Aquilani under the microscope...

[Guest]

Tee that's another one.

RBM

[dww]

Yeah, this type of thing was always going to happen, where are the articles like this about Nani and Anderson?!?

The thing is that United are still being successful so individual signings are under far less scrutiny. While we struggle it will always be easy to point out our supposedly poor transfer dealings. Babel is constantly noted as a transfer failure but the success of Benayoun at a lower price rarely mentioned for example. Nani is very much in the Babel mould as a signing and should be used as evidence of how even the best judges make mistakes but you don't have articles looking at why United are failing because they aren't, or at least aren't on a level that the recent past doesn't suggest is just a blip.

Fortunately I actually have seen loads of positive signs from him:

• Love they way he picks the ball up from the CBs and starts moves off a la you know who, oh how we've missed that so far this season!
  
• He plays some lovely one touch stuff, has an excellent range of passing and great vision.
  
• He is a good reader of the game and as a consequence makes a lot of interceptions.

He is going to need maybe another two months I reckon to really find his feet, but I'm cautiously optimistic journalists will be writing exactly the opposite type of article by the end of the season.

There are a lot of good signs and he is exactly the type of player we need. Certainly I can't see us getting anyone else with his potential ability or better for £5m up front. In many ways I think the failing wasn't the signing of Aquilani but the failure to have a stand in or plan B for the first half of the season. Even if Gerrard had remained fit we would have been scrabbling for options if Mascher or Lucas were injured or suspended. Something like a loan might have been worth investigating - especially as it doesn't appear that Rafa has any real faith in Plessis or Spearing at this point in their careers.

[Tee]

Tee that's another one.

You are getting good at this.

[Tee]

RBM

It is sooooooooo obvious isn't it?

But who has Elvoz come back as - that is what I am struggling to figure out lol.

[javier_monsterano]

You are getting good at this.

It is sooooooooo obvious isn't it?

But who has Elvoz come back as - that is what I am struggling to figure out lol.

[Guest]

You aren't making a good disguise of it Maude.

[javier_monsterano]

Are you drunk?

[fowlen]

to be perfectly honest, what i have seen thus far of Aquaman is no more than average at best, however.....
- He has been injured 95% of the time he has been with us
- he is not yet match fit
- he is playing in a new team and a new, faster league
- he is starting his LFC career off in weather conditions that he would not have encountered previously
- he has a heavy burden (Alonso replacement) on his shoulders
- he has not had a run of games

Based on the above it is impossible to form any concrete opinion. I think it's vital that Rafa plays him consistently for 7 or 8 games for him to start getting into his stride, sharpen up and learn the premiership.....only then can we at least start to even try form an opinion.

[MrMichael]

You aren't making a good disguise of it Maude.

Oh the irony

[little dave hedgehog]

I think aquilani has been encouraging. It would have been nice if he'd walked in and been terrific right away, but for me he was quite good in the match against wolves until he tired, and then not quite as good but maybe about as tired vs villa. I think that's all we can ask for from him at this stage, and he's delivered ok thus far.

I think he's going to be a really good player for us.

[Fosterbloke]

Hopefully he gets a good run in the team and a decent World Cup. He should be firing on all cylinders by the time he returns at the beginning of the 2010 season.

[CJ]

he looks to have good control of the ball
his passing is sharp
he seems to pass one way when looking another alot
he looked like he was getting in good positions but not always being passed to

who knows how good or not good he will turn out to be
but its not a bad start considering the circumstances

[fah-q]

he seems to pass one way when looking another alot

He can't help it.

[CJ]

He can't help it.

lol

[lickedlollipop]

il principe