Why are Man Utd targeting ‘deeply mediocre’ player who Fulham wouldn’t want?
Sofyan Amrabat is given short shrift by a Mailbox which equally scoffs at the idea Rasmus Hojlund won’t have to instantly hit the ground running at Man Utd.
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Amrabat? Man…
Let us take our seats and turn our attention to the screen behind me, Hot Take Tim is taking this class.
For several weeks now – driven almost exclusively by Romano tweets and blog posts – the top sides in the Premier League, and in particular Manchester United have been firmly linked with Sofyan Amrabat.
“A favourite of Ten Hag”
“After a stellar World Cup”
“An excellent serie A season”
This is all BS.
Amrabat is a deeply mediocre player several levels below the players United already have. He would not be a good signing for anyone in the top half of the table. He would not be a first choice player for Fulham.
READ MORE: Hojlund, Amrabat would complete Man Utd’s evolution into a Ten Hag team – and title challengers
A favourite of Ten Hag? Nope. They worked together for half a season at Utrecht.
After a stellar World Cup? Are you kidding me? Firstly, you do not sign players based on good World Cups. Secondly, Amrabat didn’t HAVE a good World Cup.
Here is an incomplete selection of defensive midfielders who outperformed Amrabat at the World Cup statistically: Leander Dendoncker (Villa), Andrija Zivcovic (PAOK), Ko Itakora (Borussia M.Gladbach), Mohammed Kanno ( Saudi Arabia, unattached), Tyler Adams (Leeds), Aissa Laiduini (Union Berlin), Waturu Endo (VfB Stuttgart), Pierre Kunde (Bochum), Ethan Ampedu (Spezia), Yeltsin Tejeda (Costa Rica, unattached), Mathew Leckie ( Melbourne City FC)
This is the level of player he isn’t quite at.
An excellent serie A season?
I don’t have time to list all the midfielders who vastly outperformed Amrabat in Serie A last season. It was most of them. As per Whoscored he was the 240th best performing player in Serie A last season. That passes the eye test.
Amrabat would not be a good signing for anyone in the top half, and probably not worthwhile for anyone in the league at all.
I think Romano is being thoroughly played by Amrabat’s agent and possibly Fiorentina themselves in an attempt to drum up interest in a player who is far below the standards required for a club in the Champions League.
I do not think United have any interest whatsoever.
Tim Sutton (meet you back here after United pay twice his release clause)
The Rasmus
Matt, Sheffield trying his bestest to convince himself and anybody who will listen that a striker purchased for 72 million is not under any sort of pressure to deliver immediately. Unfortunately not mate. For that type of money, he is absolutely expected to make an immediate impact, and be up there bothering the other elite scorers in the league. And you can go to town claiming a paltry return will be acceptable from him. You might get a rude awakening when the rest of the footballing world brandishes him yet another in a long line of grossly expensive United flops if he doesn’t deliver.
You can sort of understand why United fans are engaging in this kind of setting of low expectations though. Over the years, they’ve been left with egg on their face time and time again, such as proclaiming title challenges in pre season that ended in Europa League spots and hailing 85-90 million signings as elite world beaters who turned out to be absolute jokers like Maguire and Antony. It also explains why you’ll read about and hear United fans claiming that another top 4 spot and a little cup run or two will constitute a successful season. Oh no no no lads. Far from it. After the absurd amount of money spent by Ten Haag already in what 12 months? Time for baldy to deliver the goods and that means title challenge and a trophy at the bare minimum.
Pressure is on lads, best you embrace it.
Spitz
United front
Aaah, there we go, 3 minutes in and Russo puts the European champions ahead.
Yeah, surely will look good again this coming season banging them in, just for Arsenal this year. Arsenal must be having a good ol laugh at that, but anyway. Par for the course these days.
And Kane seems to be about to saunter off to Bayern then, totally uncontested?
Not even an attempt to persuade at least one of player or club, just to show us fans that folks like myself are the fool when I say this is being run like a joke?
I guess there is time still then, so very happy for a lot of egg to be thrown on my face here, but I don’t see it.
Because let’s face a truth here and now, Holjund is not ‘for the future’ alone, but he will be burdened for the present, by the necessity for results and the lack of a senior striker to carry that burden instead right now.
Kane and Holjund, well clearly the younger man is about to learn from Kane’s twilight years on the pitch.
More to that point, Evan Ferguson for 40mil, easily, all things considered here, and Kane as well, well that is clearly a plan with a world class current and a heaps-of-potential successor, with the younger man having a decent 2 seasons to really play second fiddle without losing prime years or morale.
But of course, Rasmus has been sold a dream, and he will be under huge pressure very soon after the season starts, as comes with being a 9 at United in these times.
Rashford, this means that you will be under it promptly too mate, hopefully the other 2 wide men contribute notably this season.
Like his new coach, Rasmus can but aspire to make the best of what should be a much better situation when you think you have arrived at a giant of the game.
I have no doubt we repeat that status several times in pitches, and we all know what it means to harp on the past only, it’s because the present is constantly offering less and less of an appeal.
Manc From SA (2-0 up, to 2-2- late on again, our poor fans have been through it over here, looking for our first ever win. Enjoy the Lionesses! Roaming the field with 75% of the ball, it’s a team worth following)
Make it a double
Geez like, I only just saw the fee agreed for Rasmus.
80m for Antony, 72m for Rasmus, but 110m for Kane is not possible?
I am losing my sanity here really, this is beyond infuriating for a fan of the club.
I only just finished a long mail lamenting the transfer policy we are clearly applying, and then thought hold on, maybe we closed on a much more reasonable figure than some estimates, since the aforementioned mail references purchasing Evan Ferguson for perhaps 40m, which would be comparatively reasonable, and then aa senior striker such as Kane, as a coherent plan.
Well clearly even if Brighton would have accepted 40, we would insist on adhering to the United Tax on transfers and offer at least 60m, and still, the even younger man with bags of potential and Harry Kane would surely be the better plan for both short and long term right now?
For the rest of you, this must be a return to peak-banter-United, hilarious to watch, akin to spotting someone willfully pissing into the wind on a very breezy day.
I mean it must be funny, but surely even you can’t really understand it?
Manc In SA (I really can’t stand this ownership anymore. No wonder the Red Rebels were founded.)
More questions for Johnny
Dear F365
In relation to John Nicholson’s article, the line “I don’t want a life-changing sum of money because I don’t want my life changed. I’m happy as it is and beyond paying the bills and buying records, don’t have any need for a life-changing amount of money” is all well and good if you are single and are happy making ends meet whilst (and I have this image of JN) drinking a Watneys Stingo, smoking a roll up and complaining that David Gilmour and Roger Waters have never made up. If this is correct then enjoy writing copy and listening to records.
But what of children and family, what of their future? I am sorry to say that having money opens doors to better healthcare, a better education, that in turn can lead to more opportunities later in life. Isn’t our purpose on this blue dot to make a better life for those we love?
For example, it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility that Jordan Henderson’s children, or grandchildren use this money to get to a position of real power that will allow them to make fundamental changes that make things better for everyone. Vast wealth coupled with morals can lead to a powerful person. Maybe that is why he took the money?
However, I must ask John, if the Saudi PIF bought F365 from Sky and offered everyone on staff a 100% pay rise to do the exact same work but they must move to a new office a few miles down the road would he resign on principle and risk unemployment, or would he enjoy a bit more money and that rare 1975 Bob Dylan vinyl?
Ian Hewison
Shy and retiring
You guys should do a top 10 of best retirements in the game.
The inspiration for this call is the retirement of my favourite England cricketer of all time Stuart Broad. He achieved his fairy tale ending with his final ball in Test cricket.
In terms of football, I’d put forward Lee Dixon and Tony Adams. I was one of the fans chanting ‘one more year’ at Tony at his final send off at Highbury against Celtic and it’s a day I will never forget.
The funniest retirement has to be John Terry. I’ve never liked the guy and seeing us spoil his retirement party by beating his Chelsea team in the cup final was the cherry on the cake.
Graham Simons, Gooner, Norf London
Ireland boys
Eric (Jiminez will spectacularly fail to fill Mitrovic’s shoes) Dublin, mentions that his wife enjoyed a rare summer of no football to distract them from other activities.
I’m delighted to tell Eric he has to suffer without football no longer. There’s been football all summer for Eric and his wife to enjoy, as the League of Ireland is a summer league.
There are five Premier Division clubs in Dublin, with matches played predominantly on Friday evenings (KO 7:45) and there’ll always be at least one Dublin team at home. Get out there and watch some football, Eric.
Jerry
Elevenses
We used to see La Liga XI vs. EPL XI vs. Bundesliga XI. How will Saudi Pro League XI compare? 4-3-3 formation. Go!
La Liga: ter Stegen, Molina, Kounde, Militao, Balde, Bellingham, Pedri, Valverde, Griezmann, Lewandowski, Vinicius Jr
EPL: Alisson, Trippier, Dias, Van Dijk, Cancelo, Rodri, De Bruyne, Fernandes, Salah, Haaland, Saka
Bundesliga: Ronnow, Frimpong, Schlotterbeck, Orban, Guerreiro, Olmo, Brandt, Musiala, Muani, Fullkrug, Adeyemi
Saudi Pro League: Mendy, Alioski, Koulibaly, Fabinho, Telles, Kante, Milinkovic-Savic, Neves, Ronaldo, Mahrez, Benzema
Taxson, Singapore LFC