08 Nov 2024 11:56:24
Luke shaw back in training. I know everyone gets very skeptical but its great news and so is Malacia.

Every bit will help Amorim and having almost a full squad after the break is great news. Post break we have loads of games both league and europe and cup competition and having everyone back gives me hope to still have a good year.

I think that only leaves Kobe and Maguire yet to return.

1.) 08 Nov 2024
08 Nov 2024 12:50:46
Please don't have hope. You'll only be disappointed.

2.) 08 Nov 2024
08 Nov 2024 13:17:48
If nothing else, it's a short term boost to get us through to January when the club can look to bring in someone more suited to the type of wing back role Amorim wants.

3.) 08 Nov 2024
08 Nov 2024 14:59:41
Nothing speeds up muscle recovery like the presence of a new manager.

4.) 09 Nov 2024
09 Nov 2024 01:56:11
Or a euro final.

5.) 09 Nov 2024
09 Nov 2024 07:36:51
Hopefully Shaw stays fit for the rest oft he season and a club comes in and buys him.

6.) 09 Nov 2024
09 Nov 2024 10:01:34
Shaw being fit is like a solar eclipse, temporary.

No doubt he will get fit again at some point, but he'll end up injured again soon enough. He's also likely to pick up more injuries and take longer to recover as he gets older.

Unfortunately given his wages and injury history it's unlikely that anyone will be prepared to take him off our hands. Which means he's likely to be here until his contract expires in the summer of 2027.

We will have to bite the bullet with him and buy a replacement for the first team, while keeping him as an incredibly expensive squad option.

I don't think he suits playing the wingback role that Amorim uses as it's very physically demanding. Amorim also tends to value attacking output over defensive solidity in those positions.

I've said previously that Shaw might need to become a CB as he ages to prolong his career as fullback is probably the most physically demanding position currently in football, and his body increasingly doesn't look up to the demands.

In that respect a back three system is probably ideal for him as it allows him to play as one of the wider centre backs which is sort of a half way house position between being a CB and a fullback. It'd be much easier for him to adjust to that position.

Amorim has also has previous for playing fullbacks in those wider CB positions.

Maybe he can be back up or competition for Martinez at LCB. Although given Martinez's own recent issues with injuries I'd be slightly concerned about having potentially two players for that position who are both injury concerns.

To be honest the more interesting news is that Malacia is now back and will potentially soon be available.

Maybe I'm paranoid, or maybe it's my Spidey senses tingling but something just doesn't seem quite right about Malacia's injuries.

The club have been fairly tight lipped over his injuries, when they aren't with others. He's now been out over 18 months with a knee injury. Luke Shaw snapped his ankle and wasn't out for that long. Other players with ACL injuries are back within 6 to 8 months nowadays.

He showed some promise before the injury, whether he can get back to that level again after such a long lay off remains to be seen. I'm also not sure about his suitability to be a wingback. From what I remember he was solid at defending, very good on the ball and inverting into midfield but wasn't a rapid overlapping attacking fullback. While unlike Shaw he doesn't have the physical frame to become a CB. I'm not sure he has a natural position in the 343 shape.

He might need to go on loan next year to play regularly and get the number of minutes he will need to get back up to speed after such a long lay off. Although his contract expires in 2026, which would mean letting him go for free, or extending his deal. Maybe the best option is buy a new LWB in January and loan Malacia out then until the end of the season to try and prove his fitness and attract buyers. Then maybe sell him for something next summer.

Our LB/ LWB situation really is an absolute mess. Shaw and Malacia who neither look ideally suited to playing LWB, neither can be relied on to be fit, and neither can realistically be sold. Young Amass who is highly rated, but isn't quite ready yet, and we sold Alvaro Fernandez who is doing a great job at Benfica.

We need to buy at least one LWB/ LB at a bare minimum. Depending on how soon Amass will be ready and whether he can deliver on his potential; we might well need two new players in that position.

I think for that reason we absolutely have to go big and buy the absolute best option available next summer, or in January if they are available.

For me that's Rayan Aït-Nouri, as simply put I don't believe we can get Alphonso Davies. Players like Grimaldo at Leverkusen and Nuno Mendes at PSG are other great options who have also played as wingbacks before. But again both are probably out of reach for us.

Other good and available options would be Antonee Robinson at Fulham, Alfie Doughty at Luton and Milos Kerkez at Bournemouth all look really good EPL proven options. While Miguel Gutierrez and Bradley Locko look the most suited young up and coming options who are unproven in the EPL.

I'm not a fan of Tyrick Mitchell as an option as he seems far too defensive and lacking on the ball quality for me. He'd be fine on a free as a back up option maybe, but is nowhere near the level we need for the first 11.

Of those that we could probably sign Aït-Nouri and Doughty are the ones who have excelled when playing as a wingback in the EPL with a back three. Which should probably put them higher on the list of options. Ideally we should be looking for a player who has shown top class potential/ ability when playing in the role we want them to play for us. Antonee Robinson I think could easily adapt as he started his career as a winger, he's also a nice age profile (27) if the club has real faith in Harry Amass becoming a top class player. He'd be able to hold down the position for the next few years until Amass (who'd only be 20 at that time) could start to take over.

However, given Aït-Nouri's form, potential, suitability as a wingback and proven in that role, age (23) and EPL proven status he just seems like the ideal choice above all others available.

7.) 09 Nov 2024
09 Nov 2024 14:05:20
Must be an international break coming up.

8.) 09 Nov 2024
09 Nov 2024 15:02:23
Definitely a fan of Aït-Nouri, and seems obtainable in that he plays at (supposedly) a much weaker team who could easily be changing a few things around in January. Great attacking outlet too. Energy, pace and stamina are vital in these wingback positions (assuming Almorim chooses to use them) and I don't feel we have that on the left, beyond moving Garnacho back, which initially might sound like a demotion of sorts into a less attacking position but needn't be, Amorim has deployed both fullbacks and wingers in the roles.
Agree Davies will be off the table, if he goes anywhere it will be to win something at a top club, we're a few rungs down from there atm but will hopefully come.

9.) 09 Nov 2024
09 Nov 2024 20:27:33
Garnacho should be left as an attacking winger on his day he is one of our most potent attacking forces. With a strict demanding top coach he willearn to do his defensive duties and improve his delivery of passes into the front men.

10.) 10 Nov 2024
10 Nov 2024 16:27:47
Milos Kerkez and Leif Davis are 2 I'd keep an eye on.

11.) 10 Nov 2024
10 Nov 2024 18:59:22
Spenno

Aint noory is terrible and a head less chicken defensively. I can't see us being interested at all.

Tom

spot on.

12.) 11 Nov 2024
11 Nov 2024 07:50:36
Luke Vhaw is a very good lad and know him and his family. He is not what you lot make him out to be. He trained hard to play for his country. No shame in that and no shame in getting injured for trying. Most will not be playing football if you saw his leg after he broke it. Right mentality and united type player.

13.) 11 Nov 2024
11 Nov 2024 10:14:42
I'm sure he is a nice guy. I don't think anybody is making him out to be anything in particular. As a united player he has been very average or below imo. He as you say got a bad injury that he never fully recovered from. That no doubt stunted his potential and meant that he had both mental and physical challenges that never allowed him to be as good as people hoped he would be. Missed more than half the games we had since he signed. Struggles also with his body shape and that's also been a big issue for him. Perhaps a new manager will see him have a nice swansong to his Untied career which imo will be remembered by me as very underwhelming for a whole host of reasons. Hopefully he stays fit and starts making a positive contribution soon we need all our players to do that.

14.) 21 Nov 2024
21 Nov 2024 23:38:36
Luke Shaw was outstanding the last time he returned from injury. While I agree that some of these overpaid celebs don’t need molly coddling LS has always given his all and deserves a little more respect than some of these comments suggest.

15.) 27 Nov 2024
27 Nov 2024 20:13:35
Shappy a bit came out about Malacia.

Apparently he refused to use the clubs preferred surgeon. Went for surgery in the Netherlands and there was loose cartilage or shards of some kind found causing irritation post op meaning he had to go back under the knife.

My expectation is that club don’t want to make this a big deal and also protect resale value. Might me wrong.