David Moyes’ assistant at Manchester United, Phil Neville, has become a fully paid up member of the Arthur Masuaku fan club after writing him off as “an accident waiting to happen.”
Clearly totally astonished by the Frenchman’s performance against Chelsea, the Match of the Day pundit said: “I watched a lot of him last year play left-back and I thought he gave away a lot of goals and was an accident waiting to happen.
“Under Bilic this year he hasn’t featured much but he was the best player on the pitch. “I liked his performance, he played left wing-back.
“Against City and against Chelsea he’s shown qualities which I didn’t know he had. “His feet, his composure, his feet on the ball were absolutely phenomenal.
“He just goes past players, dribbling from a left wing-back position. I think his position is as a left-back but he likes to go forward so much.”
Last season everyone was making errors this one too have really seen them start cutting them out in past 2 games & Lecesiter.
Arthur has the pace power skill & physical attributes but needed proper coaching & devolping. Last season you could see glimpses him doing well had that really bad game against WBA(not sure) w free kick given then Handball. Made some mistakes everyone has.
But we have seen Bilic’s coaching & developing or lack there of wasn’t great
In short time under Moyes & Psycho Arthur Gert’s better every game & even defensively has been tracking back.
Moyes likes traditional wingers & Arthur has LW on lock. He was playing Arnie on RW tho preferred position is inverted at LW many pundits saying that’s why not getting best out of him.
But Arnie has played better at RW & had a superb finish yesterday w Left foot (his Stats favour his right) and is working harder.
I think Arthur keeps working on Crossing Finishing & defense he can be a top class LW LM LWB.
And get Antonio fully Fit those 3 the Triple A Arthur, Antonio & Arnie could be huge threat especially if get sync & can move in & out poaiton w each other. Saw Glimpses of it yesterday Aenie & Antonio need to play together more.
My mates and I were watching from the Bobby Moore stand, and Arthur Masuaku was absolutely outstanding against Chelsea yesterday. His ball control and skill were something Chelsea couldn’t deal with, particularly in the first half. Some of his close control, dribbling & trickery with the ball was as good as anything I’d seen Payet do. He looks a top player. I can see why Moyes has got him straight on the pitch. Well played Arthur. COYI
11 out of 12 successful take ons. 11 in the first half! Only behind Hazard for most on season.
Antonio had top speeds then Arnie
But Moyes focused on left Flank w 65% fwd on left
Good article on it
https://www.whufc.com/news/articles/2017/december/10-december/marvellous-masuaku-analysing-arthurs-action-packed
Thumbs up also for bringing Noble back with Kouyate out. Nobes has taken no end of emotive abuse and showed yesterday he still can play a part (albeit maybe not every game).
Hopefully onwards and upwards.
Up until Saturday I too did not think much of Masuaku. But, I have to say that he was one of the “men of the match”. So, great credit to him. As things are, he could be a great player for us – but I still don’t think that he can defend to save his life ! Hoping to be proved wrong again.
When will we start to use Masuaku’s actual first name – FUKA! Don’t believe? Do your research. I can’t believe we’ve all missed such a gift!
Oh, and he’s a real baller. Great outlet and reminds me of Devo in his prime; carries the ball and can go past a man with it. How long have we been waiting for someone who can do that? All the ball skills of Payet without the attitude.
So much for Phil Neville being a so-called football pundit!
If he had done his home-work, he would have discovered that Arthur began life as a left-winger, hence the beautiful dribbling and creative movement on the ball.
In fact, Masuaku is probably more adept as a winger than a wing-back.
For a manager who loves to play wingers, Moyes must be delighted to see this truly brilliant revealation.
I honestly couldn’t care less what Phil Neville thinks. In fact I think he is a tw*t.
Anybody who reads this site will know how much I have critisized Masuaku as a defender. I have said for some months that he should be played further forward.
After his performance on Saturday I think he should forget being a full back or a wing back and concentrate on being an out and out attacker. Of course he will still have to track back and tackle. He has enough for that. It was Bilic who started the ball rolling with his re-invention, but under Moyes he can take it much further.
He is still work in progress, but look what happened to that other full-back who liked to get forward, and ended up terrorizing defences all over Europe. OK, he might not be another Gareth Bale, but if he gets half way there, then it would all be worth it.
+1 & he has already been improving on basics & tracking back he willget better at that w proper coaching & drills. And he likes playing LW think he started there as well when younger & was switched to LB but LB at Olympikas is diff.
Has PACs power dribble all the right attributes & the drive & hungry to get better.
Agree Max+Sleeps- he is never a defender. In this case a player ‘out of position’ is a good thing. Like the Bale example! His crossing can also be lethal but that has been a bit less consistent this year. If they can work on that he could be quite a player. But he has to do it consistently.
I did say a couple of weeks back that this ‘tough’ run of games could be helpful because we were all writing them off & expectations were rock bottom. A decent performance even without a win on Wed will be seen as ok. Just hoping that we can keep it up when we get back to Stoke & Newcastle. Please no return to the Watford /Everton performances. We have been given hope & we all know what they say about that!
You’re obviously a long-time supporter, with the same concerns as me about consistancy. How many times in the past have we raised our game for the big matches and then reverted to the norm for the not so big matches?
Yes H64 the Everton game was a disappointment they were very nervous at the start of that match, the Watford game I saw improvement in despite the overall low quality of that performance, it is no good getting results only against the big boys (but it is fun! ) we need to grind out the results against those nearest to us and that means the Stoke’s, WBA’s and Newcastle’s we should be taking points in all of those games, the level of officiating becomes a worry, Bournemouth this season are having a rough time of it on that front, Burnley had loads last season and us , likewise our last season at the Boleyn we must have set a record for the amount of awful decisions. The sooner video takes over from ref’s the better, there isn’t a sport it has had a detrimental effect on and in many cases has actually improved it exponentially.
Bournemouth had fought start got better but glad they drew w Palace.
This is time of season when others start dipping & points btwn bottom 5 or so starts drifting further apart.
Newcastle 3 off bottom & just came off 4 games loosing streak we are tied w WBA but they have better GD.
And Huddersfield have been great on week bad the next they thumped 4-0 then win 2-0.
I think Mounie coming back in helps I wanted him 22yo got height & pace Physical & can finish a feet head very rounded £11m slotted right in Brace first game then another got injured then Depotrie £3m was good to & kept their spot.
Great Tims for us to pick up points & continue our form & momemtum.
Just hope they don’t sell to many players in Jan 2-3 will go if get right offers. But hard to get quality & numbers in January so just hope they have replacements in first not like summer.& i wouldn’t sell Ayew some don’t like him I do & can play #10 2nd striker either wing & top scorer so think selling in Jan for £12m is a mistake 6&5 w half season & 5&3 in all comps this season not bad.
So true about our last season in the Boleyn. One game after another we were cheated, and it was so obvious but nobody hilighted it.
I began to think that Leicester threatening to go into the Champions League was enough for the Premier bosses.
Yes that coat us a top 4 the Chelsea game an others it was like 4-5 in a row w obvious calls for PENs & just bad refereeing. Had we had it go our way or fair refereeing in 2 off those games we would of made top 4.
And we haelve seen it again in last 2 games w Morata Sterling & ffs Delph no one has brought that up & we got on Ayew for his dive & he was contacted. Niasse was running full speed & was touched that can throw u off & got Ban Delph was moving about slowly & was def Simulation.
Making all this noise about simulation this season &,the biggest offenders are getting away w it.Jesus yesterday Zaha Rashford earlier this season no touch. I think if no contact it should be given that’s easy call quick talk to linesmen.
Esp like w Delph lead to goal that changed the game…
But on other I have faith I Moyes tho a lil luck & calla are way will help but w a small squad & lack of fitness & organisation he has turned it around rather quickly & made us a team again! If we keep up this form which seem to get better stick w a formation or 2 & similar starting 11-14 I think we can have a good run in next 5 games. Our Atmosphere has been buzzing players are better individual & as a team & more they play together better they will link up.
I Have faith in Moyes!
I can appreciate the win but since when has 4 points out of 15 been a “Phenomenon”?
They’re referring to Arthur not the team in general or Moyes.