Thanks, still prefer Tielemans though.
James Maddison
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
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He's been one of their best players this season. Not so much in goals or assists but in his running at defences and generally giving defenders a fecking horrible time. Has a mean free kick on him also.
We're halfway there despite paying Pogba and De Gea like double winners
I mean - available in the market.
Is he energetic though? Hearing ,he doesn't run enough.
Agree 100%. We can't take a chance now yet we are hearing very uninspiring options for the quoted price.
Then by all means let’s seal the deal.
£60m is a fairly decent price. He has proven to be good enough for Premier League, is young and still has potential to grow and being English we could probably keep him for the 6-10 best years of his career without any problem. This is the type of signing we should be looking for.
Would be a magnificent signing.
Him alongside Pogba and a new DM would be real nice.
Him alongside Pogba and a new DM would be real nice.
He's 22. The idea is that like Firmino, Tadic or Mertens, he could improve his goalscoring stats if he went from being an attacking midfielder to a 9, which seems likely enough to me, and as he hits his prime, which for an attacking player of his style is probably like 23-27.
Terrific player I think he'd really blossom here and surprise a lot of people. For some reason he gives me Beckham vibes not just because he takes set pieces, he just has a very silky touch and a unique aura around his play, although he's still very raw and he'd need to really improve to reach such an incredible level. Back when the rumours about Ole looking to sign a British core for his team came out I instantly thought of Maddison. I think there is truth in that British rumour, he tried a very similar approach at Cardiff with Norwegians...
Luckily there are some great English talents around at the moment, that could really flourish under an attacking manager. I actually think we'd have moved for Grealish as well had Villa not been promoted, not as a guaranteed starter though. And if De Ligt doesn't join us I expect us to look at Maguire. I honestly wouldn't turn my nose up at any of those 3 but I'd still like us to sign a bit more quality than that.
Pogba to be sold and the proceeds of the sale spent on Maddison and Maguire? It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world as long as the midfield was supplemented with another additional signing. And the midfield would need to be fit as feck and to work as a unit ala a Klopp/Pep level side to really have us challenging, which is no easy feat.
In truth though, feck knows what we're actually planning. This is going to be a rollercoaster of a summer.
Luckily there are some great English talents around at the moment, that could really flourish under an attacking manager. I actually think we'd have moved for Grealish as well had Villa not been promoted, not as a guaranteed starter though. And if De Ligt doesn't join us I expect us to look at Maguire. I honestly wouldn't turn my nose up at any of those 3 but I'd still like us to sign a bit more quality than that.
Pogba to be sold and the proceeds of the sale spent on Maddison and Maguire? It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world as long as the midfield was supplemented with another additional signing. And the midfield would need to be fit as feck and to work as a unit ala a Klopp/Pep level side to really have us challenging, which is no easy feat.
In truth though, feck knows what we're actually planning. This is going to be a rollercoaster of a summer.
I'm into this.
Whatever about Duncan Castles, is the Independent Reporter a reliable source? And is it a case of one journo citing the other? Doesn't appear to be.
I really like Maddison as a player. All of this stuff about him being a bad bloke is new to me. Sometimes it doesn't matter anyway, it doesn't necessarily correlate with not trying hard in training and in matches.
Whatever about Duncan Castles, is the Independent Reporter a reliable source? And is it a case of one journo citing the other? Doesn't appear to be.
I really like Maddison as a player. All of this stuff about him being a bad bloke is new to me. Sometimes it doesn't matter anyway, it doesn't necessarily correlate with not trying hard in training and in matches.
He’s excellent. I’d take him in a heart beat.
The better midfield option from Leicester would Tielemans. Young. Brave. Captain material. Great player. Perfect mentality.
nooooooooooooooooo, oh... sorry.. carry on.
Young, English and extremely talented. Throw some cash and some of our surplus players at them.
He is England's answer to Griezmann. Seriously.
Has the stats to back it up too.
That joke was Ashley Young esque...
Griezmann is a forward and Maddison is a midfielder.
Anyway he's a very good player. I hope it's true we are looking at him because we desperately need more creativity in our midfield. I would prefer Fernandes myself because I think he's a better player but Maddison would be a decent alternative.
Also Maddison is yet another example of the type of player we have missed out on signing post-Ferguson. There has been a huge wave of young British talent coming through in recent seasons and we have missed out on all of them because we have been completely ignoring that market. Embarrassing for the biggest club in the UK.
Anyway he's a very good player. I hope it's true we are looking at him because we desperately need more creativity in our midfield. I would prefer Fernandes myself because I think he's a better player but Maddison would be a decent alternative.
Also Maddison is yet another example of the type of player we have missed out on signing post-Ferguson. There has been a huge wave of young British talent coming through in recent seasons and we have missed out on all of them because we have been completely ignoring that market. Embarrassing for the biggest club in the UK.
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He was very good as an 8, too. He's high on my CM wishlist. Is a goal threat, can create something out of nothing, he'd be valuable at set-pieces, has great ball retention under pressure.
The only concern would be defensively playing him and Pogba, but if we get in a good DM and Ole has us inflicting our game on the opposition instead of being a reactive side to their tactics I think it'd do us more good than harm.
I'd take him over Bruno Fernandes. Maddison is also a United fan and the following is interesting from the above article from the MEN.
Speaking to the Coventry Telegraph in 2015, he explained: "My idol is Cristiano Ronaldo; I always looked up to him because when I was younger I was more of a Man United fan – my first memory was them beating Bayern Munich and my dad running around the table with me.
Only people not wanting Maddison are the same people who didn't want Maguire last season, not deemed a sexy exotic signing. I for one am fed up of signing players whose dream is to play at Real Madrid.. The likes of Maguire and Maddison would love playing for United. I would take Tielemans too, it's not like we are stacked with quality players.
I can get behind this signing. Pogba and Rice at the base with Maddison at AM.
Good player.
If Maddison comes I'm hoping it's at the expense of Lingard. What a serious upgrade on output that would be.
If Maddison comes I'm hoping it's at the expense of Lingard. What a serious upgrade on output that would be.
He will end up as another Mata here.
Tailor made for us
Yes please.
Was just yesterday talking about how good he is
Was just yesterday talking about how good he is
Great player and exactly what United needs. However, trying to get a player under contract from one of the many, many clubs with rich owners is just pointless these days as you will be paying way over the odds.
We need to scout players properly and take chances on them, like Leicester have done wonderfully this last few years.
We won’t though, because our policy under Woodward doesn’t allow it.
We need to scout players properly and take chances on them, like Leicester have done wonderfully this last few years.
We won’t though, because our policy under Woodward doesn’t allow it.
I’m not sure on that, there is a degree of natural ability in that surely?
He’s a really hard worker in training apparently. Always stays behind to work on his set pieces etc.
This Woodward witch hunt really needs to calm down. The guy isn't perfect by any stretch but you're asserting that our actual policies don't allow this? Based on what?
They signed him from Norwich and he's played at Aberdeen, Norwich and Coventry in his short career. You can't use hindsight now and act like you expect us to be signing players from Norwich all the time. Us and Leicester are completely different in terms of size of the club, expectations etc. They're going to take far more punts on championship players than we are and rightly so.
I assume you have no idea how many players Leicester have punted on that haven't come good?
Come on, why can't people just be intellectually honest? It's so lazy to throw out the 'it's Woodward's fault', it's the cool thing to do and you can guarantee you'll fit in by saying it. As if Woodward is sat there pondering over whether to buy 20 year olds from the Championship and then making a club policy that this won't be done now or in future.
Go look at the James thread and then tell me there wouldn't be an absolute melt down if we regularly signed players from clubs like Norwich, Aberdeen or Coventry.
I haven't watched him closely but we are in dire need of a set piece specialist. Mata doesnt play enough and is too nice to take them all.
Liverpool scored many from set pieces this season and defended them well too.
Set pieces are absolutely crutial.
Liverpool scored many from set pieces this season and defended them well too.
Set pieces are absolutely crutial.
My concern is the usual one - he cost Leicester £25m a year ago, and suddenly his price has more than doubled. It’s not my money, so I don’t overly care, but why weren’t we looking at him when he was at Norwich? Why do we always seem to wait an extra year and then have to pay tens of millions more?
We seem to want to see a player prove themselves first before taking a risk but we watch our own players prove they are not good enough year after year but still offer them new contracts.
So under Woodward, who have we actually uncovered and taken a risk on? Compare that to the overpaid, underperforming big names he’s brought in.
I’m not trying to fit in by slating Woodward at all. I’m just highlighting what has happened and that is a downward spiral of the club for pretty much the whole period he’s been at the club. This spookily corresponds to spending £100s of millions on our current squad.
I do t need to look at other threads to see the meltdown because he’s not a big name. I’d be happy if we bought cheap emerging talent - always have been. Just doesn’t happen very often.
Jesus Christ, Neymar, Coutinho, Mbappe and Dembele really fecked the market didn’t they.
60m for James Maddison. Jesus wept.
60m for James Maddison. Jesus wept.
Must admit his playing style and key attributes are very similar to Eriksen.
I think he only makes sense if we get rid of Pogba unless Ole moves Pogba to 2 men midfield.
I think he only makes sense if we get rid of Pogba unless Ole moves Pogba to 2 men midfield.
I have an irrational dislike of this guy. It can't all be down to that reddit story can it, the one where he came across as an arrogant douche?
We couldn't get Maguire out of Leicester for less than 60-70m last summer. Good luck getting a younger, more attacking player for less!
We couldn't get Maguire out of Leicester for less than 60-70m last summer. Good luck getting a younger, more attacking player for less!
There needs to be a clear vision from the club or manager to get them early, We simply haven't had that.
We've been busy doing our tiny galactico crap while other teams have got young players with potential. Just look at spurs, pool and Leicester << We use to do that under fergie plus buy ready made players.
No point in getting someone if no one can attack the ball. Who can attack a ball in our team ?
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