Lack of transfers

[Langers7274]

It wasn’t just lack of transfers, but also the WRONG TRANSFERS. Why did we spend £80m on Maguire when it was so obvious we have a huge problem in midfield?

Obvious - we shipped in 56 goals last year and we had no leader at the back. I'm more than happy that AWB and Maguire have come in but for the board not to release funds to replace Herrera, Fellaini, Lukaku and Sanchez is a travesty! The board decided to pay £27m for Fellaini when we could of got him for c£14m, the board decided not to give Herrera his wage demands so we lost him on a free, the board decided to shell out £75/£80m on a forward that can't trap a ball and the board decided to pay another forward £500k a week, completely distorting our wage structure. We know our transfer history is appalling but to not support the manager in rebuilding, they're hanging the club out to dry. Net spend was £70m odd in the summer, fcuk me even Villa out spent us!

 

[Josep Dowling]

I agree we need better players, but a lot of people here think that's all we need. Having another striker today wouldn't stop us playing the boring shit we served up. In the same way signing a centre back hasn't transformed us defensively.

Good coaching is paramount, otherwise it doesn't matter who we buy. They won't perform, we'll take a financial hit to get rid of them and the cycle repeats itself.

See: Falcao, Schweinsteiger, Alexis, Lukaku, Mkhitaryan and many more since 2013.

I agree we need both signings and a better manager. A manager who plays the modern way with the high press and width with fullback. With AWB now we should be able to at least get the wingbacks flying down the wing.

I honestly think we would be better off appointing the Southampton or Norwich managers. At least they have an ideology on how they want to play football and it’s clear to see.

We spunked money in the wrong areas, why bother buying a ball playing centre back for 80 million when we can barely score a goal in a match and then spunk 40 million on a defensive right back when we already have no creativity down the right wing? That is completely on Solskjear for prioritising that over the attack when it was clear lukaku was on the way out, Look at our rivals for top 4, they all concede just as many goals as us if not more but are picking up more points because they can actually outscore the opposition, even last season we were dreadful in attack so why did we not focus on that issue

It's not on Solskjaer. Both defence and attack needed strengthening. Everyone was saying we could not go into the season with Young as a starting RB. Everyone said last season we need a decent CB.

The issue is we sold two forwards and two CM and not one player for these positions came in. That is the idiotic part. It was obvious we would be in this mess with a few injuries. How can McTominay be the second best midfielder in our squad? He wouldn't even get in Arsenal's midfield.

 

[Noc-Z]

Would be fine too, but 3 to give us a good starting 11 and depth IMO. Just 1 signing doesn't address the lack of depth in attack nor the lack of a clear 3rd starter in attack. James is good but I dont think he should be starting. I like McTominay but I'm not sure if he should be starting every week. Like if we want to build a squad where we could compete for the title (*if the right manager was in charge), then the teams should look something like this, which is basically 3 starters being added and turning 3 current starters into squad players.

Rashford Martial ???
Pogba ???
???
Shaw Maguire Lindelof Wan Bissaka
De Gea

James ??? Greenwood
Lingard/Gomes McTominay
Fred
Young Jones Tuanzebe Dalot
Romero​

I agree we need a right winger and 2 midfielders. But, I think James is a better option on the left than Rashford. I really don't think Rashford should be starting for us but we barely have any other option right now.

If we do what you propose we'll be better, however, I would prioritise a striker (Werner would be my choice) to start not be back-up so if it's to be only 3 starters I'd let McTominay keep his spot and sign a striker.

However, really we need a ST, RW, 2xCM and a LB - 5 players to be starters.

 

[bosnian_red]

I agree we need a right winger and 2 midfielders. But, I think James is a better option on the left than Rashford. I really don't think Rashford should be starting for us but we barely have any other option right now.

If we do what you propose we'll be better, however, I would prioritise a striker (Werner would be my choice) to start not be back-up so if it's to be only 3 starters I'd let McTominay keep his spot and sign a striker.

However, really we need a ST, RW, 2xCM and a LB - 5 players to be starters.

4-5 players long term but 3 for now. Do you think any of Martial, rashford, Greenwood or James will be good enough? I think 2 of them will make it as starters and 2 as squad players, but I think they'll all be important in their own way. But that's the starting striker and starting left wing within that group, and even Gomes might develop more as a winger then a #10 who is a quality youngster. I want a depth striker to be an experienced guy to help them while they're young and to give more height, physicality and hold up play in comparison, but again, that's not necessarily a 100m player. The right winger and the 2 midfielders (holding and creative mids) can all be however much is needed to sign the right players. Maddison, Sancho and honestly no idea who but somebody to be a Carrick type. Then we re-assess and see what we have, how certain players have developed. Likely scenario is we need a left back and a depth striker, but 5 players isn't anything crazy to both complete the starting 11 and the squad. It's pretty much the same spot Liverpool were at before they took the next step. They signed Allison, Fabinho, Van Dijk as starters to fix their defence and Shaqiri and Keita to add depth. Then they won the CL. Obviously they also have a world class manager, but even without him they have a world class squad who would compete. We need our squad to be competitive regardless of manager, that's what a truly big team should be like. It's not really doom and gloom IMO if 3 realistic but big signings is all it takes to get us to that level. That's not an unrealistic level of investment, it's what a club like United should be doing and what we are more than capable of doing.

 

[mitchmouse]

I hate to say I agree with them.. but The Sun points out that Giuseppe Rossi is a free agent and could therefore be signed. I have heard of worse ideas...

 

[Noc-Z]

4-5 players long term but 3 for now. Do you think any of Martial, rashford, Greenwood or James will be good enough? I think 2 of them will make it as starters and 2 as squad players, but I think they'll all be important in their own way. But that's the starting striker and starting left wing within that group, and even Gomes might develop more as a winger then a #10 who is a quality youngster. I want a depth striker to be an experienced guy to help them while they're young and to give more height, physicality and hold up play in comparison, but again, that's not necessarily a 100m player. The right winger and the 2 midfielders (holding and creative mids) can all be however much is needed to sign the right players. Maddison, Sancho and honestly no idea who but somebody to be a Carrick type. Then we re-assess and see what we have, how certain players have developed. Likely scenario is we need a left back and a depth striker, but 5 players isn't anything crazy to both complete the starting 11 and the squad. It's pretty much the same spot Liverpool were at before they took the next step. They signed Allison, Fabinho, Van Dijk as starters to fix their defence and Shaqiri and Keita to add depth. Then they won the CL. Obviously they also have a world class manager, but even without him they have a world class squad who would compete. We need our squad to be competitive regardless of manager, that's what a truly big team should be like. It's not really doom and gloom IMO if 3 realistic but big signings is all it takes to get us to that level. That's not an unrealistic level of investment, it's what a club like United should be doing and what we are more than capable of doing.

I don't think Rashford will ever be good enough I'm afraid. Martial is a better prospect but I don't think he has the drive or the engine needed in this league. James looks a good prospect but he's all pace, I don't think he's good enough in other areas right now but he's doing well stepping up from the Championship and over-performing if anything because I didn't think he'd be a starter right away. Greenwood I have no idea - a good finisher I've heard but you have to assume a long way from finished product.

3 signing should not be unrealistic. Now we've cleared some dead wood I think it can happen.

 

[Woodzy]

As mentioned in another thread - two summer windows and we probably should have signed another two first team players at least in both windows.

That’s taking its toll now and will be hard to recover from.

 

[dev1l]

I hate to say I agree with them.. but The Sun points out that Giuseppe Rossi is a free agent and could therefore be signed. I have heard of worse ideas...

In a way I think he may fit in, in the sense that he s good in small spaces - when we put low crosses in the box he maybe useful.
On the otherhand he looks too fragile for Epl

 

[Hawks2008]

I mean, blame Woodward all you want because we know he is a grub but it's not his fault Ole only wanted to sign Longstaff for our midfield, or that he had no alternative to Sancho, or that he chose to persist with Rashford, Martial, and Greewnwood as our striking options.

The manager and his staff are as culpable for our awful window as Woody and Co.

 

[minoo-utd]

Why does it always come down to transfers?

Look at these namesb: Lingard, Mctominay, Matic, Mata, Pereira, Young and Rsshford.
All was at the pitch together
Ha did you find your answer?

 

[C'est Moi Cantona]

I mean, blame Woodward all you want because we know he is a grub but it's not his fault Ole only wanted to sign Longstaff for our midfield, or that he had no alternative to Sancho, or that he chose to persist with Rashford, Martial, and Greewnwood as our striking options.

The manager and his staff are as culpable for our awful window as Woody and Co.

How do you know Longstaff wouldn't have worked out? You can't blame the manager if he identifies an obtainable/affordable player and doesn't end up getting him to prove himself right or wrong, if we had Longstaff in midfield now and were playing as we are then fair enough, it's on Ole, but he hasn't, so it's not.

And how do you know there was no one else? Woodward probably chased Longstaff all summer and just didn't meet Newcastle's demands, leaving no time to get anyone else.

Ole clearly wanted other strikers, hence the Dybala and Mandzukic pursuit, again hardly his fault Woodward couldn't get it done, or they wouldn't come.

If Ole is guiltily of anything it is 'toeing the line', but speaking out wouldn't do him any good so it's hardly a surprise.

 

[RooneyLegend]

Bruno Fernands was desperate for move, reasonable price, but instead we are playing the likes of Mctominay, Matic and Mata....

Apparently he can't pass the ball.

 

[RooneyLegend]

We are the worst club in the market and the second place isnt even in the picture. Exactly what happens when you allow managers to run amok.