The composition of our squad

[Njord]

In light of a poor performance I've been thinking about the incredibly poor composition of our squad. Our first eleven is usually pretty well balanced, but when things doesn't work, there's not much to bring on from the bench.

Looking over the squad, if you look at the strongest position for each player:

3 GKs, 4 RBs, 5 CBs, 1 LB, 1 DM, 3 B2B, 4 AMs, 0 RWs, 2 LWs and 2 strikers.

Think this really illustrates the incompetence with our recruitment the last few years. You can also add stuff like us having 5 CBs at about the same level, with none being exactly world class.

 

[haram]

Poor in build up. Poor in transition. Lack of creativity. Lack of width. We have a long way to go.

 

[el3mel]

Our first eleven has its problems as well. They are all good on their day but incredibly inconsistent.

We still need at least 4-5 players next summer or it's a top 4 challenge again next season.

 

[AndyJ1985]

It's a really mediocre squad that's been poorly put together by three terrible managers.
The right side has been neglected for years.
Our full backs have been in desperate need of an upgrade for years.
We have two very inconsistent strikers, both of whom will struggle to break 20 goals a season.
We have a stack of centre backs who range from piss poor to okay, and all of them are thick as shit.

We're in serious need of some real top drawer quality in the first team, and some squad players who are actually good footballers, and not just capable of "doing a job" (whatever the feck that means)

 

[NJM78]

Our overall squad is pretty average in my eyes and no one will change my mind on that. The best manager in the world right now would not mould this team into the best in England and Europe without some top class additions. I think if we continue our transfer policy of the past 10 years whilst also having the glazers remain, I can honestly see us not winning the league or CL again in the next five years, possibly longer.
Oil money is not leaving football anytime soon either so I can also see a cycle of dominance by City in this league to match ours during the 90s/00s unless something drastic happens.

 

[golden_blunder]

We lack quality depth in the squad.

 

[sam147]

The composition should also include age. We have senior players in midfield. We have a guy with 25 first team games at RB or a pensioner coverted winger as the other option. Rashford is also too weak to be a starting striker, not consistent enough and thats another position we need improvements especially if Lukaku leaves. Our CBs are all similar level with glaring problems in each one from nervousness, injuries, weak in the air or erratic. No balance in the team. We need a minimum of 5 signings to be competitive next season. A solid base of 5 players would enable us to make the 1-2 key focused additions in the January window and the summer window after. Right now the squad is a shambles from years of underinvestment. At this moment in time all we do is rely on Pogba to do everything.

 

[sherrinford]

In light of a poor performance I've been thinking about the incredibly poor composigion of our squad. Our first eleven is usually pretty well balanced, but when things doesn't work, there's not much to bring on from the bench.

Looking over the squad, if you look at the strongest position for each player:

3 GKs, 4 RBs, 5 CBs, 1 LB, 1 DM, 3 B2B, 4 AMs, 0 RWs, 2 LWs and 2 strikers.

Think this really illustrates the incompetence eith our recruitment the last few years. You can also add stuff like us having 5 CBs at about the same level, with none being exactly world class.

Our first eleven is not well balanced at all.

I’m not sure I agree with your groupings, and I disagree with the idea of only considering one position for each player as the number of places that a player can be effective in varies.

Four right backs and one left back looks terrible, but aren’t all of Young, Dalot and Darmian comfortable on the left?

Herrera’s best position now is DM for me, and surely McTominay is considered as such, no? Or is he the third B2B for you?

AMs... Pogba, Mata, Lingard and Pereira? Do you have a position for midfielders who operate in the no.8 position but who you wouldn’t describe as B2B? That’s where I would fit in Pogba and Pereira.

Is Sanchez your second left winger?

 

[Web of Bissaka]

Guess I'll be giving probably polar opinions.

Putting the still a problem -- missing clear RW aside, I think our squad composition is just fine.

Spoiler

3 GKs -- top 1st, reliable 2nd, and a fair 3rd.

4(-2) = 2 RBs -- Young and Dalot (I seriously don't count Valencia, and Darmian who can also play LB anymore).

5(-1) CBs -- RoJones equals one player, so 4 CBs which is the right number for two slot.

1(+2) LBs -- Shaw (Dalot and Young can cover well).

2(+2) DMs -- Matic and McT (Herrera and Fred to cover, I think Fred can sit at the back under strict instructions, we know Herrera can).

2 B2B -- Herrera, Fred, the only two who are proper B2B.

4 AMs -- Pogba, Lingard, Mata, Pereira.

0(+1) RWs -- I mean Rashford can actually play there to make it his own, but Ole's obsession with Rashford as striker....

2(+1) LWs -- Martial and Sanchez (that latter option is disappointing, Rashford to cover).

2(+1) STs -- Rashford and Lukaku (theoretically Sanchez should be converted here, but..., also Martial to cover).

We also have a bunch of new youth players knocking on the door, idc if they're lacking in experience. We're United.
Greenwood -- ST
Chong -- LW/RW
Gomes -- AM
who else?

And interesting loaness who should be considered.
Tuanzebe -- CB, LB, RB
Henderson -- GK
(Maybe also TFM and Mitchell, but doubtful.)

Is the recent matches, fresh in our memory did a swing to say it's poor?
I think many players just got back from injuries, plus the newer injuries (and still injured) all meant our options are lacking. Sadly, our coaches also decided to go with experience especially the midfield area, and some questionable tactics recently. Overall team form is then affected. I think all of those need to be taken into consideration. Depleted choices, poor freshness management and questionable decisions. So I disagree we don't have much option from the bench, more like not using it to the fullest.

Clearly there is much work to be done of course, but the players (many of them are younger) and the coaches can only get better. Quality and consistency of those qualities are lacking. Age wise, I think it's well diverse. Newer players shall come and challenge the current players, so seriously they need to be better. Improvement is needed but I like the look of our squad now, as a basis, need to build upon.

 

[thesheriffjw]

Its having 3 successive managers with 3 differing style of play.

You cannot buy your way out of it, there is a need to work with what you have.

Di Maria would have done well under ole whereas not with jose.

Another couple of years of building with a stable manager

 

[Thepinhead]

Fact is that it is pretty easy to shut us down and we have been found out as of late. Manmark pogba and all our creativity is gone. We really need a guy like neves in midfield to drive the ball forward and help pogba. We also need a threat from right wing. Get that and I think we will be fine for now. Later we probably need a good centerback as well.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Fact is that it is pretty easy to shut us down and we have been found out as of late. Manmark pogba and all our creativity is gone. We really need a guy like neves in midfield to drive the ball forward and help pogba. We also need a threat from right wing. Get that and I think we will be fine for now. Later we probably need a good centerback as well.

We need those 4 players for next season, not later.

A CB who's a leader at the back has to be a priority. Bailly is a good back up, Lindelhof and Smalling have been good of late but the rest...

A leftie on the right side . Chong has it to prove so I've no idea

Neves would be good to partner Herrera and Pogba but surely he isn't the only one out there.

I'd add AWB from Palace to give us more penetration on the flank, I'm not convinced about Dalot

Matic has been awful since August

 

[Sparky Rhiwabon]

In light of a poor performance I've been thinking about the incredibly poor composition of our squad. Our first eleven is usually pretty well balanced, but when things doesn't work, there's not much to bring on from the bench.

Looking over the squad, if you look at the strongest position for each player:

3 GKs, 4 RBs, 5 CBs, 1 LB, 1 DM, 3 B2B, 4 AMs, 0 RWs, 2 LWs and 2 strikers.

Think this really illustrates the incompetence with our recruitment the last few years. You can also add stuff like us having 5 CBs at about the same level, with none being exactly world class.

On the plus side, at least it will be very easy to improve the squad in the summer with some quality additions in any or all of the weak positions - LB, DM, RW for example, maybe striker. Plus CB because the quality is not good enough there, regardless of numbers.

 

[Snow]

We lack depth in certain areas which come painfully apparent when we hit an injury crisis but that's the time when we give youth a chance. We have to decide if we want to keep doing that or be like City and buy a first team player for the bench in every position (besides left back apparently).

I don't think we will do that but that being said we did start another season without a right winger and that player on top of what we already have would have made a difference this season. The FA Cup performance was a bad one but it's not panic mode as we clinched a win in Paris with a broken team and we played well against Arsenal despite the loss. It just sucks that we played well and lost and follow that up with playing badly and losing a cup that was very winnable and is now basically City's to lose.

 

[deadrevelz]

Poor in build up. Poor in transition. Lack of creativity. Lack of width. We have a long way to go.

Fully agree with this. I think the problem is that we are a mix of the old United that preferred aggressive, direct football utilising the wings and the post-SAF united of LVG which favoured keeping possession in midfield but was poor at creating chances and Jose who was very defensive and again, poor at creating chances. It's hardly surprising that we fail to break down teams who sit back, and our play suffers when we don't have any pace or guile on the right wing or players who can break down an organised defence.

We need the right players brought in and a lot of coaching over the summer.

 

[Woziak]

The simple reality is Ole has done a great job in getting us into contention for top 4, however the Arsenal loss and our incredibly difficult run in might be a bridge too far from where he started. Watford(H), Wolves(A), West Ham(H), Everton(A), City(H), Chelsea (H), Huddersfield (A), Cardiff (H). We probably need 20 points from those games just to finish 4th and that looks unlikely, purely due to mounting injuries, player fatigue and some players loss of form at the wrong time.

The wolves game only highlighted just how much work is still needed. Luke Shaw has had a good season but has no competition for his place which is no good for a club of our size and we saw that fatigue set into his game last night, we lack a deep lying playmaker that moves the ball quickly. We have too many players on the books getting paid decent to ridiculous wages who are not contributing, Valencia, Darmian, Rojo, Baily, Sanchez.

We have decent youth players but more time is needed and we still don't have a genuine right winger or a real goal poacher as a striker. Finally we lack a world class no 10 playmaker. In conclusion not much has changed in the last 7 years, the club still need a world class Centre back, another left footed left back, A deep lying playmaker, A right winger, A goal poacher and an elite level no 10.

We don't score enough goals because we don't create enough chances, the problem is 7 years of genuine neglect can not be fixed by 1 or 2 transfer windows so we have to look at youth promotion, free transfers as well as marquee names and may be selling one of our biggest names to help finance a total rebuild. I don't know the answer but I do know that signings alone can not fix the damage caused by the neglect of 7 years of poor player recruitment and overpaying in wages to seduce the wrong type of players to come to United.

Once upon a time as soon as the player heard United were interrested, the money was the least of their concerns but now it is the most important and represents everything that is wrong with the modern Game!

Would Koulibally, Rabiot, Tierney, Sancho, Isco, Bale, Ascensio, James, Auldeweireld, Bisaka, Felix, Icardi and Coutinho improve United, maybe but the £300M investment required for just 5 of the above list is a huge gamble that brings no guarantees, No only a combination of youth promotion like Axel Tuanzebe, James Garner, Angel Gomez, Mason Greenwood added to 3 of the above list would give the fans far more investment into next season's team. Surely the PSG away game showed us what the future must and should look like.

 

[RedSky]

Its having 3 successive managers with 3 differing style of play.

You cannot buy your way out of it, there is a need to work with what you have.

Di Maria would have done well under ole whereas not with jose.

Another couple of years of building with a stable manager

Ah, finally some common sense. I made this point a while back, the issue is having hired 3 managers with different playing styles (we could say 4 now with Ole), each Manager buys players which suit their system but might not suit the next Managers. It's just a constant merry go round of new Managers selling and buying.

What we need at this point is to commit to a playing style, if Ole happens to not work out it is vital that the next Manager we pick plays the same way as Ole so we don't have to restructure the squad again.

 

[MrSingh2002]

Wolves played like men and our players boys.

Most worrying thing was that our front 3 were completely static and offered nothing just waiting back to the goal for the ball. Pathetic effort last night from the whole team besides Romero.

 

[Raoul]

In light of a poor performance I've been thinking about the incredibly poor composition of our squad. Our first eleven is usually pretty well balanced, but when things doesn't work, there's not much to bring on from the bench.

Looking over the squad, if you look at the strongest position for each player:

3 GKs, 4 RBs, 5 CBs, 1 LB, 1 DM, 3 B2B, 4 AMs, 0 RWs, 2 LWs and 2 strikers.

Think this really illustrates the incompetence with our recruitment the last few years. You can also add stuff like us having 5 CBs at about the same level, with none being exactly world class.

Did you also feel this when we went on our recent run culminating in the PSG fixtures? Ultimately it’s all about team work and squad solidarity. We can obviously use more good players but that will mean little unless the manager can galvanize the squad to play as a team. Ole had done this far more than anyone since Fergie so things are looking pretty positive for the future.

 

[Thepinhead]

We need those 4 players for next season, not later.

A CB who's a leader at the back has to be a priority. Bailly is a good back up, Lindelhof and Smalling have been good of late but the rest...

A leftie on the right side . Chong has it to prove so I've no idea

Neves would be good to partner Herrera and Pogba but surely he isn't the only one out there.

I'd add AWB from Palace to give us more penetration on the flank, I'm not convinced about Dalot

Matic has been awful since August

I agree but I think it is optimistic to expect us to get 4 world class players in one transfer window

 

[Inigo Montoya]

I agree but I think it is optimistic to expect us to get 4 world class players in one transfer window

They don’t all need to be WC but young players that are potentially so would and should be a priority

 

[deadrevelz]

We need those 4 players for next season, not later.
A CB who's a leader at the back has to be a priority. Bailly is a good back up, Lindelhof and Smalling have been good of late but the rest...
A leftie on the right side . Chong has it to prove so I've no idea
Neves would be good to partner Herrera and Pogba but surely he isn't the only one out there.
I'd add AWB from Palace to give us more penetration on the flank, I'm not convinced about Dalot
Matic has been awful since August

Yeah we need a top CB, no question, with Lindelof and Smalling that would be great depth.
Get with the program mate. Young lad, two footed, plays for Dortmund.
I think Neves would be good, wouldn't have helped against Wolves though. Needed creativity around the box.
Dalot looks great going forward, he needs time to adapt defensively. AWB is known as being more defensive, doesn't offer a lot going forward.
Matic was very good under Ole for the first 10 games or so but has regressed again.

RW
CB
DM
CM
RB
ST (if Lukaku leaves)

In that order for me. If they were top class, I would be happy with the first three. Maybe Fred can become our CM to up our passing tempo and break down defences. If we get a new CB, Smalling could play at RB when we needed a conservative approach, instead of buying a replacement for Dalot.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

We didnt have a full squad available to use yesterday. Granted some of them are not performing well, not many teams have the option of bringing on Mata, Sanchez and Lukaku, which may well have been the options providing all of our players were fit.

Going forward, we definitely need to find a better balance, though. By that, I mean getting players of similar style in each position. This means we dont have to change our style if/when we have any injuries.

 

[Thepinhead]

They don’t all need to be WC but young players that are potentially so would and should be a priority

Yes but er already have 2 og those in Lindelof and Bailly, og atleast they were signed in the hope they would become WC. I think right now we need a couple of proven players the most who still have a good 5 or 6 years in them left atleast. And in those positions we need that mostly at CDM and RW

 

[RooneyLegend]

It's terrible, especially considering how much it's taken to put together.

 

[croadyman]

Yeah we need a top CB, no question, with Lindelof and Smalling that would be great depth.
Get with the program mate. Young lad, two footed, plays for Dortmund.
I think Neves would be good, wouldn't have helped against Wolves though. Needed creativity around the box.
Dalot looks great going forward, he needs time to adapt defensively. AWB is known as being more defensive, doesn't offer a lot going forward.
Matic was very good under Ole for the first 10 games or so but has regressed again.

RW
CB
DM
CM
RB
ST (if Lukaku leaves)

In that order for me. If they were top class, I would be happy with the first three. Maybe Fred can become our CM to up our passing tempo and break down defences. If we get a new CB, Smalling could play at RB when we needed a conservative approach, instead of buying a replacement for Dalot.

That is exactly the order that I would say as well, need the top three this summer for definite but ideally need five

 

[Bubz27]