If the choices are signing one superstar/strengthening the squad - what do you do?

[Isotope]

One superstar. I look at Liverpool, and although I don't think Sancho will automatically take us to a title-challenging team, the 'superstars' they bought in over the years have seen them become one of the mighty forces in Europe again.

Of course it'd be great if we could find some gems on the way, too, but big players win you titles.

They didn't buy "superstar". They bought the "Grealish", then made them "superstars".

 

[Dargonk]

I would likely take the one young superstar player. Those are the players you need to actually win things, and if they are good enough they will paper over the deficiencies in the other areas of the squad. If you grab them young as well, they would hopefully be here for ages, and you gradually improve the squad as you sign the next one as the next year etc.

Purely looking to strengthen the squad just strikes me as accepting our current standard and not trying to push back to actually winning the league.

Every player we bring in should be looking to improve our first 11, and then by default it would also improve our overall squad.

 

[roonster09]

Depends on who the superstar is and who the squad players are.

In this case, I would take superstar as that means we will have quality attacking options and also we can someone close to Brooks quality at cheaper price from other leagues.

 

[devilish]

I never liked the term squad players. I see them as cannon fodders who take the space of young players who have potential to become first teamers while not challenging first teamers enough. We should always focus in buying first teamers. If they are better then what we've got then the current first teamers will become our squad players, if not then the new players would end up squad players. Either way you'll strengthen the bench.

If you ask me we need at least 5 players ie LB (most important), CB, RB, CM, RW/STK. The likes of Regulon, Gabriel, VDB and Zaniolo could make us title contenders.

Unfortunately it doesn't matter what we think but what the club thinks. Sancho is a marketable big name. United's propaganda machine can turn him into a marketable giant who will pay off his fee in matter of a year or two. Not to forget that if we buy Sancho then we will have the perfect excuse not to seek many other signings afterwards. Thus it fits our slow and inefficient negotiation team like a sleeve.

 

[golden_blunder]

1 big player at a time.

Liverpool pre-klopp were constantly buying squad players and look how that worked. We need an injection of quality

 

[Lentwood]

I would be tempted to go for the superstar. Brian Clough was quoted as saying you shouldn’t sign a player unless you genuinely believe they could go on to be the best player in your team and that makes sense in most cases (bar like 3rd choice GKs)

Also, we should expect our Academy to provide squad players rather than have to go out specifically to buy then. I’m interested to see how the likes of Tuanzebe and Garner can contribute next season and also we have Hannibal Mejbri who i think will start to get a few cameo minutes next season

 

[Sassy Colin]

I don't really see Sancho as a superstar, so, strengthening the squad. Squad depth is a big problem for us.

 

[Bestietom]

Fergies words.

Top Strikers win Games.
Top Defenders win Titles.

We need a left footed speedy CB to play with Maguire. We need a mobile DM. We need a goalscoring RW

Badiashile
Saul Niguez
Chiesa If we cannot get Sancho..

 

[Andersons Dietician]

I actually think a quality squad will win you titles more so than just adding Sancho. I want both truthfully but 1 injury to Sancho and say he’s out for 4 months we are back where we were relying on the same11-12 players to win us games and hope the don’t get injured.

I think 3 good players will probably put us in a stronger position in the league than just Sancho. It’s just who are these players and how much would it cost. Hear silly prices like DVB available for 25mil, or Aouar available for 40 mil Euros. What’s Grealish really gonna cost and then can we bring in a DM a CB and LB cover as well as a RW.

Then there is do you pass up on a player with the level of ability of Sancho.

 

[Bestietom]

One superstar won't win us the premiership.
It is wrong for us to think that Sancho is the answer to all our problems. We need to spread out our transfer funds intellegently. We need numbers as well as class, as we seen from our bench in 3 cup semi finals.
No gamechangers on the bench is a sin.

 

[Crustanoid]

I vote lets stop dicking around and start improving the squad. If it has to be one player now and others later so be it, but the glacial pace of our negotiations and chances of an overall failure to get any targets of quality this summer will screw us if we don't start acting fast.

 

[Siorac]

Quality over quantity. The ultimate goal should be to be able to go toe-to-toe with the best teams in Europe. And not just sit back, soak up pressure and try to hit them on the counter. We won't get there without strengthening the first team.

 

[Kurton]

I'd improve the squad first. Bring back Memphis or Zaha, get a midfielder Partey or DvdB and a left-back like Alaba (don't want Brandon playing there next season). As for CB just hope Axel can stay fit and improve if we cannot get anyone.

 

[JPRouve]

To add to my previous points. Top players are rarer than squad options, you should always prioritize the item that won't be there in the future, the squad players that people want will be available next year or their equivalents will while an available top player may not happen for the next 5 years. So always put quality over quantity.

 

[Bestietom]

Quality over quantity. The ultimate goal should be to be able to go toe-to-toe with the best teams in Europe. And not just sit back, soak up pressure and try to hit them on the counter. We won't get there without strengthening the first team.

We must also have quantity as well as quality. It's a very long season and with Champions League and Cups we need quantity also.You know a teams strength by their bench also.

 

[UpWithRivers]

It just depends on who we are buying. If we dont get Sancho but get Koulibailly 70, Partey 40 and Brooks 30. Isnt that a good window? You need context by assessing at the end of the window of who we buy to see if we bought well or not. If we end up with something like Brooks, Gabrielle and Costa then yeah we're fkd.

 

[Bestietom]

To add to my previous points. Top players are rarer than squad options, you should always prioritize the item that won't be there in the future, the squad players that people want will be available next year or their equivalents will while an available top player may not happen for the next 5 years. So always put quality over quantity.

Rubbish. We need quantity as well as quality as we have seen in 3 cup semi finals this season. Just look at our bench in semi final of Europa League semi final. NO gamechangers. A bench full of deadwood.

 

[Raw]

Superstar. If we had that one top quality player to create more chances/put chances away then we'd have fewer games where the game is still very tight for the majority of the game. They can help put teams to the sword and have us up by 2 or 3 goals by the 60th minute (or even earlier), where we can then sit back, make subs and reserve energy for the next game.

Instead of being up by 1 goal by the 80th minute causing us to go full squeaky bum time, or even when it's still a draw or losing by 1 goal. Not saying that all of these games could change into easier ones, just a majority of them. Especially against teams we should be smashing anyway.

In my opinion, better squad depth doesn't guarantee that.

 

[Reddevil1978]

Signing Sancho elevates the first 11 and improves the quality of the bench, as now we can sub Greenwood off the bench instead of Lingard/Mata/Pereira.

I see both sides of the argument but that RW has been desolate for too many years. Like the years we never brought a midfielder.

 

[Siorac]

Fergies words.

Top Strikers win Games.
Top Defenders win Titles.

We need a left footed speedy CB to play with Maguire. We need a mobile DM. We need a goalscoring RW

Badiashile
Saul Niguez
Chiesa If we cannot get Sancho..

Worth noting that history sort of proves Fergie wrong on that one: in Premier League history, the champions had the best defence 12 times in 28 seasons. For attack, it's 17 times out of 28.

Couldn't be arsed to calculate for the remaining seasons but between 1995/96 and 2016/17, the average champions have ranked 1.45 out of 20 teams for their goals scored, compared to an average rank of 2.41 for goals conceded.

 

[JPRouve]

Rubbish. We need quantity as well as quality as we have seen in 3 cup semi finals this season. Just look at our bench in semi final of Europa League semi final. NO gamechangers. A bench full of deadwood.

Rubbish? No one said that we don't need depth, the question is how do you build it, personally I think that when you don't have a great team it should be from the top, you strengthen the first eleven and pushes ex-starters to the bench. I don't think that we should rush and act as if we made it and focus on our bench options. You may disagree with that idea but I don't think that it's rubbish.

 

[onemanarmy]

I'd improve the squad first. Bring back Memphis or Zaha, get a midfielder Partey or DvdB and a left-back like Alaba (don't want Brandon playing there next season). As for CB just hope Axel can stay fit and improve if we cannot get anyone.

Getting a superstar in improves the squad as the first team player that currently plays in his position will be a squad player.

I'd feel extremely disappointed if that would be our transfer window.

 

[JJ12]

Signing a superstar will naturally add depth by whoever they replace drops to the bench.

Not as if we’ll sign 3/4 depth players.

Sancho and Brooks should be doable for attack.

 

[Grylte]

Superstar would make my inner muppet more happy, but it's the squad depth that's been hurting us the last couple years.
First 11 is pretty good, but we don't have good enough subs to let them rest without risking losing points.

 

[Bestietom]

Superstar. If we had that one top quality player to create more chances/put chances away then we'd have fewer games where the game is still very tight for the majority of the game. They can help put teams to the sword and have us up by 2 or 3 goals by the 60th minute (or even earlier), where we can then sit back, make subs and reserve energy for the next game.

Instead of being up by 1 goal by the 80th minute causing us to go full squeaky bum time, or even when it's still a draw or losing by 1 goal. Not saying that all of these games could change into easier ones, just a majority of them. Especially against teams we should be smashing anyway.

In my opinion, better squad depth doesn't guarantee that.

How many times have we sat back when we scored and then got caught. We could have been in top 4 well before we managed it, had we went for the kill. We also need players capable of changing a game off the bench. It is a long season and our bench is full of deadwood.

 

[Siorac]

We must also have quantity as well as quality. It's a very long season and with Champions League and Cups we need quantity also.You know a teams strength by their bench also.

Yes but that's the next step. Build a squad from a position of strength. The priority should be to have a brilliant first XI which, contrary to the Caf's delusions, we do not at the moment.

 

[Bestietom]

Rubbish? No one said that we don't need depth, the question is how do you build it, personally I think that when you don't have a great team it should be from the top, you strengthen the first eleven and pushes ex-starters to the bench. I don't think that we should rush and act as if we made it and focus on our bench options. You may disagree with that idea but I don't think that it's rubbish.

To win trophies, You need a strong SQUAD not just a team of 11. FFS we had 4 centre forwards when we won the treble or do you not remember. We need gamechangers on the bench in a long season that is the Premiership. So if you seen gamechangers on our bench, in the europa semi final and most games after our best 11 is picked, your on your own. Accept it.

 

[Kurton]

Getting a superstar in improves the squad as the first team player that currently plays in his position will be a squad player.

I'd feel extremely disappointed if that would be our transfer window.

Really? You'd consider buying 3 very top-class players as a bad window? They'd either displace the first-teamers we have now or would make our bench 100 times better. I'd very disappointed if its just Sancho, and I think it'll be just Sancho if he's the one we are going for as there won't be funds for any other players.

Yes, Sancho will add quality to both the first team and bench, but that'll be just one player.

 

[Negative Red]

We need players who will strengthen our first 11 to close the gap on the teams at the top. Sancho definitely does that but he alone isn't enough. We need a CB, LB cover, CAM and a RW. It's all going to come down to how many players we can get rid of to raise funds. It's a big call either way.

 

[Siorac]

Really? You'd consider buying 3 very top-class players as a bad window? They'd either displace the first-teamers we have now or would make our bench 100 times better. I'd very disappointed if its just Sancho, and I think it'll be just Sancho if he's the one we are going for as there won't be funds for any other players.

Yes, Sancho will add quality to both the first team and bench, but that'll be just one player.

Calling either Zaha or Depay a "top class player" is stretching the definition to a breaking point.

 

[Redcy]

People saying 3 squad players though are quoting players who are worse than our main 11, its no good having players on the bench, or a deeper squad if you can not play them because they are a significant step down from your first 11. For example if you spend 25 million on Brooks, when are you going to give him game time? When Pogba and Fernandes are fit when are you giving an 80m Grealish games?

Bringing in squad improvements means that you have to have players who are going to push first XI players for their position.

 

[Redcy]

Calling either Zaha or Depay a "top class player" is stretching the definition to a breaking point.

Especially at 80m+ for either player.

 

[Bestietom]

We need players who will strengthen our first 11 to close the gap on the teams at the top. Sancho definitely does that but he alone isn't enough. We need a CB, LB cover, CAM and a RW. It's all going to come down to how many players we can get rid of to raise funds. It's a big call either way.

Yes it is a huge call, but if we really want to challenge the top teams for honours we will have to strenghten in areas of the field. CB, DM, RW, and CF.

 

[wolvored]

We bought a superstar before in Pogba. We also strengthened with Zlatan Mki and Bailly and was nowhere near winning the league or Ch LGE. Buying Sancho someone who rips up the league in Germany guarantees feck all in the Premier. We bought Depay who was the Sancho equivalent in the Dutch league. Oh we also signed Sanchez and Lukaku who look different players in different leagues and still didn't win the big 2.

 

[Raw]

People saying 3 squad players though are quoting players who are worse than our main 11, its no good having players on the bench, or a deeper squad if you can not play them because they are a significant step down from your first 11. For example if you spend 25 million on Brooks, when are you going to give him game time? When Pogba and Fernandes are fit when are you giving an 80m Grealish games?

Bringing in squad improvements means that you have to have players who are going to push first XI players for their position.

Agreed. Though I do think Grealish would get more games.

Basically we have a first XI that's ridiculously easy to pick because the depth is so poor. We should be aiming for a squad where Ole will have headaches over who to pick, mainly in attack. It's good to have a consistent defence of course, but our attacking players are set in stone at the moment. Look at City's ridiculous attacking depth in the last few years, you'd struggle to pick an XI that's clearly their best because they have many players that can come in and do as well as each other. Aguero, Jesus, Sane, Sterling, Mahrez, De Bruyne, Silva, Bernardo, Foden all fighting for the attacking positions at one point. We need that flexibility and it's not gonna happen if we sign players just for the sole purpose of more bodies in the team.

Whereas for us it's Martial, Rashford, Greenwood, Pogba, Fernandes and then what? James, Ighalo, Lingard, Mata and Pereira. Why buy players who are just better than that second list of players but not the first? Why not buy ones as good as the first list?

 

[Kurton]

Especially at 80m+ for either player.

Can you tell me where you read 80+m transfer fee for either? Fee being touted is around 50-60m range and we have 25% sell-on clause on Zaha.

 

[Bestietom]

We bought a superstar before in Pogba. We also strengthened with Zlatan Mki and Bailly and was nowhere near winning the league or Ch LGE. Buying Sancho someone who rips up the league in Germany guarantees feck all in the Premier. We bought Depay who was the Sancho equivalent in the Dutch league. Oh we also signed Sanchez and Lukaku who look different players in different leagues and still didn't win the big 2.

Yes your 100% right. We don't know if he would suit our forwards and may have to change our play.

 

[Fortitude]

I don't disagree with any of that.

Just wondering what I would do if I had an ironclad guarantee that Sancho would turn down anyone else but us next summer.

Our squad needs quality more than depth, imo, even right now where it is a squad that could be much better than it is. Lesser players orbit the quality ones and are reduced to basic, dutiful tasks within a remit they can actually handle - make them try and play an expansive game because they've got to be rounded players as we've got no one who can alleviate the pressure, and you see a lot of them [squaddies] become useless and non viable options.

A few examples in our squad currently: Mata, Jones and Lingard. Ask any of them to play a game with full responsibility and no hand-holding and none of them are capable. Put Jones in as a dogged man-marker with a simple job brief, and he can do that job against almost anyone you can think of - suddenly, he's gone from useless to a very useful squad member with a distinct skill that nobody else has; give Mata the brief of linking play and keeping chain passes going or being the free man for a top quality forward, and you've got someone who won't be the liability he currently is who is slow, weak and has no stamina which is exposed almost every time he sets foot on the pitch. Lingard wouldn't look nearly as bad as he currently does if the opposition had no time to focus on him because a much bigger fish is lurking who needs a double or triple team.

The right kind of bona fide star also eases the passage into top level football for academy graduates too, so even if you don't use the likes of the above, you can redistribute their minutes to players earmarked as having a future here.

With regards to Sancho, he's not on the level of the above yet, but again he brings a lot of things the table that can aid lesser lights whilst also elevating the first team. Squaddies are ten a penny; can even be had in the winter window - I think the names being bandied about in here are a bit fanciful because their cost isn't associative of bench warmers unless you're an oil club, so re-frame the question with actual squaddies vis-a-vis a superstar and the answer is a no brainer. Now, if the question is/was: strengthen the 1st xi or chose a superstar, then the answer becomes harder and understandable whichever is opted for.

 

[onemanarmy]

Really? You'd consider buying 3 very top-class players as a bad window? They'd either displace the first-teamers we have now or would make our bench 100 times better. I'd very disappointed if its just Sancho, and I think it'll be just Sancho if he's the one we are going for as there won't be funds for any other players.

Yes, Sancho will add quality to both the first team and bench, but that'll be just one player.

I'd consider none of them top class. I'd much rather sign Sancho, who can play all 3 positions behind the striker and is actually top class. Imagine having the posibility to bench/rest Rashord, Greenwood or Bruno and bring them on later in the game. That would add a lot more than having Memphis or Zaha in the squad who will be expensive on their own. We'd improve our first team and our options to rotate. We've seen this week Fred can do a shift filling in for Matic. We have McTominay too. Can we improve those positions, yes. Do we have rotation options, absolutely. Do we have rotation option in attack? Hardly. In defence, even less.

Get Sancho, a CB and a young talented LB, sell Smalling, Jones, Rojo, Dalot, Lingard, Pereira, TFM and Romero. Promote Laird (or play Williams on the right), Mengi (if Tuanzebe can't stay fit) and Henderson. Excellent window.

 

[Kurton]

Calling either Zaha or Depay a "top class player" is stretching the definition to a breaking point.

Depay has 54 goals and 43 assists for Lyon in around 140 odd games and this season has had very good goal+assist per minute, granted he's been injured but still. I'd consider that at least top-class and good enough to give competition to our attacking options.