18 Jul 2024 10:48:22
AWB to West Ham, then active Frimpong's €40m release clause which expires at the end of July? Yes please!
18 Jul 2024 15:54:39
No thanks unless we plan to play 3 at the back. He would be badly exposed defensively imo playing as a rb.
I don't think it's a great idea to sign a player that plays in a position and then ask him to play in a different position expecting him to do as well.
Lots of better right backs we could target imo.
18 Jul 2024 16:57:07
He only played 1 game at RB last season according to TransferMarkt, playing 38 at RM and 6 at RW (14G 12A) He can cover LB too, plus he's homegrown.
I've suggested previously that I can see us progressing to the increasingly popular 343 (which transitions to a 541 without the ball and 145 when attacking) . If we offload Maguire or Lindelof and bring in MDL or JB then we'd have flexibility and depth. Dalot can cover LB too, plus Yoro looks like he could cover RB as a more defensive / supportive option.
18 Jul 2024 17:01:14
Thumbs up from me. Can also play RW which is a problem position also so theoretically could play in the same XI as Dalot.
18 Jul 2024 18:39:05
That's my thinking Spenno. With potentially 55-60 games in all comps next season there'll be plenty of games to share around.
20 Jul 2024 12:14:48
I don't think we should sign Frimpong unless he'll be both first choice and we plan to play with wingbacks.
We've seen this before, we sign players who have excelled in a very different system/ tactical set up to what we are looking to play, only to be surprised/ let down when that player doesn't adapt to this totally different way of playing.
We saw this with Kagawa, Mkhitayran and Sancho from Dortmund. A side committed to playing a very high pressing game, compacting the pitch and having their players play in close proximity to eachother. We then played them in a side that doesn't press as high, that looks to play with width and expand the pitch rather than contract it, then we wonder why they can't replicate their Dortmund form with us.
A similar thing happened with Donny, he excelled at Ajax playing as a No.10/ second striker. He played more or less in the forward line, or just withdrawn from it. Not deeper in midfield. He also benefited from playing with players close to him, where he could play a quick one-two bounce pass, and then ghost into the box picking up space to score.
Then at United we've played him far deeper than he ever played at Ajax, with bigger spaces between him and his team mates and with greater distances for him to cover. He also plays best in a role/ position that Bruno Fernandes plays to a higher standard. So was never going to get a run of games in his best position.
Last summer loads of people complained about the signing of Mason Mount, a player who has typically played best either in the No.10 or wide as a floating playmaker. Yet he had shown some ability to play slightly deeper as a No.8, but it certainly wasn't his best position. Many fans complained that we should sign players to play in their best position.
Now maybe Mount would have been successful if he wasn't injured or maybe he'd have underwhelmed. Either way I think most fans would agree the best chance he as of being successful at our club is probably as a Bruno replacement if he leaves this year or next.
What I find surprising is the number of fans who complained about signing players to play in their best position last summer when we signed Mount are then this summer advocating signing Frimpong and playing him out of position.
The problem with having Dalot and AWB as RB options is that they are very different in how they play, which means a drastic change in our tactics is needed when switching between the two.
If we sell AWB this summer then we should look to bring in a player in a similar mould to Dalot, probably younger with potential. While in some positions you want variations in abilities and style (particularly in attacking positions) to give the manager different options to change things from the bench. You don't tend to want such variations in defence. Good defending comes down to consistency and clear understanding of each others game, skills, and role. Ideally in defence you want similar styled players as back up to minimise distribution when you need to make changes.
Frimpong and Dalot are probably as different in style as Dalot and AWB. We are just changing an extreme defensive option for an extreme attacking option.
We need someone who can play either on the overlap, or invert into midfield in a similar mound to Dalot. Ideally someone younger who has high potential. Someone to learn from Dalot, challenge him and maybe eventually surpass him and take the role for themselves.
Selling AWB for 15m to spend 40m on signing Frimpong and still have the same basic problem seems foolish. Especially when we'd be expecting Frimpong to play in a very different role/ style than he has excelled in.