How depressing!
How we can improve our squad according to The Guardian
- Thread starter padzilla
- Start date
We could start by signing some players that play in the positions we need some players to play in
For example, we could sign a RB to play at RB and a RW to play RW
Radical logic but perhaps an alternative to the “sign a popular attacker with lots of Instagram followers” approach that has worked consistently well for top clubs everywhere
For example, we could sign a RB to play at RB and a RW to play RW
Radical logic but perhaps an alternative to the “sign a popular attacker with lots of Instagram followers” approach that has worked consistently well for top clubs everywhere
Start by having a plan and a style of play and buy players who fit it. Look at Liverpool for instance, wanted to play a high tempo, pressing game with a true counter attacking threat. Identified the attributes they wanted in players, speed, aggression in pressing, stamina. Look at the Liverpool front 6 and who among them were stars before they joined? Good players all but elevated by a system and style that suits their collective game. All players that Utd could have bought instead of chasing names.
We need and have needed that level of planning and commitment, another reason why Mou is not the man for Utd, he is a patch it and go guy, short term fixes for short term success.
We need and have needed that level of planning and commitment, another reason why Mou is not the man for Utd, he is a patch it and go guy, short term fixes for short term success.
This could also be a guide on how Brighton could win the league.
I had a good chuckle this morning reading that article.
The sad part is Valencia probably didnt even ask for a pay rise. Ed is the David Brent of football CEO'S
I mentioned something along these lines in another thread, whereby our players, manager, coaches, medical staff, DoF (Woodward, in his DoF role) - every single one of them is under performing.
Only Martial and DDG are performing to expectations.
This is one of the reasons why I don't believe that a new manager will solve anything. He too, will underperform.
My understanding is that it is Ed's mate, Matt Judge who does the negotiations. And he (or whoever it is who does the negotiations) is really bad at the job....I mean, ridiculously bad.
When an agent walks into the room, he must laugh to himself when he sees our financial men - the agent knows that they'll probably get everything they want and more.
Whoa there! Slow down and stop talking sense.
The idea of our current club is better. When you need a DM, sign a AM and make him play in the DM role. Or if you need a RB, use an existing RW, to play the role of RB. And the actual RB you have? Sell him.
Players must be versatile and should be prepared to play in any position on the pitch, except for their actual/specialist position.
Shit article.
FFs the Guardian one of the biggest shit rags going 
Here's the recommendation for defence:
So just swap the whole thing? I'd be more concerned with journalists' verdicts on United if their solutions weren't just "buy a new team".
Look, it’s simple. We need to revamp the squad similar to how Pep did at City.
Pep wasn’t forced to play Sagna, Kolarov, Clichy and Zabaleta. So why are we giving new contracts to Ashley Young and Valencia? If Pep was at United, he would be in the same position as Jose is.
Mourinho is probably the biggest “cheque book manager” going. You can’t tell me that he’s happy with two average aging wingers-turned-full backs. You can’t tell me he’s happy with Chris Smalling and Phil Jones. If he had the backing of the board, guaranteed we would see the likes of Alex Sandro, Toby Alderweireld and someone like Azpilicueta at RB. Those are all proper Mourinho players. It’s no secret that the board didn’t back Mourinho in the market.
Some of the transfers we did get like Fred and Sanchez, I’m begin to wonder if Mourinho even chose them or if the board bought them to stop City getting them... who knows? Mourinho wanted Perisic, we know that.
The problem lies with the quality of the players though. People can blame the manager all they want but you can’t sit there and tell me we have a title winning squad. Most of our players wouldn’t look out of place at teams like West Ham, Everton and Watford.
Young isn’t good enough. Valencia isn’t good enough. Jones and Smalling were NEVER good enough. Herrera isn’t good enough. Lingard isn’t good enough.
People go on and on about guys like Shaw and Rashford but I don’t even think they’re good enough to start for a league winning side. Rashford shows promise sometimes but Shaw? I’m not seeing it. Compared to the likes of Mendy and Robertson, he doesn’t even come close. I rate a few others in the league ahead of him aswell like Bertrand, Digne etc. We need to be more ruthless.
Then you have guys like Sanchez phoning it in, he’s been absolutely rubbish since coming here. I can’t believe I’m actually talking about selling him when he’s only been here since January but we need to cut our losses ASAP. His wages are a disaster and it makes a mockery out of our club.
So basically we need to replace all these players I mentioned. The board aren’t gonna do it. So we should be happy with Top 4 for the foreseeable future. Coming 2nd last season with that bunch was a miracle. Right now Top 4 would be an achievement.
Pep wasn’t forced to play Sagna, Kolarov, Clichy and Zabaleta. So why are we giving new contracts to Ashley Young and Valencia? If Pep was at United, he would be in the same position as Jose is.
Mourinho is probably the biggest “cheque book manager” going. You can’t tell me that he’s happy with two average aging wingers-turned-full backs. You can’t tell me he’s happy with Chris Smalling and Phil Jones. If he had the backing of the board, guaranteed we would see the likes of Alex Sandro, Toby Alderweireld and someone like Azpilicueta at RB. Those are all proper Mourinho players. It’s no secret that the board didn’t back Mourinho in the market.
Some of the transfers we did get like Fred and Sanchez, I’m begin to wonder if Mourinho even chose them or if the board bought them to stop City getting them... who knows? Mourinho wanted Perisic, we know that.
The problem lies with the quality of the players though. People can blame the manager all they want but you can’t sit there and tell me we have a title winning squad. Most of our players wouldn’t look out of place at teams like West Ham, Everton and Watford.
Young isn’t good enough. Valencia isn’t good enough. Jones and Smalling were NEVER good enough. Herrera isn’t good enough. Lingard isn’t good enough.
People go on and on about guys like Shaw and Rashford but I don’t even think they’re good enough to start for a league winning side. Rashford shows promise sometimes but Shaw? I’m not seeing it. Compared to the likes of Mendy and Robertson, he doesn’t even come close. I rate a few others in the league ahead of him aswell like Bertrand, Digne etc. We need to be more ruthless.
Then you have guys like Sanchez phoning it in, he’s been absolutely rubbish since coming here. I can’t believe I’m actually talking about selling him when he’s only been here since January but we need to cut our losses ASAP. His wages are a disaster and it makes a mockery out of our club.
So basically we need to replace all these players I mentioned. The board aren’t gonna do it. So we should be happy with Top 4 for the foreseeable future. Coming 2nd last season with that bunch was a miracle. Right now Top 4 would be an achievement.
The best thing Pep did wasn't the buy's he made, but the average he got rid of. Our whole squad is littered with squad players and potential. I agree with regards to shaw I think he's been average. But these days average seems to be good enough for us! We could do with a mass clear out and starting again...
They'd have been as well as saying "Sign the next Ronaldo".
Why would any united fan want to get rid of Herrera? He was our best player 2 years ago...
Stupid article.
That is all very well, but who is going to take them. If the board & manager want to get rid, which is a big if, pray tell me who is going to pay their massive wages, let alone a transfer fee for most of them. You only see the trouble in getting rid of Darmian, whose wages are to high. I keep seeing threads/posts on how we will make so many millions by getting rid of certain players, but the biggest issue is no one will pay their massive personal terms. In fairness, if I was on a fat contract at Man Utd, neither would I want to take a massive pay cut, & I expect you wouldn't either.
Jose could do with some better players, that's for sure. But he's supposed to be a top manager, and top managers don't have to have the best X1 in the world to be able to do anything. Near the end of Moyes "reign" we were saying he'd need Ronaldo and Bale to have half a chance!
Combine this with Pete Jenson telling Solari how he could make Real great again and we have lot of new upcoming managerial quality journalists in England
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...olari-fix-Real-Madrid-gets-permanent-job.html
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...olari-fix-Real-Madrid-gets-permanent-job.html
That’s a funny way of spelling Ibrahimovic.
You want to really improve the Utd squad, then the first bit of business should be, get rid of Jose. The squad are only doing what he instructs them to do, knowing quite well if they don't then they could be bench warmers for months, e.g. Bailly. When his failings as a manager get exposed on the field then he is the first to tell the world it isn't his fault and then selects certain players he can throw under the bus to try and save face.
With another more modern manager with attacking football UTD will be a completely different team to what we are experiencing now.
With another more modern manager with attacking football UTD will be a completely different team to what we are experiencing now.
Fair enough. That explains Jose.
But what about LVG. And Moyes.
That's 3 managers on the bounce who failed. What gives you the idea that the 4th manager will succeed?
If we want to get rid of players why renew their contracts. Young is hitting 35, Mata is 32, Fellaini is 31, Valencia is 33.
But if that player was one of those that were on the manager's "to sign" list of players, who's responsibility is it if that player is underperforming?
Whether he was on a list or not, an under performing player can be due to the manager, the player himself and/or other external factors (like relationships, community etc). One cannot generalize cos players, even those that have been at a club, can still under perform.
But if that player was bought on the manager's explicit instructions, meaning manager wanted to have that player in his team and if that player is underperforming under that manager, under who's feet does the most of the blame lies?
Manager for wanting that player and failing to get him to perform?
Player for not being all that the manager was hoping for?
Board for getting the manager a player he wanted ?
Unless you know why the player is under performing, dont see how you are going assign blame fairly.
Maybe an under performing player (implying the player is capable of more) is not the best description for the situation you have in mind.
This is next level mental gymnastics deflection.
Considering money has been spent on manager's instructions, on his demand to have the player, who's now undeperforming, surely someone ought to shoulder the blame considering it was the manager's wish that have caused the club to go on, fulfill his wish and lose money?
But there are too many variables, too many assumptions, and not enough known facts to shoehorn this onto what's happened at United.
Perhaps Mourinho said, I want Godin, the board turn to the scouts and say "find us a young Godin", so we get Lindeloff. Then apparently it's the manager's fault if Lindeloff doesn't play like/as-well-as Godin. This is completely hypothetical, but makes no more assumptions than you are doing. It would be ridiculous to try and assign blame anyway. Anyone who has ever played a part in a strong team knows that you don't assign blame, you all take responsibility for your sphere of influence. Mourinho's comments earlier this season that he should be called a "head coach" hint heavily that his influence within the club only extends so far. Blaming the manager for everything is short sighted.
Blaming the manager for everything is short sighted I agree, but blaming a manager for a player that was his transfer wish, a player that's not performing, a player the manager himself has identified as a good addition to the, team that surely isn't shortsighted?
Or we give up on them too soon. Case in point, Depay and Zaha...Other clubs sign players and they make an immediate impact. People on here write it off as the honeymoon period before they get 'found out'. We sign players and they can't even make it into the starting XI
He'd certainly be partly to blame, and even if that isn't the scenario, the manager still takes some responsibility for poor performances. I'm just not convinced that our manager has gotten the players he identified... and there's no way to know.
Zaha didn't even get a chance. We didn't even see him play, but he was written off as shit because two moronic managers wouldn't play him - so he obviously had some problems
So the guardian's 404 link is basically saying we're fecked right? They couldnt think of anything?
Considering our manager's habit of taking anything/anyone he has a problem with to the media, do you really think if any of those players we've gotten for him weren't on his list of signings? Now I'm not saying first choice signings, but his signings nonetheless?
But really, the Guardian suggests 4 new players for our back 4 and keeping our worst CB this season in Bailly, but getting rid of all the rest. Even Jose would say that sounds stupid
With all the players they are suggesting plus Pjanic that they name dropped, we're looking at a good £300 million. And their squad sounds average too
With all the players they are suggesting plus Pjanic that they name dropped, we're looking at a good £300 million. And their squad sounds average too
So if you buy a player but his family refuses to relocate causing distractions for the player and thus he under performs on the pitch, we should blame the manager for his under performance? What would you have the manager do - kidnap the family?
Unless you can identify why the player is under performing, blindly assigning fault is just scapegoating.
The ridiculous scenario you have made up can be resolved by asking the family if they will move or not, it's called scouting.