Player Thread: Patrick Roberts

we could have done with him against westham, he has the ability to beat players and considering they was defending tightly he might have dragged 2-3 players over to his side, creating more space for others on the left and through the middle
 
Neville Kneville said:
Kelechi was brought on because he's played before & Pellegrini knows him better imo. It's classic Manuel, & my biggest criticism of his instinct/ability to be a real top of the tree 'a' list manager. He needs a few months/years & a book full of stats on the player before spontaniously throwing him on. 'Kelechi scores goals & is next in line, lets hope he scores if I throw him on, out of position'.

As Martial has showed for Utd, young players can give the side a boost. People are going wildly over the top about him, but what he's done isn't actually uncommon at all, in fact it's par for the course with young players of a decent standard. Kelechi has also done it already for City. But Kelechi was the wrong substitution in the wrong position on Saturday.

What we needed wasn't necessarily a finisher, they had 10 players in the box blocking everything, we needed a wild card, something different.

It was the perfect moment for Patrick Roberts. Ferguson would have done it, without a shadow of a doubt, in fact he would probably have had both on & left Bony on the bench.
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Spot on; Ferguson allowed Ronaldo plenty of mediocre performances in his early days there because he saw the bigger picture, and the same applied to the likes of Scholes.

The likes of Roberts and Kelechi won't perform to the best of their ability every game at this point in their careers, but over a 5 game period are more likely to produce more moments of decisive individual brilliance than Bony and Navas.

Guardiola is the obvious candidate for most people to replace Pellegrini, but the work Martinez has done at Everton with young talent makes him an ideal candidate to inherit not only a squad full of top-level quality like Aguero, Silva and De Bruyne, but an academy system that is really beginning to produce the kind of player worthy of sustained faith and opportunity.

Hopefully Roberts can make a positive impact tomorrow night and pursuades Pellegrini to look beyond non-impact Navas on the right.
 
It's tempting to say "play the kids" when a senior player has a bad game, but Pellegrini works with them every day and I trust him to know when a player's ready to come into a big game when we're losing. I get why he kept Navas on against West Ham, because despite the shit service, he was getting into dangerous positions and a constant threat. He probably figured it was only a matter of time before one of his great runs resulted in something, whereas Sterling was barely in the game. I've not really seen Roberts play a full game, but from what I've heard, his weaknesses are fairly similar to what people are criticising Navas for anyway, so I'm not sure we'd have seen better service if he was on the pitch.
 
I'm With Stupid said:
It's tempting to say "play the kids" when a senior player has a bad game, but Pellegrini works with them every day and I trust him to know when a player's ready to come into a big game when we're losing. I get why he kept Navas on against West Ham, because despite the shit service, he was getting into dangerous positions and a constant threat. He probably figured it was only a matter of time before one of his great runs resulted in something, whereas Sterling was barely in the game. I've not really seen Roberts play a full game, but from what I've heard, his weaknesses are fairly similar to what people are criticising Navas for anyway, so I'm not sure we'd have seen better service if he was on the pitch.
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Roberts' deficiencies are definitely not like Navas'!
 
twosips said:
Roberts' deficiencies are definitely not like Navas'!
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Like I said, I've not seen a lot of him, but people were saying he's got bags of skill, but his end product is often missing and his decision making needs to improve, which is what you'd expect from a young player.
 
FantasyIreland said:
Against 9 kids in a youth game? I understand your point but,the fact is.....tomorrow nights game will be a completely different proposition.
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I knew someone would point this out, but currently looks a better alternative to Navas who is on an aw-full run of form. I think both Navas and Nasri need to be "rested" to regain form.
 
ColinLee said:
It was pointed out because it's true, that said I hope he starts tomorrow and I'm almost certain enough to say it's guaranteed (almost :) ).
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I hope you are right CL.

I still have reservations as to whether Manuel will give him a chance because the track record of Pellers with young players is far from noteworthy.

I would like to see Maffeo, Roberts and Kelechi all feature. I am sure they won't let us down if given the chance.
 
FantasyIreland said:
Against 9 kids in a youth game? I understand your point but,the fact is.....tomorrow nights game will be a completely different proposition.
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He was exactly the same v 11 as he was v 9, & the reason they had 9 was because one was sent off for continually kicking him over, as they couldn't stop him. The question still stands. If he can turn in a performance like that, & still not get a game, what is he supposed to do ? Be older ? It would be difficult to play much better over 90 mins. I'm not sure Giggs ever managed anything even close to that level of constant menace before he was promoted, in fact I doubt George Best did. I know Peter Barnes didn't.

Perhaps Juve's kids are shite & made it easy for him. But still, the kid was brilliant, he has played first team football, so has some experience, we have injuries, it's the League Cup & it's Sunderland. We could always take him off if the team struggles to gel with him in it.
 
would be nice for him to play, and shine, so that Pelle will give him the chance to provide competition for Sterling and Navas, and also allow him to retain some form of tactical shape by not taking off wingers for strikers and then wondering why the strikers have no-one to give them the ball, in future games.
 
JoeMercer'sWay said:
would be nice for him to play, and shine, so that Pelle will give him the chance to provide competition for Sterling and Navas, and also allow him to retain some form of tactical shape by not taking off wingers for strikers and then wondering why the strikers have no-one to give them the ball, in future games.
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Barker etc should have played in this last year. Most of the best players from that period are still awaiting a game now & several have been overtaken in the pecking order by more experienced kids we've signed.

And of course our 'strongest' team bombed out to Newcastle reserves, at home, last season.
 
Neville Kneville said:
Kelechi was brought on because he's played before & Pellegrini knows him better imo. It's classic Manuel, & my biggest criticism of his instinct/ability to be a real top of the tree 'a' list manager. He needs a few months/years & a book full of stats on the player before spontaniously throwing him on. 'Kelechi scores goals & is next in line, lets hope he scores if I throw him on, out of position'.

As Martial has showed for Utd, young players can give the side a boost. People are going wildly over the top about him, but what he's done isn't actually uncommon at all, in fact it's par for the course with young players of a decent standard. Kelechi has also done it already for City. But Kelechi was the wrong substitution in the wrong position on Saturday.

What we needed wasn't necessarily a finisher, they had 10 players in the box blocking everything, we needed a wild card, something different.

It was the perfect moment for Patrick Roberts. Ferguson would have done it, without a shadow of a doubt, in fact he would probably have had both on & left Bony on the bench.
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That, sir, is an excellent analysis....and not only because I completely agree with your sentiments.

One of my biggest concerns is that even when we are a few goals up with 10-15 mins to go, Pelle already has his subs mapped out pre-game and very rarely changes that, unless forced by injury. I'm all for trying to keep the team structure in tact, but there is no point in playing guys in the pre-season tours and getting them some experience if they ALL have to wait for the NEXT pre-season for a chance.

What we need, when faced with the 11 man defences we face when we are a goal behind (or drawing) with 10-15 mins left is W-I-D-T-H!!! However, the width we have in Navas has proven to be lacking in doing what width is designed to do, which is stretch the defence, open up gaps in the middle, and even allow us to get the ball in behind an entrenched, stagnant,backs to the wall defence. Hate to say it, but a decade ago, Fergie did this to perfection and EVERYONE watched United turnover teams in the last 10 minutes by pushing teams back, pumping the ball wide, swinging/driving/crossing it in, making an opportunity or getting it back immediately, and pumping it right back out. Heck, it was even almost telegraphed that the ball was going to be pumped back out to their right wing!!!

When attacking late in the game, we attack with 8 players (2 CBs and a Keeper as a defence). Surely, with the congestion of 11 defensive players and 8 City "attackers" amassed between the width of the 18 yard box and the 30 yards from their goal, there should be an ability to bet two players wide and open up a few gaps? Too often, we rely on the Silva, Nasri, Yaya "killer pass" to create half a yard for Sergio....or we take a wild swing from 20-25 yards hoping to get it in target or get a deflection.

To be fair, it is a tad hysterical for me (or anyone) to be trying to dissect Pelle's "failures" after the start we have had. However, I would hate to see the same old Plan B issues raise their ugly head as soon as a result or two goes against us this season. We are certainly creating enough chances in every game, but so far our our forwards have been wasting many of these chances....Sterling, in particular, who should have put us out of sight in a couple of games already.

For my part, it is long past time that Pelle put a new player in the mix for a run out. Nacho has been given a chance and done OK. Pozo was mismanaged last season, but his weakness as a forward was highlighted for all to see....mainly because he is NOT a centre forward....but maybe in a game like WHU, it is time for a Barker or Roberts to be given a chance to get wide, make a play or two and hopefully create a chance or two?
 
ChicagoBlue said:
That, sir, is an excellent analysis....and not only because I completely agree with your sentiments.

One of my biggest concerns is that even when we are a few goals up with 10-15 mins to go, Pelle already has his subs mapped out pre-game and very rarely changes that, unless forced by injury. I'm all for trying to keep the team structure in tact, but there is no point in playing guys in the pre-season tours and getting them some experience if they ALL have to wait for the NEXT pre-season for a chance.

What we need, when faced with the 11 man defences we face when we are a goal behind (or drawing) with 10-15 mins left is W-I-D-T-H!!! However, the width we have in Navas has proven to be lacking in doing what width is designed to do, which is stretch the defence, open up gaps in the middle, and even allow us to get the ball in behind an entrenched, stagnant,backs to the wall defence. Hate to say it, but a decade ago, Fergie did this to perfection and EVERYONE watched United turnover teams in the last 10 minutes by pushing teams back, pumping the ball wide, swinging/driving/crossing it in, making an opportunity or getting it back immediately, and pumping it right back out. Heck, it was even almost telegraphed that the ball was going to be pumped back out to their right wing!!!

When attacking late in the game, we attack with 8 players (2 CBs and a Keeper as a defence). Surely, with the congestion of 11 defensive players and 8 City "attackers" amassed between the width of the 18 yard box and the 30 yards from their goal, there should be an ability to bet two players wide and open up a few gaps? Too often, we rely on the Silva, Nasri, Yaya "killer pass" to create half a yard for Sergio....or we take a wild swing from 20-25 yards hoping to get it in target or get a deflection.

To be fair, it is a tad hysterical for me (or anyone) to be trying to dissect Pelle's "failures" after the start we have had. However, I would hate to see the same old Plan B issues raise their ugly head as soon as a result or two goes against us this season. We are certainly creating enough chances in every game, but so far our our forwards have been wasting many of these chances....Sterling, in particular, who should have put us out of sight in a couple of games already.

For my part, it is long past time that Pelle put a new player in the mix for a run out. Nacho has been given a chance and done OK. Pozo was mismanaged last season, but his weakness as a forward was highlighted for all to see....mainly because he is NOT a centre forward....but maybe in a game like WHU, it is time for a Barker or Roberts to be given a chance to get wide, make a play or two and hopefully create a chance or two?
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nacho has literally played about ten minutes and scored, not really much more he could have done, pozo barely played swell. That is not giving them a chance
 
Cheadle_hulmeBlue said:
nacho has literally played about ten minutes and scored, not really much more he could have done, pozo barely played swell. That is not giving them a chance
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Having seen him play with the EDS, Pozo is not a Permier League player. He may have been an up and coming talent,and he was definitely play editor position when given his "chance," but he is not City material. Sorry
 
ChicagoBlue said:
Having seen him play with the EDS, Pozo is not a Permier League player. He may have been an up and coming talent,and he was definitely play editor position when given his "chance," but he is not City material. Sorry
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i agree, but i dont think he was given enough of chance anyway.
 
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