It's funny actually, but he might just be able to play the No.9 role (can't believe I'm saying that!) - but he is a nuisance to defenders. Turn him into a striker Louis!
[Poll] We desperately need a striker
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
We have to go for broke now on someone, that's down to Woody and LVG messing around. If we don't then we are in big big trouble.
Even if we can't get a top striker, at the very least we have to get someone who can contribute this year.
You don't win things if you don't score goals... and with our current squad, there will be plenty of games this season where we struggle to score.
Makes LVG's decision not to buy a striker even more moronic so.
Agreed. Would going for Zlatan be that crazy as a stop gap? I don't know his availability but certainly worth an enquiry. If not then there are other options. I really believe this will end up a pivotal moment in the LVG reign, mess this up and then LVG may have dug his own grave.
You would think that kind of money would do it but...
Muller - think he would come, but the fans would crucify the Bayern board
Lewandowski - heard he really likes living in Germany so long shot again
Ibrah - him and LVG hate each other
Kane - hasn't scored for a while - big question mark and not worth the money at this point I think as we need someone that is sure to come in and make an impact.
Who else is there at the moment?
Think we have been trying to get one, but not so easy to get someone to come in and make an impact straight away.
Lets buy Crouch in case Fellaini gets injured! Or even better Zlatan because we are not slow enough already up front.
Henrik Laarson
At least Zlatan stays around the box and can finish.
Nah he's too young
We shouldn't really have let RVP go so until we were sure we were getting a striker. There were strikers available. Liverpool bought Benteke for example.
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The fact that, after all of the roster overhaul, our attacking options off the bench were Valencia and Hernandez, shows that more work is needed in the market. It's easy to overreact, and we shouldn't get too carried away. On another day, we win this game 3 -0. Still, without adding some speed, creativity and ruthlessness up front, we'll see too many if these games this season to be genuine title contenders. With our current roster, we'll be battling for third or fourth spot.
If money was no object and assuming every player in world football would be prepared to come here, I would go for Neymar, Bale & Isco/Jese with Rooney back into No10 role as a front 4, we are a long way off that. Back in reality I would go for Higuain as No.9, put Januzaj out to left wing, Depay out to right wing and Rooney/Mata as No.10 with Carrick & Schweinsteiger as a CM pair or Schneidlerlin & Herrera as these combinations would complement one another imo.
Yes & maybe ending up 5th.
Id agree. Was thinking about this yesterday. In recent years quite a few top top players moved from medium clubs to real giants.
This summer looks like all the big clubs own the best players dont want to sell to their rivals.
Its like there is none to buy atm.
I think we will end up with someone. The last few days we will splurge out on a forward like we did last window.
Who it shall be, remains a mystery.
Who it shall be, remains a mystery.
It's funny how LVG made those "surprise striker" comments seemingly for the heck of it.
LVG has voted for Chicarito and that's all that matters now - he agrees with 162 of you
A pacey winger is required just as much as a striker in my opinion.
Louis van Gaal has reiterated Manchester United don't need another striker, insisting he is "satisfied" with the performances of Wayne Rooney.
Rooney has come under significant scrutiny this season, failing to score in any of his side's opening four games in his latest role as a lone striker.
Meanwhile, United have been linked with forwards throughout the summer, with the likes of Edinson Cavani, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and, lately, Barcelona's Neymar reportedly targets for Van Gaal.
But the Dutchman believes his captain Rooney is performing admirably in the role - this despite having just two shots on target in his opening three games - with the likes of Javier Hernandez, James Wilson and even Adnan Januzaj and Marouane Fellaini providing adept alternatives as back-up.
"I have a lot of options," Van Gaal said. "I have chosen Chicharito [Hernandez], because he is another type from Rooney, and we have also Fellaini, who is another type, then I have Wilson and Januzaj, so I don't think we need a striker."
Van Gaal admits that his club may be in the market for a striker this summer however - but only if he is "the best in the world".
"If he is the best striker in the world then, yes, we need him, but if he cannot contribute in our eyes, then we won't buy any striker. But when he does, we shall buy."
The United boss admitted that even if he does sign the world's most elite talent, there is no guarantee they will succeed at Old Trafford. Previously considered among the world's best players, the likes of Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao struggled to make an impact at the club last season.
"In a club like Manchester United, you never know that, because you have seen it for example with Falcao and Di Maria last season: great players, but they have to adapt to the culture of Manchester United. You have that with every buy."
Van Gaal went on to reiterate his support for 29-year-old Rooney, saying: "He has to do what the striker has to do in our system and he does that, so I am very satisfied with him."
Rooney has come under significant scrutiny this season, failing to score in any of his side's opening four games in his latest role as a lone striker.
Meanwhile, United have been linked with forwards throughout the summer, with the likes of Edinson Cavani, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and, lately, Barcelona's Neymar reportedly targets for Van Gaal.
But the Dutchman believes his captain Rooney is performing admirably in the role - this despite having just two shots on target in his opening three games - with the likes of Javier Hernandez, James Wilson and even Adnan Januzaj and Marouane Fellaini providing adept alternatives as back-up.
"I have a lot of options," Van Gaal said. "I have chosen Chicharito [Hernandez], because he is another type from Rooney, and we have also Fellaini, who is another type, then I have Wilson and Januzaj, so I don't think we need a striker."
Van Gaal admits that his club may be in the market for a striker this summer however - but only if he is "the best in the world".
"If he is the best striker in the world then, yes, we need him, but if he cannot contribute in our eyes, then we won't buy any striker. But when he does, we shall buy."
The United boss admitted that even if he does sign the world's most elite talent, there is no guarantee they will succeed at Old Trafford. Previously considered among the world's best players, the likes of Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao struggled to make an impact at the club last season.
"In a club like Manchester United, you never know that, because you have seen it for example with Falcao and Di Maria last season: great players, but they have to adapt to the culture of Manchester United. You have that with every buy."
Van Gaal went on to reiterate his support for 29-year-old Rooney, saying: "He has to do what the striker has to do in our system and he does that, so I am very satisfied with him."
A change in systems need to happen, get fellaini and herrera on the pitch, for me he needs to back to the 4141 system of last year
Romero
darmien smalling blind shaw
morgan or bastian
mata herrera fellaini depay
rooney
Yes mata is on the right, but he will have the link up play with herrera, and the goal threat of both herrera and fellaini, than playing 2 midfielders so deep we playing with 6 at the back, 7 if we count the keeper, we loose the link up play from midfield, and the goalthreat is not there
Romero
darmien smalling blind shaw
morgan or bastian
mata herrera fellaini depay
rooney
Yes mata is on the right, but he will have the link up play with herrera, and the goal threat of both herrera and fellaini, than playing 2 midfielders so deep we playing with 6 at the back, 7 if we count the keeper, we loose the link up play from midfield, and the goalthreat is not there
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Van Gaal obviously wants a striker but there are no strikers good enough out there that are available so we'll more than likely have to wait a season to get a world class striker...It happened many times under Fergie where the player we all thought we desperately needed was not signed and we all expected a terrible season then and always ended up having a decent season in the end......Rooney and Memphis will improve greatly with more game time
The thing that worries me is that we never have started a season without having decent striking options. This never happened under Ferguson. We went seasons without proper cover in the mid field and some times the defence, but never up front. Putting such a huge responsibility on Memphis during his first season is asking too much from him.
I hope Chicharito plays on Wednesday with Mata switching to 10. Rooney (whatever his "problem" is) should be benched as he looks, at best, lethargic thus far.
I'm surprised Van Gaal is satisfied with Rooney's performances - what can he be satisfied with?
I'm surprised Van Gaal is satisfied with Rooney's performances - what can he be satisfied with?
Our line-up of "strikers", Rooney, Hernanez, Wilson, Januzaj (and Fellaini??) were all at the club before Van Gaal took over. It's basically what he inherited (maybe not Wilson) without RVP and Wellbeck.
That's not a line-up of strikers to scare anyone, it needs serious investment.
That's not a line-up of strikers to scare anyone, it needs serious investment.
Van Gaal decided to release Falcao and RVP (reasonable enough decisions) but then why hasn't he (yet) brought in at least one new striker?
Why did he sell Welbeck .Listening to him this is exactly the type of forward he bangs on about.
Considering we're struggling specifically for goals right now, Welbeck isn't the best option out there.
Van Gaal is more concerned about how a forward links up play rather than the goal scoring part.
To be honest if we were going to get a big name striker it would have happened by now, no top club would sell their main striker so late into the window.
And i do think people are panicking because of Rooney's early season form and the transfer window is still open so we have that hope of a muppet signing. I think we will be fine with Rooney, Hernandez, Wilson and Fellaini as central strikers/CF's. Won't win us the title but i think its unrealistic to expect that after Moyes disastrous season, we are still rebuilding.
And i do think people are panicking because of Rooney's early season form and the transfer window is still open so we have that hope of a muppet signing. I think we will be fine with Rooney, Hernandez, Wilson and Fellaini as central strikers/CF's. Won't win us the title but i think its unrealistic to expect that after Moyes disastrous season, we are still rebuilding.
True, though link-up wise I wouldn't say Rooney has been that bad. For the sake of the team (I understand you're on about LVG) there are far better options.
F9. No, no, not a false 9. Fellaini 9...
I'm just really surprised Benzema isn't being mentioned more or looked at plausibly. Especially after seeing the AS newspaper fans votes.
68k polled and asked to vote on their Madrid starting XI and Benzema not in it. That's exactly the type of player that is disposable at Madrid and most importantly could justifiably be sold as clearly not a fan favourite. And that club is fickle enough to use all that as justification.
He's top drawer and with DDG as the bargaining chip I think we could get him. We should try, he'd score goals in the PL.
68k polled and asked to vote on their Madrid starting XI and Benzema not in it. That's exactly the type of player that is disposable at Madrid and most importantly could justifiably be sold as clearly not a fan favourite. And that club is fickle enough to use all that as justification.
He's top drawer and with DDG as the bargaining chip I think we could get him. We should try, he'd score goals in the PL.
How do you work that out? He's Perez pet.
Let me see...........how did I work that out..........
He was not voted into the starting XI by a mass fan poll which they seem to take seriously
He's not Ronaldo
He's not an academy graduate player
He wasn't in the Top 5 for goals or assists in La Liga 2014/15
He was 5th highest scorer in La Liga in 2013/14
He wasn't in the Top 10 in 2012/13
He's scored over 20 league goals in a season once for Madrid
Read that and apply and remember you're dealing with Real Madrid and it will become obvious he's exactly the type of player that is disposable at Madrid.