Edinson Cavani - Manchester United Player

tombombadil

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So, when does he start? Is he cover, an alternative, a first teamer, or just there to kick Martial on when he needs a kick? On the plus side I could see him in a 2 up front system with one of Martial and Rashford benefiting.
I think it is more like, "try your best. If you wind up first team, good. If you wind up back striker, well, that was our bare minimum anyways. If you end up a crock, well that's why the deal is only 1+ 1. We won't renew then."

Hopefully he can give not just back up to Martial, like Ighalo, but also provide competition to Martial. Also, he has excellent experience which would be good for guidance to the youngsters.
 

Water Melon

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I get what people are getting pissy about but those people should grow up.

What exactly do you perceive we’ve fecked up? Not spunking £108m on Sancho? If that’s the case I don’t think we’ve fecked up at all, I think we’ve been quite sensible given our squad options.

For about the same money we’ve got a world class back up striker, a striker that can give us some real clever movement and physical presence in the opposition’s box when the game needs it.

We’ve added a good alternative to Pogba, who needs to sort his shit out.

We’ve got a good LB who can actually give us something extra in attack.

We’ve brought in a pretty exciting prospect in Traore and another winger.

We literally beefed up the whole squad instead of splashing our whole budget on one player for one position.
Now lets hope it all works out. If it does not, then you do realize that these were Solskjaer's decisions and he is responsible to get the max out of all the players that he has bought, right? Also, if he is fired you will give the next manager at least the same amount of time and players before he is sacked, right? Personally, I do not think we will do any better than last season. Hope you are right and I am wrong.
 

Mercurial

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Also the fact that he declared that he would not renew his contract towards the end of the season didn't help at all.
It doesn't fit the Caf over reaction narrative, he needs to be tarred and feathered and to not steal Ighalo play time. Also those 160k were a lot better payed to people that exited to stay and warm the bench!1!
 

RedPnutz

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he's been a free agent for months, of course we didn't plan to buy him. As panic and last minute as a panic last minute deal can be.
It's precisely because he's been a free agent and no one was going for him that we could leave it till the last minute. We likely thought the same for Sancho.

The difference is one worked while the other didn't. Just because a plan failed doesn't mean there is no plan. Just because we conclude a deal on deadline day doesn't mean its a last minute panic. It could have been planned that way from the start.
 

Leethal

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I get what people are getting pissy about but those people should grow up.

What exactly do you perceive we’ve fecked up? Not spunking £108m on Sancho? If that’s the case I don’t think we’ve fecked up at all, I think we’ve been quite sensible given our squad options.

For about the same money we’ve got a world class back up striker, a striker that can give us some real clever movement and physical presence in the opposition’s box when the game needs it.

We’ve added a good alternative to Pogba, who needs to sort his shit out.

We’ve got a good LB who can actually give us something extra in attack.

We’ve brought in a pretty exciting prospect in Traore and another winger.

We literally beefed up the whole squad instead of splashing our whole budget on one player for one position.
No issue with not signing Sancho, as mentioned elsewhere. He cost a hell of a lot in the current climate, so fully get why the club didn't bite.

Have big issues with the fact that the money we were prepared to spend did not get invested into first team players, when our first team absolutely needed addressing. Instead, we spent the money on kids for the future, back ups to first team members (instead of displacing them) and neglecting to rectify our problem areas. I'm not happy with mediocrity and scrapping for top 4 finishes. We finished some 30 odd points behind the champions last season, and instead of improving the first team and bridging the gap, we invested elsewhere. Disgusting strategy from a team that supposedly has aspirations of title challenges.

The fans get played for fools by the club - they have no intention of title challenging; as it simply costs too much to get to that point, so rather, they push for fourth to keep money flowing into the coffers and spend just enough to hopefully achieve their goals.
 

Langers7274

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https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/man-united-transfer-window-woodward-19028132

This is a great piece written today by MEN on our transfer window approaches. Some are saying that they're happy with the Cavani signing, for me, this window just is just reminiscent of 2013 under Moyes, spend the whole window chasing one player and end up with another hours before deadline which, let's be honest, does not fit Ole's mould. When Jose finished 2nd you would have thought the board would have backed him with a view to closing the gap on City, they didn't!! In came Fred, Dalot and Grant. Ole has worked wonders getting us to 3rd and he we are again, needs backing to get closer to the top two and the board have failed us miserably. It's shocking to see how one of the biggest football clubs in the world is being run, no idea, no direction, no plan!!!
 
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Kostov

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I struggle to get excited over Cavani even though I like him as a player and I am glad we will have him as a squad option. The manner in which the club did transfers this summer leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
 

flappyjay

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What gamble? We'll not get a return on a 160k per year player? If so all our recent players are gambles.
How is signing a player who is injury prone not a gamble. Mind you every signing is a gamble. But on this one we are both gambling on him doing well and also staying fit. This makes it a bigger gble than usual.
 

Greck

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Screw all this moaning. Excited to see how all the signings contribute before writing them off. This window isn't worse than last summer's faux galactico signings just because it's less expensive, not yet anyway
 

Pexbo

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I didn’t realise he had such a bad relationship with Neymar. He’s just shot up in my estimation.
 

Samid

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I didn’t realise he had such a bad relationship with Neymar. He’s just shot up in my estimation.
Neymar will be wishing his sister's birthday was in October by the time Big Ed is done with him.
 

Fluctuation0161

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It's precisely because he's been a free agent and no one was going for him that we could leave it till the last minute. We likely thought the same for Sancho.

The difference is one worked while the other didn't. Just because a plan failed doesn't mean there is no plan. Just because we conclude a deal on deadline day doesn't mean its a last minute panic. It could have been planned that way from the start.
So you think it was just a terrible plan rather than no plan?
 

Micky Targaryen

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We needed a short term striker, why? Why did we have to sign Cavani at the very last second? You know why: Because we fecked everything else up, and ended up with this guy, as our only option. Like I said earlier, it isn't his fault; it's the boards fault.

You won't convince me, ever, that Cavani was a good signing. Even if he has a stellar season. Why? Because we're throwing bandages over faults, instead of fixing them. I'd rather spend the year or two Cavani is here developing Greenwood as a #9, personally, as he has a future here. Cavani, at 33, does not. We should have planned a whole fecking lot better than having to resort to this last second panic fix.
There you go. There is no point in debating if you already have a deeply biased view. If Cavani goes on smashing goals in regularly, you won't admit he'd be a good signing? Even on a free?

You rather us not sign Cavani and develop Greenwood instead. Never in your mind that Cavani's world class experience would be beneficial to Greenwood? Did you think that we are living in an FM world where Greenwood has already been programmed digitally to improve at a consistent rate season after season? We are signing Cavani on a 1 + 1 and on a free, hardly a risky signing. Who cares if Cavani has a future at the club or not. And as for the timing of the transfer, I don't see how that is a big issue at all. If we signed Cavani months ago, would you stop all this moaning then? Does "last minute panic signing" automatically equate to shit decision?

It's one thing to be disinterested with a new signing, it's another to be constantly moaning and panicking about it when he hasn't even got the chance to prove himself yet.
 

Spark

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https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/man-united-transfer-window-woodward-19028132

This is a great piece written today by MEN on our transfer window approaches. Some are saying that they're happy with the Cavani signing, for me, this window just is just reminiscent of 2013 under Moyes, spend the whole window chasing one player and end up with another hours before deadline which, let's be honest, does not fit Ole's mould. When Jose finished 2nd you would have thought the board would have backed him with a view to closing the gap on City, they didn't!! In came Fred, Dalot and Grant. Ole has worked wonders getting us to 3rd and he we are again, needs backing to get closer to the top two and the board have failed us miserably. It's shocking to see how one of the biggest football clubs in the world is being run, no idea, no direction, no plan!!!
But that’s the thing, they do have an idea, a direction and a plan. It just doesn’t involve football.

Our board is unbelievably qualified in the world of finance. No sporting backgrounds, because Manchester United is not a sports club at its core, it’s a global marketing vehicle that generates billions for its owners. “Winning the prem” is probably not on their list of KPIs.

Onto Cavani - it’s clearly a gamble. Give a feck about the number, let’s hope he scores a shit load of goals for us. He’s pretty selfish if I recall for PSG, wonder if he’ll demand penalties off Fernandes (remember the Neymar fall out).

Hope he does well.
 

red_de_pologne

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It's precisely because he's been a free agent and no one was going for him that we could leave it till the last minute. We likely thought the same for Sancho.

The difference is one worked while the other didn't. Just because a plan failed doesn't mean there is no plan. Just because we conclude a deal on deadline day doesn't mean its a last minute panic. It could have been planned that way from the start.
:lol: you cannot be serious? Ole's transfer strategy was pretty clear, young, hungry players who want to be part of the future team of United we're trying to build. Cavani is a nearly 34 years old, played 14 games in the farmers league last season, from quarter finals of CL PSG didn't even include him in the match squad, had a couple of injuries and we're paying him wages he was worth of 5 years ago. There's a reason teams interested in him were Benfica and Leeds I think?
 

Highfather_24

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There is a plan. Not having a plan would be chasing Sancho and then failing to sign him or anyone else on deadline day. As things stand, our squad has been improved.
That is exactly what happened. We chased Sancho all summer and failed to get him. Then we chased Dembele and Sarr on the deadline day as a panic loan, and failed to get them either. All this is the definition of not having a plan/completely failing transfer wise.

Our transfer team had one simple task : Get a competent first team RW(I'm not even talking about CB or DM, lets say thats for next summer).

If Sancho was overpriced, why not move on early, and target another player that fit our budget? No wait, thats what competent teams do. We would rather waste the whole summer, and then get no one.

Listen, Cavani in isolation is not a bad signing. Sancho is for RW, Cavani is backup to Martial, basically a Ighalo replacement. Our priority should have been a RW, and then a backup CF. As it stands now, we got our backup CF and gave the #7 which was meant for Sancho to him.

Its obvious fans(and I'm sure our players too) are pissed.

because Manchester United is not a sports club at its core, it’s a global marketing vehicle that generates billions for its owners. “Winning the prem” is probably not on their list of KPIs.
Wow, okay.
 

RickG19

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Hopefully he can give not just back up to Martial, like Ighalo, but also provide competition to Martial.
I don't get this short term memory loss with fans. If you remember when Ighalo came, he was consistently good whenever he played, and that coincided with probably Martial's best patch of form in a United shirt. So don't say he hasn't provided competition. Martial upped his game when he came....

Obviously this season is a different story.
 

Volumiza

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Now lets hope it all works out. If it does not, then you do realize that these were Solskjaer's decisions and he is responsible to get the max out of all the players that he has bought, right? Also, if he is fired you will give the next manager at least the same amount of time and players before he is sacked, right? Personally, I do not think we will do any better than last season. Hope you are right and I am wrong.
Of course we all hope it works out and only time will tell. And I’m no ‘Pro Ole in at any cost’ poster either so don’t address me in that condescending tone telling what I ‘should realise’ and ‘what I should do’ regarding any future manager.

My point is that on the face of it, I would plump for bolstering the squad with players who specialise in the positions they’re playing over spunking our whole budget on one player, who on his own wouldn’t transform us into title winners either.

I actually think this strategy is pragmatic. Now whether it works and these players succeed is another story but everyone having a fecking hissy fit because we haven’t bought Sancho are ridiculous.
 

SteveW

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Not my favourite signing but he will definitely add leadership and a great example for the younger players. He's old enough that Martial and Greenwood won't feel their path is being blocked and he should help our Uruguayan winger settle into life in Europe.

Hopefully his fitness levels are up to scratch. We could do with his relentless workrate right now. Definitely the type of character we need in the club and a much better player than Ighalo. I'm not complaining with this one.
 

jackal&hyde

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You don't get what people's problem is, I think. The problem isn't Cavani; it's the fact we've been force to make this transfer as we fecked everything else up, and now we've had to sign a 33 year old striker who hasn't played football for 7 months, as a last resort.
A striker was always on the cards regardless of the timing. Cavani was close to Atletico Madrid but they couldn't move Costa so the deal didn't happen; we moved in and secured what could be a great striker for little risk for the short term until Greenwood is ready or other options (Haaland) become available. It's a one year deal and he is on reasonable wages, has nothing to do with Sanches.
 

Volumiza

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@Leethal

So what first team positions are you talking about? Funds are finite.

RW? What about Greenwood? Surely buying a couple of young and hungry prospects for that position makes more sense than buying someone who would keep Greenwood out?

Striker? The same as before. Would you buy someone to displace Martial? Cavani, even at 33 is a great backup option. You do remember Sheringham? He was ace even at nearly 40.

CB? Although Maguire and Lindelof haven’t excelled this season so far, we had one of the best defensive records last season. Buying a first team CB would have ensure lad most of our budget gone and still left us with glaring holes across our frontline.

Dunno, yes, I wonder why it was all so last minute but on the face of it, I think we’ve made what money we had go a long way.

2 x wide attacking players
1 x world class striker
1 x quality MF
1 x decent LB who should soon displace Shaw.

In my view when viewed in that sense we’ve had a good window ... now it’s up to Ole and the players.
 

Water Melon

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Of course we all hope it works out and only time will tell. And I’m no ‘Pro Ole in at any cost’ poster either so don’t address me in that condescending tone telling what I ‘should realise’ and ‘what I should do’ regarding any future manager.

My point is that on the face of it, I would plump for bolstering the squad with players who specialise in the positions they’re playing over spunking our whole budget on one player, who on his own wouldn’t transform us into title winners either.

I actually think this strategy is pragmatic. Now whether it works and these players succeed is another story but everyone having a fecking hissy fit because we haven’t bought Sancho are ridiculous.
Not really mate. People are pissed not because of missing on Sancho but because we have done feck all to fix the gaping holes that we have. Cavani will not start in a month or so minimum, whereas our next 7 games are absolutely vital. Moreover, our new #7 is on his very last legs having to play in the most physically demanding league on the planet. We are falling to pieces since the start of the season and it looks like that teams well below us have figured out what our weak spots are. We needed quality players that can improve us right from the next game. Ideally we should have brought in reinforcements weeks ago so that they have time to gel. To me this window has been really shit-planned, and I am not really sure that these signings will improve us. My biggest concern is that Ole is fired some time mid-season and new manager will have to deal with players that he may not find suitable. Long story short, Ole will have to perform to a very high standard to take us out of the mess that we are in now and he has no excuses.
 

James Peril

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A bit of a sour taste indeed, especially with the bolony comments about being sold on the project after talking to Solskjær and so on. I wonder how that conversation went by seeing Cavani doesn’t speak English and I doubt Sunny speaks a word of Spanish or French. They are not going to fool anyone, we all know Cavani has been shopped around since forever and would have ended up in Miami or Shanghai if the payday was good enough. This is going to be an expensive lesson, I hope at least our physio team speaks Spanish fluently. I believe hamstring is pronounced el tendón de la corva, remember to bring the ice-packs when we play ten games over Christmas.
 

jackal&hyde

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@Leethal

So what first team positions are you talking about? Funds are finite.

RW? What about Greenwood? Surely buying a couple of young and hungry prospects for that position makes more sense than buying someone who would keep Greenwood out?

Striker? The same as before. Would you buy someone to displace Martial? Cavani, even at 33 is a great backup option. You do remember Sheringham? He was ace even at nearly 40.

CB? Although Maguire and Lindelof haven’t excelled this season so far, we had one of the best defensive records last season. Buying a first team CB would have ensure lad most of our budget gone and still left us with glaring holes across our frontline.

Dunno, yes, I wonder why it was all so last minute but on the face of it, I think we’ve made what money we had go a long way.

2 x wide attacking players
1 x world class striker
1 x quality MF
1 x decent LB who should soon displace Shaw.

In my view when viewed in that sense we’ve had a good window ... now it’s up to Ole and the players.
It does look like given the budget available we moved very well in bringing depth in a number of positions.
 

Spark

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Wow, okay.
That’s the Glazer perspective. They do not give a feck about Manchester United as a sporting institution.

Obviously to fans it’s a football club, with tradition and ambition. That’s why we’re fecked as long as the Glazer’s and everyone they employ to run the business are in the club.

Cavani may or may not be a symptom of that, I’m not sure. I think there’s a possibility he works out and provides goals and leadership to younger players. He’s not the shittest signing we could have made.
 

DomesticTadpole

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Well people spent the entire window dreaming of Sancho 7 so to have it given to a 33 years old striker coming as a free agent after the disasterclass of our last number 7 is enough to frustrate many. It honestly looks like Ed is trolling us with this.

Regardless of his abilities though, as I think he'll do well here. Won't surprise me if he ends up being a main player for us by December.
Until Sancho grows up a bit I am happy he is still Dortmund's problem. Next summer he might have thought about not being a selfish idiot.
 

Red Daz

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Personally I’m excited to see what he brings, I don’t get all the negativity, at least wait and see how he affects the teams performance
 

DomesticTadpole

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Does he speak a single word of English? Genuinely interested, would be very important to the way he integrates and motivates himself short-term.
He can speak French it appears, so likely can learn English if he needs to. Unlike some other players who have played for us.
 

Highfather_24

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That’s the Glazer perspective. They do not give a feck about Manchester United as a sporting institution.

Obviously to fans it’s a football club, with tradition and ambition. That’s why we’re fecked as long as the Glazer’s and everyone they employ to run the business are in the club.

Cavani may or may not be a symptom of that, I’m not sure. I think there’s a possibility he works out and provides goals and leadership to younger players. He’s not the shittest signing we could have made.
Oh okay. Sorry I misunderstood you.
 

Pexbo

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Personally I’m glad he has got the number 7 and not been given one of those silly European numbers like 34
 

VP89

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Heard he was very professional, it's good to see him do what he can to maintain fitness with his personal training, before joining any club:

 

Nights

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Heard he was very professional, it's good to see him do what he can to maintain fitness with his personal training, before joining any club:

He’s always been known to be very professional and he’s not afraid to be a leader in the dressing room. Anyone who gives Neymar an earful gets bonus points in my opinion.

Also like how he’s already taking our new Uruguayan youngster under his wing too.
 
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