We have to replace him, easy as that. If you don't have a very special type of player (like Kante), 2 players don't have the legs for the modern game. Only strenghtening parts of the team that don't need strengthening is a mistake we made one time to often lately. We need to replace Carrick, simple as that. Verratti.
James Rodriguez| Is considering his options
- Thread starter Attila
- Start date
-
Nik (@Rood) and Imran (@Annihilate Now!) discuss United's fantastic win away against Athletic Club in the semi-final of the Europa League.
They also pick out the positives of United's 4-3 loss away at Brentford, and Nik reviews a day out at Old Trafford watching Manchester United Women qualify for the Champions League.
Numerous people here saying you'd replace him with Mata? Don't think James would be any better than he is in the PL.
You guys have absolutely no need for him. Would be a Real Madrid type signing just for the hell of it.
You guys have absolutely no need for him. Would be a Real Madrid type signing just for the hell of it.
We shouldn't, we have found the best organization for our best player. Everything should be done with Pogba's interest in mind because Pogba is our key player.
Edit: And Carrick's replacement could be french, I'm probably going to fast but Cyprien has the right profile.
I just don't see a player of Carrick's type and ability out there. I can't see Veratti being available but even he doesn't have the physical stature of Carrick. I really wanted Krychowiak but he is a more limited player. How has he been for PSG this season?
We will ship Schneiderlin and Depay, i would loan him out with an option to buy. If he proves himself to be very good, buy him. There is no risk but a potential great gain. That would also mean the end of Rooney in the summer with a direct replacement.
He has been shite and Verratti isn't the only player around. From the players I know Cyprien and Weigl have the profile and I'm sure that other posters will have names.
Dont need him.
Just curious, who do you want?
Sell Rooney then!!
No chance. We actually want Martial.
It's like asking if you want to swap Varane for Schneiderlin
Wouldn't make a difference to the choice of buying James or not. I think a lot of people are underestimating the effect certain players have within a team, "in the dressing room" (which is by all means a lot more then the dressing room). Stupid stuff you see Pogba and Lingard doing together can bring more to a team then some world class player
Don't need him. He is talented but quite overrated. We should try get Griezmann.
Well if Rooney is still going to get game time then yes, of course its going to make a difference. And you can't tell me that whenever Rooney plays, Rodriguez would not have more of an impact on the pitch? Especially under Mourinho? And if the 'dressing room' effect is the only justification for keeping Rooney then feck me!
So as long as we play Rooney, James will always be an upgrade.
Kudos to whoever came up with the thread title. I just noticed it. 
His attitude will stop most of the best potential suitors for him looking his way
The thing is he is living Real Madrid to not be rotated. So unless Pogba is going to play 8 full time, he really wouldn't work here on current evidence. For I have doubt's he has the consistent desire to track back if used wide. And his attitude to work rate is the reason Zidane has been benching him. Now imagine unded Mourinho. He'd only work here if he were willing show the type of desire Mata does and only Jose can make that call.
Can he play fullback?
No thanks.
Mata is better than him.
Agreed.
A LB, a Carrick replacement and a prolific striker to take over from Zlatan at some point. There is no particular player I am that desperate for us to sign at the moment.
I would love him at United and think he would be brilliant here.
James will be an upgrade on many players that we have, like Rooney and mata, but none of them start.
James will add quality in our team and add to our cutting edge in the final third, but if we are going to spend all the money to get him, then he has to be played at no.10, which is not possible right now. If he has to eventually played on the wings(a department that needs upgrades), we might as well sign a more pacey player at that price.
At the beginning of the season Mou talked about pogba being the perfect no.6, there could have been a spot for James in that formation(if mata and Rooney are sold). But in the formation that we have now, which is also working very well, there is no place for a 60million player.
James will add quality in our team and add to our cutting edge in the final third, but if we are going to spend all the money to get him, then he has to be played at no.10, which is not possible right now. If he has to eventually played on the wings(a department that needs upgrades), we might as well sign a more pacey player at that price.
At the beginning of the season Mou talked about pogba being the perfect no.6, there could have been a spot for James in that formation(if mata and Rooney are sold). But in the formation that we have now, which is also working very well, there is no place for a 60million player.
You just don't get it, do you?
Rooney isn't the reason why people wouldn't want James. Rooney right now is a squad player and for the kind of money that would require buying James, it wouldn't be fur a squad player but one that improve our starting 11 which James won't be doing in a 433 system.
He started having a hard time a Madrid because he couldn't play in a 433 system and is only bright as a number 10. His dilemma at Madrid us a most similar to Mata with finding himself in a system that didn't suit him.
We really don't need him at all. And even if we were playing a system with a number 10, he still wouldn't have been needed given Mata excels well and strives in such set ups and usually delivers the good.
This.
He lacks pace so he wont be a good fit at all on the wings. If we are planning to change the formation and play with a diamond then he would be invaluable. But as things stand, unless Martial gets his performances up, we need a LW
Everybody's an expert! At the end of the day we're not linked with him anyway. Do Chelsea really need him?? Not really. Would he improve their squad? Course he would! Would I take him? In a heartbeat! I think he would be a revelation at United.
If Jose fancies him and comes in for him, who are we to argue? I would be over the moon but if he stayed at Madrid, I wouldn't lose any sleep. I'd rather he didn't go to a rival though. As I've said before, we don't need Griezmann at the moment but would you turn your nose up at that if he became available? A lot of people want him here.
The best football this Real Madid team played was 22 games winning streak in Carlo's second season while Bale was injured and just before Modric got injured.
4-4-2 with Benzema and Ronaldo up front and Isco and James as wide midfielders.
It's still a 2 man midfield, but my point is that James is not so limited. He was also playing as a winger in Porto.
Having said that, I do agree with you, United really don't need him.
To play in which position ?
Are you sure that a player that doesn't played much the past year would be a benefit for us ?
Do you think that we should improve firstly our number 10 position ?
What about Mata and Rooney then ?
During the summer I was ok with him coming at United yes, but now no more. At the time I tough that he would compete with Mata in the 10 position behind Zlatan and with a lot of pace next to him in Martial and Mkhitaryan. BUT, came Pogba and our absolute need to play 3 men in midfield.
I would rather splash 50M this winter on one or two defenders and keeping our options in front.
So let me offer my 2 cents as a real madrid fan who's actuallu watched james a lot these past 3 years. James is great. His workrate is great, IQ, skill, vision, finishing, he's even got deceptive pace(truly it's acceleration he lacks, not pace). He'd massively improve your team, provided mourinho doesn't shackle him to a flank but gives him enough freedom to cut in and pick his spots. A front 3 of james-zlatan-miki, with pogba linking up with them would be terrifying to behold. You'd have to switch permanently to a possession based style, because that's where they would thrive, and i'm not sure mourinho would be willing to do that.
He can't really play in midfield for you because you already have pogba there, and switching to a 4-2-3-1 likewise makes little sense.
He can't really play in midfield for you because you already have pogba there, and switching to a 4-2-3-1 likewise makes little sense.
I always thought he was a bit overrated, but if Real are letting him go cheaply why not give it a try?
Word on Twitter is that he already applied for a work permit, with Chelsea as leaders for his services. Don't mean to overrate him, but I am legitimately worried that he might push an already strong team to European elite level. He has the tools for it, just a matter of bringing it all together and Conte can do just that.
Don't see how or where James fits into our side. Same goes for any of United, Arsenla, or City.
Our £89m player plays best in our current system so that's a no to Mr Rodriguez. Right now we need someone to replace Carrick rather than a player who does not fit into our current system. Javi Martinez used to be an option but he is too injury prone and I think he is a cb now or was that a Pep thing?
He is very adaptable, dating back to his days in Porto and Monaco. He's not a Mata type player (I rate Mata dont get me wrong) where he'll play like an 80m #10 but is a 25m winger at best. I think he'll come out guns ablaze and surprise a lot of people.
This. Verratti is the muppet signing we need. Nobody else.
We shouldn't give it a try because ever since Sir Alex retired we have spent so much without a clear plan, buying players we didn't need. Rodriguez is good but he is leaving Madrid because his talents are not required in a 4-3-3 same formation as ours. 4-3-3 works for so many of our players so we should only be buying players that fit this system
That's why it's such a pointless signing.
We have to be doing our best to get the most of our all time highest signing and playing him in a system that yields a return on our investment.
That system is a 3 men midfield.
Wasting money on James would get the Muppets into a frenzy and get the phalluses out around here,but couldn't we use that money to get players that improve our current system.For me,that shows a team with a plan.
Can you even do that?
Surely you need a definite job before applying for a work permit(This would require a valid agreement between the two teams,a signed contract between the player and club,etc)
Sounds like Twitter B.S. to me
To be fair Ronaldo has been playing up front a lot this season, and it looks like he finally completed his transformation into a pure 9. Martial still isn't the best fit to him and Bale though