question.

The YeyeMan wrote:

txj wrote:Of the generation of young CDs signed by big clubs this season, Umtitti and Skriniar are head and shoulders above everybody else.

Laporte?

Too early to judge. Yerry Mina also has all the necessary physical tools to be an absolute beast alongside Umtiti.

The YeyeMan wrote:

txj wrote:Of the generation of young CDs signed by big clubs this season, Umtitti and Skriniar are head and shoulders above everybody else.

Laporte?

Not this season

YemiBrazil wrote:Chairman Bailly is head, shoulder and stomach above Umtiti, Skriniar, Laporte etc without any question.

platinum wrote:

The YeyeMan wrote:

txj wrote:Of the generation of young CDs signed by big clubs this season, Umtitti and Skriniar are head and shoulders above everybody else.

Laporte?

Too early to judge. Yerry Mina also has all the necessary physical tools to be an absolute beast alongside Umtiti.

Looking at performance this season, not simply talent/potential.

A very good defender can/will start for United as CD, like Bailly. You need more than that to start for Barca.

Not cut and dry that Bailly is better than Laporte or Umtiti. It will take a while to make that determination. But as it stands, they are all very good defenders

YUJAM wrote:Not cut and dry that Bailly is better than Laporte or Umtiti. It will take a while to make that determination. But as it stands, they are all very good defenders

It is, actually, re-Umtiti.

The Barcelona philosophy places a much, much higher demand on the CD than United's.

At Barca, the CD doesn't just have to stop an attack, he has to recover the ball technically, without loss of possession, in order to function as the foundation of the attacking game and of ball possession.

Few EPL defenders have the ability to do that.

Doesn't necessarily make them bad defenders; just of a lower technical level...

txj wrote:

YUJAM wrote:Not cut and dry that Bailly is better than Laporte or Umtiti. It will take a while to make that determination. But as it stands, they are all very good defenders

It is, actually.

The Barcelona philosophy places a much, much higher demand on the CD than United's.

At Barca, the CD doesn't just have to stop an attack, he has to recover the ball technically, without loss of possession, in order to function as the foundation of the attacking game and of ball possession.

Few EPL defenders have the ability to do that.

Doesn't necessarily make them bad defenders; just of a lower technical level...

Arrant nonsense

YemiBrazil wrote:Chairman Bailly is head, shoulder and stomach above Umtiti, Skriniar, Laporte etc without any question.

It's debatable. I thought Umtiti started his Barca career slowly but he's been strong this season. Saw him in the flesh when Barca played Valencia earlier in the season and he stood out. France has a ridiculous number of quality centre-backs.

The YeyeMan wrote:

YemiBrazil wrote:Chairman Bailly is head, shoulder and stomach above Umtiti, Skriniar, Laporte etc without any question.

It's debatable. I thought Umtiti started his Barca career slowly but he's been strong this season. Saw him in the flesh when Barca played Valencia earlier in the season and he stood out. France has a ridiculous number of quality centre-backs.

In comparison, what was your opinion when you saw Chairman Bailly in the flesh?

YemiBrazil wrote:

The YeyeMan wrote:

YemiBrazil wrote:Chairman Bailly is head, shoulder and stomach above Umtiti, Skriniar, Laporte etc without any question.

It's debatable. I thought Umtiti started his Barca career slowly but he's been strong this season. Saw him in the flesh when Barca played Valencia earlier in the season and he stood out. France has a ridiculous number of quality centre-backs.

In comparison, what was your opinion when you saw Chairman Bailly in the flesh?

I've only seen him play on TV. He's very good, no doubt at all about that.

Didn't you watch Bailly in La Liga? He is an excellent passer up there with the likes of Stones. He is at 86 percent. Umtiti is at 92 percent but think the difference is Umtiti gets more shorter passing opps at Barca. Bailly could have thrived at Barca too

But like he I said they are all very good. Let's see how it plays out long term

txj wrote:

YUJAM wrote:Not cut and dry that Bailly is better than Laporte or Umtiti. It will take a while to make that determination. But as it stands, they are all very good defenders

It is, actually, re-Umtiti.

The Barcelona philosophy places a much, much higher demand on the CD than United's.

At Barca, the CD doesn't just have to stop an attack, he has to recover the ball technically, without loss of possession, in order to function as the foundation of the attacking game and of ball possession.

Few EPL defenders have the ability to do that.

Doesn't necessarily make them bad defenders; just of a lower technical level...

I did, in the two clubs he played for. Improved greatly at Villareal, but was never elite talent.
My views remain. He doesn't and never had the level for what is expected of a CB at Barca.

YUJAM wrote:Didn't you watch Bailly in La Liga? He is an excellent passer up there with the likes of Stones. He is at 86 percent. Umtiti is at 92 percent but think the difference is Umtiti gets more shorter passing opps at Barca. Bailly could have thrived at Barca too

But like he I said they are all very good. Let's see how it plays out long term

txj wrote:

YUJAM wrote:Not cut and dry that Bailly is better than Laporte or Umtiti. It will take a while to make that determination. But as it stands, they are all very good defenders

It is, actually, re-Umtiti.

The Barcelona philosophy places a much, much higher demand on the CD than United's.

At Barca, the CD doesn't just have to stop an attack, he has to recover the ball technically, without loss of possession, in order to function as the foundation of the attacking game and of ball possession.

Few EPL defenders have the ability to do that.

Doesn't necessarily make them bad defenders; just of a lower technical level...

He didn't play much at Espanyol. In fact he was snapped up after only a handful of games. Five to be exact. This was his first stint at any top level so of course he'd continue to improve. At Villarreal he started to show signs that he could be elite but at Man U, he's been elite. IMO at least. The stats also suppoo this. His passing percentage, won tackles etc all point to this. He is also great at dealing with elite attackers.

I am quite sure Barca scouted him

txj wrote:I did, in the two clubs he played for. Improved greatly at Villareal, but was never elite talent.
My views remain. He doesn't and never had the level for what is expected of a CB at Barca.

YUJAM wrote:Didn't you watch Bailly in La Liga? He is an excellent passer up there with the likes of Stones. He is at 86 percent. Umtiti is at 92 percent but think the difference is Umtiti gets more shorter passing opps at Barca. Bailly could have thrived at Barca too

But like he I said they are all very good. Let's see how it plays out long term

txj wrote:

YUJAM wrote:Not cut and dry that Bailly is better than Laporte or Umtiti. It will take a while to make that determination. But as it stands, they are all very good defenders

It is, actually, re-Umtiti.

The Barcelona philosophy places a much, much higher demand on the CD than United's.

At Barca, the CD doesn't just have to stop an attack, he has to recover the ball technically, without loss of possession, in order to function as the foundation of the attacking game and of ball possession.

Few EPL defenders have the ability to do that.

Doesn't necessarily make them bad defenders; just of a lower technical level...

YUJAM wrote:He didn't play much at Espanyol. In fact he was snapped up after only a handful of games. Five to be exact. This was his first stint at any top level so of course he'd continue to improve. At Villarreal he started to show signs that he could be elite but at Man U, he's been elite. IMO at least. The stats also suppoo this. His passing percentage, won tackles etc all point to this. He is also great at dealing with elite attackers.

I am quite sure Barca scouted him

txj wrote:I did, in the two clubs he played for. Improved greatly at Villareal, but was never elite talent.
My views remain. He doesn't and never had the level for what is expected of a CB at Barca.

YUJAM wrote:Didn't you watch Bailly in La Liga? He is an excellent passer up there with the likes of Stones. He is at 86 percent. Umtiti is at 92 percent but think the difference is Umtiti gets more shorter passing opps at Barca. Bailly could have thrived at Barca too

But like he I said they are all very good. Let's see how it plays out long term

txj wrote:

YUJAM wrote:Not cut and dry that Bailly is better than Laporte or Umtiti. It will take a while to make that determination. But as it stands, they are all very good defenders

It is, actually, re-Umtiti.

The Barcelona philosophy places a much, much higher demand on the CD than United's.

At Barca, the CD doesn't just have to stop an attack, he has to recover the ball technically, without loss of possession, in order to function as the foundation of the attacking game and of ball possession.

Few EPL defenders have the ability to do that.

Doesn't necessarily make them bad defenders; just of a lower technical level...

He's done well so far, but elite is stretching it; much as one admires the Umbuntu thingy on here...Wouldn't even class Skriniar or Umtiti elite just yet; and both are well ahead of him this season. I suspect he may need to alter his approach a bit to stay healthy for extended stretches...

YemiBrazil wrote:

txj wrote:

YUJAM wrote:Not cut and dry that Bailly is better than Laporte or Umtiti. It will take a while to make that determination. But as it stands, they are all very good defenders

It is, actually.

The Barcelona philosophy places a much, much higher demand on the CD than United's.

At Barca, the CD doesn't just have to stop an attack, he has to recover the ball technically, without loss of possession, in order to function as the foundation of the attacking game and of ball possession.

Few EPL defenders have the ability to do that.

Doesn't necessarily make them bad defenders; just of a lower technical level...

Arrant nonsense

YemiBrazil wrote:

The YeyeMan wrote:

YemiBrazil wrote:Chairman Bailly is head, shoulder and stomach above Umtiti, Skriniar, Laporte etc without any question.

It's debatable. I thought Umtiti started his Barca career slowly but he's been strong this season. Saw him in the flesh when Barca played Valencia earlier in the season and he stood out. France has a ridiculous number of quality centre-backs.

In comparison, what was your opinion when you saw Chairman Bailly in the flesh?