I'd say Bale but the thread title should be changed to: "AdM replacement if Woody lets him leave" #GotWood
Di Maria replacement if he decides to leave
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
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Are we replacing one of the top attacking midfielders in the world, or are we replacing a top 10 winger?
He played one game as an AM after that Leicester game, and quite frankly I think that was an overreaction. It was Blackett who £ucked himself and us and cost us two goals, and another from a diabolical penalty.
As a winger he was worse than Ashley Young, and every opponent would make sure someone gave him a crushing tackle early in his starts, which seemed to have a very negative effect on di Maria's game. Not sure he's up for the physicality of this league.
We have Rooney, Mata, Herrera, Januzaj and Fellaini who all excell as AMs, no worries there.
Young, Depay, Mata and Januzaj are quality wide players, though none of them are world beaters in that position.
Sanchez, Reus, Gotze, Pedro, Hazard, we need someone like that to terrify defenders and score goals from out wide.
He played one game as an AM after that Leicester game, and quite frankly I think that was an overreaction. It was Blackett who £ucked himself and us and cost us two goals, and another from a diabolical penalty.
As a winger he was worse than Ashley Young, and every opponent would make sure someone gave him a crushing tackle early in his starts, which seemed to have a very negative effect on di Maria's game. Not sure he's up for the physicality of this league.
We have Rooney, Mata, Herrera, Januzaj and Fellaini who all excell as AMs, no worries there.
Young, Depay, Mata and Januzaj are quality wide players, though none of them are world beaters in that position.
Sanchez, Reus, Gotze, Pedro, Hazard, we need someone like that to terrify defenders and score goals from out wide.
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If he leaves, Griezmann is unavailable so that's out. KDB is very unlikely, don't think we'd be interested even though he's really good as an AM. Lucas is interesting as a gamble but depends on price. Cavani I'd rather not as he has to play striker and not out wide, doesn't give the same as Di Maria does in creativity. Reus and Pedro would be very welcomed indeed, good wingers who can score and create.
Lucas or De Bruyne for me. Lucas + 40m would be a good deal if Di Maria intends to leave.
Reus is a LW where we are well covered
Reus is a LW where we are well covered
I couldn't agree more. ADM is a superb player, who has tremendous ability but he ain't no winger. Just because he's rapid doesn't me he should/can play on the wing. I know thats where he started out but its not why he's worth £60m.
Like everyone on here, i don't think we should sell him, as i think he'd be superb for us in a MF 3, problem is though i don't think LVG does (for whatever reason).
So now our MF is as strong as ever, i'd rather see a mix of Schweini, Schnedi, Carrick and Herrera as the main midfielders going into this season. even if that means that ADM is oot the door.
If we do get rid of him, we need to add that electric winger like gooDevil says above. Whether or not we'll go and get him this season though is another thing, as i think we may wait to see if Bale becomes available. Would love Reus, but i think he's too similar to Depay and is guaranteed to go to Real imo.
I guess what i'm saying is that i won't be too disheartened should ADM leave and while i know we will need to add to the squad should he go, i won't be up in arms if we don't go and buy his replacement this year.
Reus can basically play anywhere in an attacking position; he's great with BOTH feet. If we want him, we better do it fast before the Scousers give Dortmund an offer they can't refuse.
Hulk is overrated and shite.
Otherwise, my pick would be De Bruyne.
Reus is superb on the right cutting in on his favored left foot, but he's extremely two footed.
De Bruyne would be the ideal fit. We need pace and goals and he brings both. Di Maria offers us something we just don't have elsewhere and selling him unsettles the squad further. Big changes were needed but eight first team signings? That's a lot.
Fixed... I haven't seen him play on the right wing in a long time so no idea how he'd do there. He plays on the left or behind the striker most of the time.
Test Bayern for Götze, De Bruyne 2nd choice, Reus 3rd choice.
He played there on loan at Gladbach the first season I watched Reus, he was absolutely devastating and made his name there.
He's left footed.
It's other way round surely. He's at his best playing from the left not the right and we already have Depay and Young there.
Actually that sort of makes sense. He's been better than Di Maria for us, is the same age and probably deserves to play.
Valdes
Darmian new CB Smalling Shaw
Schweinsteiger Schneiderlin
Mata Herrera Depay
Rooney
This looks incredibly strong without Di Maria. In his recent form he'd actually have no chance of beating anyone unless Depay struggles to settle. And if we could get Lucas Moura in exchange he'd add another dimension to our attack.
Nope, he's right footed, I'm 100% sure of that, and I know he played there at Gladbach at times but he's mainly a left winger cutting in on his right.
He played there in the next game.
That lacks players who can regularly beat their full backs. It's not one of Depay's strengths and it was mainly Young who did that last season.
I looked it up and found people saying both. He's so two footed this doesn't surprise me. He's left handed. Anyway, it's not important, but if you wanna post a definitive source then go for it.
He's never scored more goals in the league than the 18 he had in 2011-12, playing on the right for Gladbach.
Thank you for the correction, sir.
It hasn't been Di Maria's strength at United either. I thought Depay was well capable of that, if that's not his strength as a winger then we've probably made a terrible mistake signing him.
Well the players we have brought in, and the system VG could shape, di maria could be fantastic in this new shaped united team. Gaitan would depressing has he is not better than what we have got, and would rather we played mata in a 433, than sign Gaitan, who would offer the team nothing
I think we're seeing a result of poor / no future planning in Fergies last couple of seasons, and under Moyes as well...
I don't like it either, but this process should have happened over 4 years, not two.
Is there something I'm missing with De Bruyne, does he play on the right a lot? I'm pretty sure when I've watched him for Wolfsburg he's been playing behind the striker.
It is one of depay's strengths, skillful on the ball, can play the one 2's especially when we are keeping the ball, and is capable of score goals. I doubt VG would have signed him, if he was not a dribbling winger that can beat a man
seems to be good at taking free kicks with his weak foot... or you know he is actually right footed
you know what lets just say he is two footed
predominantly right though
He takes all his set pieces with his right foot, about as definitive as it gets I'd say. Either way, he's a brilliant player and I'd take him here in a heartbeat, but I doubt we'll go after him because since he joined Dortmund, he's been mainly a left winger or played as a 10, and we have Memphis now as a goalscoring left winger. Though if he was fine with playing as a right winger then that would be a ridiculously good team, having him, depay and rooney as the front 3
We really should be keeping ADM if we want to challenge on all four fronts. I don't think LVG would consider selling him at this point. If he continues his poor form for the 1st half of the season then fine we can get rid, but he's too good for that to happen imo.
It hasn't but we know DI Maria is very capable of doing it. Depay is an ok dribbler, no better than Young. His strengths lie in other areas.
£43m + Lucas Moura = sold.
It really doesn't make any sense for us to sell Di Maria this summer at a loss.
If we get more than what we paid for him last summer (which seems unlikely) then its something the club should consider.
But why lose faith in a player that you paid £59.7m for just a year back. Hope we keep him.
EDIT: Only another scenario I can see where selling him makes sense is if we can knick a quality player off them, say Verratti (again unlikely).
If we get more than what we paid for him last summer (which seems unlikely) then its something the club should consider.
But why lose faith in a player that you paid £59.7m for just a year back. Hope we keep him.
EDIT: Only another scenario I can see where selling him makes sense is if we can knick a quality player off them, say Verratti (again unlikely).
Has he lived up to his potential? Why wasn't he starting at the Copa America?
Well, I did say he's extremely two footed. But if he's taking free kicks with his right then I suppose he prefers his right.
I just going off what I read when I discovered him years ago, it must have been wrong. More online sources say right than left as well when I just searched. I had to look it up because he's so good with both I wouldn't tell which he preferred when I first saw him.
But he is left handed!
People saying Gotze 
He's not a good winger. Bale is not available. What's Lucas Moura actually done since moving to PSG? Reus is probably the best bet, would fit right in with the amount of injuries he picks up anyway.
He's not a good winger. Bale is not available. What's Lucas Moura actually done since moving to PSG? Reus is probably the best bet, would fit right in with the amount of injuries he picks up anyway.I am keeping my hopes up that we have a massive surprise signing lined up if Di Maria knows - along the magnitude of Bale / Ronaldo / Muller level
Yes, I'd say that's pretty definitive. As I said above, I read that years ago, and I looked it up because he was so two footed I couldn't tell. But I'll wave the white flag, I had that wrong it would seem. I blame Obama.He takes all his set pieces with his right foot, about as definitive as it gets I'd say. Either way, he's a brilliant player and I'd take him here in a heartbeat, but I doubt we'll go after him because since he joined Dortmund, he's been mainly a left winger or played as a 10, and we have Memphis now as a goalscoring left winger. Though if he was fine with playing as a right winger then that would be a ridiculously good team, having him, depay and rooney as the front 3
I don't see the sense in him leaving, but if he does, i really hope we aren't in for Goetze. Bale, Griezmann or Reus for me.
Selling Di Maria is nonsense. He was excellent until he got injured. Unless we have Reus. Griezmann or Götze lined up, it would be very stupid to sell him.
Dont know what kind of expectations people had for Lucas but he has been decent for PSG, he is fast...really fast, he can beat multiple men (he just glides through defences), not particularly a goal scorer, but he can finish and can bag 8-10 assists in a season - still only just 22 and he will only get better.
As for why he wasnt starting for Brazil, i think its no secret that the Brazillian federation haven't exactly been logical in their selections, the National team is just another victim of politricks - i mean didnt they sell their team selection rights to a firm?
Sounds like a player more for the future when we bought Di Maria to add an established player who was the finished article to our squad. Without him, I don't rate our options out wide highly. They're all either 20 years of age or number 10s playing out wide or Ashley Young. If we decide to let Di Maria go, and I really hope we don't, we have to bring in someone who is among the best.
He is obviously not as established as Di Maria, but if we're going to lose Di Maria to PSG (assumption based on reports) then getting Moura in return for 35-45m would be ideal imo, he is a winger so we dont have to worry about changing his position, he would suit that 4-3-3 , two young wingers behind a striker (one to help with scoring and one to assist).
He is only a breakout season away and from the looks of it, it might just be next season.
Could be. But on paper it looks like an unnecessarily weakening of the squad.
Di Maria playing like he did at the copa for us next season sounds more appealing to me.
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