Is it still possible to have an excellent transfer window?

romufc · Aug 10, 2022

I really doubt this window will be any better than it has been. I can see what will happen, we will spend another 2 weeks monitoring players then get battered by Liverpool again, panic will set and we will panic buy 2/3 players in the last 3 days of the window.

These players will be ones that no one wants or ones that dont suit us. This is exactly the same window as 2020 where we signed Amad, Donny, Telles, Cavani, Pellestri where none of them 2 years on are anywhere near starting or are gone.

AndySmith1990 · Aug 10, 2022

It's possible to salvage it, but incredibly unlikely with the cast of the muppets running the circus. We'll sign Rabiot and a cheap forward. That would have been Arnautovic if not for fan backlash. Grim

Yagami · Aug 10, 2022

Definitely.

A press resistant midfielder? Doable.

A forward who can dribble and keep the ball under pressure? Preferably on the right? Doable.

That’s all we need to make it to January, and there’s plenty of players who fit the criteria.

Eckers99 · Aug 10, 2022

Nope. Whatever happens in the next few weeks doesn't change the fact that we've come into yet another window totally unprepared. And this one's even worse, as we've known for months that drastic work was needed.

A couple of last ditch panic buys won't stop the club being an absolute basket case.

DomesticTadpole · Aug 10, 2022

Was listening to Talksport earlier, I know I shouldn't and they were going on about fan backlash, not seeming to realise a lot of it is to do with the racism issue, we have enough issues off the field regarding players without adding racism to our list of achievements.

cafecillos · Aug 10, 2022

Even if 2 or 3 good players were added in the most needed positions (which is highly unlikely) by August 31st, it'd be too late for the window to be considered excellent. There are like 12 or 15 points to be played for before the window closes, plus the unavoidable adaptation period for new signings. The club could very easily find itself quite a few points behind the main rivals for its target (I'm assuming that's 3rd or 4th) by the time there's a relatively stable and well oiled eleven. Also, the Arnautovic and Rabiot rumours have been rather disheartening.

Denis79 · Aug 10, 2022

They've had the whole summer to get transfers done and have them ready for pre-season. Now it seems that we are in panic mode?

Bestietom · Aug 10, 2022

What's wrong with looking outside of europe, There are plenty young classy players in South American leagues.

worldinmotion66 · Aug 10, 2022

Of course, and anyone that thinks otherwise is deluded. If we sign de Jong, it's an incredible window because we have absolutely no right to be going after that profile of player given the position we're in. If we strengthen our weakest areas in that way over 3 or 4 windows, we could be right back challenging, where we should be.

Offside · Aug 10, 2022

Well whatever we do we’ve already lost 3 points because McFred started the first game. Shocking.

Ted Lasso · Aug 13, 2022

Surprised we haven't made another signing yet. I was so optimistic and forgiving the so long this window but it's really beyond reason now.

CEO or Glazers should be chopping heads with this continued incompetence. But they don't care.

Beans · Aug 13, 2022

Why does every other team line up signings quickly? We can't get the lay of the land and pick up the best players we can get? Surely we should be able to compete with Arsenal and Spurs for their signings, and teams of that ilk.

MrSingh2002 · Aug 13, 2022

Not with these owners.

We've seen this pattern of failure repeat so much now that there's no question whether it's intentional.

Billionaires aren't this inept. It's by design.

The Firestarter · Aug 13, 2022

Beans said:
Why does every other team line up signings quickly? We can't get the lay of the land and pick up the best players we can get? Surely we should be able to compete with Arsenal and Spurs for their signings, and teams of that ilk.

Because other clubs have put proper football people, with decades of experience, in charge of football matters. They come with their networks of contacts in a lot of smaller clubs(and of course the top dogs), and also scouts all around the world. We are giving bean counters a crash course on how football works and naming them executives. It's never going to work properly, they are not speaking the same language in a sense.
Also, a DoF is supposed to be given of what player positions the club needs filled and they can work independently on finding potential signings. In our case it appears the manager is tasked with this , in addition to their main job of actually coaching the team. So , this adds to the overall work load of the manager and it is understandable if they fail to consider all the implications of a potential signing, including off-field ones. Unlike the case when there is a whole department that comes up with turnkey signings that have all due diligence completed

TheLord · Aug 13, 2022

With FDJ likely to stay at Barcelona, the short answer is, "No."

We put all our eggs in one basket and failed.

croadyman · Aug 13, 2022

The Firestarter said:
Because other clubs have put proper football people, with decades of experience, in charge of football matters. They come with their networks of contacts in a lot of smaller clubs(and of course the top dogs), and also scouts all around the world. We are giving bean counters a crash course on how football works and naming them executives. It's never going to work properly, they are not speaking the same language in a sense.
Also, a DoF is supposed to be given of what player positions the club needs filled and they can work independently on finding potential signings. In our case it appears the manager is tasked with this , in addition to their main job of actually coaching the team. So , this adds to the overall work load of the manager and it is understandable if they fail to consider all the implications of a potential signing, including off-field ones. Unlike the case when there is a whole department that comes up with turnkey signings that have all due diligence completed

Yeah why we aren't getting best in class I haven't a clue, also benefits the Glazers because wouldn't have to spend silly money.

NZT-One · Aug 13, 2022

Yagami said:
Definitely.

A press resistant midfielder? Doable.

A forward who can dribble and keep the ball under pressure? Preferably on the right? Doable.

That’s all we need to make it to January, and there’s plenty of players who fit the criteria.

I don't agree. The OP title is about it being an excellent window and how could it be excellent when the season already started and we still have unfinished business? Excellent was gone as soon as we failed to have more than one of the new signings on pre-season.

On a scale from 0 - abysmal to 10 - awesome, I'd say we are crawling around 3 or 4, because the players we brought, while being nice, aren't anything to freak out about. I'd say, with the right aquisitions, the window could still raise up to a 6 or 7 - but then the coming transfers would need to be pretty pretty good.
Before the window, I would have tried to go for 2 midfielders, one forward who can dribble well (as you said) for the right side but best case scenario comfortable all across the frontline, a RB and a forward. Forward only because of Ronaldo wanting to go, otherwise, I'd have pushed that issue to one year from now, same as a GK who is more suited for the modern game. The number of aquisitions would have been high though, but I wouldn't have asked for premium solutions everywhere. Deals like Malacia and Eriksen, but for positions we are really in need of.

elmo · Aug 13, 2022

diarm said:
An excellent window sees a completed squad in place in time for the preseason tour. That means the players who need to leave are gone and the players that need to come in are in.

Desperately scraping around at the bottom of the barrel after losing the first game of the season will never, ever result in an excellent window.

This. I’ve been banging on about how well ran clubs usually do most of their business early in the window because the majority of the legwork is done before the transfer window is open.

But you’ve clowns believing the PR releases that the club sends out about how Murtough is revamping our transfer network and impressing players with it.

bosnian_red · Aug 13, 2022

At best we can make it a 5/10 window if we sign Morata and Rabiot IMO. I'd take that at this point and would feel ten hag can work with something at least. If Frenkie comes then bump that up a point.

Bebestation · Aug 13, 2022

I personally never expected a complete squad this transfer window

But trying 3 months for De Jong and then failing feels like a failure.

devilish · Aug 13, 2022

A top quality DOF would get a fee out of Ronaldo and he would bring Icardi and Kalajdzic for next to nothing. He would move swiftly for Soler and Laimer and he'd add a RW on the cheap, someone like Adama Traore. Unfortunately we only have Murtough

Biggins · Aug 13, 2022

If we can get two CMs, be that Rabiot and FDJ/SMS/Neves/Tielemans I would give this window 8/10. If only Rabiot 5/10.

Sky1981 · Aug 13, 2022

If the windows ends now... It's a car crash

Wednesday at Stoke · Aug 13, 2022

devilish said:
A top quality DOF would get a fee out of Ronaldo and he would bring Icardi and Kalajdzic for next to nothing. He would move swiftly for Soler and Laimer and he'd add a RW on the cheap, someone like Adama Traore. Unfortunately we only have Murtough

Considering how far we have fallen behind, we need a DoF with a penchant for a challenge and disruption. They have to come in, ruffle some feathers of people within our clubs and at other clubs and basically bully us back into contention. Unfortunately that won't happen as long as the parasites are around because they'll feel a personality like that would ultimately bring light on their money sucking ownership.

NZT-One · Aug 13, 2022

Wednesday at Stoke said:
Considering how far we have fallen behind, we need a DoF with a penchant for a challenge and disruption. They have to come in, ruffle some feathers of people within our clubs and at other clubs and basically bully us back into contention. Unfortunately that won't happen as long as the parasites are around because they'll feel a personality like that would ultimately bring light on their money sucking ownership.

I always felt, that this thought construct lacks real world relevance. I mean, the last 10 years have seen United being one of the biggest spenders in world football with probably the smallest ROI thinkable. It would absolutely be in the interest of the owners and the CEO to see United being more successfull on the pitch as it makes it easier to make money with the club. It is totally fine being against the owners, I get it and everything. But as stated numerous times, our problem wasn't the amount of money being ready to spend, it was the way we spent it. And that definitely could improve by bringing in competent people at the right positions. I'd argue, based on what we see this summer, it would rather be Murtough who should be scared about some light being shined on the existing shortcomings. Don't know about Arnold, maybe him too, but from my understanding, he shouldn't have a say in sports matters anyway.

Wednesday at Stoke · Aug 13, 2022

NZT-One said:
I always felt, that this thought construct lacks real world relevance. I mean, the last 10 years have seen United being one of the biggest spenders in world football with probably the smallest ROI thinkable. It would absolutely be in the interest of the owners and the CEO to see United being more successfull on the pitch as it makes it easier to make money with the club. It is totally fine being against the owners, I get it and everything. But as stated numerous times, our problem wasn't the amount of money being ready to spend, it was the way we spent it. And that definitely could improve by bringing in competent people at the right positions. I'd argue, based on what we see this summer, it would rather be Murtough who should be scared about some light being shined on the existing shortcomings. Don't know about Arnold, maybe him too, but from my understanding, he shouldn't have a say in sports matters anyway.

I think we are both saying the same thing.

croadyman · Aug 13, 2022

Biggins said:
If we can get two CMs, be that Rabiot and FDJ/SMS/Neves/Tielemans I would give this window 8/10. If only Rabiot 5/10.

Would only be 8 if we got a backup ST too, without that I am going maybe 6.5/7 depending on who is second midfielder with Rabiot.

mikeyt · Aug 13, 2022

It can be salvaged. But even if it is, we still look incompetent and incredibly restrictive on who we look at.

If we get Rabiot, FDJ or SMS along with a decent forward who could develop and back up GK before the end of the window then we'd be alright.

But we also need to offload at least 3 more (Bailly, Tuanzebe and AWB preferably) in which case a RB would also be needed.

Under ETH we simply have to get scouts out wider than Europe, South and Central America etc and come Jan and next summer we need to be in early with a clear plan of ins and outs.

croadyman · Aug 13, 2022

mikeyt said:
It can be salvaged. But even if it is, we still look incompetent and incredibly restrictive on who we look at.

If we get Rabiot, FDJ or SMS along with a decent forward who could develop and back up GK before the end of the window then we'd be alright.

But we also need to offload at least 3 more (Bailly, Tuanzebe and AWB preferably) in which case a RB would also be needed.

Under ETH we simply have to get scouts out wider than Europe, South and Central America etc and come Jan and next summer we need to be in early with a clear plan of ins and outs.

Know I will probably be proven wrong but expect a much better next window whether that's January or summer 2023

croadyman · Aug 13, 2022

mikeyt said:
It can be salvaged. But even if it is, we still look incompetent and incredibly restrictive on who we look at.

If we get Rabiot, FDJ or SMS along with a decent forward who could develop and back up GK before the end of the window then we'd be alright.

But we also need to offload at least 3 more (Bailly, Tuanzebe and AWB preferably) in which case a RB would also be needed.

Under ETH we simply have to get scouts out wider than Europe, South and Central America etc and come Jan and next summer we need to be in early with a clear plan of ins and outs.

Who can we get at RB because badly need one

DutchCruijff · Aug 13, 2022

Yes, it is possible.

IF we get a backup GK, a RB, Rabiot, De Jong, Depay and another FW in. How much would that cost?

Around £150m, I'd say.

Then yes, it is "successful".

croadyman · Aug 13, 2022

DutchCruijff said:
Yes, it is possible.

IF we get a backup GK, a RB, Rabiot, De Jong, Depay and another FW in. How much would that cost?

Around £150m, I'd say.

Then yes, it is "successful".

Would happily just take De Jong, Rabiot, RB & back up forward (yes I know the names are bit underwhelming but we aren't looking for starter)

NZT-One · Aug 13, 2022

Wednesday at Stoke said:
I think we are both saying the same thing.

Do we? It sounded as if you think, that the owners of the club would be issue because they wouldn't bring in a DOF who potentially shines a light of the owners shortcomings. Did I get that wrong?

Lux Thunder · Aug 13, 2022

jesperjaap said:
No. But we can still have a very fruitful one, there are still some very good young players about

Gusto at right back
Milenkovic Savic or Thuram from Nice as play maker in the pivot
Chotard or Tonali for CM
Sulemana/DOku or Diaby for the wing
Sign Amine Giouri up front

DeGea/Heaton
Gusto/Bissaka
Varane/Maguire
Martinez/Bailly
Shaw/Malacia
Tonali/Garner
Milenkovic SAvic/Hannibal
Eriksen/Fernandes
SUlemana/Garnacho
Sancho/Pellestri
Giouri/Martial

Bar the youngsters, sod the rest, sell who we can, talented young squad with room to grow and be moulded, is at least intelligence in the midfielders and genuine world class potential in a few of the attacking players.

I would rather make no more purchases than buy Rabiot/Guedes or Arnautovic though, they dont improve the dressing room, dont improve the first eleven barely at all and none are at a good age to grow, they dont get any better, worse in fact.Actually think Arnautovic is talented but never done it consistently at much smaller clubs and in his mid thirties.....but there are still good deals to be done, especially from France, get your heads out of fricking Holland for 5mins or experienced journey men on cut price deals and bag a couple of players late on that actually improve our first eleven, the squad is large the quality in the first eleven is piss poor

I could not agree more about Sulemana, Gusto and Gouiri.

If we are about to sign a winger in the coming windows, I would love us to see having a look at Kamaldeen Sulemana. A natural hair to Dembele, Raphinha, Camavinga, and other talented players that went to the biggest stage through Rennes, Sulemana is LW and if Rashford continues to play like the past two seasons we should be on the market for that position too.

His numbers in terms of G/A are not eye-catching, but he is a player that contributes to the game a lot more than his output in front of a goal can describe. I think he has all the required abilities that ETH wants from his winger: naturally uses the width, has great dribbling ability, great at progressing the ball further, and extremely hard-working player without the ball putting a lot of pressure on him the opponent.

From his Fbref Report, I also saw one interesting stat and that is his long pass accuracy and that he uses the switch of play more frequently than other players compared to him, which would be hugely beneficial in ETH's system with another winger also maintaining the width. He ranks himself in the 90th percentile for crosses into the penalty area, 94th percentile for medium pass completed, 91st percentile for long pass completed, and 91st percentile for several switches during the game.

Surely would be a great addition in the region of £30m - £40m with his already very good general play and room for future improvement.

Gusto will be a massive improvement on the right back and someone who fits ETH perfectly. Great technique, great passer and carrier of the ball who is not afraid to operate in more central areas which are very important to ETH. Defensively also a very good so well-rounded young right back who would possibly be a starter given our options in the squad. Might not be attainable this window, but next summer he is entering the last year of the contract (run in 2024.) and a club with developed recruitment should already start to secure his signing.

As for Gouiri, I wrote about him in another thread as someone I would pick. He likes to drop to the left to link up that could be a very good in order to move the ball in attacking third and also to empty the right flank for a right winger and create 1v1 situations for someone like Sancho. To add more, when Giouri drops to receive the ball he also loves to switch play diagonally to the right. Not physical enough to be a target man but his hold-up play is very good and he can be a focal point of attack. He can also play as a LW so will give us more options.

I got replied by someone that my striker options Giouri, CDK and Ekitike are good scouting picks but for smaller clubs not United, but apparently, two of them are good enough to be signed by champions of Italy and France.

These are three players that our scouting department should recognize and our recruitment team should be all over them. These are top talents in Europe that still could be attainable and the market in France is absolutely one of that we should explore more often.

croadyman · Aug 13, 2022

NZT-One said:
Do we? It sounded as if you think, that the owners of the club would be issue because they wouldn't bring in a DOF who potentially shines a light of the owners shortcomings. Did I get that wrong?

Yeah that's why they are reluctant to bring one in

Andersons Dietician · Aug 13, 2022

I now am of the opinion that not even getting Frenkie would make this a decent window. God forbid if we miss out on him and go in to the window with what we have. This weeks news reports on people we are targeting makes me think they know it will be a no and are scrambling to bring in whomever they can.

In which case surely we would have been better to go after the targets Ralf had identified before the window. Clubs just ran by absolute muppets, wait no not muppets. Muppets would probably get us some decent signings.

Poorly planned, poorly executed just looking like standard Man United right now. Hopefully stuff happens between now and the close of the window but it doesn’t look good.

jesperjaap · Aug 13, 2022

Lux Thunder said:
I could not agree more about Sulemana, Gusto and Gouiri.

If we are about to sign a winger in the coming windows, I would love us to see having a look at Kamaldeen Sulemana. A natural hair to Dembele, Raphinha, Camavinga, and other talented players that went to the biggest stage through Rennes, Sulemana is LW and if Rashford continues to play like the past two seasons we should be on the market for that position too.

His numbers in terms of G/A are not eye-catching, but he is a player that contributes to the game a lot more than his output in front of a goal can describe. I think he has all the required abilities that ETH wants from his winger: naturally uses the width, has great dribbling ability, great at progressing the ball further, and extremely hard-working player without the ball putting a lot of pressure on him the opponent.

From his Fbref Report, I also saw one interesting stat and that is his long pass accuracy and that he uses the switch of play more frequently than other players compared to him, which would be hugely beneficial in ETH's system with another winger also maintaining the width. He ranks himself in the 90th percentile for crosses into the penalty area, 94th percentile for medium pass completed, 91st percentile for long pass completed, and 91st percentile for several switches during the game.

Surely would be a great addition in the region of £30m - £40m with his already very good general play and room for future improvement.

Gusto will be a massive improvement on the right back and someone who fits ETH perfectly. Great technique, great passer and carrier of the ball who is not afraid to operate in more central areas which are very important to ETH. Defensively also a very good so well-rounded young right back who would possibly be a starter given our options in the squad. Might not be attainable this window, but next summer he is entering the last year of the contract (run in 2024.) and a club with developed recruitment should already start to secure his signing.

As for Gouiri, I wrote about him in another thread as someone I would pick. He likes to drop to the left to link up that could be a very good in order to move the ball in attacking third and also to empty the right flank for a right winger and create 1v1 situations for someone like Sancho. To add more, when Giouri drops to receive the ball he also loves to switch play diagonally to the right. Not physical enough to be a target man but his hold-up play is very good and he can be a focal point of attack. He can also play as a LW so will give us more options.

I got replied by someone that my striker options Giouri, CDK and Ekitike are good scouting picks but for smaller clubs not United, but apparently, two of them are good enough to be signed by champions of Italy and France.

These are three players that our scouting department should recognize and our recruitment team should be all over them. These are top talents in Europe that still could be attainable and the market in France is absolutely one of that we should explore more often.

Anybody young or not knowm , you often get that kind of comment...I too mentioned Ekitike so similar earlier int he window, think he is very raw though. Had simialr with Camavinga "he is too yougn to start, we need proven players" blah blah...laughable.

Giouri is the one I dotn understand though, tentative links with Madrid and thats it this summer. I have followed him since France youth football, as thought he was a brilliant prospect and was horrible jsut when he was breakign thorugh to get such a big injury, but I think he is a genuine world class players in the making and his ability to move out wide as well....the ideal reaplcement to Greenwood and also bar aerial abiity and strength to hold up, see a lot of yougn Benzema in him too, he and Camavinga were my dream signings the last couple of years...now Camavinga has moved I Sulemana would be the one....the only thing ont hat though is Sancho seems ineffective on the right in comparison to the left. I do realyl like Doku too but he seems far more an individual talent with a lower ceiling to me than Sulemana...just frustrating how this window is all about players who have played in Holland or journeyman Serie A players, France is awash with talent

Roboc7 · Aug 13, 2022

The squad needs to be completely gutted, no one at the club has competence or appetite to do it. ETH can’t even get them to pretend they are going to back him in first window. Feel sorry for him as not sure he has much hope.

Beans · Aug 13, 2022

Another sub that probably should have come on sooner

NZT-One · Aug 13, 2022

croadyman said:
Yeah that's why they are reluctant to bring one in

But does that really make sense? I mean, they just have to look how much more bang for their buck other teams are getting. Wouldn't they be the first ones to be interested in maximizing the impact of their money? As I said, be mad at the owners, fair enough. But the argument that they are scared that it would be them to come into trouble by bringing one in, doesn't really add up in my opinion. On the contrary, a DOF would be somebody they could way better hide behind as he is responsible for more or less everything the fans really care about: the football. It doesn't really add up. Again dislike the owners all you want, but as long as we don't focus the criticism where it is needed, it is just a waste of time.

Is it still possible to have an excellent transfer window?

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Good post resistant

Michael Corleone says hello

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Can never have too many Eevees

Worst scout to ever exist

Im a doctor btw, my IQ destroys yours

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Fending off the urge

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