It's not the end of the world if we signed nobody else this summer

Jamie Shawcross

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Obviously as a fan, I'd like us to strengthen and get better players in, but if we don't manage to get anyone else over the line, big deal. If Ole really is in for the long haul, so what? There's Jan, next summer, and every single transfer window thereafter. There's absolutely no realistic chance we would compete for anything beyond top 4 this season anyway, and I think we should keep our expectations in check.

If Ole is given the time to build, build he will, but Rome wasn't built in a day! There are real positives to not signing anyone else, namely the young lads getting games, and some pride being injected back into the club.

The signings we have already made are brilliant, and if thats a sign of things to come, I am willing to be patient and not have a meltdown.

I am quite proud of the club for not bowing to Dybala's demands, and questioning his intentions/desire. To me it show's we are going in the right direction!

If we do strengthen further, bonus...but I completely trust in this apparent change in approach to transfers.
 
I like this. Plus, little bit of room for the kids to get a shot. Feck Bruno, I know which little (slightly) Portuguese wizard I want to see playing at #10. :D
 
Brightonian said:
I like this. Plus, little bit of room for the kids to get a shot. Feck Bruno, I know which little (slightly) Portuguese wizard I want to see playing at #10. :D
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No chance it happens though. I believed Solskjaer was going to really push them through until i saw the lineup yesterday. Then just to compound that fact, they weren't even first substitutes onto the pitch in attack. Ole will bottle it and turn to age and experience since the pressure is truly on from the first game.
 
I’m happy that we haven’t wasted our resources going after fancy big names who don’t fit in. We have addressed two big issues in defence, I am concerned that we haven’t really improved in midfield or attack unless James can contribute this season. I don’t think there’s that much improvement to come from within, unless it’s from youngsters like Gomes, Chong and Greenwood. I think that none of them will get much of a chance though and it will be Lingard every game anyway.
 
We lost Herrera and he hasn't been replaced. Lukaku might go and we haven't got a replacement lined up. Even if the new guys have great seasons we'll still be in a tussle for fourth. I don't think anyone has said that Ole should have his new squad sorted in one transfer window, but if this is it then it's another season where our biggest weaknesses haven't been addressed.

Probably got all them season tickets and shirts sold with the "5 or 6 players" bullshit though.

But this is a positive thread and I don't want to derail it so I'll respectfully feck off.
 
pocco said:
No chance it happens though. I believed Solskjaer was going to really push them through until i saw the lineup yesterday. Then just to compound that fact, they weren't even first substitutes onto the pitch in attack. Ole will bottle it and turn to age and experience since the pressure is truly on from the first game.
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True. I think Lingard will be pretty much a nailed on starter which is enough to worry me about the quality of football.
 
Makes the next transfer window even harder as we’d have to address the lack of a RW, possibly need a new striker depending how this season goes, 2 midfielders and probably depth at full back.

Negligence to not have signed a midfielder imo.
 
I just worry our youth won't play much for some reason.

If Mata/Matic start against Chelsea and it doesn't work out, Ole will get a lot of stick and deservedly so.
 
Mr Pigeon said:
We lost Herrera and he hasn't been replaced. Lukaku might go and we haven't got a replacement lined up. Even if the new guys have great seasons we'll still be in a tussle for fourth. I don't think anyone has said that Ole should have his new squad sorted in one transfer window, but if this is it then it's another season where our biggest weaknesses haven't been addressed.

Probably got all them season tickets and shirts sold with the "5 or 6 players" bullshit though.

But this is a positive thread and I don't want to derail it so I'll respectfully feck off.
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Our biggest weaknesses was at RB and CB - both addressed
 
Not the subs of the world, but could be then end of a top 4 push - with Europa league and our squad depth even less than the season we won it. It will be a tough, long season with the way Ole would like us to press.
 
I get your point, but strengthening the team shouldn't only be a bonus, it's a necessity.

If Ole thinks he can get anywhere with that shambles of a midfield he's delusional.

Take out Pogba and the quality of the midfield is beyond embarrassing.
 
Eddy_JukeZ said:
I just worry our youth won't play much for some reason.

If Mata/Matic start against Chelsea and it doesn't work out, Ole will get a lot of stick and deservedly so.
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If OgS wants the be in the job come Christmas neither of the Chelsea rejects start on Sunday.

I’m working on the assumption we don’t sign anyone else so ‘the kids’ need trusting.
 
It's not the end of the world, but it would be silly to not get in a high quality attacker through the middle or the right wing so we aren't completely dependant on Pogba to create something. James might show himself worthy, so another creative midfielder would be nice.

It would also be spoiling the potential of our new on-paper good defense if we choose to not sign a defensive midfielder as they'll get challenged a ton with Matic as our dm.
Even if we assume that McTominay can perform as a dm, that doesn't change much as he doesn't seem to be trusted to play the role by Ole, unless I've missed something.

If anything, I think a DM is a must and a offensive midfielder or right winger would be smart.
 
Jamie Shawcross said:
Obviously as a fan, I'd like us to strengthen and get better players in, but if we don't manage to get anyone else over the line, big deal. If Ole really is in for the long haul, so what? There's Jan, next summer, and every single transfer window thereafter. There's absolutely no realistic chance we would compete for anything beyond top 4 this season anyway, and I think we should keep our expectations in check.

If Ole is given the time to build, build he will, but Rome wasn't built in a day! There are real positives to not signing anyone else, namely the young lads getting games, and some pride being injected back into the club.

The signings we have already made are brilliant, and if thats a sign of things to come, I am willing to be patient and not have a meltdown.

I am quite proud of the club for not bowing to Dybala's demands, and questioning his intentions/desire. To me it show's we are going in the right direction!

If we do strengthen further, bonus...but I completely trust in this apparent change in approach to transfers.
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Is Liverpool getting 97 points after getting 75 points unrealistic? Is Leicester winning the league unrealistic?
I'm sick of this "it takes time to rebuild" bollocks. We've been "rebuilding" for 6 seasons now. What is it we're building exactly?
 
AFC NimbleThumb said:
If OgS wants the be in the job come Christmas neither of the Chelsea rejects start on Sunday.

I’m working on the assumption we don’t sign anyone else so ‘the kids’ need trusting.
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I worry both(or one) will for their experience.
 
Scorpy said:
I get your point, but strengthening the team shouldn't only be a bonus, it's a necessity.

If Ole thinks he can get anywhere with that shambles of a midfield he's delusional.

Take out Pogba and the quality of the midfield is beyond embarrassing.
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I was at the game yesterday and i felt dejected after the game. Our midfield was sickeningly bad, against a shit AC Milan.

What's worse is we have some truly awful performances regularly with Pogba in there too. I just don't see how we navigate through this season right now.
 
Can you explain how our signings are 'brilliant signings'? They've not even played a competitive game yet, so what kind of standards do you have?

It's been a catastrophic summer if we don't sign any more players. We lost two midfielders between January and the summer and have failed to sign a replacement. The right wing was also another massive problem area that wasn't rectified, in addition to the number 10 position since Pogba looks like he'll play deeper this season.
 
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Eddy_JukeZ said:
I just worry our youth won't play much for some reason.

If Mata/Matic start against Chelsea and it doesn't work out, Ole will get a lot of stick and deservedly so.
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That's precisely my fear. We're perfectly positioned to offer the kids some serious minutes this season should we fail to secure the transfers in midfield and forward.

But will we?
 
It’s a very high risk-high reward approach. We look stupid if it doesn’t come off and people will be saying that we’re naive to place trust and blind faith in those people. Our midfield is lacking to the point that no Pogba makes us look very ordinary and our attack is youthful, full of potential but inconsistent.

Is OGS hoping ‘Rashy’ turns into a 25 goal a season striker over a summer?
 
One decent MF addition (2 needed) and i would be happy but just get the vibes it won't happen now. Think that will cost us big time.
Matic is done and any injury to Pogba and we are completely buggered. It could well undermine all the good work we have done elsewhere. Bizarre.
Club prob thinking Pool got by with an underwhelming MF but thats a mistake as we are less potent by far up top and don't press the same.
Mid table teams will overrun us again and can see a panic MF buy in January..
 
It will be the end of the world when we see Matic start in midfield for us.
 
Jamie Shawcross said:
I am quite proud of the club for not bowing to Dybala's demands, and questioning his intentions/desire. To me it show's we are going in the right direction!
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I don't think we really should have been in for him in the first place. I understand that the transfer market can be quite fluid, but I just think that the best strategy is to identify our targets during the season and actually establish that they want to come and be part of the team first.
 
pocco said:
I was at the game yesterday and i felt dejected after the game. Our midfield was sickeningly bad, against a shit AC Milan.

What's worse is we have some truly awful performances regularly with Pogba in there too. I just don't see how we navigate through this season right now.
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Indeed. If we take out Pogba (who like you said has produced some utter shite as well), we're left with the likes of McTominay, Matic, Pereira, Fred & Mata. This is more of a midfield you'd expect the likes of APOEL Nicosia to field, not fecking Manchester United.
 
pocco said:
I was at the game yesterday and i felt dejected after the game. Our midfield was sickeningly bad, against a shit AC Milan.

What's worse is we have some truly awful performances regularly with Pogba in there too. I just don't see how we navigate through this season right now.
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You just have to hope it's an anomaly, but yeah we looked dire vs Milan I thought.

We still struggle playing out from the back when pressed.
 
Hoof The Ball said:
That's precisely my fear. We're perfectly positioned to offer the kids some serious minutes this season should we fail to secure the transfers in midfield and forward.

But will we?
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Hopefully Ole does.

If not, the pitchforks will be out.

I don't want to see Mata/Matic getting major minutes. Jones either.
 
pocco said:
I was at the game yesterday and i felt dejected after the game. Our midfield was sickeningly bad, against a shit AC Milan.

What's worse is we have some truly awful performances regularly with Pogba in there too. I just don't see how we navigate through this season right now.
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I know the problems we have within the team, but my OP was more from a standpoint of, even if we are (expectedly) shocking in midfield, we aren't going anywhere anytime soon, and eventually it will be addressed. If we keep Pogba, do we consider that a 'signing' as such? I think people are going to be torn on that one. I am not denying we NEED better players, but its not going to be a disaster, unless you are the sort of fan to panic and look at things in the present without the foresight to believe its a process, and cannot be just fixed in a window.

I still think we will add one or two more by the way, but I am prepared for us not to.
 
My biggest gripe right now isn't that we haven't signed Dybala.

It's that we've less than a week before a new season (again) and failed to address our midfield and attack. Once again sold promises, once again let down.

We're close to 10 years without a league title, or even a challenge.

Liverpool got back to the big table by signing Salah from Roma, Firmino from Hoffenheim and Mane from Southampton. Why weren't we in for Pepe? That's the calibre of player we can attract and would improve us.
 
If we had any bit of shrewdness about us, we would go and sign a solid defensively capable midfielder like Doucoure, Longstaff etc. to take the emphasis off Matic, in the next few days. That would make the team much more solid and allow the young attackers to express themselves but it’s looking like we won’t and another poor transfer window.
 
Mr Anderson said:
Not the subs of the world, but could be then end of a top 4 push - with Europa league and our squad depth even less than the season we won it. It will be a tough, long season with the way Ole would like us to press.
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Hhmm interesting point

PL XI

-------------De Gea-------------
AWB--Lindelof--Maguire--Shaw
---McTominay----Pogba---
James------Lingard------Rashford
-------------Martial-------------

EL/Cup XI

--------------Romero--------------
Dalot--Tuanzebe--Jones--Young
----------Fred-------Matic----------
Mata---------Andreas---------Gomes
------------Greenwood------------

And that's without mentioning the likes of Darmian, Smalling, Rojo, Bailly and Sanchez and working on the assumption that Lukaku really does go and isn't replaced
 
Morpheus 7 said:
Expectations have been lowered so much it's sad.
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It is sad, but in a way its a necessary evil. Ole needs to not be under immense pressure, its not worked for our last 3 managers. I feel thats what the club needs, us all to get on board with the rebuild without the expectation of instant success.
 
Bubz27 said:
My biggest gripe right now isn't that we haven't signed Dybala.

It's that we've less than a week before a new season (again) and failed to address our midfield and attack. Once again sold promises, once again let down.

We're close to 10 years without a league title, or even a challenge.

Liverpool got back to the big table by signing Salah from Roma, Firmino from Hoffenheim and Mane from Southampton. Why weren't we in for Pepe? That's the calibre of player we can attract and would improve us.
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Maybe we were, if a player doesn't want to come there isn't much to do.
 
charlenefan said:
Our biggest weaknesses was at RB and CB - both addressed
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And have also left a gaping hole in our central midfield. For all the faults last year we have Pogba, Herrera, Fellaini, McT, Pereira, Matic, Fred.

Of that; Fellaini and Herrera gone, Matic another year older and more useless, Pereira doing nothing to show he’s good enough and Fred still and unknown entity really.

That leaves Pogba and Scott McTominey as our first choice CM partnership! What happens, god forbid, the two get injured against Chelsea?!?!
 
Bubz27 said:
My biggest gripe right now isn't that we haven't signed Dybala.

It's that we've less than a week before a new season (again) and failed to address our midfield and attack. Once again sold promises, once again let down.

We're close to 10 years without a league title, or even a challenge.

Liverpool got back to the big table by signing Salah from Roma, Firmino from Hoffenheim and Mane from Southampton. Why weren't we in for Pepe? That's the calibre of player we can attract and would improve us.
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I get that concern, and I somewhat share it, but then I remember that a transfer of a player isn't like football manager. Ed and Ole won't be sat there now going through a catalogue going "what about him? him?". Anyone we do sign in the next 4 days will have been an ongoing negotiation for a while. We aren't the type of club to just take a punt on someone last minute, or at least the way we have behaved with Dybala suggests that. We turned down Dybala (one of the best strikers in europe because he didn't fit in with the plan). I believe in it.
 
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