No midfield reinforcements

Pogue Mahone said:
https://www.redcafe.net/threads/investment-investment-investment.445055/

https://www.redcafe.net/threads/its-pre-season-and-we-are-in-dire-straits.448766/

https://www.redcafe.net/threads/has-ole-given-up-on-next-season-already.447446/

https://www.redcafe.net/threads/groundhog-day-as-transfer-window-excuses-arrive.449391/

https://www.redcafe.net/threads/ole-has-to-start-agitating-over-lack-of-signings.449270/

All of these threads started by same person that started this one. Nothing if not consistent.
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I reckon everyone gets the point :D

Ranchero said:
And if Pogba goes...
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I don't think Pogba will go anywhere, but now the window in the UK is closed you can guarantee there will be tons of media speculation and Zidane and Raiola will no doubt agitate about it, so hold onto your seats and do your best to ignore it or see it for what it is - speculation and bs
 
Guys you just don't get it, only Longstaff could improve our midfield and he wasn't available. Simple.
 
The Boy said:
I don't think Pogba will go anywhere, but now the window in the UK is closed you can guarantee there will be tons of media speculation and Zidane and Raiola will no doubt agitate about it, so hold onto your seats and do your best to ignore it or see it for what it is - speculation and bs
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He will go next season.
 
Hawks2008 said:
Guys you just don't get it, only Longstaff could improve our midfield and he wasn't available. Simple.
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The only good thing about all this is that we only bought players from the local pool. I am sure we'll be competing for the EPL title based on sheer determination, love for the shirt and extremely high fitness levels/workrate alone.
 
Hawks2008 said:
Guys you just don't get it, only Longstaff could improve our midfield and he wasn't available. Simple.
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I know this is probably a troll comment but Sean Longstaff i hope can play CDM since the last thing we need is another headless chicken box to box midfielder.

There are plenty of midfielders kicking around Europe we could have signed who are better than Andreas Periera surely?

Have playmakers died out or do they just go to Madrid / PSG / City / Barca & Bayern these days? It’s really frustrating since we built our great sides on 2 key playmakers & can’t seem to buy even one for any amount of money.
 
Patrick08 said:
Really? I think N dombele, tilemans, Rabiot( who we failed to attract), were available too.
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I was being sarcastic, I agree that there were many options to improve our midfield drastically. Which makes it more bizzare that we only had eyes for a guy with maybe a dozen PL games.
 
The Boy said:
I don't think Pogba will go anywhere, but now the window in the UK is closed you can guarantee there will be tons of media speculation and Zidane and Raiola will no doubt agitate about it, so hold onto your seats and do your best to ignore it or see it for what it is - speculation and bs
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I could still see us selling Pogba in the next few weeks. If we don't start the season well I think he will be moaning about the lack of ability around him and that we failed to get him a decent partner in and could be seeking to leave.

I think the only reason we haven't sold him yet is because Adidas have said they want a superstar replacement and I think we are too tight to pay the money for the superstar Adidas wants.

I think if we do keep him until next summer it is going to be the same old sh!te all window and it will go right to the end where we will be sweating on him going to Real and leaving us no time to get a replacement.
 
Eric's Seagull said:
I could still see us selling Pogba in the next few weeks. If we don't start the season well I think he will be moaning about the lack of ability around him and that we failed to get him a decent partner in and could be seeking to leave.

I think the only reason we haven't sold him yet is because Adidas have said they want a superstar replacement and I think we are too tight to pay the money for the superstar Adidas wants.

I think if we do keep him until next summer it is going to be the same old sh!te all window and it will go right to the end where we will be sweating on him going to Real and leaving us no time to get a replacement.
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This is a very pessimistic outlook on life, I would be fatalistic instead, this season he's going nowhere, next summer he's gone and stop worrying! :)
 
dannyrhinos89 said:
This is so wrong Considering we’ve lost our main goal scorer threat in Lukaku and not replaced Herrera I’d say we are much weaker.

A couple of injuries to key players and our squad is bottom half of table standard.at this point we are just hoping that rashford and martial can actually step up.
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Lukaku is shit. We haven’t replaced him no but it’ll give players like Martial or Sanchez the chance to play up top, and some young players like Greenwood the chance to come in.

We should’ve bought a midfielder and it’s ridiculous we didn’t, agreed, but considering we’ve sorted our defence out and some players look like they’re really improving like McT, I think we’re in better shape.
 
Lennon7 said:
Lukaku is shit. We haven’t replaced him no but it’ll give players like Martial or Sanchez the chance to play up top, and some young players like Greenwood the chance to come in.

We should’ve bought a midfielder and it’s ridiculous we didn’t, agreed, but considering we’ve sorted our defence out and some players look like they’re really improving like McT, I think we’re in better shape.
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Lukaku is shit I agree but like it or not he was our top scorer, Imagine a team like Manchester United finishing 6th and selling their top scorer and losing 1 of the 2 that can be considered decent midfielders we have and bringing in absolutely nobody. It beggars belief. I certainly can’t see how we are better this season. We’re just pinning all our hopes on McT and greenwood/Chong to really step up or we are screwed.
 
dannyrhinos89 said:
Lukaku is shit I agree but like it or not he was our top scorer, Imagine a team like Manchester United finishing 6th and selling their top scorer and losing 1 of the 2 that can be considered decent midfielders we have and bringing in absolutely nobody. It beggars belief. I certainly can’t see how we are better this season. We’re just pinning all our hopes on McT and greenwood/Chong to really step up or we are screwed.
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I think the defence will make a huge difference. It was an embarrassing area for us and we certainly have some talented players up top that just need to step it up now
 
I think our problem is also that our best player happens to make every other midfielder less comfortable. How unlucky are we? Like usually your best player is a forward or a striker and it doesn't really affect others, but Pogba is such a weird, awkward player positionally, he hinders Fred, Matic and everyone just because he makes the puzzle very awkward. Its no coincidence we look more jointed when Pogba is out, even if we play mediocre there is a clear plan or intensity.

Players know where to press or where to fill gaps. Pogba being that 3rd midfielder, not really a AM or CM, also needs the ball a lot and stop plays in areas where play isn't stopped in top level football.. I know it works for him but I just dont like it. Our team feels like they are thinking too much before playing, when we have no Pogba players just know where to be quicker and dont think too much, which is important when there isnt quality.
 
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paraguayo said:
I think our problem is also that our best player happens to make every other midfielder less comfortable. How unlucky are we? Like usually your best player is a forward or a striker and it doesn't really affect others, but Pogba is such a weird, awkward player positionally, he hinders Fred, Matic and everyone just because he makes the puzzle very awkward. Its no coincidence we look more jointed when Pogba is out, even if we play mediocre there is a clear plan or intensity.

Players know where to press or where to fill gaps. Pogba being that 3rd midfielder, not really a AM or CM, also needs the ball a lot and stop plays in areas where play isn't stopped in top level football.. I know it works for him but I just dont like it. Our team feels like they are thinking too much before playing, when we have no Pogba players just know where to be quicker and dont think too much, which is important when there isnt quality.
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There is something in this. He showboats sometimes and then the next will play a killer pass. I think it's hard for the players around to know what he'll do just as the opposition find it. I think he needs to simplify his game for those around him. When he does he's lethal and we're more lethal as a result. I think, in other words, he needs to grow up a bit!
 
Just hope that Garner can step up to the mark.
Mejbri comes on 21st January when he turns 17. Pogba and Martial are expecting great things from him.
 
Who would blame Pogba for wanting away from United? As a player he also wants to win the CL and I do not understand how he is going to win the CL with United. Unless Woodward has a crazy change of mind and buys the quality players we need to win the CL, there is no way we are going to win either the PL or the CL. Past history shows that he does not want to spend money to buy those world class players.
 
Fosu-Mens said:
True. Superior player to the likes of Roca, Rodri, Barella, Rabiot, Grillitsch, Pellegrini, Ndombele, Tielemans etc. No wonder why Newcastle refused to sell him for less than £50m.
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No value in the market mate, especially not for foreign fairies who aren't even prem proven. We can only hope the football gods grace us with Longstaff's presence next season.
 
ScarleyUtd said:
Yes and the Busby Babes were 30 years before that. Your point is?
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Every year we hear the same thing. He’s the next this, that and the other. And case in point it doesn’t happen that often. Too many fans have this opinion playing youth will solve all the problems when we don’t produce quality players and haven’t done for 30 years.
 
We needed midfield reinforcements no less we needed defensive , so it is little disturbing we didn't sign anyone there?
 
It's like groundhog day at this club. We have weaknesses in certain areas of the squad for multiple seasons but it doesn't get fixed, right now it looks more like it's getting even worse. If Pogba really leaves next summer we better have two quality midfielders lined up to bring in or else we'll be truly fecked. But honestly though I have the banker in charge of our club will find a way to mess that transfer window up as well.
 
Josep Dowling said:
Every year we hear the same thing. He’s the next this, that and the other. And case in point it doesn’t happen that often. Too many fans have this opinion playing youth will solve all the problems when we don’t produce quality players and haven’t done for 30 years.
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For 6 or so years we've also heard the next mega money signing is the answer. And what happened there? The club has a heritage of playing young, and often homegrown players, or at least players who are hungry – and winning a lot of trophies from that. Under a talismanic manager. That's exactly why the club is so huge. You don't throw that away. It may not bring instant success every single year but them's the breaks.
 
A lot will depend on Fred and McTominay improving, and I think they can, but my stars how did we not sign a top class midfielder this summer?
 
ScarleyUtd said:
For 6 or so years we've also heard the next mega money signing is the answer. And what happened there? The club has a heritage of playing young, and often homegrown players, or at least players who are hungry – and winning a lot of trophies from that. Under a talismanic manager. That's exactly why the club is so huge. You don't throw that away. It may not bring instant success every single year but them's the breaks.
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In the process the likes of Cleverley, Danny welbeck, Lingard, gets promoted and play large number of games too being only half decent and nothing else.

The quality of the players needs to be accessed than just sticking to an idealistic policy which to me now is just an excuse to penny pinch.
 
Patrick08 said:
In the process the likes of Cleverley, Danny welbeck, Lingard, gets promoted and play large number of games too being only half decent and nothing else.

The quality of the players needs to be accessed than just sticking to an idealistic policy which to me now is just an excuse to penny pinch.
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You have to start somewhere. Since Ferguson the club has been trying to buy immediate success and it hasn't worked. There has been no long term team building, just panic buy big names. The great Utd teams of the past had mediocre players in them too, but they had a core of players who understood the club and had the right attitude, which is what we haven't had lately. These are then supported with some truly world class internationals. It's a long term vision. That's the way it has worked – build the core first. The other way, the City way, clearly hasn't worked here.
 
It is not true. The club has tried to buy a couple of big name players instead of trying to build side. We have never look at rebuilding a side. I have to say LVG has to be blamed a lot for that. He bought Depay and then dumped him and Jose sold him. He sold Rafael too. He bought Blind because he was a Dutchman who had a decent WC.
If we had the vision to build a side we would have got not necessarily all big name players but extremely good players along with some really World Class players. The so called home grown players are not good enough yet to be the back bone of the side. The class of 92 is a one off thing and even then they became regular players after a full season and Giggs was already in the first squad and we already had a winning team in place. Now these sort of young players are being asked to take on the responsibility of leading the team without even playing a few first team games.
All we needed was to get two midfield players in addition to Aaron and Maguire and we could have sold Mata, Matic, Darmian, Young, Rojo, Bailly or Jones. That is 6 players off the books.
 
Watching this tonight and thinking McTominay was having a bit of a stinker only to realise that there is nothing better on the bench. Our lack of midfield options is criminal negligence.
 
We need a midfielder or two for sure. Scott, bless his effort, is a basic player, and Jesse lacks quality at the vital moment especially considering the position he plays and the areas he pops up in.
 
Bastian said:
Watching this tonight and thinking McTominay was having a bit of a stinker only to realise that there is nothing better on the bench. Our lack of midfield options is criminal negligence.
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We are better suited by playing Pereira or Gomes instead. Both can pass and receive the ball. McTominay is a Zero-sum player, but he can't help with playing out of defence.
 
Fosu-Mens said:
We are better suited by playing Pereira or Gomes instead. Both can pass and receive the ball. McTominay is a Zero-sum player, but he can't help with playing out of defence.
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From what I've seen of Pereira in midfield (not as a #10) he is not up to the task. He is easily pushed around, he's a bit of a hothead who can't really tackle and lacks defensive awareness. Gomes is a #10 or a wide attacker. The trouble is, we simply don't have the players required. Unless Matic rolls back the years or Fred improves to be worth even half of what we paid for him, we're totally reliant on Pogba and McTominay.
 
A quality number 10 wins us this game. A quality midfielder which pushes Pogba further up the pitch also wins us this game. I don't understand why we didn't even attempt to improve our midfield this summer. Playing catch up every season is tiring.

It's only the start of this season so hopefully someone steps up at some point.
 
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