Uri Levy is a football journalist and commentator, founder of the BabaGol football website, and expert on all things Israeli and Middle Eastern football. Here he gives the lowdown on Fulham's newest recruit, Manor Solomon.
How would you describe Manor as a player?
Manor is a creative, talented and hard-working footballer. He is a player who creates chances for his teammates but also knows how to take the game on his shoulders and score independently. He is fast, quick with his feet and has a divine technique that helps him dribble through opponents in style. He is very intelligent, too. He understands football very well and knows how to change and adapt himself during the game. When he was a kid, he used to train in martial arts and tennis, so his movements are very diverse which helps him on the pitch. Finally, he is a team player, who can go solo on demand, too. In addition, he has a tremendous work ethic and a professional and mature approach to the game.
Where would you say is his best position?
As a gifted right-foot attacking player, Manor obviously flourishes on the left wing, but as he enjoys exceptional ball control and can shoot with both feet, he definitely can be used as an attacking midfielder coming from behind the striker, or as a dynamic second-striker in an attacking-duo. If he continues his improvement, adds more to his physicality, and strengthens his defensive aspects, he'll be the full package for Fulham.
Is there another player with a similar style that you could compare him to?
Manor's style is very unique. I don't want to build high expectations among the fans too much, but when I saw him playing for the first time he reminded me a lot of Eden Hazard during his time at Lille and Chelsea. I think that today in some sense, Manor already developed his own style, but if I need to compare, it would be a combination of players. Other than Hazard, in his game you can find shades of Raheem Sterling, with a bit of Lorenzo Insigne, as he also has a relatively small body but can start moves and runs from deep in his own team's half, taking bigger defenders with him. He is not a natural scorer who scores for fun, but he has bit of Son Heung-min, mainly in terms of football intellect, game vision and the lethal finishing from tight angles. Again, no intentions to over-hype him and say he is a combination of these big names, but he has qualities in similar aspects like these players. He has a top talent in him.
How do you think he will do in the Premier League?
If you are not born in the UK, I believe the first year in the Prem can be a challenging experience, especially if you part of a club that just won promotion and rejoins the party. It depends on whether he can stay healthy and cope with the huge pressure and physical demands. I think he'll need to add some more muscles to cope with the Premier League's wing-backs, but Manor has something special in him that might help. He is very good in all six basics of football: technical, tactical, physical (fitness), emotional/mental, intellectual and educational. He is a good kid from a good family (both of his parents are sports teachers) who works hard to achieve his dream. I assume his impact won't be immediate, as he'll need his time to adjust, but if he stays away from injuries, learns fast, and contributes a few goals and assists now and then, it will be a good year for him. He is a charming guy, so I am not worried that he won't 'click' with the gaffer or his teammates. The pressure in the Premier League is unreal, but he has a whole country behind him in Israel, and he has what it takes to become a quality first-team member for Fulham. Hopefully, it will be a good deal for all involved: Manor, Fulham, the Premier League and the Israeli National Team.
How important is Manor to the Israel national team?
It's a few years now that Manor has been marked as the player of the future for the Israeli national team. With players like Bibars Natcho and Eran Zahavi in the team, Manor was the young guy that will guide us in the future. Zahavi is still in the loop, but the generational shift has begun. Now everyone expects Manor to lead the 'new Israel', along with ex-Vitesse Arnham's Eli Dasa, Shon Weissman of Valladolid, Hoffenheim's Munas Dabbur and Liel Abada from Celtic. Manor is an indispensable member of the national team.
Will he be a good fit for Fulham?
I think so, yes. Socially I see him bonding with everyone as he is very polite, modest and has a positive personality. The rest is up to the system to produce the best out of him, train him well, and improve him in his less complete aspects (defence, stamina). The quality material is there, for sure, but football is a weird game. What works in one place might not work in another place and coming from the Ukrainian League, although he shined against Real Madrid and Manchester City in the Champions League, to the Premier League, is not a walk in the park. But at the end of the day, he has what it takes to be a good fit for Fulham. Now it's time to go out on the field and execute.
Have you interviewed Manor before?
I met Manor and interviewed him briefly after several national team matches in recent years but never had the chance to interview him for a proper 1x1 conversation. As mentioned earlier, from my impression, he is a lovely young guy. Modest, polite with positive energy and on-spot self-confidence. Manor is a true dream-chaser who does it with a smile and a realistic approach. He is definitely the guy you want to sit next to in the dressing room or run with you on the wing on a cold, rainy night at Selhurst Park.
He's scored home and away against Real Madrid, so he must be comfortable on the biggest stage?
Manor can shine on big occasions. No doubt about that. If he feels comfortable on a given night, he can be the most dangerous and lethal player on the pitch, and he proved it against Real Madrid and Manchester City not once and not twice. He has a football beast in him.
And sometimes he goes by Manorinho..?
Hehe yeah, we call him Manorinho for several reasons. His style, which is a little bit Brazilian in parts; the fact that he is our star player now and many football superstars are called _____inho these days; but the truth is that he got this nickname during the negotiations between Maccabi Petah Tikva (his Israeli boyhood club), and Shakhtar Donetsk, his ex-team, that is well-known for bringing young anonymous Brazilians and selling them as superstars (Willian, Douglas Costa, Luiz Adriano, Alex Teixeira). Local media picked it up, and it ticked all the boxes - a talented and creative young player that is playing in a Brazilian style, a national team star to be that is about to sign for a club that traditionally signs many Brazilians... and this was it: Manorinho. Fans picked it up fast, and it became his nickname. So enjoy Manorinho, and take good care of him for us, now that is yours!
