Man Utd Thread:

[magpie seanie]

Did I hear PSG with Messi, Neymar and Mbappe drew with Club Brugge?

[tiempo]

Did I hear PSG with Messi, Neymar and Mbappe drew with Club Brugge?

Donnarumma on the bench, embarrassment of a club, like i said groundball is surely another set of narcos in disguise, similar to Kinahan and others behind the scenes in boxing, just an instrument for swilling/washing money

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Did I hear PSG with Messi, Neymar and Mbappe drew with Club Brugge?

Donnarumma on the bench, embarrassment of a club, like i said groundball is surely another set of narcos in disguise, similar to Kinahan and others behind the scenes in boxing, just an instrument for swilling/washing money

I think a Dublin Gaa X1 from the last ten years would bate that Bruges team.....😃

[nrico2006]

United have no clear strategic plan. When all the euphoria around the Ronaldo transfer subsides it might dawn that they will have far too many players within the squad. In terms of attacking players they have Bruno, Pogba, Sancho, Ronaldo, Rashford, Greenwood, Martial, Lingaard and Cavani. At least 4 and probably 5 of those will not be in the starting XI every week whilst 2 of them will not even make the match day squad. In reality Pogba, Ronaldo and Bruno will start most games so that leaves very little room for the other players.

You have named a list of players that includes midfielders, wingers and backup players, which you could do in the same quantity for any of the top teams.   

[thewobbler]

I think his point is that it's an imbalance with what's available. Best part of £1m a week in wages watching football most weeks, while Fred gets a jersey.

Not sure why anyone would complain about the "strategy" behind Ronaldo though. He improves the team. Plus Martial and Lingard are part of the same trap most clubs are suffering: they're so well paid and can continue to mostly receive those wages somewhere, if they hold out for a free transfer. But no club is going to cover both, so they're stuck. Managers might as well keep them in the squad as put them with the 23s at that point.

[brokencrossbar1]

I think his point is that it's an imbalance with what's available. Best part of £1m a week in wages watching football most weeks, while Fred gets a jersey.

Not sure why anyone would complain about the "strategy" behind Ronaldo though. He improves the team. Plus Martial and Lingard are part of the same trap most clubs are suffering: they're so well paid and can continue to mostly receive those wages somewhere, if they hold out for a free transfer. But no club is going to cover both, so they're stuck. Managers might as well keep them in the squad as put them with the 23s at that point.

Completely agree about the likes of Lingard and Martial. At Liverpool you have the same with Origi for instance. No one will take him as he's on a decent contract and the whole situation with Harry Kane is the same. Contracts work both ways and sometimes fans forget that.

[nrico2006]

I struggle to see why United have not signed a top DM in years, the last person who did that role to the standard required was Hargreaves so you are chatting 12/13 years since his good season. 

[Armagh18]

I struggle to see why United have not signed a top DM in years, the last person who did that role to the standard required was Hargreaves so you are chatting 12/13 years since his good season.

Carrick says hello. And Matic before the legs went. But yeah we need someone in that role, who is there that would improve us though?

[yellowcard]

United have no clear strategic plan. When all the euphoria around the Ronaldo transfer subsides it might dawn that they will have far too many players within the squad. In terms of attacking players they have Bruno, Pogba, Sancho, Ronaldo, Rashford, Greenwood, Martial, Lingaard and Cavani. At least 4 and probably 5 of those will not be in the starting XI every week whilst 2 of them will not even make the match day squad. In reality Pogba, Ronaldo and Bruno will start most games so that leaves very little room for the other players.

You have named a list of players that includes midfielders, wingers and backup players, which you could do in the same quantity for any of the top teams.

Yes but all of them would be considered attacking players. Excluding the back 5 and 2 central midfielders (Pogba could possibly be used in that role but I don't think hes a top level central midfielder and hasn't the discipline to play the role in this United team) there is only room for 4 of them in a strongest XI. I don't see any other team with anywhere near that level of attacking depth but I don't think it is part of a club strategy.

There are players in that squad who should have been moved on like Martial, Lingaard and Jones but because of the existing wage policy they can't get them off the books since nobody else will pay them the same wages. If they're not playing then it becomes worse since they aren't in the shop window. I don't know what wages Lingaard is earning but his stock will not have been any higher than it was in the summer after a successful spell at West Ham. That was the perfect time to sell but that opportunity has now gone and his value will likely fall if he is not playing.   

[Rich Ricci]

Good article with Phil Jones in the Times today. He's got his fair share of stick (myself included) but sounds like he's really been through the ringer on the injury front. Hopefully he can stay fit now for the rest of his career, wherever that may be.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/7faeeaec-18bc-11ec-a4b1-45d6202ceafe?shareToken=8e478e13430a1ba1e61e4528e0f1dbe8

[Nanderson]

Good article with Phil Jones in the Times today. He's got his fair share of stick (myself included) but sounds like he's really been through the ringer on the injury front. Hopefully he can stay fit now for the rest of his career, wherever that may be.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/7faeeaec-18bc-11ec-a4b1-45d6202ceafe?shareToken=8e478e13430a1ba1e61e4528e0f1dbe8

I had no doubt he would be doing everything he could to get back to playing regular football. Sounds very similar to the end of michael owens career where he was terrified to play because he knew he would get injured. You see boys in your own clubs that are cursed with injuries but they would never really care to get to the bottom of it and just stop playing so it must be heart breaking when its someones livelihood and his personal life thats being affected by it

[nrico2006]

I struggle to see why United have not signed a top DM in years, the last person who did that role to the standard required was Hargreaves so you are chatting 12/13 years since his good season.

Carrick says hello. And Matic before the legs went. But yeah we need someone in that role, who is there that would improve us though?

Carrick and Matic had certain qualities but we're never top bracket DMs, they both lacked the nobility and physicality that is required.

[Boycey]

I struggle to see why United have not signed a top DM in years, the last person who did that role to the standard required was Hargreaves so you are chatting 12/13 years since his good season.

Carrick says hello. And Matic before the legs went. But yeah we need someone in that role, who is there that would improve us though?

Carrick and Matic had certain qualities but we're never top bracket DMs, they both lacked the nobility and physicality that is required.

f**k me ur setting the bar wild high if prime Carrick and Matic aren't good enough...

[Rich Ricci]

Decent response to going behind there but West Ham looking very dangerous on the counter and could well be ahead.

[J70]

Ronaldo 😄