retired_jessicadon

21 at the start of the season. Athletically, aesthetically and skillfully the mirror of Vieira. If he doesn't become a player of a similar standard to that, i think we'll (or whoever he spends his young years with) have failed him tbh.

retired_lyriclemelodee

Oh dear, exposing my ignorance here, who is Veloso?

Oh, and wish we had some young defenders that are going to be as good as Pique. Maybe Mancienne, from the way some people rave about him I'm suprised a lower-end Premiership team didn't try and loan him.

retired_jessicadon

Veloso has a pretty mouth.

runronnirun

Miguel Veloso. the next kid we're going to attempt to nick from Sporting.

retired_lyriclemelodee

Liverpool need another defensive midfielder, they'll sign him.

retired_tripaige

mikel really is something.

we're happy with the deal. united are happy with the deal. everyone's a winner.

retired_corzawoodja

Eciting to envisage just how good he could be.

A year out of football and he basically strolls straight into our side. Diarra couldn't. The ultimate in strength, composure, technique and passing. These are nailed. A natural footballer if ever you saw one. He may well play a more attacking role in the future as he does with Nigeria.

retired_bigsean999

Mikel is the BEST player I've ever seen IN THE WORLD. Never loses possession just stick to his foot, great tackler, fair player, great pace, scores goals for fun.

STUNNING!

retired_bigsean999

Infact, we should sell hargreaves, anderson and carrick now as he's streets ahead of them. Let's just have Mikel in a one man midfield imo.

retired_weridstuff

Why not just start a Mikel thread?

Tbh, I didn't watch the game yesterday. It was, after all, Chelsea and West Ham...which ALWAYS means ninety minutes of blokes kicking lumps out of each other, which I don't really care for. We got the result, and that'll do me.

As to Mikel, he has tons of potential that at the moment is marred by how spectacularly naive he can be on the pitch and how terrible he is at tackling. As somebody else commented, he doesn't strike me as a malicious player, just a clumsy one in the tackle.

He isn't a 'complete midfielder' (whatever the hell that is), and he isn't the same kind of player as either Anderson or Hargreaves. I'd say he's far closer to Carrick right now in terms of what he does for the team, and Carrick is the better player. Mikel can definitely be a superb midfielder, but he's got a lot of work to do before he gets there.