OneMoSalah

Regarding the runs, lets agree to disagree. Its not as if every footballer in the world will get passed to for every run that they make as there are 10 other players on the pitch but he still receives passes for an amount of these movements and still needs to do more at times to affect the game in other ways. At a top team, you cannot just be the guy who can only run in behind to affect the game. Even more so if you’re not playing as a number 9 but more as an attacking midfielder/wide forward/wide 10/second striker or whatever you want to call those positions depending on who’s in them between (Mount, Kai, Hakim, Timo, CHO), you want goals, assists (granted he did get a lot last season), chances created and generally an influence on the games in some way. It goes for all of them but I just don’t see Timo being that on a consistent basis and I do think once Hakim comes back if in the same sort of level he was pre-season, he and Lukaku will probably play very often together leaving one space in the 3 for Mount/Timo/Havertz and perhaps CHO. I think Ziyech is going to be huge for us if he keeps fit and kicks on.

Suppose it depends how fit Chilwell is though. If he’s not at the pace, it would be safer to continue with Marcos who so far hasn’t really put a foot wrong in the last 2 games. If he is fit enough though then aye bringing him in isn’t as big a risk. Its same for Reece on the right. Its just a weird and tough pre-season as Tuchel said in numerous interviews.

Still has plenty to offer here as a squad player if I am honest. Showed that yesterday. As mentioned before by many, not amazing but solid enough and pops up with a goal at times - not bad for your back up left back/wing back. Still think hes a much better player than Emerson too.

Maybe its an unfair comparison to Torres yes regarding him as being successful or unsuccessful here as a player but the excuses regarding movement or nobody finding his runs was also hugely prominent the first 6 months when Torres was here. Although some will dispute it and say Torres was injured or injury prone or winding down it was still used, as it was for Falcao during his loan spell. I remember the buzz around AVB’s appointment and Mata signing as some sort of changing moment as if it would turn Torres into a 20 goal a season CF in all comps. It didn’t. Ironically it was the fat Spanish waiter who did it somehow in 12-13. Some wont admit it but it is double standards and people blaming other players for things that aren’t entirely their fault ie. Timo not scoring because “nobody found/finds his runs” or “midfielders cannot/do not play forward often enough”, he’s not scoring/scored because he isn’t anywhere near clinical enough. Hence the horrendous YouTube videos consisting of about 10 big sitters last year. Or the two huge barren spells. His movement helps in moments of certain games but people are acting as if his runs are usually neglected and this is why he doesn’t affect games enough. I strongly disagree with this. He’s capable of dribbling players also when he’s outside on the left opposed to being more central too and doesn’t do it enough.

He was actually poor I thought for his standards. Particularly without the ball he looked off the pace at times and positioning was iffy. I know its Norwich and they played Liverpool but there was few moments where he was as you said jogging around and not exactly positioned well throughout the game at times (although he was trying to protect the central area for the second goal perhaps as he is playing as a 6 as opposed to in a 2 man MF). As a 6 at a team like that, he needs to be better in that regard though at times because Norwich will be that open every week. His quality on the ball isnt in doubt and Norwich will play worse teams than Liverpool obviously but I think for us he’s played much better without the ball also even under Frank as a 6 and then in a 2 with Tuchel also.

I find it interesting Mourinho criticism of Tammy 2 seasons ago and now hes signed him when he played significantly less minutes last season. I do wonder if this is a Mourinho signing or a club signing. Either way good deal for us and move for him if he plays.

This narrative that seems to be aimed at Kovacic and Jorginho in particular, that they don’t pass forwards or find his runs is baffling for me is incredibly suspect. Theres numerous times every game players look for him running in behind. Just because its not putting him in direftly one on one with the GK doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. How many times did we look for him in behind yesterday? How many times did he do anything meaningful with those passes he did get?

Must win. Lukaku starting. Goals please

Somewhat better he still didn’t exactly convince entirely in the second half of the season Tuchel was there. Granted his general play improved in bits and his role changed in the team but I still dont think he had the impact your acting as if he did. His movement granted helps when we play a City or a Real or a Liverpool etc in a bigger game maybe or as an outlet but he doesn’t offer enough in general play at times and ultimately he is going to be judged on goals scored as is his reputation in Germany. You dont sign an attacker and judge him on movement or pressing. For me theres no big signs of improvement from when Tuchel came in last season. Even Havertz looks stronger and sharper in pre season, as well as having considerably improved as a false 9 and even today when he came on, he looked more comfortable and better than what we were seeing. Thats the sort of noticeable improvement you’d expect. Ziyech also was playing very well in pre season looking like the player we signed from Ajax. This movement stuff, its all well and good but its very Torres and Falcao-esque, he has to hit the net snd improve the other facets of his game, a lot, because if these others come back and play better and Lukaku starts well, we all know where Werner might find himself. I dont think TT is blind to the fact his goal return is poor.

played well today big credit to Tuchel also putting him in after a good pre season

He does sometimes assist but your making out he did it every game or that he didnt have wee bursts where he got so many in a row then did nothing for ages last season. I don’t know how you can sit and act as if hes contributing to the team, theres not been any clear signs of progression with him in pre-season either and it’s worrying. I hope it changes with Lukaku playing but ultimately if it doesn’t he will find himself on the bench and soon.

As difficult as I find it to say Werner did anything of note, his movement and running in behind is the only thing that keeps him in this team. Without that he wouldn’t be playing. Needs to do better Alonso, Chalobah, Jorginho, Kovacic all played well

And people were concerned where the goals were coming from…. We’ve only gone and got the three.

Super Cup is a weird one to gauge though, even today technically you could say its still effectively pre-season because its not as if Tuchel has had a lot of time with players who were away at Euros etc and it will take a few weeks to get some of them up to full speed and integrate any other signings. Not forgetting everything but I think some of the reactions to the line up and no signings bar Lukaku is a bit OTT. I mean if we go and get a good performance and result will anybody really care about the line up? I don’t think so. Even then I don’t think you see the finished team on match day 1. Plus Kai, Mount, James, Pulisic, all young players who are better after another season as first team players so theres that growth also. I do think Werner will never really be more than what he showed in flashes last season so I agree he has to become a totally different player, improving tenfold but whether he does that it remains to be seen and unrealistic based on pre-season so far. Doesnt mean anything though. Every club has different approaches and methods to pre-season and maybe Shaw and Maguire didn’t take holidays to get back as soon as they could after the Euros? Where they played virtually every minute (bar first 2 games for Maguire) so maybe they werent as rusty as some of the guys who didn’t play. Who knows.

Nice. Surely means no more Barkley then? Even better. Sell please 15-20m.

Good to see optimism around this place…. not even kicked a ball yet and you’d think it was all doom and gloom. Line ups interesting but Tuchel did say it will take a while for some guys to get their fitness IIRC due to the Euros etc. Big chance for Timo today, personally would of played Kai instead but lets see how he does. Has to improve on that lacklustre performance in the super cup. Still think we will have more than enough.

Is he playing off the left side? McTominay with another good performance. Still think United are gonna play tougher games against teams who sit in and don’t try go toe to toe with them.

That’ll be him quiet for the next 5/6 games now. As usual.

So far United look alright, thats without Cavani, Varane and Sancho too.

The thing is on the ball, he’s good and has pace but like Kounde, he seems just a bit lightweight or short for a CB in a back 4 in the PL for me. If they played a 3 and he was in the position Azpi was it for instance it wouldn’t be so bad, still not great but you could off balance his weaknesses playing him and 2 more physical/taller CBs who are stronger in the air. In a 4 not so much, you need both really good in the air. As average as David Luiz was as a central defender, in the air he was quite strong and would attack the ball well. I think Carragher mentioned that he has essentially been signed to replace David Luiz but isnt as strong, tall or dominant in the air. Ben White - Gabriel partnership going to be interesting and whilst I really liked the look of Gabriel last season, it doesn’t scream out top top partnership to me.

Yep. He was alright in a back 3 for Brighton as he was a bit more protected as well as also ending up in MF in numerous games but in a back 4, he looks lightweight. Good on the ball and has potential but never a 50m CB in a million years and last night showed that. Don’t think I’ve seen such a bad debut at CB, or a CB lose so many headers Lukaku will do the exact same to him as Toney did hopefully. In fact most CFs who are more physical will do this in all likelihood, likes of Rom, Benteke, Woods, Barnes etc guys who have a huge physical presence, it will give these guys encouragement.

Ben White 50m 🤣 wouldn’t pay 5m for him based on last nights game and there were folk on here saying he was an excellent buy for Arsenal. Lukaku gonna have a field day. Fuck even Werner might have a field day. If we don’t beat that Arsenal team we may as well not beat anybody.

Think that’s the talk aye, loan move, would be some signing tbf. One of the best CBs about, just think that injuries or Stones revitalising his career didn’t help. Probably doesn't help City tried offering him to Spurs also.

Juventus want Laporte from City as hes unsettled.

Tbf I am frustrated by the “he is best when playing with a striker” or “when playing as a second striker” etc. Personally, if your a goalscorer like he is, to only get 4 or 6 PL goals in your first season when you’ve scored over 100 goals in Germany in recent seasons, you have to do better. Even more so considering the 2 barren spells and the huge volume of sitters he missed that I think we’d all probably fancy ourselves at scoring…. I remember the shit Morata got in the second half of his first year and it is odd the difference now for Timo but lets see how it goes this season. The excuses will only last so long, if he doesn’t do it this season regularly instead of in fits and bursts every couple of months nobody can say anything. Even this “so he can run at people thing playing off a CF”, he played on the left hand side when Tammy was in the team with Frank and basically was as good as another RB for the opposition because he did nothing. This is why we needed a top CF, because he couldn’t be counted on to put the big chances away like others also.