Park Ji-Sung

[Disco]

Would be a nailed on starter for every team in the Prem except for the one he's at right now.

Chelsea - no

Liverpool - no better than Kuyt

Arsenal - no

 

 

Liverpool would have him in a shot. Have you seen what they're forced to play out wide these days?

 

Arsenal would certainly rather have him on the wing than Eboue, but he's not a Wenger style player so perhaps not.

 

As for Chelsea, do you know who their manager is?

 

Fit first team i stand by original comment. 

 

Kuyt is more productive - goals

Chelsea don't play 4-4-2 and wide in 4-5-1 he offers little going forward other than running around a lot

Arsenal - better than Nasri/Arshavin/Walcott - nay

 

Ironic you mention that since he got his start at PSV as a winger in a 4-3-3, plays as a winger for Man U in a system that resembles a 4-5-1 more than a 4-2-2, and plays as a winger in a 4-5-1 for his national team.

 

He's arguably never played as a 4-2-2 winger at any point in his career.

 

I know he played 3/5 man for Korea/PSV but for Chelsea as they need the attacking/goal threat from theres he doesnt offer this. Man U do play 4-4-2 (see tonight for evidence) - its only in Europe away they don't usually

[oldtype]

Would be a nailed on starter for every team in the Prem except for the one he's at right now.

Chelsea - no

Liverpool - no better than Kuyt

Arsenal - no

 

 

Liverpool would have him in a shot. Have you seen what they're forced to play out wide these days?

 

Arsenal would certainly rather have him on the wing than Eboue, but he's not a Wenger style player so perhaps not.

 

As for Chelsea, do you know who their manager is?

 

Fit first team i stand by original comment. 

 

Kuyt is more productive - goals

Chelsea don't play 4-4-2 and wide in 4-5-1 he offers little going forward other than running around a lot

Arsenal - better than Nasri/Arshavin/Walcott - nay

 

Ironic you mention that since he got his start at PSV as a winger in a 4-3-3, plays as a winger for Man U in a system that resembles a 4-5-1 more than a 4-2-2, and plays as a winger in a 4-5-1 for his national team.

 

He's arguably never played as a 4-2-2 winger at any point in his career.

 

I know he played 3/5 man for Korea/PSV but for Chelsea as they need the attacking/goal threat from theres he doesnt offer this. Man U do play 4-4-2 (see tonight for evidence) - its only in Europe away they don't usually

 

It's a bit of a myth that he can't score. He's not a great finisher (like most wingers,) but he has a knack for getting into great positions in the box. His goals against Portugal in 2002 and France in 2006 are great examples of this, and he had a decent scoring ratio at PSV.

 

It's just that Man U have so many better options, he's just not utilized. So often when Man U is playing you see him waving his hands around wide open in the box but Carrick or Scholes chooses to go for the hollywood pass to Rooney or Ronaldo instead. (Which to be fair, usually turns out okay for them.)

 

Compared with Jonas he's got a bit more end product and stamina, but his biggest weakness is that he doesn't have the strength or balance Jonas has. I honestly think Liverpool or Chelsea would be happy to have them if Fergie was willing to sell.

 

It's preposterous to be debating whether we would have him or not. Of course we would.

[Guest kingdawson]

I'd have him at spurs, no doubt about it.

[Segun Oluwaniyi]

I'd have him at spurs, no doubt about it.

I'd take just about anyone over Bentley though.

[oldtype]

I'd have him at spurs, no doubt about it.

I'd take just about anyone over Bentley though.

 

What a fall from grace Bentley has had. Within a year he goes from being NE5's golden boy to one of the most maligned players in the league.

[Mr. Snrub]

Wouldn't get in the Man City team ahead of SWP either.

[Guest kingdawson]

I'd have him at spurs, no doubt about it.

I'd take just about anyone over Bentley though.

True.

[Nobody]

I don't really see him as a winger, I'd play him CM. Works harder than any other player, good tackler and good passing. I'd have him here in a flash.

[Delima]

Unbelievable that Park is so, so, so, so under-rated by posters here.

 

Apart from the obvious where everyone agrees on (workrate), Park :

 

1. Play a vitally important part in build up, doing the dirty legworks, water-carrying.

2. Always get into excellent goal scoring positions

3. Always cause havocs in opposition's defence and ask persistently ask difficult questions

 

His finishing is horrendous, everything else he is better than vast majority of players. It can be argued that his terrible finishing has let him and his team down, as he is simply wasting away so many chances. However posters here choose not to critise his finishing but to severely underrate his football intelligence. This, I find very strange and disturbing.

 

It is rather easy to deal with Park actually. Just leave Park alone and concentrate on others, as Park would not score even against an open goal. Unfortunately such defending will not be risked by any manager or player. So Park continues to play a vitally important role for Man Utd.

 

Ferguson likes to rotate him because he never moans, he never complains, never strops, at least in public. He is the easy target, he is the lamb chosen for sacrifice because he does not resist. Surely SAF would rather spend more time and effort to placate the likes of Ronaldo and Rooney.

 

Park would definitely be a certain starter in my Newcastle United.

[oldtype]

Unbelievable that Park is so, so, so, so under-rated by posters here.

 

Apart from the obvious where everyone agrees on (workrate), Park :

 

1. Play a vitally important part in build up, doing the dirty legworks, water-carrying.

2. Always get into excellent goal scoring positions

3. Always cause havocs in opposition's defence and ask persistently ask difficult questions

 

His finishing is horrendous, everything else he is better than vast majority of players. It can be argued that his terrible finishing has let him and his team down, as he is simply wasting away so many chances. However posters here choose not to critise his finishing but to severely underrate his football intelligence. This, I find very strange and disturbing.

 

It is rather easy to deal with Park actually. Just leave Park alone and concentrate on others, as Park would not score even against an open goal. Unfortunately such defending will not be risked by any manager or player. So Park continues to play a vitally important role for Man Utd.

 

Ferguson likes to rotate him because he never moans, he never complains, never strops, at least in public. He is the easy target, he is the lamb chosen for sacrifice because he does not resist. Surely SAF would rather spend more time and effort to placate the likes of Ronaldo and Rooney.

 

Park would definitely be a certain starter in my Newcastle United.

 

Absolutely spot on summary, particularly the part in bold. Any other player in the world would have handed in a transfer request after the fucking shit Ferguson pulled on him in the CL finals last year. Lad's too unselfish for his own good.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Similar to Jonas - defensive winger with a great engine.

 

Good shout, although I'd add that Jonas has more skill and Park Ji-Sung better technique. Don't think Fergie would ever let such a useful player go though, if anything he would probably love another Park which could see them sniffing around Jonas perhaps, something I can see happening anyway.

[Thespence]

One of him & Darren Fletcher always seemed  to get picked while less glamours teamates are subs or do get picked & that tells me both of these lads are class acts. Park may not have the tricks of others but he he has engine on him any Daewoo would be proud of.

[Guest quklaani]

Heh, I thought you were making a pretty harsh comparison there but probably a typo...one which a lot of people used to make on purpose.

 

Fletcher is becoming an excellent midfielder, doubt he'll ever be world class but he's as good as Butt ever was for us (and believe it or not once upon a time he was pretty bloody good.)  Ferguson on the other hand, well...Ill be generous and say he was forgettable.

[Tachikoma]

I'd have him at spurs, no doubt about it.

I'd take just about anyone over Bentley though.

 

What a fall from grace Bentley has had. Within a year he goes from being NE5's golden boy to one of the most maligned players in the league.

 

I can see him playing for us next year if we survive the drop (and if the purse strings are loosened a tad)

[Dr. TC]

Park Ji-Sung is a fantastic player. It says a lot that he's one of the first names on Sir Alex's teamsheet.

 

Vastly underrated.

[oldtype]

I'd have him at spurs, no doubt about it.

I'd take just about anyone over Bentley though.

 

What a fall from grace Bentley has had. Within a year he goes from being NE5's golden boy to one of the most maligned players in the league.

 

I can see him playing for us next year if we survive the drop (and if the purse strings are loosened a tad)

 

Yup, and we all know that NUFC is the perfect place for players with a tarnished reputation can come to in order to regain their good form! 

[Neil]

Park Ji-Sung is a fantastic player. It says a lot that he's one of the first names on Sir Alex's teamsheet.

 

Vastly underrated.

 

Is he? What I see is a player who is used extremely well by Ferguson, in matches and indeed positions where his work rate and industry is required. Perhaps he is an unsung hero, but I wouldn't say hes one of the first on the teamsheet. That said, it's hard to pick Man United's strongest midfield, such is the wealth of options they have 

[ohmelads]

It's easy to see Park as just a cog in a well-oiled machine, but playing for both PSV and South Korea in the past he has thrived on the responsibility of being one of the star players expected to create an opening in tight games. The difference nowadays is he has notably lost his pace since the PSV days when he caused AC Milan all sorts of problems in the CL semis. Back then he was not only a hard worker but could also beat a man, and his off the ball movement combined with his pace made him a great all round player. It was this form which earned him his move to Man Utd.

 

I disagree that merchndising in the far-east had much if anything to do with his move. Anyone who has been to the far east will know that Man Utd were already huge long before Park arrived. A certain Mr Beckham had a lot to do with this. In the poorer regions of Asia many fans wear fakes anyway, while in Korea and Japan many fans don't buy shirts but follow the Premier League passively and, yes, the vast majority call themselves Man Utd fans. I'd say the move did more for Park Ji Sung's balance than it did for Man Utd's. In South Korea his face is everywhere, usually advertising Nike or Budweiser, and there's no doubt Man Utd gain exposure from him, but they had that exposure anyway through Beckham. Also let's not forget that although Asia is a massive continent, relatively speaking Korea is a very small country with only about 40 million people. This idea that Japanese or Chinese people will buy Man Utd shirts because they see an Asian face is a pretty racist one. With the exception of South Korea, Beckham was a much, much bigger PR machine in Asia than Park Ji Sung.

 

Anyway, back to the football and Park is one of those players who knows his own limitations and operates within them, and for this reason he's fantastic team player. So many talented players give the ball away and invite pressure onto their team, either because too much pressure is put upon them to create openings or because they believe they are better than they are (Robert for example was a bit of both). But one of the features of Man Utd under Alex Ferguson is they almost never give the ball away easily. Park's not just a hardworker, but his movement off the ball is fantastic, he wins the ball back and most importantly doesn't lose the ball. If you watch closely, Park has a hand in a lot of Man Utd goals or chances, he just isn't usually the one with the incisive dribble, pass or strike that breaks the deadlock, hence he doesn't make any headlines.

 

Were he to move down to a club like ours, his role would resemble more the role he had at PSV. At Man Utd he can operate within his limitations and be a very neat and tidy player on the ball, while a nuisance for the opposition off it. In a black and white shirt, he'd be asked to take more risks and try to make more openings, and these days he just doesn't have the pace he had at PSV to go on mazy dribbles. I think we'd see him giving the ball away more often and his shortcomings more exposed. Saying that, at the right price I'd definitely have him here.

[Filflop1]

He grafts his nuts off every game i like the lad, but no chance of him coming here

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Man Utd have the perfect football team/squad... it is much more than the sum of its parts. Park is one of those players (like O'Shea, Fletcher et al) who doesn't look like much but works hard and does the tidy work well, allowing his more dangerous teammates to hurt the opposition.

 

In the Keegan glory days we had a number of players like that. To look at some of our players you wouldn't think they were much, but fast counterattacking football isn't about genius, it's about simplicity, efficiency, fitness and decisiveness.

 

Always been a fan of Park.

[Guest teepee]

butt were also one of the socalled "underrated" united players - but once out of that amazing team, he was not such a fantastic player, now was he?

 

i think park is a good player - but i am not sure he could be the star in an epl team - he looks so good because of the players around him imo

[Guest Stephen927]

Park is very good. I remember when he signed the majority thought it was simply a stunt to get more sales in Asia, but he is more than capable of holding his own even though he hasn't got the skills of the Ronaldos and Berbatovs of this world.

 

Hits a ferocious shot too.

[eaststar]

I dunno how many of you have followed Park's career but his game has definitely changed since he joined Man U.

 

Yes, he has lost his pace somewhat but his runs off the ball are very intelligent, links well with the Man U players and most  importantly he does not lose the ball easily.

 

At the start of his Man U career, this was his biggest fault.  A weakness that is much more serious than crap finishing.  If you can't keep the ball, no one passes to you (from my experience anyway...).  I remember he used to get outmuscled off the ball easily and give the ball away very cheaply.  Now, you watch him play, and he will not lose possession and he uses his body very well.  I reckon he has adapted to the speed and physicality of the English game and he would walk into any other team (PROVIDED he is given at least a couple of months to settle in and he knows he has his manager's confidence).

 

He's been unlucky with his finishing, but yeah, I wouldn't put him up front. 

 

Scores his fair share for korea tho. 

 

Conclusion: He can play anywhere in midfield - works his socks off but effectively unlike a certain Mr Smith and a certain Mr Butt

 

[Jaehyun]

I'd rather have Park here than any of our midfielders. If you only see Man Utd games once a season you probably wouldn't understand why Fergerson thinks of Park as a valuable part of his squad. But my brother in law being a Man Utd fan we always watch the Newcastle and Man Utd games together.

 

You might think of him as a nothing player but this is ridiculously ignorant. Park's tenacity and relentlessness puts the opposing team under pressure and draws out defenders which create gaps in the defence for players like Ronaldo and Rooney to utilise. Sometimes you see this kind of thing from Obafemi Martins or Jonas Gutierrez from our team, where they dribble and hold the ball drawing 2-3 defenders onto them and then laying a pass off for a runner. The difference is, Park does this for 90 minutes of the match, it is relentless and gives a lot of stress to the defenders, wearing them down.

 

It is largely because of this role, to draw defenders out and hold the ball that he doesn't get to attack much, but if you saw his performances at PSV and South Korea (which he now captains) he attacks without fear, scoring a fair few goals. It seems at Man Utd he lost his attacting instincts and for this I'm disappointed because I was a fan of him when he was at PSV.

 

Also he's not the type of player like Ronaldo who always tries to beat his man and does step-overs whenever possible, but he does have some nifty footwork which come out of nowhere in crucial situations, often not directly assisting a goal, but he very often starts the play which ends up being a goal, by a pass, drawing defenders out, relentless running, closing the defenders down and winning the ball.

 

Yes statistic wise he's not a great player because he doesn't score a lot and doesn't have a lot of assists, but without Park Man Utd would concede a lot more goals, and score a lot less.

 

If you think any of our midfielders are anywhere near as good as Park, perhaps apart from Jonas you're ridiculously mistaken.

In my opinion he is like Jonas but he has better off the ball contribution to the team, he closes down a lot more and runs back to defend. One of his greatest strengths is that, he is always everywhere, for example for the kind of play that almost leads to a goal there are so many times when we say, if only we had a player in the box at that time..Park will be at that spot because he never stops running.

[Nobody]

It's easy to see Park as just a cog in a well-oiled machine, but playing for both PSV and South Korea in the past he has thrived on the responsibility of being one of the star players expected to create an opening in tight games. The difference nowadays is he has notably lost his pace since the PSV days when he caused AC Milan all sorts of problems in the CL semis. Back then he was not only a hard worker but could also beat a man, and his off the ball movement combined with his pace made him a great all round player. It was this form which earned him his move to Man Utd.

 

I disagree that merchndising in the far-east had much if anything to do with his move. Anyone who has been to the far east will know that Man Utd were already huge long before Park arrived. A certain Mr Beckham had a lot to do with this. In the poorer regions of Asia many fans wear fakes anyway, while in Korea and Japan many fans don't buy shirts but follow the Premier League passively and, yes, the vast majority call themselves Man Utd fans. I'd say the move did more for Park Ji Sung's balance than it did for Man Utd's. In South Korea his face is everywhere, usually advertising Nike or Budweiser, and there's no doubt Man Utd gain exposure from him, but they had that exposure anyway through Beckham. Also let's not forget that although Asia is a massive continent, relatively speaking Korea is a very small country with only about 40 million people. This idea that Japanese or Chinese people will buy Man Utd shirts because they see an Asian face is a pretty racist one. With the exception of South Korea, Beckham was a much, much bigger PR machine in Asia than Park Ji Sung.

 

Anyway, back to the football and Park is one of those players who knows his own limitations and operates within them, and for this reason he's fantastic team player. So many talented players give the ball away and invite pressure onto their team, either because too much pressure is put upon them to create openings or because they believe they are better than they are (Robert for example was a bit of both). But one of the features of Man Utd under Alex Ferguson is they almost never give the ball away easily. Park's not just a hardworker, but his movement off the ball is fantastic, he wins the ball back and most importantly doesn't lose the ball. If you watch closely, Park has a hand in a lot of Man Utd goals or chances, he just isn't usually the one with the incisive dribble, pass or strike that breaks the deadlock, hence he doesn't make any headlines.

 

Were he to move down to a club like ours, his role would resemble more the role he had at PSV. At Man Utd he can operate within his limitations and be a very neat and tidy player on the ball, while a nuisance for the opposition off it. In a black and white shirt, he'd be asked to take more risks and try to make more openings, and these days he just doesn't have the pace he had at PSV to go on mazy dribbles. I think we'd see him giving the ball away more often and his shortcomings more exposed. Saying that, at the right price I'd definitely have him here.

You need to be a regular poster again, mate. Best NUFC-poster by a mile before you disappeared.