5 for the price of one Lukaku - could this be our most shrewd window post Fergie?

[GazTheLegend]

£75.15m before performance related add-ons

Cavani
Telles
Van De Beek
Diallo
Pellistri

Bit of optimism perhaps?

I was quite excited on deadline day, but this place and even the media were so filled with doom and fecking gloom that it even managed to suck me down a bit. But after I played football myself I had a look at the news and was honestly very pleased!!! Two wonderkids, a world class striker and a first team left back at the end of the day, all for less than half a Sancho would have cost us. That fee would have been used as a stick to beat us with for sure.

 

[Lebowski]

£75.15m before performance related add-ons

Cavani
Telles
Van De Beek
Diallo
Pellistri

Bit of optimism perhaps?

Ultimately we'll only know in a few years, and I hope you're proven right but I think '5 players for the price of a Lukaku' is an incredibly generous reading of the situation...

For a start, Lukaku is an odd starting point for a conversation about United finding value considering we sold him at a loss and when you take into account the loss on the transfer fee, their wages and agent fees, we've taken a big financial hit to be in an arguably weaker position with Cavani.

Then you get onto the other players we brought in and whilst I hope they all do well and become first team quality, they're all either squad options or for the future. Despite glaring holes, we've had a window where we haven't strengthened our starting eleven whilst our rivals have all strengthened theirs. That in and of itself has to be considered a failure, especially considering where we finished last season and the objective for this year. If we haven't improved our starting eleven and all of our rivals have, then you'd expect them to close the gap and surpass us and for us to finish outside the top 4.

If this window happened in 2001 when we were so far ahead of the chasing pack and just needed to solidify our dominance for the future then I think United fans would be more positive about it.

But as the situation currently exists, we needed to do far more than we did, and its difficult to give the club the benefit of the doubt and praise them for astutely signing squad and youth players given the woeful outcome of recent recruitment and coming off the embarrassing high profile and public failure to land our main target this window.

 

[Bilbo]

Its great to see the amount of young talent we are buying. For me that's the United way. Creating superstars

 

[Giggsy13]

£75.15m before performance related add-ons

Cavani
Telles
Van De Beek
Diallo
Pellistri

Bit of optimism perhaps?

On paper this is smart transfer business but the expectations were so high when we’re being linked to Sancho and Upamecano that nothing can make up for falling short.

2018 was truly a shit window but this one is much better and could be one of best, if Diallo and Pellistri could live up to the potential.

 

[James Peril]

So many overly optimistic topics and posts, it’s just as dangerous as overly negative and hateful content. I swear we could have hired Alex McLeish and signed Dejan Lovren and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and some people would say we’re going to be fine, we need to support the team and player x is going to turn into Ronaldo and y is the next Vidic. Some people stay in jobs they hate and some earn less money because they’re afraid to challenge things, I bet the same people are the last to admit their football team are absolute wank when it comes to transfers too.

 

[I_live_cement]

If these signings had been announced at the start of the window with a statement that our transfer business is done, I'd have been merely satisfied.

But why leave it until deadline day to bring in a couple of teenagers and an ageing old star?

And why did they allow the Sancho speculation to get out of hand when it was untenable to begin with?

Well, actually we know the answer to the last question...

 

[ThatsGreat]

Didn't Lukaku cost 10m in actual money spent.

 

[sp_107]

Its great to see the amount of young talent we are buying. For me that's the United way. Creating superstars

What about our coaching staff at youth level?

Do you guys think Nicky Butt can turn all these youngsters to global super starts ? or we need to upgrade our coaching setup too ?

Its not insulting our current setup, Just curious to know what kind of coaching setup we had at youth level

 

[Bilbo]

What about our coaching staff at youth level?

Do you guys think Nicky Butt can turn all these youngsters to global super starts ? or we need to upgrade our coaching setup too ?

Its not insulting our current setup, Just curious to know what kind of coaching setup we had at youth level

Who knows? The proof is generally in the pudding, and United consistently bring more than their fair share of players through to the 1st team.

 

[Bilbo]

If these signings had been announced at the start of the window with a statement that our transfer business is done, I'd have been merely satisfied.

But why leave it until deadline day to bring in a couple of teenagers and an ageing old star?

And why did they allow the Sancho speculation to get out of hand when it was untenable to begin with?

Well, actually we know the answer to the last question...

This stuff just gets flogged to death. I think the clubs always had a belief that Dortmund would eventually decide to reduce the fee. That must have come from somewhere, and from a much more informed position than any of us could hope to have.

Our window was largely dictated by that situation and also which players we were able to move out, so it was always going to be a late window for us.

 

[fps]

These young players are a shot in the dark. It could be, just because everyone likes to think they’ve unearthed a gem, but I doubt it.

 

[MrSingh2002]

Dan James is going to need a sports shrink after this window.

 

[TheRedHearted]

I'm actually really optimistic about the signings we've made relative to the fees we've paid. But the lack of proper first-team signings to improve us in positions that badly needed improving casts a negative shadow over the transfer window.

I don't think you could ever call it a shrewd window when we failed to address the glaring weaknesses in our squad. That doesn't mean the signings won't turn out well, though.

But many of our arguments was that we needed depth and our starting 11 proved to be very strong - just needed reinforcements for rest. If that was the case then this gives us more depth for CF, LB and on the wing.

 

[mu4c_20le]

Dan James is going to need a sports shrink after this window.

The competition is good for him because he's not ready to start so many games and I'm sure he doesn't enjoy being scapegoated either. It's Lingard whose fecked.

 

[christinaa]

Yet we haven’t actually plugged any leaking gaps. No DM, no CB and no RW

I think that Facundo may be our potential right wing.

But unfortunately we haven't addressed the poor defence situation.

 

[Lennon7]

I think that Facundo may be our potential right wing.

But unfortunately we haven't addressed the poor defence situation.

He’s 18 and been playing in a nothing league. Yes, lots of top players have come straight from that league and been incredible but at this stage there’s nothing we can get excited about. He doesn’t immediately address the fact we need a world class forward/winger.

 

[I_live_cement]

This stuff just gets flogged to death. I think the clubs always had a belief that Dortmund would eventually decide to reduce the fee. That must have come from somewhere, and from a much more informed position than any of us could hope to have.

Our window was largely dictated by that situation and also which players we were able to move out, so it was always going to be a late window for us.

If this was the first season it had happened I'd probably agree with you, but there's a pattern emerging here.

 

[Jonesno.8]

I have to admit I was quite disappointed with who we didn't get yest but in hindsight actually we signed well for the future. Cavani we can only look at as, better to have him than not as he was on a free, allows us to okay 2 up top.

I'm glad we didn't get lads in who were 3rd and 4th choice and didn't get fleeced. Yes its tough to be excited about our next few games after the season start but ill judge it end of Oct post Champs League games and their post league games.

 

[Bilbo]

If this was the first season it had happened I'd probably agree with you, but there's a pattern emerging here.

I agree. Its no coincidence that so much business is done across Europe in the last few days of the window though. Thats always going to be the case. Its the nature of the market

 

[sunama]

Some people on here are claiming that this has been a decent window and I am beginning to think that Woodward has asked staff members to make accounts on here and post.

The worst Summer transfer window in recent times was when Jose got fired. This is the 2nd worst.
Absolute failure on so many levels.
Bought a 33 year old on high wages, who hasn't played a competitive football match for months. Nobody else wanted him and Cavani was contemplating retirement until we turned up. And at 33 years of age, this is not an Ole type player.
Missed out on Sancho (who would've soled our 10 yr old RW problem, once and for all).
Failed to sell the deadwood. The one player we did sell was quite possibly the best defender in our club...and we sold him for a poultry sum.
Telles - not sure how he will perform in the EPL. He is coming from a weak league, so nobody has any idea how he'll perform.
DVDB is the only positive.
[and please don't talk to me about the teenagers we got - we won't be seeing these guys for several years and even then the odds of them making it into the first team are extremely low. Dalot is a very good example of how difficult it is to make it into the first team].

When we get pumped by PSG in a few weeks, I'll revive this thread to remind you all why this was such a poor window.

 

[Greck]

I like it. Even if the window is a bust the players can be replaced because of their relatively cheap fee. No more Maguires or AWBs type transfers to mortgage our future budgets. We won't realistically buy a CB for another year or 2 thanks to the foolishness of that Maguire transfer

 

[Magical Manchester United]

Some people on here are claiming that this has been a decent window and I am beginning to think that Woodward has asked staff members to make accounts on here and post.

The worst Summer transfer window in recent times was when Jose got fired. This is the 2nd worst.
Absolute failure on so many levels.
Bought a 33 year old on high wages, who hasn't played a competitive football match for months. Nobody else wanted him and Cavani was contemplating retirement until we turned up. And at 33 years of age, this is not an Ole type player.
Missed out on Sancho (who would've soled our 10 yr old RW problem, once and for all).
Failed to sell the deadwood. The one player we did sell was quite possibly the best defender in our club...and we sold him for a poultry sum.
Telles - not sure how he will perform in the EPL. He is coming from a weak league, so nobody has any idea how he'll perform.
DVDB is the only positive.
[and please don't talk to me about the teenagers we got - we won't be seeing these guys for several years and even then the odds of them making it into the first team are extremely low. Dalot is a very good example of how difficult it is to make it into the first team].

When we get pumped by PSG in a few weeks, I'll revive this thread to remind you all why this was such a poor window.

My other team, Cheltenham Town signed Luke Varney in September 2018. He was 35, about to turn 36, had scored 1 goal in 33 appearances for Burton and no club had snapped him up all summer. Ended up being a fan's favourite and getting 21 goals in 56 games, being a valuable member of the dressing room, passing on bast experience to the younger players. It was a shame to see him leave in the summer, and if it wasn't for the way the world is now we probably would have kept him on for another year. So it doesn't really matter if Cavani was "contemplating retirement" or "nobody else wanted him." Many clubs probably didn't need a backup striker.

 

[Fosu-Mens]

I wonder what we could have got for the £130m spent on Maguire and AWB last year?

 

[Class of 63]

Twas a great window, one of the best we've had for years, and it's disturbing how many have allowed themselves to believe it isn't.

 

[UnofficialDevil]

One of our worst transfer windows ever. More a less what a mid to bottom table team would do.

 

[Maluco]

It would have been much better to buy the players needed for the first team and secure CL revenue.

As it is, I think we will miss out and that will be a bigger hit than money made back in this window.

 

[Lennon7]

Reckon we could easily go in for a domestic based centre back you know. Dunk? Soyuncu? Even Bednarek might be a shout if not too much? Who else?

 

[Foxbatt]

Reckon we could easily go in for a domestic based centre back you know. Dunk? Soyuncu? Even Bednarek might be a shout if not too much? Who else?

I like Dunk. Commentator "Dunk has dunked Fuk" ?

 

[Zlatan 7]

The competition is good for him because he's not ready to start so many games and I'm sure he doesn't enjoy being scapegoated either. It's Lingard whose fecked.

James should play off the left anyway

 

[trafford1980]

At the end of the day, after everyones disappointment of losing out on Jadon Sancho has subsided, we still strengthened.

And each to his or her own, but I'd rather a trio of Cavani/Telles/Van de Beek than Ake/Dias/Torres or Bale/Højbjerg/Reguilón.

Put it this way. If we brought in the same 5 signings spread out over a period of 2-3 weeks rather than 4 on deadline day then it'd be a non-issue.

 

[Foxbatt]

Sort of BOGOF.

 

[DeeDee7]

Willy Kambwala or Charlie McNeil could turn out to be the best business of them all.

But I'm actually happy we didn't pay a fortune for a winger who is not better than Rashford. Sancho would have been nice, but Liverpool have shown that you can pay 30 million instead of 100 million for a winger, and end up with someone just as good, if not better, than a 100 million guy.

Cavani was a must have. We needed a powerful experienced striker with an aerial threat.

De Beek will end Pogba's Utd career soon.

Telles will be a big upgrade on Shaw.

Then we have Mengi and Tuanzebe to hopefully displace Lindelof eventually this season.

Top post.
Its has been a good optimistic ending to the window. I like the signings. HOWEVER they are the type of signings all best made much earlier on. We need Cavani up to speed fast. Traore needed to be done earlier to avoid the work permit shite. BUT who knows perhaps we dont get these lads for the good price we did if we went any earlier.
Also people need to realise in signing Cavani we have inadvertently added depth to the right wing position by freeing up Martial to player if needed. But also I beleive we should be playing Bruno there in the interim.

It is now up to Ole. I have been a huge admirer of Ole and the direction he has got us in. But he now needs to take the bull by the horns and start selecting HIS team for HIS direction. Make some bold decisions. And select the team to get the results, and not pigeonholing a bunch of all star talent.

Pogba is one. DeGea is another. And also Maguire, and not because of his ability, i like Maguire but it was risky throwing him back in straight away after the off season he had.

 

[cyril C]

I am happy that we didn't pay king ransom for a winger but get 2 prospect for half the price. But I am unhappy without a CB replacement. Because even with all 5 of these new players fit and playing, would they have addressed the Spurs defeat?

 

[hungrywing]

A bit of a false equivalence, but at least this is closer to how we should be doing transfers.

Do something like sell Pogba and get Partey and this would have been a pretty darn good window.

 

[Greck]

I am happy that we didn't pay king ransom for a winger but get 2 prospect for half the price. But I am unhappy without a CB replacement. Because even with all 5 of these new players fit and playing, would they have addressed the Spurs defeat?

When did a CB replacement get so high priority. By the end of last season this defence was being championed as one of the best in England, take a month off from the caf, come back to see we're all of a sudden in dire needed of defensive reinforcements

 

[cyril C]

When did a CB replacement get so high priority. By the end of last season this defence was being championed as one of the best in England, take a month off from the caf, come back to see we're all of a sudden in dire needed of defensive reinforcements

We let go 1 experienced CB, have 2x CB in our book who hardly play, hence only 2.5 experienced CB (allow me to count Bailey as 0.5) plus a couple of kids. Tell me this is not worrying?

Beside, do you think reinforcement on LB, MF, RW etc. would have reverse the disaster last weekend?

 

[Greck]

We let go 1 experienced CB, have 2x CB in our book who hardly play, hence only 2.5 experienced CB (allow me to count Bailey as 0.5) plus a couple of kids. Tell me this is not worrying?

Beside, do you think reinforcement on LB, MF, RW etc. would have reverse the disaster last weekend?

Is it a depth problem or a first team problem? cos if it's just a depth problem why did we let Smalling go? And if it's a first team problem that still goes back to signing Maguire for 80 freakin million. We're creating new problems with poor decisions

 

[R'hllor]

If one thing is for sure, we are really good at improving and making players we bought better.

 

[caid]

£75.15m before performance related add-ons

Cavani
Telles
Van De Beek
Diallo
Pellistri

Bit of optimism perhaps?

I have very little faith in new players changing much at the club and dont feel that engaged by transfer anymore. I kind of feel like 'ask me again in a few years' about it. But I'll bite anyway

Not at all optimistic on Cavani.
More choices at lb for a good deal is welcome, dont know anything about the player to judge.
I like VDB, he looks like a pretty safe bet. Dont think we needed him that much tbh but maybe he can do a job in a deeper midfield role that Pogba cant. We dont need both him and Pogba though and one is going to be a bit wasted imo.

I dont think much of it really tbh. The black hole on our right wing remains, dont have much faith in our defence which didn't get much attention. Think you could form a good defence with some of them but they dont suit each other or work well together and are going to continue looking pretty ropy.

Our youth team seems stacked, which is nice i guess.

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

If you think it’s worst then go look at LVG second season. He lost 3 strikers and only signed Martial as replacement. He also signed few deadwood in that year.

In fact, I personally prefers this year signing than Jose 2nd season. In 2017, I wanted Griezmann which no 10 to play behind Rashford and proven experienced leader CB Van Dijk but what we got Lukaku to bench Rashford/Martial, a CB that I never heard of Lindelof for 30m plus adds on closed to 40m and wasted 40m on 29 years old DM when Fabinho was available.

Telles brings something we never had which finally attacking full back to provide width quality who can cross and assist too. Cavani is a short term solution to provide us different dimension that our attackers don’t have and an upgrade of Ighalo. Donny is an upgrade of Lingard & Pereira. While the other two wingers we signed remind me of the old days signing under Sir Alex.

The negative thing about it is that instead of signing these players earlier which we could, we wasted our time on Sancho. Real & Bayern knew they won’t spend much so they have given the manager a notice earlier. While we were insisting that we could afford Sancho.

Anyway, we have attacking left back now, improved the depth squad and I’m happy with it. 6/10 on paper. Could get higher depends on how our season end with.