Man Utd Thread:

Started by full back, November 10, 2006, 08:13:49 AM

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Milltown Row2

Quote from: gallsman on April 24, 2019, 01:18:08 PM
Quote from: Boycey on April 24, 2019, 12:41:31 PM
Quote from: gallsman on April 24, 2019, 11:59:45 AM
Quote from: NAG1 on April 24, 2019, 11:16:38 AM
Other fans seem to be obsessed with United at the moment.

Discussing = obsessed  ::)

One of the biggest clubs in the world and have been in the doldrums for the last 6 years, with a series of misguided managerial appointments and a lot of money spunked up against the wall. It would be strange not to discuss them ffs

Whatever about obsessing there is very little discussion...

Ah I disagree.

There's lots of discussion. It's just not necessarily of the highest, or any, quality.

While well below the standards set by Fergie (though some believe he should have won more CL) Utd have won 3 trophies, albeit lesser cup competitions and finished last year in second place (90 points behind City), all this playing shit football. Some teams would give their right arm to be winning something.

Ole just needs to find the right selection with the best players available to him, injuries and either unfit or tired players is not a trait that most people would recognise with Utd teams, they won a lot of games in the final 5 minutes of a game due to their fitness, now they are letting goals in at an alarming rate.

Hopefully they can a least raise their game against City and put in a performance, I'd rather see Liverpool winning the league than City
None of us are getting out of here alive, so please stop treating yourself like an after thought. Ea

Milltown Row2

Quote from: Tony Baloney on April 24, 2019, 01:28:42 PM
Good to see the Man U lads aren't paranoid.

Jeeze both sets of fans are hard to listen to on social media at the minute, I'm coming off it If Liverpool win the league as it will be wall to wall shit! this will be the first League win for Liverpool since the internet.. It will crash
None of us are getting out of here alive, so please stop treating yourself like an after thought. Ea

screenexile

Quote from: Milltown Row2 on April 24, 2019, 01:34:14 PM
Quote from: Tony Baloney on April 24, 2019, 01:28:42 PM
Good to see the Man U lads aren't paranoid.

Jeeze both sets of fans are hard to listen to on social media at the minute, I'm coming off it If Liverpool win the league as it will be wall to wall shit! this will be the first League win for Liverpool since the internet.. It will crash

Ah here there's been plenty of wall to wall shit from United fans over the years you just have to grin and bear it!!!

Not that Liverpool will win it I just don't see it happening. . . the last day of the season will be a nail biter though!

seafoid

#44688
Quote from: screenexile on April 24, 2019, 01:46:03 PM
Quote from: Milltown Row2 on April 24, 2019, 01:34:14 PM
Quote from: Tony Baloney on April 24, 2019, 01:28:42 PM
Good to see the Man U lads aren't paranoid.

Jeeze both sets of fans are hard to listen to on social media at the minute, I'm coming off it If Liverpool win the league as it will be wall to wall shit! this will be the first League win for Liverpool since the internet.. It will crash

Ah here there's been plenty of wall to wall shit from United fans over the years you just have to grin and bear it!!!

Not that Liverpool will win it I just don't see it happening. . . the last day of the season will be a nail biter though!

Headline in the Daily Telegraph
"Manchester derby reminds United fans of the pain of watching your two most loathed rivals fighting for the title "


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/04/24/manchester-derby-reminds-united-fans-pain-watching-two-loathed/

"If City were close to us in terms of titles you might find a different dynamic," he says. "At the moment they only have five to our 20. The way things are going they could soon catch up, but right now the worry is Liverpool turning their 18 into 19. About the only thing we have over them in terms of trophies is the league titles and we'd rather they stayed two behind. Deep down it really is that pathetic, childish a motive that makes us all want Liverpool to mess up." And it is in the messing up that he adds United fans can seek the greater compensation.
"f**k it, just score"- Donaghy   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbxG2WwVRjU

Milltown Row2

Quote from: screenexile on April 24, 2019, 01:46:03 PM
Quote from: Milltown Row2 on April 24, 2019, 01:34:14 PM
Quote from: Tony Baloney on April 24, 2019, 01:28:42 PM
Good to see the Man U lads aren't paranoid.

Jeeze both sets of fans are hard to listen to on social media at the minute, I'm coming off it If Liverpool win the league as it will be wall to wall shit! this will be the first League win for Liverpool since the internet.. It will crash

Ah here there's been plenty of wall to wall shit from United fans over the years you just have to grin and bear it!!!

Not that Liverpool will win it I just don't see it happening. . . the last day of the season will be a nail biter though!

I agree, the shit the die hard ones put on would sicken your hole, I like a bitta a banter and a wind up on here but I wouldnt on social media.

I really think Utd can nick a draw, but they need 11 men behind the ball Jose style, well for the first 10 minutes anyways as City have been knocking them in early, a bit of a Blitzkrieg with them
None of us are getting out of here alive, so please stop treating yourself like an after thought. Ea

johnnycool

Interesting article from Kieron Shannon on team dynamics and how Utd are going down the wrong path irrespective of who is manager;

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/columnists/kieran-shannon/culture-and-character-should-supersede-talent-919654.html?&session=rsQi5zNCz9Xs0XXIdTC8X6PUL2ClGPbVrIr8YXEHv9w=

If it's any consolation to Manchester United supporters these days, the biggest and most gloried franchise in the world's other leading team sport is in an even greater state of dysfunction.

While United haven't won a Premier League title since 2013, the Los Angeles Lakers haven't even made the NBA playoffs since that same year, an achievement in itself considering more teams (16) than not (14) qualify for the postseason every year.

Over the past fortnight the Lakers have not just parted ways with their coach, the lame-duck Luke Walton, but also saw the most recognisable face and name in its entire history, Earvin 'Magic' Johnson, dramatically and abruptly step down as its president of basketball operations less than two years after assuming the role.

In keeping with the chaotic and shambolic nature of the organisation and his own tenure, Johnson didn't even inform owner Jeanie Buss or general manager Rob Pelinka or coach Walton of his decision in advance; instead they learned the same way and at the same time as everyone else, when Johnson called together a group of reporters under the bowels of the Staples Center just before the team's last home game of the season.

When Pharrell Williams was looking for famous, pleasant faces for the video of his best-known song, way back in that watershed year of 2013, Johnson didn't need any audition. 'Happy' was what Magic Johnson was all about. But a front-office job with the Lakers wasn't making him feel like that or singing and dancing, so he quit, "because I want to go back to having fun".

The mistake Johnson made upon accepting the job and Jeanie Buss made upon giving it to him was thinking it was one for an ambassador instead of a grafter.

Almost anyone else with a grasp of what goes with working in the front office of an NBA job knows it's less a job for a star as a nerd. It involves long hours in the office, poring through data, and even longer road trips, scouting and identifying possible signings and ways to optimise the club's resources, financial or otherwise.

Soccer, even of the English variety, has largely come to appreciate the same. That a Daryl Morey is more precious in the current climate than a Magic Johnson, that a Brad Pitt needs a Jonah Hill to decipher who gets to first base more often than who looks better in a uniform.

Liverpool, run by the same Fenway Group headed by John Henry that tried to recruit Pitt's Billy Beane and by extension, his crew of Hill's in Moneyball, have Michael Edwards as their technical director, freeing up Jurgen Klopp to merely recommend and then coach the talent, instead of having to scout and negotiate with it.

At Manchester United, there is no equivalent of Edwards in situ, monitoring how hard potential recruits train and not just play with their current clubs; instead CEO Ed Woodward and his board bumble along erratically.

Like the Lakers, they have more money than sense. At $4.1 billion (€3.65bn), United are the second-most valued franchise in world sport, behind only the Dallas Cowboys, according to Forbes; the Lakers, at $3.3bn, are in eighth, 'just' a few hundred million bucks behind the chronically-incompetent New York Knicks. As Billy Beane once said, it's extremely rare for a franchise to be both smart and rich, usually they're either dumb or poor, and in recent years the Lakers and United have proven how valid Beane's thesis is.

At a time when every other organisation in the world, sporting or otherwise, seems to be talking about the importance of culture, the Lakers and United seem to have no concept of it.

Last year, Professor Damian Hughes studied and wrote about a sporting franchise that had come to value such intangibles. Central to his book, The Barcelona Way, is a study by a couple of Stanford business school professors, James Baron and Michael Hannan, in which they followed the success or failure of start-up tech companies in Silicon Valley over a 15-year period.

A favoured culture adopted by some was what Baron and Hannon termed the 'star' model. These companies sought and signed the best and brightest, granting them lavish perks. But what Baron and Hannon found was that while the star model produced some of the biggest successes of their study, the model also failed in record numbers. There was too much ego and not enough about the team.

In contrast the 'commitment' model, where establishing the right culture and prioritising long, steady growth over the short-term fix, had not a single failure. They all lasted and succeeded.

For Hughes, the Galacticos Real Madrid team epitomised the strength and flaws of the 'star' model. Glue players like Claude Makelele and Michel Salgado, or 'middle-class players' as Hughes termed them — neither superstars nor youth-team graduates — were under-appreciated and eclipsed, eventually prompting captain Fernando Hierro to reprimand the club's owners as treating players like livestock.

In contrast, Barcelona upon the appointment of Pep Guardiola ditched the star model in favour of a commitment model. Within a year stars like Ronaldinho and Deco were out because they no longer exemplified humility and dedication; Ronaldinho, in particular, after embracing a young Messi into the fold, was viewed as a bad influence. Their application in training was lax, certainly laxer than their night-time activity.

Instead Guardiola identified Xavi, a player that Frank Rijkaard and the club was previously prepared to sell, as one of what Hughes terms his 'cultural architects'. Xavi was the epitome of humility, team before ego, and Guardiola's receive, pass, offer philosophy.

Ander Herrera is no star or even an Xavi, but if anything epitomises or pin-points Manchester United's general malaise and drastic dip in form under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, it is the failure of the club to renew his contract and instead allow him be swooped up by a super club that may be belatedly ditching the star model for a commitment one.

The stats show that United under Solsjkaer have won four of their eight Premier League games without Herrera starting, while they won eight of their nine Premier League games with him starting. But it wasn't just the interceptions or passes or goals that he provided that made him such a key common denominator; it was how he cajoled and encouraged teammates, even the usually listless Alexis Sanchez.

Last Sunday at Goodison Park, Solskjaer, not so long ago the one man in world sport with as infectious and as constant a smile as Johnson, declared that he would be successful at United, "and there are players here who won't be part of that success."

But what he didn't say was some of the players who could have contributed positively to any success wouldn't be there. Instead United let Herrera go when his preference was to stay, just as the Lakers let veteran centre Brook Lopez go for nothing last summer, and allow him to be swooped up by this year's No.1 seed, the Milwaukee Bucks.

Klopp and Edwards wouldn't have made that mistake. They didn't ditch Jordan Henderson; instead they retained him and signed a James Milner as well.

The Lakers and United are caught in a time warp, living off an outdated model propagated by inept ownership — the well-meaning but overly-idealistic and loyal Jeanie Buss in the case of the Lakers, and the almost-apathetic Glaziers in the case of United.

The star system used to work for the Lakers when it had a Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant in their prime, but as their disastrous attempt to trade away most of their young roster for the superstar Anthony Davis to team up with an aging LeBron James, it can wreck a team's chemistry. Culture and character should supersede talent.

And instead of seeking a replacement for Johnson, they're looking for a replacement for Walton first. When everywhere else, Johnson's replacement would be hiring Walton's replacement.

At United, they've finally come round to the idea of hiring a technical director, but initial reports are worrisome. While Mike Phelan is no star, he is no nerd either. The training ground, not the front office, is his niche.

Leave him where it is. He's qualified for his current role.

Why mess with the one of the few things United have got right in this whole mess?

yellowcard

Gary Neville called out some of the players after Sunday's match yet wouldn't name any names. I doubt if Roy Keane will be as diplomatic tonight on Sky Sports. 

magpie seanie

Quote from: GetOverTheBar on April 24, 2019, 12:31:29 PM
Quote from: Maroon Manc on April 24, 2019, 11:42:16 AM
I'm not sure what to with Pogba, if I thought selling him would lead to United bringing in 2 top players then I'd let him go but there's no guarantees we're going to get that right so I'm probably in the camp of keeping him and trying to get the best out of him.

Sunday was a disgrace, there's certainly an issue of a lack of character which can be put right the correct signings. When everything was going United's way earlier on in his reign there was no issues so I do think there's been an overreaction to Sunday's result.

I'm sure I read a stat where United had been out run in every game apart from 2 since Ole took over and he mentioned he wasn't happy with the fitness of the players so certainly plenty of blame has to go to the previous regime. I still don't think he's done a lot wrong tactically since he took over, he's got a lot more right than wrong and has done better in that regard than I was expecting. Realistically its going to take him a couple of summers to put together a team and squad capable of challenging for the title but with the right signings this summer there's no reason why United can't improve dramatically.

The statement alone means he should go. He shows up when he wants - that's not good for Manchester United. When he scores he's dancing around like a clown making it a show v West Ham or whoever. It was no coincidence the game that got Solskjaer the job was one he was banned for (which I still believe he got sent off at OT v PSG so he wouldn't have to play in what he thought was a dead rubber 2nd leg).

He looks like he couldn't be bothered under Jose, now he looks like he's back strolling under Solskjaer. Man Utd certainly can't be carrying passengers anymore - they were ruthless under Fergie, it's time to be ruthless once more if you want to dine at the top table. Whilst he won't solve all woes, getting rid of him first and foremost would send the correct message.

It's a bit more nuanced than that. He has "dined at the top table" in his career already - played in a very good Juventus side and won the World Cup last summer. His body language and immaturity get up my nose to put it mildly but I'm old skool so maybe I'm wrong. Ferguson, ruthless as he was, made allowances for Cantona and Ronaldo becasue he knew what they brought that others couldn't. Maybe Pogba is in that category, he has the talent at least.

Maroon Manc

United's problems go all the way back to 2009 with selling Ronaldo and replacing him with Valencia & Owen. The summers of 2009,2010 & 2011 all passed without United buying a top player after selling the best player in the world and also allowing a top player in Tevez to leave whilst Rio, Vidic, Evra, Scholes & Giggs all aged with no replacements brought in. How the Glazers must regret not backing Fergie in the transfer market, a hundred million back then would have allowed United to buy a top player each summer and saved them hundreds of millions in the future. United had one of the best squads anyone had ever put together in 2008 but unfortunately they grew old together threw neglect.

The biggest issue we've had since is that Moyes, LVG & Mourinho all had different approaches and all wanted different players so there's been nothing cohesive about our transfer policy.

United are desperate for a director of football/technical director who has a big say in the players that are brought in so that if OGS doesn't work out that the next manager is left with a good crop of players with a good age profile. Over the next 3 transfer windows I'd expect 7 players to be bought with around 10 leaving and think there's a really strong chance United will promote 3 youngsters. Every signing isn't going to be a success but of the next 7 signings United make at least 5 have got to be huge successes for United to get back to been a top team.

United are lucky that they can go out and spend huge money to put it right unlike the likes of Arsenal & Chelsea who are practically relying on selling before they can buy. There's probably around £350m on offer over the next 2 years plus whatever is sold.

trailer

Money may answer a few problems in the short term, but in reality a new squad needs built over the next 4-5 transfer windows. In the meantime 4th is the target.

johnnycool

Quote from: Maroon Manc on April 24, 2019, 02:31:56 PM
United's problems go all the way back to 2009 with selling Ronaldo and replacing him with Valencia & Owen. The summers of 2009,2010 & 2011 all passed without United buying a top player after selling the best player in the world and also allowing a top player in Tevez to leave whilst Rio, Vidic, Evra, Scholes & Giggs all aged with no replacements brought in. How the Glazers must regret not backing Fergie in the transfer market, a hundred million back then would have allowed United to buy a top player each summer and saved them hundreds of millions in the future. United had one of the best squads anyone had ever put together in 2008 but unfortunately they grew old together threw neglect.

The biggest issue we've had since is that Moyes, LVG & Mourinho all had different approaches and all wanted different players so there's been nothing cohesive about our transfer policy.

United are desperate for a director of football/technical director who has a big say in the players that are brought in so that if OGS doesn't work out that the next manager is left with a good crop of players with a good age profile. Over the next 3 transfer windows I'd expect 7 players to be bought with around 10 leaving and think there's a really strong chance United will promote 3 youngsters. Every signing isn't going to be a success but of the next 7 signings United make at least 5 have got to be huge successes for United to get back to been a top team.

United are lucky that they can go out and spend huge money to put it right unlike the likes of Arsenal & Chelsea who are practically relying on selling before they can buy. There's probably around £350m on offer over the next 2 years plus whatever is sold.

Ferguson papered over the cracks in Manu's last premier win in 2013 with a poor enough team that took advantage of the disarray of all the other contenders and the Glazers were able to furnish their debts and all was well with the world.

Failure to buy the right type of player has been their achilles heel ever since.

If ManU don't make it to the top four it will be interesting to see how much the Glazers back Ollie in the summer transfer window.
There are no quick fixes.

Maroon Manc

The Sanchez signing has arguably proved to be the biggest mistake, he might not have cost much but his huge wages has caused a big problem in the dressing room and has led to the likes of De Gea & Rashford demanding more from their contracts. I think several clubs will step back from signing players on frees because of the problems it will cause further down the line. Juve will have the same problem with Ramsey, he'll be one of the highest paid players in Europe which probably doesn't reflect how good he is.

seafoid

Quote from: Maroon Manc on April 24, 2019, 03:03:42 PM
The Sanchez signing has arguably proved to be the biggest mistake, he might not have cost much but his huge wages has caused a big problem in the dressing room and has led to the likes of De Gea & Rashford demanding more from their contracts. I think several clubs will step back from signing players on frees because of the problems it will cause further down the line. Juve will have the same problem with Ramsey, he'll be one of the highest paid players in Europe which probably doesn't reflect how good he is.

Woodward is #hopeless
"f**k it, just score"- Donaghy   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbxG2WwVRjU

seafoid

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/04/23/realistic-transfer-fixes-manchester-uniteds-malaise/

Realistic transfer fixes for Manchester United's malaise


Who can Man Utd realistically buy in the transfer market?
•   JJ Bull
23 April 2019 • 1:02pm

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed what the previous few Man Utd managers suspected (and also confirmed): rebuilding Man Utd is a long term project.
Seven players are likely to leave the club in the summer, others have been told to wise up if they want to stay - and one, Alexis Sanchez, is causing all sorts of financial and contractual negotiation nightmares simply by being there.
Solskjaer has experience of winning league titles and knows what forms a team that can challenge, but getting the right deal and attracting the level of player required while maintaining stability is something even the greatest managers would struggle to get right.
James Ducker's player-by-player, who should stay and go guide is an essential read for Man Utd fans (and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer) but who could and should Man Utd realistically sign in the summer?
Goalkeeper
What they have
David De Gea, Sergio Romero, Joel Pereira, Lee Grant, Dean Henderson
David De Gea wants parity with Alexis Sanchez's wages, and considering his importance to the team and the feeling that Sanchez would struggle to win a Powerleague 5-a-side tournament on current form, it doesn't sound an entirely unreasonable demand. Can Man Utd afford £480,000 a week for a goalkeeper? Nobody can. Sergio Romero is a superb backup goalkeeper and an able replacement for De Gea.
What they need
Nothing at the moment but if they were able to cash in on De Gea, Romero could be promoted and another goalie promoted from the U23s or a replacement brought in for affordable wages.
Who they could sign (if needed)
Keylor Navas (Real Madrid), Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan)
Navas might be available due to Thibaut Courtois' presence at Real Madrid while Donnarumma is only 20 and already a full Italy international - the next Gianluigi Buffon? He would cost north of £50million based on Alisson, Ederson and Kepa Arrizabalaga's transfer fees but Navas may be allowed out for less.
Left-back
What they have
Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo
Shaw has improved  over the last season and a half, looking like he's overcome his a broken leg suffered against PSV Eindhoven in 2015. It's almost as if having a manager who doesn't slag him off every time a microphone is held to his face is beneficial to self esteem. Rojo is absolutely fine as backup but isn't good enough to start for a top club and will be sold if it's possible.
What they need
A player capable of challenging Shaw for a first team place, who believes they can force their way into the first team. Nobody too expensive, ideally someone younger than Shaw.
Who they could realistically sign
Kieran Tierney (Celtic), Nicolás Tagliafico (Ajax)
As a young captain and determined winner, Tierney is the exact sort of leader United could do with and could well push Shaw out of the team. Celtic would surely consider bids around £15-20million - which Tierney's ability and age (21) would command - and he would bring much-needed bite and aggression to the club.
Tagliafico has impressed for Ajax (who hasn't?) over the last few seasons and shouldn't cost the earth. The Argentinian can play at centre-back too, helping provide extra cover if other players depart Man Utd, but he's 26.
Centre-back
What they have
Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Victor Lindelof, Marcos Rojo, Eric Bailly, Axel Tuanzebe, Timothy Fosu-Mensah
The centre-back equivalent of the Alan Partridge shrug gif. Bailly could leave having failed to make the cut, Smalling can't get in the same England squad as Michael Keane, Jones makes rash decisions and isn't great on the ball, Lindelof has suffered from never having a settled partner or place in the team, while Rojo has struggled with injuries and should leave. Tuanzebe has done well at Aston Villa this season and can play at full-back too, something which might make him a decent John O'Shea type utility option. Timothy Fosu-Mensah hasn't impressed at Fulham but can also play at right-back.
One of the main reasons Jose Mourinho's football was so boring at Man Utd was his wild idea to protect a weak defence by making the whole team more defensive - the team can't open up and attack if the backline is vulnerable. Solskjaer has to improve the centre-back pairing.
At least one, probably three, of these need to leave to free up space on the wage bill and improve the squad... and they've just handed Phil 'Danger' Jones a four year contract. The latter two may be shipped out on loan again unless Solskjaer spots potential.
Ideal signings
Matthijs De Ligt (Ajax), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Toby Alderweireld (Spurs)
United need leaders, strong dressing room presences, proven winners with aggression and solid work rate, but who possess genuine quality on the ball. De Ligt is one of the best centre-backs in the world at 19 but can choose from any club on the same planet and will move for enormous money, probably to Barcelona. Edwin Van Der Sar could prove to be an invaluable middle-man and help his old club out - De Ligt could be the base that Man Utd's defence is built around for years to come.
Varane is a World Cup, La Liga and Champions League-winning defender used to performing at the absolute highest level. Noises have been heard from Madrid that he might fancy a new challenge but again, big money would be needed. Real Madrid are planning transfers of their own and could do with the cash, making this one possible.
Alderweireld's contract runs out in the summer of 2020, with a £25million release clause reportedly active in his final year. The Belgian is only 30 and would represent a relative bargain, bringing steel, aggression and determination to the back four, and knows what he's doing in the Premier League.
Realistic signings
Ruben Dias (Benfica), Jonathan Tah (Bayer Leverkusen), Dayot Upamecano (RB Leipzig), Kristoffer Ajer (Celtic), Jamaal Lascelles (Newcastle), Nathan Ake (Bournemouth)
Diascame through at Benfica and the club would listen to reasonable offers for the 21-year-old Portugal international. He could be the defender Man Utd need to get the most out of Lindelof.
Tah is versatile, a Germany international and a player you'd expect to sign for Bayern Munich at some point and represent a missed opportunity for a club like United. Could be a better idea to snap him up now for £30-40million rather than regretting being unable to afford him at £100million in two years. Upamecano is another youngster performing extremely well in the Bundesliga.
Virgil Van Dijk was doing the same things he does at Liverpool now when playing for Celtic, which suggests the technically gifted 21-year-old Ajer might make a solid choice. His slender frame makes him no Van Dijk but Ajer is great in possession, regularly bringing the ball out from the back. Lascelles and Ake would be £20-30million signings but might not improve on what's already there.
Way too expensive
Milan Skriniar (Inter), Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona), Kostas Manolas (Roma), Harry Maguire (Leicester), Mats Hummels (Bayern), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid)
Right-back
What they have
Diogo Dalot, Ashley Young, Matteo Darmian, Antonio Valencia
Dalot has broken into the Man Utd first team after signing last summer CREDIT: AP
Dalot is supposed to be the next long-term Man Utd right-back, having signed for £19million last summer. Ashley Young will have a place as squad rotation right-back. Darmian and Valencia will surely leave.
What they need
A bit of trust in past purchases. If Dalot has a solid defence and coaching team around him, he should prove to be an excellent signing. Backup would be useful but Young has another year on his contract and for continuity's sake alone, there is no way he'll leave.
What they could get
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Crystal Palace), Max Aarons (Norwich)
Would command huge fees (£20-40m plus) but would fit if Solskjaer plans to build around a core of young English players. Considering the outlay on Dalot last summer and the improvements needed elsewhere, any signing would represent poor planning.
Central midfield
What they have
Nemanja Matic, Fred, Scott McTominay, Paul Pogba, Ander Herrera, Andreas Pereira, Juan Mata
Fred has been dreadful but should be given another season to prove his doubters wrong, Matic is absolutely fine and McTominay has shown himself capable of playing at Champions League level in high-pressure matches. Herrera could leave for PSG, Pereira appears destined to never fulfill his potential and though Pogba has the talent of a world star, he hasn't demonstrated the determination or consistency of one. Mata seems like a lovely guy, can hit decent set-pieces but is on the wane.
What they need
Ruben Neves (Wolves), Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester), Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Ilkay Gundogan (Man City), Abdoulaye Doucoure (Watford), Carlos Soler (Valencia), Bruno Fernandes (Sporting Lisbon)
The defeat to Everton on Sunday showed that Man Utd desperately need players who take responsibility, are solid defensively, will work to track back and block passes, and who possess genuine quality. Midfield is the position United must focus their attentions on improving.
Neveswould cost something stupid but could command the midfield of any team in Europe - and at 22-years-old represents planning for the future too. He should be United's absolute first choice, but Wolves are highly unlikely to sell.
Ndidi, also 22, provides bite and snap as well as composure and the ability to play a short pass. A hard working ball-winner, signing Ndidi would be a very Sir Alex Ferguson transfer - buying other clubs' best players to improve your own.
Alcantara and Kroos are superb technicians and would work well with Pogba and Matic in a midfield three but wouldn't fix the soft underbelly of that section of the team. Gundogan still hasn't signed a new contract with rivals Man City and might fancy a guaranteed place in a team he would instantly improve.
Doucoure is a great all rounder at Watford and able to play in a midfield two, Soler is a neat-and-tidy passer of the ball who tends to sit in a more defensive role and fire passes from deep. Fernandes has been excellent in Portugal this season.
Players they (probably) can't get
Tanguy Ndombele (Lyon), Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona), Christian Eriksen (Spurs)
Ndombele might go to Barcelona, Rakitic already plays for Barcelona, Eriksen might currently consider Man Utd a step down.
Outside (unlikely) possibles
Idrissa Gueye (Everton), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Will Hughes (Watford), Joao Moutinho (Wolves), Donny Van de Beek (Ajax)
Gueyeand Moutinho are a bit too old at 29 and 32 to be worth the money needed but would instantly improve the team, Hughes would cost too much and Van De Beek could either be brilliant or disappear into the wild. He suits Ajax's style of play, which is not the same as Man Utd's. McGinn is the wildcard. Every crew needs a wildcard.
What they don't need
Any players who don't match the hype. Sergej Milinković-Savić (Lazio) is one example.
Left wing
What they have
Anthony Martial, Alexis Sanchez, Jesse Lingard, Mason Greenwood
Sometimes Martial looks like he could be the Next Big Thing, at other times he sulks around the pitch like he's working a shift in a retail outlet. With a solid base behind him, Martial could absolutely go on to be a player who wins games on his own and must be considered the first choice left-sided forward, even if that isn't an ideal situation. Sanchez looks positively broken at Man Utd, like Fernando Torres 2: Revenge of the Age. Lingard can be superb on his day. Greenwood is more of a striker.
Possible transfer targets
David Neres (Ajax), Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona), Joao Felix (Benfica), Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)
Man Utd simply cannot afford to add any players in this position. Martial is paid too much to sit on the bench but wouldn't command a high enough value to sell on, while Sanchez's wages are a real problem. For those reasons, signing either Bale or Coutinho would be unwise and the final confirmation that Man Utd's transfer committee have lost their minds. United need aggression, workrate, quality and leadership - these two will not provide it and would cost insane money too.
Felixhas been heavily linked with a move to Man Utd for some time and is a top player in the making, if not already. The only problem is that he tends to play as a central forward in a 10 role, meaning United would be shunting him out to the wing were he to join, since Pogba is supposed to be the central attacking creative player.
Does signing Bale to play on the left wing make sense? No. Is he shiny and famous? Yes. Cuts to: Man Utd sign Gareth Bale.
Right wing
What they have
Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford, Tahith Chong
Only Rashford could be considered a natural winger but his best position is as striker, where his inconsistentcy in front of goal has prompted Solskjaer to stick him out wide (just like his previous managers).
Chong could be the next great academy product at United but is left footed and runs inside the pitch. Mata is slow, Lingard is better through the middle. United must strengthen this position if they plan to use Rashford as a striker.
Possible signings
Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Hakim Ziyech (Ajax), Federico Chiesa (Fiorentina), Kai Havertz (Bayer Leverkusen), Nicolas Pepe (Lille)
With 15 goals and 12 assists in 26 league games, Ziyech looks like the perfect right-sided signing. He's 26 so should have a great five years in him and wouldn't cost anything too scary... but Eredivisie stars often struggle in the Premier League and any fee would need to be considered carefully.
Dortmund have already made it clear that they'd need something like £90-100million for Sancho, which might mean more game time to Chong or other Man Utd youngster Angel Gomes is a better financial idea. Both could prove to be wonderkids if given time and trust and as proven with Sancho, why not just play the kids?
Nicolas Pepe had an impressive breakthrough season in 2017/18 at Lille but has been ridiculous this term, scoring 18 goals and assisting 11 in Ligue 1. He's not as likely to immediately shift shirts as others and the risk of player performing well in France vs the Premier League would make the large bid required sit uneasy in the boardroom.
Havertz is a household name in waiting but is best as a 10 and in central positions - the same position that Pogba operates in.
Centre-forward
What they have
Romelu Lukaku, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Mason Greenwood
Lukaku has scored an incredible amount of goals but goes missing in games, hides from the ball and his first touch routinely lets him down. If United only play one striker they need someone who can do everything a little better, rather than a poacher - which is Lukaku's best skill. Rashford is one of the best young players in Europe but must find consistency, Greenwood has broken through this season but will take a while to reach the level needed.
Potential signings
Luka Jovic (Frankfurt), Pietro Pellegri (Monaco), Alexander Isak (Borussia Dortmund)
None affordable or yet good enough to force Rashford wide or onto the bench. Jovic looks like he might be the real deal with 17 Bundesliga goals this season but this is his first full year playing first team football, Pellegri isn't even in the Monaco first team yet but will become an international level goalscorer at some point soon, Isak has been great on loan in Holland but hasn't really performed in the Bundesliga yet.
Dream signings
Robert Lewandowski, Heung-min Son, Cristiano Ronaldo, any Liverpool forward, Harry Kane
Not happening.
Won't happen but might just be crazy enough to work
Aleksander Mitrovic (Fulham)
Fourth for Expected Goals (15.83) in the Premier League this season while playing for relegated Fulham, Mitrovic has the aggression needed, never hides from the ball and though he misses chances (has only scored 11) is in the right places to score them. His hold-up play is good too. Probably not an elite level forward but Andy Cole, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Louis Saha weren't really either.
"f**k it, just score"- Donaghy   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbxG2WwVRjU

Cunny Funt

Quote from: johnnycool on April 24, 2019, 02:43:32 PM
Quote from: Maroon Manc on April 24, 2019, 02:31:56 PM
United's problems go all the way back to 2009 with selling Ronaldo and replacing him with Valencia & Owen. The summers of 2009,2010 & 2011 all passed without United buying a top player after selling the best player in the world and also allowing a top player in Tevez to leave whilst Rio, Vidic, Evra, Scholes & Giggs all aged with no replacements brought in. How the Glazers must regret not backing Fergie in the transfer market, a hundred million back then would have allowed United to buy a top player each summer and saved them hundreds of millions in the future. United had one of the best squads anyone had ever put together in 2008 but unfortunately they grew old together threw neglect.

The biggest issue we've had since is that Moyes, LVG & Mourinho all had different approaches and all wanted different players so there's been nothing cohesive about our transfer policy.

United are desperate for a director of football/technical director who has a big say in the players that are brought in so that if OGS doesn't work out that the next manager is left with a good crop of players with a good age profile. Over the next 3 transfer windows I'd expect 7 players to be bought with around 10 leaving and think there's a really strong chance United will promote 3 youngsters. Every signing isn't going to be a success but of the next 7 signings United make at least 5 have got to be huge successes for United to get back to been a top team.

United are lucky that they can go out and spend huge money to put it right unlike the likes of Arsenal & Chelsea who are practically relying on selling before they can buy. There's probably around £350m on offer over the next 2 years plus whatever is sold.

Ferguson papered over the cracks in Manu's last premier win in 2013 with a poor enough team that took advantage of the disarray of all the other contenders and the Glazers were able to furnish their debts and all was well with the world.

Failure to buy the right type of player has been their achilles heel ever since.

If ManU don't make it to the top four it will be interesting to see how much the Glazers back Ollie in the summer transfer window.
There are no quick fixes.

A poor enough team doesn't win the league title in April as United did in 2013, the season before United only lost the EPL on GD and in 2010/11 United won the league and reached the CL final.

First season without Ferguson United fell to 7th and miles off the top and even now they are 6th and still miles off the top after finishing 2nd last year. Van Gaal,Moyes should never have been appointed and while the football was poor at least under Jose some progress was been made but he was lost without Rui Faria and at the end was only interested in the big pay out he would receive. The philosophy all three managers had was never a right fit for United.

Failure to buy the right type of player is certainly true, of all the signings brought in the last 6 years how many of them have good leadership qualities? The current team are like a pack of jelly babies with no back bone, go down behind in games and they are more likely to get well beaten than come back to earn a result.  Ole recent comments said he wants United to be the hardest working team in the league that runs the furthest (the traits of Ferguson's teams) and gave a big hint that the lazy players won't be around as he tries to build a successful team.

Interesting summer ahead and i think more will be shipped out that brought in and the new signings probably just 3 or 4 will have to be ones you can actually build a team around unlike Pogba.