If you were a good player at a good point in your career, why on earth would you come to Utd now? If I was a pro footballer, even as a Utd fan I think I'd go to Chelsea, Arsenal or Tottenham before I picked Utd. Club is in a full blown crisis.
Solskjaer target 5 signings; 6 players could leave [BBC, Telegraph, Guardian]
- Thread starter roonster09
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Because that would literally be insane?
Yep, this. We're going to struggle this summer to make any meaningful progress. Waving big cash around only attracts the wrong players.
The only thing I can think of is imagine being the set of players who finally gets United back to where they once were? You would be just as revered as the Co92 etc.
It’s too much of a square peg in a round hole for me - for city that is. They’ve started playing Foden more, De Bruyne will be back, Bilva plays that attacking role as well. I know Gundogan is likely to go, but they don’t play the same role. Doesn’t seem like a priority for them tbh.
Liverpool have shown that a few astute signings can totally transform the whole squad! Players like Mane, Salah are out there! Add to that a top quality defender and we'd be a totally different proposition! Problem is our scouting seems non existent and we'd rather splash out 500k a week on big names! This has to change before we can move forwards
That's probably the selling point the club has to go for but my god what a tough sell that is. Imagine sitting down with some 19 year old wonder kid in Portugal who has just had contract offers from Spurs, Tott, Arse, Chelsea, Liverpool, PSG and Bayern etc and trying to tell them that if they come to Manchester and a whole load of miracles happen then will be remembered as fondly as Nicky Butt. Probably not going to mean much to the non English speaking kid. It's like saying to me that I could be the next Peter Osgood or Pat Nevin if I went to Chelsea, means nothing because I'm the wrong generation and not a Chelsea fan.
I think a player would much rather sign for us than any of those clubs. Do not be overdramtic.
Liverpool have a good manager with a defined style of play, we have neither.
Right the thing is Ole is totally unproven here.
But why not just believe and support in him. You don’t KNOW he is a bad manager and there’s enough to suggest he might do a decent job so let’s just get behind him.
He’s gonna make some good signings and he’s gonna help us push towards a title challenge. Do you know why I believe that? Because I’m a united supporter. Until there’s actual proof he’s gonna do a bad job let’s give him time.
No it wouldn't. Continuing to rely on players we know are not up to scratch but even worse are toxic in the dressing room and lack the mental fortitude for the fight would be dumb.
And what the heck do we need with squad fillers like Rojo and Darmian.
Jones, Young, Pereira, Matic, Lingard, Sanchez, Bailly, Lukaku.
Thats already 10 players who we all know are not up to scratch and cannot be relied upon.
Fred Martial Pogba can get another season unless they want to go. Then you also have DDG who may want to leave.
What would be the point of keeping any of those 10 or any that want out?
Its a myth that a mass overhaul in one summer would be disastrous. Just do it and build a squad that we can ensure work with each other for some time along with promising talent from the youth ranks so that in 2/3 years we can be competitive.
This incremental thing is a nonsense if you already know the squad you have is a disaster to begin with.
Rubbish excuse. They are not the only players that exist
Agree. Our second and third choice targets have to be better than Young at this point.
So people keep saying cliche. Explain why it would be insane vs keeping a set of players who are not only overpaid but have shown over a number of years they are not only not good enough, but also lack the mental strength and fortitude to fight for this club?
There are some players we should obviously keep and work on. However there are certainly more than 10 that require binning this summer
I agree, it’s easy to say the whole squad isn’t good enough at times like these. My worry is we target the wrong positions yet again. I know it’s only rumours but we are constantly linked to CAM and CB. I would say RW and RB is our most pressing issues, then CB, then DM. I can’t stand another season with no RW and Ashley Young playing RB.
Buying 5 or 6 players and getting rid of 'half the team' as you stated is an overhaul and could work if done early enough with the full pre season together.
The fact is, we need rid of alot of players. I'm not sure Ole feels the same as the fans regarding Young and Matic. But Darmian Valencia and Rojo are as good as gone (that's 3). We have 3 other players with contracts running out on De Gea, Mata and Herrera with the latter being the most likely to leave this window (that's 4). Then 2 or 3 more with very uncertain futures in Lukaku, Pogba and Sanchez. With Sanchez being one who should be kicked out the door with a firm boot (that's 5) on their way out, with 2 or 3 others that could go as they are not signing new contracts.
What I'm saying is that a 'squad overhaul' is something that we might not have a choice in this summer.
As for bringing in 5 or 6 players this summer, I dont think we need to necessarily replace Darmian and Rojo as they have barely kicked a ball for us this season, but Valencia yes we need to replace him. A new CB, RB, CM and a RW is the absolute minimum. With a replacement for each other first teamer that leaves. So 6 players in could well be forced upon us in this window.
I disagree to be honest. At this moment in time I do not think most players would choose us. The only thing we can offer is a history and a bigger wage check (Than some of them). History does not matter to many players. Success matters and enjoying their career.
Tottenham are more attractive than us right now, better stadium, better team, better city and a much more enjoyable environment. Until we get back to playing good football and being competitive we need very clever signings and good youth development. There is a reason we have players on such crazy wages, it's the only way we can now convince people to join us instead of the rest. That model doesn't work.
Buy young and promising players that would suit a possession, high pressing team, so when OGS leaves or quits on his own accord then we do not need 15/20 new players under the next manager, but only 10.
This would be something a DoF might actually be helpful with and and making some of the geniuses at the club perform, but we know it is going to be an internal/former well liked player appointment. And we are going to spend on players suited to the way OGS prefers to play: Gung-ho counterattacking football, no reason why we should not continue to struggle against teams parking the bus.
This would be something a DoF might actually be helpful with and and making some of the geniuses at the club perform, but we know it is going to be an internal/former well liked player appointment. And we are going to spend on players suited to the way OGS prefers to play: Gung-ho counterattacking football, no reason why we should not continue to struggle against teams parking the bus.
The problem is, there is virtually no resale value in most of the current squad, fee-wise. How much could it really be improved by re-investing the money we get from Bailly, Jones, Young, Matic, Rojo, Darmian, Sanchez, Pereira, Fred etc. The fees for all of them combined might just about scrape together Declan Rice.
That’s not to mention the out of contract players who will go free anyway and reduce the number of bodies. Wages will ease up with Sánchez gone, but damage is done there with regard to setting a precedent of what the club is willing to pay.
I really don’t see a way around having to offload a few of the players who could actually go for big money. Pogba being the obvious choice.
Glaston is that you? Winks, Sissoko and Aurier would now be in Spurs best 11 but, people still talk like Spurs have a great squad.
Mata, Herrera(looks like he’ll
leave), Rojo, Jones, Matic, Young, Darmian, Lukaku(doesnt fit managers style), Sanchez, Bailly.
Thats already 10 players.
RB, CDM, RW, ST, CM, CB
Minimum signings required.
Bring Tuanzebe into the squad as well as Gomes and possibly Greenwood and Laird/O’Conner.
Seriously we have been trying this incremental thing and it has not been working because you can’t mix good players with the toxic crap we have, we have seen what happens. They become infected or the get frustrated and end up leaving.
leave), Rojo, Jones, Matic, Young, Darmian, Lukaku(doesnt fit managers style), Sanchez, Bailly.
Thats already 10 players.
RB, CDM, RW, ST, CM, CB
Minimum signings required.
Bring Tuanzebe into the squad as well as Gomes and possibly Greenwood and Laird/O’Conner.
Seriously we have been trying this incremental thing and it has not been working because you can’t mix good players with the toxic crap we have, we have seen what happens. They become infected or the get frustrated and end up leaving.
Agreed. That would be a massive upgrade and hope it happens
Only downside is even after shredding those 7 players we still have Darmian, Jones, Lingard, Young and Fred in our books
along with half arsed martial and Pogba How to fix that ?
Muppet! One of us!
Get rid of Darmian and replace with Laird/O’ConnerAgreed. That would be a massive upgrade and hope it happens
Only downside is even after shredding those 7 players we still have Darmian, Jones, Lingard, Young and Fred in our books
How to fix that ?
Get rid of Jones and replace with Tuanzabe
Get rid of Lingard and by a CDM
Keep Fred for another year
Get rid of Lingard and replace with Gomes
As a UTD supporter I feel the same as most that we are in a dire situation but we will end a shit season only a few points behind Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs. All 3 teams have been very underwhelming and have had very poor seasons.
The fact that all 5 teams above us could get CL football next year if Arsenal win the EL, will be awful for us being left behind.
But regarding players wanting to come here over the other 3, I would absolutely still want to come to UTD over Arsenal or spurs. Arsenal dont spend alot of money so wont get the top players and Spurs dont pay enough wages for top players. And Chelsea have a transfer ban impending so might not be buying anybody!
UTD do pay silly wages and still have the huge stature of the club as a great pull to bring players in. Will we compete for the very best players over Real Madrid or Barca? No, we never have done. Will we compete with City or Liverpool? Maybe. We have beaten City to a couple of players in recent years due our willingness to pay higher wages than our rivals.
We can still attract a decent crop of players this window with a squad overhaul very much needed.
Great? Absolutely not. Better than us at the moment, absolutely !
The players you mentioned would all be in our first 11 at the moment quite easily.
You keep talking about fees yet you don’t realise that many of these are on wages they shouldnt be and we need to get them off the books which frees up capital. Transfer fees are not payed in one go they are amortised along with the players wages.
The second thing is the club can also stump up the cash to make a big investment (which they should) but they need to focus on younger talents with resale value.
If we need to make a sale. Lukaku and Martial should suffice to raise funds
Sign
Ibrahima Konate, CB from RB Leipzig
Ben Godfrey, CB from Norwich
Bruno Fernandes, CM from Sporting
Jadon Sancho, Winger from Dortmund
Donny van de Beek, CM from Ajax
Miralem Pjanic, CM from Juventus
Promote
Axel Tuanzebe, Angel Gomes, Mason Greenwood, Tahith Chong, James Garner, Ethan Laird, Lee O'Connor/Brandon Williams
Sell
Marcos Rojo
Phil Jones
Antonio Valencia
Juan Mata
Ander Herrera
Alexis Sanchez
Romelu Lukaku
Paul Pogba
Eric Bailly
Ibrahima Konate, CB from RB Leipzig
Ben Godfrey, CB from Norwich
Bruno Fernandes, CM from Sporting
Jadon Sancho, Winger from Dortmund
Donny van de Beek, CM from Ajax
Miralem Pjanic, CM from Juventus
Promote
Axel Tuanzebe, Angel Gomes, Mason Greenwood, Tahith Chong, James Garner, Ethan Laird, Lee O'Connor/Brandon Williams
Sell
Marcos Rojo
Phil Jones
Antonio Valencia
Juan Mata
Ander Herrera
Alexis Sanchez
Romelu Lukaku
Paul Pogba
Eric Bailly
So a midfield of?
Pjanic (never gonna happen) Van De Beek and Fernandes? No DM?
Not sure which type of muppet is worse. The ones who think we will make all these amazing signings which are very very unlikely to happen, or the let’s just trust in our youth team players to save the day who needs signings!!!!
Pjanic, why not? Just as possible as many of the other names flying around.
Why the need for a specific DM.? Control the match, and we wont need a destroyer in there.
Maybe because yesterday he clearly stated he wants to win the UCL and move to a club next season if he moves who can win it. We are not even going to be in the competition.
Also nothing to do with a destroyer. If you don't have a player who can win the ball back or screen in your midfield you will get destroyed. So which one of the 3 is responsible for that
It's called the no top 4 plan B
Agree, that is why, UTD have to buy players going under the Radar, to many times we've gone for the big one, not worked, Falcao, Dmaria, Depay, . Only one was Zlatan that was any good.
They are out there , not for hundreds of millions, they can be found, his club has tried and failed in buying so called bigger Names.
For exactly the same reasons as good players going to those clubs whilst United were top dogs
You under rate the pull that the name Manchester United has because of its history and stature
If Ole and Phelan are calling the shots this summer I can see us going mostly for players already in the PL. AWB/Ake/Toby/Rice/Doucoure/Richarlison types. Ole seems really hung up on doing it SAF style.
For some reason I am optimistic about us signing good players. (God knows why given our recent history). What concerns me the most is our continued refusal to clear the squad of trash. Look at what City did in the summer of 2017 after they finished 3rd in Guardiola's first season and decided that was unacceptable.
12 senior players out. 9 of which had been in the first team squad that season: Kolarov, Clichy, Caballero, Sagna, Zabaleta, Navas, Nolito, Fernando, Iheanacho. Plus 3 more senior players whom Guardiola had already given up on: Nasri, Bony, Mooy. Plus they tried to sell more senior players but due to wages were forced to settle for loan deals (Hart for example). It was an absolute bonfire of deadwood.
Are we going to do the same? I doubt it. Jones has already been signed up to 2023 at a minimum, Young has signed his new contract for next season, Mata has an offer and is just waiting for us to cave and give him a longer one. If United can't even bear the thought of losing dross like this, players who have failed to produce for four managers in a row! Then how the hell can we expect them to do anything even approaching a major clean out.
12 senior players out. 9 of which had been in the first team squad that season: Kolarov, Clichy, Caballero, Sagna, Zabaleta, Navas, Nolito, Fernando, Iheanacho. Plus 3 more senior players whom Guardiola had already given up on: Nasri, Bony, Mooy. Plus they tried to sell more senior players but due to wages were forced to settle for loan deals (Hart for example). It was an absolute bonfire of deadwood.
Are we going to do the same? I doubt it. Jones has already been signed up to 2023 at a minimum, Young has signed his new contract for next season, Mata has an offer and is just waiting for us to cave and give him a longer one. If United can't even bear the thought of losing dross like this, players who have failed to produce for four managers in a row! Then how the hell can we expect them to do anything even approaching a major clean out.
What we don’t have on the playing staff is some sort of general in the dressing room. Someone that links all the cliques. Zlatan did this and it seems like since he went, the mentality and effort of the players has gone to shit. Who that person is I don’t know!
Those have been our worst buys over the years.
Jones
Young
Schneiderlin
Fellaini
Matic
Mata
Shaw
Lukaku
Sanchez