I back down to earth we all crashed 
The circle of a Man Utd life
The circle of a Man Utd life
Wot, no LB? (2026)
- Thread starter Bastian
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We service the debt, it's the club's main duty.
The lack of European football for Spurs and Chelsea is a big advantage, other than City and Arsenal there isn’t much between a number of teams.
I thought we needed at least 6 new players just to cope with the Champions League, we have a lot of players who just can’t play twice a week and the fact we only played 40 games last season was a huge factor why we managed to finish 3rd.
Agree with the number needed. I just hope they don't think because they have signed some youngster that will do. I know they want us to bring our kids through, but you have to do that gradually, choosing the right situations and games for them. Bringing them on if well ahead, bring them into teams for early cup rounds with plenty of experience round them, not wholesale youth in, get knocked out and everybody declaring they are rubbish. What good is that.
If we don't buy another proper CM, I will be shocked if we still finish in top 5.
At this point, I worry a decent CM may not be enough.
Same with LB, no first choice LB = no top 5. Even a back up to Shaw won't be enough imo.
Sigh. Same shit different year.
At this point, I worry a decent CM may not be enough.
Same with LB, no first choice LB = no top 5. Even a back up to Shaw won't be enough imo.
Sigh. Same shit different year.
I'd be interested to know the exact players both have recommended.
Perhaps Wilcox would be better suited to finding the world's best academy players to bring in.
Having them both looking for first teamers seems like a counterproductive approach.
I have heard that they have a commitee for new signings, so perhaps its Jim or Berrada who is also having a say.
It's all conjecture these days as the club seems to have stopped the leaks that were going on for years.
If we’re being honest, given we have CL football this season, we need three more signings. We haven’t even added any numbers is midfield despite surely having more games than last season. Thats a huge problem. And if Shaw or Sesko go down right now, we’re fecked as we have no cover.
I think the same people that were happy with the Tielemans signing were also happy at the time with the Christian Eriksen signing.
Eriksen was 30 when he signed for us. Tielemans is 29.
Eriksen was 30 when he signed for us. Tielemans is 29.
Nothing against Tielemans if he is one of three signings for midfield. Erikson had a different history though
They are cheaper pragmatic signings that add leadership to the group but it's obviously not a long term fix. Both would have been good signings as younger players in hindsight. I don't mind making these kinds of older signings as long as we don't miss out when outstanding young talents like Neves are emerging we are all over them. Same deal with Shaw and Nuno Mendes. We've been way too passive when it comes to the next wave of major talents for too long when that's the level of competition we are up against and the only real valid long term succession plan in my opinion.
6 was a minimum really. 3 midfielders, a left-back, a striker and a backup goalkeeper. They've done half of that and Zirkzee is still here. A player the manager obviously doesn't rate at all.
At present we are not ready for the season and unless they pull their finger out soon and do their jobs, our vaunted best-in-class executives are basically sabotaging our season before it has even begun. Champions League qualification is no way guaranteed and the club can't afford t miss out again. It'll set everything back by multiple years, if we can't push on over the next couple of seasons. By the time we recover from the next awful slump and subsequent managerial roundabout, we have to replace half the squad again. This can't happen, or otherwise this Ineos project is essentially a failed endeavor.
What a terrible comparison. One had just come off a massive health scare, a free and people wanted a nice story to root for. The other is coming of a very good season is one of the league's best in his position. 1 not great game in pre season and you're already trying to get one over on people.
I don't know if this is the same shit different year. We've spent big last summer, mostly worked out quite well. This summer we've (at least so far) decided to rebuild on a budget, and we are about to see how this pans out. Especially since other teams seem more than happy to spend big on players they want no matter what. We're trying to win "have not overspend" trophy.
And that's about where the relevance ends.
I still think we’ll sign a left back and another central midfielder. Because we can’t not. Goes without saying we should be further down with both.
Quality and profile matters though. Buying an 18 year old midfielder from Leicester and a 19 year old left-back from Santander won't help us much next season. We need more quality in our first eleven, or at least proper competition for places. More prospects won't move the needle where it matters over the next 9-10 months.
Because? What's so ridiculous about it?
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Absolutely
Same shit refers to our track record of
1. Spending more in summers without CL compared to with
2. Not addressing big issues initially and then potentially panic buying at the end.
You're allowed to think it's a terrible comparison. I don't. I still remember how we got overran in midfield when Eriksen was playing under Ten Hag.
Time will tell if your guy Tielemans proves over the next 4 seasons that he's "one of the leagues best in his position".
It doesn't matter what someone did for another club. Alexis Sanchez says hi.
It matters what he's going to do and be capable of doing during his 4 year contract aged 29 to 33.
Spoiler alert: We are not going to sign another number 8. It is going to be Tielemans or Mainoo starting as the number 8s for the season. There's a slight chance we sign a number 6 to compete with Santos, but I wouldn't bet a penny on that happening.
It's Santos plus one for the rest of the season, so if that's not good enough, it is what it is.
Because I think that there is no way these three/four are one of the best midfields in the PL that's why
Because I think he's a good signing.Erikson was an attacking midfielder playing in CM after a major health scare he almost died from, outside the fact 1 year age different nothing else is comparable.
Im basing my opinion on Tielemans play since he's been in the PL. He's been very good, still in his prime and hasn't nearly died on a football pitch.
As for the 3rd is poor attempt at a gotcha moment.
Worst transfer window we have had in a while. Probably up there with Jose's final summer. Will do very well to replicate last season's league finish.
Yeah we really needed another couple of bodies in before the Hull game. Really hate us doing business late in the window.
Most clubs seem to be going for players in their early 20s so they're massively overpriced. Signing the occasional 30 year old for a bargain price is smart if you're the only one in the market for them.
I'm beginning to think we'll only buy after a rocky start. Hope I'm wrong
We are so screwed even if we somehow do manage some new signings it will not be enough.
The owners letting the fans down once again showing they are perfectly happy with just top 4 finishes every once in a while.
The owners letting the fans down once again showing they are perfectly happy with just top 4 finishes every once in a while.
You think he's a good signing. "The other is coming of a very good season is one of the league's best in his position".
Erikson was an attacking midfielder playing in CM after a major health scare he almost died from, outside the fact 1 year age different nothing else is comparable.
Im basing my opinion on Tielemans play since he's been in the PL. He's been very good, still in his prime and hasn't nearly died on a football pitch.
As for the 3rd is poor attempt at a gotcha moment.
Two statements of fact from you. He may have had a good season but we don't get any points from that. The club have bet on his NEXT 4 seasons. Time will tell if your belief of him being one of the leagues best is correct.
I think your statement of fact is actually an opinion that won't age too well as his 4 year contract progresses. Recency bias isn't what we should make 4 year decisions on.
Ya we're having a shocker thus far.
Overpriced is subjective. When we were buying talent and paying top money, we weren't saying they were overpriced.
When we signed Rio, Rooney, RvN, Berbatov, Bruno or Pogba we just said we bought good players for how much a good player costs.
More recently Sesko, Mbuemo or Cunha cost a lot of money too. But that's what it takes to sign players that are better than you already have. Is Tielemans a world apart from Mainoo or a massive upgrade? I don't think so.
Is Santos much better than Casemiro? I don't think so..
You can argue they're decent players but decent isn't going to move us up the league table when other rivals are continuing to spend on those players we're not paying for. It comes down to what you want for the club. Is it a flawless balance sheet, or for them to win big trophies? We won't win big trophies unless we spend more than we have this summer.
There's a reason we were on top before and it was because we were buying the best UK talent too. When we're not the clubs signing Declan Rice, Anderson, Guehi, Bellingham, Rogers, Gordon, Kane or Watkins over the last few years, it tells you we're not that club with those kinda goals unfortunately.
We've still got Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, Mason Mount and Marcus Rashford at our club. Has beens. You can argue it's slowly moving in the right direction, but I personally don't see signing Tielemans and Santos moving the needle over how Casemiro and Mainoo were playing under Carrick last season to do anything impressive this season. If I was Bruno's agent, I'd be advising him to go elsewhere, if he wants to win trophies in the immediate future. We are where we are.
Yep
No chance currently as it stands. We arw weaker than last season currently.
If you look at what Casemiro brings to the team, neither Youri or Santos offer the same leadership, defensive quality or goals from set pieces. Happy with both signings, but they aren't the replacement we needed at all.
Shaw will not stay fit all season, Maguire, Bruno are another year older. We go into the season without a fit striker.
We have atleast 10 additional games to manage.
The board/ownership have been negligent. Once again demonstrating the aim is the money generation, not winning things.
You lot are such drama queens.
Fellas, don't worry. simonhch, and the other top reds say it's all fine. We don't need to challenge for titles anyway.
There's an argument that a lack of noise online might lead to the board deciding not to add to the squad. If that's why you're all moaning so much then I guess it's reasonable to some extent even if I disagree with the premise and approach.
But it just seems so obvious that we're having to be tight with money because Glazers, so are waiting for opportunities. When our original targets proved too expensive we moved quickly to get a couple of good signings done. We will get more but with these next signings we can afford to wait to make sure we can take advantage of any late bargains or unexpected changes in availability of players.
But it just seems so obvious that we're having to be tight with money because Glazers, so are waiting for opportunities. When our original targets proved too expensive we moved quickly to get a couple of good signings done. We will get more but with these next signings we can afford to wait to make sure we can take advantage of any late bargains or unexpected changes in availability of players.
You mean "when our executives vastly misjudged the transfer market, and our board proved to be too stingy".
We can phrase things different ways. But at the end of the day, our manager has not been supported by the board, and we don't have to come up with creative excuses for INEOS and the Glazers.
Excluding Rashford back from his loan. 2 in, 2 out. Casemiro and Ugarte* for Santos and Tielemens.
So, basically the same, numbers wise... Back in the Champions League, playing every few days.
It's mid August. Season starts in a week... yeah, we're in trouble.
So, basically the same, numbers wise... Back in the Champions League, playing every few days.
It's mid August. Season starts in a week... yeah, we're in trouble.
also light striker wise. Sesko's shin injury has kept him out of commission for longer than most would have expected. Cunha or Zirkzee up front don't offer the same focus/presence
What opportunities?
If you mean waiting for opportunities to find bargain signings then we will not do this late windows anymore because other clubs will have less time to find replacement so they will ask for more money. That’s why if we wanted Hall, we should have go earlier not wait for opportunity until Newcastle sold Tonali, Gordon, and Bruno G.
If you mean waiting for opportunities by not making anymore signings so we save money to find bargain signings next summer in 2027 then we are taking a huge risk this season. As soon as we started bad, board got panicked and activated that panic buy as usual overpaying players.
Whether or not we get angry wont influence that.
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