It's looking like we're not going to sign a single undisputed Starting 11 player.

[Martial'sEmergingSmile]

With the quality of our team, this seems like a crazy flaw in our transfer 'strategy'. We should be signing players to come straight into the First 11 and bench the current option.

Teams like Liverpool can afford to sign backups. Teams who are trying to close the gap like Us, Arsenal, Chelsea etc need to be signing upgrades.

VDB - Not a starter
Cavani - Not a starter
Telles - Likely a rotation option with Shaw, unless we switch to a back 3.
Traore - Prospect
Pellistiri - Prospect

Gabriel - Starter
Partey - Starter
Willian - Seems to be a Starter, but lets say Rotation

Werner - Starter
Havertz - Starter
Ziyech - Starter
Chilwell - Starter
Mendy - Starter
Silva - Rotation

I could go on but it would end up being a long list. Everton have basically signed only instant starters, so have Leicester, Spurs with the exception of Vinicius...even Villa.

We have to be the only competing team signing backup or rotation options to play behind our already not good enough starting 11.

 

[VP89]

So when we go into matches this season how is it looking, do we look likely to not play Greenwood and start say Pellistri? Or we do start Greenwood? I am confused.

 

[TMDaines]

So when we go into matches this season how is it looking, do we look likely to not play Greenwood and start say Pellistri? Or we do start Greenwood? I am confused.

Pellestri and Traore will hardly play on 20/21 and probably even 21/22.

 

[The midfield general]

I get a feeling there might be a surprise signing for us before midnight.

 

[Martial'sEmergingSmile]

So when we go into matches this season how is it looking, do we look likely to not play Greenwood and start say Pellistri? Or we do start Greenwood? I am confused.

I'm sure we'll start Greenwood. All the reports from Penarol fans/people who've actually seen a bit of Pellistri say that he's a big talent, but very lightweight and raw at the moment. I think Pellistri is one for the future, but who knows...hopefully he'll surprise us.

 

[Raw]

I mean the biggest issue last season was our crap squad depth so it's not the worst thing we could do. At least these players have the potential to get in the starting 11, and not just resigned to being backup the whole time.

Not signing a proper RW is bonkers though.

 

[VP89]

Pellestri and Traore will hardly play on 20/21 and probably even 21/22.

I can understand Pellestri but it seems odd to pay 30m EUR + 15m add ons for Traore and not start him from January. That's the same as/maybe more than DVB

 

[RUCK4444]

Yup I agree. None of these signings are guaranteed starting 11.

Telles and Cavani are relatively decent rotation options. VDB doesn’t start ahead of Bruno but again a decent player for rotation / injury cover.

So, trying to take ANY positive from this abysmal window... what I would hope is that we can find that good form we had after the restart last season and use these rotation options to avoid the burnout we had.

Here’s. feckin’. hoping.

 

[2 man midfield]

Van De Beek and Telles improve us, but neglecting RW is criminal.

 

[Fooza]

We had money they said..
We can exploit other teams cause of Covid they said..

No point expecting much this season, that's all that can be said. No gaps are being closed and let's just enjoy being in the champions league as much as we can.

 

[Kag]

An abysmal window; I honestly thought we’d moved on from this sort of drama and nonsense. More fool me.

And this isn‘t to say that the players we’ve bought (or will buy between now and 11pm) aren’t any good, or won’t be successful. But this isn’t how the club should be operating.

The club ended the season on a high and all of that goodwill and momentum has been blown to pieces within a couple of months. Frustrating.

 

[King Eric 7]

I'm still optimistic that we will sign a starter for the RW position.

 

[El Zoido]

The club is either shorter of cash than they’re letting on, or the Glazers are simply unwilling to spend.

 

[CG1010]

Generally VDB and Telles should be quality signings for us. Rest 3 are a bit of punts so no idea how good they will turn out to be for us.

We may still buy Brooks/Sarr though.

 

[starman]

When everyone is fit, theres no guarantees that all the Chelsea players signed will be starters.

VDB and Telles will end up as first players, imo

 

[Nou_Camp99]

VDB is better than that dabbing prat and fraud of a player. He will be in the team soon.

Telles remains to be seen but I think he's got every chance of being our main left back. Luke Shaw is just fat and average.

 

[Damien]

I mean the biggest issue last season was our crap squad depth so it's not the worst thing we could do. At least these players have the potential to get in the starting 11, and not just resigned to being backup the whole time.

Not signing a proper RW is bonkers though.

Yep, this is what I think as well. Good that we've improved squad depth - players got burned out by the time we made it to the Europa League games - but a 'proper' RW was crucial.

Do think by next season both VDB and Telles will be starters (with Telles starting sooner).

 

[Chief123]

With the quality of our team, this seems like a crazy flaw in our transfer 'strategy'. We should be signing players to come straight into the First 11 and bench the current option.

Teams like Liverpool can afford to sign backups. Teams who are trying to close the gap like Us, Arsenal, Chelsea etc need to be signing upgrades.

VDB - Not a starter
Cavani - Not a starter
Telles - Likely a rotation option with Shaw, unless we switch to a back 3.
Traore - Prospect
Pellistiri - Prospect

Gabriel - Starter
Partey - Starter
Willian - Seems to be a Starter, but lets say Rotation

Werner - Starter
Havertz - Starter
Ziyech - Starter
Chilwell - Starter
Mendy - Starter
Silva - Rotation

I could go on but it would end up being a long list. Everton have basically signed only starters, so have Villa, Leicester, Spurs with the exception of Vinicius...

We have to be the only competing team signing backup or rotation options to play behind our already not good enough starting 11.

Let’s not rule out Everton. They could very easily have a run like Leciester last year. They certainly have the quality if they can remain injury free.

 

[DevilsOwn]

Van De Beek and Telles improve us, but neglecting RW is criminal.

Yes and Cavani hopefully stays fit to give us striking option.

In that sense we have enough backup where we needed
Just the one position we desperately needed a starter - RW; and we have made a mess of that.

 

[Fosu-Mens]

Telles will be a starter.

 

[Wayne's World]

Cavani and Telles will both be starting every game for United in about a months time.

 

[Zoo]

Telles, Cavani and VdB are more then capable of making themselves a regular starter.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

Disagree with Kag, squad looks much much stronger now so it’s disappointing but an ”ok” window.
Cavani and Telles could turn it into a good window or a shit one, we’ll see.

 

[Judas]

I'm truly staggered we've neglected the problem areas once again. Just tired of the same crap from these owners and board year after year, it's painfully predictable.

 

[Betson]

I mean the biggest issue last season was our crap squad depth so it's not the worst thing we could do. At least these players have the potential to get in the starting 11, and not just resigned to being backup the whole time.

Not signing a proper RW is bonkers though.

It is not just squad depth, our first 11 are simply not good enough either. It is why we finished 30 odd pts off the pace.

would any serious club line our with our first choice defense?

 

[CassiusClaymore]

No way the new guy is any worse than Shaw. I don't want to see him in a United shirt ever again tbh.

 

[croadyman]

I'm still optimistic that we will sign a starter for the RW position.

Who though this late?

 

[slored1]

Imagine haggling over the Sancho fee for 3 months but then signing some bloody 18 year old with 1 senior appearance (no offense to him) for 35 million and an over the hill mercenary striker for 20 million per year. Bloody hell, we really have outdone ourselves.

 

[izec]

Sancho was never on, i just can't believe the club was naive as most fans on here. Alternatives should have been targeted weeks ago, if not months

 

[ghagua]

From what I have been watching, even the players we signed should be coming into the right away.

For better players, we need a better coach/manager or whatever to get them playing in a system.

 

[ReallyUSA]

Needed another thread truly

 

[Martial'sEmergingSmile]

I mean the biggest issue last season was our crap squad depth so it's not the worst thing we could do. At least these players have the potential to get in the starting 11, and not just resigned to being backup the whole time.

Not signing a proper RW is bonkers though.

We definitely need depth, but I think it should came in the form of current starters who really don't merit their place: Matic - who I like, but it's clearly a position we'll have to upgrade sooner or later. Any of the centre-backs could have been upgraded. AWB. Shaw, who again I like to a degree - and hopefully Telles will be great and eventually take his place. He's the most promising signing for me.

As you say, right-wing was and is a gaping chasm.

I really rate VDB, and he came at a good price, but it's such a luxury to buy a player who will be genuinely hard to fit into our regular first team. I don't see us ever playing a 3 with Pogba, VDB and Bruno in it...even if we did you lose a lot of his qualities trying to shoehorn him in as a 6.

 

[Offside]

Wasn’t everyone happy with our starting XI at the end of last season and saying we need depth?

 

[sincher]

I think Telles is an upgrade on Shaw.

VdB could easily prove to be an upgrade on one of our current midfielders, just a bit early to say.

Cavani is likely to start most games too I would think.

But no new right winger is a miss, and we also might regret not buying a central defender/defensive midfielder.

 

[Rolaholic]

I think Telles will end up a starter but yea it is a bit disappointing that we weren't able to really build on last years finish to the season and push to to improve our XI as all our rivals have in the same time.

Only silver lining for me is that we'll have much better squad depth but it's depressing that the must needs we had last year (RW, CB, quality DM to take the load of Matic) are still here and have been for years.

Just hope that we've got enough quality spread around to make another top 4 push because that's as high a ceiling as I feel we have presently under our current set up and after the window we've had.

 

[ravi2]

I get a feeling there might be a surprise signing for us before midnight.

The real surprise is a club the size of MUFC haven't bought a RW since the days of Valencia.
So once again we haven't capitalized on a top 3 finish. We will forever be playing catchup and to even achieve top 4 will be difficult.

 

[BenitoSTARR]

Depth is good depth and a starter would be even better.

Our biggest issue last season wasn’t the starting XI it was the complete lack of quality options to rotate in and the lack of a starting RW that has resulted in us shoehorning Greenwood there to admittedly great effect.

Next window Sancho, CB and DM and we’re good for a title push.

 

[King Eric 7]

Who though this late?

I don't have a clue! This is a really weird transfer window for us. On the one hand, there's the scouting to find new young talents like Pellistri and Traore and on the other there are last minute buys who were definitely not first choice like Cavani and then going in for Dembele. I'd be happy with this transfer window if we had a genuine RW, even on loan, but we're one short in the position we really needed to get sorted.

 

[Lee565]

Your forgetting spurs as well who now have Doherty, hojbjerg, bale and reguilon to probably be upgraded starters as well.

I really don't see us getting top 4, let's be realistic we had to rely on Leicester collapsing and I think this season the likes of everton, arsenal and spurs are probably more settled with Ancelotti, arteta and Mourinho starting from the beginning of the season with more of a team they want.

 

[King Eric 7]

I don't care about the lack of starters. Heck, I wouldn't even care about failing to get Sancho if we signed up (permanently or on loan) a quality RW.