Shinji Kagawa

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Aboutreika18 said:
He's been especially good in Europe this season. Surely his naysayers like Pogue, charleysurf and akash can finally see what he brings to the team?
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Eh? It's always been evident what he brings to the team. When he brings it. I've been praising his CL performances all season and criticised Moyes for not starting him against Olympiakos.

In the last few weeks he's been bringing some of that European form to his PL games. Which is obviously pleasing. Explains why he's getting more minutes too. Been a first team regular for about a month or so. Only Rooney and Mata seem to be ahead of him in the pecking order of attacking players right now. Onwards and upwards from here, hopefully.
 
Van Persie's injury has certainly been a blessing for Kagawa. He's been involved in all of the games since van Persie's injury.
 
Gerald G said:
Van Persie's injury has certainly been a blessing for Kagawa. He's been involved in all of the games since van Persie's injury.
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That injury has arguably been a blessing for the team overall. Certainly looked a more fluid and inventive team going forwards. Given Rooney a new lease if life too. Shite results against dippers and bitters notwithstanding.
 
I really hope he stays and builds on his impressive end of season form . I think he, Mata and Rooney could be sensational if we get a pacey outlet player who is a credible offensive force on the wing, something Nani could have been . He has adjusted his game to be effective, on and off the ball, coming from the left .
 
Aboutreika18 said:
He's been especially good in Europe this season. Surely his naysayers like Pogue, charleysurf and akash can finally see what he brings to the team?
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I;ve said that he's a quality player more than once. I just don't believe in making excuses for him every time he doesn't play well (which has been most of the season). He's played well in the last 2 games and hopefully gets a more consistent run in the side now.
 
He's been too easily brushed off the ball in previous games. I think last night he showed that he's been working on that aspect of his game, and is making real improvements.
 
Great performance by him yesterday, elevated our level when he came on (Giggs just couldn't get into the game). Can't not start at the Allianz Arena for me.
 
I had belief with him on the pitch. He's our best chance in the 2nd leg.
 
Very impressive lat night. Must start in the Allianz. The defensive part of Bayern's midfield will be depleted now without Bastian and Martinez. Thiago is also out who does a lot of defensive work there. If Shinji is on his game he may get that little bit of space to release the likes of Rooney and Welbeck.
 
Rozay said:
Very impressive lat night. Must start in the Allianz. The defensive part of Bayern's midfield will be depleted now without Bastian and Martinez. Thiago is also out who does a lot of defensive work there. If Shinji is on his game he may get that little bit of space to release the likes of Rooney and Welbeck.
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You are probably right! Their midfield is actually quite impaired for the return leg, which might suit Kagawa perfectly. He is terrific at finding space, keeping the ball and moving the ball.
 
How long do you need to work with someone before being able to say their name properly?

Every time Moyes calls him Sinji in a post match interview, I give up on humanity a little bit more.

Anyway, I hope he starts in the return leg and I was happy that he came on early yesterday. He did well and I think he might make the difference in the Allianz.
 
Winrar said:
This is exactly why I think Kagawa is an important player for us and has been criminally underutilized by Moyes. His movement off the ball to support play is what we need to unlock teams and is a step forward in abandoning the rigid formation which saw us produce tumescent football time and time again in our side.
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And this is in my opinion a very important issue about the situation of Kagawa and english Football in general.

People look at the obvious, at what a player brings directly into the game and a lot less at other aspects.
Sure, there are players individually way better than Kagawa, but Kagawa brings something to the table, which you can't measure. Intelligent movement. If he pushes a player in a narrow situation where he then loses the ball, it can't be measured. If he runs a smart way to pull out a defender so the teammate can run into the gap and score, it can't be measured.

Kagawa is not a player who makes the team individually better. He is a player who makes the team as a whole better. This is why he was shining so much in Dortmund where the team worked as a whole. And this is also why he had strong issues so far under Moyes, when the team didn't work properly as a unit.

Surely Kagawa has to improve as an individual player nonetheless, but if Moyes is lacking the ability to see what he brings to the table, then he isn't worth being a coach of a big club.

That also is a general problem about english Football. There is too much focus on the individual player instead of the team as a whole. That is why Real Madrid was so long unable to perform in the Champions League. That is why Chelsea could win a lot of national titles, but only when they worked as a unit they won the Champions League. That is why Athletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund can keep up in their leagues.

And that is also why Manchester was yesterday able to compete with Bayern. When a team doesn't solely focus anymore about being the sum of its players, but instead of being a unit, they will get stronger in the direct competition (over the duration of a season naturally the individual players can and will win games, especially against weaker teams.)


An interesting article about this topic about the NBA player Shane Battier: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/magazine/15Battier-t.html
 
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RustyS said:
How long do you need to work with someone before being able to say their name properly?

Every time Moyes calls him Sinji in a post match interview, I give up on humanity a little bit more.

Anyway, I hope he starts in the return leg and I was happy that he came on early yesterday. He did well and I think he might make the difference in the Allianz.
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What did moyes say about sinji after the match?
 
Very good yesterday. Still won't start in Munich and will get sold in the Summer. :)
 
I think he's looked more lively, sharp and alert in the past 3 or 4 appearances which helps. He mentioned earlier in the season that he wants to get sharper. And before anyone says its just because he's involved regularly, I noticed it from the first game back after being left out for a while. So its not just down to more playing time, its down to something else.
 
Ekeke said:
His agent completely shot down any chance of him leaving in the summer
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Did he? Can you show me an article to confirm that?

I say this because I think Kagawa does have a future with us and he is the kind of player I would love to see given a run of games giving him time to settle and truly express himself. Along with rooney and mata he can be a vital cog - Add in another Pacey forward and we have a technical player who can feed them.

Would love to see him as a regular in a midfield 3.
 
If only we had got someone like Herrera instead of Fellaini, we would have seen even better Kagawa. Does Cleverley still exist? Would be interesting to see him and Kagawa playing together.
 
Water Melon said:
If only we had got someone like Herrera instead of Fellaini, we would have seen even better Kagawa. Does Cleverley still exist? Would be interesting to see him and Kagawa playing together.
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Cleverley, Kagawa and Mata playing together would theoretically make for some interesting interplay.

It's really too bad we didn't manage to buy Herrera. Would've been interesting to see how we would've played.
 
Kagawa leaving this summer is one of the things I am dreading most. When we signed Mata I really thought we were going to see both of them starting together and bringing the best out of each other. How wrong I was.
 
Adebesi said:
Kagawa leaving this summer is one of the things I am dreading most. When we signed Mata I really thought we were going to see both of them starting together and bringing the best out of each other. How wrong I was.
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You weren't wrong. They have played together and brought the best out in each other. The funny thing is that after matches, Moyes indicates that he recognises this, but come next match, he won't play them together. It's baffling, really.
 
Fergies Formula said:
Did he? Can you show me an article to confirm that?

I say this because I think Kagawa does have a future with us and he is the kind of player I would love to see given a run of games giving him time to settle and truly express himself. Along with rooney and mata he can be a vital cog - Add in another Pacey forward and we have a technical player who can feed them.

Would love to see him as a regular in a midfield 3.
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This is what I have wanted for him, the entire duration of his time in the club. I sincerely hope that he will be given a chance as a regular for the rest of the season and his time in the club for that matter.
I don't understand how someone can say that we lack creativity in the forward areas these days with Shinji, Mata and Adnan (+Nani if fit and in form).
It would be very interesting to see these players together, could it happen?
 
Rossa said:
You weren't wrong. They have played together and brought the best out in each other. The funny thing is that after matches, Moyes indicates that he recognises this, but come next match, he won't play them together. It's baffling, really.
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Pretty much this. And it's something Moyes has done more than one time, say something and do something else especially concerning Kagawa.

I'm still hoping Kagawa is with us next season.
 
So what are we thinking? Starting to pick up form or starting because he won't play vs bayern? Would be incredibly stupid if it was the latter, considering how good he's been lately and against bayern.
 
I am fully behind Moyes, but if he doesn't play Kagawa on Wednesday, I'll genuinely start to question his insight.

Kagawa's been one of our best players recently and should be a shoe-in to start midweek. Hopefully he has a blinder today and is taken off with twenty minutes to go.
 
bosnian_red said:
So what are we thinking? Starting to pick up form or starting because he won't play vs bayern? Would be incredibly stupid if it was the latter, considering how good he's been lately and against bayern.
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In my opinion he won't play against Bayern. Moyes could easily have played Nani/Januzaj on the flank with Mata as the #10 but instead Kagawa is playing in what is a relatively meaningless game. Expecting to see Fellaini being played off Welbeck. Last game it took a Giggs injury from him to come on in the first place, if that never happened god knows if he would even have had a chance of coming on.
 
nahealai said:
I am fully behind Moyes, but if he doesn't play Kagawa on Wednesday, I'll genuinely start to question his insight.

Kagawa's been one of our best players recently and should be a shoe-in to start midweek. Hopefully he has a blinder today and is taken off with twenty minutes to go.
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He didn't pick him Tuesday, what makes you think he'll pick him on Wednesday?

Moyes seems to value players like Young and Valencia over players like Kagawa and Nani, says a lot about his 'style' really.
 
nahealai said:
I am fully behind Moyes, but if he doesn't play Kagawa on Wednesday, I'll genuinely start to question his insight.

Kagawa's been one of our best players recently and should be a shoe-in to start midweek. Hopefully he has a blinder today and is taken off with twenty minutes to go.
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Like when he had a brilliant game vs villa, and got subbed off with 30 mins left? I just never know what he's going to do :lol:
 
If Rooney is actually out of the Bayern game, Moyes will have to pull off something monumentally daft to not play Kagawa. If Rooney starts, I fully expect to see Kagawa on the bench.
 
nahealai said:
I am fully behind Moyes, but if he doesn't play Kagawa on Wednesday, I'll genuinely start to question his insight.

Kagawa's been one of our best players recently and should be a shoe-in to start midweek. Hopefully he has a blinder today and is taken off with twenty minutes to go.
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Basically this. I too am fully behind Moyes, but some of his selections are bizarre to say the least, especially considering what he says to the press.
 
Varun said:
If Rooney is actually out of the Bayern game, Moyes will have to pull off something monumentally daft to not play Kagawa. If Rooney starts, I fully expect to see Kagawa on the bench.
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Would we be allowed to colour the white away kit in with yellow marker pens? Psychology, y'know.
 
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