i know what you're saying but i think most people wouldn't see that as any real improvement. at least he has upside. i'd feel better about his chances making it now with the recent stability but i don't really expect him to. needs to show a lot more
The biggest predictor of whether a young player will make it isn't talent. If it were talent, Gomes, Ravel, Januzaj would have been household names. I agree that he needs to show more, but I don't think he's incapable. In any case, if he's just a bog standard run fast, kick hard player, it is a bonus that he's left footed and has a good head on his shoulders. I think if he played the minutes Dan James has played this season, he'd have at least as many goals and assists. He'd have had some rough play in there and some weird decisions and touches, but he's a kid and that's to be expected. If we drop Jesse and AP and replace them w/ Chong and Gomes as our depth for RW & 10, we'll get younger, save money take in a little cash from player sales and make some room for another starter in the team. I can't see a down side.
If Chong was good enough to get some of James' minutes then James wouldn't be so burnt out and would be more productive right now.
i don't think James is so much burnt out as much as found out. he needs something new to his game. even if he's fresh the lack of end product will remain
Nah, he's tired. He's not got the same top speed and acceleration as he had at the start of the season when he was winning penalties and free kicks at a phenomenal rate. He was better at the knock and run too, and he was particularly good at cutting in off the left, darting across defensive lines and worrying a couple of players at a time. He's tired and he's not quite got the same confidence on the ball right now so his decision making's off. This is his first full season of use at a club. He should be a squad player, but he's played as many games for us as he did for Swansea last season - 34 - and for us in particular the distance he's covered, and the speed he's had to cover it at, is obviously going to take its toll.
James is not burnt out. He's a limited player. He is less likely to dribble a defender using skill or from a standing start than everyone in the first team squad bar Maguire and De Gea and honestly, I'm not too sure on DDG.
Yeah, he is. He is a limited player, but he's also burnt out. He used to absolutely rip past players in a straight foot race. Now he's just fast. And the player you forgot to mention there in your funny little list is Chong. If they sold an action figure of Chong based on the times he has played for us, then it would come with a big pocket to carry him around in.
Chong's last two cameos were good. He was direct and involved in goal scoring chances. I think he was collectively a foot away from 3 goals. He's been a little unfortunate. Dan James for the most part hits all his shots right at the keeper. He finally missed the keeper last time out, but he's a bad finisher. He's been found out which is why he can't beat people before, they've realized all he has is a kick and run. He's got plenty of rest lately but still very little has changed.
Plenty of rest And yeah, we've seen what happens when Chong is a foot away from the goal. Fair enough mate. You really like one limited youngster and don't rate another. I like and stick up for a limited youngster and don't rate another. I get it's difficult to push Chong when he's looked as bad as he has when he actually plays, without any of the upside that James still gives at his worst. Hopefully things will click for him now he's staying and he will start to beat his man, so James can have more than one or two games off in a 6 month window without a pandemic intervening.
i thought Chong did well versus LASK. you can cite the opposition but he actually beat a few men and assisted the corner sniper's goal. time will tell if he can build on it or if it was an anomaly
He's had a game off here or there and been subbed out here or there. He played fewer minutes than Rashford and Martial when all the attackers were healthy. You've failed to address my primary points. Dan James is a bad finisher and he's bad at dribbling people. Your point about Chong not being good enough to take minutes from James rings hollow. We kept him out of the team a great deal because his deal was running down. In any case, comparing him to James is apples to oranges. James had a full season of first team football under his belt. Chong has a handful of games at the highest level (tm) so of course he looks out of sorts when getting his feet wet. Way more players look like Chong did/does at the start of their careers than like Mason Greenwood. In any case, my points still stand. Dan James has flattered to deceive this season. He's had plenty chances to perform and it is clear that outside of counter attacking when afforded lots of space to run into, he's just not that useful. Chong, although also quite raw has shown flashes of potential and could be useful if he gets his confidence going. One thing about James that I failed to mention is that he's actually quite good at crossfield passes and longer passes in general. I'd like to see us encourage that in his play.
Dan James has played the most minutes of any of our forwards. I have no idea how you're disproving that by saying Martial and Rashford would play more when healthy - they haven't been, and that's why James has played so many games and is burnt out. That he should have played fewer minutes I don't disagree with, but you can't make up that he's been given enough time off in his first full season, especially when his game leans heavily on his work rate going forward and back. The argument discredits itself. Chong had an ok game against LASK which is encouraging because he's been so bad otherwise. If you're attached to him because you like him at U23 level then sure, fine, but you've not made his case.
They missed a big chunk of time. They've been out for weeks and he hasn't and he's played like 300 minutes more than them. When everyone was fit he was the first to get rested or rotated. He hasn't been injured, all our attackers have been out injured so he's got a lot of minutes, but I just don't see burn out. Not for a 19yo. His defensive production is the same, teams are just getting tight and he has no answers because he has zero dribbling ability. Regardless... none of this he's played too much and his burnt out bullshit covers for the fact that he's a limited player. The scouting report on him when he joined was that he was a limited attacker whose best asset was his pace and hard work. I'm not really sure what your point is beyond you want to have Dan's kids. He will never be first XI quality for United. He's only playing because of injuries and a lack of options. The first genuine RW we land and DJ will be what he is supposed to be. A bench player who plays against minnows or as a sub. The scope of his game is narrow and if he matches his potential he'll be a 5 goal 10 assist per season winger. I think Chong's ceiling is higher than that, but we have to wait and see on his development.
That is exactly where James should be, I've said so all along. He should be our backup LW, only occasionally a RW, never a striker. He's played more minutes than both of those players with only one or two minor injuries, in his first full season, his first season playing for a PL team, playing his high work rate game. And he's our top assist provider on 6, despite not having made an assist since 28th December. Edit: -snip- Not worth it. I've said my piece and I know the reaching required to say Chong has shown potential.
That he's just like the rest of us, and he rates certain youth but doesn't rate others. The highlighted portion of your message.
I believe in Deano and I believe him to be the future between the sticks for us, but nevertheless I think that Schmeiks has a point. I wouldn't bet the farm just yet going with him as our #1 next season. A pretty ideal timeline for me would be him remaining with Sheffield thru next season, taking the starting spot from Pickford for England in the run up to the Euros, with United looking to bring him back for the 21-22 season (especially if he has a successful tournament with England). By which time, he should be pretty ideally placed to mount a legit challenge for Dave's spot. That time would provide Henderson the opportunity to further his development under less pressure. He just turned 23: he'll get to United eventually in all likelihood if he can maintain the same type of form he's shown this season. Time is absolutely on his side.
Given the club has seemed to do all the honourable things during this crisis, would be surprised if they pulled a loan keeper from a rival part-way through a resumed season ie after having played the June games forced DH to miss their last few games in July. Would be a bit of a low blow tbh and wouldn’t sit well with the player either.