So, I have been having this discussion with different people, most of who are not Manchester United fans, and they all seem to be pouring called water on Mbeumo as a player and frankly I get it. He is a really good player and it is in the interest of these fans to want him to fail.
On the other hand, I also think some of their points are valid. They have said that he is a risky signing. That he over performed his expected goals, which is very true. He is also on penalties at Brentford which has inflated his numbers even further.
All these are true if you are trying to buy an FPL asset. Last time I checked, that is not what we are doing at Manchester United. Maybe these fans haven’t been watching the crisis of 10’s we have been having at United.
We have had Garnacho, who can barely dribble let alone shoot. Mount, who can’t stop getting injured and struggles to provide consistent performances across three consecutive games. Zirkzee, who is allergic to shooting with any power whatsoever. We have even tried to shoehorn Mainoo there because of how poor majority of our options are with the ball at their feet. The only reliable player in that position is Bruno Fernandez and he has had to pull shifts in the central midfield to fill in a position that we also desperately need.
We have no one we can rely on, until now. (I know I am getting ahead of myself. He is not our player yet.)
This is what I see when I watch Mbeumo.
- Hard working and tracks back.
- Strong runner with the ball.
- Impressive left foot.
- A player that rarely gets injured.
- He is only 25 years old!
Anyone who has watched Manchester United play comments the same thing. We don’t look fit. We look weak.
It comes from one simple thing. We lack physicality in the team, even from our best player, Bruno. The only two players I consider tenacious and physical in our team is Martinez, the Argentinian Butcher and begrudgingly Casemiro, because he can’t keep up with the pace of the game even though he tries.
So, can we have some bare minimum physicality? Can we raise the physicality floor of the team? That is what Mbeumo represents to me. The goals are just an added bonus, of which I believe will be plenty.