Wait you don’t rate Wilcox? You should have said!
Jason Wilcox - Director of Football
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I like it, but yeah Wilcox and the teams performance for this window gets a 2/10 for this window. The two marks are for Baleba and Santos.
It's not a 2/10 man, come on. Don't make me defend him
.He took the insult as a compliment. Shit, he could be come invulnerable
Genuinely I had high hopes for this window. With 2 years in the planning the midfield overhaul should have been swift and pre organised, leaving us with two new certain starters for the starting 11, I don't think it even delivered that with 3 midfield signings. Mainoo will still have to be starting as number 8.It's not a 2/10 man, come on. Don't make me defend him
10/10 is another world for me, that would have been 3 midfielders with more potential to justify the investment, a solid backup striker, whether that be an experienced player like Mateta/Welbeck or a younger player with potential to grow. We would have for certain got a starting 11 calibre left back sorted for this window. We would also have got a new outside left winger, that is a option to rotate with Cunha in games you need someone that can dribble on the outside and give us more width.
We would also have got one centre back and let one leave. We had this in our lap at the end of last season, and instead of letting Maguire and his wages go, we made the wrong call to extend his contract instead.
There is no excuse for United's hierarchy to not deliver that.
The only part they actually delivered what we would have wanted and expected before the window opening, was getting Bayindir gone, with Darlow coming in as a backup GK for the season.
To deliver that 10/10 window we were required to sell Rashford, Zirkzee or potentially Mason Mount and release Maguire last season.
The Maguire decision was in our hands and we fecked that up so we didn't get a new CB to replace him. The Rashford, Zirkzee and Mount failures to sell are on the club. To not be able to find one club in the world that will sign them is hard to fathom.
So we just needed another 8 players? Solid logic! Thank god the transfer window is over. Do you watch and comment on the actual football too? I only became aware of your postings over this window but you're relentless and consistent, I'll give you that.
As I said to another poster earlier in the window, I've worked as a head coach and assistant coach for over 20 years. I've had my experience with recruitment and created great teams at different levels of the game.
Recruitment is key. Football coaching is there regardless to develop players to their max potential but the easiest, quickest and most proven way to improve a starting 11 is to replace poor players with others that are better or have higher potential to work with.
The way the financial rules have changed now means academy players are just more likely to be sold anyway. So you sell them to make money, rather than realising the savings by growing them for your own first teams.
In the Premier League, and other European Leagues you've seen time and time again a new club come in with investment and very quickly get to the top 4 or challenge for the league in the country. In more recent years we've also seen clubs buy cheaper but well using data and analytics, the only issue for the smaller clubs is knowing that one day they have to realise the profit and sell the player to keep their club going.
The big clubs have no excuse. They can buy smarter with more money, and one player at a time they can make their starting 11 better. Liverpool did it to win the League and Champions League. PSG ditched the Madrid style galactico model to prove they can do it without the very biggest names.
Manchester United can buy smart and still spend money to improve the starting 11. They didn't do it this summer and that's why I criticise them. Expectations are way too low in our fan base. We should expect them to spend well if not big.
Better players would get more than one point each. We needed 4 more.
1 winger
1 left back
1 striker
1 CB
For me, it is. At this point.It's not a 2/10 man, come on. Don't make me defend him
Three midfielders were the absolute bare minimum we needed to get done this summer. And that’s a 2/10. The names we brought in aren’t top-tier names where you can say, “Wow, that player alone makes this a better window,” like Rodri, Caicedo or Hall.
We sold nothing, so we still have players in the squad we don’t want. We didn’t buy a left-back, we didn’t buy a striker. If 10/10 is the dream scenario, then you also look at positions that weren’t priorities but could and should have been upgraded, like right-back and centre-back. We didn’t do that either.
This was literally the bare minimum that had to be done. It was done with players who, at first glance (judging by the names and first few games), look decent. So 2/10 is a fair starting point.
If all three have an excellent season and turn out to be genuinely top signings, then maybe it can go up to 3/10 or 4/10.
I agree, but I think Baleba is the obvious starter with Mainoo, looking at what profiles we need. Then being able to rotate with Tielemans and Santos, it is markedly improved on the ball. The only issue is Baleba is the only one who can cover the ground quickly, but I think Tielemans and Sanots will be more than good enough in Europe, for example.
Of course, but the LW and CF, I can see the issues they've ran into and been bounced into their decisions. I don't think there's any excuse for not getting a LB and I'd like a CB too, but I think you'd have had to bundled it in one player as the LB/CB. So for me, LB is the only big glaring failure that was truly in their control and I don't like we've not replaced the aerial presence we lost in Casemiro, which is why you'd have got serious bang for your buck with a CB/LB signing.
I don't think that relegates the window to disaster level, I think we're on that precarious level which makes it a big gamble, but I do think it all hinges on the success of Baleba. Which seems mad to say, but I thought he was the best option for us anyway.
I don’t know what he’s directing but it certainly ain’t football. Maybe he’s in to amateur pornography?
Can’t speak for berrada but when Wilcox was at city he was good at his job overseeing the academy
What levels have you operated at if you don't mind me asking?
@gaffs
Re Carrick being hung out to dry you said that he had
Now that’s not strictly true is it no matter how you spin it
We have one senior LB
We have one senior CF
Re Carrick being hung out to dry you said that he had
Now that’s not strictly true is it no matter how you spin it
We have one senior LB
We have one senior CF
Prove it or you’re just another spoofer on the boards
Sorry, didn't see this after I responded.
I think a sucessful Baleba does, to be honest. I think unfortunately we only know him as the player of last season, we all thought he'd be transformative based off his season before last.
Yeah, I think we got bounced into that with Barca's shitty antics and not being firm with Zirzkee. No excuses on the LB for me. I still don't think 2/10 is particularly fair, as I think those midfield signings will improve our squad and first team. It hinges on Baleba being a success, mitigating one of our biggest weakeness, but I think we'll be surpised how much that has an affect with a good forward line.
I said that after the first game, but I actually thought they'd get him a LB. I think we're going to need a miracle to avoid a defensive injury crisis this season.
When you look at it;
Dalot
Maz - prone to injuries
Maguire - getting more prone to injuries as he gets older
DeLigt - proper injury prone
Martinez - will now forever be prone to injuries
Heaven
Yoro
Shaw - the definition of injury prone
That’s 3 players out of 8 that as yet are not picking up lots of niggling injuries
I suspect we will be playing kids and perhaps CM players in defence before the season is out
This plan is called “hopes & prayers”
And we are already broke/borrowing money to buy these players. There's no point in buying any more players as backup. We currently have 4 fit CB, 3 LW, 3RW, any amount of cover at LB if we play Dorgu there in a pinch. Sesko is already backup to Mbeumo at striker
LB I'll give you that 100% we should have bought a better LB than Luke Shaw years ago. What did we do? Waste money on backups and shit loans over the years. I personally don't think Hall is currently much better than Shaw if at all. He might be more robust but given our finances and how we are trying to reset the club we probably can't afford to be spending 4-500k a week on left backs just in case our starter gets injured when we have Dorgu Maz and Amass and whoever else can fill in there.
Are we being cheap? Yes! We are finally trying to extract as much value out of the players on our books as possible before they age out or their contracts expire. We've gotten ourselves into this mess by spending recklessly. More reckless spending and replacing half the team that finished 3rd isn't the answer. Selling half the squad for peanuts isn't the answer. Borrowing loads more money isn't the answer. We need to consolidate and slowly change the squad and the wage structure
Superb post, will never understand getting rid of Blanc and Ashworth for Berrada and Mr academy recruitment. Like you say any of those guys mentioned in the last paragraph could have done a better job than him.
It's a huge gamble. Maybe it will pay off, but it doesn't seem very calculated, as the data only shows Dalot as realiable.
I agree that Baleba is the one that now starts with Mainoo, he will make up for what Mainoo and Casemiro lacked, but Mainoo doesn't quite yet make up for what Baleba lacks.
The situation reminds me of when we had McFred and Eriksen eras where we had many midfielders with some good qualities but no good overall midfielder in the 3 basics.
We had Fred who could run and tackle but not pass. McTominay who could run and tackle but not pass. Eriksen came who could pass but not tackle or run. Casemiro could tackle, pass and even head, but not run. Previously we had Matic who after a great debut season could only tackle and pass.
The only very good all rounders we have had is Pogba and Herrera post Fergie. Players who could tackle, pass and run well enough to be called a proper midfielder. Fellaini was the next closest thing to doing all 3.
Now we come to Baleba, he can run and tackle, is he quite the passer? That remains to be seen. This is where Carrick and the coaching staff will need to earn their money and develop him into everything we need.
Santos looks like he can pass forward and tackle too, but I'm not sure if he has the mobility and presence we want to shut out counter attacks quickly.
Tielemans on the surface, I would say can tackle and pass, but at 29 he's already looking too similar to Eriksen as lacking intensity on the defensive side. He can run distances but I've noted he is last out of the team to get back into defensive transitions. I view him as somewhat of a CM luxury player who can start when we will have lots of the ball, and his defensive side or lack of true speed is going to work against us.
And then we have Mainoo, he delivered a top performance this weekend, he showed everything. The biggest criticism of him is his lack of mobility but the penny may have dropped for him over the past year. He's knuckled down and seems to be in a trimmer shape now. He was everywhere he needed to be and showed strength and composure as he always has done.
With that being said, Baleba looks like the best partner for Mainoo, but even he isn't the finished article yet. With 3 signings needed I would've wanted atleast a 2nd player that looked good enough to be a starting CDM, or a starting CM that is clearly better than Mainoo.
We've raised the floor of the midfield, but not immediately raised the ceiling. With 3 signings, a whole year to arrange it, and £155m I'd have wanted the two starters for CDM and CM that make us better than Casemiro and Mainoo in both positions immediately.
Ralf had a real eye for talent when you look at some of the players he recommended after Ole went
Upto step 4 in England.
Yeah zero track record with Nice or Lausanne
Should be the other way around but we are clowns
I'm a content adult. No thank you.
I get the situation being painted currently, but I don't think any fans expected this with INEOS coming in, the redundancies made to supposedly challenge, instead we get more austerity instead.
True, but he has multiple players that can and have played those positions. I dare say some options in the squad are in fact better in some scenarios than his one senior CF/LB.
Carrick himself has chosen not to use Sesko in some games, preferring Mbeumo, due to the opposition.
Sesko, Rashford, Cunha, Mbeumo, Zirkzee - Carrick has options at center forward.
Shaw, Dorgu, Maz, Amass at left back. Not great, but far from the apocalyptic catastrophe that many are making out.
The tone on the Caf has been that we may as well end the season now because we don’t have all the players we need to compete for a title. We’re clearly a way off even thinking about challenging.
Very few managers are going to get everything they need, especially during a period where the squad is being overhauled, with few assets to sell in order to fast track said overhaul. I feel good foundations are finally being put down, even though it’s happening slower than we all want.
I've seen people already say Shaw & Maz at LB and Dalot & Yoro at RB (Played there in pre season and last game) and that's why we kept Zirkzee to be the backup striker, it doesn't wash as we know some of these players aren't up to scratch and Carrick doesn't trust them, I'm not even sure how much he trusts Yoro or what our plan is with Amass, Zirkzee etc
Agree, issues at the back. Not just with injuries but with quality.
But there were more issues in the midfield with only Mainoo remaining. I think we all agree that three midfielders were required.
We all know the issues, but few on here are able to come up with many viable solutions to fix all of these issues in one window.
So let’s say Sesko is injured and they feel that his hold-up play would be good away to some European team in the CL. Who do you turn to?
Rashford, Cunha, Mbeumo, Zirkzee
2 of the above are not CF, one is hot and cold and the other barely resembles a professional footballer
Let’s say oh I dunno, shaw gets injured (surprise!) and he’s out for 20+ games, who replaces him?
Dorgu, Maz, Amass
First one has played WB but not FB. Ok he’s a strong player he may ‘middle’ through at a push. 2nd one is prone to picking up injuries himself and is a non-contributer going forward, the last one has just come back from 6 months injury and the jury is out at whether he can play this level or not
The squad has 2 very obvious holes. I really don’t understand why they couldn’t at very least line up a few loans to fill temporarily if they are waiting for next transfer window
I think the club is in serious flux regarding the ownership situation. I don’t blame the football people in the club for rolling the dice to see if certain players grow this year. You have to get the likes of Yoro and Mainoo to make a significant step up at some point.
Ultimately the lack of transfers comes down to the ownership situation though. Glazers want the cash that’s left post interest payments to go in their pockets once this dividend freeze is over
Ultimately the lack of transfers comes down to the ownership situation though. Glazers want the cash that’s left post interest payments to go in their pockets once this dividend freeze is over
Yeah exactly or took up the loan with obligation for Ait Nouri because Hall will likely go elsewhere. We also should stop looking down our noses at the free agent and loan market in our financial situation too
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I realise that there are restrictions on budget (for whatever reason I don’t know, one side says we had plenty of space to shop and the other side says they don’t want to increase credit debt)
BUT
If they knew this in advance why didn’t they look at the loan and free markets?
For example, don’t buy Santos at 50m if you’re buying Tielemans, Baleba and already have Mainoo. Investigate for example a loan for Camavinga. Use the 50m to buy Page and a left back.
Could have bought Welbeck for 5m
We’d all be sitting pretty thinking what a great window!
Well CB is tricky unless they went for maybe Senesi on a free although think he wanted to stay near London. So after not getting Hall at LB I would have gone for Ait-Nouri on that loan with obligation after Algeria KO'd from World Cup. I would have gone all out for Chema and Sangare instead of Santos and Tielemans. Finally I would have took Welbeck on a two year deal from Brighton. So there you go it wasn't that difficult
Those are also good suggestions, just goes to show me and you could do much better job than this guy
I think your suggestions are as good as any I could come up with, but not significantly better than what we ended up with tbh. Looking at LB coverage, midfield additions and ST backup:
Shaw/Dorgu/Amass
Tielemans/Santos/Baleba
Mbeumo/Rashford Cunha
Vs
Shaw/Ait-Nouri
Andres/Sangare/Baleba
Welbeck etc
For me I would prefer the version we got to the version you suggest, even if it’s an interesting suggestion. I don’t know wether it’s down to my lack of knowledge or just different tastes.
Thing is we still have those players above bar Tielemans and Santos however academic now anyway. I know it will never happen but I don't understand not trying to sign a Guerriero or Zinchenko who are free agents. Obviously wages and age would kibosh any move for Benzema.
He might but he’s 22. I feel like you’d have worked out by now if we were dealing with a special player. I know players can be late bloomers but he doesn’t and hasn’t stood out at all previously.
Mentioned this in another thread but we shouldn’t underestimate Wilcox’s lack of a network. When it comes to the trading of players in and out you need people at your club with a good network of agents, scouts, directors etc. That’s how other teams get deals done. Wilcox is a nobody.
What kind of budgets are you working with at that level?