3rd or 2nd this coming season, with potential to be champions with one or two more good additions.
Pogba stays. Lukaku out. Bruno, Dybala and Maguire in. What would be our ceiling?
- Thread starter Pexbo
- Start date
Hahaha was thinking the same
Dybala and Bruno in surely forces Pogba into a full time deeper midfield role, akin to his France position. Ultimately I think it is the position where his highest potential lies. You can always find another gifted 10/attacking midfielder, but an all round midfield dynamo with the ability of Pogba? Very few out there. Has to accept the defensive responsibilities of the position if it is to work though.
top 4 and at least one cup run or Ole is gone
If that happened we would challenge and I would be a slap head fan. But its just isnt going to happen is it. Too good to be true.
3rd in a transition year. A few points behind
FA Cup too?
Challenge top 2 the following year
FA Cup too?
Challenge top 2 the following year
Good one Jokes aside - 3rd place in the league. Europa League quarterfinals
Same team ≠ same starting 11. Premier League has many games, and we play in 3 other competitions – you can't just have an "ideal" 11 and win anything. A team challenging even for top 4, let alone trophies, needs depth, competition for similar positions and alternatives.
This idea that some have here about "if you have Lukaku then you don't need another creative midfielder" is detached from any reality.
6th
If we get Dybala, Bruno, and Maguire - and keep Pogba - I could maybe see us snatching 3rd from Spurs. Can't see us catching Liverpool or City though.
If those transfers happen, we’ll be 1 holding midfielder away from having a very good team. Matic can’t be expected to play every game of the season.
I'm liking the idea of giving McT a run this season.
Third in the league, a decent domestic cup run and hopefully a Europa final or final 4.
He can’t play 2 positions, he’s the Herrera replacement. Fred’s not really showing he’s going to be able to replace Matic, he’s either good or error prone as heck. Need another calm head in there
Liverpool will fall back towards the pack this season. I'm sure of it. Can see them finishing with around 85 points, some way behind City.
Means we'd need to find around 20 points from last year to catch them. Straight away I think a fitter, happier squad this year will be worth at least 10 points. Then we need to find another ten points from new signings AWB, James and potentially Maguire, Bruno and Dybala.
If Maguire can make anything like the impact it looks like Wan-Bissaka will, we're laughing. We threw away so many stupid points against poor sides last year be it from poor fitness , poor team morale or just poor defending. Fix those 3 and we'll see a big swing.
City are a step too far at the moment but if we could sign those three players to add to the two we've already brought in (and keep hold of Pogba and the rest of our key players), there isn't any other squad in the league we shouldn't aim to finish ahead of. Liverpools first XI is arguably better and their defence certainly is, but their overall squad is nothing to write home about.
If Martial brings this new attitude and workrate from preseason into the league then all bets are off. He could be the difference between top 4 and a title challenge.
Means we'd need to find around 20 points from last year to catch them. Straight away I think a fitter, happier squad this year will be worth at least 10 points. Then we need to find another ten points from new signings AWB, James and potentially Maguire, Bruno and Dybala.
If Maguire can make anything like the impact it looks like Wan-Bissaka will, we're laughing. We threw away so many stupid points against poor sides last year be it from poor fitness , poor team morale or just poor defending. Fix those 3 and we'll see a big swing.
City are a step too far at the moment but if we could sign those three players to add to the two we've already brought in (and keep hold of Pogba and the rest of our key players), there isn't any other squad in the league we shouldn't aim to finish ahead of. Liverpools first XI is arguably better and their defence certainly is, but their overall squad is nothing to write home about.
If Martial brings this new attitude and workrate from preseason into the league then all bets are off. He could be the difference between top 4 and a title challenge.
Top four and decent football played. No excuses about us lacking ball playing centre backs or lumps up front with no technical skills. Only issue I have is the wings. Martial needs to do more.
3rd. If we'd continue ambitiously working on the squad next summer whilst progressing under a new style this season, next year we could seriously challenge on all fronts.
If you guys get Dybala, you have a WC player. I wanted him or Allegri out, not both of them at the same season, but unfortunately it seems Juve doesn’t want him for whatever the reason is. I hope it is a fake news though.
It is just too much for me that our club is letting two young skilful players(Dybala and Kean) go to PL.
It is just too much for me that our club is letting two young skilful players(Dybala and Kean) go to PL.
If that happens, truth be told we could probably win the CL this year if we were in it.
And that’s no lie either.
And that’s no lie either.
----------------- ---DDG
Wan Bissaka Lindelöf Maguire Shaw
-------------McTominey Pogba
-----------Dybala Bruno Martial
------------------Rashford
Top 4 surely.
Wan Bissaka Lindelöf Maguire Shaw
-------------McTominey Pogba
-----------Dybala Bruno Martial
------------------Rashford
Top 4 surely.
Maguire, Dybala or Fernandes in (don't think there'd be a massive difference with Bruno in as well), ceiling is 2nd with some luck if Liverpool have a hangover. Likely scenario is 3rd though, definite 4th. Even with a much improved squad, we still need to gel the squad together and Ole's tactics to be fully implemented. Takes time, and City/Liverpool have excellent squads and starting 11s and are fully gelled. Even with those 3, I still think we're probably a little behind the top 2 in squad make up. Maybe a year to gel and have our u23 players develop and make that step up.
We keep Pogba and we sign those three, I think we should aim for 85 or maybe even 90 pts. Let’s see how far that takes us but it could be something. And we have to hope the young players just blossom!
If we manage to get all these key signings, I think 2nd or 3rd place is possible.
Top four.
Unless McTominay develops into an absolute worldie overnight, and Rashford + Martial play to their potential consistently over the whole season, rather than just playing well in 3-4 game bursts and shit the rest of the time, which is their story so far.
Also a huge amount hinges on AWB hitting the ground running, as he has in pre season, but competitive football is a different kettle of fish. And Luke Shaw staying fit.
A front 4/5 of Dybala, Rashford, Martial, Bruno and Pogba is absolutely sublime on paper.
Unless McTominay develops into an absolute worldie overnight, and Rashford + Martial play to their potential consistently over the whole season, rather than just playing well in 3-4 game bursts and shit the rest of the time, which is their story so far.
Also a huge amount hinges on AWB hitting the ground running, as he has in pre season, but competitive football is a different kettle of fish. And Luke Shaw staying fit.
A front 4/5 of Dybala, Rashford, Martial, Bruno and Pogba is absolutely sublime on paper.
Agree. If this was to happen, it would be our best transfer window for quite some time!
I honestly just want to enjoy this season and to watch entertaining football. Give the fans hope that we are on the right path and are building a team that will be challenging for major honours.
Minimum expectation would be top 4 & a trophy (FA Cup, Europa League) Vital we get back into the Champions League.
We're not going to be lacking in creativity at least.
Judging from his performance to date incl the matching against the Norwegians, I cant expect him to start. Either his legs are gone or he is going a Michael Carrick impression and doesnt get going till Christmas or thereabouts.
Well I'm officially excited for the season to start already !
If they all gel and perform to their known quality, no reason we can't actually compete for the title. If Ole's tactical nous is up to it.
I don't think we'll sign all three players to be honest.
If we do though, I just hope Gomes, Greenwood, Chong and James are still seriously implemented into the squad this season.
I'd hate to get Dybala and Bruno, only to then lose Gomes to Barcelona.
There should be plenty of opportunity for the youngsters, but I would worry about Lingard, Mata and Sanchez eating up their minutes.
If we do though, I just hope Gomes, Greenwood, Chong and James are still seriously implemented into the squad this season.
I'd hate to get Dybala and Bruno, only to then lose Gomes to Barcelona.
There should be plenty of opportunity for the youngsters, but I would worry about Lingard, Mata and Sanchez eating up their minutes.
Agreed. I don't see what everyone is. I think that team will struggle in midfield. Most important signing will be a DM to give an alternative to McT.
If Liverpool and City have the same season as the last, third.
Well my analysis about the player differed from that of giorno which is a normal thing about Dybala. If you check Italian sites you'll notice that many ask the same question again and again. Meanwhile managers such as Sampioli and Allegri had struggled to use him correctly. Well what is Dybala's best role? In my opinion, its either as the main striker (a role he covered well at Palermo) or as a shadow striker behind a tanky guy like Higuian or Mandzukic. Some people like Carlo Nesti think his best role is that of trequarista. All seem to agree on one thing. Dybala is not a winger.
If we do sign Dybala then we'll have 4 strikers (Dybala, Rashford, Martial and Greenwood) who can shift on the left or the right. Now if we also add Bruno to the mix then in my opinion our best system would be a narrow 4-4-2 system. Matic would be the DM, Mctominay and Pogba would be in the middle tasked to cover both CM and help on the flanks, Bruno would be no 10 with two strikers upfront also helping on the flanks when needed. It would be a system similar to the one Juventus used against us were Dybala scored.
We still lack width in attack, but we'd challenge Spurs for 3rd. You can play good football with an athletic back 4, McTominay holding and Pogba and Bruno in midfield with Dybala, another forward (Martial or Rashford) and then I honestly think James might be the other starter since he works hard and would compliment those players better than the more talented options, even if he can't actually cross or shoot at the moment.
Rashford-Dybala-----------
------------Bruno-----James
-------Pogba----------------
------------McT-------------
would be my guess based on what we've seen this preseason.
Rashford-Dybala-----------
------------Bruno-----James
-------Pogba----------------
------------McT-------------
would be my guess based on what we've seen this preseason.
Why are people saying we can't play Fernandes and Dybala? Dybala is a forward while Fernandes is a midfielder. Am I missing something here??? Not to mention that Dybala is left footed. If this deal happens, and seeing as everyone loves left footers on the right and right footers on the left, Dybala will most likely end up on our right wing...
And WTF are people so willing to hand City and fecking Liverpool places above us? Ok, so City has won the league two years in a row. I get it. But Liverpool? Come on man, it's fecking Liverpool!!! Sorry, but I'm not ready to give up any position in the table to those wankers. One year behind them was bad enough, and now you lot are already conceding to them before the season even starts?? My god, what have we become???
Pretty much agree. Dybala wont hug the touchline like a traditional winger but he is more than competent playing the right sided forward in a front three.
Those players in and assuming Ole's actually a good manager, I think we could surpass Liverpool in the league.
They will fall back a bit this season.
They will fall back a bit this season.
So, we still need: new centre back, a right winger and a new central midfielder. Even if Maguire and Fernandes deals close, and they gel perfectly (always a big if with Ed leaving everything at the last second), we'd still have an unbalanced squad and a glaring problem on the right hand side.
I think it's obvious nothing is happening on that front. Feels like it's Sancho or bust next summer, but for that we'll need champions league.
Not if he's on the right. If he's on the right he will play narrow. But if we decide to switch it up and play with a left footer on the left and right footer on the right, then we could have some width. Not sure why not many teams do that anymore. Seems to work pretty good for City...