Why do you think we're the same person? I don't even agree with Bill that often (no offence bill).
Poll: how should United approach the summer transfer market?
(60 posts) (14 voices)-
madmax
Member
Ideally we should be spending big.An attacking midfielder, a defensive midfielder, a left winger, left back and a striker. But we all know its not going to happen.Fergie will definitely get a left back and probably a Young like signing in midfield. That's the best we can hope for.
Apart from needing a lot of players, we definitely need a new assistant manager. Don't know how much of a role Phelan plays, but our tactics and results have been dire. Queiroz would not have let Fergie squander a 2 goal lead against Everton. We need some one like him. I think this is as important as getting a midfielder. But then...I guess there will be no value for an assistant coach as well.
Posted 1 year ago # -
DeadRevel
Member
Posted by unregistered user: DeadRevelIdeally we would get a left back, 2 midfielders and a striker. All of finished product / first team quality.
But I would be satisfied with one top midfielder if I knew that Cleverley would stay fit next season…Our problems are in midfield, which needs strengthening for better attacking AND defensive options.
Left back is a problem which I don’t understand… Fabio seems the perfect back up for Evra. I wonder if we’re buying a another left back who will be first choice when Evra retires / leaves.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Dinkinflicker
Member
Commenter said:
Ideally we would get a left back, 2 midfielders and a striker. All of finished product / first team quality.
But I would be satisfied with one top midfielder if I knew that Cleverley would stay fit next season…Our problems are in midfield, which needs strengthening for better attacking AND defensive options.
Left back is a problem which I don’t understand… Fabio seems the perfect back up for Evra. I wonder if we’re buying a another left back who will be first choice when Evra retires / leaves.
I have a very reliable contact at Everton who tells me that we've been speaking to them for several weeks about Leighton Baines. Reckons a deal is likely to happen.
Posted 1 year ago # -
DeadRevel
Member Posted by unregistered user: DeadRevelIt would be very funny to find out we were considering bringing back Darron “G-bomb” Gibson.
just for the level of outrage in this comment page.
As for Baines, that seems reasonable. But how much would we pay? We seem to get bent over a barrel at the best of times, for English players you pay 30% more than they’re worth. Unless we’ve done a deal with Moyes in light of all the United players heading to Everton to sweeten the deal. Maybe more this summer?
Posted 1 year ago # -
DamnedUnited
Member Posted by unregistered user: DamnedUnitedI’d feel bad for Bilbao if that happens. I want them to retain their squad and see how they do. They’ve got potential.
Why can’t United find players like those? We’ve been trying but looking at the kind that are brought in (Diouf, Bebe, Anderson etc) the srategy seems completely disjointed.
Of course, you also need a coherent strategy to be able to use these players.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Denton Davey
Member Posted by unregistered user: Denton DaveyBman @ 4:35: “To be fair to Fergie, some of it is bad luck — Fletcher’s condition, Hargo being a crock, Cleverly and Anderson being too crocked to really have a chance to show what they’ve got (ok not bad luck, you can blame the medical staff, but it’s not Fergie’s fault). But we now have only one single proven, good quality central midfielder – Carrick.”
It seems that Shinji Kagawa, from Borussia Dortmund, is pretty-much signed and sealed and will be delivered in the summer. He’s a very, very good “playmaker” – better than Gaitan or Eriksen but not in the same quality-range as his team-mate Mario Goetze. If the reports are true then this would be a start to addressing the “bad luck” issues highlighted above.
BUT what’s needed even more than someone who can be regarded as a “replacement” for TheGingerNinja” is a player who can add drive, steel, and energy to the midfield. Javi Martinez of Athletic Bilbao is a great pal of David De Gea and that might influence him but, of course, “money talks and bullshit walks” and Martinez would be a very expensive addition.
But, really, why not blow the whole wad on an identikit player for an specified need rather than just buying more and more raw talent. Sometimes – and this seems like the time – a hole in the dyke needs to be filled and DarrenFletcherinho ain’t likely to come back to his “football genius” mode.
Posted 1 year ago # -
bman
Member
You don't think Kagawa, if we actually did get him, would be the replacement for Scholes' old attacking creative midfield role? He seems to be doing that very well at Dortmund -- he's been key to them winning the German league two seasons in a row, racking up great goal and assist stats. Still a young guy too. I'd be very happy with getting him. We do desperately need someone to boss the midfield though, in a Keane, Schweinsteiger kind of way.
Posted 1 year ago # -
DeadRevel
Member Posted by unregistered user: DeadRevelNo such thing as a direct replacement when it comes to midfielders, especially Scholes. I think would be a great addition though and crucially be a first team starter most games, as opposed to another sign-and-hope transfer.
Not sure we need a ‘bastard CM’ like Keane anymore. Wouldn’t say no to Tiote or similar at a cut price but only as a squad player. It’s too easy to see Carrick, Giggs and Scholes and think ‘we need the opposite to that’ – strength, aggression etc but it’s a simplistic way of looking at it IMO.
Posted 1 year ago # -
DeadRevel
Member Posted by unregistered user: DeadRevelWe do need a ready made player or two. Hopefully Kagawa fits the bill. Javi Martinez sounds interesting and gave a good interview before the Bilbao-United game which suggests he might be open to a move. Not convinced he will move this summer though.
Pogba would be perfect if he was a couple of years older, but he isn’t. Football is about fine margins and United don’t seem to have had much luck recently. So many injuries, lots of young talent who aren’t quite ready to step up, and legends who have past their peak. The timing has been slightly off. How much of this is down to the Glazers / Ferguson / misfortune is open to debate.
Posted 1 year ago # -
DeadRevel
Member Posted by unregistered user: DeadRevelI thought that, but I didn’t realise Baines was in his late 20s – Evra is surely nearing his end as a United player, Fabio is still only 20/21 and inexperienced. So maybe in 2 years we could see Baines / Fabio fighting it out for the LB spot.
Who knows, but considering we bought Young, Smalling and Jones recently going for a reasonably talented & priced English player wouldn’t surprise me.
And more pressing issues he may have, but if we only have one recognised, error-prone left back next season, surely it IS a pressing issue. We can’t have this team getting worse for fucks sake.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Denton Davey
Member Posted by unregistered user: Denton Daveybman @ 5:39: “We do desperately need someone to boss the midfield though, in a Keane, Schweinsteiger kind of way.”
“The Tragedy of DarrenFletcherinho (“FootballGenius”)”.
A follow-up to “The Unfortunate Knees of Owen Hargreaves”.
It’s impossible to “blame” SAF for these two consecutive bad luck stories these guys have really, really been missed in the big games for the last three years.
I’ve always wondered how well Barcelona – “the best team on the planet” – would have fared if UTD were able to play those two ManchesterTerriers. of course, we’ll never know the answer to that hypothetical but their absences have been crucial to UTD’s “under-performances” in those big matches.
Like I wrote above, why not get one guy who can provide that steel, energy, and drive – ready-made and not just potential-with-talent. The absence of such a player in the first eleven makes it penny-wise/pound-foolish to scour the bottom of the market. The cost of NOT doing that would have been amply re-paid by seeing TheLads progress in the CL and other cup competitions this year.
What about next year ? UTD won’t be any more of a threat in the big matches without getting that kind of player. Of course, it’s not just a matter of “strength, aggression etc” but those fighting qualities seem to missing from the current set of midfielders.
Posted 1 year ago # -
bman
Member Well the success that teams like Inter and Chelsea have had against Barca suggests that we might have done alright against them if we'd had Fletcher and Hargreaves fit and available. Or even one of those players would have helped, because even if they're not the greatest players in the world, a decent defensive midfielder is a massive improvement over none at all. Especially in the first final: Hargo Fletch and Carrick in the middle would definitely have cramped Barca's style, and then we'd have had a good chance of Rooney, Ronaldo, and Tevez making something happen.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Bill
Member
United usually play around 55-60 games a season, so if United are to keep on playing either 4-4-1-1 or 4-5-1 they will def need another midfielder.
That means we will need at about 120 games worth of appearances in central midfield. Carrick 40 Scholes 25 Cleverley 15 (injures) Anderson 15 (injures). That leaves 25 games to be filled by another player. At the moment that would be Jones, Park and Giggs!!! Also surely Fergie can't think that Anderson, Cleverley and Dad's army will remain fit or even Fletcher will recover?! Pogba if he stays and Tunnicliffe are too inexperienced.
Posted 1 year ago # -
19 and counting
Member Posted by unregistered user: 19 and countingYou know the same old excuses will be coming soon. No value too costly blah blah blah. We all want a big signing who will fit in at united. I don’t care about the price as long as he is class but looking at who is available I’d say we should make hazard a priority.
Posted 1 year ago # -
chocolatteballs
Member
3 centre midfielders Fergie 2 world class.
Scholes and giggs could retire with dignity.
Keep Cleverly and ship the rest out.Quite like the Martinez bloke from Bilbao but in fairness we have had 5 years to earmark midfielders and not just wait to make a failed pretend attempt to sign whoever emerges from the Euros.
Our squad with Anderson Carrick Cleverly will always be good enough to Challenge for the league such is the actual standard of the Premier league.
As for Europe.... forget about it already.
Stock up on quality central world class midfielders, forget the strikers, leftbacks and goalkeepers.
Will we do this? Will we fuck.
The real troubles in life are apt to the things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle tuesday.Posted 1 year ago # -
Twisted – nah it’ll be another young kid. Somebody with “value” – a word Ferguson used again yesterday. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if Fergie’s been outbid on Hazard by City and that’s prompted the rant. If only the old fool actually stood up to the Glazers perhaps he’d have some moral right to moan.
Posted 1 year ago # -
sheesh
Member
Ed said:
Twisted – nah it’ll be another young kid. Somebody with “value” – a word Ferguson used again yesterday. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if Fergie’s been outbid on Hazard by City and that’s prompted the rant. If only the old fool actually stood up to the Glazers perhaps he’d have some moral right to moan.I wonder what Newcastle United's net spend has been for the last few years. The lack of value didn't stop them signing cabaye, ba, cisse, tiote or ben arfa. Of course the Glazers have fucked us over but we made duff signings with whatever money we had. Or signed potentially decent players and mucked around with them. We seem to be hell bent in turning jones into the next O'Shea. The Glazers are of course right at the top of the tree in the blame game but there is a lot of blame to go round and fergie himself is not an innocent bystander. Look at the money wasted signing players we didn't need like Ashley Young.
Now this summer, when we really need to spend on 5 or 6 top players we don't have the money.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Twisted Blood
Member Posted by unregistered user: Twisted BloodEd:
I’m not sure where I come out on the big buy philosophy and might favor a bit of value buying. Should we have got Nasri at 24-25 million quid last summer? Yes. Should we be paying him City’s crazy 173-200K per week? No way even despite his mazy runs last Monday night. If that means we lose Hazard, it will hurt but so be it. No way given Eden’s limited resume at Lille and Belgium is he worth those wages. One would hope the boy has an advisor who can show him Nasri languishing on the bench at City for most of year and ask him whether wages are more importnt than playing. Naive I know. the sad thing is we may never see the best of Hazard if he goes to City. I guess whatever City will pay is what the market will bear but when we get to this point, the “na value in the market” argument acrually rings true to me. I’ve heard your argument that United should be in the big boy pool when it comes to wages and that is a measure of a big club moreso than transfer fees paid. However, regardless of United’s fiancial state, Nasri is nowhere close to worth that much. Turns out Ozil, the one that got away the year before was worth the wages but he was only ever going to one club. I’ve seen too many big money flops (Torres, Carrol) or big wage underperformers loaned out by City to want to see United waste what funds they have. Berba, our biggest buy of late, is no flop but in retrospect he did not fit in or Fergie did not adjust the team to suit him. Therefore the 30 mill would have been better spent elsewhere. Transfers are not an exact science so instead of flinging all our cash on one star, I’m not opposed to the shotgun approach of buying a Kagawa, Eriksen, Barkly and seeing who comes good. Got to be a Little Pea among that bunch eh?
Posted 1 year ago # -
redmyst
Member
Two genuine needs -- holding midfielder and a striker.
De Gea is already a sensational keeper. And Anders is no slouch either. We're actually in pretty good shape on the back line, if Fabio and Rafael can stay healthy for 3-4 months at a time. Cleverley and Pogba have huge upside potential, while our wingers are second to none in the prem. We've got three decent forwards, but I would like to find another Welbeck if Macheda can't make the cut. With all due respect to Fletcher, we could really use a mid like Javi Martinez. Not that he'd necessarily be an automatic starter on Day One, but I could see him lapping Carrick fairly quickly. A little more protection for the back line is what the doctor orders. No panic buys and no clear outs. I wouldn't mind selling Park, however. If we can find a buyer for him and bring in Kagawa, all the better.
Posted 1 year ago #
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