Where would you honestly rank our team?

[UnofficialDevil]

7th. And Ole is responsible for this squad.

 

[Bestietom]

7th. And Ole is responsible for this squad.

So even if we only have 100 million to spend Ole is responsible. This team/squad needs 500/600 million to put right mate, and that's no matter what manager we get in.
We've got to face facts. We need 5 TOP players at least. 2 Midfielders a LB, RW and a CF. This is needed for the team, then we need squad players also. Ole or any manger cannot wave a wand or get that many players in on 100million.

 

[Fosu-Mens]

So even if we only have 100 million to spend Ole is responsible. This team/squad needs 500/600 million to put right mate, and that's no matter what manager we get in.
We've got to face facts. We need 5 TOP players at least. 2 Midfielders a LB, RW and a CF. This is needed for the team, then we need squad players also. Ole or any manger cannot wave a wand or get that many players in on 100million.

IF we did not spend on british players we could have gotten those players in this summer for £150m.

 

[Bestietom]

IF we did not spend on british players we could have gotten those players in this summer for £150m.

If You can get 5 TOP players in for 150m then you should be our top scout or DOF.

 

[11101]

4th. Individually a lot of this team are talented enough to play in the top 4 when properly coached and motivated. With a sprinkling of stars SAF would have had this group challenging for the league. We are the only team near the top managing to make our players less than the sum of its parts.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

OGS said in a interview that he wanted replacements for those that left. Lukaku left without a replacement.

Can you link? Not being a dick - I didn't know he'd said that.

Thought his line was that he was happy with the squad.

 

[Ødegaard]

Can you link? Not being a dick - I didn't know he'd said that.

Though his line was that he was happy with the squad.

Wrote it while I was on the phone, inteded to look for the interview when I got home but forgot.
Give me a half an hour and I'll do my best to dig it up!

 

[red4ever 79]

Can you link? Not being a dick - I didn't know he'd said that.

Though his line was that he was happy with the squad.

He said it on the pre season tour mate. Not sure after which game, he was asked directly about Lukaku leaving, and he said " we will have to replace anyone who leaves"

 

[Fosu-Mens]

If You can get 5 TOP players in for 150m then you should be our top scout or DOF.

Top players difficult, but wdoable to get players that would have made us a top 4 favourite on paper during the summer.

RB: Meunier or Atal --> £25m
CB: Alderweireld: £25m. Hermoso: £25m Unsure about the price of the likes of Konate but could easily pay £50m
LB: Tierney £25m
CMs: Barella/Grillitsch/Roca/Tielemans £30-£40m each. Sensi: £15m (Rabiot might have chosen us if we paid him a good sign on fee.)
Attackers(LW, RW, CAM, ST): Ziyech: £25m, Sarabia £15m, Mandzukic £15m.

Spend £150m on some of these might have made the team better compared to spending £150m on Maguire, AWB and James(Not a bad deal, but we have enough counter attacking specialist at the club)

And if we are going after british talents, the ones that we should try to get are Dwight McNeil and Sancho. Rest of the ones potentially available have cheaper and better alternatives in other leagues.

 

[clarkydaz]

He said it on the pre season tour mate. Not sure after which game, he was asked directly about Lukaku leaving, and he said " we will have to replace anyone who leaves"

correct, it was tail end of the tour

 

[Inter Yer Nan]

I said at the start of the season we’d finish between 6th-8th. Nothing has changed my mind.

The squad is too thin to support a team with our injury record and unfortunately Ole is a bottom six manager.

 

[UnofficialDevil]

So even if we only have 100 million to spend Ole is responsible. This team/squad needs 500/600 million to put right mate, and that's no matter what manager we get in.
We've got to face facts. We need 5 TOP players at least. 2 Midfielders a LB, RW and a CF. This is needed for the team, then we need squad players also. Ole or any manger cannot wave a wand or get that many players in on 100million.

Of course he is responsible. If you only have 100 to spend don’t act like you have loads to spend and break the transfer record to sign the worlds most expensive defender. The team desperately needed a midfielder even before Herrera left Ole spent all his money on defense leading out team into the new season with a worse midfield than last year.

 

[Ødegaard]

Can you link? Not being a dick - I didn't know he'd said that.

Thought his line was that he was happy with the squad.

Sorry, forgot myself again.
"– Vi ser alltid etter folk som kan forbedre oss, og vi gjorde det, vi var på utkikk. Vi var ute etter å hente en erstatter for Lukaku hvis han dro, sier Solskjær."
Quickly translated to: "We're always looking for players who can improve us, and we were looking. We wanted to get a replacement for Lukaku if he left says Solskjær."

Norwegian paper VG who had a talk with him.

 

[Craig Ward]

Of course he is responsible. If you only have 100 to spend don’t act like you have loads to spend and break the transfer record to sign the worlds most expensive defender. The team desperately needed a midfielder even before Herrera left Ole spent all his money on defense leading out team into the new season with a worse midfield than last year.

Your completely wrong, Ole isn't responsible, he's trying to repair the failings on piss poor board level decisions over the last 5 seasons and shape a squad that he has inherited that includes 4 managers players not his own.

Ole is also trying to re-shape the squad, with NO dof or technical director with Woodward in charge......which has been the issue. We have gone so many seasons without direction or a transfer policy that we are in this mess.

LVG is a world class manager, so is Jose. Both made UTD look like as appealing to watch as a league 2 struggler.

Woodward came out and said he'd back Ole. I'm positive Ole had more targets than the 3, so whose failing is that? Ole's? Or the Boards? I'd say the boards personally.

As a fan base we are literally so morbid and negative its unreal.

Ole has got a lot of deadwood out - something we've needed for years. He needs time and patience.

Is it his fault world class players just lack the basics and turn into championship level players? Its the players - they just do not care or try. Its simple

 

[The_Midfielder]

Top players difficult, but wdoable to get players that would have made us a top 4 favourite on paper during the summer.

RB: Meunier or Atal --> £25m
CB: Alderweireld: £25m. Hermoso: £25m Unsure about the price of the likes of Konate but could easily pay £50m
LB: Tierney £25m
CMs: Barella/Grillitsch/Roca/Tielemans £30-£40m each. Sensi: £15m (Rabiot might have chosen us if we paid him a good sign on fee.)
Attackers(LW, RW, CAM, ST): Ziyech: £25m, Sarabia £15m, Mandzukic £15m.

Spend £150m on some of these might have made the team better compared to spending £150m on Maguire, AWB and James(Not a bad deal, but we have enough counter attacking specialist at the club)

And if we are going after british talents, the ones that we should try to get are Dwight McNeil and Sancho. Rest of the ones potentially available have cheaper and better alternatives in other leagues.

Maguire will give us around 6-8 years and is already the best player on the pitch..and AWB another 10 years ..
I dont think these were a waste ..
The issue was not what we bought.. the issue waas not replacing the ones we sold..
Lukaku , Sanchez had to be sold/moved on.. they were useless..But their replacements had to be bought..
Also I think it is better not to buy than to buy players that dont fit.. thats what we did this year..

 

[Rhyme Animal]

Sorry, forgot myself again.
"– Vi ser alltid etter folk som kan forbedre oss, og vi gjorde det, vi var på utkikk. Vi var ute etter å hente en erstatter for Lukaku hvis han dro, sier Solskjær."
Quickly translated to: "We're always looking for players who can improve us, and we were looking. We wanted to get a replacement for Lukaku if he left says Solskjær."

Norwegian paper VG who had a talk with him.

Nice one - cheers for taking the time to dig it out and post mate.

He really, really needs to at least gently imply the same to the mainstream footy media you'd think...

Especially as January approaches.

 

[RedDevil@84]

7th

 

[Ødegaard]

Nice one - cheers for taking the time to dig it out and post mate.

He really, really needs to at least gently imply the same to the mainstream footy media you'd think...

Especially as January approaches.

I care more that he says it clearly to Woodward and the people who are supposed to support him. For his own public image it could be good to go out publicly and state it in the mainstream media, but I'm sure Rashfords confidence for example could do well without another blow until we actually have an option of getting someone in to score the goals.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

I care more that he says it clearly to Woodward and the people who are supposed to support him. For his own public image it could be good to go out publicly and state it in the mainstream media, but I'm sure Rashfords confidence for example could do well without another blow until we actually have an option of getting someone in to score the goals.

Fair points, but I honestly think Rashford actually needs something like that...

I've always felt that one of Fergie's great tricks was always having competition for strikers - ironically OGS played a role in that for a decade.

No player should ever feel undroppable - and those that can't mentally deal with that should be moved on.

Just my opinion.

 

[Fosu-Mens]

Maguire will give us around 6-8 years and is already the best player on the pitch..and AWB another 10 years ..
I dont think these were a waste ..
The issue was not what we bought.. the issue waas not replacing the ones we sold..
Lukaku , Sanchez had to be sold/moved on.. they were useless..But their replacements had to be bought..
Also I think it is better not to buy than to buy players that dont fit.. thats what we did this year..

We should have replaced Lukaku or Sanchez in on form or another. But we sold him late, so our well functioning recruitementdepartment were not able to replace Lukaku with the little time left of the market. It was not like the club suspected that this transfer might happen, and thus had a potential replacement ready...

All depends on how high you rate Maguire and AWB.
AWB will need to improve in attack for him to be an offensive asset in a hopefully dominant team in the future. And if OGS and the rest of the coaches thinks that they can develope this in him, then it makes sense buying him. Not that i think the training environment at the club will help AWB in this developement, but one might hope.
Maguire must have been bought for his personality and as a creator of a winning culture among the players, since his lack of mobility is a big issue and he needs protecting when we are not sitting deep. I don't see what he brings to the team other than on defensive crossing situations and the assumed winning personality that has been touted by OGS.

 

[caid]

Nice one - cheers for taking the time to dig it out and post mate.

He really, really needs to at least gently imply the same to the mainstream footy media you'd think...

Especially as January approaches.

He doesn't though, it doesn't help the team in the slightest. Him being boring and supportive in the media is a strength, Mourinho would be utterly intolerable.

 

[UnofficialDevil]

Your completely wrong, Ole isn't responsible, he's trying to repair the failings on piss poor board level decisions over the last 5 seasons and shape a squad that he has inherited that includes 4 managers players not his own.

Ole is also trying to re-shape the squad, with NO dof or technical director with Woodward in charge......which has been the issue. We have gone so many seasons without direction or a transfer policy that we are in this mess.

LVG is a world class manager, so is Jose. Both made UTD look like as appealing to watch as a league 2 struggler.

Woodward came out and said he'd back Ole. I'm positive Ole had more targets than the 3, so whose failing is that? Ole's? Or the Boards? I'd say the boards personally.

As a fan base we are literally so morbid and negative its unreal.

Ole has got a lot of deadwood out - something we've needed for years. He needs time and patience.

Is it his fault world class players just lack the basics and turn into championship level players? Its the players - they just do not care or try. Its simple

Thats just your opinion.

Ole was appointed manager in March. Our midfield was shit then everybody could see it. He had six months and a full transfer window to plan and get the team ready for the new season.
Even a blind man could see that we desperately needed to sign a midfielder.
Not only did we not get one be we also let our second best midfielder after Pogba leave.

Having a small budget is no excuse. If you know you have a small budget you dont go and spend it all on defense when you know your midfield is not capable of anything.
Ole decided to start the new season with a worse midfield than last year and no striker. So enough with the excuses.

 

[SuperiorXI]

League 1, 13th

 

[SambaBoy]

It's the poorest United team since the PL started.

Our main 'quality' all have question marks. DDG was no doubt a world class GK and the best in his position but he's been out of form now for over a year. Pogba on his day is world class but he's very inconsistent. Martial the same, and seems to pick up a lot of injuries.

I'm not sure how we have let the squad get to this level despite spending a lot of money. It's absolutely madness and it's going to take at least 2/3 windows to get it back up to a squad that be considered a CL side. The host of managers after Fergie and the board are too blame.

 

[Craig Ward]

Thats just your opinion.

Ole was appointed manager in March. Our midfield was shit then everybody could see it. He had six months and a full transfer window to plan and get the team ready for the new season.
Even a blind man could see that we desperately needed to sign a midfielder.
Not only did we not get one be we also let our second best midfielder after Pogba leave.

Having a small budget is no excuse. If you know you have a small budget you dont go and spend it all on defense when you know your midfield is not capable of anything.
Ole decided to start the new season with a worse midfield than last year and no striker. So enough with the excuses.

Ole doesn't control the budget, contracts or transfers though.

That's your opinion gone in 9 words.

 

[romufc]

League 1, 13th

Are you sure? Just about beat Rochdale.

 

[hn4manunited]

We are a mid table team right now. On a good day, we might be good enough for 7th or 8th.

 

[Von Mistelroum]

Between 8th and 10th. In terms of skill we should be closer to 5th or 6th but we have very mentally weak players who can't perform on that level.

 

[VP89]

He sold before he knew he could buy, or who he could buy. Which was remarkably thick. He's put us at around 7th when our squad last year was good enough for top 4 had it been coached better.

 

[Teja]

Lukaku and Sanchez are not the difference between us getting top four / six and not making it. Even if they were around I think we'd still be in our current predicament. The big mistake is not replacing Herrera and not signing any quality AM / RW / CFs.

Looking at the names being touted (Calum wilson, Mandzukic in Jan), I'm not confident we've bottomed yet. I think we'll fall even further before we go up unfortunately.

 

[VP89]

Lukaku and Sanchez are not the difference between us getting top four / six and not making it. Even if they were around I think we'd still be in our current predicament. The big mistake is not replacing Herrera and not signing any quality AM / RW / CFs.

Looking at the names being touted (Calum wilson, Mandzukic in Jan), I'm not confident we've bottomed yet. I think we'll fall even further before we go up unfortunately.

Like feck we would. Lukaku would have been able to bail us out of a couple games I reckon. Think in the same fixtures last year he was important in our wins.

 

[fastwalker]

To coin a phrase, we are where we are....

 

[HowieC]

Between 8th and 10th. In terms of skill we should be closer to 5th or 6th but we have very mentally weak players who can't perform on that level.

Hmm... I think our players work very hard, if not intelligently. They don’t give up. Half of them just aren’t very good.

Look at the likes of rashford, lingard, mata and Fred.

Barring mata (who is physically weak and old) they just don’t have good technique. Ball control, passing and dribbling are all lacking.

Our defence is definitely top 6 along with our keeper. With Pogba we are at least top 7/8 in midfield.

If we play Martial , James and Greenwood I think our attack would be 6th best, but most of the time Martial is injured and we have to play Rashford who I truly believe is championship level.

 

[billybee99]

Ole doesn't control the budget, contracts or transfers though.

That's your opinion gone in 9 words.

In that case, people should stop giving Ole credit for AWB, HM and Dan James.

 

[lex talionis]

Our squad is stronger than our performances so far suggest. I won't go through the entire squad but just mention a few names.

De Gea -- Off top form no question, but still no worse than one of the top two keepers in the league.
Wan-Bissaka -- Possibly the best RB in the league.
Maguire -- He's no Virgil, but how many better CBs are there in the league? 1, 2, maybe 3?
Pogba -- Inconsistent without question, but on his day there's no better midfielder in the league.

After that we've got problems, or at least players like Rashford who are underperforming. There are some bright spots, like James, but it's too early to rate them highly. Martial is his usual self, which is a problem. Lindelof, though solid at times, concerns me. Greenwood shows incredible potential, but potential and actual are two different things. Lingard is shambolic. Matic and Mata are pretty much done.

Point is, if the question is the relative strength of the squad we're probably 4th or 5th at worst. But the gap between the top two clubs and United is massive and that's a huge problem which won't and probably can't be resolved any time soon.

 

[Lee565]

We had good squad with depth and then Solskjear decimated it and made a huge mistake of not buying before selling like inter did where they held onto Icardi until they brought lukaku like in any sensible manager/club would do. There was also plenty of good attacking players available on a loan even after then lukaku sale as well that solskjear stupidly snubbed because they weren't British or willing to cut their wrists to prove their undying passion to join United.

And to think you had england's 1st choice right back trippier going for 20 million at still a good age and tierney for 20 million, that's 2 british fullbacks that are good going forward just for the price of awb.

Then there was the messing about during the summer for bloody Longstaf, when the energetic Mexican midfielder, hector Herrera was going for free from Porto and was the perfect like for like replacement for..... Herrera without having to spend a transfer fee.

 

[Hughie77]

At present were mid table form, it's a big big IF to finish top 4, even 6, can see us getting maybe 8th on a dismal 60 or points.
But after the group stages of Europa league, can see Ole putting his best possible team out to try and win it. Because that's our best bet for a Champions league spot.

 

[Cassidy]

8th

 

[hn4manunited]

Lukaku and Sanchez are not the difference between us getting top four / six and not making it. Even if they were around I think we'd still be in our current predicament. The big mistake is not replacing Herrera and not signing any quality AM / RW / CFs.

Looking at the names being touted (Calum wilson, Mandzukic in Jan), I'm not confident we've bottomed yet. I think we'll fall even further before we go up unfortunately.

we for sure would be doing better squad wise if we had those players with us. They may not have shown up as world beater consistently the past couple of years, but I bet they could make a difference in some of the games we have had this year.

 

[Lay]

Got to the point where I rate three of our players (all the new signings) and probably Martial. The rest I have zero time for, including Pogba.