I really like the qualities Neto would add to our squad. We don’t have a winger like him.Experienced or another young one like Rasmus. Neto would definitely be my ideal RW as feel he could have that Jota at scousers like impact
Feel we need more than one midfielder,also reckon we can do better than Choupo-Moting. Mind you to be fair he did set up Kane for winner other dayI really like the qualities Neto would add to our squad. We don’t have a winger like him.
My dream window would be:
Pedro Neto
Antonio Silva
Khéphren Thuram
Eric Choupo-Moting
Theo Hernandez
It’s big outlay, probably 220m, but you’re greatly improving the team and our squad options. I’d bring in an older striker, as ideally you’d want experience to support Rasmus.
Definitely someone we should be looking at, and someone we would have looked at during the Alex Ferguson era. Though I do suspect he will stay at Leeds United for a while yet (there's no substitute for regular football, and he's practically guaranteed to get it over there...like Declan Rice at West Ham). Press-resistant and pretty mobile, capable of collecting the ball in deeper areas and advancing it up the pitch, good passing range and awareness of space and positional sense for his age — in short, the ingredients you need for a modern No. 6 (or central midfielder in general). Here's his individual highlight reel from the match, doesn't seem fazed by adult football or the level of competition...Thoughts on Archie Gray at Leeds? Plays either holding midfield or RB. I never watched Chelsea vs Leeds but apparently he was superb, and everytime I’ve seen Leeds on TV he’s very much looked the part.
If Leeds come up they’ll no doubt want to keep him but if they stay in the championship we’d be able to get him.
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Alan Smith used to be die hard Leeds tooHe’s meant to be an unbelievable prospect but I don’t see him coming to us due to the fact he’s a die hard Leeds supporter and all his family ties make that even stronger.
There’s some very promising players in the Championship for sure that we could target - Rigg, Jobe Bellingham, Greaves, Philogene, Will Alves, Jordan James etc.
237mProper radical here. Not at all what will happen but a bit of fun -
Head Coach: Nagelsmann
GK: Onana, Bayindir, Heaton
RB: Dalot, Ebosele (Udinese - 10m)
LB: Shaw, Brown (Gent - 10m)
RCD: Varane, Yoro (Rennes - 40m), Lindelof
LCD: Martinez, Greaves (Hull - 15m), Evans
DM: Zubimendi (Sociedad - 52m), Keita (Antwerp - 15m)
CM: Mainoo, McTominay
AM: Fernandes, Mount
RW: Olise (Crystal Palace - 60m), Amad
LW: Garnacho, Moleiro (Las Palmas - 20m)
ST: Hojlund, Whittaker (Plymouth - 15m)
Indeed. Not saying it’s realistic at all. It would involve the sales/loans/release of AWB, Maguire, Malacia, Fernandez, Casemiro, Eriksen, Hannibal, Van de Beek, Antony, Sancho, Pellistri, Rashford, Greenwood, Martial and maybe some under 23s so it would be supplemented.237m
I don’t think the transfers themselves are realistic but we spent £450m across the last two seasons. So I don’t think 237m £ or € is that insane considering I expect us to have more outgoings than usual this summer.237m
Got to love the optimism. When was the last time we bought someone at 15m who could hold down a place in the squad?Proper radical here. Not at all what will happen but a bit of fun -
Head Coach: Nagelsmann
GK: Onana, Bayindir, Heaton
RB: Dalot, Ebosele (Udinese - 10m)
LB: Shaw, Brown (Gent - 10m)
RCD: Varane, Yoro (Rennes - 40m), Lindelof
LCD: Martinez, Greaves (Hull - 15m), Evans
DM: Zubimendi (Sociedad - 52m), Keita (Antwerp - 15m)
CM: Mainoo, McTominay
AM: Fernandes, Mount
RW: Olise (Crystal Palace - 60m), Amad
LW: Garnacho, Moleiro (Las Palmas - 20m)
ST: Hojlund, Whittaker (Plymouth - 15m)
It is hard for Brighton, West ham or Aston Villa to be honest, let alone Man Utd.Got to love the optimism. When was the last time we bought someone at 15m who could hold down a place in the squad?
Daniel Ballard, Jonathan Rowe, Ryan AndrewsHe’s meant to be an unbelievable prospect but I don’t see him coming to us due to the fact he’s a die hard Leeds supporter and all his family ties make that even stronger.
There’s some very promising players in the Championship for sure that we could target - Rigg, Jobe Bellingham, Greaves, Philogene, Will Alves, Jordan James etc.
It would be great if we could solely sign proven players but unfortunately our squad is not in the right place for that as we have a lot of gaps and rebuilding to do. Our issue is not just quality but depth too, as we’ve seen from the teams we’ve been putting out and subs we’ve been bringing on recently. If we go for these players we can only sign 2-3 in the summer as they cost £60-100m each and I think we need more reinforcements than just 3 players.We have to go after the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Theo Hernandez, if we want to be a proper club. Proven quality at a good age, and no more of this buying players from suspect leagues.
The first has a release clause as well. He has been impressive every time I've watched him, and he has a killer pass in him that opens up defences, something that we are struggling with when facing low block teams.
You should be getting employed by INEOS with that sort of blue sky thinking. I like Barella but that falls into the Guimaraes expensive CM thing too.It would be great if we could solely sign proven players but unfortunately our squad is not in the right place for that as we have a lot of gaps and rebuilding to do. Our issue is not just quality but depth too, as we’ve seen from the teams we’ve been putting out and subs we’ve been bringing on recently. If we go for these players we can only sign 2-3 in the summer as they cost £60-100m each and I think we need more reinforcements than just 3 players.
If for example we signed Theo at £60m, Bruno G at £80m, and let’s say Branthwaite at £60m, we would be adding 3 great players but all it would take is an injury to Martinez and we’d be back to playing Maguire or Lindelof again at CB. An injury to Bruno G and we’d be starting McTominay again.
That’s why I think we need to take some calculated risks on transfers and stretch our budget further to add more depth so that we have a SQUAD of players that can play our system. Not just 11 players.
For example, instead of Branthwaite we can buy Todibo and Lucumi for the same/similar amount. Instead of Theo Hernandez, we could buy Frimpong to cover RB and get Doughty from Luton on a free to cover Shaw at LB. Instead of Bruno G for £80m we should buy Thuram from Nice and Andre Trindade from Brazil.
This way if we have an injury in any of these positions, we’re not forced into playing your McTominays, Maguire, AWBs who aren’t suited to how we want to play. A summer of rebuilding like this and then next summer we can hopefully target more of the type of players you mentioned.
Oh yeah there definitely needs to a massive overhaul,unfortunately suspect that FFP will stop us being able to do that. There is a suggestion things could improve in July so maybe I'm wrongi mean we can argue bits and pieces, but if the new group has any sort of real aspirations i think about 95 percent of us can agree we need complete, massive overhaul of changes. Cant be one of the seasons where we see a couple signings in and a couple players out.
Looks like a squad that will struggle for top6/7 we need much more than this United need at least 3/3 Marquee Signings and 4/5 less expensive squad players.Proper radical here. Not at all what will happen but a bit of fun -
Head Coach: Nagelsmann
GK: Onana, Bayindir, Heaton
RB: Dalot, Ebosele (Udinese - 10m)
LB: Shaw, Brown (Gent - 10m)
RCD: Varane, Yoro (Rennes - 40m), Lindelof
LCD: Martinez, Greaves (Hull - 15m), Evans
DM: Zubimendi (Sociedad - 52m), Keita (Antwerp - 15m)
CM: Mainoo, McTominay
AM: Fernandes, Mount
RW: Olise (Crystal Palace - 60m), Amad
LW: Garnacho, Moleiro (Las Palmas - 20m)
ST: Hojlund, Whittaker (Plymouth - 15m)
meh we just need to be smart. Focus on good value and find players that fit a system instead of going for the big 60 plus million signings can easily allow for more signings.Oh yeah there definitely needs to a massive overhaul,unfortunately suspect that FFP will stop us being able to do that. There is a suggestion things could improve in July so maybe I'm wrong
He’s played 39 games club and country scored 16 and three AssistsWhat do people see in Sesko? He's underperformed in the Bundesliga, how will he translate to the Prem?
Yeah like all of them signings,still need a full back and more in midfield as well thoughLooks like a squad that will struggle for top6/7 we need much more than this United need at least 3/3 Marquee Signings and 4/5 less expensive squad players.
The Marquee Signings should be CFW, RWS, CM, CB
The lesser signings should be CB, No 8, LB, young DM.
We’ve been burnt so many times we need to get the 3 or 4 marquee players right and the first one we should go all out for Is Nicola Barella but that boat looks like it’s gone now Madrid are interested, we need to improve our spine with quality additions.
Perfect window would start with Jarod Braithwaite, Nicola Barella and Benjamin Sesco or Joshua Zikzee, even if it cost £160-170m for those 3, those 3 of 4 players instantly improve the team and squad.
We definitely have to start spreading the money and risk around more than we have done previously. Balancing out bigger signings with some cheaper players has to be the way forward, as well as investing in a number of younger players who are developed/loaned out.It would be great if we could solely sign proven players but unfortunately our squad is not in the right place for that as we have a lot of gaps and rebuilding to do. Our issue is not just quality but depth too, as we’ve seen from the teams we’ve been putting out and subs we’ve been bringing on recently. If we go for these players we can only sign 2-3 in the summer as they cost £60-100m each and I think we need more reinforcements than just 3 players.
If for example we signed Theo at £60m, Bruno G at £80m, and let’s say Branthwaite at £60m, we would be adding 3 great players but all it would take is an injury to Martinez and we’d be back to playing Maguire or Lindelof again at CB. An injury to Bruno G and we’d be starting McTominay again.
That’s why I think we need to take some calculated risks on transfers and stretch our budget further to add more depth so that we have a SQUAD of players that can play our system. Not just 11 players.
For example, instead of Branthwaite we can buy Todibo and Lucumi for the same/similar amount. Instead of Theo Hernandez, we could buy Frimpong to cover RB and get Doughty from Luton on a free to cover Shaw at LB. Instead of Bruno G for £80m we should buy Thuram from Nice and Andre Trindade from Brazil.
This way if we have an injury in any of these positions, we’re not forced into playing your McTominays, Maguire, AWBs who aren’t suited to how we want to play. A summer of rebuilding like this and then next summer we can hopefully target more of the type of players you mentioned.
Exactly, Arsenal went through the period we should be about to embark on and they are in the position to fine tune their squad with bigger signings like Rice.We definitely have to start spreading the money and risk around more than we have done previously. Balancing out bigger signings with some cheaper players has to be the way forward, as well as investing in a number of younger players who are developed/loaned out.
Arsenal have spent big but have also managed to pick up cheaper players like Odegaard, Gabriel, Saliba, Martinelli and some other squad players for reasonable fees. Of course they’ve bought some cheaper flops as well but it’s not as disastrous when they don’t work out.
I am sure INEOS will look at younger and cheaper players, may see more players like Pafundi being signed by Lausanne and Nice with intention of them ending up at Utd as well if things work out.
I get your thinking and I like all the players you've mentioned. But that isn't much different from what we've been doing for years with little success. All of those players mentioned would be £40m+ and only Barella would really start regularly. Is Branthwaite better than Martinez? Is Sesko better than Hojlund?Looks like a squad that will struggle for top6/7 we need much more than this United need at least 3/3 Marquee Signings and 4/5 less expensive squad players.
The Marquee Signings should be CFW, RWS, CM, CB
The lesser signings should be CB, No 8, LB, young DM.
We’ve been burnt so many times we need to get the 3 or 4 marquee players right and the first one we should go all out for Is Nicola Barella but that boat looks like it’s gone now Madrid are interested, we need to improve our spine with quality additions.
Perfect window would start with Jarod Braithwaite, Nicola Barella and Benjamin Sesco or Joshua Zikzee, even if it cost £160-170m for those 3, those 3 of 4 players instantly improve the team and squad.
Can’t argue with that. Next up would then be:If we want to be a high pressing team, we’re only as good as our slowest defender - their speed dictates how high our line can squeeze up.
We can’t go into next season with any of our back 4 or their immediate backups slower than Martinez.
We need all of these, but here’s my prioritization:
1. starting RCB
2. backup LCB
3. competitive LB (on par with Shaw, since they’ll likely play at least 50% of games)
4. backup striker
5. starting CDM
6. starting RW
Given FFP without CL money, I’d be happy if we got the top 5. That doesn’t solve our attacking problems, but I don’t think we can fix everything in one window. Must get the foundation right first.
Sensible post, we will not sell Bruno, Rashford, Mctominay this summer and new CEO and DOF will be more of a fan of Maguire than ETH was, the PL is still a highly physical league and Harry’s formIf we want to be a high pressing team, we’re only as good as our slowest defender - their speed dictates how high our line can squeeze up.
We can’t go into next season with any of our back 4 or their immediate backups slower than Martinez.
We need all of these, but here’s my prioritization:
1. starting RCB
2. backup LCB
3. competitive LB (on par with Shaw, since they’ll likely play at least 50% of games)
4. backup striker
5. starting CDM
6. starting RW
Given FFP without CL money, I’d be happy if we got the top 5. That doesn’t solve our attacking problems, but I don’t think we can fix everything in one window. Must get the foundation right first.
We might need to rethink our defensive calculus as a whole, depending on the type of football Ratcliffe wants, and strategize accordingly (given the debilitatingly expensive nature of our recruitment-related shortcomings in recent years).That video leads me to think that defence is our biggest need. We need defenders that are quick enough to allow us to play the high press from the back. That should be the prerequisite for any defender we sign going forward.
The video I posted paints an encouraging view of our pressing prowess from the front (2nd in creating chances I believe). The videos talks about how we concede all these shots. EtH has our backline sitting low, and our forwards pushing high leaving all that exploitable space in the middle. Our forwards have proven their usefulness, our defenders haven't.We might need to rethink our defensive calculus as a whole, depending on the type of football Ratcliffe wants, and strategize accordingly (given the debilitatingly expensive nature of our recruitment-related shortcomings in recent years).
Let's say, for example, that new co-ownership (in conjunction with Berrada and, presumably Ashworth) direct the Head Coach to implement high-possession and high-press principles at First Team level. Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta are obvious reference point for that model, and both of them have shown an inclination for a backline that is almost entirely comprised of centerbacks, of late — when you consider the profiles of the likes of Stones, Aké, White or Kiwior. That does not appear to be a coincidence.
We might be advised to similarly recruit centerbacks for the fullback positions, or at least wide defenders who are versatile and more defensively rigorous than run-of-the-mill fullbacks, with a whole bunch of characteristics under the microscope...
And so forth. Isolating the leftback position, those consideration might lead you to a Piero Hincapié, to cite one potential target, rather than someone who is more of an archetypal vertically oriented wingback.
- Pace and inuition to operate in high lines, as you mentioned. Particularly explosiveness in recovery when you do get beat.
- The technical werewithal, press-resistance and patience to play in schemes that are predicated on intricate build-ups, especially in confined spaces.
- The mentality to impose yourselves on the opposition and be the proactive force in any given contest.
- Counter-pressing expertise to stifle a lot of problems in the bud (instead of always reacting to them).
- Adaptability and uncommon tactical nous, if these fullbacks are further tasked with operating in midfield areas.
The margins for sustained, title-contending excellence in the Premier League are so fine, and the leaders of the pack have built up such an advantage, that we will have be optimized in everything we do: in terms of thoroughness of talent evaluation, due-diligence of prospective targets, recruitment-related negotiations, training sessions, the players' own will to improve themselves, the Head Coach's ability to get the best out of the players, in-game management, disciplined recovery, the mentality to always aim for an even higher level.
P.S. Of course, attack is the first deterrant and the most advanced line of defense, so the counter-pressing and workrate of the forwards should always be a consideration (thankfully Højlund and Garnacho seem to be moldable and willing workers, maybe they will prove to trusted solutions). And midfield continues to be a massive, massive concern — probably the biggest issue with the current team; if the fulcrum and buffer-zone of your team is substandard, you are unlikely to go very far.
I’ve been saying this for years, I don’t know how we scout but none of our players are technically good enough. We need players with great close control and passing but we keep going for the profile of players who are direct instead of intricate.What I feel you've missed here is the vision, tactics and strategy that has been implemented at City for many years. And with Guardiola being at City for almost 8 years, it's provided them with the stability to create a system/style of play that has led them to sign players with a clear and concise idea in mind. And that system or style of play is one that is adopted by most top clubs in England to some degree. And also Guardiola inherited a team from Manuel Pellegrini that was coached to play a system that was quite similar in many aspects along with many quality players that had been signed over the years. They also made a number of poor signings aswell, but when you have Abu Dhabi backing you, then you can turn things around quickly within one or at most two transfer windows. So before you look at the statistics, it's important to understand how City want to play in all phases of play and how they want to go about exerting control with and without the ball.
Ederson was bought to help aid the development of the positional play principles and it's absolutely imperative for a GK to provide the +1 in possession to create the first numerical superiority for a team that wants to build play from the back. The GK in such a system is the free-man in the build up phase hence City went ahead and signed Ederson from Benfica.
Most of Ake, Dias, Stones, Akanji, Walker, Gvardiol have a 90% or close to 90% pass percentile due to the system they play in and how that system functions with the players they have. I created a thread on here when we were linked to Akanji, (link below) and many thought he wasn't better than what we had. But the big difference imo, in why City's CBs have a advantage over our CBs (without including the pace and athleticism) is that the players they pass the ball to and how those players are better at receiving the pass and playing the game on the half turn in small spaces in comparison to our players. That in itself makes a difference in how a bad pass can be turned into a good pass due to the player receiving the ball having the ability in small spaces to create space and progress play on the turn.
https://www.redcafe.net/threads/manuel-akanji.469058/
Rodri, De Bruyne and Bernardo I will mention together because their performances are linked to one another on the pitch. Rodri is the best player in the world in his position imo, but when you have players like Bernardo and De Bruyne who can receive the pass in the middle third and evade the press on the half turn, then that makes a big difference to why and how City exert zonal and positional control over the opposition. You mention De Bruyne as being in the 99 percentile for passes received but Bruno only being at 25 percentile, and that there is one aspect of why City's first phase (Ederson, CBs, and Rodri) are so good at maintaining a high pass percentile due to the players they're passing the ball to. And Bernardo Silva at the same age as Kobbie Mainoo hadn't even broke into the Benfica first team and was later loaned aged 20 before being sold to the same club he was loaned to at the age of 21.
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Rashford and Garnacho are playing in a team that has players that are not good enough playing in small spaces. And when you can't progress play in small spaces, then going direct becomes a option. And those stats will then reflect how the wide forwards of two different teams will appear statistically. Rashford can't be bothered half the time, so I'm not sure how much improvement I expect from him considering his application out of possession is pathetic at times.
Haaland is playing in a team that has much more of the ball in comparison to Hojlund. So City being the more dominant team with and without the ball, will mean they spend more time in the opponent's half hence a striker like Haaland will have more touches in the opposition's box.
If we want to play with more control then we have to work towards creating a team that has the ability to play out from the back and through the thirds. Press high in a collective block with non active players in the press either cutting off passing lanes or marking the opposition forwards tightly. And we need to have the ability to control large space in transition. If we do those things it will create problems for City. I would like to see Mason Mount given a chance in a central role because he does have the ability to receive passes in confined spaces and create half a yard.
I agree we need a lot but I feel differently from yourself.We need so much
I don’t the think we’ll be able to make a dent in the first window.
Despite how porous our defence is, attack should be priority numero uno. We are bottom half in goals scored. That’s pathetic.
We need a proper winger and an attacking mid, a 10.
A box-to-box or a DM, depending on if Casemiro stays this season.
I think we can get by with our current crop of CBs, assuming Varane stays, wont be ideal but you can’t strengthen every position . GK too, Onana hopefully performs better next season.
The priority should be the LB, its time for Shaw to ride the bench. We haven’t had a quality attacking LB in years now. I want to see someone like Robertson. Someone who’s a threat going forward.
So RW/LW, 10, DM/B2B and a LB.
3 signings is quite realistic.
