He's left-footed, as I've said before if we're keeping Sarr on the right we really need a right-footer on the left to balance it out and provide some more direct goal threat. And it's 72 games right vs 52 games left, I'd say that's a bit more than "marginally". Tbf to Cornet, he still seems to manage to score a reasonable amount from the left, but it's unusual and in general sub-optimal.
We've not played him there in 2 years whatever it was. And even if he started his club football on the left I'm pretty sure whenever I saw him for Rennes and Senegal in the season immediately before we signed him it was on the right.
We’ve signed many players who have played different positions in their previous club to where we play them
Only a few, but if Sarr really was better on the left then it would have made zero sense for us to have made him our record signing and then literally never played him there in two seasons. One could surely assume that you'd play your record signing and best player in their preferred position. That quote from the Senegal coach could just be nonsense.
He’s played 12 games as a LM too per Transfermarkt so that’s 72-64. Yes, marginally. And he’s played over twice as many games as a LM/LW than as a LB. You may have a tactical preference to play with two inverted wingers who can cut in on their right foot - but the club might not. Would be more unusual for a bottom half side like us to play with a winger converted into a LB than to play with a conventional winger on one side. United are probably going to sign Sancho for an inordinate amount in the next few weeks. He can and does play on both wings though most German football fans, experts etc say he does far better on the left when he can cut in on his weaker foot. Yet United want to sign him to play on the right because that is where they have a greater need. You’d imagine they won’t convert him into a LB either. Clubs sign players and adapt them a little - and wingers are among the most adaptive players. You’ve also ignored my other common sense argument. Why would the Pozzos spend 20m Euros or whatever to sign a LB when we have Masina, Rose coming in, maybe Doig too. Don’t think we’ve spent 20m combined on the defence since they took the helm. And that’s not to mention the fact that we’ve been interested in Cornet previously - when he was playing as a winger (on both the left and right) and not a LB. I think I’ve shown a number of clear arguments based on my common sense. If your common sense generates the conclusion that we’re going to sign Cornet as a LB for £20m because having a left footer on the left is too sub-optimal, so be it.
LM is still a bit different when it's in a 442 or 343 as the role is still as much of a crosser/provider as getting near to the goal. And I agree the opinions that Sancho is a better player - and I also think that he's a strange signing by Utd. I reckon Greenwood will remain much better than Sancho on the right and Rashford will remain much better on the left. They're going to be playing 70mil+ for a player to end up sitting on their bench. Another club making a signing that doesn't really make sense for the positions they need is not an excuse that we should consider doing the same. None of your arguments are enough to justify how you could assume that he'd play at left-wing for us. Ultimately, he played more as a right-winger, and spent basically the whole of last season as a LB (where he did well). Based on that, left-wing seems only the 3rd likeliest position he's going to play in, for us or anyone else. Rose is also much more of an attacking LB than a defensive one, and yet that's who we're actually signing. Cornet could have just been a much better Rose that maybe we enquired after but got put off by the asking price.
I feel pretty confident in my assessment and the frustrating thing is this argument is moot and unprovable since we’re not going to sign Cornet and find out where the club will play him. Sancho might be a bit of an odd one in some ways as you say, although he is already better in my view significantly better than both Rashford and Greenwood. I think when you have an opportunity to buy a young elite forward at a viable price, you take it. Greenwood’s sample size is too small and he is clearly behind both Sancho and Rashford developmentally but Rashford has 144 goals in 271 appearances and Sancho has 114 goals in 137 appearances. At LW, Rashford has 77 in 139, and Sancho has 73 in 81. Sancho’s output is very underrated perhaps because he is an English player playing abroad. I think he offers more in general play too. And yes, he’s below Rashford in Southgate’s pecking order but I think that’s a reflection of Southgate’s poor judgment more than anything else.
Just to confirm, those numbers you're highlighting are for 'goal involvements' (goals + assists), not only 'goals'. I'm a bit wary of giving too much credence to Bundesliga stats in comparison to the Premier League - Werner got 28 goals and 8 assists in his 34 BL games last season, but couldn't hit a barn door at Chelsea. When Rashford and Sancho have played for England Rashford has generally seemed a bit better to me. Greenwood is also more suited to the RW and I think has a higher ceiling. Anyway, this a whole other discussion. Utd do need more squad depth, but I reckon for the key games when everyone's fit and firing Sancho will end up on the bench.
Which is one of the reasons why I think it's a strange signing given that I consider Greenwood and Rashford to both be better. If they decide to stick to that flawed thinking after they sign him even if Rashford and Greenwood are both in form, then they could end up weakening themselves. Having said that, Man City and Chelsea both have no problems with benching massive signings when they're not performing. It's a luxury that strength in depth affords if you make use of it.
Off topic - but aren’t United’s long term plans believed to be that Greenwood will be the starting striker? The fans certainly think that’s the way it’ll go.
They'd be hopeful, but I don't see it. If it happens it won't be for a few seasons at least. I reckon he's more likely to stay a Salah type wide-forward.
I don't even know who most of these players are, except for Rashford because he fed all the poor kids.
Esteban Contrabassooniasso Peter Reed Chris Brass Triangel Di Maria John Oboe Mikel Barry Horne Clarinet Seedorf Maxwell Cornet Barry Corr Anglais Jonas Wind Shane Gong Orchestra FC are a bit **** to be fair, it’s almost like the manager could only think of a couple of good ones and resorted to puns. No ‘keeper but lots of midfielders so they play with rhythm and tempo.
Jordan Piccoloford Yet another midfielder, but you can add Jens Trumpetter Hauge. Also, I know you were just aching to get your Leicester player in there, but for that instrument it should surely be Yves Bassoona!
This is the kind of signing we could afford if we hadn’t gone down/if we manage to stay up for a couple of years again.
That wasn't what UEA said - UEA said he'd imagine Cornet would rather go to East Berlin than Hertha Berlin (no reference to Burnley).
