So far Urby has only had mini appearances, which may because (on his own admission) the premiership is faster than he's used to in Serie A. He has also made it clear that his ambitions lie with Milan, which may also be a factor. However, despite his young age, along with the 'Bambino' nickname he has plenty of experience and, from the little I've seen, he's pretty speedy himself. Also the fact that he wants to prove himself can work in Fulham's favour. please log in to view this image Jol has said today that we're not yet out of the relegation quagmire and that's technically correct. Nonetheless, introducing Urby in to the starting line shouldn't be high risk. He's already worked with Jol at Ajax, where he was 'transformed' into a left side forward. and I'd like to see him given a decent run of games in our midfield (the traditional No. 10 spot). If that means sacrificing Bryan, so be it. Here is a link to an interview with Urby, where he talks openly about his reasons for coming to Fulham - http://www.insidefutbol.com/2013/02/25/interview-urby-emanuelson-on-ac-milan-and-chance-for-redemption-at-fulham/80118/
I'd like to disagree, he is a quality player. Cream rises to the top Bandy. I'd throw him in. I'm a bit more gung ho as it's not my money that I'd lose if we were relegated! LOL
Hopefully he is a match-winner. Our run in is quite tough- with the exception of QPR it's top 5 teams at home and some tricky away ties.
Now we have it - Urby could be our âtrequartistaâ. So says Italian journalist Federico Farcomeni in a short interview posted on the Club website. The clincher though is in the final sentence. Until we are mathematically safe, it's clear that Jol will stick with the work rate and reliability of Duff and Sidwell on the left and even then, with an eye to his squad for next year, I doubt if he will use Urby other than in bit part roles. Pity. But professional.
Pity indeed 58. I was so excited when he joined but he has been wasted here on the bench. I think he needs to come on around the hour mark to run at the defences, I wouldn't mind seeing him come in for Duff now that Dejagah has begun to pick up form.
Here is an interesting blog from Italy about Urby - illustrating what we could miss out on, or not (for around £4m) "Eyebrows were raised when Urby Emanuelson made his exit from San Siro to ply his trade at Craven Cottage this winter. The Dutchman had worked his name into the good books of Massimiliano Allegri, a manager infamous for having raised a few eyebrows himself with his questionable tactical choices. Although Emanuelson’s best performances have been noted with him playing at left-back, Allegri was insistent about fielding the former Ajax man in a no.10 role. Emanuelson toiled long and hard to please the fans with his bodily elasticity and breakneck speed, but alas, that remained insufficient. Following the arrival of M’Baye Niang and the recovery of Kevin-Prince Boateng, Emanuelson found himself warming the bench. His thirst for first-team football took him to London. However, the move has backtracked his career instead of resurrecting it. Martin Jol has predominantly used him off-the-bench, a scenario Emanuelson was unwilling to accept at Milan. Jol’s adamant claims of not being able to afford the purchase Emanuelson indicates a return to Italy for the twenty-six year old. That leaves the Milan hierarchy with a problem. Or, does it? Milan’s midfield is run by one man; Riccardo Montolivo. He destroys, defends, creates and attacks with the other two in the trio merely supporting him. His continued rampant domination of the midfield after several months of football is testimony to the quality of player he is. But, the strain on Montolivo would have been far lesser had Emanuelson exercised some patience. Emanuelson was largely responsible for connecting the midfield with the attack. He would dribble from a deeper position before setting up a forward, or alternately, attempt a preposterous shot at goal. Facts do not lie, and in half a season, Emannuelson had assisted more goals than any midfielder at Milan. With Stephan El Shaarawy’s influence dwindling at a bewildering rate, Milan visibly lacked a player who could bridge the gap between midfield and attack. Emanuelson did not set the world on fire when he played on the right wing, but did what could have been asked of him. His movement was impressive, he could turn defenders with a slight twist of his hip and breaks into open spaces at lethal speeds. He could also pick a mouthwatering pass from time to time. Technically, Emanuelson was, and probably still is a top-class footballer. Even Jol seems to notice Emanuelson’s expertise on the ball. “You could see that Urby is a nice, technical crowd-pleaser.” he told Sky Sports. Emanuelson is far from a perfect player. His decision-making, defensive nous and inter-play are by far his weaker points. These often spearheaded a pivotal role in his inconsistency, which saw him relegated to the bench at Milan. He was never going to be an integral part of the project, he would play a supplementary role. That did not mean he was unimportant, but that he would be a utility player. Every big club in Europe has a utility player. Bayern Munich have Thomas Muller, Real Madrid have Fabio Coentrao, Chelsea have Ramires, Manchester United have Wayne Rooney. These players help shrink the squad size by performing numerous roles. Clearly, some are more prominent names when compared to the others. But they are engaged in multiple positions for their versatility. Emanuelson can play in all positions down the left wing, in central midfield, behind the striker and on the right wing. The variance of diversity is staggering. Milan do have a choice to make. Emanuelson could quite easily become excess baggage at the Milanello, or he could clock serious game-time, reducing the burden of excessive football on other first-team players. Emanuelson’s absence from the squad has pinched Allegri repeatedly. El Shaarawy has barely had a sniff of air since the start of the season and Boateng is being played out of position to compensate for the lack of a prominent right-winger. Allegri is also having to scratch the squad to find a suitable box-to-box midfielder, a player who could compliment Montolivo. Emanuelson can be painfully average, but he could also be blissfully useful." Source: http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2013/05/ac-milan-club-focus-what-to-do-with-urby-emanuelson/
