Bridging the Gap

[RedSky]

What it boils down to is a rubbish transfer strategy. It's been appaling for years. We've known for seasons that our right flank is fecking diabolical and the only attempt to fix it has been Darmian and Mkhi, both players that ended up being not good enough.

If we're comitting to Oles style of football then it means that several players simply aren't suitable to that and rather than leaving them in the squad we should be clinical and get rid this summer. I love Mata, but he's got no place in this squad anymore, he doesnt have the pace. Sanchez was a mistake and we should be selling him this summer. Lukaku doesnt work as a striker but does a job as the right forward, we should be selling him last but he should also be moved on. Bring in two forwards that are direct replacements for Martial and Lingard. Bring in a first team right back, Young has done well but it showed yesterday at this level he's a liability. I know people bang on about a CB, but I actually think that should be last on our list. Promote Tuanzebe and sell Rojo. Our number one priority is sorting out our forwards and right side.

If we have the chance of signing Eriksen then we should be throwing everything to get him too. I love Herreras spirit, but having Eriksen alongside Pogba would make us significantly more dangerous.

 

[Fosu-Mens]

Despite the game being fairly even in the first half, it's obviously (as it should have been prior to yesterday) that we are comfortably behind teams like PSG, City, Madrid, Barcelona etc We've spent years now battling to enter the CL whereas they either win the league/CL or compete for them every season.

However while the easy answer here is to buy better players across the board (touched upon in point 2), I'm curious as to:

• What we need to do tactically or in terms do the collective to get there? With PSG and I'm sure it's the case with City too, it's clear that even if they lose a few big players, they'll continue to pass it around with excellent control, intelligence and composure. That seems to come from years of doing the same. In this regard are we headed in that direction? Because sometimes I feel we set up to play with pace and kill teams in 3-5 passed and I'm not sure were trying to be a team that is exceptionally comfortable opening teams up through patient play. But I suppose too started off at Liverpool playing very aggresive football. Watching PSG, I noticed that there was always one player available for a pass. With us, we struggled to find a team mate unmarked. This devopment of the team is something I'm interested in understanding.
• Are their a few positions where us being weak is the key to being able to transform into such a team? Right back and a proper passing technical CM is obvious to me. Young is average. Despite Herrera and Matic being good (the former in particular) neither has that class on the ball that make opponents chase us. Right wing is the other problem area I suppose. Thoughts?

We have obvious limitations in the squad in regards to the bold part: Young/Shaw often gets "locked" down, and are forced to pass back or play blind forward. Shaw and Bailly are not god passers at all, and Bailly often passes to the wrong player. Our front three of Rashford, Martial and Lingard are also not the best passers in small areas, and more efficent with space and movement. Meaning that they are not suited to the short passing/movement/Rondo football City and PSG plays.

As you state; this comes from years of doing it. With time and practice we might reach that level, but it will take time. I hope you can see that the players in general already seems to have become more efficient passers since JM left?

With some transfers in and out, and 2 years of training on this (something i'm fairly sure they do) we might become good at this.

 

[Thisistheone]

I agree with all this. We can talk about that 400mil that we spent but i keep saying one thing; all those transfers were must buys. Players for positions which were empty. To be best club you must buy players who are upgrade for what you have. We will not buy full back because Shaw is good. We will not buy right winger because Lingard is solid. We will not buy top defensive midfielder because Matic or Herrera are good. We are just not ruthless and we just don't have maximum ambition. We will offer new contract to every player just because he was part of the family. Psg, Juve, Real will not. And that is why we are club who play CL finals only when we have one good generation.
Juve, Barca, Real are always there because they upgrade their squads all the time. They will buy short term solution if that player will help them that year. Those clubs don't have phrases long term or short term future in their dictionary. Only future for them is next season.

To give an example of this we could line up tomorrow with a back 4 & GK that was here when Fergie was manager. A back 4 that wasn't good enough then, nevermind now.

Ok we spent big on defenders since, but if they aren't good enough we have to continue to spend big on defenders until its fixed.

We spent big on Lukaku and Sanchez, but it hasn't worked. So we need to sell and spend big again until it works. Getting a bargain or hidden gem is great but we're not Roma and Monchi. We need to bring in the top tier talents.

 

[Rawls]

I think that there are two main ways in which you improve your team: (a) you improve the personnel and/or (b) you improve the coaching. In order to compete at the top level in Europe, I don't think anyone on here would disagree that you need both a great squad and a great manager to be consistent contenders in the PL and CL.

Truth be told, we have a good squad, not an incapable one which Mourinho tried to lead us to believe. That being said, while we currently have a good squad, we also do not have a great squad. What I think is that this good squad is more than capable of comfortably getting Top 4; however, what I don't believe is that this current squad is capable of contending for the PL or the CL. In terms of trouble spots, we should probably look to invest this summer in an RB, a CB, a CDM, a CM, and a RF. This is not to say that we need to buy blue-chip players at every one of these positions; on the contrary, depth remains a major problem, and very good (but not great) players in some positions would go a long way to addressing our depth issues.

Another aspect that has to be acknowledged in terms of bridging the gap is our method of recruitment, which has been very incoherent since Fergie's departure. Like pretty much everyone else on here, I think we need a DoF/Technical Director; what also needs to be done is to pretty much ignore signing players aged 28 or over, barring the cases where they represent exceptionally good value. I think it would be a good approach if we were to sign talented but not quite fully-developed players aged 20/21/22. Worst-case scenario, they probably would make for good depth; Best-case scenario, they develop into top-level players, and we become European heavyweights again. For example, even though he has yet to fully establish himself, I think Dalot was a very astute signing; if he doesn't fully develop, he'll probably offer depth; if he develops fully, he'll be a top-level player for less than £20M. If we were to adopt a similar approach this summer, I think it would go some way to helping us re-establish ourselves at the elite level in Europe.

As for coaching, this is where things get trickier to analyse. I am fairly confident in saying that Solskjaer is a good manager, and represents an improvement on all of our post-Fergie managers. What remains to be seen is whether he is or can become a great manager. This is the major issue that the club will have to decide on over the coming months: go with a manager like Solskjaer who is good for certain but are yet to be convinced can be great, or go with some other manager who probably has a higher probability of being great but also has a higher probability of being a bust. We also have to account for that fact that not going with Solskjaer risks splitting the dressing room, and would therefore put the next manager in a difficult position before he even starts.

Finally, for as disappointing as last night was, there is no real need to be completely downcast on the direction of the club. Even though we won 10 out of the first 11 games under Solskjaer, we still only really faced two good sides in that period. In addition, PSG are one of the best sides in Europe, and represented a significantly harder test in terms of quality than OGS had ever faced before. I think we should probably come to the conclusion that we were not as good a side as our form book before last night suggested, but we are also not as bad a side as our performance last night suggested.

 

[Sylar]

Before we do anything, we need to decide on who the manager is going to be (and whether we are getting a Sporting Director or not).

We then need to sign DDG, Herrera and whoever has short term contracts up (pogba, rashford?)
We need all this decided before May so we can then plan for next season (and we need contingency in place if our first or second choice fails or falls through for any reason).

Once we have that in place, we can plan on what needs to be addressed:
-Weak positions in our first 11 (and imo that includes RB, possibly LB, and RW) along with depth (DM, and another striker). I dont see us going out and buying 5 good players who can do a job, with room to improve. Id be surprised if we buy 2.
-We need to remove those who dont fit us (I think we need to sell Rojo, Darmian, sanchez, Jones, Valencia and think about getting rid of or replacing for the longer-term Lukaku, Mata, Matic)

We should be able to do that in one or two windows, but you know that will take about 4 or 5 (maybe even 6).

 

[cyril C]

We need to have much better ball circulation, but circulation with a purpose.

We still too often just hit the ball out wide and hit lofted crosses into the box with no real purpose. More cutbacks by the byline.

We're a long way from the top. It's a bit disheartening, but at least our outlook looks better than with the specialist in failure.

Did LVG tried to teach our guys about passing game?

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Before we do anything, we need to decide on who the manager is going to be (and whether we are getting a Sporting Director or not).

We then need to sign DDG, Herrera and whoever has short term contracts up (pogba, rashford?)
We need all this decided before May so we can then plan for next season (and we need contingency in place if our first or second choice fails or falls through for any reason).

Once we have that in place, we can plan on what needs to be addressed:
-Weak positions in our first 11 (and imo that includes RB, possibly LB, and RW) along with depth (DM, and another striker). I dont see us going out and buying 5 good players who can do a job, with room to improve. Id be surprised if we buy 2.
-We need to remove those who dont fit us (I think we need to sell Rojo, Darmian, sanchez, Jones, Valencia and think about getting rid of or replacing for the longer-term Lukaku, Mata, Matic)

We should be able to do that in one or two windows, but you know that will take about 4 or 5 (maybe even 6).

Isn't Mata's contract up so might as well let him go anyway.

 

[Di Maria's angel]

Yeah, it just feels like we're a very lopsided team. Our wide areas need some revamping, fullbacks included. I can't watch another season young and Mata being our right wing.

Ole should retire Young and let Dalot bloody play. All this talk about blooding the youngsters but we don't show much faith.

 

[cyril C]

Look, we were average in 1st half and terrible in 2nd.

In 1st half our players positioning were all wrong (overcrowded) and passing to the wrong spot. I suppose this is something to do with Pogba being marked out and the team don't know what to do, and possibly over-exciting of the team playing without composure.

In 2nd half we were all over the place, can't even complete an attack. Sanchez and Mata << Martial and Lingard. If Sanchez cannot replicate what Lingard can deliver, he is done. I recall we pay him extra money per appearance, so drop him to Academy and cut our loss.

We lost the 1st goal on set piece!!! Lost the 2nd goal on pace. So let's gather our lesson here.

1) Pogba needs to learn to play his game with composure, with someone breathing over your neck. - time and luck if he can progress.
2) We played well when Pogba deliver and played poorly when Pogba disappear (for whatever reason). So we end up like a Serri-ball team - mark 1 player out the entire team collapse. How many playmaker does City have - Silva, KDB, 2 wingers, before I count others. Why can't we attack WITHOUT Pogba when he is closely marked. Why can't Herrera, Matic, Martial, Lingard do something? This is the job of Ole, whether he can make the job permanent.
3) Set piece - we must fix this if we are going for Top 4.
4) I recall Vidic and Rio were not that fast, nor were Evra or Neville, so how did they handle fast players? OK I remember Vidic was embarrassed by Torres many times but in general they somehow manage most of the time. So a defensive coach?

 

[pierrethesnack]

I made a thread a while ago, how I rarely see us doing cutbacks as a team. City score so many goals that way.

Whenever our fullbacks get to the byline or near it, they'll still just lump it into the box.

I don't know if it's per instruction or just them being a bit thick.

I don't think it's down to instruction or being thick. It's more that scoring goals that way requires a thoroughly drilled in attacking pattern due to the precision and timing required from all players involved (the passer picking the right moment, the guy in the box making the run, other teammates spotting what's going on and doing their best to make runs to make room for whoever the cutback is intended for), which we lack.

Our current approach is more based on individual movement, skill and momentum around the box. It's fine when it works, but when it doesn't we're pretty clueless.

 

[Sylar]

Isn't Mata's contract up so might as well let him go anyway.

I cant see us doing that, but I think we're too sentimental (or too nice). We should thank him and let him go imo.

 

[pierrethesnack]

For a start se should stop signing players over 27/28 years old like Sanchez, Matic, Bastian. Build a team so we don't have to replace players every two years or so. I'm confident that with Ole we will go more youth and long term because he understands the club unlike Moyes, LvG, Jose.

It's not that simple. It's more about not signing 27/28 year olds who are clearly past it, like Sanchez and Bastian.

You still need experience and maturity in a team, and Matic was exactly what we needed.

We're not a selling club, so if the kind of player we need at that age is available and ready to go straight into the team, it's a luxury we can and should afford ourselves.

But for the other two, I agree. It's silly to gamble on players in that age when we're not sure they can deliver.

 

[Drz]

I was expecting us the concede in the game vs PSG (given much lesser teams give our defense a hard-time), but my disappointment stems from our inability to create clear-cut chances in that game.
I guess the reason I'm not so down today is because the season was write-off for at the point where we sacked Mourinho, so after yesterday's defeat my mind is fully set on how/what should be done to build for the futur.

With regards to the Champions League, I believe experience in the tournament is capital unless you are looking to fluke it à la Greece in the Euros.
You can buy talent, and improve the quality of the team, but that won't directly affect our performances in this competition as much gaining experience by playing versus the top teams in C1. So regardless of whom we buy/sell we need to get passed the group stages for atleast 2-3 years in a row, before hoping the experience pays-off.

Obviously to get there, first we need to qualify for the competition regularly and hope we achieve that by being competitive in the league (competitive enough to be a title challenger for the next 3 years).
So how to get that consistency in performances?
I think you have to work to build a team that can dominate a game of football and outplay good opposition more often than not. It is not our case today.
With regards to that there were two big issues for us at the start of the season :
A/ We didn't approach games with right mindset
B/ Lack of quality personel (particularly for the defensive roles)

In terms of mindset, I think Ole can influence us positively on that side.
In terms of quality, any purchases or even promotions from the acadamy regardless of talent is unlikely to make an immidiate difference on collective performance. Because the fresh faces have to blend-in with group and adhere to the way we want to be playing.

Regardless of how this season ends, I want us to first be competitive in the league next season with a playing style that will allow us to dominate most games.

 

[Siddharth]

Let's not make good enemy of the best. We have a good thing going with Ole. He can make us a great PL side as he seems to know what it takes to defeat most of the domestic teams and therefore I truly can win PL in two years with right acquisitions. Lets first do well in our own league before sitting on the high table with Europe's elite. Year after year competing in Europe will make us better and who knows someday even we may win back to back CL.

 

[Tony247]

Pogba is our lone creative midfielder. If a good team marks him then we are gone for a toss. Forget creating chances against good defense. That is where I am crying out loud on Fred. WTF is that purchase and why the money was not wisely spent? Sigh. Anyway, that's where we are. Next season then.

 

[King7Eric]

Look, we were average in 1st half and terrible in 2nd.

In 1st half our players positioning were all wrong (overcrowded) and passing to the wrong spot. I suppose this is something to do with Pogba being marked out and the team don't know what to do, and possibly over-exciting of the team playing without composure.

In 2nd half we were all over the place, can't even complete an attack. Sanchez and Mata << Martial and Lingard. If Sanchez cannot replicate what Lingard can deliver, he is done. I recall we pay him extra money per appearance, so drop him to Academy and cut our loss.

We lost the 1st goal on set piece!!! Lost the 2nd goal on pace. So let's gather our lesson here.

1) Pogba needs to learn to play his game with composure, with someone breathing over your neck. - time and luck if he can progress.
2) We played well when Pogba deliver and played poorly when Pogba disappear (for whatever reason). So we end up like a Serri-ball team - mark 1 player out the entire team collapse. How many playmaker does City have - Silva, KDB, 2 wingers, before I count others. Why can't we attack WITHOUT Pogba when he is closely marked. Why can't Herrera, Matic, Martial, Lingard do something? This is the job of Ole, whether he can make the job permanent.
3) Set piece - we must fix this if we are going for Top 4.
4) I recall Vidic and Rio were not that fast, nor were Evra or Neville, so how did they handle fast players? OK I remember Vidic was embarrassed by Torres many times but in general they somehow manage most of the time. So a defensive coach?

You probably only watched their last year or two then because in their prime both were rapid. In addition we played one of the Da Silva twins or Brown as RB from 06-10/11 who again were quite quick. So pace was not really a problem for our defense during that period.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Let's not make good enemy of the best. We have a good thing going with Ole. He can make us a great PL side as he seems to know what it takes to defeat most of the domestic teams and therefore I truly can win PL in two years with right acquisitions. Lets first do well in our own league before sitting on the high table with Europe's elite. Year after year competing in Europe will make us better and who knows someday even we may win back to back CL.

I think the point is to aim to be elite team and head in that direction. We have those in our league as well. To win the PL well most likely have to improve our quality on the ball hugely just like the top 2 have.

 

[minoo-utd]

This team needs to add some quality to it to apply Ole system. Fullbacks who can supply the attack, an experienced CB and a creative solid midfielder ( box to box ) alongside Paul.

 

[Fosu-Mens]

I think the point is to aim to be elite team and head in that direction. We have those in our league as well. To win the PL well most likely have to improve our quality on the ball hugely just like the top 2 have.

A gap not bridged during a summer window or a season. We would need two summer windows with good and long term acquisitions while at the same time improving/developing our players during the seasons. 2021/2022 season is the earliest we will compete with the best.

 

[9 Stone Elvis]

Before we do anything, we need to decide on who the manager is going to be (and whether we are getting a Sporting Director or not).

We then need to sign DDG, Herrera and whoever has short term contracts up (pogba, rashford?)
We need all this decided before May so we can then plan for next season (and we need contingency in place if our first or second choice fails or falls through for any reason).

Once we have that in place, we can plan on what needs to be addressed:
-Weak positions in our first 11 (and imo that includes RB, possibly LB, and RW) along with depth (DM, and another striker). I dont see us going out and buying 5 good players who can do a job, with room to improve. Id be surprised if we buy 2.
-We need to remove those who dont fit us (I think we need to sell Rojo, Darmian, sanchez, Jones, Valencia and think about getting rid of or replacing for the longer-term Lukaku, Mata, Matic)

We should be able to do that in one or two windows, but you know that will take about 4 or 5 (maybe even 6).

I agree with this completely.

Im sick and tired of seeing talk of needing to rip up an entire team. we need to walk before we can run and the priority should be to continue to move in the right direction, if that progress is measured in years then so be it as long as it is going in the right direction on solid foundations.

Next season should be about challenging domestically first and foremost. A full season of playing as well have since the end of December would see to that. Our issues over the last 5 years hasn't so much been the likes of playing the PSGs of this world, its been the stupid points dropped to teams we should beat with ease. That is why I don't belittle what Ole has achieved so far. The teams beaten may not be the cream of the crop but they were the exact type of sides we have dropped silly points to over the last 5 years and has cost us proper title challenges.

We need to address the defence and find a proper first choice back four of consistency - sometimes that doesn't mean 4 new players, just integrating a combination together that works as a unit. Add in another forward and maybe another midfield player but do it over time rather than throwing a chequebook at it and hoping for the best. I think if you change more than 3 players in one window you are risking completely unbalancing the team. Unless we are talking players to improve the squad overall. That said I would rather see us spend our money on two absolutely top class players than 4 "maybe's".

 

[amolbhatia50k]

A gap not bridged during a summer window or a season. We would need two summer windows with good and long term acquisitions while at the same time improving/developing our players during the seasons. 2021/2022 season is the earliest we will compete with the best.

Definitely. But I'm more interested in seeing us make progress in that general direction. For example with Klopp you could see farily soon where he appeared to be taking them.

 

[M Utd]

Does anybody thing PSG focused on compressing the space on our left? I felt they knew that was our strength and forced us down the right where we lack quality. Can see other teams doing that too. We need to work on it

Yes. I totally agree. Martial wasn't give any space/time on the ball (they were happy for Shaw to have it that side) and man marked Pogba. Clever tactic given how successful we have been in the past few games.
We are still a little away tactically from doing something different. Injuries also hampered us as second half we weren't nearly the threat we could have been first half. They knew that and played about 15 yards higher in the second half against us.

 

[Fosu-Mens]

Definitely. But I'm more interested in seeing us make progress in that general direction. For example with Klopp you could see farily soon where he appeared to be taking them.

No arguing on that. If we are to make changes in the squad this summer(As one part of this progress) we will need that DoF soon. I do not like these "news" regarding OGS meeting with Woodward discussing transferdealings for the summer. Points towards no DoF being appointed.

 

[adexkola]

It's very concerning that a lot of supporters think we'll progress massively if we just add more pace to our bench. The ball moves faster than any player can run. Immediate areas of improvement are our midfield being able to retain the ball under the press, our possession and passing during counters, and full-back/winger interactions. There is a lot more that can be done with this current bunch before one can truly say that only transfers will improve what we have.

 

[Fosu-Mens]

It's very concerning that a lot of supporters think we'll progress massively if we just add more pace to our bench. The ball moves faster than any player can run. Immediate areas of improvement are our midfield being able to retain the ball under the press, our possession and passing during counters, and full-back/winger interactions. There is a lot more that can be done with this current bunch before one can truly say that only transfers will improve what we have.

The idea is that you improve the current players you have, while adding players through transfers that will compliment/improve the squad. Two tools for improvement, one internal and the other external.

Regarding the squad composition/pace on bench argument i agree with you. Adding players with pace can be useful if the rest of your attack consist of players that are technical, and vice versa. Preferably you would only have players that have pace and technical ability(passing, dribbling etc), but there are not many of these players. We should aim to have a squad with a mixture of players that have pace but also players with the technical ability to create through a well placed pass.

 

[AndyJ1985]

The idea is that you improve the current players you have, while adding players through transfers that will compliment/improve the squad. Two tools for improvement, one internal and the other external..

One thing that is often overlooked on here is that there's only so much a player can be improved, everyone has a ceiling. So it may very well be there's nothing left to get out of the players we already have.

 

[ash_86]

No matter who the manager is, we need good/great players to compete at the top level. No way Zidane or whoever is getting past PSG with our current squad . NO CHANCE!!!

 

[Ravel96]

The squad depth is just not there. Even with our strongest midfield, PSG comfortably overrun us when Pogba, Herrera and Matic are not playing well. There isn't anyone who can step off the bench and deputise for any of these 3. At least in attack, Lukaku can still be called upon to lend his physical presence. Sanchez, unfortunately, doesn't seem to fit into the Ole kind of team.

 

[adexkola]

The idea is that you improve the current players you have, while adding players through transfers that will compliment/improve the squad. Two tools for improvement, one internal and the other external.

Regarding the squad composition/pace on bench argument i agree with you. Adding players with pace can be useful if the rest of your attack consist of players that are technical, and vice versa. Preferably you would only have players that have pace and technical ability(passing, dribbling etc), but there are not many of these players. We should aim to have a squad with a mixture of players that have pace but also players with the technical ability to create through a well placed pass.

I agree that both can happen simultaneously.

The game probably could have ended up differently if Lingard's pass to Martial in the first half was spot on.

 

[VeevaVee]

Sorting the team out. People love to pretend it's rosy when we win a game, but it's not. The same issues are there that we've said for ages. If we had a better RW and fullback there we'd have been more dangerous against their weaker side. If we had more quality they wouldn't be able to mark our star man out the game so easily, because they'd have more to deal with.

 

[gza the genius]

We really just don't have the players to go with any sort of progressive, attacking system outside of Ole's preferred starting 11. If you lose any of Martial, Rashford or Lingard the drop off in movement and technical ability is very steep. Even with the starting 11 we need a better center back, right back, at least one center mid, and a right winger to compete/improve on our front 3 now. As soon as Mata and Sanchez came in we immediately looked a different team and there really were no other options for Ole either.

The players we've purchased since Sir Alex retired were just a scattergun approach and it's obvious.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

@amolbhatia50k a thing we have to remember is Ole hasn’t been in charge long and he has had to change all our tactics in a very short period of time whilst preparing for games so the team to a point is surely adapting on the fly.

I do feel the point you made about trying to kill teams in 3-5 passes is very valid and what I expect we are trying to do and maybe in part due to how little time we’ve had to work on patterns Ole wants or maybe that is just how he thinks he’ll get the best out of this team rather than controlling games and passing it about. Maybe that is something that will come later as personally I think the truly great teams can do either at the drop of a switch but it takes time and drilling.

I do think there are obvious weakness within the team and maybe certain changes in players will improve us but I’m not sure just adding a name will transform us but even then RB, CM, RW and CB are areas that need looking at.

 

[Fosu-Mens]

One thing that is often overlooked on here is that there's only so much a player can be improved, everyone has a ceiling. So it may very well be there's nothing left to get out of the players we already have.

You improve those who seems to have the potential/ceiling/desired abilities, and you sell those who does not seem likely to be useful for the future.
Rashford; Got the physicallity and ability to strike the ball, with some improvements in movement, decisions, technical areas he will be really useful. You keep him and tries to develope him.
Fellaini; Not suit the way the club want to play in the future. You move him on and hopefully replace him with someone better suited.

I think most of us agree on which players in the club that belongs in the two categories.

 

[UpWithRivers]

No matter who the manager is, we need good/great players to compete at the top level. No way Zidane or whoever is getting past PSG with our current squad . NO CHANCE!!!

Mourinho might have

 

[Keeps It tidy]

Mourinho might have

White text? He had a title winning Chelsea side lose to a 10 man PSG.

 

[Ecstatic]

The top priority should be the central midfield because a strong central midfield makes a defence stronger and because there is a potential to further develop in attack.

In the French market, I'd say the interesting and realistic targets are Rabiot (free next summer), Meunier (end of contract in 2020) who doesn't play a lot this season (very good offensively, less defensively: the contrary of Kehrer) and Ndombélé (Lyon) who is now called by Deschamps and could be interested in playing with Pogba to become a starter for France.

PSG lost recently against Lyon and Ndombélé played a role in this loss.

 

[cyril C]

You probably only watched their last year or two then because in their prime both were rapid. In addition we played one of the Da Silva twins or Brown as RB from 06-10/11 who again were quite quick. So pace was not really a problem for our defense during that period.

Can't remember which year, but I did mention "...OK I remember Vidic was embarrassed by Torres many times..." Which of course meant Torres at Liverpool not Chelsea. Was it their last 2 year? Silva brothers were never there. I copied the following 07 squad list from another thread, Brown was there, Neville and JOS were never quick. I recalled Evra was OK when he was much younger, so any leak would be covered by Brown or Evra?

Defender
Wes Brown
Craig Cathcart
Patrice Evra - World Class
Rio Ferdinand - World Class
Gary Neville
John O'Shea
Gerard Pique
Mikael Silvestre
Nemanja Vidic - World Class

 

[Canagel]

The top priority should be the central midfield because a strong central midfield makes a defence stronger and because there is a potential to further develop in attack.

In the French market, I'd say the interesting and realistic targets are Rabiot (free next summer), Meunier (end of contract in 2020) who doesn't play a lot this season (very good offensively, less defensively: the contrary of Kehrer) and Ndombélé (Lyon) who is now called by Deschamps and could be interested in playing with Pogba to become a starter for France.

PSG lost recently against Lyon and Ndombélé played a role in this loss.

I also like Aouar. Tbh if we can raid lyon for ndombele and aouar our midfield will be more or less sorted. The smaller french clubs will sell at the right price and like city raided the talented monaco for Mendy and Silva we should follow them with raid of our own on lyon. Rabiot is another good option. Any two from these three will be welcome in our midfield.

 

[ErranMorad]

I think we need both - first we need to spend a shit loads of money to get 5 or 6 players in, and then we need to start coaching them to play a style of football that is more than simply "attacking with pace". The club has spend money in buying players to "bridge the gap" with the likes of Sanchez, Fred & Lukaku, but they have all turned into massive disappointments. It's obvious that moving forward the money has to be spent on quality young players that actually go on to improve the first team and the squad. We cannot have another window or two where we spend upwards of 150m to end up in the same situation.

Where is that much vaunted Director of football? Who has been handing out these contracts to the likes of Smalling, Jones & Young? Will Mata also get a new one? How about Valencia?

The fact is that while Ole and his team work on technically improving the players while enhancing our overall style of play, someone needs to get cracking and be ruthless with the menagerie that we have collected over the last few years. Mata, Valencia, Rojo and Darmian should have no future with us beyond the end of this season. If even one of them is here next season, it means that someone is not doing his job. After we are done with them - the futures of Lukaku, Sanchez, Herrera and Jones need to be assessed too. In an ideal world we would sell Lukaku, Sanchez & Jones in the summer & give Herrera a couple of years extension.

There is simply too much rubbish in this squad. I hope we are as ruthless as Pep was in his second season to get rid of most of it in the summer and start afresh with what is left and new player acquired in a big transfer window. There is no point keeping players that we already know about and hoping for them to improve. Neither is it going to happen for Sanchez, nor is Lukaku going to develop a better first touch. Jones isn't going to suddenly stay fit and play 35 league games next season.

We need coaching, ruthlessness with the squad and a lot of money to recruit the right players. Those things can only happen if you have the right structure in place. Do we have the right structure in place to go through an overall? I doubt it. In short, a lot needs to be done to bridge the gap between us & the European elite. I do not see the nous or the urgency or the structure present at this club to achieve that.

 

[BlackBen]

David Moyes said we should aspire to be like City which was insulting but I think we should aspire to be like them in terms of squad quality. You look at any City match day starting XI and think to yourself, any of these guys on the bench could have started and there would be no drop in quality whatsoever. Now look at our squad, should Pogba and/ Martial not be available then we suddenly are in trouble.

We need to correctly invest big time this summer. If we can go full Guardiola mode and buy two or three fullbacks along with a CB(preferably De Ligt, that boy is a huge unit), a midfielder and a right forward/winger, we should do it and make sure the signings are not above the age of 26.

Also I think we need to get the basics right in terms of being very comfortable in possession and being good on the ball. Ole and his team need to work harder on that in training because sometimes we look lost when we have the ball and go into panic mode. PSG were comfortably better than us and schooled us completely which I believe should be a huge positive learning experience for Ole and his team and hopefully they've learned about the shortcomings of this squad and the glaring areas of improvement.

The first step starts with not making Ashley Young a starting full back and reducing his role to squad rotation in cup games.