How much of a priority is signing a centre-back this summer?

sullydnl

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Above comes from the Daily Mail so is not to be trusted.

However, there is possibly scope for a CB signing this summer, particularly with Bailly and Jones among those who could leave.

How badly do we need to strengthen that position relative to others? There are other areas of the pitch that badly need new players too and with a limit on how much tranfer business we'll realistically do in one transfer window, how much of a priority do you think signing a new CB is?
 
Not as big if we get a top defensive midfielder imo.

Do think one, if not both, of Jones and Bailly will leave leaving us a bit thin there. Maguire, Varane, Lindelof and a new CB would be perfectly fine, with some youth backups (not sure about Tuanzebe though). I'd rather we don't splash out ridiculous amounts on one, plenty of other areas need more focus.
 
The biggest thing this summer is sorting the midfield out and a top notch striker. I think our midfield will look much better when the midfield infront of them is ran through less easily.

and we can’t rely on Ronaldo to do it all.
 
Should be the lowest. Every other position is in a worse state except maybe left wing.
 
Depends on what the new manager wants to do tactically. If we're gonna play three at the back, we definitely need a new one. If we're gonna play with a DM then we need that more. And, other things along those lines... The squad's biggest deficiencies vary depending on what you aim to do with it.
 
Order of priority:

DM
CF
CM
RB
RW
GK
LB
CB
LW

Would be the most United thing ever to end up focusing on CB and LW.
 
Frankly, I don’t see why Bailly isn’t playing more at the moment. Even Jones. Both have arguably performed better than Maggie this season.
 
I personally feel we would have a better Centre Defence if we improve the players sitting in front and behind them.

1. CDM
2. GK
 
Maguire has been a problem point this season, but Lindelof has been more than fine. Varane so-so. It's an issue, but we have so many bigger concerns.

Agree with @Samid 's point, though I'd have RW a bit higher.
 
A good midfield elevates the defense up a level. If a we get a CB it should be a young cheap prospect to be the 4th cb.
 
sullydnl said:


Above comes from the Daily Mail so is not to be trusted.

However, there is possibly scope for a CB signing this summer, particularly with Bailly and Jones among those who could leave.

How badly do we need to strengthen that position relative to others? There are other areas of the pitch that badly need new players too and with a limit on how much tranfer business we'll realistically do in one transfer window, how much of a priority do you think signing a new CB is?
Click to expand...

IMHO it's 3rd tier priority:

1st tier: holding midfield and young striker (to replace cavani, loss of greenwood)

2nd tier:
replace pogba (if he leaves)
add a senior right centric winger (loss of greenwood + Sancho moving left)

3rd tier: replace out going Bailly, Tuanzebe and Jones. With a player or 2 with pace

4th tier: back up keeper if Henderson leaves.

Perhaps add an attacking right back if AWB is sold. (Perhaps promote laird/Williams)


Ps;: mail kill their credibility when they list araujo as "world class'
 
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A world class and a beast of CB is still needed and required.

Varane is really good CB. For me not a world class CB. Natural kind for my taste. Both Maguire and Varane is Ole transfer. Buy a beast of CB next time. Quick in the first metres and turn around or hard to pass and beat one on one.

Natural beast is needed. Not one try to be.

Ole kind and calm manager = Calm and kind players. United need natural beast a la Stam or Vidic
 
Not a priority at all.

DM and CF is a must!
 
In case of United's defense further collapsing there are theoretically bit cheaper options like Botman, but surely not a priority. Any high level manager should be able to deal with that problem without massive spending. Fully functional midfield could also help dramatically.

Won't be disappointed if we'll just scout ahead for possible emergency plan. You'll never fully know what happens in current state of things...
 
It 100% should be a priority along with 2 midfielders and two forwards. The free transfer market should make things interesting this summer. We should do everything possible to sign Rudiger on a free. Also why not take a punt on Dembele to fill the RW spot. That will save significant funds to invest in two midfielders and another forward.
 
If we can do a good job of fixing the gaping holes in our team, then Varane/Lindelof will do fine for next season.
 
We need a defensive midfielder, central midfielder should Pogba leave, right sided attacker seeing as Sancho is excelling on the left and and a striker with Cavani leaving and the uncertainty around Greenwood all far more than a centre back.

I think if we were to sign Rice and Kamara in on a free then we’d have a much better protected defence and they’d be a much better balance between defence and midfield, our main problem has long been how disjointed we are as well as how we line up tactically due to piss poor coaching.
 
Lindelof isn't good enough. The whole reason that Varane was bought was to replace Lindelof in the first team.

At their best, Varane is our best CB. Maguire is some way behind, but still a top defender as proven over the last couple of seasons. Lindelof is third by a large margin.

Obviously, on current form, Lindelof has snuck past Maguire. The question is whether United should be kneejerk after Maguire's drop in form, or keep faith in a 28 year old player who's served us well before that.

I'm not against the idea of buying a Bailly/Tuanzebe replacement, ie. a tough and pacey athlete who can fill in against certain opposition. But our defence is already quite decent on paper. It should be relatively low priority compared to other areas of the team.

The biggest issue to address is our lack of organisation at the back. Maguire is very good at all the things you want from a system player. Where he's lacking is in the things you want from a 1v1 defender in a backline that's disorganised (which shouldn't really be happening in the first place). If the next manager can sort out our team shape, both Maguire and Lindelof benefit massively. That's what we should be aiming for, rather than trying to integrate even more players into a broken team.
 
I think if it's ETH he might love Lindelof for his all-around play and see him as a good partner for Varane, based on him moving Ajax towards playing smaller and ball-playing defenders the last couple seasons.
 
4th/5th choice after CM, CF and RB. 5th choice after CDM if you include that.

That said, players like Rudiger are free transfers- so may be a possibility-depending on ridiculous,’free-transfer’, wage requests.

All of the above said, I hope that we have an overhaul. New manager, proper scouting. Get in some reasonably priced players, and maybe be ‘one player short’ of a proper, title winning team, like United 2005-6 (though it didn’t seem like it) Chelsea 2014-15 or Liverpool 2018/19 (yeah I know-second).
 
Fix the midfield and our defence will improve immediately.

Not in my top 3 positions to fix.
 
sullydnl said:


Above comes from the Daily Mail so is not to be trusted.

However, there is possibly scope for a CB signing this summer, particularly with Bailly and Jones among those who could leave.

How badly do we need to strengthen that position relative to others? There are other areas of the pitch that badly need new players too and with a limit on how much tranfer business we'll realistically do in one transfer window, how much of a priority do you think signing a new CB is?
Click to expand...


Certainly lower priority than DM, but somewhere between RW & CM. Would be incredible to pick up Rudiger as free agent but still think he will sign deal with Chelsea.
 
It's high on the list if only a Varane's quality is available. But I don't know any.
 
I said this before getting Varane that as good as he is, he isn’t a leader. Neither is Maguire and nor is Lindelof but Lindelof at least does some organising.
We need a proper leader at CB. Someone that will demand high standards of himself and others around him and to be honest Ruidger is the perfect candidate for that. I just don’t see any young up and comers that would have the nerve to boss the 3 we have right now so for me it needs to be someone experienced then maybe get rid of Maguire and get a younger prospect.

is it a priority, only if the the right player becomes available.
 
Behind a holding defensive midfielder, and a long term CF. The spine of the team is very important. So CB and GK should be looked at too if the right profile of players available.

Bailly and Jones are not reliable fitness wise, so you can't plan with them as back up starting CB, let alone having them as starter. And Bailly looks like he wants out without that guaranteed game time. Lindelof always has flaw which limit his ceiling. He's a good rotation option but I don't see us go far with him as starter. With that in mind, we need a starting CB to bench Maguire who is struggling for form and tactical requirement in our new approach.
 
I think if we’re planning on sticking with the 4-3-3 which if we get ten Haag we probably will. We defo need a world class DM, that position makes everyone around him better . A new DM that can control the game will make our defence look better and will allow our other 2 mids and attack to function better. Ralf is trying to implement a 4-3-3 formation at the minute and we do look quite good and more balanced in it and that’s without a proper DM. Imagine what we’d be like with one.
 
NoPace said:
I think if it's ETH he might love Lindelof for his all-around play and see him as a good partner for Varane, based on him moving Ajax towards playing smaller and ball-playing defenders the last couple seasons.
Click to expand...
Good shout. If Jurrien Timber (Ajax) is that good then he'd fit profile you mentioned.
 
I don't think it's that big a priority. Centre mid(s) and striker are much more pressing issues. Then after that you can look at everything else. I'd bring Laird back and let him have an opportunity to fight for the right back slot. Promote Fernandez and give him a crack at the left back position. I'd be very tempted to sign a right sided attacker too. Anything else will most likely have to wait.
 
I think its a priority. Maguire is quite shit.
 
Like others have said, it's not a priority.

We're stuck with Maguire, but I refuse to believe that a good manager can't get him playing effectively. He was at the heart of an England defence that went to the World Cup semi finals and the final of the European championship. There must be a way to get better performances.
 
We will need to sign one as Bailly will surely move on.

Varane, Maguire, Lindelof aren’t enough. We will move on the rest.
 
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