Spector as the new Roy Keane?

[jri]

Asking hard-core fans...

Could Spector ever fill the Roy Keane role?

I believe as time goes on, we will all see Spector's attacking abilities. I think he has been playing it conservative (as one can expect), but as recently as 2 years ago, he was a striker for the U-17 US Nats. So he grew up ball-skill comfortable. He seems comfortable w/dribble and outside-of-boot.

He seems to me to have the right blend of intensity but calmness needed in the Keane role.

I think Spector's 'going-forward' skills could get wasted on an outside, mostly stay-at-home backline spot.

With Rio and Heinze, your team seems set in the middle of defense (for years) perhaps. Spector is not your classic left/right fullback either (although he's played great in that role so far).

Keano is on downside of career now, and I think it would be awfully difficult for teams to go past a Spector/Rio/Heinze center of park. You need an understudy to Keane in middle, to take over next year or beyond. How about Spector?

[Achtung]

Waaaay too early for a question like this, IMO. In terms of just that central mid position, right now we have Miller, Djemba-Djemba, Fletcher, and Kleberson all fighting it out, and its hard to think that none of them will make it there. But if that happens, I think we're more likely to purchase a CM rather than convert a defender (see the poor O'Shea midfield experiment for an example). In terms of leadership abilities, well that's something that he won't develop overnight. Either way, as good as Spector has looked, its going to be tough for him to keep breaking into the team once Heinze and Rio are back. Right now he's just finding his legs out there, though doing a good job at it.

[haven]

Too early to tell.

Two seasons ago, when O'Shea couldn't put a foot wrong and was a top 5 defender in England, everyone was tipping him as a CB or Keane-replacement. Err...

Spector seems to have the requisite abilities. I don't think anybody believes he'll stay on the outside. Whether his future is at CB or CM, though... who knows?

[Robert25]

Spector obviously has the talent and the tenacity to succeed there.

But I REALLY was impressed by his play at centerback. I mean he was going forward a lot, and I think that will add such a dimension to the whole team. I don't think he should be moved to the fullback position either, he was good where he was. *Again i only saw him in the Blackburn game* But I think he just gives our backline such a threat.

Keano is one of my favorites. I am sorry but no one can replace this guy. You'd have to get the energy, determination, drive, and sheer tenacity of Cantona, add the passing and ballworking skills of a top quality midfielder, and a good tackler to have another Keano. We might as well try to clone him.

Maybe Spector, maybe DJ2, or someone will fill this role, i just doubt it will be very easy.

[Soccerholic]

But I REALLY was impressed by his play at centerback. I mean he was going forward a lot, and I think that will add such a dimension to the whole team. I don't think he should be moved to the fullback position either, he was good where he was. *Again i only saw him in the Blackburn game*

Spector played fullback, not centerback, against both Blackburn and Everton.

[Motterman]

Asking hard-core fans...

Could Spector ever fill the Roy Keane role?
The potential of Spector is definitely there. It's just too early to be talking about him being "the next Keano" though. I really like what I've seen so far from him though. I think Ferguson has been pleased with him, but Ferguson also is a master of bringing on the kids slowly but surely. We will only see Spector when we are having injury problems for the rest of this year I would think. I wouldn't have a problem with him getting the odd game this year when possible. You never know though, he could come on like O'Shea did 2 years ago and leave Ferguson no choice but to find somewhere to play him....

[Motterman]

Come to think of it, Spector puts me more in mind that he may be "the next Stevie Gerrard" more than the "the next Keano".

And THAT wouldn't suck either.

[fatmaradona]

asking who is the next Keano or who will fill the keano position is like asking who is the next Diego or who will fill the next Zidane position----those shoes are too large to fill. Spector may turn out great, but it is too early to draw comparisions with one of the games greatest ever.

[El Buki]

Please stop it...this thread is a joke

[Motterman]

Spector may turn out great,
That's all that's being speculated here. Chill out.

[fatmaradona]

That's all that's being speculated here. Chill out.


yeah I'm chill----my point is that too many Man Utd fans go on about Keane's replacement, like it's just a matter of finding it. There is none.

[Motterman]

yeah I'm chill----my point is that too many Man Utd fans go on about Keane's replacement, like it's just a matter of finding it. There is none.
Well, being as that we don't look like the same team without Keane in the lineup, we could sure use a talisman in the midfield.

Spector is a converted forward now playing in the defence. If he's got the skills to get forward, and the wheels to track back and make tackles, etc. - we might have got something here....

[jri]

asking who is the next Keano or who will fill the keano position is like asking who is the next Diego or who will fill the next Zidane position----those shoes are too large to fill. Spector may turn out great, but it is too early to draw comparisions with one of the games greatest ever.

Hopefully the distinction in title was recognized.

I was not saying Spector WILL be the next Roy Keane (that would be presumptious, to say the least).

I am saying, on a planning/preparation basis...does it make sense to specifically GROOM Spector for the Keane spot? (recognizing full well it might not work out for a number of reasons).

That's a big difference compared to what are you and a couple others are "reading" here (I think).

[billyho96]

You can't replace Keane. You may find a different formula that will work as well, but you'll never replace him.

Roy Keane is Manchester United (please don't insert "we won at the nou camp without him" here)

The fire in Keane's belly is what can't be replaced. Maybe Alan Smith has it.

[johno]

I hope than ManU never needs a Keane again...

Let me explain myself... Roy Keane is/was an exceptional player... but the only reason we need a Roy Keane replacement is that Scholes cannot tackle... if we had an attacking midfielder like Lampard who can tackle without fouling then while you still need an anchor you dont need a superman who is everywhere winning all headers, tackles and free balls... what we need is more of what we have... Fletcher who is quite balanced in attack and defence... Kleberson who is almost as balanced as Fletch but due to stature is more of an offensive asset, DjDj who is a good tackler but not so much so that he can play an anchor role without help. We are thankfully coming away from the Phil Neville tactic of just having someone to do the dirty work and nothing else... we need creativity and vision from both CM's and in addition we need tackling, marking, heading and workrate from BOTH positions... obviously you would expect 1 player to be better at creativity and vision and passing while one would be better at tackling and heading and marking, but you cannot in this day an age of seamless football play with one dimensional players and expect to succeed at the highest levels...

Kleberson and DjDj are the right type of balance... they are not yet good enough I think, but maybe someday they will be. The point is thats what you need, 2 guys who can contribute to both aspects of the game. Scholes as great as he is, is a problem we have had to coach around, although it was not a problem in the past because Keane was Omnipresent and Giggs and Becks had better than average workrates and defensive skills for wingers... we need 2 CM's and not a DM and a AM I think that makes for predictability and allows players to get marked out of the game. For instance... everyone knows Scholes will be doing the bulk of the link play and that Keane is not much of a threat (now, not in the past but you could substitute Phil or DjDj or Butt when he was here for Keane) and the opposing team's man marking midfielder would just shaddow Scholes and only break off of him in an emergency, thus killing our best attacking weapon from the midfield. If however we have say Gerrard and Vieira (just player types here, I could have also said, Ballack and Makalele) one of them could go on attacking forays while the other sits back and do so interchangably which would make marking a player out of the game useless... say they mark Gerrard he gets the ball returns the pass and makes a dummy run to the left (as soon as he draws his marker he can start to fall back and hold for his partner) moving his man out and then Viera makes a run into the space left and boom... defensive breakdown... with us, when its gonna be 1 attacking and 1 defensive we are more limited in our options...


All that to say, we need players who can do several things... and I think Fergie has found a few... DjDj, Klebs, Fletcher... we will just have to see how they perform, but cannot expect them to be A) as good as Keane or similar to him or B) have the same skills and make the same contributions as Scholes...


And now, to answer the question... no, I don't like Spector for CM... I would much rather see him be groomed as Rio's replacement, but be played in a full back role on occasion until then... he is a good prospect but he will be ruined if he is put into midfield... he is not daft, he will know that he is expected by some to be Keane, and that's just not possible..

[jri]

I hope than ManU never needs a Keane again...

Let me explain myself... Roy Keane is/was an exceptional player... but the only reason we need a Roy Keane replacement is that Scholes cannot tackle... if we had an attacking midfielder like Lampard who can tackle without fouling then while you still need an anchor you dont need a superman who is everywhere winning all headers, tackles and free balls... what we need is more of what we have... Fletcher who is quite balanced in attack and defence... Kleberson who is almost as balanced as Fletch but due to stature is more of an offensive asset, DjDj who is a good tackler but not so much so that he can play an anchor role without help. We are thankfully coming away from the Phil Neville tactic of just having someone to do the dirty work and nothing else... we need creativity and vision from both CM's and in addition we need tackling, marking, heading and workrate from BOTH positions... obviously you would expect 1 player to be better at creativity and vision and passing while one would be better at tackling and heading and marking, but you cannot in this day an age of seamless football play with one dimensional players and expect to succeed at the highest levels...

Kleberson and DjDj are the right type of balance... they are not yet good enough I think, but maybe someday they will be. The point is thats what you need, 2 guys who can contribute to both aspects of the game. Scholes as great as he is, is a problem we have had to coach around, although it was not a problem in the past because Keane was Omnipresent and Giggs and Becks had better than average workrates and defensive skills for wingers... we need 2 CM's and not a DM and a AM I think that makes for predictability and allows players to get marked out of the game. For instance... everyone knows Scholes will be doing the bulk of the link play and that Keane is not much of a threat (now, not in the past but you could substitute Phil or DjDj or Butt when he was here for Keane) and the opposing team's man marking midfielder would just shaddow Scholes and only break off of him in an emergency, thus killing our best attacking weapon from the midfield. If however we have say Gerrard and Vieira (just player types here, I could have also said, Ballack and Makalele) one of them could go on attacking forays while the other sits back and do so interchangably which would make marking a player out of the game useless... say they mark Gerrard he gets the ball returns the pass and makes a dummy run to the left (as soon as he draws his marker he can start to fall back and hold for his partner) moving his man out and then Viera makes a run into the space left and boom... defensive breakdown... with us, when its gonna be 1 attacking and 1 defensive we are more limited in our options...


All that to say, we need players who can do several things... and I think Fergie has found a few... DjDj, Klebs, Fletcher... we will just have to see how they perform, but cannot expect them to be A) as good as Keane or similar to him or B) have the same skills and make the same contributions as Scholes...


And now, to answer the question... no, I don't like Spector for CM... I would much rather see him be groomed as Rio's replacement, but be played in a full back role on occasion until then... he is a good prospect but he will be ruined if he is put into midfield... he is not daft, he will know that he is expected by some to be Keane, and that's just not possible..

Nice post. Thanks

[flash1316]

What went wrong with O'Shea? He went from nutmegging Figo to riding the bench and when he gets in playing out of position.

[sch2383]

There will never be another Keano. If anybody comes close, they will become a legend in their own right.

[prk166]

Asking hard-core fans...

Could Spector ever fill the Roy Keane role?

I believe as time goes on, we will all see Spector's attacking abilities. I think he has been playing it conservative (as one can expect), but as recently as 2 years ago, he was a striker for the U-17 US Nats. So he grew up ball-skill comfortable. He seems comfortable w/dribble and outside-of-boot.

He seems to me to have the right blend of intensity but calmness needed in the Keane role.

I think Spector's 'going-forward' skills could get wasted on an outside, mostly stay-at-home backline spot.

With Rio and Heinze, your team seems set in the middle of defense (for years) perhaps. Spector is not your classic left/right fullback either (although he's played great in that role so far).

Keano is on downside of career now, and I think it would be awfully difficult for teams to go past a Spector/Rio/Heinze center of park. You need an understudy to Keane in middle, to take over next year or beyond. How about Spector?


Let's have JS go play for Nottingham for a few years and find out. :p

[Acronym]

Spector owns. Wait for his goal!