John Stones

Originally Posted by saffers

Still think ferie £#%&!ed them both with the midfield and right back experimentation. Hard to get settled as a young player when you become a bit of a swiss knife for the manager.

Hummels comes with pedigree, talent and hunger to succeed after a couple of lean years at Dortmund. The right buy for us.

playing some games right back does not make you a big clumsy lumbering lummox!!!

jesus christ


plus Hummels falls into the above!!nightmare post

Originally Posted by saffers

Still think ferie £#%&!ed them both with the midfield and right back experimentation. Hard to get settled as a young player when you become a bit of a swiss knife for the manager.

Hummels comes with pedigree, talent and hunger to succeed after a couple of lean years at Dortmund. The right buy for us.

Very much so regarding Jones and Smalling, the fact Jones has had a shit run of injuries now he'd be in a position to start games at centre half.

Being played as fullbacks and midfield didn't help, neither did the loss of experienced partners, the lack of a proper defence minded midfielder to help out due to how attacking our fullbacks are set up.

The amount of times both ended up in positions when thy were damned if the did and damned if they didn't was a joke too. Either let the player continue at them with plenty of time and space or committing and possibly taking themselves out of the game.

When we have a proper roster of midfielders that includes players apart from Carrick that can play the defensive side properly they'll improve even more.

Have said umpteen times about Jones and again feel free to bookmark and bump in the future. Only turned 23 a few moths ago too.

we need a midfield.

Originally Posted by Zorg

Got him mixed up with John Stead for a second there. As you were.

that's okay, i got him mixed up with john scales

Originally Posted by Zorg

Got him mixed up with John Stead for a second there. As you were.

Originally Posted by Jack Duckworth

that's okay, i got him mixed up with john scales

You're a right pair of ding bats you two.

Originally Posted by HolyMackrelDoodleBonkon

You're a right pair of ding bats you two.

according to wiki, he retired in 2001 so i was nearly right...

Chelsea have had a £20m bid kyboshed.

https://twitter.com/SkySportsNewsHQ/status/621977531101650944

Originally Posted by taff

for all this talk of us moving swiftly and decisively in the transfer market this summer, we just seem to be following our recent strategy of flinging money at any @#%&! who'll listen

what's the betting depay is still our only signing in six weeks' time?

More to the point, Taff's got anti-sage of the year wrapped up.

laughable to claim ferguson set jones and smalling back by using them at full-back

it was a tried and tested ferguson policy ffs. one of the most important tactical aspects of a centre back's game, especially playing in a typical ferguson two winger system, was to be able to cover the full-backs, and that meant knowing what to do when you found yourself there. amazing that even after 27 years with him as the boss people apparently didn't understand it.

getting his players to understand different tactical and positional roles in the side was a key part of the way he developed so many successful teams. it's also a key part of splitting the centre backs and having a midfielder dropping in. basically it's essential learning for the likes of smalling and jones...

fwiw some of Ferguson's most notable tactical successes were switching irwin to the opposite flank, winning the european cup with wes brown at right-back & winning the ECWC with blackmore at full-back...

Originally Posted by 92ToBury

More to the point, Taff's got anti-sage of the year wrapped up.

FFS

If that was me I'd be throwing my laptop out of the window and ringing virgin to cancel the broadband because "i shouldn't be allowed on the internet"

Originally Posted by 92ToBury

More to the point, Taff's got anti-sage of the year wrapped up.

Beat me to it

Originally Posted by Semantic Lisp

laughable to claim ferguson set jones and smalling back by using them at full-back

it was a tried and tested ferguson policy ffs. one of the most important tactical aspects of a centre back's game, especially playing in a typical ferguson two winger system, was to be able to cover the full-backs, and that meant knowing what to do when you found yourself there. amazing that even after 27 years with him as the boss people apparently didn't understand it.

I certainly remember Vida and Rio earning their stripes, Vida bombing down the left wing like a serbian Irwin.

And who can forget Pallister, Bruce and Stam all having successful stints at right wing back. Magnificent tried and trusted policy by the great one

Originally Posted by bigMikeA

I certainly remember Vida and Rio earning their stripes, Vida bombing down the left wing like a serbian Irwin.

And who can forget Pallister, Bruce and Stam all having successful stints at right wing back. Magnificent tried and trusted policy by the great one

tbf I'm pretty sure Mal Donaghy 'played' a few games at right back

Originally Posted by bigMikeA

I certainly remember Vida and Rio earning their stripes, Vida bombing down the left wing like a serbian Irwin.

And who can forget Pallister, Bruce and Stam all having successful stints at right wing back. Magnificent tried and trusted policy by the great one

That's a really clever post mike ()

course, it ignores that Ferdinand had already played in other positions before he arrived, and that all 5 of those players were already established pros when they arrived

Vida became expert at sweeping behind Evra at United, and you obviously don't remember Jaap Stam raiding down the left touchline now and again - games v Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester spring to mind very fondly

Point being that it's not unreasonable to suggest Jones and/or Smalling have the attributes to be established centre backs at this stage in their career and part of the reason they're not is probably because they've not, until last season, been consistently played at CB.

I dint think anyone is suggesting that is froggles fault as there were almost always better centre backs available but I dispute that putting them at right back was designed to improve them in any way.

Originally Posted by bigMikeA

Point being that it's not unreasonable to suggest Jones and/or Smalling have the attributes to be established centre backs at this stage in their career and part of the reason they're not is probably because they've not, until last season, been consistently played at CB.

I dint think anyone is suggesting that is froggles fault as there were almost always better centre backs available but I dispute that putting them at right back was designed to improve them in any way.

it's an automatic process - playing there opens their eyes. some excel and stay there - parker started as a centre back before he came to united iirc and neville came through as one as well didn't he...

some people in the england set-up still believe jones' best position may turn out to be RB

and there must be very very few people that think smalling was good enough to start ahead of either ferdinand or vidic at centre back any time ever while they were at united.

will they improve playing regularly together? naturally they should do, shouldn't they. will that happen? LVG wants at least one centre back and is looking at ramos to go straight in so it's unlikely.

Originally Posted by 92ToBury

More to the point, Taff's got anti-sage of the year wrapped up.

reverse curse of the year though, surely?

dunno about john stones but ed's stones are no longer in question

sunday mirror
Manchester United have joined the race for Everton defender John Stones, with Roberto Martinez understood to be unhappy with Chelsea’s pursuit of him.

Originally Posted by ScarFace

sunday mirror
Manchester United have joined the race for Everton defender John Stones, with Roberto Martinez understood to be unhappy with Chelsea’s pursuit of him.

If we want him, Evans going the other way will help too. Throw in Valencia too while we're at it.

Originally Posted by ScarFace

sunday mirror
Manchester United have joined the race for Everton defender John Stones, with Roberto Martinez understood to be unhappy with Chelsea’s pursuit of him.

Not much Bob Martin can do about it if the player wants the move and the club want the dosh. Not seen much of him tbh, is he any good?