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| Picked up the 'Adidas Golden Ball' award at the 75th edition of FIFA Youth Cup held in Zurich, Switzerland. |
Along with Wilfried Zaha and Jesse Lingard he has been a starring attraction during Moyes’ first pre-season at the club. One way in which his performances have differed from those of his fellow prodigies is that he doesn’t have the look of an emerging talent desperately eager to catch the eye with his every touch.
Rather he has played with the confidence
and authority of a player who knows precisely how good he is and that he absolutely belongs.Ever since he joined Manchester United's youth set-up in 2011, Januzaj has been one of Manchester United's hottest prospects.
His speed, ball control, vision and passing abilities have certainly impressed the coaches at Manchester United, as well as Moyes.
Adnan Januzaj: Comfortable in the red shirt of Man United
Chris McGrath
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| The talented young Belgian |
That’s not to say he exudes any form of arrogance or conceit. He just seems incredibly comfortable wearing the red shirt that can weigh so heavy on players of his age.
Virtually every set-piece sees him take hold of the ball and orchestrate proceedings, and it is impressive to see how willing far more experienced colleagues are to surrender him possession.
In a purely physical sense he resembles a young Johan Cruyff (had he gotten a haircut, the damn hippy). He has the same tall slender frame and a similar gaunt, almost vacant expression.
He also shares something of the natural elegance to his movement and an obvious bias towards a wonderful left foot. As we all know it’s an accepted fact that left-footed players are more pleasing to the eye for some reason (Maradona, Messi, Kevin Sheedy) and Adnan is no exception.
His straight back running style and formal gait bring Brian Laudrup to mind in their elegant aesthetic. He doesn’t yet have the upper body strength of the immaculately bequiffed Dane but he is improving in that regard.
Doron Salomon, an academy reporter and far more seasoned observer than I, has attributed this to the Belgian being made to play out of position up front for the reserves. It’s toughened him up and added a work ethic he was previously lacking.
Although the range and weight of his passing suggests he will ultimately make an outstanding creative midfielder, Moyes tends to deploy him in wide positions with license to drift inside.
It’s a position Januzaj is comfortable with and it will allow him the opportunity to adapt to first team football without the pressures of a more central role. It will also provide the manager with another dimension from the flanks to the more conventional wingers at his disposal.
Whereas the likes of Zaha and Nani rely on fancy flicks and tricks to beat the defender, Januzaj uses his body shape and shifts in balance to glide past opposite numbers. And although the gifted youngster has the technique to curl Beckham-esque crosses into the box, he is more inclined to either pass the ball into feet or dribble his way along the touchline into the area adjacent to the six yard box - a part of the pitch Luis Suarez frequently exploits.
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| Manchester united's Reserve teams best young player Award |
Luis Suarez of Liverpool competes with Scott Galloway and Billy Celeski of Melbourne Victory Januzaj likes to play in similar areas to Luis Suarez of Liverpool
The precocious Belgian’s dribbling style is characteristic of a skillful hockey player keeping the ball very close to his body whilst moving at speed. He wheedles his way past challenges, uses both the in and outstep, and one of his favourite passes is the ball inside the fullback with the outside of his foot.
The prospect of him linking up with the likes of van Persie and Kagawa is an exciting one assuming the manager continues to give him his head.
Of course there are areas of Januzaj’s game that require development. Added muscle and greater stamina will come with age and he still needs to fully adapt to Moyes’ energetic high pressing style. He also has a propensity to end up on his backside quite often, although this has more to do with frustrated defenders than an inclination to dive or playact.
He can beat his man with both skill and a swift change of pace but he doesn’t yet have the strength in his running to fully leave them in his wake.
For now we can sit back and enjoy the emergence of a very special talent indeed. Reports suggest he is close to agreeing a long-term deal with the club, which will come as a relief to United supporters who have seen Paul Pogba leave the academy for Juve and flourish there.
Thankfully Januzaj seems happy where he is. There’s also a clue in the name - Adnan is of Arabic origin meaning ‘settler’ or ‘to stay’. Thankfully it’s far easier to pronounce too.
Adnan under the Microscope" by Sydney O'O
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