http://www.redissue.co.uk/news/loadnews.asp?cid=TMNW&id=228792 "At United, we have some interesting players coming through. I think Italian striker Giuseppe Rossi has a great chance of making it. He's small but he did very well last year. Sylvan Blake was also having a very good season alongside Rossi but the lad was unlucky as he broke a leg. "Spaniard Gerard Pique, Jonathan Spector, the US defender, and David Jones, our reserves captain, have also got a bright chance of becoming part of the first-team squad." Please note that this is Martin Ferguson, a scout for United
I hope Spector at least gets double digits games with ManU's first team this season.... or somewhere else, for that matter.....
With Fortune getting hurt Fergie will no doubt hold on to Spector as the backup to the backup to the backup left back.
Is he still a left back in Fergie's mind? Shouldn't he be plying for a central role, behind Rio and whoever they want to stick next to Rio?
United likes well-rounded defenders. Spector can and will play any of the back 4 positions, along with O'Shea and Phillip Neville. Heinze will play CB or LB, Rio will always be a CB, Gary Neville will always be a RB, Wes Brown can play CB or RB, and Silves can play both CB and LB
Spector's abysmal decision making in the U-20 game against Italy raises valid doubts about him starting in the EPL anytime soon.
Yea because one game after coming back from injuries not nearly 100% in the U20's really raises doubts
yes, one match against a bunch of teenager is far more conclusive than playing 9 or so matches in the premiership and playing well in those matches. to the point where you won't find a single manchester united fan anything but happy with his performances in those matched
Or even 3 matches in the Premiership. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/s/spector_284944.stm
I'm assuming the pre-season matches in which Spector played are being referred to...as he received rave reviews from them.
Exactly. Mental mistakes are punished more severely in the EPL than in a youth game. Spector might get away with them out wide, but not in the center. Like it or not, he looked more like Lalas than Ferdinand when the chips were down. I doubt SAF will be forgiving of that sort of play when the games count, as Howard's experience attests.
Yea, you keep thinking that -- we'll excuse you since you spent a majority of your time in World Rivalries but -- one game does not make a player, and SAF probably cares less about how he plays in the U20's then how he's played with ManU when given the chance.
Forget staying with ManU, he won't see the time on the pitch he needs there. If he does get loaned out to a lower EPL side or even a ColaShip team and plays consistently I think he'd have a legitimate chance at making the roster for the WC and possibly claiming that LB spot as his own.
So how does he stack up? He is Heinze's backup's backup's backup - but altogether, is he defender 10 at manu or 12? or 6? Rio Heinze Brown Silvestre ________ ________ Spector ________ ________ ________ Sorry, the other names of the manu defenders are escaping me but I seem to remember him making the bench many times as the only defender so number 6 seems about rite. . .
Mr. Idiot Wind, I think you forget spector was not 100% for italy, heck even sigi said as much in his "its not my fault these kids played like crap" column for mls. that being said, I agree in that the u20 tourney definitley was not a spring board for spector to show what he can do.
#9 to 11,then, and SAF goes with the "best four" he can put out as opposed to having a designated second-string at each position. He needs to go on loan because he needs the PT. Don't forget that in the three EPL games he played,he was subbed in (at least) one of them for what I could only gather were performance reasons.