Potential Matic Replacements

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I like that Juve bosnian midfielder, Miralem Pjanic. But couldn't find any reason why he should leave Juve in order to sign with the Mighty Man Utd.
 

UNITED ACADEMY

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I like that Juve bosnian midfielder, Miralem Pjanic. But couldn't find any reason why he should leave Juve in order to sign with the Mighty Man Utd.
He will cost €70m, probably avoid with such a fee for 29 yo.
 

DarkRed

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Question is - do we need just one player in this position or two?
Matic can't run anymore and he did not had rotational squad player last season.
So, move him to squad and buy first team player or sale him to Italy and buy first team+backup?
 

Devil may care

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Question is - do we need just one player in this position or two?
Matic can't run anymore and he did not had rotational squad player last season.
So, move him to squad and buy first team player or sale him to Italy and buy first team+backup?
If Garner is as highly rated as he seems to be I think him and Fred would be the back-ups to the new DM if Matic is sold, but sadly I see us keeping Matic for "experience" same as we keep wasting a squad space on Young.

The thing we need to decide is if we want the holding CM to be a playmaker or if we want a #8 playmaker to replace Herrera and a pure DM to replace Matic, given the Rice and Gueye rumours I'm guessing the latter.
 

DarkRed

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If Garner is as highly rated as he seems to be I think him and Fred would be the back-ups to the new DM if Matic is sold, but sadly I see us keeping Matic for "experience" same as we keep wasting a squad space on Young.

The thing we need to decide is if we want the holding CM to be a playmaker or if we want a #8 playmaker to replace Herrera and a pure DM to replace Matic, given the Rice and Gueye rumours I'm guessing the latter.
When I see Freds name in the Team sheet, it's like - oh s*t god help us... Matic could be better if he rest in the summer and not play much.
Thing is, Matic could be sold now as in the Italian league you don't need that much speed, will be harder to sell him next year.
 

Patrick08

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If Garner is as highly rated as he seems to be I think him and Fred would be the back-ups to the new DM if Matic is sold, but sadly I see us keeping Matic for "experience" same as we keep wasting a squad space on Young.

The thing we need to decide is if we want the holding CM to be a playmaker or if we want a #8 playmaker to replace Herrera and a pure DM to replace Matic, given the Rice and Gueye rumours I'm guessing the latter.
We don't go with what's best for the team, but with what's best for business in terms of profits.
 

Devil may care

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When I see Freds name in the Team sheet, it's like - oh s*t god help us... Matic could be better if he rest in the summer and not play much.
Thing is, Matic could be sold now as in the Italian league you don't need that much speed, will be harder to sell him next year.
I thought Fred had some decent games towards the end of last season but I am not confident in him either, I think his touch is loose so I'd prefer he played a bit further up the pitch than right in front of the back 4. If we want to get anything for Matic this is the summer, I reckon one of the Milan clubs would be interested.

We don't go with what's best for the team, but with what's best for business in terms of profits.
True but the positions we are talking about doesn't produce many marketing dreams, especially the DM role.
 

DarkRed

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I thought Fred had some decent games towards the end of last season but I am not confident in him either, I think his touch is loose so I'd prefer he played a bit further up the pitch than right in front of the back 4. If we want to get anything for Matic this is the summer, I reckon one of the Milan clubs would be interested.
All of Freds good games where in the Champions league where he was not pressured like in the EPL, he is a holding midfielder that can't hold at all under pressure...
Matic at least holds his ground.

We have huge problems in midfield, much bigger then defense, maybe with a solid midfield the defense would look better too.
 

Patrick08

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True but the positions we are talking about doesn't produce many marketing dreams, especially the DM role.
Not about marketing, though you have to sell players on a loss and draw up new contracts for other players with a huge transfer fee more than recuperated. It takes money to replace them.
 

Devil may care

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All of Freds good games where in the Champions league where he was not pressured like in the EPL, he is a holding midfielder that can't hold at all under pressure...
Matic at least holds his ground.

We have huge problems in midfield, much bigger then defense, maybe with a solid midfield the defense would look better too.
Fred does track runners better and has the recovery speed to get back if bypassed, Matic is like a statue in there nowadays, but truth is neither are good enough for the role if we hope to improve.

I agree midfield is a huge issue when it comes to our defensive woes as it offers very little protection for the back 4.
 

Devil may care

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Not about marketing, though you have to sell players on a loss and draw up new contracts for other players with a huge transfer fee more than recuperated. It takes money to replace them.
The thing is ultimately the club is about marketing and the brand, our brand has taken a big hit over the last 18 months, and the longer we are not competitive and playing in the second rate European competition while becoming a banter club, the more the brand will hurt and the more money we'll start to lose, even the greedy bastards that own us will realize this team needs to at least compete if they don't want their cash cow to start leaking money.
 

Patrick08

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even the greedy bastards that own us will realize this team needs to at least compete if they don't want their cash cow to start leaking money.
They want them to compete but not at the expense of spending more money in transfer market at once, if we spend more than what we can the board has to restructure the debt payments in the market they borrowed it from.
 

Devil may care

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They want them to compete but not at the expense of spending more money in transfer market at once, if we spend more than what we can the board has to restructure the debt payments in the market they borrowed it from.
They might have to do that then as another season like last season with no CL will see things spiral further IMO.
 

Bestietom

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If we don't spend and start challenging for honours, the sponsorship deals will suffer. A cub like Manchester United needs to be in Champions League every year, and winning trophies.
 

fps

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I think he's best when he has the freedom to run and dribble into the final third to create chaos. A good deep-lying playmaker can control the tempo of the game and orchestrate those around him, although Pogba has great passing ability I don't think he fits that mould. Also, as our most advanced midfielder his low defensive work-rate would be less of a liability.
I agree Pogba's best position is essentially as a most advanced midfielder given the job of winning the game. The problem is, an advanced central midfielder essentially doesn't exist in the modern systems, since it plays into the CDM generally played by most teams.
 

Kaglish10

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A Serie B player? Screams FM19. :lol:
Verratti, del Piero, Buffon were also Serie B players at one time. In fact, Verratti went from dominating Serie B midfield to dominating a prime Barca's midfield of Xavi and Iniesta at just 19yrs old for PSG.

Tonali has got good technique on the ball (he's actually press resistant), good passing range, spatial awareness and is defensively astute. Also, he was his team's talisman in the course of topping the Serie B table and getting promoted to Serie A.
 

MyOnlySolskjaer

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Verratti, del Piero, Buffon were also Serie B at one time. In fact, Verratti went from dominating Serie B midfield to dominating a prime Barca's midfield of Xavi and Iniesta at just 19yrs old.

Tonali has got good technique on the ball (he's actually press resistant), good passing range, spatial awareness and is defensively astute. Also, he was his team's talisman in the course of topping the Serie B table and getting promoted to Serie A.
I'll take your word for it. Hope we're in for him if he's as good as you say.
 

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Rodri had a good season for A Madrid, good age, reasonable (?) buy out clause, and certainly looks the part, my dream would be Verrati, but he looks set for life at PSG
 

Patrick08

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My pick still is n dombele for his combative style, press resistance physical aspects as well. He brings qualities with and without the ball. Not an ideal shield to defense who could be compared to other top targets we missed but to he he is the whole package and when we press collectively from the front i think he will have less of a defensive job to do while being good on the ball as well to get out of high press and tricky situations.
 

Lash

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Verratti, del Piero, Buffon were also Serie B players at one time. In fact, Verratti went from dominating Serie B midfield to dominating a prime Barca's midfield of Xavi and Iniesta at just 19yrs old for PSG.

Tonali has got good technique on the ball (he's actually press resistant), good passing range, spatial awareness and is defensively astute. Also, he was his team's talisman in the course of topping the Serie B table and getting promoted to Serie A.
Tonali would be mental to leave now, Brescia just went up and he will be their main man. He needs football, most clubs won't look to buy him until the season after - unless he has a fecking blinding half season.
 

sideshow_bob

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Last chance to sell Matic who enters the last year of his contract with us this July & turns 31 in August.

Come on Conte, you've win with him before. Bring him to Inter!
 

Tiber

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Basically anyone with a pulse?

Maybe I'm being harsh but the idea of even chasing Matic as a transfer target depressed me. A deeply underwhelming player whom I look forward to moving on from
 

Patrick08

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Last chance to sell Matic who enters the last year of his contract with us this July & turns 31 in August.

Come on Conte, you've win with him before. Bring him to Inter!
Basically anyone with a pulse?

Maybe I'm being harsh but the idea of even chasing Matic as a transfer target depressed me. A deeply underwhelming player whom I look forward to moving on from
Totally agree.
 

Skills

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Last chance to sell Matic who enters the last year of his contract with us this July & turns 31 in August.

Come on Conte, you've win with him before. Bring him to Inter!
Got rid of him for Bakayoko. Don't think he rates him much.
 

sglowrider

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Fred does track runners better and has the recovery speed to get back if bypassed, Matic is like a statue in there nowadays, but truth is neither are good enough for the role if we hope to improve.

I agree midfield is a huge issue when it comes to our defensive woes as it offers very little protection for the back 4.
For the amount of money we paid for them, we should have been able to have found a player with the best of both worlds, a tracker who can hold the ball -- Fretic.
 

Kaglish10

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Tonali would be mental to leave now, Brescia just went up and he will be their main man. He needs football, most clubs won't look to buy him until the season after - unless he has a fecking blinding half season.
It's not mental. Verratti left at the same age to PSG. All he needs is assurance of playing time and that won't be a problem with us because he's far better and much more mobile than Matic as we speak.
 

Lash

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It's not mental. Verratti left at the same age to PSG. All he needs is assurance of playing time and that won't be a problem with us because he's far better and much more mobile than Matic as we speak.
Yeah, PSG guaranteed him playing time and we’re easily the best team in the league. No other team will offer that to him and we’re not a good enough team right now to play him week in, week out.
 

Freeney

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I like that Juve bosnian midfielder, Miralem Pjanic. But couldn't find any reason why he should leave Juve in order to sign with the Mighty Man Utd.
I watched alot of Juve games this season and pjanic really regressed big time. He was awful against atletico ( especially the away game) and Ajax in the CL. I would stay away from him.
 

Kaglish10

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Yeah, PSG guaranteed him playing time and we’re easily the best team in the league. No other team will offer that to him and we’re not a good enough team right now to play him week in, week out.
He could be the bedrock of the start of a quality team with us. Let's say we also get quality mobile midfielders to play alongside him, he won't have a problem exploiting the space created by his mobile teammates because his vision and passing range are one of his best quality as a holding midfielder.
 

Fer

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Rodri, Neves, Rice or Ndidi would improve Matic. BTW, what's happened with Weigl?