Blackett and McNair

Done well so far with the latter being superb at times. You want experienced defenders? This is how you get em.

With all the shite with injuries having 2 Academy kids coming through and doing so well has been a Swiss flag for me.

Love youth team, love defenders.

Think Paddy will more likely partner Jones as Phil ascends the footballing mountain to camp Baresi.

I would only add one centre half in January tbh.

Blackett panicked a couple of times yesterday but like you say, plaiyng them ius only gonna help them.

Not many top sides will play two teenage centre halves who haven't played 10 first team games at Arsenal, and win.

United

Yep, big plus. Finishing the game with Wilson on the pitch aswell as those two

Originally Posted by dragflick

Yep, big plus. Finishing the game with Wilson on the pitch aswell as those two

Fletch too for a little added indentitedeh.

Really liked the look of Mcnair against Lukaku, seems to be a very smart defender too and decent with the ball on ground.

Got really high hopes for him to become a regular, gut feeling is Blackett will be a backup long term but these are exactly the types you want in and around the squad long term, part of the bigger picture. You'll be relatively comfortable any time they step in now no matter who were playing.

Originally Posted by Switching Off

Not many top sides will play two teenage centre halves who haven't played 10 first team games at Arsenal, and win.

£#%&!ing state of Martin Tyler yesterday, bemoaning the fact that Arsenal were playing a defender slightly out of position & then reeling off our line-up as if McNair & Blackett are Premier League stalwarts & we're essentially at full strength

No idea if either of them will make it long term but fair play to the pair of them for coming into the side & doing so well.

Originally Posted by dragflick

Yep, big plus. Finishing the game with Wilson on the pitch aswell as those two

All the press banging about us loosing our identity with our galacticos but not praising us for this :shakehead:

Originally Posted by Crumps

has been a Swiss flag for me.

It took me a while, but

The Leicester game was both sides of Blackett.

Can remember being impressed with him 1st half, then he may as well have stayed in the changing rooms for the 2nd half, completely imploded and got caught out repeatedly.
He seems more the type of player you would want to give a chance alongside more settled/established defenders to see the best of him.

I think Blackett will reach the oshea type lever good backup and squad player type(LC and run of the mill epl stuff)but not top drawer for CL latter stages or the city,chelski games

Hope I am wrong though

them starting so well is the most worrying thing for me.

Not lost when McNair starts Bloody loves a maraud up the pitch too

McNair looks absolutely quality but atm Blackett defo has a touch of the Phil Jones' about him..

if Evans and McNair had a run it could come good..

Originally Posted by Jethro

Not lost when McNair starts Bloody loves a maraud up the pitch too

yhgwgr (good word good rep)

Originally Posted by Jethro

Not lost when McNair starts Bloody loves a maraud up the pitch too

Him playing under LVG so soon in his career will do wonders for his development in a high line as well as helping the attack.

I like McNair as there is a top defender in there and as pointed out above its LVG,s job now to develop this kid

Both have limitations that worry me, tbh, but they're clearly doing something right as they're holding their own at this level.

I'll be surprised if Blackett has got enough to be a long-term starter, but if Mcnair can improve under LvG maybe he's got a chance. He looked slow when Chamberlain got in down the left in the second half and his reactions/marking for the recent Aguero and Giroud goals have been slow, but there's a lot of time to improve and he seems to have the confidence, which is very important.

biggest thing i like about blackett is that he seems to position himself well at times and throws his body at the ball... too man times these last few years united have had @#%&! in the team.

Probably worth bearing in mind that Blackett came through the academy playing left back.

McNair looks the more composed of the two. Not sure if either will make it long term, but good luck to them.

tbf to Blackett I'm not sure what he's done that marks him out as a back up that is any worse than McNair's pass straight to Arsenal about 2 yards outside our box Yesterday. and that isn't slagging McNair off either, kids make mistakes. but then I've never really seen Smalling do much that wrong outside the City game either, think our desperate need for a centre half is slightly overplayed tbh.