Is it bad that I actually kinda like the idea of Adama in the RWB role? 
ESPN: Amorim prioritising, Pace, Power and Atheticism this summer
- Thread starter dinostar77
- Start date
Yes, because he's awful in any positionIs it bad that I actually kinda like the idea of Adama in the RWB role?
Cherki will be a DOF signing if we make it. I don't think Amorim wants him. Same with Delap.
Attackers are the most important for sure, but I really hope we're going to be linked to some midfielders soon.
It will be a hard season if we don't improve that area.
It will be a hard season if we don't improve that area.
I agree. We really need a good passing CM.
I agree, you can carry a weakish midfielder in premier league as part of midfield 3, but Amorim seems to married to his formation.
I would be astonished if we don't sign one, even if he's not primarily a string-puller and more of a quick, physical B2B with ball carrying and decent passing stats. Considering Ugarte was left out of the final (And didnt play today) it's not off the table that he leaves too, despite being an INEOS signing and RA's former player. Collyer can already do most of what he does, and covers ground more quickly as a pure destroyer.
Yes. He’s gassed after half an hour. Hence why he plays mainly as a substituteIs it bad that I actually kinda like the idea of Adama in the RWB role?
I agree too, we need a cm who has good passing with technical ability (dribbling). We're not doing anything without one.
Oh very interesting. I saw something about Amorim pushing for Gyokeres and against Delap somewhere (pre-EL final, if we got CL)
Man Ederson looks like what we need, what a player.
I would take that with a pinch of salt
he wouild be a fantastic addition to this squad
I would prefer Hugo Larsson or Ardon Jashari
I think everyone agrees the squad wasn’t physical enough for the PL.
The question is how can we make up 42 points? The answer is that we can’t.
It’s clear that GK and attack are the weakest areas. We are not getting Gyorkeres, even though at £58 million he’d be a bargain. It feels like Delap or bust. Can’t see anyone else, how we can spend £80 odd million on a striker that would be a risk anyway, so that rules out most.
Squad wise we are likely losing Anthony, Sancho, Rashford and possibly Gernacho.
If we get Mbueno, Cunha, Delap are we happy?
Does that start to cut the 42 points? What if we got Martinez in goal? We haven’t so far been linked to any midfielders??
I seen Eze mentioned this morning, if we lose 4 do we need 4?
The question is how can we make up 42 points? The answer is that we can’t.
It’s clear that GK and attack are the weakest areas. We are not getting Gyorkeres, even though at £58 million he’d be a bargain. It feels like Delap or bust. Can’t see anyone else, how we can spend £80 odd million on a striker that would be a risk anyway, so that rules out most.
Squad wise we are likely losing Anthony, Sancho, Rashford and possibly Gernacho.
If we get Mbueno, Cunha, Delap are we happy?
Does that start to cut the 42 points? What if we got Martinez in goal? We haven’t so far been linked to any midfielders??
I seen Eze mentioned this morning, if we lose 4 do we need 4?
I'd do a big bid for Camavinga if they bring in both Stiller and Nico Paz. They're always looking at the bottom line, have plenty of bodies in midfield and might be tempted with a new manager incoming.
Interestingly, we are selling our two fastest forwards in Garnacho and Rashford - physicality. Is Mbuemo and Cunha an upgrade in terms of that requirement?
Højlund has shown he has pace and strength, but everything is going wrong for him. We need two more strikers and one or two 10s and a wingback and a midfielder. All most likely physical. That’s some overhaul!
We aren’t selling Rashford based on ability.
We are selling because he’s looked disinterested and hasn’t produced his best.
Gernacho is still at his potential stage but we need hungry hard working players that feel lucky to be at Man Utd.
As far as overhaul goes we could get three forwards and fall back on Mount/ Amad to rotate. When Amad moves up the pitch Dalot slots in. Hojilund becomes a back up and hopefully gets better/ discovers some form.
Half Hojlund's problem is that he thinks he is the hard man, but the Premier League defenders bully the sht out of him. Im sure every team talks about that pre-game. Just rough him up and get him into battles. He will loose every time. He needs to learn to be more like a Kane. Drop off the defenders and spin into pace. Use his strengths. Speed etc. I dont know where he got this idea that he is a Mark hughes
Making 42 points is to win the league this year... its going to be a different story next season.
City, Liverpool, Arsenal all spending big money this summer will improve.
I think just changing the keeper and striker will get us 10-14 more points, because Onana and Hojlund are just like playing with 9 men.
It might actually be more because the negative impact those 2 have is so much... Onana struggled heavily on crosses (Wolves goal from corner), passing out the back which we conceded a few and just the worst shot stopper in the league... (MGW goal at OT). So a keeper that can be average at all aspects of keeping will definitely gain us more points.
With the striker, we have seen when Zirkzee plays, we are better offensively because of the fact that he can hold up the ball to his feet rather than Hojlund which is a bouncing board. So when we build up from the back and need to play a progressive pass, when its Hojlund, most instances the ball is coming back and we are defending… these are small margins but a striker with better control keeps the possession and we are in control of the game.
Add Cunha, we have struggled heavily in progressing play, Cunha is perfect for this, he receives the ball so well and can dribble his way out of trouble. We have seen that from Amad down the right but Cunha is more effective currently in the PL.
I can see us making 20 points from those signings, and another 10 due to confidence and better coaching.
Great post.
Completely agree on the discussion around 3ATB and 'wingbacks'. People worry that the role is too defensive and that no good winger would actually want to play there, but you only need to watch a few of our games to see how offensive the role is in Amorim's side (to the point that it's almost misleading to refer to it as wingback in any sense other than starting position). I imagine players like Perisic and Willian would have suited the role massively (even as the hard-working midfielder, as you call it).
If the worry is that buying for this side will leave us inflexible in the scenario that we move on from Amorim, I think a team like this (players used are just examples):
Garcia
Mazraoui - de Ligt - Yoro
Amad - Ugarte - Wharton - Dorgu
Cherki -------- Cunha
Gyökeres
Garcia
Mazraoui/Dalot - De Ligt - Yoro - Dorgu
Ugarte - Wharton
Amad - Cherki - Cunha
Gyökeres
I can't say I'm at all convinced by Amorim, but if planning for him and a future beyond him is the plan, then this doesn't look too bad. Ugarte would be the next player to upgrade. Maybe Mainoo (or later down the line, Kone) will eventually step up.Mazraoui/Dalot - De Ligt - Yoro - Dorgu
Ugarte - Wharton
Amad - Cherki - Cunha
Gyökeres
Last edited:
Surely Amorim and the INEOS best in class team understand that adding pace, power and athleticism to the attack does nothing to stop teams cutting through our midfield and bullying our defenders.
“Does nothing”? Hard disagree on that one.
Little to nowt then. For the sake of semantics.
True. We conceded 54 in the league.
Liverpool 41, City 44, Newcastle 47, Villa 51.
We scored 44, Liverpool 82, City 72, Newcastle 68 and Villa 58.
How we can and will concede 13 less goals. New keeper. Martinez back, Yoro and Heaven in their second year and will be stronger. Shaw???? (Doubtful)
The Onana factor is massive, the defence has zero confidence in him.
Ugarte in his second year.
More importantly: if we press from the front with Pace and Power, teams won’t attack as much. If we are capable of scoring at will with a strong attack, the fear factor comes back. We have plenty of possession but we did nothing with it. We need the cutting edge. This will also bring confidence. This will take time.
It’s not about goals conceded. It’s about being able to control matches or at the very least not being bullied in the middle of the park. Defending from the front is great and all but while our midfield and defense is severely lacking in pace, power and athleticism we will still get overrun by good teams never mind top ones.
We all witnessed this when Casimeiro partnered Erickson. We do have pace on defence with Yoro and Heaven and power with De Ligt when fit and Martinez when in top form (which wasn’t often enough last year). I am hoping for more from Ugarte and Mainoo and hoping we sign a midfielder. It’s hard as we can’t do it all.
I think going ahead in games more often, having that confidence we can get a goal, helps you defensively.
That's the problem with stats, they can't quantify the impact of being ahead or behind in terms of players mindset and emotions.
This United team knows if it doesn't take any early chances it gets they likely won't score and you can see that panic set in around the 30 min mark of games.
But our defence, barring the clown in nets, isn't the problem. Yes we give away soft goals, but generally we're not a bad defensive side.
The issue is our lack of goals. Goals change games, and the ability to score a lot of goals gets you out of all sorts of trouble. For us, conceding one goal is a disaster because there's a real chance that's the game gone. If Liverpool, say, concede a goal, it's game on.
The whole point of Amorims system is to control position from the back. Name me the game where we’ve been overrun?
I get the push for midfielders as a fanbase we just love a controller in the middle of the park. We ask for it every summer. The problem is it’s not important to Amorim’s system and we can easily control games with the current midfield we have (I know nobody wants to hear this, neither do I). What we really need to invest in is goals.
I get that, but we still rid ourselves of a couple of our few pacy players, so by replacing them we don’t really add much pace per se.
Agree with this, but then players also need to stop playing those balls to him
I remember Ferguson telling Rafael to not go into headers against Bale; he would only lose and set Bale up for a head start - focus on the ground duels. And he normally did well against him.
It’s like he’s spent the whole season trying to improve his weaknesses. So he’s just endlessly exposed his weaknesses.
We do because, Sancho, Rashford and Anthony have not really been there since after the first month (Sancho never) under Amorim.
Secondly Sancho and Anthony have never really done it consistently in the PL.
One of the things about the players we are been linked with Mbuemo and Cunha and Delap is that they are scoring here in England and I feel that’s important. As for Rashford he’s got the ability but unfortunately he’ll retire having never fulfilled his potential. The Barca/PSG bench won’t be a nice place.
But it does. If you can press higher up the pitch and win the ball back with your attack then that will help the midfield and defence.
We were running out Casemiro and Ugarte in front of three centerbacks with two fullbacks playing wingback for months and still leaking goals. We conceded four to Lyon while they were down a man. And apparently Bruno will be a full-time midfielder next season because we are spending big money on players in his best position rather than balancing the squad. The lack of funds you rightly allude to only makes the allocation of those funds that much more crucial.
See above. Despite lining up with a overly defensive setup we were still giving away cheap goals on the regular. And the current strategy looks likely to make the spine of the team even weaker.
Except we don’t have enough collective pace at CB to press high up the pitch. As long as one or two of De Ligt, Martinéz and Maguire are starting we can’t do it.