I know how we have evolved since Jose left. I mean I wish to forget what happened before that until 2012 :P Anyway, Ole has improved the squad. Realistically speaking, what will be your additions to the squad? who will be sent packing and how do you see the evolution in terms of the way we play?
Imagine you are making the calls at Man United, What will be your plan for the next couple of seasons while we have the services of The Professor?
- Thread starter OleTheGreat
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"What will be your plan for the next couple of seasons while we have the services of The Professor?"
Listening.
Listening.
If Rangnick can get rid of a few players. I would like to see us get value out of Dalot, AWB and the others who will be let go would be Jones, Lingard, Mata, Matic.
We need to sign 2 CM's and a RB at least in the next window. When you look at James, TAA, Walker, Cancelo and the like, we need to be able to compete in those positions.
The reasons our attack is suffering is because our defence is not trusted, our midfield is not trusted.
We need to build a base which will let our attack flourish.
We need to sign 2 CM's and a RB at least in the next window. When you look at James, TAA, Walker, Cancelo and the like, we need to be able to compete in those positions.
The reasons our attack is suffering is because our defence is not trusted, our midfield is not trusted.
We need to build a base which will let our attack flourish.
There are multitudes of options. We have some excellent players, some players who can be useful in the right set up, some top young players, there's just a few gaps and a lack of balance and a confused/lack of a proper tactical set up. There are numerous different ways to balance the team, anyone who thinks there's one correct way to do it is wrong.
What's important is go to get a manager and DoF who work together with squad planning. Getting in players that we need, moving on players that don't, integrating youngsters who fit the requirements. Same with coaches.
What's important is go to get a manager and DoF who work together with squad planning. Getting in players that we need, moving on players that don't, integrating youngsters who fit the requirements. Same with coaches.
The main thing is that we pick the right permanant manager which enables us to have a progressive philosophy/tactical set up, and every decision (signings etc) tie into that core understanding. Rangnick's role is to initiate the process on the pitch, help us pick a really high quality (better than Rangnick) manager to carry it through in his identity and belief set and then aid that manager in being successful at United.
We need to develop a clear possession-based style of play if we wish to be consistently successful. To that end, we need to identify manager(s) who are committed to that style of play and mould the players into that style. We need to promote and sign more system based players, like Sancho, Lingard and if that means letting go of big names, whose game is based on producing moments of individual brilliance, like Pogba and Bruno, then so be it. Rangnick can be the one to take the flak from media and fans for such unpopular decisions.
Similarly, we need to promote coaches from within, so that even if we have to dispense managers, it doesn't mean our entire style of play and recruitment policy changes, we need to keep it coherent. The focus has to be on signing technically superior players who need the system to excel, rather than players who make the team excel. We need to transition towards a team that relies on Bernardo Silvas than a team the requires Brunos.
Similarly, we need to promote coaches from within, so that even if we have to dispense managers, it doesn't mean our entire style of play and recruitment policy changes, we need to keep it coherent. The focus has to be on signing technically superior players who need the system to excel, rather than players who make the team excel. We need to transition towards a team that relies on Bernardo Silvas than a team the requires Brunos.
I’d probably use the Professor’s knowledge to stage a heist on the Royal Mint of Spain and then use the money to buy Haaland, Lamptey/Livramento, a cracking CDM and launch AWB into orbit with SpaceX.
Not sure how this works? Rangnick is not someone who will develop a possession based style? Are you saying we get rid of him first?
Also, Bruno is not just moments of Individual brilliance, he has created the most chances in the PL this season, its not moments of brilliance, he is a very good creator of chances.
We have a lot great young players coming through. Probably better than all the other clubs.
Have them start playing the type of football Rangnick believes in.
We will start dominating football in England again as we did under Fergie.
Have them start playing the type of football Rangnick believes in.
We will start dominating football in England again as we did under Fergie.
Before we expect anything from Ralf, our board seriously need to introspect themselves on why they failed to bring in any success over 9 years even after spending close to 1Billion.
Wy didnt we bring in Elite continental coacing staff to our academy long time back who had good success rate over the years. They would have laid foundation to the future first team
Why we stick with Ole and all his coaching staff who stablised the club to certain extent but overall failed from coaching perspective (as we didnt have an identity or pattern over last 3 years).
What was our scouting team doing as we clearly over spent on players like Maguire(80M) and AWB(50M)
Why we are still asking Ralf to keep the current coaching staff (Phelen/Carrick/Mckena) when they clearly failed over years
Ralf has to start coaching these clueless current coaching staff first then players in no time is not fair to be honest.
Overall I am happy that at least we can use his ideas/coaching methods but hopefully the board give him powers to Re-vamp Academy coaching / Bring in his own coaching staff and take his advice on bringing in new players
I heard Ralf and his assistance Lars-K since 2007 run their own consultancy firm to help clubs identifying their next targets and providing video analysis etc so hope we can use their services to bring in some instance success
Wy didnt we bring in Elite continental coacing staff to our academy long time back who had good success rate over the years. They would have laid foundation to the future first team
Why we stick with Ole and all his coaching staff who stablised the club to certain extent but overall failed from coaching perspective (as we didnt have an identity or pattern over last 3 years).
What was our scouting team doing as we clearly over spent on players like Maguire(80M) and AWB(50M)
Why we are still asking Ralf to keep the current coaching staff (Phelen/Carrick/Mckena) when they clearly failed over years
Ralf has to start coaching these clueless current coaching staff first then players in no time is not fair to be honest.
Overall I am happy that at least we can use his ideas/coaching methods but hopefully the board give him powers to Re-vamp Academy coaching / Bring in his own coaching staff and take his advice on bringing in new players
I heard Ralf and his assistance Lars-K since 2007 run their own consultancy firm to help clubs identifying their next targets and providing video analysis etc so hope we can use their services to bring in some instance success
There are certain things the red bull clubs have done that we could borrow from.
He’s not going to get rid of the U23s even if it is a waste of time. Given the shocking standard all of those players should be out on loan booking value and experience or in the first team. I hope we loan players out a lot more aggressively, even if that means getting a feeder club to take many at the same time. PL/ Championship loans for the best.
Leading on from feeder clubs I hope we can form a link with a club in a smaller European league that would help us sign European players that are u18 and players from around the world that we can start working towards getting them work permits. Our scouting in Africa, South, Central and North America and Asia seems to be non existent. If we use our brand and far reaching scouting setup to our benefit we should be able to sell players on low contracts for a lot of profit. This should also in theory provide a steady stream of fresh talent for the first team.
Cut out the nutty contracts for backup and squad players and replace them with players from above. Sell players when their value is high but their usefulness is on the wain. Stop protecting value of said assets. You have to admit defeat and take a loss on an asset you’ve artificially inflated with stupid wages. Keep the squad turning over. Effective recruitment is more than half of the battle in modern football and that goes for selling players too.
Pay players their true worth. No more of this 500k for Pogba or 400k for Sanchez. I’d pay someone Haaland half a million a week instead of giving it to Lingard, Mata, Matic, Dalot, etc. when we could have comparable backups on 1/3 of what they are.
Modernise the coaching and training setup.
Heavy metal football instead of listless zombie passing and always setting ourselves up for failure. Always work harder than the opposition and the quality will take care of the rest. That’s how Liverpool have maximised the value of so called “average” players and we keep failing with expensive players. They get Henderson and turn him into a league leader. We buy Rice for 100 million and he’ll look like a donkey. They maximise their assets and unearth players playing a very clear style and aggressive brand of football. They work extremely hard for each other. They are also spending about half what we are on wages, they are far more productive.
He’s not going to get rid of the U23s even if it is a waste of time. Given the shocking standard all of those players should be out on loan booking value and experience or in the first team. I hope we loan players out a lot more aggressively, even if that means getting a feeder club to take many at the same time. PL/ Championship loans for the best.
Leading on from feeder clubs I hope we can form a link with a club in a smaller European league that would help us sign European players that are u18 and players from around the world that we can start working towards getting them work permits. Our scouting in Africa, South, Central and North America and Asia seems to be non existent. If we use our brand and far reaching scouting setup to our benefit we should be able to sell players on low contracts for a lot of profit. This should also in theory provide a steady stream of fresh talent for the first team.
Cut out the nutty contracts for backup and squad players and replace them with players from above. Sell players when their value is high but their usefulness is on the wain. Stop protecting value of said assets. You have to admit defeat and take a loss on an asset you’ve artificially inflated with stupid wages. Keep the squad turning over. Effective recruitment is more than half of the battle in modern football and that goes for selling players too.
Pay players their true worth. No more of this 500k for Pogba or 400k for Sanchez. I’d pay someone Haaland half a million a week instead of giving it to Lingard, Mata, Matic, Dalot, etc. when we could have comparable backups on 1/3 of what they are.
Modernise the coaching and training setup.
Heavy metal football instead of listless zombie passing and always setting ourselves up for failure. Always work harder than the opposition and the quality will take care of the rest. That’s how Liverpool have maximised the value of so called “average” players and we keep failing with expensive players. They get Henderson and turn him into a league leader. We buy Rice for 100 million and he’ll look like a donkey. They maximise their assets and unearth players playing a very clear style and aggressive brand of football. They work extremely hard for each other. They are also spending about half what we are on wages, they are far more productive.
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Regarding your first point, I am talking about getting a permanent manager who develops a possession-based style. The first tenet of being able to play possession football is the capability to win it back quickly, and that is where Rangnick excels. I hope he can instill the principles of an impeccable counter-press, before his successor leads us towards a style where keeping the ball is the key.
Regarding Bruno, the mere fact that we rely on him to create so many chances is our issue. Not Bruno specifically, but any player. Take City, for example, no matter who is playing or missing, they always have impeccable control of the ball and the game, and the players don't need to be producing individual moments of brilliance. They all need to contribute towards a coherent system, a systematic exercise in patience and control. The Bruno we have seen so far, is a player who always wants to press the issue, and it is difficult to have total control over a game with such players, who always want to thrust rather than probe sometimes. Of course, if a coach can get him to curb these impulses, great, but we need to move away from needing a single player to be the heartbeat of our team.
Also, I am using Bruno as an example but the point applies to any individual player here.
Let the football man make football decisions, so that the team gets successful and we make more money of sponsorships. I never understood why they were okay with spending the amount of money they have, in such a poor manner. Like if you were being stingy it would make sense, but they are actually spending, they just choose to waste it their way instead of letting football people make the club successful and then leeching off that way. 
Are they even good businessmen?
Are they even good businessmen?
Getting rid of all the primadonnas and dead wood, brining in staff and players who are fully capable of and fully committed to implement the footballing philosophy Ralf wants to instill.
Tow players I will definitely get rid off are Pogba and Rashford.
Tow players I will definitely get rid off are Pogba and Rashford.
Sell Pogba, Maguire. , Mata, Lingard, Jones, Martial.
Buy a right back, center back , center mid, and a striker.
Buy a right back, center back , center mid, and a striker.
To sell something you need market. With some of the "sales" being suggested we may as well try sell Carrick and Nicky Butt while we are at it.
First thing would be to trim the squad up. There’s no need for Phil Jones to be on contract. Likewise with a few others. We have some very promising youth coming through the ranks, let them fill out the edges of the squad instead.
Then we need to go about implementing whatever philosophy and style of play we wish to adopt (pressing, possesssion, etc.) and let that guide squad building and transfer strategy. I think it’s quite clear we need to upgrade several positions that lack the technical quality to succeed at the highest level with little time on the ball (RB, CB, midfield). We can teach players how to press properly within a system but you’ll never be able to improve AWB’s quality on the ball and speed of thought past a certain level.
Finally I’d rid the club of some of the “United Way” BS. This doesn’t mean stop promoting youth or not to play attacking football, but more so the hiring of back room staff or valuing the opinions too highly of ex-United figures with regards too how the club is run. This also applies to giving long leashes for players that come up through the academy and allowing for standards to drop simply because a player has been with us since he was a kid. It’s time for us to become a bit more ruthless and decisive as a club as many others have already evolved in modern football.
Then we need to go about implementing whatever philosophy and style of play we wish to adopt (pressing, possesssion, etc.) and let that guide squad building and transfer strategy. I think it’s quite clear we need to upgrade several positions that lack the technical quality to succeed at the highest level with little time on the ball (RB, CB, midfield). We can teach players how to press properly within a system but you’ll never be able to improve AWB’s quality on the ball and speed of thought past a certain level.
Finally I’d rid the club of some of the “United Way” BS. This doesn’t mean stop promoting youth or not to play attacking football, but more so the hiring of back room staff or valuing the opinions too highly of ex-United figures with regards too how the club is run. This also applies to giving long leashes for players that come up through the academy and allowing for standards to drop simply because a player has been with us since he was a kid. It’s time for us to become a bit more ruthless and decisive as a club as many others have already evolved in modern football.
Sign Haaland
Dalots contract is up in 2023
Matic summer 2023
Phil Jones summer 2023
Lingard 6 months
Pogba 6 months
Mata 6 months
That would be a start.
Rob a bank to sign Haaland and Bellingham
Lots of fans seem to to think that Lingard is going to be sold. I think Lingard would be very good in a proper structured team. He does not try to do his own thing a lot. He is a team player.
Yeah really hope Ralf looks into the contracts of the above players in the summer. The majority aren't playing much and are on an absolute fortune in wages
The first reply pretty much nailed it. You sit back, listen, and support with all your might. They need to stick with it for a few years and then make a decision whether this is the direction they want to go or not, but the problem is with the media pressure a club like United is constantly under, there needs to be a steely resolve that this is the man for the job, and nothing needs to get in the way for the next few years before considering any changes.
Selling List
- Pogba
- Jones
- AwB
- Dalot
- McTominay
- Martial
Give More Playing Time
- Laird
- Hannibal
- vdB
- Elanga
Axe Old Boys Coaching Staff
- phelan
- Carrick
- Pogba
- Jones
- AwB
- Dalot
- McTominay
- Martial
Give More Playing Time
- Laird
- Hannibal
- vdB
- Elanga
Axe Old Boys Coaching Staff
- phelan
- Carrick
Define the football philosophy to be adopted throughout the club
Set targets for the number of players in each position across all playing groups
Define the required age range and skill sets for each position
Change the personnel accordingly
Set targets for the number of players in each position across all playing groups
Define the required age range and skill sets for each position
Change the personnel accordingly
This sounds like a plan..
Give him the keys to everything, fire all the Glazer leeches and watch him build a fully functioning club.
I don't think we've improved much if at all under Ole and if anything I think the squad may be in worse shape for the money we've spent and the wages we're paying.
He's signed some better players largely due to the shift in transfer policy which was more about signing "sure things" than taking chances. The only really good signing was Bruno. We overpaid for a lot of mediocrity and Maguire/AWB for £130m is some of the worst business in the sport's history. I think those two have presented as many problems as solution and for what they were supposed to be that's unacceptable. Not to mention some of the disgraceful new contracts handed out and the appeasement of Pogba which has left us with players we can't sell because other clubs wont match their wages and another player we can't sell because he'll leave for free. Just horrible management of players who always had more value elsewhere than they had here. Then you have Jones and Mata who are stealing a wage for no good reason at all.
As for decisions to make:
I expect this 6 months wont be nearly as rewarding as some are expecting and I don't particularly care. I think results will improve but only because they genuinely can't get worse. I don't expect to get far in the CL and I'm not even overly concerned about CL Qualification. If it means Ronaldo leaves then so be it, I love him but that's happening sooner rather than later anyway. This has to be a period of evaluation and indoctrination. A collective way of playing will be more valuable in the long run than any one player and we have a guy who's got an effective style which is working at the top level throughout Europe. Let him root out those who can/can't fit and give him and the new manager final say on who gets brought in. We can't half commit to a project - We did that with Mourinho and a meltdown ensued - This is a three year project that we're committed to and we live and die by that philosophy going forward.
He's signed some better players largely due to the shift in transfer policy which was more about signing "sure things" than taking chances. The only really good signing was Bruno. We overpaid for a lot of mediocrity and Maguire/AWB for £130m is some of the worst business in the sport's history. I think those two have presented as many problems as solution and for what they were supposed to be that's unacceptable. Not to mention some of the disgraceful new contracts handed out and the appeasement of Pogba which has left us with players we can't sell because other clubs wont match their wages and another player we can't sell because he'll leave for free. Just horrible management of players who always had more value elsewhere than they had here. Then you have Jones and Mata who are stealing a wage for no good reason at all.
As for decisions to make:
- Implemrnt a genuine meritocracy. No more favours for the lads. If players are out of form drop them and give other guys a run - A genuine chance and not just one game. Not a single player in that squad has earned being considered indispensable. Bruno was the closest thing to that but his form has collapsed.
- Implement an actual plan and have the players aware of what they're supposed to be doing as a collective - Even at the expense of results if necessary. What happens in the next 6 months is far less important than what happens beyond.
- Be ruthless. If players aren't receptive to the ideas of the manager they can go out the door or train with the reserves - The squad is too bloated as it is. The new manager must be brought in with the idea of continuing on RR's work and I think all signs point to Pochettino. The players need to be fitter and they need to work harder if they're to play this way. Get them running from day one.
I expect this 6 months wont be nearly as rewarding as some are expecting and I don't particularly care. I think results will improve but only because they genuinely can't get worse. I don't expect to get far in the CL and I'm not even overly concerned about CL Qualification. If it means Ronaldo leaves then so be it, I love him but that's happening sooner rather than later anyway. This has to be a period of evaluation and indoctrination. A collective way of playing will be more valuable in the long run than any one player and we have a guy who's got an effective style which is working at the top level throughout Europe. Let him root out those who can/can't fit and give him and the new manager final say on who gets brought in. We can't half commit to a project - We did that with Mourinho and a meltdown ensued - This is a three year project that we're committed to and we live and die by that philosophy going forward.
Ban chips
Great idea, start looking into that when we've lost three players on a free already!
Sancho, Cavani, Ronaldo were all good signings - Maguire was not. Your other points are largely moot as Ole has no say in player contracts. He's stated as much. Ed renews them to "keep their value" - Which is laughable.
Rest of the Season : Develop Style of play, identify who doesn't fit that style of play.
January 2021: Sell Pogba, Lingard, Jones, Martial. Loan out VDB,& Henderson
Summer 2022:
Sack Current Coaching Staff
Appoint New Manager complete with his own chosen coaching team ( My choice Erik Ten Hag)
Sell/Let Go: Mata, Matic, Cavani, VDB, Henderson, Dalot
Promote: Diallo, Elanga, Mejbri
Buy: Rice, Bellingham, Haaland & Trippier
January 2021: Sell Pogba, Lingard, Jones, Martial. Loan out VDB,& Henderson
Summer 2022:
Sack Current Coaching Staff
Appoint New Manager complete with his own chosen coaching team ( My choice Erik Ten Hag)
Sell/Let Go: Mata, Matic, Cavani, VDB, Henderson, Dalot
Promote: Diallo, Elanga, Mejbri
Buy: Rice, Bellingham, Haaland & Trippier
Cavani and Ronaldo...Come on. They're two of the most accomplished players in world football - Cavani's issues were availability and that's followed him here. Ronaldo is literally one of the greatest ever and was going to be signed with Ole's approval or not because of what he represents for the club. Really shrewd business...
Sancho is probably going to be a good signing, but he's nothing you wouldn't demand from a £70m investment. It's not like we've found a diamond in the rough there. The transfer strategy was safe and frankly lazy under Ole and still had as many misses than hits.
Ole 100% could have been more aggressive in getting players out the door. It's came out since how reluctant he was to have tough conversations with players and so I imagine that extended to Woodward as well. He should have told them there was no future here and told Ed that they were useless to him and that having such a bloated squad was not helpful. This is the problem with having a manager who's living his dream - He didn't want to rock the boat or take any chances.
Looked good until the last part. No way Rangnick will accept us getting a slow RB who's turning 32 ahead of Lamptey/Aarons/Laird.
Forgot about Lamptey.....I like him or anyone else that isn't AWB, AWB is alright as back up but not to start....he is to limited.
I think the only sentence where AWB and right back together sound good is "we should send AWB right back to Palace".
- Stop focusing on the past, and stop being Friends FC.
- Focus on high press/quick tempo play. Proactive offensive fotball.
- Getting the right players for it. Preferable young, up and coming players who fit or can be molded into the style. No big egos who doesnt suit it please like Mbappe, Neymar etc..
- Having a proper sporting director that takes care of this. I also want him to get managers with similar vision when we need a change. Not this 360 turn bullshit we have done in the past. Hopefully Ragnick takes this role.
- Oh and Woodward and the next CEO can feck off and stop interfering with the sporting side of things. This circus with signing big stars for marketing reasons, who doesnt fit our system has to stop.
- Focus on high press/quick tempo play. Proactive offensive fotball.
- Getting the right players for it. Preferable young, up and coming players who fit or can be molded into the style. No big egos who doesnt suit it please like Mbappe, Neymar etc..
- Having a proper sporting director that takes care of this. I also want him to get managers with similar vision when we need a change. Not this 360 turn bullshit we have done in the past. Hopefully Ragnick takes this role.
- Oh and Woodward and the next CEO can feck off and stop interfering with the sporting side of things. This circus with signing big stars for marketing reasons, who doesnt fit our system has to stop.
The first job is to establish the style of play and work out who doesn't fit. We have many players with many different talents, but we don't have a single consistent "type" of player throughout the team. Like for example City, who have all technical players to play Pep's style or Liverpool who have all high energy players to suit Klopp's football. We've got six of one and half a dozen of the other, which leads to a lack of cohesion or style.
Then in January/Summer try to offload as many of the players who don't fit as possible. The difficulty there is that some of them won't take a wage cut to go elsewhere. They'd rather keep their high income and go for a free in one or two years time. I'm thinking players like Jones and Matic here who probably won't have many suitors. We will also have to look at getting rid of higher profile players like AWB and Martial who I'm fairly certain won't fit into Rangnick's plans.
We should look to get rid of Pogba before his contract runs out, although again I don't see many clubs coming in with offers if they can have him for free in 6 months. Juve seem the most interested club but it would appear they're about to be investigated for misleading financial records.
Once those players he doesn't want are determined, he'll need to look at who he does want to bring in. Rangnick doesn't seem like a guy to go out and buy an £80m player because he's a great footballer. He is looking for very specific attributes in players. I'd compare this to Klopp's Liverpool side. They don't spend insane amounts of money on technically brilliant midfielders because his style suits hard working, all action types who are generally cheaper. I would expect Rangnick to be similar and if links to Haidara have any substance it would appear to backup that idea.
He absolutely must be the man who identifies and interviews the next manager. Assuming he doesn't stay on himself it needs to be a manager who has the same philosophy and style as he does. It doesn't have to be an exact copy but it must have the same basic principles. This is why we've needed a DoF for so long to create continuity in the way we play even when players and staff change. By this time he will have worked with the staff long enough to know which ones can deliver his vision behind the scenes and which ones can't. He should work with the manager to identify new staff where needed. I think it's important that it's a joint decision.
Then in January/Summer try to offload as many of the players who don't fit as possible. The difficulty there is that some of them won't take a wage cut to go elsewhere. They'd rather keep their high income and go for a free in one or two years time. I'm thinking players like Jones and Matic here who probably won't have many suitors. We will also have to look at getting rid of higher profile players like AWB and Martial who I'm fairly certain won't fit into Rangnick's plans.
We should look to get rid of Pogba before his contract runs out, although again I don't see many clubs coming in with offers if they can have him for free in 6 months. Juve seem the most interested club but it would appear they're about to be investigated for misleading financial records.
Once those players he doesn't want are determined, he'll need to look at who he does want to bring in. Rangnick doesn't seem like a guy to go out and buy an £80m player because he's a great footballer. He is looking for very specific attributes in players. I'd compare this to Klopp's Liverpool side. They don't spend insane amounts of money on technically brilliant midfielders because his style suits hard working, all action types who are generally cheaper. I would expect Rangnick to be similar and if links to Haidara have any substance it would appear to backup that idea.
He absolutely must be the man who identifies and interviews the next manager. Assuming he doesn't stay on himself it needs to be a manager who has the same philosophy and style as he does. It doesn't have to be an exact copy but it must have the same basic principles. This is why we've needed a DoF for so long to create continuity in the way we play even when players and staff change. By this time he will have worked with the staff long enough to know which ones can deliver his vision behind the scenes and which ones can't. He should work with the manager to identify new staff where needed. I think it's important that it's a joint decision.
Sell our junk to Newcastle in January.
Buy midfielders in the summer.
Buy midfielders in the summer.
I want to see the team coached properly, so much so that the players who regularly get so much abuse on here (AWB, Fred etc) turn out to be top players. With the right coaching players can take that next step up. All the greats had that ability to take average players and make them world beaters!