His 2nd assist for Japan against Latvia is similar to the one he assisted Rooney recently.
Shinji Kagawa
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
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He IS a Barcelona type player.
His youth team in Japan was "FC Miyagi Barcelona", known for trying to adapt a Barcelona style of play. One of his coaches from J-League even said in an interview that he was kind of disappointed that Kagawa went to United and not Barcelona, as he would fit a lot better in the latter.
Kagawa himself has also expressed a certain fascination for Barcelona on his website. This is a direct quote:
"Having faced star players like Iniesta and Messi, one thing I found out was that their body shape was just like mine – unlike many players in Manchester United, they are not massive. But once the match begins, they overwhelmed the crowd with stunning performances.
From now on, I’ve got to fight against these figures and I came to reassure once again that I have to train rigorously to get to the stage where I can play better and stronger than now.
One more thing on this match. Right after the match was over — for some reason — Iniesta came over to me and asked to exchange our jersey. He is one of the players that I have been admiring and looking up to. At the moment of the exchange, I was acting like a football fan and couldn’t express how happy I was! At the same time, I swore in my mind to be like him as a player."
How are you enjoying life as a Manchester United player?
I’m in a fantastic environment, training everyday with top players. At the same time, being with a big club like Manchester United, I know we are always expected to win trophies, which I haven’t accomplished yet. All I can do is work hard every day. I love playing at Old Trafford, though, and I’m always amazed by the atmosphere of the stadium. We’ve managed many come-from-behind wins this season, which is very difficult. But if we go 1-0 down and then equalise, the feeling of unity between the supporters and players is incredible. Those moments encourage the players and make us feel like we can score another goal at any time.
Which of your United team-mates are you closest to?
I talk a lot with Alexander Büttner, who’s also in his first season with the team. We have that in common. Also, I spend a bit of time with David De Gea because I take English classes with him. I’m working hard to study English so I can communicate better with my team-mates.
Have you learnt much about Manchester United's history?
Yes, I know about all those historical events in the past, like the Munich air crash. For me, personally, the fact that an Asian player, Ji-Sung Park, played for the club had a big impact on me. I used to watch United matches on TV when I was little.
How have you found life in Manchester?
The weather is not as good as I imagined [laughs]! It rains a lot and it’s often cloudy. But I’m used to it now. My house is relaxing and I’ve found some nice restaurants. Most of all, I’m able to focus only on football in Manchester, which is very good for a football player. Once in a while I’ll visit London for a short break.
How does United compare with Borussia Dortmund?
Dortmund is a team with young players who don’t have much experience. But we were united and worked very hard as a team. Here at Manchester United we have a lot of experienced players who know how to play in big games. The club have won many titles and I feel every single player has a lot of potential. We’re particularly blessed with a lot of attacking players, who can create various openings in the game, and world-class strikers like Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney.
How would you assess you Manchester United career so far?
I’m not satisfied so far, but then I am always very critical of my own performances. Even worse, though, I got injured. I had to go through the frustrations that come with getting injured in my first season with the team. Now I’m just doing my best to catch up on what I have missed. There’s a lot of pressure when you play for this club, but all I can do at the moment is keep working hard every day to bring out the best in me. I’m confident my hard work will pay off.
Did the time you spent on the sidelines through injury help you study United’s style of play and help your own integration into the team?
I watched those matches from the sidelines imagining myself playing on the pitch. Since I am new to the club I have to learn the styles of my team-mates. As an attacking player, I always think how I should play to make the most out of my team-mates’ abilities and their established styles. That’s the same whether I’m on or off the pitch.
You’ve played on the left side of midfield, in the centre of midfield and behind a main striker. Which do you believe is your best position?
I have the most experience, from my time at Dortmund, in playing behind the striker. However, I just want to be part of the team. I will play wherever the managers wants me to play.
What have you made of United's team spirit?
It’s difficult to develop that ability to come from behind and win. But with so many experienced players in the team, we have a mentality here at United to play calmly even when we’re losing. Although we’ve had many comebacks this season and we might make it look easy, it’s actually very difficult. I can tell you this from my experiences with Dortmund.
How impressed have you been with Robin van Persie?
He’s a player who can do a crucial job to win in almost every game. He is a top player, obviously. It’s a wonderful experience for me to be able to play with him. For the team, it’s always encouraging to have players like van Persie and Rooney when you’re attacking.
What would you consider a successful season?
A big club is expected to win every game and also to be the champions. So that’s definitely our goal. I’ll do my best to contribute to the team so that, come the end of the season, I can feel I’ve made a contribution to what will hopefully be a title win.
I’m in a fantastic environment, training everyday with top players. At the same time, being with a big club like Manchester United, I know we are always expected to win trophies, which I haven’t accomplished yet. All I can do is work hard every day. I love playing at Old Trafford, though, and I’m always amazed by the atmosphere of the stadium. We’ve managed many come-from-behind wins this season, which is very difficult. But if we go 1-0 down and then equalise, the feeling of unity between the supporters and players is incredible. Those moments encourage the players and make us feel like we can score another goal at any time.
Which of your United team-mates are you closest to?
I talk a lot with Alexander Büttner, who’s also in his first season with the team. We have that in common. Also, I spend a bit of time with David De Gea because I take English classes with him. I’m working hard to study English so I can communicate better with my team-mates.
Have you learnt much about Manchester United's history?
Yes, I know about all those historical events in the past, like the Munich air crash. For me, personally, the fact that an Asian player, Ji-Sung Park, played for the club had a big impact on me. I used to watch United matches on TV when I was little.
How have you found life in Manchester?
The weather is not as good as I imagined [laughs]! It rains a lot and it’s often cloudy. But I’m used to it now. My house is relaxing and I’ve found some nice restaurants. Most of all, I’m able to focus only on football in Manchester, which is very good for a football player. Once in a while I’ll visit London for a short break.
How does United compare with Borussia Dortmund?
Dortmund is a team with young players who don’t have much experience. But we were united and worked very hard as a team. Here at Manchester United we have a lot of experienced players who know how to play in big games. The club have won many titles and I feel every single player has a lot of potential. We’re particularly blessed with a lot of attacking players, who can create various openings in the game, and world-class strikers like Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney.
How would you assess you Manchester United career so far?
I’m not satisfied so far, but then I am always very critical of my own performances. Even worse, though, I got injured. I had to go through the frustrations that come with getting injured in my first season with the team. Now I’m just doing my best to catch up on what I have missed. There’s a lot of pressure when you play for this club, but all I can do at the moment is keep working hard every day to bring out the best in me. I’m confident my hard work will pay off.
Did the time you spent on the sidelines through injury help you study United’s style of play and help your own integration into the team?
I watched those matches from the sidelines imagining myself playing on the pitch. Since I am new to the club I have to learn the styles of my team-mates. As an attacking player, I always think how I should play to make the most out of my team-mates’ abilities and their established styles. That’s the same whether I’m on or off the pitch.
You’ve played on the left side of midfield, in the centre of midfield and behind a main striker. Which do you believe is your best position?
I have the most experience, from my time at Dortmund, in playing behind the striker. However, I just want to be part of the team. I will play wherever the managers wants me to play.
What have you made of United's team spirit?
It’s difficult to develop that ability to come from behind and win. But with so many experienced players in the team, we have a mentality here at United to play calmly even when we’re losing. Although we’ve had many comebacks this season and we might make it look easy, it’s actually very difficult. I can tell you this from my experiences with Dortmund.
How impressed have you been with Robin van Persie?
He’s a player who can do a crucial job to win in almost every game. He is a top player, obviously. It’s a wonderful experience for me to be able to play with him. For the team, it’s always encouraging to have players like van Persie and Rooney when you’re attacking.
What would you consider a successful season?
A big club is expected to win every game and also to be the champions. So that’s definitely our goal. I’ll do my best to contribute to the team so that, come the end of the season, I can feel I’ve made a contribution to what will hopefully be a title win.
Have you just written those questions and answers yourself solius or is there a source somewhere?
I wrote them and answered them myself.
He seems a very intelligent and hard working boy. All he wants is to be a success at this club, and i have no doubts he will be a big player for us in the coming years.
I would be very disappointed if we didn't play him vs Real Madrid. And centrally, not wasted out wide.
Don't see why he didn't play today if he's not gonna start on Wednesday.
He's set to start vs Madrid IMO. It wouldn't make sense to go to their place and not field players that are ace at keeping possession and pulling off passes in tight situations. Holding onto the ball is a must.
Hear hear.
I think Fergie will go with...
--------RVP---------
Rooney--Kagawa--Welbeck
-----Carrick-Jones-------
Evra----Rio--Vidic----Rafael
-----------DDG------------
I think he will use Rooney left and Kagawa central because of Rooney's defensive qualities
Jones in midfield to a defensive job but this may well stifle us because he isn't as good on the ball as Cleverley which would mean Kagawa and our forwards would see less of the ball.
--------RVP---------
Rooney--Kagawa--Welbeck
-----Carrick-Jones-------
Evra----Rio--Vidic----Rafael
-----------DDG------------
I think he will use Rooney left and Kagawa central because of Rooney's defensive qualities
Jones in midfield to a defensive job but this may well stifle us because he isn't as good on the ball as Cleverley which would mean Kagawa and our forwards would see less of the ball.
Can see something like that too, but I hope not. I honestly think we'd be absolutely mad not to play Cleverley.
I understand why Jones played today and he did very well in his role, but we will most likely gain more defensively against Madrid if Cleverley plays in the centre and not him. Putting a defensive player in the centre of the pitch does not mean we will concede fewer goals if we can't keep possession. Genuinely feel like it's all I say on here at the moment but it's going to drive me mad if we do this over both legs and lose as a result of getting completely mauled in midfield!
I understand why Jones played today and he did very well in his role, but we will most likely gain more defensively against Madrid if Cleverley plays in the centre and not him. Putting a defensive player in the centre of the pitch does not mean we will concede fewer goals if we can't keep possession. Genuinely feel like it's all I say on here at the moment but it's going to drive me mad if we do this over both legs and lose as a result of getting completely mauled in midfield!
Am I the only one who thinks he's ridiculously underrated already? I mean, around 50% of our fellow supporters(including a few "experts") never seem to include him in our starting XI's. Just by looking in the Real Madrid match thread, you'll see a decent amount of people that still don't want him in the starting XI, despite having been rested for 2 PL games in a row.
I'm not saying that Kagawa has been one of our best players this season, but surely he has at least been on par with(or better than) Welbeck, Cleverley, Anderson and Nani? Nevertherless, many people would rather put these players out on the left wing instead of Kagawa. I find that astonishing, to be honest. Nani has barely played this season, Anderson is not even a winger, nor is Cleverley and Welbeck.
I know that Kagawa isn't a proper winger either, but he's played around 50 games there at top level now and he's started to find his old form, so why on earth would anyone drag Anderson or Cleverley(for instance) away from their best position in order to fill the gap on the left wing? I've even seen people suggest that we play Rooney on the left and Cleverley in the hole behind the striker. It just doesn't make sense. It's kind of like signing Schweinsteiger and then play Giggs in CM instead of him.
People seem to forget that around his age group, Kagawa is possibly the best AM in the world, only challenged by Mata. He is more than capable of playing regularly on the left wing. I could have understood the skepticism if Kagawa had played badly, but he hasn't!
I'm not saying that Kagawa has been one of our best players this season, but surely he has at least been on par with(or better than) Welbeck, Cleverley, Anderson and Nani? Nevertherless, many people would rather put these players out on the left wing instead of Kagawa. I find that astonishing, to be honest. Nani has barely played this season, Anderson is not even a winger, nor is Cleverley and Welbeck.
I know that Kagawa isn't a proper winger either, but he's played around 50 games there at top level now and he's started to find his old form, so why on earth would anyone drag Anderson or Cleverley(for instance) away from their best position in order to fill the gap on the left wing? I've even seen people suggest that we play Rooney on the left and Cleverley in the hole behind the striker. It just doesn't make sense. It's kind of like signing Schweinsteiger and then play Giggs in CM instead of him.
People seem to forget that around his age group, Kagawa is possibly the best AM in the world, only challenged by Mata. He is more than capable of playing regularly on the left wing. I could have understood the skepticism if Kagawa had played badly, but he hasn't!
He has found the PL quite physical but he may just be a perfect weapon to deploy in Europe in particularly against Real.
I'd be inclined to swap Welbeck for Cleverley in that case. A midfield three could keep things ticking over, with Rooney still on the left to do a decent defensive job. Kagawa would get more to work with if Cleverley is on.
Jones would be relieved of some pressure, and could even deal with Ronaldo slightly better..
Maybe but then Welbeck's pace and strength could help us get higher up the pitch. You look at the rest of the line up and there's no real direct runner.
I agree with you there , but I think Cleverley is key to keeping our midfield ticking, and sharing the pressure with Carrick especially. All I can say is I'm glad its not me that has to make the decisions!
Not really, if anything he's slightly overrated. He was brilliant at Dortmund but hasn't produced that kind of form consistently for us for him to be a given in the starting lineup.
That said he is very likely to start in Madrid but I'd prefer Welbeck and Nani myself
But he hasn't actually played consistently either, so understandably hard to perform...no?
Definitely. He's playing in a new league with a different style of football to Dortmund and he's had injury problems. Completely understandable that he hasn't yet hit his stride but I don't think he has been underrated at all as the other poster was hinting
But the thing is, our wingers have let us down this season. It can't hurt to try new solutions, especially considering that Rooney is hogging Kagawa's best position.
Nani has barely played and Welbeck hasn't had a better season than Kagawa, but people still put them in the starting XI on the left wing. I think that is underestimating Kagawa. Especially if we look at his past and see how talented he can be, if given time!
Kagawa might not be a no-brainer starter like RVP, but he's right up there(if not better) with Cleverley, Welbeck, and Ando. In terms of potential, he's miles ahead of all of them.
If you think about it, 3-4 years from now we'll likely be without Carrick, RVP, Vidic, Rio, Evra, Giggs, and maybe even Ferguson. Rooney, Valencia, Nani, and Young will be in their thirtes, and likely starting to fade. At that point, who do you think our star player is going to be? I for one, am almost 100% sure it's Kagawa, if he manages to stay away from long-term injuries and isn't tempted by the likes of Barca.
Nani gives us genuine width and for that reason alone I would pick him. Having width is not just about putting crosses in from the wide areas but with Nani out wide the likes of Rooney and Van Persie will get a lot more space in the middle. Having Kagawa in there could congest things a little bit.
Welbeck may not have the goals and assists but his performances in the last two big games (Vs Liverpool and Spurs) were very good. He can hold the ball up, run at defenders and works very hard which might cause Real problems in defense.
I am not saying Kagawa is a bad player, on the contrary I think he is a fantastic player and once he fully settles in he may very well be a permanent fixture in the side but as of today he is not underrated and not done enough to say he should definitely be in the starting lineup. I also think he lacks that bit of upper body strength which at times sees him shrugged of the ball too easily.
We still don't know for sure if Nani is 100% back. He has to earn his spot again imo. It's unfair to bench Kagawa for a "maybe good enough" Nani. If anything, bench Valencia and let Nani play on the right and Kagawa on the left!
Welbeck has played really well recently, but at the end of the day Kagawa is not only the better and more promising player, but he's also having a better season overall. Knowing that Rooney wont budge from his AM position, it is very important that Kagawa becomes a regular on the left. He needs games in order to find his former glory. This is definitely the wrong time to bench him or let him start 50% of games.
It's kind of ironic that RVP, our best player by far, also has created problems for Kagawa and Welbeck. Had it not been for him, there would have been plenty of opportunities and play time for both.
In my opinion, Kagawa should become a regular on the left, and play in the hole behind the striker whenever Rooney is injured or rested. Benching him is bordering to madness.
Nani is fit and looked quite good against Fulham. We need natural width on at least one side in my opinion and with Young injured it has to be one of Valencia or Nani.
Why is it very important that Kagawa becomes a regular on the left? Welbeck's recent form is better than Kagawa's and the qualities he brings to the side will be more useful than Kagawa's in Madrid. This is also the wrong time to play Kagawa and hope he comes back to his Dortmund form.
Why on earth would benching him be 'bordering on madness'? He has not done anything in his short United career thus far that backs up that view.
Kagawa should almost be an automatic starter for us, that's how good he is.
I don't buy that "we need natural width" bit. On one side, sure, but on both? Nah, I don't see it.
I basically disagree with everything you wrote in the second paragraph. I don't think Welbeck's recent form has been particularly better than Kagawa's, nor do I think his qualities are more useful for us, even against Real. If we also add the fact that Kagawa is a much better player and can "wake up" any minute(he's showed glimpses recently), then there's really no doubt that Welbeck shouldn't start ahead of Kagawa.
It's madness because he's more talented, promising and useful than many of the players that would have to start ahead of him. Also, if he reaches his Dortmund-form, only Rooney and RVP can match him in the attacking third.
Berbatov was more talented than Hernandez and Welbeck put together but that didn't stop him from becoming 4th choice. Kagawa has done nothing, absolutely nothing to suggest he should be first choice. It's complete madness to suggest otherwise
Madness I tell you, just madness.
Well other than the fact that anyone who has watched Kagawa, regardless of if it has been in his time with United or not, has seen what his game is about. That he is one of those players that is very intelligent, has very good ability on the ball, very two-footed and against a team like Madrid where keeping possession is going to be important - there is nothing to suggest he might be more suited to the game.
Argh, I really hate it when Berbatov is being compared with Kagawa. It's beyond silly.
First of all, Berbatov was not more talented than both Hernandez and Welbeck. He was roughly around the same level. Also, don't forget that age plays an important role as well! Last season, Berbatov was 30/31 years old. Obviously we were not gonna go for him when Welbeck and Hernandez, who are men for the future, was around the same level. Also, there's a completely different story for strikers. Unless you are a Rooney/Suarez-type of player, you will only be judged based on how many goals and assists you have, and how important said goals/assists are.
Kagawa is an offensive playmaker who happens to score a lot of goals(when on form, that is). Berbatov was a goalscorer who happened to have brilliant close-control. The former is still young. The latter was past his prime. Hopefully this will end the comparisons.
Kagawa has done "nothing"? Seriously, have you seen the guy play? He's had one bad game since he came, and that was in a game where everyone played badly. He's usually been average at worst. If we include The Champions League, he has almost an assist/goal in every other game. All this, despite being often being played out of his strongest position and still adapting to United. Yeah, it's crazy to assume that he is good enough for our starting XI
Argh, I really hate it when Berbatov is being compared with Kagawa. It's beyond silly.
First of all, Berbatov was not more talented than both Hernandez and Welbeck. He was roughly around the same level. Also, don't forget that age plays an important role as well! Last season, Berbatov was 30/31 years old. Obviously we were not gonna go for him when Welbeck and Hernandez, who are men for the future, was around the same level. Also, there's a completely different story for strikers. Unless you are a Rooney/Suarez-type of player, you will only be judged based on how many goals and assists you have, and how important said goals/assists are.
Kagawa is an offensive playmaker who happens to score a lot of goals(when on form, that is). Berbatov was a goalscorer who happened to have brilliant close-control. The former is still young. The latter was past his prime. Hopefully this will end the comparisons.
Kagawa has done "nothing"? Seriously, have you seen the guy play? He's had one bad game since he came, and that was in a game where everyone played badly. He's usually been average at worst. If we include The Champions League, he has almost an assist/goal in every other game. All this, despite being often being played out of his strongest position and still adapting to United. Yeah, it's crazy to assume that he is good enough for our starting XI
Berbatov was definitely more talented than Welbeck and Hernadez. And the comparison is not silly at all. Berbatov was relegated to the bench, left out of the CL final despite being our top scorer in the league for various reasons. And no I don't tend to judge strikers solely on the basis of goals and assists. Welbeck has practically no goals and assists this season but I think he has done quite well so far.
Berbatov was not past his prime, he was dropped after having the best season of his career and carrying the mantle after Rooney went AWOL. Berbatov had more than just good close control. His vision and ability to keep possession was up there with the best.
And yes I have seen him play. I have never said he has had bad games, just that he has not played well enough to suggest he should be guaranteed a starting place just because of his form at Dortmund. You suggest Nani has to earn his spot and the same applies to Kagawa.
I agree with you sentiment regarding Kagawa, and I too advocate playing him as much as possible but to say Hernandez and Welbeck were equal to Berbatov in purely footballing terms is 'just madness' on your part.
Well, it depends on how you look at it. Overall, Berbatov was easily a better football than Hernandez. But when it came down to a striker's bread and butter, scoring goals, who would you trust more? That's why he was left out of the 2011 CL final squad for Owen. Not sure about Welbeck quite yet. He's certainly a lot more than Berbatov it terms of overall ability.
Kagawa is a fantastic footballer. Even if not fully incorporated in our system, he can still produce a moment of magic to change and win a game. I hope he is fully incorporated though. It'll be a huge shame if we can't enjoy his qualities fully.
Kagawa is a fantastic footballer. Even if not fully incorporated in our system, he can still produce a moment of magic to change and win a game. I hope he is fully incorporated though. It'll be a huge shame if we can't enjoy his qualities fully.
That's what I mean. Hernandez took his place due to immaculate finishing and his inborn gift of scoring goals. Welbeck was being played due to work-rate, obvious skill and potential benefits. Fergie was basically looking at the bigger picture. As a footballer in general, though, Berbatov was simply better than them both, no slight to them.
Kagawa is a pearl as I said earlier and it will be a travesty if we don't get everything we can from him. Even now, when we don't know how to utilize him, he's still one of our best players whenever he plays.
Well, Welbeck has played mostly on the left wing, so that would explain his lacking results in the assist and goals department. Also, Welbeck is a different sort of striker. Unlike Berbatov, he's an "all over the pitch" sort of striker. He's like a tall and ineffective Rooney, if anything.
Since I don't want to turn this into a Berbatov discussion, I'm just gonna say that I agree with what Amir wrote.
I never said that Kagawa is supposed to be guaranteed a spot solely based of his past in Dortmund. His past only strengthens the argument. He has first and foremost played well for us, in case you haven't noticed. He was our best player in pre-season, POTM in August, and he has almost one goal/assist every other game he's played for us. He's also stepped up recently.
Oh, and he's by far the player with the sexiest moves out there. I'd love to see a compilation of his sweetest moves in a United shirt so far
Maybe and hopefully he'll have that status because right now he hasn't been that good for United to an automatic starter like the likes of Rooney, RVP etc etc ...
And in my opinion he hasn't done enough at United to be guaranteed a starting place and nor should it be considered madness to suggest otherwise.
Oh, and he's by far the player with the sexiest moves out there. I'd love to see a compilation of his sweetest moves in a United shirt so far
Berbatov outdid him in this department and he is playing for Fulham right now. And Nani might have something to say about your claim
Does anyone else think that when we signed Kagawa, we did so thinking van Persie wasn't a very likely signing?
I ask that because it would have made more sense then as we could have used him in his more natural position and pushed Rooney forward into the role he excelled at in 09/10 leading the line.
The options then would have been:
With the options we have now, it's very difficult for him to be played in his ideal role off the striker and he's wasted as a winger.
I ask that because it would have made more sense then as we could have used him in his more natural position and pushed Rooney forward into the role he excelled at in 09/10 leading the line.
The options then would have been:
Rooney
Kagawa ---
Hernandez/Welbeck
Kagawa -------
Kagawa ---
Hernandez/Welbeck
Kagawa -------
Hernandez/Welbeck
Rooney ------
Rooney ------
With the options we have now, it's very difficult for him to be played in his ideal role off the striker and he's wasted as a winger.
If being a good footballer only means a good touch and technique, you would be correct.
But to be a good footballer you need many other attributes too.
Welbeck and Hernandez will play for big clubs for the rest of their careers, Berbatov has only ever played with one big club and for much of his time was shown up to be not quite up to the task.
Oh, and he's by far the player with the sexiest moves out there. I'd love to see a compilation of his sweetest moves in a United shirt so far
Seriously ? Ever heard of Robin Van Persie ?
SAF started Kagawa vs Everton on the first game of the season didn't he? and if I remember correctly, SAF said himself that he has to start, because he's a big signing and a top player. Regardless of how well he's done, he is one of our best players in terms of sheer ability and when fit I'd like to see him in the team more often than not.
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