We bought him for 13M, and now are selling him for Gundogan plus cash? Genius. 
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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Didn't Mata play most of his football at Chelsea cutting in from the right wing?
We simply HAVE to drop the underperforming, outdated, ineffective Valencia, which would give more than enough playing time to these guys.
That's where I see him deployed if we do get him but I just dont see us play both him and Kagawa till we have a much more solid CM pairing.
I'd love to see Valencia dropped and I do agree its very likely it'l happen but something tells me it wont be Kagawa on the other flank.
EDIT: That said, I sincerely hope we play both Mata and Januzaj and just play a solid CM pairing with a defensive focus.
Yeah I hope we move away from the idea of having hardworking/defensively-minded attacking players.
If two from Carrick/Fletcher/Fellaini can find form and fitness then that's a very solid base to let the front four attack.
Hope he stays. We should look to get rid of Young and Valencia.
I honestly don't agree with the idea that it's impossible to play Mata and Kagawa in the same lineup. It's all about changing the way we play, rather than the specific positions. If David Silva can play on the right for city with Nasri on the opposite side, Mata and Kagawa can surely do a similar job. Have them play narrow alongside Rooney, with RVP up top and I think you'll see champagne football to rival any team in Europe.
I agree with this.
Attacking wise, they'd really benefit having the other playing too I think. We've let Kagawa come inside, let him roam somewhat all season - there isn't really an issue there, he just hasn't done it effective enough. He's been given the license and freedom to create, he just needs the players who can link up well with him, run behind and form some sort of understanding.
The Kagawa behind Rooney partnership has worked well for the most part, but we haven't (been able to?) give it much of a chance to develop.
Keep Shinji sell Young, Valencia and even Nani for me.
We can play all four. And have Fletcher/Fellaini and Carrick sitting.
Nah, sell Young and Valencia and keep Nani.
RVP
Rooney
Mata
Kagawa
Januzaj
Nani
Welbeck
That lot would get some sexy football going
Decent half for him. Faded at the end, but he's done well. His link-up play with Januzaj is constantly improving.
Gash.
Best player for us so far in this half
Talented as feck but man.... he can't take grip of a game.
Explain?
Alongside Januzaj and Smalling our best player in the first half IMO, probably his best half against English club this season. Some nice through passes.
He's been gash. The usual disappearing act. Smashing cross for Fletcher's chance but not much else.
Weird for a player who has more touches than our any other attacking player, and who created our best chance in the game, with couple of delightfull through passes which should have been better used by Hernandez.
Thought he was very much involved. Linked up well with Januzaj. Welbeck making all the wrong runs and Hernandez unable to control a ball isnt his fault
No he hasn't.
He hasnt been bad at all, not sure where thats coming from. He's been decent/fairly good
Kagawa has played pretty well, one of our better players no question for me. He's still clearly much better centrally but Welbeck is switching with him out wide and it is looking very effective. I could see that sort of movement working well when Mata comes and plays in the middle.
Does he? That was some quick research carried out.
Think we look much better when we get him carrick and fletch on the ball. I think he's been good so far, well in comparison to how everyone else is doing.
There are so many times where he picks the ball up, looks around and realises "I'm at Manchester United, I'll only ever have 2 players ahead of me who very rarely make good runs for me to pick them out" at which point he just turns and plays the ball back.
This is one of the main reasons as to why I can't see Mata being a success unless we completely revamp our style of play. We NEED to be telling our players to make continuous runs, the full backs need to be bombing on as soon as a creative player gets the ball and if need be, one attacker should drop deeper so they can interchange through the middle and one should make a move into space.
It's very frustrating because even if you stuck Iniesta into our team I still reckon we'd struggle. It's taking nothing more than the perfect ball every time to pick out 2 players in a sea of opposition.
This is one of the main reasons as to why I can't see Mata being a success unless we completely revamp our style of play. We NEED to be telling our players to make continuous runs, the full backs need to be bombing on as soon as a creative player gets the ball and if need be, one attacker should drop deeper so they can interchange through the middle and one should make a move into space.
It's very frustrating because even if you stuck Iniesta into our team I still reckon we'd struggle. It's taking nothing more than the perfect ball every time to pick out 2 players in a sea of opposition.
Didn't Kagawa play Hernandez through on goal twice and have a really nice cross that should have been converted?
Easily the best player of the half. He's been running around like mad, constantly making himself available for passes, and he's played a key part in all of our best attacks, except for the goal. If you don't think that is considered a good half, then you obviously have an agenda. No point discussing Kagawa with you then.
Easily the best player of the half. He's been running around like mad, constantly making himself available for passes, and he's played a key part in all of our best attacks, except for the goal. If you don't think that is considered a good half, then you obviously have an agenda. No point discussing Kagawa with you then.
Our movement off the ball is so bad it's unreal. Every time I sit down to watch us play I think it can't be as bad as I remembered, but it is. So easy to play against.
At least Hernandez made some runs and Kagawa got him some passes.
Welbeck stands around like a tree
Welbeck stands around like a tree
He was decent/fairly good for most of the match. Puzzled as to why he was taken off when he was creating a lot of chances.
Worst part is, he was by no means great but still better then Welbeck and Chich
Was quite good. Should have taken off Hernandez/Welbeck rather than him
I think he was taken off because he was tired. But he and Adnan were the only players creating scoring chances
Yup and no surprise once again, since he's gone off, we've had less possession.
This is the second time this sesaon Kagawa has been taken off despite being our best player in the first half. He's been taken off 2-3 other times also, despite there being several outfield players playing worse than him. And then there's the fact that he's bound for the bench even after games where he's played well. He just can't seem to catch a break under Moyes.
But looking at the sub as an isolated event that has nothing to do with Kagawa: what the actual feck was Moyes thinking taking off the player who's looked the most dangerous offensively, for a one-legged defensive winger? It makes no fecking sense.
But looking at the sub as an isolated event that has nothing to do with Kagawa: what the actual feck was Moyes thinking taking off the player who's looked the most dangerous offensively, for a one-legged defensive winger? It makes no fecking sense.
This is the crazy thing...surely Moyes (and Fergie last year) has been going blue in the face every day explaining this to the players? You could literally point out something wrong every 5 seconds we have the ball at the moment. It'd be absolutely bizarre if two managers at any level hadn't noticed this.
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Sort of does make sense considering we were 1 nil up and Sunderland looked most likely to score from a set piece where Valencia (as shite as he's been) will offer more.
As for Kagawa, he did ok but I thought he faded pretty quickly. Incredibly frustrating player. Still think being too light weight is his big problem.
Whats funny about that
Thought he was our second best player out there (Smalling has been immense). Removing Kagawa instantly led us to lose the midfield battle. In attack, we have nothing in the middle; it's like a huge open gap ready to be exploited by the opposition.
Moyes may have thought Valencia could run at Sunderland's tiring defenders.
Trouble is, any opposition manager (who isn't an idiot) who sees Kagawa on the pitch will have serious second thoughts about telling his team to push up. Valencia gives you the possibility of increased localized defense. Kagawa ensures that the opposition in its entirety are wary of being too gung-ho.
Trouble is, any opposition manager (who isn't an idiot) who sees Kagawa on the pitch will have serious second thoughts about telling his team to push up. Valencia gives you the possibility of increased localized defense. Kagawa ensures that the opposition in its entirety are wary of being too gung-ho.
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