Summer 2013 Squad

rcoobc

I know this thread is certain to backfire, but what do you expect it to look like? All this took of being "in transition" but what will it end up as? Without naming any new expected signings, who do you expect to be still be here?


Ages of players in Summer 2013

I know this isn't exactly news to anyone here, but without Fletcher we look woefully short in central midfield. Even though at the moment we have 7 strikers, in just 18 months we could be down to 3. Sunderland not signing Gibson could be a god send, especially if he can bring back some of that early form. It all depends on how many of those we players we expect to stay, leave, and how many of those players we hope will make it actually do.

But if we are unlucky we could need a young hungry player in every position (except keeper), and 2 in central midfield. The thing that surprised me when thinking about it, and pretty much the entire point to this, is that is Owen and Berbatov leave, and Macheda and Diouf don't make it we will be looking for another striker.

Cutch

Just to correct you on Park. He'll be 32 in Summer 2013, not 28

rcoobc

Cheers.

Maciek

I don't like those threads.

Why? Search for some threads from the past about our squad in two years time.

rcoobc

Players by games


Looking at what, in my opinion, will be our key players in Summer 2013, the situation isn't nearly as bad. Our first 11; Goalkeeper, Right Back, Left Back, Central Midfield, Wingers and Strikers will all be as good or better than they are now in my opinion. The transition of Ferdinand to a player who only plays once every 10 days (or so), will effect the defence badly (as it does now), but hopefully that will be countered with the more experience of David de Gea.

I have bolded players who I think are likely to be top class players but hopefully another 1 or 2 of that list will join them within the next 18 months. Most likely one of Cleverley, Rafael, Fabio, or Hernandez. Anderson is the most difficult player to pick, if he stays injury free for the next 5 years he could end up being top class, but if he keeps getting injured it would be harder for him to break into this team.

rcoobc

I know what you mean, i've tried to do my best to avoid sticking random players in "world class" lists, or expecting us to sign "Modric/Bale/Sneijder/Ronaldinho." But I think not looking at what our team could look like in only 18 months time for that reason is a bit silly.

Raoul

Given that we've been buying relatively anonymous players like Jones, Smalling, Hernandez, Lindegaard, Tosic, Bebe, Diouf, Obertan etc in recent years, I'd say its next to impossible to predict what the squad will look like in a couple of years. My guess is that Fergie will continue to pluck obscure players that a majority on here haven't heard of before.

7even

I think both Smalling and Jones will be part of our back bone in two seasons. Rooney will continue to be influential and Nani will be our most important winger. If we buy an established midfielder he will be an automatic starter.

On their way out before 2013; Gibson, Berbatrick - but I want him to stay another season, Rio - depending in his back injury, PIG - I still can't spell his name, Mama Diouf, Macheda, Owen, Giggs - but he's freakish so maybe he continue playing until 40 and Fletcher - depending on his health.

In; Pogba, Fryers, Morrison, a new striker, one midfielder and one defender - probably a LB.

SharkyMcShark

WHy is Fletch likely to leave?

7even

Healthy he stays until he retires, unhealthy he will start work with our coaching staff. He's forever a United man and the club will show him their loyalty whatever happened with his health.

gooDevil

John Cofie, Larnell Cole, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Davide Petrucci and Will Keane, should all get a chance to make the squad in addition to Pogba, Morrison and Fryers.

There are probably another half dozen like Van Valzen who will have a chance as well, we've got a great host of youth talent.

Skholesy

Wow, will Nani still just be 26 in a year and a half time? He seems to have been around forever...and Anderson being 25 then, well, that means he's still 23 now...deserves more than always being written off i guess....

BaldwinLegend

Don't forget he bought De Gea and was after further unnamed, unavailable players in the summer which we can have an educated guess as being Sneijder and Modric. He's on the record as having wanted Benzema the summer before that.

I think he'll carry on buying big players, especially when we lose an important player. I still expect us to make a big signing in midfield before too long.

It's a bit unfair to include Jones in a list of supposedly obscure players - he was known to everyone and wanted by most big PL clubs when he moved.

::sonny::

Fletcher leave where?? To a Hospital??

Raoul

I'm sure he was interested in quite a few known and unknown players, but the main point is that his recent buys seem to focus on little known younger players who can be developed into the system and stay at the club for a few years. I wouldn't discount a big name player being bought from time to time, but clearly the trend is going in the opposite direction.

rcoobc

Yeah perhaps leave isn't the right word, should have put in the stay category with an asterix. I hope he recovers quickly but putting aside emotion there is the possibility that he won't. Perhaps he will have his surgery (times two), recover, take 6 months to get something resembling match fitness and then go out on loan, returning a year later. If we follow what sammsky1 has said then a year off isn't a bad estimation, so perhaps he will be fit in 18 months time and back to his best.

friendlytramp

GK: David de Gea, 22.
GK: anders lindegaard, 29
GK: Ben Amos

LB: Fabio da Silva, 23.
LB: Patrice Evra,32.
LB: Jonny Evans,25
LB: Ezekiel Fryers,21

CB: Nemaja Vidic, 31
CB: Jonny Evans, 25.
CB: Chris Smalling, 23.
CB: Phil Jones, 21.
CB: Ezekiel Fryers,21.

RB: Rafael Da Silva, 23.
RB: Chris Smalling, 23.
RB: Phil Jones,21.
RB: Fabio Da Silva,23
RB: Antonio Valencia, 28

CM: Michael Carrick, 32.
CM: Tom Cleverley, 24.
CM: Anderson,26
CM: Jack Rodwell,22
CM: Paul Pogba,20
CM: Ravel Morrison, 20

WM: Ashley Young, 28.
WM: Antonio Valencia, 28.
WM: Ravel Morrison, 20
WM: Robbie Brady,21
WM: Cristiano Ronaldo,27
WM: Nicholas Gaitan,25

FW: Wayne Rooney, 27.
FW: Javier Hernandez, 25.
FW: Danny Welbeck,23
FW: Will Keane,20
FW: Josh King,21
FW: Cristiano Ronaldo, 27

Edmeiste

What tramp put up is what we can expect if we choose not to sign a CM by 2013 which I dont see happening.

rcoobc

I've updated the OP with Gibson and Dioufs departure. Friendly Tramp's squad isn't actually possible as it has too many over 25 players. I count 31 players there, and that doesn't include the 20 year olds that I haven't looked into.

Twigginater

So as of now we have 28 players who are 21 or over next year.

I'd say it's extremely likely Scholes and PiG won't be in that squad. As well as Owen. So that leaves us with 25 men.

rcoobc

I count 29, but Giggs has to retire some time, and Amos will probably go out on loan and we will have a new under 21 goalkeeper. That leaves one addition to the squad in its current form, 2 if Fletcher also leaves/is on loan/not registered.

When the 25 man squad came in, I thought only City and Chelsea would struggle to meet it. 25 men seemed very huge, and if anything still giving the bigger Premier League clubs too much of an advantage. Now however it seems like we need to push it to its limits to complete a normal campaign on multiple fronts.

Edit - As GCHQ says I was referring to 2013

GCHQ

Aren't you including De Laet and Bebe in that 28 as well?

Macheda won't be in the 25 man squad next season because he was born in 1991 and will therefore will be young enough to be registered outside the main squad. Jones is the same for the Premier League but will have to be registered in the 25 man squad for the Champions League.

Take out PIG, De Laet, Bebe, Scholes and Owen and we'll have room for two new players.

friendlytramp

Removed morrison, and added jones to the cm options

Colin129

Ronaldo doesn't play for us...

rcoobc

What players seem to be injury prone?

Rafael, Ferdinand, Fabio, Valencia, Cleverley, Anderson, Jones, Young, Owen.

Valencia and Young could probably be removed from that list whilst I have a feeling Welbeck will have his fair share of injuries.

9 of our over 25's are injury prone.

Woodzy

Nor does Gaitan, so I can only assume he is predicting next season's squad.

Crustanoid

He's come back and cloned himself seemingly

Successful

I would be surprised if even half of those players are still with us at the summer 2013.

rcoobc

You think half our players will leave in 2/3 windows? Or was this in response to friendlytramp

Colin129

Huzzah!

Edit: Just noticed he play in 2 positions for us...

Double edit: There are 3 Phil Jones's...so next year cloning will be a reality.

wtf is that shit?

friendlytramp

Acknowledging that players can play in more than one position is fundamental when assessing the depth and quality of your squad.

Solius

Why did you add Ronaldo you loon.

friendlytramp

Check the OP; It's the 2013 squad not the current one!

Alwyn

an explanation!

Colin129

He posts, he earns his tag line...

I post, I earn mine...

rcoobc

With Pogba going, we're losing players that supplement the 25 man Premier League squad, and 23 man European Squad. Thank god for Phil Jones.

Colin129

Does this factor in cloning of players though?

Shimo

Don''t players that don't have to be registered have to be with the club for 2 years before they fall into that category (pretty sure it's true for CL) ? If so then Jones will have to be registered.

rcoobc

Yeah, in fact I think it might be 3 years. Had it been 2 Jones would have been alright for 2013

JayWalker

So I take it we're going to buy Rodwell, Gaitan and Ronaldo in the summer? Score!!