Shinji Kagawa

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Good that he sees his weaknesses.

Shinji Kagawa has said that he needs to bolster his mental strength. "I'm really feeling that I need to perform better. I'm not satisfied with what I have done here at all," he said. "I need to overcome lots of pressures and be mentally stronger."
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I don't think we are using him correctly at all yet either. We've dumped him into our current tactics and are expecting him to adapt. I can't really see him fitting naturally into a 4-4-2 aside from as a number 10 although even then our style of getting it to the wingers doesn't suit him because once its wide their centrebacks step up and be doesn't have the tools to make use of a ball coming from wide.
 
He needs to improve physically, which is natural for someone who has come from abroad.
 
He might become our new Berbatov. Classy player elsewhere but never fit into our system.
 
Poxbo said:
I don't think we are using him correctly at all yet either. We've dumped him into our current tactics and are expecting him to adapt. I can't really see him fitting naturally into a 4-4-2 aside from as a number 10 although even then our style of getting it to the wingers doesn't suit him because once its wide their centrebacks step up and be doesn't have the tools to make use of a ball coming from wide.
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From a tactical point of view, this season has been a bit of a mess though. We're used to playing with wide men in a traditional 4-4-2, we've also tried (with more or less success) to use a diamond, also played with 4-2-3-1 (though it's quite similar to a 4-4-2 in fairness)... Kagawa's been in and out of the team with his injury, and has been used in different positions. Also, our main objective, team wise, this year, has been to fit in RvP (which was understanble, and a good idea), with great success, which meant Rooney playing a bit lower, and therefore Kagawa not necessarily in his best position.

I'll say again what I said at the time of his signature, his signing is the one that's excited me the most for a long time (about as much as De Gea), and I'm sure there's plenty to come from him. He's shown in glimpses how good he can be, and once he's fully adapted both to the league and the team (and, another point, once the team has adapted to him) he'll be awesome. I've no doubt he'll shine with us, but I'm not that surprised he hasn't been an instant success (though he's by no means a flop so far).
 
RedRonaldo said:
He might become our new Berbatov. Classy player elsewhere but never fit into our system.
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I don't think the situation is quite the same, thankfully. With Berbatov, we had a system that was suiting all our players except him really well, and was producing consistently excellent football. At the moment, we seem to be struggling to settle on a system which suits our players enough to produce that same consistency. Kagawa is not the only one who seems to be struggling from a lack of a suitable formation and style.

So Fergie will sort it eventually, rather than just letting one player slip out of his plans as he was forced to do with Berbatov.
 
I'm really feeling that I need to perform better, I'm not satisfied with what I have done here at all.

It's a big and really famous club in the world and I need to overcome lots of pressures and be mentally stronger.

Unfortunately I got injured, but I have to be better and grow as a player and a person, in terms of contributing to the team's wins and succeeding here.

I really feel that we have a strong ability to bounce back when we are behind, so people in this team must be really mentally tough.

We have a really strong squad with many world class players, so it's lucky for me to have opportunity to train with them and play games with them.

Sir Alex is one of the best managers in the world. What I am really impressed are the numbers of great players he has helped to grow, the numbers of titles he has achieved for the team almost every year, and his ability to mould top players into a team.

Also, the atmosphere supporters make at Old Trafford helps the team to fight back. As I said, my team-mates are so experienced and mentally strong as I said.

I'm really lucky to play with world-class players and experience those things, including the history of Manchester United."
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http://www1.skysports.com/football/...ds-to-improve-to-succeed-at-Manchester-United

More quotes here, someone posted a few earlier.
I like Shinji. He got injured just as he was starting to develop an understanding with his team mates but I still think he will be great for us once he settles.
 
Give him time, and he will become one of the main players for us. I admit, I expected him to have adapted perfectly by now, having watched him constantly for a good 6-8 months before joining United. I'll put that down to that injury.

Give him games, and he will shine. Difficult to slot him, Rooney AND RVP in the same line up, but I guess to play him at his best it would have to be something like:

Carrick
Cleverley Anderson
Kagawa

Rooney RVP​
 
I agree with you. I think one of his main issues is probably that we don't yet know his best position for us so we have utilised him in a few different ones and he has played in a few different formations too so there has been little consistency for him to nail his role IMO.

Even in a 4231 kagawa Rooney and Nani/Young as the three players in behind robin constantly interchanging could be good. He links up well with Cleverley and Welbeck too. The signs as there that he should be a good player for us I just hope he gets a good injury free run now.
 
he hasn't had the best of luck for the start of his united career what with his injury etc. However it was an interesting read in the Mirror because I think for him it's also a mental thing about just how big United is. I do think he's slightly in awe of the beast that is United. I'm sure with a run of games he will begin to feel more at home, he's a definite talent, but he does need to toughen up just a tad. Otherwise he might become one of those high prospect players that never quite crack the premier league...
 
Nate Dogg said:
He needs to improve physically, which is natural for someone who has come from abroad.
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Actually he has been already the weakest no. 10/false ten/hanging striker of the top clubs in Germany last years (at the others I do not know the data) in the physical sector. Götze, Reus, Müller, Kroos and even the boys at Schalke won about 45 per cent of their duels (or even more) - Kagawa had less than 35 %.
 
Great ? Ok to good for me.

Still is adapting though.


@ 2 posts above the last one.
 
UnofficialDevil said:
Hmmm...
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When we are chasing a game I do think old trafford comes alive. The Tottenham game we lost was the loudest I had heard it for ages and I was there for the Newcastle game and we went behind three times and the crowd were loud that game too so I don't think he's too wrong with that quote given that he said 'helps the team to fight back'
 
We're at our best when he's pulling the strings for my money.

Classy player, excellent so far tonight.
 
His best displays for us have been in the no.10 position. His was most impressive against Everton at Goodison and Fulham at Old Trafford I felt, and he looks like he's hitting that early-season form again.

He has an amazing football brain.
 
nahealai said:
His best displays for us have been in the no.10 position. His was most impressive against Everton at Goodison and Fulham at Old Trafford I felt, and he looks like he's hitting that early-season form again.

He has an amazing football brain.
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Huh ? Serious ?

Besides 2/3 things he got bullied that whole game.
 
nahealai said:
His best displays for us have been in the no.10 position. His was most impressive against Everton at Goodison and Fulham at Old Trafford I felt, and he looks like he's hitting that early-season form again.

He has an amazing football brain.
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Couldn't agree more. Thought he was excellent against Fulham. Surprised me hearing people saying he's had a quiet start. His vision, creativity, passing, and ability in tight spaces are all fantastic. Not sure he's a player we can afford to rotate in and out of the team. I think if everyone was at their absolute best, he'd be in behind RVP, Rooney and Vidic at number four.
 
Cevno said:
Huh ? Serious ?

Besides 2/3 things he got bullied that whole game.
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Most definitely.

The first sixty minutes that night was amongst the most impressive I've seen from a United player, speaking in technical terms, for quite a while. Such was Rooney's ineptitude that night, Shinji's creativity was often wasted. The Everton rearguard couldn't get near him at times with his elegant control and beautiful first-touch passing.
 
Had a good game I thought. SHowed his quality for the first goal. Could have done more in the second but our best player for me today.
 
Did well with the assist in the 1st half but poor in the 2nd (as was much of the team). Needs to be stronger in possession.
 
Had a good first half. His best for us so far.

Non existent in the 2nd.
 
nahealai said:
Most definitely.

The first sixty minutes that night was amongst the most impressive I've seen from a United player, speaking in technical terms, for quite a while. Such was Rooney's ineptitude that night, Shinji's creativity was often wasted. The Everton rearguard couldn't get near him at times with his elegant control and beautiful first-touch passing.
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That's how I saw it as well.
 
He just can't do 90 minutes. He'll need a load of fitness work to be able to play full matches.
 
Lasting 90 minutes does seem to be a problem. Just as well there's usually quality on the bench. Tag teams FTW.
 
The only player today that could keep the ball. Thought he played well.
 
Very, very useful when we have the ball.

When our midfield is as woeful as today, he's mostly wasted.
 
He's starting to grow in to his role in the wide areas but with the way he was running around you could tell he was going to get tired pretty quickly. With the way we play I doubt that's going to change much.
 
Sixpence said:
He just can't do 90 minutes. He'll need a load of fitness work to be able to play full matches.
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Which is strange considering he was supposed to be one of the fittest players at the club when he turned up. Did better on the bleep test than anyone at the club.
 
I still think playing him on the wings is not the best solution. I know he hasn't been great playing behind the striker but that is his best position. I mean he is quite effective on the wings but still he is not at his best. Rooney is a better on the wings than Kagawa is.
 
When he did that double spin on the right wing to get passed the player I thought he was gonna turn into a shurikan star or something, his turning circle is insanely small, such great tight agility. Would love a gif
 
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