Potential CB Options

Hammondo

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Cannavaro is a Ballon D`or winning CB he`s an exception not the norm there`s very few CBs his size in modern football who would succeed in this era and its ironic how you talk about short CBs being good "in recent times" yet you`ve gone back over 10 years to use a case in point that would likely not work now unless the guy in discussion is spectacular like Cannavaro.
I literally mentioned earlier Bailly is our best all rounded CB I never disputed that his qualities compliment Maguire just as Maguire`s qualities compliment his and have you also not agreed towards the end how crucial a DM will be? A competent DM with Bailly and Maguire at the back and we`d never have as much complaints about our backline as much as you think
I`m not emotional this is simply an educated discussion on contrasting views the reason. VDV calls Harry Kane shit when he`s arguably the best ST in the league but suddenly his view on Maguire holds weight just because it suits your agenda? He`s not that intelligent mate sorry to tell you that and you still have his personal domestic issues which simply doesn`t make him a guy you can take seriously just like Giggs who shagged his brother`s wife and also a domestic abuser if you`re the type that can tolerate such low life degenerates fine but I`m not and its far from "emotional" and the only reason in your eyes he did something "You`d expect from any CB" is because its Maguire if Axel put in such a performance you`d be spreading his name all over the CAF like he`s the next Rio. It was a top class performance whatever way you look at it and despite LFC`s woes they`re still the reigning champions and their attackers are still one of the best in the league if not the world whom many top CBs would struggle against on another day. If you expect Maguire to be fast, good on the ball like KDB, have agility at the level of Vidic, have a telepathic reading of the game and so on at the same time then you`ll be disappointed at almost every CB who ever plays for us there`s very very very few CBs out there with all perfect attributes at once 90% of them come with flaws which need a PARTNER as well as protection from midfield to cover for them Maguire is no different and he`s still a very good CB regardless
Maguire`s passing statistics among CBs is one of the very best in the league go and check it yourself yeah he did make that mistake yesterday(which again any other top CB would) but he was still very good
Our conceding from set pieces is a coaching issue due to our insistence on zonal marking which is not a very effective way of defending set pieces anymore it actually leaves Maguire with too much work to do as everyone else is shit aerially it`s not particularly his fault and once again he CAN defend in multiple situations(admittedly has weaknesses in a few areas but something that can be easily covered with Bailly and a better DM). You could put Pogba, Bruno and Fred or Scott or Matic even with Van Dijk at the back and we`d STILL have problems. It took Liverpool getting Fabinho next to Henderson for their defence to gear up a level before they had Emre Can and even with an in form VVD they were still having issues in midfield so once again blaming "precious" is a bit silly all factors considered
Are you actually suggesting our deeper midfield personnel of Fred, McTominay and Matic are anywhere close to Thiago, Henderson and Fabinho?(Shaqiri and Wijnaldum dont count they play more as 10s/8s) All 3 of whom are not just title winners at the highest level but MILES and I mean MILES MILES MILES more gifted on the ball than any of the 3 and MUCH better readers of the game and MILES better at dictating games with their ability to pick passes as well as provide a defensive shield to their backline. They pick more forward passes in one game(of any range long or short and both are effective) than any of Fred/Scott/Matic do in 2/3games. One of them in place of Scott/Matic/Fred and we go up a level if not two.
You`d be surprised with this transfer market City went as high as 70m for that very same Magurie you laugh at and since he`s joined us he`s played the most minutes of ANY footballer in the world, likely to captain us to two back to back solid top 4 finishes as well as a season when our defence was one of the best in Europe and in a season Utd could still win a trophy on top of being a full regular international in his prime and English(which always has an added tax) we`d still easily get 40-50m for him at least only McTominay would fetch a similar fee due to his age the rest we`d be lucky to get 20-30m but it doesnt matter as those at Utd hold HM to high regard and will continue to do so bar a catastrophic drop in form
Anyway in the God forbid event Maguire gets a long lay off I hope we try the Axel/Bailly duo and see how right/wrong you are then we can come back here and discuss it but my point still stands that chances are its more likely to fail than succeed
Dear god please learn how to write properly.
 

Polar

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A new CB isn’t first, second or third priority right now. RW, CDM and Nr.9 are more critical positions to reinforce.
 

Adnan

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Below is a example of why Liverpool have been so good with Van Dijk in the back line. He gives Klopp the option of sacrificing defensive stability for goals by being comfortable in 1v1 situations against the paciest players in the league and single handedly extinguishing the threat in such a high risk approach.

It's why I believe Solskjaer wants to sign a CB who could potentially replicate something similar which would allow him to squeeze the pitch which has the potential to pin teams in their own half. Maguire and Lindelof aren't CBs who will give you what a player with the profile of Van Dijk can, both in a high line and in a deeper defensive line. And until we have someone who can, we'll carry on playing a more reactive game on the counter attack with our team setup on the back foot starting transitions from too far back. So it's easy to see why it's been reported that Solskjaer wants a CB who is commanding and can also deal with counter attacks single handedly and the below vids shed light on what I believe Solskjaer wants which would make us a more imposing and potent team going forward.

The below is just one example of several in the same game where Van Dijk basically says to Traore let's see what you've got in a high line and with acres to run into. ESPN in the second vid analyse the performance which gives the Liverpool midfield and attackers the foundation to basically camp in the opposition half.

So what Van Dijk basically does is improves Liverpool's midfield and attack by actually freeing them up and allowing them to create overloads and flood the box.


 
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croadyman

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A new CB isn’t first, second or third priority right now. RW, CDM and Nr.9 are more critical positions to reinforce.
The only reason that the club sees CB as more important at the moment is because think they want to give Diallo/Pellestri opportunities to show what they can do on the RW, in regards to a no 9 we already have Eddy but should be looking to bring someone in next summer hopefully Haaland
 

SAFMUTD

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The only reason that the club sees CB as more important at the moment is because think they want to give Diallo/Pellestri opportunities to show what they can do on the RW, in regards to a no 9 we already have Eddy but should be looking to bring someone in next summer hopefully Haaland
Pellestri is playing in the U-23, while Diallo has just arrived and there's doubt how much he'll be involved with the first team. If anything Greenwood is way further in the picking line than them, saying the club dont see RW as a priority because of them is like saying we don't see CDM as a priority because we have Garner and Mejbri and we want to give them opportunities.

Our main hole in the team is the RW, we are playing either Rashford who's a LW, Greenwood who's a ST or Pogba who's a CM there FFS, having a decent RW should be the number 1 priority in the list.
 

croadyman

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Pellestri is playing in the U-23, while Diallo has just arrived and there's doubt how much he'll be involved with the first team. If anything Greenwood is way further in the picking line than them, saying the club dont see RW as a priority because of them is like saying we don't see CDM as a priority because we have Garner and Mejbri and we want to give them opportunities.

Our main hole in the team is the RW, we are playing either Rashford who's a LW, Greenwood who's a ST or Pogba who's a CM there FFS, having a decent RW should be the number 1 priority in the list.
I agree with you that a starting RW should be near the top of our priority list but that is just how I see the club looking at things right now because it has been a hole in the team for around eight years which is way too long, the CDM situation frustrates me even more because we literally have only one proper one in the whole squad which isn't enough.
 

SAFMUTD

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I agree with you that a starting RW should be near the top of our priority list but that is just how I see the club looking at things right now because it has been a hole in the team for around eight years which is way too long, the CDM situation frustrates me even more because we literally have only one proper one in the whole squad which isn't enough.
Thats the way we roll, we had no RB since Rafael until AWB arrived, now the next issue is RW probably only a couple of years let of this.
 

MasterCode

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What a game today against Liverpool! our midfield and firepower performing wonders again - even our FullBacks putting in a shift. But the CB options it's literally the only area in our 11 man squad that makes me so nervous. They almost let us down collectively seems like if the FullBacks aren't digging us out by being last man we're essentially there for the taking.

Tough game for the CB's today - we have to upgrade there or try something new.
 

croadyman

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What a game today against Liverpool! our midfield and firepower performing wonders again - even our FullBacks putting in a shift. But the CB options it's literally the only area in our 11 man squad that makes me so nervous. They almost let us down collectively seems like if the FullBacks aren't digging us out by being last man we're essentially there for the taking.

Tough game for the CB's today - we have to upgrade there or try something new.
Yeah still feel we need another CB in the summer even with Axel & Eric
 

NoPace

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Yeah still feel we need another CB in the summer even with Axel & Eric
It would seem crazy to loan Axel again, but it's probably the right move next year.

Leftfooted center half starting next to Maguire with Lindelof and Bailly as #3 and #4, Axel gets a year starting for a Prem side that he would definitely start for (promoted side maybe, or some team will lose a starter to injury or a summer sale like Burnley with Tarkowski maybe or Fulham have loanees there and might avoid the drop) and then we probably sell Bailly in the summer of 2022 unless he's beaten out Maguire or Lindelof, or the new left-footed is a complete disaster.

It could be a right-footer if Maguire isn't better in possession or defensively on the right, I genuinely don't know because we haven't seen him play there enough, so it is possible he's a CB who prefer his unnatural side. It's not as uncommon in them as in fullbacks or probably even wingers (whose natural side is inverted in the modern game, but you do see City play better for instance with Sane on the left and Dortmund seem to prefer Sancho on the right).
 

croadyman

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It would seem crazy to loan Axel again, but it's probably the right move next year.

Leftfooted center half starting next to Maguire with Lindelof and Bailly as #3 and #4, Axel gets a year starting for a Prem side that he would definitely start for (promoted side maybe, or some team will lose a starter to injury or a summer sale like Burnley with Tarkowski maybe or Fulham have loanees there and might avoid the drop) and then we probably sell Bailly in the summer of 2022 unless he's beaten out Maguire or Lindelof, or the new left-footed is a complete disaster.

It could be a right-footer if Maguire isn't better in possession or defensively on the right, I genuinely don't know because we haven't seen him play there enough, so it is possible he's a CB who prefer his unnatural side. It's
not as uncommon in them as in fullbacks or probably even wingers (whose natural side is inverted in the modern game, but you do see City play better for instance with Sane on the left and Dortmund seem to prefer Sancho on the right).
Yeah I still can't tell if Ole is specifically looking for a left footer like Torres, Medina, Badiashile or if he just looking for someone who is good on the ball but also got the pace to help out Maguire such as Konate, White, Upamecano
 

NoPace

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Yeah I still can't tell if Ole is specifically looking for a left footer like Torres, Medina, Badiashile or if he just looking for someone who is good on the ball but also got the pace to help out Maguire such as Konate, White, Upamecano
Yeah it's tough to know. I do think it matters though because our RCB needs to do a bit more playmaking than a normal one since Wan-Bissaka is a bit of an Arbeloa out there, and teams tend to sit on the Shaw/Rashford wing and then we switch it across the backline to the RCB and Wan Bissaka and we don't turn it into threatening attacks. Was an underrated part of our Champions league flop for me.
 

RkkMan

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@MasterCode Do you still think Axel is this potentially impenetrable CB you rave over?? That was one of the WORST performances I`ve ever seen from any CB yesterday since we had Evans here at the club if Smalling/Jones/Evans put in such a performance we`d be slaughtering them. Mind you he`s turning 24 you cant say he`s "young" anymore neither can you use a performance against PSG which he played in a back 3 and with 2DMs in front of him(something you discredit Maguire for A LOT who BTW was miles better yesterday) as a benchmark which likely seems to have been a fluke.
Once we get a new CB this summer he is the one who has to make way you cannot with an open chest say he`s more reliable than Maguire, Bailly or even Lindelof Championship level at Villa(where he wouldn`t start now) is exactly his ceiling
 

Devil may care

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Whoever we get they need to be able to take care of their end of things, Axel clearly needs a verbal leader next to him at this point in time and that's not Maguire, his best game against PSG was with Lindelof who is a verbal organiser. This is not a knock on Maguire, maybe he's a leader in the dressing room, but on the pitch he's not a CB who can guide a younger CB and needs to just be left to play his game with a partner who will do the same.
 

RkkMan

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Whoever we get they need to be able to take care of their end of things, Axel clearly needs a verbal leader next to him at this point in time and that's not Maguire, his best game against PSG was with Lindelof who is a verbal organiser. This is not a knock on Maguire, maybe he's a leader in the dressing room, but on the pitch he's not a CB who can guide a younger CB and needs to just be left to play his game with a partner who will do the same.
He was playing in a back 3 with 2DMs in front of the defence. Thats why he looked so good in that game not because he had Lindelof as a "verbal organizer" next to him
 

dev1l

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"verbal organizer" sounds like something out of 1984 book. :)
 

Devil may care

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He was playing in a back 3 with 2DMs in front of the defence. Thats why he looked so good in that game not because he had Lindelof as a "verbal organizer" next to him
The system doesn't change how well he played against 2 of the best forwards in the world or that Lindelof marshalled that back 3, Maguire just doesn't do that, not the end of the world, just something to keep in mind when buying a CB to partner him.
 

Jezpeza

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@MasterCode Do you still think Axel is this potentially impenetrable CB you rave over?? That was one of the WORST performances I`ve ever seen from any CB yesterday since we had Evans here at the club if Smalling/Jones/Evans put in such a performance we`d be slaughtering them. Mind you he`s turning 24 you cant say he`s "young" anymore neither can you use a performance against PSG which he played in a back 3 and with 2DMs in front of him(something you discredit Maguire for A LOT who BTW was miles better yesterday) as a benchmark which likely seems to have been a fluke.
Once we get a new CB this summer he is the one who has to make way you cannot with an open chest say he`s more reliable than Maguire, Bailly or even Lindelof Championship level at Villa(where he wouldn`t start now) is exactly his ceiling
agree. Questionable fitness and injury record, and not likely to develop much further. He had one decent season at villa in the championship and several years on the treatment table. If you look at the likes of Kounde, Upamecano, Konate and even fofana at leicester, they have similar profiles but better injury records, more top flight/cl appearances, and just look better players. Bottom line is, he’s just not that good.

if he was someone we had signed he would be on everyones deadwood list. But like lingard and tfm etc, people want him to do well rather than call him for not being good enough because hes academy
 

croadyman

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What this Utd board seem unable to grasp is that we could quite easily end up in Liverpool like situation at CB, there is a possibility that Lindelof's back could give out at some point and then you have Bailly/Tuanzebe who are a mix of injury prone and lack of opportunities too. I have this bad feeling that these signings the scousers are making will hit the ground under Klopp's stewardship and get them back into the race.
 

Number32

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Recently, I start to watch Lille's matches since they are top of the league with some exciting talents. I expected an impressive performance by Soumare, Bamba, David, or the forgotten Renato Sanches, but only to find a 20 years old Sven Botman as their most consistent player.

He was a transfer gamble to replace Gabriel last year, and what a signing that was. Strong, compose, good on the ball, and bossing in the air.
I know he's a little bit slow like Maguire, but he's doing well against Mbappe, Di Maria and another pacey players in France, so what's the problem?
 

davidmichael

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Looks like Upamecano is off to Bayern and will be announced once Alaba officially leaves, I don’t see RB Leipzig letting both Upamecano and Konate both leaving this summer and it seems like Kounde is our prefered option.

I’ve not seen as much of Kounde as I have Upamecano and Konate but I do keep seeing that Kounde is the best option potentially as he has all the attributes to perfectly hide Maguire’s weaknesses and vice versa, how good is Kounde in the air as I know he’s smaller than the usual centre back.
 

Infra-red

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Recently, I start to watch Lille's matches since they are top of the league with some exciting talents. I expected an impressive performance by Soumare, Bamba, David, or the forgotten Renato Sanches, but only to find a 20 years old Sven Botman as their most consistent player.

He was a transfer gamble to replace Gabriel last year, and what a signing that was. Strong, compose, good on the ball, and bossing in the air.
I know he's a little bit slow like Maguire, but he's doing well against Mbappe, Di Maria and another pacey players in France, so what's the problem?
There's no problem - if we're in the market for a left-footed CB with really strong aerial ability, Botman should be on the list, along with David Carmo, Benoit Badiashile and Felix Uduokhai.
 

croadyman

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There's no problem - if we're in the market for a left-footed CB with really strong aerial ability, Botman should be on the list, along with David Carmo, Benoit Badiashile and Felix Uduokhai.
I still cannot tell right now if we are looking for specifically a LCB like the ones that you have mentioned or we aren't bothered and just trying to find someone who plays either side but is the perfect all rounder like Kounde/Konate
 

Freak

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Milenkovic on a free then next year or a reduced price this summer?

Obligatory YouTube video. I have decided just from this video that this is the centre back signing we should go for. He could be a low cost shrewd signing that would allow us to focus our budget on other areas of the pitch for our summer window (DM, RW, ST).

 

Adnan

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Obligatory YouTube video. I have decided just from this video that this is the centre back signing we should go for. He could be a low cost shrewd signing that would allow us to focus our budget on other areas of the pitch for our summer window (DM, RW, ST).

Along with being available for a very reasonable fee due to his contract running down, he's also aerially very dominant too, which would go down well with some of our fans.
 

golden_blunder

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We will see Ben Godfrey tonight, suggested picking him up when Norwich got relegated. How much has he progressed at Everton?
 

RkkMan

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@MasterCode Once again Axel has cost us yet ANOTHER game how you see/saw this guy as an imperious CB God knows.
 

Dan_F

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Milenkovic on a free then next year or a reduced price this summer?

I haven’t watched him, but from what I’ve read he’s no quicker than Maguire. Not sure we need to be looking at more prospects for centre back.
 

Adnan

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I haven’t watched him, but from what I’ve read he’s no quicker than Maguire. Not sure we need to be looking at more prospects for centre back.
He's actually deceptively quick for a CB that is 6'5.
 

Adnan

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If Ibrahima Konate is over his injuries then he should be the #1 priority and is absolutely made for the hustle and bustle of our league IMO.
 

Adamsk7

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He's actually deceptively quick for a CB that is 6'5.
He’s also very aggressive, which like Vidic hides his lack of real pace (he’s not slow though, just average). He’d be an upgrade on Lindelof and possibly even Maguire so for a small fee, I think that’s worth it.
personally I’d go in to the season with Lindelof, Melinkovic, Maguire and also another young, quick defender with potential, such an Kounde, with Bailly there as well because due to his consistent injuries, we can’t rely on him permanently. I’d let Axel go on loan.
 

JMack1234

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We need to partner Maguire with a competent CB who is quick. Simple as that.