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Message: [QUOTE="The True King, post: 3555897, member: 9651"] Ighalo proved he wasn't a PL flop at Watford. He was poor at United but that's as much on the manager/recruitment team for picking him up from China and thinking it was shrewd business. I've made a few points on United over the last few posts but I'll finish up on Cucurella and why I think he isn't a 'smart' signing like you are suggesting. Firstly, you mentioned his time at Getafe. His final season there he was great, even Guardiola referenced him as a talented player. The thing was that he was largely deployed as a left midfielder. He played a grand total of 1 game at LB in his final season before he got the Brighton move. At the time their LB was Oliveira, who has since moved and become a first team regular at Napoli. Secondly, at Brighton he was also very good - but again he wasn't a traditional LB. They would name Cucurella, Veldtman, Dunk and Webster in a back 4 along with Lamptey as RM. On paper it looked like he was a LB but in reality they were playing a back 3 with Cucurella and Lamptey playing as wing backs. It was smart from Brighton to identify a game plan that worked to his strengths but they knew he was a liability defensively and better going forward. At Chelsea they tried him numerous times in a back 4 and it failed badly. Potter even tried him as a LCB with Chilwell as a LWB and that didn't work either. In theory I think it could work at United but they'll have to fundamentally change the way they play to allow for him to play as more of a LWB/LM. It is going to also put significant pressure on Varane, Casemiro, and Martinez to cover larger spaces centrally. It's also worth noting that Shaw is a very good defensive LB and can cover CB at a pinch too - he has the defensive discipline that we haven't seen from Cucurella. Arguably someone like AWB or Dalot could play RB and slide across to RCB (similar to White at Arsenal last season) but if they want Cucurella to replicate what Shaw does defensively in a back 4 it is going to end badly. My belief is that if you are changing the entire system to accommodate a player like Cucurella then you have probably made the wrong move. I guess time will tell. [/QUOTE]

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