Can you suggest some names ?
Marko Arnautovic
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
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The fact he can also play on the right or we can put Sánchez out there is good (if he’s staying, I don’t particularly care if he does or not, we shouldn’t have signed him and his wages are crazy for what he’s offered us so far and yet another shining example of how the club is failing) Back to Arnie- We badly need someone with experience to rotate with lukaku, he is a also much better all round footballer, he’s actually like a Fergie PL maverick type signing when our squad used to have depth. Saying all that I also think he’d cost too much for how long he has left at the top. I think we should stop buying older players and start building for the future right this second because we are going nowhere as things stand!
How do people feel if we feck off Sanchez to PSG for free and sign this guy for £40M or so as a replacement on a lesser wage?
I’d be all for it. Arnautovic wouldn’t be my first choice but as a backup ST, there’s not many better.
If we were to sign him purely as a striker, I'm up for it. He's a better fit for the style of football we play under Mourinho than Lukaku is, which in theory should help the rest of the team play better and particularly transition from defence to attack.
The problem is that I can foresee him being played mostly on the right, and he's not good enough there. Then again, nobody else we have is good enough there either...
Personally I want Sanchez to be given a proper run up front first before we start looking elsewhere.
The problem is that I can foresee him being played mostly on the right, and he's not good enough there. Then again, nobody else we have is good enough there either...
Personally I want Sanchez to be given a proper run up front first before we start looking elsewhere.
Would be funny if we got him then stuck him on the left wing
He's actually a very good player. He always had bags of potential, unfortunately for him, he only got his head right later on in his career and also found his best position, which is a shame.
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He'd be the perfect striker for Mourinho. His hold up play is arguably the best in the league, he is technically sound and very good at heading. He'd be a very good competition for Lukaku.
Spot on.
If we want to add another big imposing striker to our squad, then no, it's hard to find better.
Problem is, for me atleast, that we just doesn't seem to play very good football with that kind of striker as a focal point of our attack.
Adding a player like Arno instead of trying out other options, like Sanchez or Rashford perhaps, implies that Mourinho really struggles to set up a team without that classic big striker upfront.
He's a very good player. The player mourinho should have bought when he bought Lukaku.
Same people not interested who thought mane wasn't good enough at Southampton or Shaqiri at Stoke, I wager.
Same people not interested who thought mane wasn't good enough at Southampton or Shaqiri at Stoke, I wager.
He's a very good player but he comes across quite arrogant/troubled, for that reason I would avoid making an offer.
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Better than Lukaku and Sanchez, would add a much needed skillful strong forward to the team if we continue to play 3 up top.
However, if we're going for a big, strong and skillful striker, I'd much rather Dzeko. Now he's a baller!
However, if we're going for a big, strong and skillful striker, I'd much rather Dzeko. Now he's a baller!
i lol'ed at this in the office.Arnautovic is a very good player. He can be a strong squad option, and in the absence of these "super high quality players" so many are putting up to dismiss his signing, he could work well at United. If, of course, someone even better is a) available and b) willing to join, then that's fine. I just don't see anyone better than him that checks those two boxes.
Part of the problem there is that we are set up to play as if we have that kind of player up front, but we don't actually have one. Lukaku has the physical gifts to do it, but the reality is he isn't that type of striker. So inevitably he ends up losing the ball and we're straight back on the defensive, whereas if we had a proper targetman up front he'd be able to hold the ball up and then bring the rest of our players into the game when we are trying to transition from defence into attack.
Would rather prefer Callum Wilson or Chicharito back over him
The arrogance of Man Utd fans is bemusing at times.
Back up to Lukaku? Lukaku needs replacing. His touch is awful and always will be.
The problem is that Arnautovic will be 30 this season and West Ham are not going to sell him unless Utd offer stupid money.
If Utd are going to make a signing to get back in the top 4, it's going to have to be a World Class player, and few will be available in January and of those few, who would go to Utd now? Utd's only way out is to change coach but they seem committed to keeping Mourinho until the end of the season.
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Mane was 24 when Liverpool got him, Arnautovic turns 30 in April. He'd soon be yet another 30+ player on huge wages we're struggling to get rid of. Getting him instead of Lukaku would have been a decent move: we would have saved money for an actual top class striker later on when no one was available last summer.
But now? It doesn't really make much sense unless we can shift Lukaku and get him on the cheap (like 20m max). As for Shaqiri, he hasn't exactly set the world alight, has he? He's a decent squad player, of which we have plenty as it is.
He's a short term fix over the next 18 months in the event of Sanchez leaving, I'd take it now based on what we've seen from Sanchez and the form of Martial.
Probably most of you are too young to remember Fergie wanted to bring in Mick Hartford in March 1992 for 300k and if that signing had come of I think we'd have won the league.
He offers something different to what we have, as he combines physicality with technical ability.
Probably most of you are too young to remember Fergie wanted to bring in Mick Hartford in March 1992 for 300k and if that signing had come of I think we'd have won the league.
He offers something different to what we have, as he combines physicality with technical ability.
Why would he be on huge wages? He'd be happy to join a top club and get a bit more than what he's on at West Ham.
I think the poster was referring to the majority of people here dismissing the transfer based on Arnautovic’s ability as opposed to circumstances such as age and cost. Even a large portion of those who think bringing him in would be a good idea are looking at him as a backup/ squad player. I agree with everything you’ve said, but Arnautovic is being rather heavily underrated here by the majority.
It is not like many wanted a 24 year old Mane. He was meant to be average and not good enough for us. We got Mkhitaryan and the rest is history.
We pay huge wages to just about everyone. Lingard is on a 100k per week.
OK but honestly, why is this even relevant? Does this mean that we should sign just about anyone because they might turn out to be as good as Mané?
For what it's worth I wasn't sure about Mané because I hadn't watched him enough. I was certain Mkhi would be great. I still reserve the right to have an opinion about potential signings.
I actually really want him
Exactly this. In 18-30 months Rashford (we hope) will be ready to play through the middle more often, this bloke’s the perfect stop-gap. Won’t be expecting to start every week, and will be happy with that because whilst he won’t be a huge financial burden to us, he’ll be on better money than at West Ham, playing with better players, at a better stadium, maybe win a few things, then he can bugger off and do what he wants after that. He can also offer something on the right hand side; I’m not saying he’s good enough to start there for United in an ideal world, but if you dropped him in the squad now, there’s probably an argument he becomes our best RW.
No, the fans nor the club should not play arrogant about potential targets because they play for midtable or lower level clubs or because they hasn't achieved much in their career by the time we are linked to them. Likewise for managers that have not had the luxury of managing clubs where they have a chance of winning trophies.
Another player that will not be able to carry us to another level. Who’s to blamed now, our scout or our manager?
I think I would rather give Alexis a go to be our no 9 than spend more money on the wrong players.
I think I would rather give Alexis a go to be our no 9 than spend more money on the wrong players.
The manager should be backed, they would say.....
I would agree with that when it comes to managers but if a player's career didn't make it higher than the likes of West Ham and Stoke by the time he's 30 we should probably steer clear in most cases. Not saying there aren't exceptions but most of the time there's an obvious reason these players didn't make it to a bigger club.
My thoughts exactly, I want to see us move away from target strikers and towards a fluid front 3.
I would say,
When we backed our manager, we got more problems. Lukaku being not good enough striker to lead us to challenging the league, Sánchez arrival turn Martial who scored lot of goals into bench warmer, Bailly and Fred are not used and if we sign Perisic, I wonder if Martial will still be here.
I think the manager needs to actually see the talent and potential of our current players, get the best out of them, and carefully identify what he really actually needs not just going for any players. Because so far some of his signing haven’t been impressive enough
There are late bloomers. Some players only really do come to prominence at the later stages of their career. Some have it tough too and some make bad decisions that might be detrimental at young ages. In the case of Arnautovic, it is just like @robbieboy said. He has played for Twente, Inter, Wender Bremen, Stoke and West Ham. Inter are the only top club he has played for and that was when he has a bad kid, so nobody knows how good he'd be for a top club. The past does not really matter, the present does and he certainly is a talented player. He's outgrown Westham now and the next stage is to probably play for a big club. It would be arrogant to err on the side of: "hmm lets pass because there's a reason he is still there at 30".
Its a lot more complex than that. I'd imagine he's the option if Sanchez is sold. The club can't go out and spend £70-80m on another centre forward whilst we've got Lukaku & Rashford. If the plan is move on Lukaku then fine we have to do it but I doubt it is.
I want Mourinho out and I want to see us move away from target strikers and towards a fluid front 3 too. But, Arnautovic is not just a target man, he would fit any system.
As an Austrian and someone who followed Arnautovic since his early days, I can say that there are even two reasons why he isn't playing for a top side at the moment. After his first big transfer to iInter Mailand(he actually won the championsleague there under José) he was injured most of the time and had pretty much no playing time. After his short spell at inter he was always the best player on the pitch and he was indeed a world-class talent. But like many players his attitude held him back. He lost his motivation to train properly and was often in the news for his antics of the pitch.
Then he went to England and became a father and that changed the man. He started to work hard and mature mentally and once again he was the best player at stoke and now at west ham. The ability was always there, and talent as output wise he should have been playing at the top level for his hole career but his injuries at his young age and his behavior of the pitch lead him to where he is now.
I'm totally convinced that he would be a top player for our team. Look what he did in west ham pretty much on his own. He's over the flanks and despite him being of the physical, mourinho type, he's main strength is his technique over his body. The red flags who ones surrounded the man are gone and he is definitely ready to play for a top side.
He's a decent player but shouldn't be more than a backup in a club like United. Same thing with Lukaku. The difference is, unlike Lukaku, his attitude is questionable. He might be a good bargain at the price he's available, and would be a good purchase if the club already had a world class striker in place.
Manchester United is one of the biggest clubs in the world, it needs to stop stock-piling those average-to-good players and go for the best in the world.
Manchester United is one of the biggest clubs in the world, it needs to stop stock-piling those average-to-good players and go for the best in the world.
Every person in the world knows what Shaqiri stands for, back at Stoke and now for Liverpool's bench. Average player with a few super goals every season, not jealous and wouldn't want him at United.
Yay.
More "squad" players who fall well short of being world class who will need to upgraded in a year or two.
The way i see it is like this.
If city wouldnt even think about buying him then we shouldnt either.
More "squad" players who fall well short of being world class who will need to upgraded in a year or two.
The way i see it is like this.
If city wouldnt even think about buying him then we shouldnt either.
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