Sergej Milinković-Savić

[Berbaclass]

Really, you're just being the transfer Muppet you are. He real isn't.
He has his qualities but he ain't elite.

Seriously underrating him

 

[BerryBerryShrew]

He IS quality and I would not be against this at all. Crucially I think now, at £50m ish, the price is now fair.
he’s physical, technical and scores goals. He wouldn’t be coming in as a 6 though, he’s be the further forward player. Perhaps ETH is changing tactic and getting a cheaper player (Rabiot) and SMS to both replace what he thought De Jong would give to the squad.

So potentially occupying the same areas as Eriksen/Bruno?

 

[Berbaclass]

It's not a criticism

Just noticed you had quite a few posts on this page and thought I'd ask if you've given up on FDJ and SMS is your new target?

Not yet

 

[JPRouve]

You compared him to Fellaini though, such a lazy big player good in the air comparison

He's much more comparable to someone like Yaya Toure.

He is significantly more wasteful than Yaya Touré, I don't think that they are comparable. SMS is a way more direct and risk happy player, maybe a young version of Hamsik would be a better example?

 

[Trex]

There's a reason ETH was holding out for De Jong, there are other midfielders who can be better than Mcfred but might need upgrading themselves in a short while themselves.

 

[Berbaclass]

He is significantly more wasteful than Yaya Touré, I don't think that they are comparable. SMS is a way more direct and risk happy player, maybe a young version of Hamsik would be a better example?

I wasn't directly comparing him to Yaya, just saying he's more of that type of player than he is a Fellaini. I agree with Hamsik also, I think he'd be a really really good box-to-box midfielder for us.

 

[saik]

The post I responded to explain would clarify my reason.

Who do you think is available that will be an upgrade for McT then? That we can realistically sign this season?

Edit: To clarify, as an alternative to SMS since you are convinced he's not good enough.

 

[poleglass red]

Not seen him play a lot, seen him a few times, never overly impressed me that much, but certainly better than what we have, which probably isn't a great barometer right now re quality. I feel these links are nothing more than a smokescreen to force Barca/ De Jong hand. I still thing De Jong is the priority, and this is nothing more than a distraction.

 

[MDFC Manager]

He is significantly more wasteful than Yaya Touré, I don't think that they are comparable. SMS is a way more direct and risk happy player, maybe a young version of Hamsik would be a better example?

@Gambit

 

[Berbaclass]

Who do you think is available that will be an upgrade for McT then? That we can realistically sign this season?

He's probably going to say Tielemans or something.

 

[Trex]

He is significantly more wasteful than Yaya Touré, I don't think that they are comparable. SMS is a way more direct and risk happy player, maybe a young version of Hamsik would be a better example?

I think he can keep it simple and yet move it quickly especially coming to ETH possession based set up.

 

[Bristol_Red_87]

Ah but is he as 'good' in the tackle (not a euphemism) as Scotty?

 

[JPRouve]

I wasn't directly comparing him to Yaya, just saying he's more of that type of player than he is a Fellaini. I agree with Hamsik also, I think he'd be a really really good box-to-box midfielder for us.

To me likening him to Yaya Touré felt as bad as likening him to Fellaini.

 

[Loony BoB]

Looks like a replacement for McTominay to me?

And as such, has anyone put together a similar reel of Scotty's highlights so I can compare and contrast?

I am one of the first to defend McT in many situations but to say he looks good in a highlights reel is absolutely nonsense. He is at a rough ceiling, he should be a squad player for us or a starter for those in the lower half of the PL. I personally am happy to keep him as a squad player. I'm not a hyperbolic crying baby about him, he does a job when there's nobody else to do it. But SMS is a league above the guy for sure. Only thing I'm not certain on is whether SMS is more a McT position player or a Bruno position player. Seems to score a lot of goals which you would think suggests he would do better in Bruno's spot, but we have two other players competing with Bruno for that already. I'm sure he'll be an upgrade on McT in his position regardless.

I'd argue based on stats that McT is a better player defensively.

 

[Berbaclass]

To me likening him to Yaya Touré felt as bad as likening him to Fellaini.

He's definitely closer to that though

 

[kirk buttercup]

He's probably going to say Tielemans or something.

I think Tielemans is an upgrade tbf. Not a dream signing but an upgrade

 

[Trex]

Who do you think is available that will be an upgrade for McT then? That we can realistically sign this season?

Edit: To clarify, as an alternative to SMS since you are convinced he's not good enough.

At this point no obvious option, but we waited to be spanked by Brighton to confirm what we knew all along.

 

[Berbaclass]

I am one of the first to defend McT in many situations but to say he looks good in a highlights reel is absolutely nonsense. He is at a rough ceiling, he should be a squad player for us or a starter for those in the lower half of the PL. I personally am happy to keep him as a squad player. I'm not a hyperbolic crying baby about him, he does a job when there's nobody else to do it. But SMS is a league above the guy for sure. Only thing I'm not certain on is whether SMS is more a McT position player or a Bruno position player. Seems to score a lot of goals which you would think suggests he would do better in Bruno's spot, but we have two other players competing with Bruno for that already. I'm sure he'll be an upgrade on McT in his position regardless.

First highlight is him giving the ball away

 

[Cloud7]

Signing this dude will feel like if we had eventually signed Sneijder, Gaitan or Garay

 

[JPRouve]

I think he can keep it simple and yet move it quickly especially coming to ETH possession based set up.

Maybe he can but he hasn't, so while I can't and won't disagree with you. I will say that his career shows a very direct and wasteful player.

 

[Loony BoB]

First highlight is him giving the ball away

Yeah, that cracked me up too

 

[Berbaclass]

At this point no obvious option, but we waited to be spanked by Brighton to confirm what we knew all along.

But it's not hard to find an upgrade on McTominay you said and now there are no obvious upgrades?

 

[Loony BoB]

Signing this dude will feel like if we had eventually signed Sneijder, Gaitan or Garay

Weren't we linked with Bruno for a fair few seasons before we got him, too? Can't remember.

 

[Berbaclass]

Maybe he can but he hasn't, so while I can't and won't disagree with you. I will say that his career shows a very direct and wasteful player.

Probably because he most likely has free reign in the Lazio team for the most part.

 

[LawCharltonBest]

People need to wisen up if they're going to be sucked in to this

Could a rumor be more agent driven, this has been about 7-8 years in a row now. Must have the same agent as Gaitan

Nobody reliable will report United's interest because it isn't true. It's that simple.

 

[Trex]

Maybe he can but he hasn't, so while I can't and won't disagree with you. I will say that his career shows a very direct and wasteful player.

I think he's a "clutch player" for Lazio that's why. My biggest issue is his mobility.

 

[Berbaclass]

Weren't we linked with Bruno for a fair few seasons before we got him, too? Can't remember.

18 months we were linked to Bruno

 

[Godfather]

I like how every single pass in that sequence was fecking shit and it ended with McT completely miscontrolling the ball.

 

[Berbaclass]

I think he's a "clutch player" for Lazio that's why. My biggest issue is his mobility.

I think you are overstating this.

 

[Godfather]

Just please bid for him so I can ignore the Rabiot thread

 

[Dazzmondo]

Honestly I don’t understand some of the posters on here!

People moan and moan about a lack of quality in the midfield and a failure to even replace the midfielders we’ve lost.

Then we end up being firmly linked to SMS who is a quality all rounder CM miles better than what we’ve got.

And people still moan?! Utterly inexplicable.

It genuinely feels like it’s more on the basis of ‘oh this has been talked about for years and hasn’t happened’ than anything to do with the player himself.

I genuinely rate him so highly he’s a great allrounder at the prime of his career. If he’s available we should be going all out to make it happen.

Ya, I understand why people are frustrated by our window, I am too, but they're so wrong on this one honestly. SMS has been one of the best players in Serie A for years now and is coming off probably his best ever season. It might not be the position we most need upgrading but he's not far off world class. He'd improve us significantly.

 

[2 man midfield]

He should be about 32 by now

 

[Trex]

I think you are overstating this.

If he happens to make the move we'll find out.

 

[saik]

He should be about 32 by now

He's only 27 by the way. Should be coming into his prime now.

 

[HookedOnAPhelan]

Pogba was more mobile than him before all the injuries and fitness problems.

He was also a pretty good player back then. SMS though has far more grit and intensity in his game than Pogba has ever had. I think he'd be fantastic in the Premier League. He'd also give us much needed physicality (Fred is weak, and McTominay, while big, is too unintelligent a player to utilize his physicality to any effect).

 

[hobbers]

Would work best as a Bruno replacement.

 

[Andy_Cole]

Honestly I don’t understand some of the posters on here!

People moan and moan about a lack of quality in the midfield and a failure to even replace the midfielders we’ve lost.

Then we end up being firmly linked to SMS who is a quality all rounder CM miles better than what we’ve got.

And people still moan?! Utterly inexplicable.

It genuinely feels like it’s more on the basis of ‘oh this has been talked about for years and hasn’t happened’ than anything to do with the player himself.

I genuinely rate him so highly he’s a great allrounder at the prime of his career. If he’s available we should be going all out to make it happen.

It’s obvious why there’s moaning. I don’t think it’s specific to do with this player. More so the scattergun approach of the window. It’s a shambles.

 

[JPRouve]

Probably because he most likely has free reign in the Lazio team for the most part.

Possibly. But you will agree that if we try to summarize his profile, his career style and stats indicates that he is a sub 80% completion rate player, that loses possession at a relatively high clip and is in general not known for organizing his team possession game?

 

[izec]

Rabiot-Eriksen-SMS

Our new midfield

 

[Berbaclass]

Possibly. But you will agree that if we try to summarize his profile, his career style and stats indicates that he is a sub 80% completion rate player, that loses possession at a relatively high clip and is in general not known for organizing his team possession game?

Yes, that's a fair description of his career so far. I think his technical ability would indicate he would work in a possession-based system though.