Everyone is open for a bid in my opinion. Everyone. No one should be considered safe after their performances this season
Why would they prioritise a new LB over a new RB? AWB is much, much more obviously insufficient (given EtHs style of play) than Luke Shaw is.What will our squad look like, going into next season?
Things are bad. There is almost certain to be a mass exodus of players leaving this summer for various reasons. Rangnick has publicly stated we might need as many as 10 new players - and I dont think many would disagree.
Still, we have youth prospects and we have players out on loan who might be able to return and make up some numbers. There is also an acknowledgement that this rebuild is going to take a lot longer than one or two transfer windows. This will be a long term thing and we cannot hope to fix all our problems this summer.
So between departing players, new arrivals, youth promotions and loanees, roughly what do you think the 25-man first team squad will look like after the summer transfer window?
I think we will bring back/keep Williams, Amad, Donny and Pellistri. I also think that from the academy we could see more of Garner, Shoretire, Elanga, Hannibal and maybe on or two others.
I dont really have a clue about who we might go for in the transfer window, or how many players we will sign, but I can imagine going into next season something like this (being realistic);
-------------------------Henderson
AWB ------- Varane ---------------- Maguire --------- New LB
---------------------------New DM
---------------McT/Fred ------------ Bruno--------------------
Sancho -------------------------------------------- Elanga
--------------------------New ST-------------------------------
Bench: DDG, Shaw, Lindelof, McT/Fred, Donny, Amad, Rashford
Others in the squad: Williams, Garner, Shoretire, Hannibal, Pellistri
Obviously the above is far from perfect but again, we arent going to be able to fully replace 10 players and rebuild the entire squad in one transfer window.
Way over the top concerning Bruno. He may have tailed off, but he's tailed off from the level of being a dominant PL star to merely being okay to very good. Even this season, he's among the league leaders in chances created. He is self-evident in any United XI, and if you think it's even a remote issue to consider players like Mejbri (or any other midfielder in the squad) ahead of him, you need new glasses mate.De Gea
Dalot Varane Tuanzebe Shaw
Mctominay
Hannibal Donny
Diallo Sancho
Ronaldo
That team is good enough to challenge for top 4 and play good ball.
De Gea needs to be dragged off his line. Dalot needs to be coached how to defend, but I think it's easier to coach him defending than trying to coach Bissaka how to play ball. That ship has sailed.
Shaw and Varane can be top level and Tuanzebe has what we need from a centre back. Pace in spades.
I have reservations about the midfield of course but Mctominay can be kept until we find a proper defensive mid and Donny and Hannibal look like the best fits for keeping the ball and moving it up the pitch properly. Donny has never had a fair go and Hannibal looks like a good technical player.
Sancho can be top level and until we sign a top right sided player I'd see what Diallo can do. He looked good in the few occasions I saw him. Ronny should see more chances in that team.
I'd keep the below as backup
Henderson
Laird Lindelof Jones Bailly(Need 5 because how injury prone a lot of them are) Williams
Fred
Bruno(form has fallen off a cliff) Garner
Elanga Rashford(Not up to it now he's lost pace)
Martial(Had 1 really good season at CF, See if we can get him back on board)
That team would finish 12thDe Gea
Dalot Varane Tuanzebe Shaw
Mctominay
Hannibal Donny
Diallo Sancho
Ronaldo
That team is good enough to challenge for top 4 and play good ball.
De Gea needs to be dragged off his line. Dalot needs to be coached how to defend, but I think it's easier to coach him defending than trying to coach Bissaka how to play ball. That ship has sailed.
Shaw and Varane can be top level and Tuanzebe has what we need from a centre back. Pace in spades.
I have reservations about the midfield of course but Mctominay can be kept until we find a proper defensive mid and Donny and Hannibal look like the best fits for keeping the ball and moving it up the pitch properly. Donny has never had a fair go and Hannibal looks like a good technical player.
Sancho can be top level and until we sign a top right sided player I'd see what Diallo can do. He looked good in the few occasions I saw him. Ronny should see more chances in that team.
I'd keep the below as backup
Henderson
Laird Lindelof Jones Bailly(Need 5 because how injury prone a lot of them are) Williams
Fred
Bruno(form has fallen off a cliff) Garner
Elanga Rashford(Not up to it now he's lost pace)
Martial(Had 1 really good season at CF, See if we can get him back on board)
6 signings would be about right for first window. But if Ronaldo goes I would like to see both Nunez and Nkunku signedIdeally
GK: De gea, Heaton, *new young gk
FB: AWB, Dalot, Laird, *new fb1, *new fb2
CB: Maguire (hes not realistically leaving), Varane, Lindelof, *new cb1, *new cb2
CM: Mct, Fred, Bruno, Garner, Hannibal, *new cm1, *new cm2
Wings: Rashford, Sancho, Amad, Elanga, *new winger 1, *new winger 2
CF: *new cf1, *new cf2, ronaldo if he stays
11 signings in the summer is unrealistic so I would take 1 cb, 1 rb, 2 cm, 1 winger and 1 striker if ronaldo stays
That should be a bannable offence.De Gea
Dalot Varane Tuanzebe Shaw
Mctominay
Hannibal Donny
Diallo Sancho
Ronaldo
I think it should be more 1 quality central midfielder (an anchor), but then we'll need to prioritise a winger (we currently have three, for two slots), and a striker (unless we're going to keep Martial around). Ideally, two good players with the versatility to play in several positions, I guess. An RB upgrade is also sorely needed, but there at least we have some depth, which we don't up front. If we assume that Donny will be a factor under a coach who clearly knows how to use him best, then perhaps two midfielders won't be necessary. Also, there may be a possibility Garner or Mejbri could step up.So long as we buy two quality midfielders and a right back. If that doesn't happen we are fecked. Yes other areas are in need but not to the extent those three positions are.
Sick and tired of seeing every single team in the PL dominate our midfield, no wonder our central defence looks dire. Dalot is a car crash of a right back defending and barely acceptable when attacking, it's the other way around with AVB, both should be sold and replaced with a competent right back.
Constantly loses the ball for me. He is death to fluid footballWay over the top concerning Bruno. He may have tailed off, but he's tailed off from the level of being a dominant PL star to merely being okay to very good. Even this season, he's among the league leaders in chances created. He is self-evident in any United XI, and if you think it's even a remote issue to consider players like Mejbri (or any other midfielder in the squad) ahead of him, you need new glasses mate.
Yeah well, even if he's not your flavour of player, he is by any reasonable standard by far our best central midfielder, with a firmly established record as an elite Premier League player. You play him, or you sell him. To argue he should be a squad player is just absurd.Constantly loses the ball for me. He is death to fluid football
I want whatever you've been smoking.De Gea
Dalot Varane Tuanzebe Shaw
Mctominay
Hannibal Donny
Diallo Sancho
Ronaldo
That team is good enough to challenge for top 4 and play good ball.
That is an absolutely horrible team. We may aswell fire ETH before he starts if that's what we give himWhat will our squad look like, going into next season?
Things are bad. There is almost certain to be a mass exodus of players leaving this summer for various reasons. Rangnick has publicly stated we might need as many as 10 new players - and I dont think many would disagree.
Still, we have youth prospects and we have players out on loan who might be able to return and make up some numbers. There is also an acknowledgement that this rebuild is going to take a lot longer than one or two transfer windows. This will be a long term thing and we cannot hope to fix all our problems this summer.
So between departing players, new arrivals, youth promotions and loanees, roughly what do you think the 25-man first team squad will look like after the summer transfer window?
I think we will bring back/keep Williams, Amad, Donny and Pellistri. I also think that from the academy we could see more of Garner, Shoretire, Elanga, Hannibal and maybe on or two others.
I dont really have a clue about who we might go for in the transfer window, or how many players we will sign, but I can imagine going into next season something like this (being realistic);
-------------------------Henderson
AWB ------- Varane ---------------- Maguire --------- New LB
---------------------------New DM
---------------McT/Fred ------------ Bruno--------------------
Sancho -------------------------------------------- Elanga
--------------------------New ST-------------------------------
Bench: DDG, Shaw, Lindelof, McT/Fred, Donny, Amad, Rashford
Others in the squad: Williams, Garner, Shoretire, Hannibal, Pellistri
Obviously the above is far from perfect but again, we arent going to be able to fully replace 10 players and rebuild the entire squad in one transfer window.
I get what you’re saying, the door seems to be shutting on many of the viable options already. I’d be amazed if we sign 3 starters.It's looking increasingly likely that we'll have a very, very similar squad to this season. It'll be a matter of integrating a couple of youth players and trying to get a formation and team out of that which can challenge for top 4 in theory.
I think Fred has a good chance of being in that mix but I do agree we will get a new CM, likely two.-----------------------DDG------------------------
new RB-----Varane--Maguire---------Shaw
-------------new DM-----DVB-----------------
new RM-----------Bruno------------Sancho
----------------------Ronaldo-----------------------
I'm almost certain this will be our starting lineup. I don't know about names though, if I had to guess, probably Antony for RM and maybe Nunez for CF position if Ronaldo leaves.
We will sign few squad players as well.
Not thad bad, I would definitely upgrade on Maguire but can't see it honestly (at least this season).
United will sign a new forward Im fairly certain of it.DDG
New-Varane-New-Shaw
New-New
Bruno
Sancho-CR-Elanga
Hopefully, De Jong.United will sign a new forward Im fairly certain of it.
RB, CM and FWD for first team and then another few as squad options
I think the transfer business will be interesting and blend a couple of first team fits with wider squad players.Hopefully, De Jong.
Sounds like Uniteds strategy this summer is spend upto £80m on a striker and then look for Midfield / Defensive players on a budget of £150m net
Most of the squad leaving are on free transfers, and we have little to sell off, so that leaves around £70m to create a midfield and better defence.
So in affect we are no different to last 2 seasons, which is sign striker(s) paper over cracks elsewhere and pray for luck.
Granted we do need strikers but the neglect in Midfield should have been solved years ago and yet, here we still are. Screwed.
It's bizarre the certainty with which people are spouting this stuff and are almost ready to write off next season.Team will be very very similar to this season, but without the ones leaving obviously.
We will sign a max of 4 players I think and that will be that.
RB
CB
DM
CF
Even 4, is pushing it and it’s a very strong possibility we stay with our current fullbacks, which would be a disaster.
Yep I think Tuanzebe is better than what we have. Are they so great?I want whatever you've been smoking.
Promoting Tuanzebe to first team starter, keeping Scott as a starter, bringing in Hannibal as a starter who has played 1 game for us and got a yellow card but 'showed some passion', bringing in Donny as a first team starter because "hEs wOrKeD wItH tEn hAaG bEfOrE" & Diallo, who doesn't even start for Rangers.
Fair enough. Sell him. I don't rate him and I don't think there would be that many takers. He's too slow and too weak as far as I'm concerned and his passing varies wildly from sublime to ridiculous. Even simple passes he struggles with sometimesYeah well, even if he's not your flavour of player, he is by any reasonable standard by far our best central midfielder, with a firmly established record as an elite Premier League player. You play him, or you sell him. To argue he should be a squad player is just absurd.
Yes, I've noticed the current state of the team.Yep I think Tuanzebe is better than what we have. Are they so great?
I'd promote the others because they are technically better than what we have.
You have noticed the current team isn't exactly lighting it up yes?
Have you noticed how much playing time Tuanzebe has been getting at Villa and Napoli? He has precisely one start at Napoli - in which they lost 5-2 to Fiorentina. Does that suggest he's an improvement on other options? It may be that his potential and attributes appeal to ten Hag and he considers that something could be made of him, but right now he looks a lot like our 6th best CB, and is making a fairly compelling case he simply doesn't have the overall quality to be a good PL CB - much less a regular starter at a top club.Yep I think Tuanzebe is better than what we have. Are they so great?
I'd promote the others because they are technically better than what we have.
You have noticed the current team isn't exactly lighting it up yes?
Players available for the attacking 3 positions: Ronaldo, Rashford, Sancho, Elanga. Assuming Greenwood isn't miraculously cleared of all charges, Martial isn't retained in the face of 2 seasons of woeful underperformance and a firm intention to leave and Diallo is as ready for a regular role at Man Utd as he's been at Rangers. There is surely no way you can go into a new season with that, and in my opinion that's got to take precedence over a second midfield acquisition and most certainly over an upgrade at CB.Two central midfielders have to be a priority especially if sticking with a 4-2-3-1 formation. McFred is an abomination in midfield. Equally important is a central defender to replace Maguire and Lindelof. Ten Hag must be seeing how easy we are to beat, physically weak and lacking leadership we are and prioritising tough ball winning players with high work rate.
It's such a difficult job for him as you can argue every position needs replacing eventually, and it'll take him maybe years to implement his own style, players, structure but in the mean time he has to find a formula with the current team and a few new additions that'll win him matches.
To be honest you can make a fair point about prioritising any position given the squad we have. I want 2 CMS as the only ones we will have is McFred. Possibly Garner if he pushes through and VDB if he stays. Teams are literally walking through our midfield and defence. This being said I don't particularly mind which positions are being filled as long as the incoming players have an hard work ethic and are capable of intercepting and tackling.Players available for the attacking 3 positions: Ronaldo, Rashford, Sancho, Elanga. Assuming Greenwood isn't miraculously cleared of all charges, Martial isn't retained in the face of 2 seasons of woeful underperformance and a firm intention to leave and Diallo is as ready for a regular role at Man Utd as he's been at Rangers. There is surely no way you can go into a new season with that, and in my opinion that's got to take precedence over a second midfield acquisition and most certainly over an upgrade at CB.
List of priorities as I see it:
1. Midfield anchor
2. Forward
3. Forward
4. RB
5. Central midfielder
6. CB
(Although it all depends on who EtH sees as viable parts and who he doesn't, which I think is hard to predict)