I see Ed preparing a 6 mil bid as we speak
Andres Iniesta | Renewed contract with Barcelona
- Thread starter Edgar Allan Pillow
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) and Imran (@Annihilate Now!) are here to discuss Amad saving our blushes in a win against Southampton as well as our now annual loss at home to Brighton. They discuss Amorim's post-match comments, revisit how mid-table we may or may not be, and discuss some transfer news.
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Let's be honest, it's unlikely Moyes is after him. I'd say it's Iniesta's people trying to move the contract negotiations with Barca along.
It's actually very likely Moyes is interested in him. What is less likely, is that he has a chance in hell of getting him. That said, if there was any truth to him wanting to leave, I don't think criticism of Moyes should extend to predicting he wouldn't fancy Iniesta in his team.
I wonder if we need to conduct our famous extensive scouting to evaluate his eventual worth to the team in this case or if we could simply go and drop an offer on Barca's table straightaway.
He'd be a wonderful signing and I can see him away from Barcelona at some point. He's spent a decade there and might fancy a new challenge, it's not that far fetched to think that he might come to England. We'd undoubtedly face competition from other top sides though.
He'd be a wonderful signing and I can see him away from Barcelona at some point. He's spent a decade there and might fancy a new challenge, it's not that far fetched to think that he might come to England. We'd undoubtedly face competition from other top sides though.
fecking outstanding footballer, that goes without saying. There's just always this part of me that hates the idea of us signing the best players from other big teams, it almost feels like cheating. It's something that we've prided ourselves on not having to do.
I admire your ability to pretend like there is a chance we're going to sign him...
Nonsense, we have brought in the best players from other teams on numerous occasions e.g.
Keane
Ferdinand
Rooney
Veron
Berbatov
RvN
RvP
Yorke
Cole
Stam
Barthez
Shit, all through the 80's we spent bundles on the best players from other teams.
We do try to bring through home grown talent, but always with marque signings on a regular basis.
I disagree. He wouldn't play poorly in any position, but you don't buy a once in a generation talent and play him anywhere but his best position. It would be a crime. As great as he is, he would leave us exposed through the centre. Get him in the attacking third as the most advanced midfielder of a 3 and you're laughing. Again, this is all reverts back to the Rooney conundrum.
Nonsense. I said from other big teams. That applies to barely any of those names.
It's only really Madrid that has a big reputation for that, so I'm really sure what your point it is.
We spend big on marquee signings & we have a history of doing so going back decades.
I may give him far too much credit - but Iniesta strikes me as the sort of bloke who might actually go to England simply to test himself, as a challenge, and because he likes English football as such (I think both him and Xavi are on record stating their admiration for English football culture and history). If against all odds he would be willing to leave Barca I think we'd have a good chance of reeling him in: I don't think the usual money factors would apply. If he was interested in playing for United as such I doubt he'd opt for Chelsea or City instead just to make a few grand more per week.
Might be a naive sod, of course. And Iniesta might be a Spurs fan for all I know...
Might be a naive sod, of course. And Iniesta might be a Spurs fan for all I know...
Don't forget our £1 mil short bid for ronaldinho,now that would have been cheating.
I've never got this whole 'we're so cool, we don't buy very good players, we buy the slightly less good players and try to win anyway' badge we seem to wear with pride. The reality is that is probably comes down to financial restrictions, apparently in the more recent future.
Homegrown players is one thing, but there is no pride in simply having a policy to buy players less good than your rivals.
From my recollection Fergie missed the boat on Zidane big style as did a few other teams. I remember an article about Cantona recommending him to Fergie the headline was like Zine up my pal, Fergie or something.
Anyway this is just Iniestas agent fecking about
Well according to all the idiot football fans, he probably wants to join Arsenal. In case you haven't heard, Ozil plays there now.
If this wasn't the usual agent stirring BS that always seem to have United associated with, I'd like to think that he would choose united as the whole scenario would be easy to sell.....guaranteed starting place, become a united hero, one of biggest clubs etc etc
I can't for the life of me see a situation where he would want to leave or FCB would want rid, but if there was a midfielder in world football that anyone would want at their club, Iniesta would be the one.
I can't for the life of me see a situation where he would want to leave or FCB would want rid, but if there was a midfielder in world football that anyone would want at their club, Iniesta would be the one.
Never heard of him. Did he play against us on Sunday?
Great player but how would he play at Utd ? Clearly the style of play here will not get the best out of him. It's all bullshit anyway.
I'd likely to think he'd get that at any team in the world tbh.
Nah, sat that one out.
Iniesta he doesn't punish teams enough at times but he is an immense player,.
Punish teams? what's he supposed to do, spank them all individually and tell them all they've been naughty boys?
Haha so you were worried that people with start with that nonsense here but you are actually yourself worried of all that.
Mental.
Zidane was before Real wasn't it? I'm sure there's many more that we also went for, but it's definitely not what we're about in general. It's been mentioned hundreds of times by Fergie down the years that we look to make stars. Personally, I get more satisfaction from that.
Some people seem to use us signing big names as some sort of dick measuring competition, but also criticise the likes of City and Chelsea for buying these players, often labelling them 'mercenaries'.
Iniesta, for example, would always be a Barca legend. Even if he came here. It might just be me, but I'd rather bring in players that are here to make their legacy and become a big name in their own right.
Like RvP then?
Bullshit. We do buy 'very good' players. We just try to bring in people that are hungry to win things, develop as a footballer and hopefully become a Manchester United legend in the process.
All I know is that if we did sign him, he would absolutely piss this league.
Imagine him feeding RVP/Rooney
they would have more balls to play with than Jordan
Imagine him feeding RVP/Rooney
they would have more balls to play with than JordanI raised this issue at the time with RVP. I love the guy now, obviously, but I'd still argue that he'll probably never become a United legend. He is an Arsenal man, as Wenger recently said.
Perhaps there is a difference between RVP and Iniesta anyway, because Iniesta has won everything there is to win. He's down in the history books with Barca. Signing him would be the epitome of signing a 'mercenary'. It won't happen though.
If there was an option at the time to buy 'the next RVP' instead of RVP, I would have took that all day long.
It does come across that way. It was more of a sarcastic remark aimed at the people I can imagine getting on his back when he inevitably wouldn't play as well as he did for Barcelona, as if it'd be his fault, and perhaps not the fault of the system we're currently playing. I often read on forums that 'player x' "won't fit into our system" and more often than not they're actually really good players. I do think Iniesta would be excellent here, I just wouldn't like to see him pamped out to the left and criticised for not bombing down the wing and whipping it in.No he doesn't score as often as he should, Barca have struggled since Xavi's decline and he didn't really step up in that sense. That midfield should be his now he is 29/30 and the team relies on Xavi as much as they ever did, imo he should have stepped up and taken some of the creative responsibility. Messi carried that team last season, Iniesta is to good to be carried. He would be great here though.
I never knew we tried to sign Zidane. I always heard the story about Dalglish wanting him at Blackburn and the chairman saying we have Tim Sherwood, why do we need him?
I really doubt that would be the case. I mean, I can't account for everyone, but there won't be much whining. You look at how the likes of Silva, Mata and all influence games regardless of them starting down the middle, or the flanks and that's mainly due to their technical ability to which most PL players won't have an answer for and Iniesta is a step above. He can slot in anywhere in the team and raise the level as well as bring results.
Him playing on the left won't be the worst thing, as first that would require serious attention from opposition fullback as well the right winger would need to stay close, so you are effectively taking out the opposition flank and that gives Evra space and comfort to bomb forward, like Alba does for Barca and it works quite well for those two.
We have seen a decent amount of fluidity this season, nothing of the level of Barca but still, and we have players like RVP, Rooney, Adnan and all who can easily switch around places in the game so you can even go on and give a proper free role to Iniesta and let him influence the game. I usually prefer him down the middle than the left but I don't think that would be an issue.
There is always the risk that that person won't become "the next RvP". They're always chucking that "the next INSERT GREAT FOOTBALL NAME HERE", but rarely do they become a success in comparison to that player. RvP brought on immediate change and won us back the title we so badly handed over to City the season before. We need instant success in the midfield, we can't just wait for it to develop. If a legend from another club becomes available and it would improve our team, I would not hesitate twice about us getting them. Especially if someone like Iniesta were to become available; in fact I don't think there are any other CMs I would take him over (possibly Gundogan for his age, potential and current ability all rolled into one).
Perhaps we do. It still doesn't stop our mantra of 'we don't buy stars'. Once a player becomes too big (or in real terms, too good), I have seen many of our fans say that he is not the type of player we go for.
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