Understanding Uniteds transfer strategy

[UpWithRivers]

I like most have been baffled with our transfers. Make no sense. A LB when it wasnt a priority, a short arse CB which again many could argue we could have done with other positions first, Eriksen class on a free but no strategy of where he will play. Then the whole Arnautović craziness and Rabiot etc. Then Casemiro who is class but a different profile to other targets like FDJ. WTF is going on?

It might seem like madness but lets think about this. It looks like ETH is going after a specific profile of player. Players with skillsets to suit his system. Malacia gives him aggressiveness, able to tuck in an help the midfield, passing and attacking abilities. Yes he is young and will back up Shaw most likely but he is very different to Telles and gives that different element
Martinez is short but he is bringing again aggressiveness and passing ability that doesn't exist in the CB's. He's a different profile of player completely.
Eriksen is a seasoned pro and gives the passing ability both from deeper and more advanced positions. Donny is the only other player that maybe ha similar skillset that we have but he is not at Eriksen level and still trying to prove himself.

FDJ was obvious. Bring the ball out from the back and add some defensive stability. So why then go for Rabiot and then Casemiro? Well you have to think of them together. The press is having us believe that it was in this order FDJ, Rabiot, Casemiro. But it probably wasnt. ETH probably wants the DM which is Casemiro and one other that can take he ball off the defenders and distribute it which would be FDJ/Rabiot. Rabiot seemed a stupid plan on his own but Casemiro and Rabiot. Now that a different story. Now you can tell the thinking behind that move. Im still glad we didn't get him though because the one thing I cant understand with him that all other players have is they are not arseholes and possible disturbers of the team. But maybe ETH was not worried about that.

The Arnautović type forward is obviously looking for a target man. Someone with strength and physicality. Again something which we lack in the forwards line. Yeah he's shit and Im glad we never got him but it shows the template of what we are looking for.

So what say you. Do you see sense in what looks like madness. Do you agree or disagree.

EDIT: You have to look past the youtubers and media to answer this and consider that just possibly all the stuff being reported might not be true. I know its crazy but maybe not all the stories are true and there might be a thinking behind the targets. Just entertain the possibility that they have a plan. Not saying its the right plan. But if maybe there is one - what is it

 

[Beans]

Word is we called around looking for any top player that teams were willing to sell. So yeah, a little scattergun.

 

[Skills]

There's 2 different strategies pre and post Brighton.

I agree with the post Brighton one - which is feck it, let's just get good players through the door. As long as your coach is willing to adapt that works fine

 

[Telsim]

1. Do barely anything else but chase one target the entire window.
2. Target doesn't come with the end of the transfer window looming.
3. Wrecked in the first few games.
4. Panic mode engaged!
5. Spend crazy money in the span of two weeks on stop-gaps and second-raters.
6. Marginal improvement.
7. Repeat next window.

Next summer it will be Bellingham and Rice. We will end up signing Wijnaldum or Herrera for €30M.

 

[Rightnr]

I was expecting a picture of a roulette.

 

[Someone]

I believe initially the idea was to get FDJ and partner him with one of our current players, keep Ronaldo and add another wide forward like Anthony, and add some quality to our defense. This all has been thrown out of the window once the season started. If you remember ETH hinted that if w can't sign FDJ we'll try to develop one. Not anymore.

We're now in panic mode. ETH wants 2 quality midfielders even if they don't have the same profile as FDJ, because he knows our current midfield will get us relegated. We're now trying to add as many good players as we good to improve the squad, and we're looking everywhere.

Another thing impacting our moves is the Glazers, they're shitting bricks.

 

[wolvored]

I think if we had have had 4 points, no protests, nobody wanting to buy the club, we would have concluded our transfer business, maybe one more cheapish player, but that would have been it. The club would have spun thats all the money gone unless we sell big, which everyone knows wouldn't have happened.
Now all of a sudden glazers have found 100-200 mill down the back of the sofa and got Murtough to contact anyone who is willing to come for big wages. Even if we get good players in, its luck not planning. Absolute shambles.

 

[SirReginald]

I believe initially the idea was to get FDJ and partner him with one of our current players

Not sure this is true. It was reported you were in Madrid for Felix and Casemiro. You bid for both and you got one accepted.

This deal happened quickly. It’s clearly not something that was planned. You have been back and forward to Barcelona for the last 2 months. There would have been leaks about a deal if the idea was to pair them up and probably photos from tourists of them in Madrid. This is a most definitely a change of direction.

He is a great player but the concern is that they are not the same type of player. You are doing a Woodward of being linked to every midfielder out there in an attempt to sign one. It’s crazy. He will serve your squad well for sure but even with him a midfield with Bruno and Eriksen is too lightweight. You need something else to balance it and Fred is not the answer.

 

[Dirty Schwein]

Football Manager style.

 

[::sonny::]

The strategy could be pursue fake target to get the real ones and working on parallel deals

Fake targets: Rabiot, Guido Rodriguez
Real targets: De Jong, Casemiro

 

[cj_sparky]

The last week or so has felt like a dart board with players names pinned to it and Murtough throwing the darts whilst blind folded.

 

[devilish]

Some deluded top reds would probably write a 10 paragraph post on how it works under the fantastic Murtough (whom in their books is Edwards in disguise). However its basically this

 

[bosnian_red]

Ten Hag knew he wanted a new midfield. He thought he could get Frenkie, held on for a while. Frenkie to him is a unique, rare player and that he could get him and then some cheap ball winner probably to partner or just coach our existing players into the role.

Ten Hag sees 2 games of Fred and McTominay and Bruno and the rest. Sees that they are in fact mentally shattered still, that they complete shit their pants under pressure and that they have no hope. So he adapts, gives up on Frenkie and moves on to a DM in the style of how he played at Ajax without Frenkie. A true ball winner.

Its one of the problems of a coach just joining in the summer. Often times they want to make their own mind up on the players, but it needs time to coach them for a bit and see them in competitive matches.

In terms of other positions? A joke for it to go this far, we knew the price for Antony, and every summer we try this thing where we think a team is more receptive in the last few weeks when it's always the opposite. No excuse for the RW and RB situations. They are no brainer weaknesses regardless of midfield targets. Ronaldo was probably some naivety from ten hag and misjudging it. De Gea was a situation where he was decent last year, so he figured eh not a big deal I'll stay with him this year, and then now panicking at the sight of what De Gea will be this season.

I think a big part is also Ten Hag seeing the first 2 games and realizing he needs a true ball winning DM in the side and shifting focus to that.

 

[Born2Lose]

Same every year, chase players that don't want to come and panic when they don't.

 

[Ayush_reddevil]

Like we actually have a plan. We are gonna be doing this again next year

 

[justsomebloke]

There's 2 different strategies pre and post Brighton.

I agree with the post Brighton one - which is feck it, let's just get good players through the door. As long as your coach is willing to adapt that works fine

No it fecking doesn't.

 

[justsomebloke]

Not sure this is true. It was reported you were in Madrid for Felix and Casemiro. You bid for both and you got one accepted.

This deal happened quickly. It’s clearly not something that was planned. You have been back and forward to Barcelona for the last 2 months. There would have been leaks about a deal if the idea was to pair them up and probably photos from tourists of them in Madrid. This is a most definitely a change of direction.

He is a great player but the concern is that they are not the same type of player. You are doing a Woodward of being linked to every midfielder out there in an attempt to sign one. It’s crazy. He will serve your squad well for sure but even with him a midfield with Bruno and Eriksen is too lightweight. You need something else to balance it and Fred is not the answer.

It is for the Brazilian national team.

 

[Plant0x84]

There's 2 different strategies pre and post Brighton.

I agree with the post Brighton one - which is feck it, let's just get good players through the door. As long as your coach is willing to adapt that works fine

Sounds god awful to me.

 

[largelyworried]

My one vain hope is that ETH will drive some proper planning and sophistication in how we identify and buy players in the future, and that this panicked transfer window is the last time we see this kind of nonsense.

 

[redcucumber]

Not sure this is true. It was reported you were in Madrid for Felix and Casemiro. You bid for both and you got one accepted.

This deal happened quickly. It’s clearly not something that was planned. You have been back and forward to Barcelona for the last 2 months. There would have been leaks about a deal if the idea was to pair them up and probably photos from tourists of them in Madrid. This is a most definitely a change of direction.

He is a great player but the concern is that they are not the same type of player. You are doing a Woodward of being linked to every midfielder out there in an attempt to sign one. It’s crazy. He will serve your squad well for sure but even with him a midfield with Bruno and Eriksen is too lightweight. You need something else to balance it and Fred is not the answer.

How does that negate the post you were replying to? The guy was saying he feels like the original plan was to get De Jong and partner him with Fred or McTominay. That clearly was the plan. We have pivoted to Casemiro because De Jong seems increasingly impossible to get over the line and we need elite players in midfield. Very different profile of footballer, but when someone like Casemiro intimates he's interested in a move you don't pass that opportunity up.

 

[Revaulx]

I’m not defending the “strategy” at all.

I fail to understand how anyone could believe left back wasn’t a priority though. Have they not watched our last two games and seen Shaw strolling around looking unfit and uncommitted? Or Telles being hopeless last season?

 

[GDaly95]

Does anyone else think something happened over the past week regarding the money we have available to spend?

I don't know what, maybe a prospective buyer requesting we spend money this window and that they'll reimburse the amount spent when the club is purchased.

Like the fact that we're still going for Antony after the money spent on Casemiro. The mad bid for Felix (if that was real).

I don't know

 

[wangyu]

Another bad deal with Casemiro, maybe we will get 2 good years out of him which leaves us with 3 years of an ineffective player of astronomical wages who might disrupt team spirit and has no re sale value.

Real on the other hand has been very smart yet again, they’re not sentimental and move on from the players that brought them success and in doing so they also receive substantial fees, that club is run tremendously well.

Don’t forget that casemiro is an injury heavy player. This screams Schweinsteiger all over again.

We could easily have added the required 40 million and get the much touted Rice who has no notable injury record and is much younger and probably cheaper in wages.

On top of that this is just the sort of big name transfer that pleases the fans, protests will be heavily reduced come monday

 

[justsomebloke]

I’m not defending the “strategy” at all.

I fail to understand how anyone could believe left back wasn’t a priority though. Have they not watched our last two games and seen Shaw strolling around looking unfit and uncommitted? Or Telles being hopeless last season?

I don't think that's hard to understand. Given there are many other positions where the need was more obvious. You couldn't necessarily assume Shaw would be as awful as he was last year (and have been this year), and there's also Martinez and Williams.

 

[Ali Dia]

1. Do barely anything else but chase one target the entire window.
2. Target doesn't come with the end of the transfer window looming.
3. Wrecked in the first few games.
4. Panic mode engaged!
5. Spend crazy money in the span of two weeks on stop-gaps and second-raters.
6. Marginal improvement.
7. Repeat next window.

Next summer it will be Bellingham and Rice. We will end up signing Wijnaldum or Herrera for €30M.

It’ll be Modric or Kroos just wait for it.

 

[Sandikan]

Don’t forget that casemiro is an injury heavy player. This screams Schweinsteiger all over again.

We could easily have added the required 40 million and get the much touted Rice who has no notable injury record and is much younger and probably cheaper in wages.

This is utter drivel pal. You can see you've not even put 2seconds into researching it.

Look at his record on here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casemiro

Averaging 44 games for the last 6 seasons!!

 

[tomaldinho1]

Genuine masterclass in smoke and mirrors. Think of our status right now, just been beaten by two mid table PL teams, we aren’t even in the CL, we’re not expected to close to any titles and yet every football fan is talking about United

If we end this window with Casemiro, Eriksen, Malacia and Martinez - that’s upgrading McT (the biggest upgrade possible), Bruno (on current form), Telles and Maguire. If De Jong or Antony slips in it’s probably our best ever window.

I feel like United actually have to adopt this strategy i.e. late negotiations because it stops clubs from being able to put the United tax on. If they want to sell and we give a good offer, they can’t sit on it.

 

[Bristol_Red_87]

I’m not defending the “strategy” at all.

I fail to understand how anyone could believe left back wasn’t a priority though. Have they not watched our last two games and seen Shaw strolling around looking unfit and uncommitted? Or Telles being hopeless last season?

The opinion on what position should have been a priority is incredibly contentious when we surmise last season.

The only position we could have been fairly relaxed about going into this season was in goal (no longer applies).

We subsequently loaned out our second in command and no one bothered to tell ETH our first in command will fall on his sword trying to 'play football'.

 

[justsomebloke]

Another bad deal with Casemiro, maybe we will get 2 good years out of him which leaves us with 3 years of an ineffective player of astronomical wages who might disrupt team spirit and has no re sale value.

Real on the other hand has been very smart yet again, they’re not sentimental and move on from the players that brought them success and in doing so they also receive substantial fees, that club is run tremendously well.

Don’t forget that casemiro is an injury heavy player. This screams Schweinsteiger all over again.

We could easily have added the required 40 million and get the much touted Rice who has no notable injury record and is much younger and probably cheaper in wages.

On top of that this is just the sort of big name transfer that pleases the fans, protests will be heavily reduced come monday

That's a very poor comparison. Schweinsteiger was past it, there is no indication that Casemiro is. "Injury heavy player"? He''s not had a serious injury since 2018. He's missed a total of 6 days with injuries (not counting illness) since December 2018. Casemiro - Injury history | Transfermarkt

 

[EdinburghDevil]

I would agree that it hasn't been good, clear concise planning here.

However, I do think a LB, RB and CB were all needed so I have no problem with Malacia and Martinez coming in and rumours are we are looking for a good option at RB.

Midfield was where the greatest need was and we have been unable to persuade our top target to come so they have looked around to see who the options are. Doesn't look like we had different options in our back pocket or possibly having watched us in the EPL, ten Hag has decided a proper denfensive midfielder is required.

I get the concern around size and length of the deal. However, if we get 2 good years out of Casemiro and in the meantime plan for his sucessors then I think it's been money well spent.

 

[R'hllor]

Strategy, good one

 

[Tom Cato]

Meet the Manchester United boardroom transfer strategy planner:

 

[Van Piorsing]

It's a bit of a bipolar window. Two halves basically.

First half in July carried some thought process with Eriksen as a free bonus. Also superb price for Malacia with his attitude worth twice the paid fee. Martinez as a system player for new manager - nothing surprising here. Visible plan with clear interest in Antony, Timber & Frenkie.

2nd half is damaged ship meandering the sea just to encounter huge nest of icebergs, especially the annoying one in Turin. That one is dodged and all of a sudden Casemiro is waving from distance to pick him up, just like that. WTF.

At this point I can't forsee one move ahead as I previously scoffed the idea Madrid selling one of their most persistent leaders and not throwing rocks at United trying to get their beloved player. That 2nd half makes no sense indeed, but it's getting suspicious about Casemiro deal as it could be discussed by both sides in secret, some time ago. You never know, Murtough works in mysterious ways, but hopefully he'll work till the end of the window.

Barca's dealing over Frenkie payment is baffling, it could drag for two weeks more and it made damage, not just to player's reputation... Another roll of dice ahead. This time can't assess players on the market forever, decisions will have to be made.

 

[Van Piorsing]

Meet the Manchester United boardroom transfer strategy planner:

Exactly this !

 

[Abraxas]

I think you can easily read between the lines of how this summer has gone.

I think the strategy was get FDJ at all costs because he was by far the managers biggest preference and has a unique set of skills. Also it's clear CB was high priority as we wanted Timber very early and settled on Martinez.

So then they had 60-70million tied up in that FDJ deal, which made manoeuvring around other transfers such as striker and RW difficult. So we get to the end of the window and it is now panic stations and Casimero is probably offered up because Real have assessed their options and it's cash in time. Rabiot being the initial panic option.

So really it's not much of a strategy. Buying Frankie De Jong no matter what isn't a strategy, it is pandering to the manager's choice. Which is probably going to be okay for one window but we simply must get our act together.

 

[Blood Mage]

This year's strategy was: (a) "let's see if Ten Hag can make these shit players better so we can save money!" followed by (b) '"oh feck he can't better get in touch with agents and buy literally anybody!"

 

[Flying_Heckfish]

My read on it:

We assured EtH as condition of joining, that he could pick his first choices, and that we would target them.

Since we had sacked the lead scouts recently any reports on potential 'club signings' are probably being treated as potentially toxic anyway.

However, we couldn't get all of his targets - to be expected perhaps, but with no new reports coming in, we don't have backups.

The only solution was to go back to those scouting reports we have, to see if there were any players that match the profiles we were looking for. Not a great move given the above. According to the press, we did actually bid on some of them, probably without any further groundwork since we received a number of kickbacks.

Now it looks like we have gone full-circle and we're bidding again on EtH targets like Antony, but with renewed vigour. Whether this is linked to FdJ deal being dead, or just blind panic, I am not sure.

 

[cyberman]

We had one until the Glazers decided to sell. Like it or lump it we weren’t getting all of our first choice targets but now we don’t give a feck about long term budgets because it’s none of the Glazers concern anymore

 

[mitchmouse]

There is no strategy and there hasn't been one for a long time. Step one: get a proper DoF. Step two: get people above him/her who know what the hell they are doing

 

[hobbers]

You cant understand that which does not exist.