If no more players come in is this squad equipped for the season it has ahead?

It’s a good enough squad to consolidate and get into the top 4 again in my opinion, a lot will be unhappy with the window but we don’t have the money due to the shite we’ve bought over the last decade and so a window getting a new midfield for the money we have is good for me.

We’ll need some luck with injuries and other players to step up further in their development this season but there’s isn’t any excuse to go for top 4 and then who knows.

Fix defense next season and add in a back up striker and we’ll have a really good squad ready to challenge for the title next season.

Don’t let teams spending loads of money to replace players they’ve sold for loads of money to get you down, it’s what’s done on the pitch that matters, so let’s see.
 

squad equipped for the season it has ahead?​


All depends on injuries now, fingers and toes crossed United can have a rare lucky year with injuries
 
Ollie Derbyshire said:
It’s a good enough squad to consolidate and get into the top 4 again in my opinion, a lot will be unhappy with the window but we don’t have the money due to the shite we’ve bought over the last decade and so a window getting a new midfield for the money we have is good for me.

We’ll need some luck with injuries and other players to step up further in their development this season but there’s isn’t any excuse to go for top 4 and then who knows.

Fix defense next season and add in a back up striker and we’ll have a really good squad ready to challenge for the title next season.

Don’t let teams spending loads of money to replace players they’ve sold for loads of money to get you down, it’s what’s done on the pitch that matters, so let’s see.
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I think this is comfortably the most measured assessment of where we're at right now.

I'm disappointed we didn't add a left back to the squad myself but, to be honest, none of the options available besides Lewis Hall were what I'd call great choices.

Your last paragraph ultimately nails it, though. Nobody has won or lost the transfer window yet. It's entirely possible that the big money signings that other clubs have been making end up being complete duds, and that we're the ones laughing next summer.
 
With Dorgu being seen as a left back I would say we should be fine for expecting CL football. CBs are the thing that can undermine the season but not much we can do there.

If we don't start using dorgu at LB and try to make do with mazraoui or baleba or something, then nah we're gonna hit some crisis.
 
At the moment, with the players we currently have available, our first choice back 4 is the exact same that got papped 4-0 at Brentford in 2022, and was considered not good enough then.

I think that answers the original question.
 
Oscar Bonavena said:
At the moment, with the players we currently have available, our first choice back 4 is the exact same that got papped 4-0 at Brentford in 2022, and was considered not good enough then.

I think that answers the original question.
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Pretty wild honestly. I said before but a shrewd club would have at minimum binned off Martinez for a good fee and replaced him with a true alpha CB.
 
bosnian_red said:
With Dorgu being seen as a left back I would say we should be fine for expecting CL football. CBs are the thing that can undermine the season but not much we can do there.

If we don't start using dorgu at LB and try to make do with mazraoui or baleba or something, then nah we're gonna hit some crisis.
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The thing with Dorgu is, if we'd played him as a full back, trained him as a full back, gave him a pre season as a full back, and gone into the transfer window being honest with Carrick that we won't be signing a left back - I'd have made my peace with not signing in that position.

The problem is our manager very clearly sees him as a winger and hasn't put him anywhere near the defence in 8 months. So to tell the manager we have a left back on the priority list going into the window, and then on 1st September turn round and say "sorry Michael, about that left back we said we were getting you.. that's not happening, you'll have to use your winger at full back instead".... It just reeks of incompetence.
 
Dominos said:
The thing with Dorgu is, if we'd played him as a full back, trained him as a full back, gave him a pre season as a full back, and gone into the transfer window being honest with Carrick that we won't be signing a left back - I'd have made my peace with not signing in that position.

The problem is our manager very clearly sees him as a winger and hasn't put him anywhere near the defence in 8 months. So to tell the manager we have a left back on the priority list going into the window, and then on 1st September turn round and say "sorry Michael, about that left back we said we were getting you.. that's not happening, you'll have to use your winger at full back instead".... It just reeks of incompetence.
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Yeah that's my thought on it. It's weird. If we knew he was going to be seen as the rotation LB, then we would've played him there. I'm sure it'll happen at some point this season but its bad planning so far. Numbers wise with the squad I honestly think we could've sold Zirkzee and not signed anyone and we'd be fine for cover in every position, if he was seen as a LB. Not the case though!
 
bosnian_red said:
With Dorgu being seen as a left back I would say we should be fine for expecting CL football. CBs are the thing that can undermine the season but not much we can do there.

If we don't start using dorgu at LB and try to make do with mazraoui or baleba or something, then nah we're gonna hit some crisis.
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I remember when Dorgu was getting back from injury, I said that the most important thing is to try him out as a LB until the end of the season. That of course never hapenned, what indicates that either MC doesn't see him as LB or MC believed we're getting a new LB this summer. Either case, more questions than answers still. I don't feel comfortable trying Dorgu at LB at this point (and on his current form), but here we are, beggars can't be choosers.
 
How bad is it?

Lammens/Darlow/Heaton/Mee
Dalot/Maz
MdL, Maguire, Yoro, Heaven, Martinez
Shaw/Dorgu/Amass
Santos/Tielemans/Mainoo/Mount/Baleba/Bruno (Ugarte injured)
Amad/Cunha/Rashford/Mbuemo/Lacey
Sesko/Zirkzee

We have the numbers..
That said, I'd swap half a dozen of them for better options right away if I could
 
We’re a Shaw or Dorgu injury away to being worryingly thin depth and quality wise. And I’m not even talking about them being world class.
 
Mmm-Qatarian said:
I think this is comfortably the most measured assessment of where we're at right now.

I'm disappointed we didn't add a left back to the squad myself but, to be honest, none of the options available besides Lewis Hall were what I'd call great choices.

Your last paragraph ultimately nails it, though. Nobody has won or lost the transfer window yet. It's entirely possible that the big money signings that other clubs have been making end up being complete duds, and that we're the ones laughing next summer.
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It’s hard not to be frustrated but I think we all knew we needed a ‘down’ year in terms of transfers at some point and if that’s this year with all the crazy fees then so be it.

If we’d been able to sell Ugarte, Rashford & Zirkzee then I’ve no doubt we’d have got Hall and an experienced striker as well.

We’re currently reaping what we’ve sown but we still have a very good squad that can challenge but it’ll take everyone to do it.
 
Oscar Bonavena said:
At the moment, with the players we currently have available, our first choice back 4 is the exact same that got papped 4-0 at Brentford in 2022, and was considered not good enough then.

I think that answers the original question.
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After that match United finished the 2022/23 league season in 3rd place with 75 points and reached two domestic cup finals winning 1. I think most supporters would gladly take a repeat of that right now.

Saying all that Maguire,Martinez,Shaw their biggest issue is pace, lack of it and those three along with Dalot are prone to brain farts with poor positional sense and individual errors.

Other options are Mazraoui who is better than what he's showed recently and Heaven,Yoro are two young Defenders with potential. Hopefully De Ligt can get himself match fit and become a starter again.
 
Generally yes in terms of numbers, but you worry about certain positions given the injury records of a few and how that will affect cohesion. In particular:
  • Sesko not being fit enough to play most weeks and needing to rotate between Mbeumo and Cunha to fill minutes, leaving United with a constantly changing focal point in attack.

  • Shaw reverting back to norm and spending half the season on the treatment table. Could see United needing to try and fill the gap between 5 or 6 different players (Dalot, Mazraoui Heaven, Dorgu, even Baleba and Amass) which would I think result in poor chemistry on the left-hand side.

  • Chopping and changing the CB partnership based on the availability of MDL and Licha.
 
DRJosh said:
We’re a Shaw or Dorgu injury away to being worryingly thin depth and quality wise. And I’m not even talking about them being world class.
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We'll be recruiting some kids from the academy this season, you can just feel it.
 
Depends on Carrick and your expectation.

I see the squad in two ways:

1) The transfer window gone, which I rate as 5 or 6 out 10. Meets the bare minimum but disappointing as it could have been more.
2) Is it better than last year's? Yes.

I'd be 'happy' with consolidating ourselves as top 5, with top 3 as very good with the caveat being that I want to see signs of good 'dominating' and sustainable football. Then also a deep run in at least one of the cups and to not get embarrassed against European competition. That would to me point to some potential and growth for development.

What I don't want to see is box-to-box chaos football like we've seen in our first 2 league games and Carrick spreading ourselves thin across multiple competitions because we cannot control games. Our defensive personnel is really weak but there can be ways to mitigate the exposure they receive. Some say Carrick has been left hanging, whilst I personally see this as the opportunity for him to prove his worth. We have a good squad with lots of talented individuals, now let's see if he can make them a good/great team.
 
Hinges largely on MDL & Licha for me
If you could guarantee me they'd be available for 80% of our games I'd be relatively confident of a strong season and if Sesko catches fire we may even win a domestic cup

Sadly, neither of those CBs have established themselves as reliable options during their time here. Harry is a very good option but we shouldn't be relying on him to be our main man at the back anymore imo
 
There isn't a player at this club who is a reliable goalscorer. The squad had a single dedicated LB and he's absolutely terrible in every single game without exception, and is directly responsible for over half of the goals we've conceded this summer. There are big questionmarks around each and every CB, they're all either inexperienced, injury-prone, or simply not all that good. RB isn't especially well-manned, either.

This squad isn't even slightly close to ready for a season where we're in every competition. Every opponent already knows that they are guaranteed to score if they simply play down our left side. We don't have one player who is likely to score more than 10ish goals in a season. The best we can hope to get out of 26/27 is 4th or 5th place, and even that is optimistic and will rely on other clubs having a shit season.
 
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always_hoping said:
After that match United finished the 2022/23 league season in 3rd place with 75 points and reached two domestic cup finals winning 1. I think most supporters would gladly take a repeat of that right now.

Saying all that Maguire,Martinez,Shaw their biggest issue is pace, lack of it and those three along with Dalot are prone to brain farts with poor positional sense and individual errors.

Other options are Mazraoui who is better than what he's showed recently and Heaven,Yoro are two young Defenders with potential. Hopefully De Ligt can get himself match fit and become a starter again.
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They're 4 years older and slower than they were even back then. Only Dalot has decent pace but it's only decent, not elite.

I don't particularly rate Mazraoui. He's OK defensively but a non-entity in attack. I don't know why he's so highly rated on this forum.

Heaven and Yoro have shown promise but it could be 3 or 4 years before they reach their potential, if at all. Yoro in particular was a liability last year.

De Ligt returning would be a huge help but there's no telling (a) when he'll be back and (b) how much that back injury will have impacted him. He might never be the same defender again.

With all the above factors, to not bring in a single defender in the transfer window is just scandalous dereliction of duty.
 
As always it all depends on how the players and coaches perform. The squad is stable and looks decent on paper. The net spend on transfers of around 100 million pounds was one of the highest (top 10?) so am not going to quibble about what we didn't get. Those omissions can wait until next summer. At least this time Mainoo should play a whole season, which is a big plus. One can hope that De Ligt, Martinez, Sesko and Shaw stay fit.
 
surf said:
One can hope that De Ligt, Martinez, Sesko and Shaw stay fit.
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One can also hope to win the lottery, but it isn't a sensible approach to financial security. Right now, this team is fecked if we don't win the injury lottery.
 
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