Lack of English players in the squad

[The only place to be 11,313]

I don't think they would have spent that much for Shaw to be on the bench.

Yep...no chance that a £30 million player could end up on United's bench.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

LVG later said that Shaw has been training fantastically and recently praised him as an "example to the dressing room".

Yes, he played their in the WC. But his main position is a DM. It is good for LVG that he is versatile because he can play numerous positions but one thing he lacks is pace. He operates best from a DM and I am sure that is where LVG plans on playing him. I am 100% sure on that. I expect to see him as the DC/DM in front of Rojo and Evans in a 3-5-2 formation. They did not spend £32m on Shaw to be a sub. Shaw will be a starter for sure.

Juan Mata says hello.

[Jase 43,479]

Considering half of 'The Board' thread is filled with discussion about the lack of English players in the squad and doesn't look like it's gonna stop anytime soon, will move those posts to here to avoid derailing that thread any further...

[Stats 7,054]

Yep...no chance that a £30 million player could end up on United's bench.

Juan Mata says hello.

Funny thing is United have started Mata every game this season so far but either way they have riches in attack so that is understandable. Shaw on the other hand has been offered huge wages etc to join United. United did not just buy him for his potential. If you lot really think Blind or Rojo will be the starting LB/LWB over Shaw you have no idea. Shaw is key to that 3-5-2 formation if LVG persists with it. In a league like the PL you need pace at fullback. Shaw offers LVG exactly what he wants from the WB role. Rojo has been bought to play as a CB and Blind DM like I said. Time will tell but I am sure most pundits, United fans and LVG knows himself that Shaw will get that place when he returns.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

Funny thing is United have started Mata every game this season so far but either way they have riches in attack so that is understandable. Shaw on the other hand has been offered huge wages etc to join United. United did not just buy him for his potential. If you lot really think Blind or Rojo will be the starting LB/LWB over Shaw you have no idea. Shaw is key to that 3-5-2 formation if LVG persists with it. In a league like the PL you need pace at fullback. Shaw offers LVG exactly what he wants from the WB role. Rojo has been bought to play as a CB and Blind DM like I said. Time will tell but I am sure most pundits, United fans and LVG knows himself that Shaw will get that place when he returns.

point is the transfer fee means little, its who is best suited for Van Gaal's system. Blind, in my opinion, will start there because he already knows what Van Gaal wants from that position. Shaw will have to work his way into the side.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

http://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-news/2014/09/academy-graduates-in-first-team-squad.html

[The only place to be 11,313]

Funny thing is United have started Mata every game this season so far but either way they have riches in attack so that is understandable. Shaw on the other hand has been offered huge wages etc to join United. United did not just buy him for his potential. If you lot really think Blind or Rojo will be the starting LB/LWB over Shaw you have no idea. Shaw is key to that 3-5-2 formation if LVG persists with it. In a league like the PL you need pace at fullback. Shaw offers LVG exactly what he wants from the WB role. Rojo has been bought to play as a CB and Blind DM like I said. Time will tell but I am sure most pundits, United fans and LVG knows himself that Shaw will get that place when he returns.

The notion that he will take that spot 'easily' is what I actually thought you were incorrect about.

But you have a point that no player bought in for a big price and on high wages would have anything but 'ease' in acquiring a spot in that team.

[Stats 7,054]

point is the transfer fee means little, its who is best suited for Van Gaal's system. Blind, in my opinion, will start there because he already knows what Van Gaal wants from that position. Shaw will have to work his way into the side.

Blind will be exposed at that position, that is my point. He has all the technical abilities but is very slow. If he comes up against speedy wingers he will be chasing grass. But his technical abilities are suited to a DM in the PL. I don't think United are paying Shaw around £100k p/w to be on the bench. If you look at United's first 3 fixtues, I would not say they are missing a Blind type player at LWB. But they are certainly missing a Shaw type of player. Once they get Shaw there I think they will be better balanced. Trust me on this, Blind will play with Ander or like I was saying just in front of the defence.

[Jase 43,479]

Blind will be exposed at that position, that is my point. He has all the technical abilities but is very slow. If he comes up against speedy wingers he will be chasing grass. But his technical abilities are suited to a DM in the PL. I don't think United are paying Shaw around £100k p/w to be on the bench. If you look at United's first 3 fixtues, I would not say they are missing a Blind type player at LWB. But they are certainly missing a Shaw type of player. Once they get Shaw there I think they will be better balanced. Trust me on this, Blind will play with Ander or like I was saying just in front of the defence.

Please carry on the discussion here.

The other thread is back to being about 'The Board'.

[Stats 7,054]

The notion that he will take that spot 'easily' is what I actually thought you were incorrect about.

But you have a point that no player bought in for a big price and on high wages would have anything but 'ease' in acquiring a spot in that team.

I do think he will get that spot quite easily because there is no one like him in that role. Part of the reason why I think Shaw went United and United offerd him lucrative wages was based on he would be a first team starter. I think time will show that I was proved right anyway.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

Blind will be exposed at that position, that is my point. He has all the technical abilities but is very slow. If he comes up against speedy wingers he will be chasing grass. But his technical abilities are suited to a DM in the PL. I don't think United are paying Shaw around £100k p/w to be on the bench. If you look at United's first 3 fixtues, I would not say they are missing a Blind type player at LWB. But they are certainly missing a Shaw type of player. Once they get Shaw there I think they will be better balanced. Trust me on this, Blind will play with Ander or like I was saying just in front of the defence.

Yet he played there for the manager in the world cup?

Anyway Shaw was purchased for the future, I doubt with the pressure mounting at OT, that Van Gaal will go with the guy who he deemed unfit over a guy he trusted to get his side to the semis of the World Cup. Perhaps long term Blind is the DM (he's not good there either) but in the immediate future, before things settle down I'm willing to wager its Blind.

[Jase 43,479]

Yet he played there for the manager in the world cup?

Anyway Shaw was purchased for the future, I doubt with the pressure mounting at OT, that Van Gaal will go with the guy who he deemed unfit over a guy he trusted to get his side to the semis of the World Cup. Perhaps long term Blind is the DM (he's not good there either) but in the immediate future, before things settle down I'm willing to wager its Blind.

Please carry on the discussion here...

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

Well done Jason!

[Tomo 21,733]

Yes we would be because Alex would cost us a fortune to acquire. We need to develop HG talent not buy it.

Not so much now but more when he was at Southampton.

Yes I agree we need to develop aswell, but if there are good players around who will fit the system, we should atleast explore the possibility.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

Not so much now but more when he was at Southampton.

Yes I agree we need to develop aswell, but if there are good players around who will fit the system, we should atleast explore the possibility.

Arsenal have a better relationship with Southampton than Chelsea do.

I don't think the Board have made any poor decisions with regards to the youth policy. We are challenging the youth to play at an extremely high level, if they get in they will be exceptional. If they fail to get in they have studied at one of the best academies in the country and will go play for a lesser side, it still helps England in the end.

[zolayes 14,489]

there is a lack of quality in young English players.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

If you have actually read the subsequent posts, you would know that I've named some of them. And regardless of that, it's still silly to generalize (+ too easy to say everyone is bad).

I did, but up until that post you had not.

Anyway, even in the posts after, no one has yet named a realistic and available English talent that could be in our squad.

Chamberlain could be a replacement for Salah, but he is not available at the time and when he was, were not looking for Salah-type signing. Wilshere has been pretty crap for a long while now and on any account he has never been a realistic target and would not join us. Rooney could be in our squad and we tried to get him last season but he declined and got ridiculous wages at united. Barry could be a decent option on the bench and I wanted us to go for him when he was leaving City but he was leaving City because he wasn't getting enough playing time; makes little sense for him to come here. Shaw went for a ridiculous fee and we're not Liverpool to make a signing like Lambert. Sterling is the complete opposite of what Jose looks in his attacking midfielders, he would never be a Chelsea player under him. Lallana is a decent option but we're already overloaded in his position.

We're not trying to avoid signing English players, there just hasn't been English players that suite what we want.

When Shaw is back from injury he will take that LWB back spot quite easily. Even if they revert to 4 at the back he will get that LB spot quite easily as well imo.

Will he? They have plenty of options to play there; he will need to play consistently at his best to keep the spot which is very hard for a 19 year old. Plus, rumors are that he's completely unfit at the moment and has put on weight in the summer; could be a while before he gets into the united XI.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

We're not trying to avoid signing English players, there just hasn't been English players that suite what we want.

Hear, hear!

And this is precisely why we need to cultivate our own english players in the philosophy the club are developing. It will happen, perhaps not this year(though Baker and looks like he's in the squad) or next year(though if Chalobah has a good loan you never know) or the year after that, but Chelsea FC will produce another academy youth into the first team who is English.

What's a few years in the life of a club? Be patient.