Muniesa could he become a RB?

[AlbertTatlock]

Played well in his cameo at the weekend, looked quite comfortable with the ball. He's obviously talented but IMO he's never a premier league CB and he's never impressed at LB either. With Johnson out for a few weeks, Bardsley looking a bit fragile and Cameron less of a calamity in his DCM role is it time to utilise Muni as a RB and let him develop his career there? If he could it would certainly solve the problem of looking for a new RB in January or in the summer.

Gouranga.

[bayernoatcake]

No

[AlbertTatlock]

Why not?

Gouranga.

[Deleted]

No

[Clem Fandango]

No

Hes horrendously left footed.

[AlbertTatlock]

Well we have a left footed right winger and a right footed left winger, it hasn't really hindered either of them.

Gouranga.

[Deleted]

No not quick enough.

[Clem Fandango]

Oct 17, 2016 20:08:44 GMT AlbertTatlock said:

Well we have a left footed right winger and a right footed left winger, it hasn't really hindered either of them.

Gouranga.

So we basically want the whole team to cut inside then?

[AlbertTatlock]

So where does it leave him? He's too slow, not good enough at CB or LB and untried as a DCM.

Gouranga.

[Deleted]

He could.... but not at Stoke. He's not good enough.

[fca47]

Did Ok. Need to see him there more than once to judge though.

[Deleted]

Too slow.

[swampySCFC]

No He isn't a right back. We need a Right Back if Johnson can't put a boot on. And on the subject of Johnson he needs to retire if he can't get fit. we are paying him a fortune to piss about in the treatment room

[Gods]

More chance than centre back I think, if he's a centre back I'm a chinaman!

[johnnysoul60]

I often think he could be groomed as whelans replacement

[thedeadlyshart]

As a 4th choice rb, sure. As a regular, nope.

[alster]

Oct 17, 2016 22:24:55 GMT johnnysoul60 said:

I often think he could be groomed as whelans replacement

So do loads of other people unfortunately it never seems to have entered Mark Hughes' mind.

[Deleted]

Yes he could

[boskampsflaps]

Oct 17, 2016 22:24:55 GMT johnnysoul60 said:

I often think he could be groomed as whelans replacement

He's not disciplined enough he goes walkies at cb, can't see that changing at DM.

[kustokie]

Oct 17, 2016 22:24:55 GMT johnnysoul60 said:

I often think he could be groomed as whelans replacement

I never understood why anyone would consider Muniesa as a viable CB unless he can jump like a kangaroo. According to Wikipedia, he's only 5' 10".  For a long time, people have been calling for either Cameron or Muniesa to be given a chance as a DM. Cameron has done quite well so far as a DM next to Whelan, so trying Muniesa and Whelan at DM and Cameron at RB is a possibility if Johnson and Bardsley are both out.  However, it's not the long term solution because Cameron and Whelan are both 31 and there's no evidence that Muniesa is any good at that position (Cameron had played there before).  I'd like to see Allen and Cameron at DM and either Bojan or Shaqiri at number 10 against Hull because they aren't much better than Sunderland.

[fca47]

He looked very good at CB when paired with Ryan last season, but unfortunately his injuries put paid to that. Can't see him getting back in with the pairing of Ryan and Indi, but is reasonable back up..

[Deleted]

He had a decent game but let's not forget that Sunderland were awful. Against decent opposition I think he'd be caught out way too often. A few years ago you could more or less slot anyone in the full back positions, now it's become a specialised position. Glenn Johnson does a superb job but when he's injured it becomes a huge problem area.

[reddipotter]

Oct 17, 2016 20:08:44 GMT AlbertTatlock said:

Well we have a left footed right winger and a right footed left winger, it hasn't really hindered either of them.

Gouranga.

Yes, it has.

[dadofsam]

Another who's too injury prone to rely on.

[Deleted]

Bloody hell, he played 15 minutes!

[Lakeland Potter]

I can't see why we've hardly ever tried Muniesa in Whelan's position. Although he hasn't got blistering pace he's pretty mobile and not a bad header of the ball given his size. The fact that he has on occasions looked OK at CB (usually in partnership with Ryan?) suggests that he might flourish at DM and he certainly has far more attacking skills to his armory than Whelan has these days.

The next time we are comfortably winning a game entering the last 20 minutes or so I'd like Hughes to try Muniesa as a sub for Whelan. Apart from anything else, Whelan's age means he looks better when he has not been flogged to death for 90 minutes week after week.

As to Muniesa ar RB - he did OK when he came on on Saturday but against a good winger I suspect his left footedness would see him found out. I'll say it again, we should move heaven and earth to get Tripper in January.

[jimmygscfc]

Oct 18, 2016 9:32:43 GMT Lakeland Potter said:

I can't see why we've hardly ever tried Muniesa in Whelan's position. Although he hasn't got blistering pace he's pretty mobile and not a bad header of the ball given his size. The fact that he has on occasions looked OK at CB (usually in partnership with Ryan?) suggests that he might flourish at DM and he certainly has far more attacking skills to his armory than Whelan has these days.

The next time we are comfortably winning a game entering the last 20 minutes or so I'd like Hughes to try Muniesa as a sub for Whelan. Apart from anything else, Whelan's age means he looks better when he has not been flogged to death for 90 minutes week after week.

As to Muniesa ar RB - he did OK when he came on on Saturday but against a good winger I suspect his left footedness would see him found out. I'll say it again, we should move heaven and earth to get Tripper in January.

John, I expected more from you than jumping on the very small bandwagon of fans suggesting Muni plays in midfield. Even DaveJohnno hopped on ages ago. I hope you get your wish with Trippier though

[Lakeland Potter]

Oct 18, 2016 9:41:36 GMT jimmygscfc said:

Oct 18, 2016 9:32:43 GMT Lakeland Potter said:

I can't see why we've hardly ever tried Muniesa in Whelan's position. Although he hasn't got blistering pace he's pretty mobile and not a bad header of the ball given his size. The fact that he has on occasions looked OK at CB (usually in partnership with Ryan?) suggests that he might flourish at DM and he certainly has far more attacking skills to his armory than Whelan has these days.

The next time we are comfortably winning a game entering the last 20 minutes or so I'd like Hughes to try Muniesa as a sub for Whelan. Apart from anything else, Whelan's age means he looks better when he has not been flogged to death for 90 minutes week after week.

As to Muniesa ar RB - he did OK when he came on on Saturday but against a good winger I suspect his left footedness would see him found out. I'll say it again, we should move heaven and earth to get Tripper in January.

John, I expected more from you than jumping on the very small bandwagon of fans suggesting Muni plays in midfield. Even DaveJohnno hopped on ages ago. I hope you get your wish with Trippier though

After he signed Muni, Hughes did say that he had played in CM on occasions for Barca B although Muni also siad he much preferred playing at CB.

I don't see the problem in a manager trying out a player in a position in which he has not usually played in the past. For example, Joe Allen had hardly ever played in eitther the "number 10 position" or the advanced position in a 3 man midfield when we signed him - having more often played for club and country in either the central position of a 3 man midfield or one of two positions in a midfield 2. Hughes' decision to play him in an advanced role hasn't turned out too badly.

That isn't to say that Muniesa WOULD shine in the Whelan position - but he might - so it seems sensible to try him out there if the chance arises given that we really don't have a young "finshed article" alternative to Whelan. I think Allen was probably signed as a younger alternative to Whelan but it is clear that, at the moment, he is more useful (to us at least) in a more advanced role.

[3putts]

I said before the sunderland game that rb is a big concern for me.if moyes was a decent manager[he isn't] he would have targeted our weakness. bardsley is ok ish but he is not in the same class as Johnson and if you look back over the last 12 months all our good performances happened when he was in the team and are form certainly dropped when he got injured.
I for one am hopefull that we bring in a good rb in january

[jimmygscfc]

Oct 18, 2016 10:23:54 GMT Lakeland Potter said:

Oct 18, 2016 9:41:36 GMT jimmygscfc said:

John, I expected more from you than jumping on the very small bandwagon of fans suggesting Muni plays in midfield. Even DaveJohnno hopped on ages ago. I hope you get your wish with Trippier though

After he signed Muni, Hughes did say that he had played in CM on occasions for Barca B although Muni also siad he much preferred playing at CB.

I don't see the problem in a manager trying out a player in a position in which he has not usually played in the past. For example, Joe Allen had hardly ever played in eitther the "number 10 position" or the advanced position in a 3 man midfield when we signed him - having more often played for club and country in either the central position of a 3 man midfield or one of two positions in a midfield 2. Hughes' decision to play him in an advanced role hasn't turned out too badly.

That isn't to say that Muniesa WOULD shine in the Whelan position - but he might - so it seems sensible to try him out there if the chance arises given that we really don't have a young "finshed article" alternative to Whelan. I think Allen was probably signed as a younger alternative to Whelan but it is clear that, at the moment, he is more useful (to us at least) in a more advanced role.

John, I'm not against experimentation, but I don't see Hughes being anywhere near trying Muni in midfield. Allen's a midfielder and his role at the moment is a variation on that although I still think he'll drop back a bit eventually.