Are United done after De Gea, Jones and Young?

RedRover said:
Good post.

People seem to rely on the fact that we won the league last year, even though that points total is the lowest winning total for ages.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure that its fair to use a points total to judge the quality of the team? The league is getting stronger every season. 80 points might well be enough to win it again this season.

That said I agree that in certain fixtures last season we struggled when pressed. Then again, the midfield also played fantastically well on occasions. From the sounds of it this M'Vila fella looks an ideal signing, but then I also think we're going to see Phil Jones play in midfield quite a bit this season. Watching him in the U-21's he looked very accomplished with the ball at his feet.
 
Bilbo said:
I'm not sure that its fair to use a points total to judge the quality of the team? The league is getting stronger every season. 80 points might well be enough to win it again this season.

That said I agree that in certain fixtures last season we struggled when pressed. Then again, the midfield also played fantastically well on occasions. From the sounds of it this M'Vila fella looks an ideal signing, but then I also think we're going to see Phil Jones play in midfield quite a bit this season. Watching him in the U-21's he looked very accomplished with the ball at his feet.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it was a bit simplistic. I was trying to introduce some objective measurement into a very subjective assessment, hence the comparison of points total.

I believe that we've been getting worse, performance wise, since 2008. The performance levels during the 2008/09 season were pretty underwhelming but we were in control of most of our games or so I felt. Even when not making much headway in terms of attacking, we at least had a grip on the proceedings.

That feeling wasn't there for the past two seasons or at least not nearly often enough. I'd argue we played worse in 2010/11 than in 2009/10; the reason we won the league was that our rivals got worse, too. Did we deserve to win the league? Yes. Was it satisfying? Hell yeah. Do we want to keep relying on the lack of improvement of our rivals? I don't. I want United to strive for the best in every department; we shouldn't be happy with merely an "adequate" midfield which will cost us important points.
 
It's not just an 'adequate' midfield though considering it's been the same midfield that have gotten us through the past 4-5 years.
 
Wan said:
It's not just an 'adequate' midfield though considering it's been the same midfield that have gotten us through the past 4-5 years.
Click to expand...

True, but it's getting worse. We've lost Scholes who was far more influential 4-5 years ago, plus Fletcher and Carrick aren't as good as they were a few years ago.
 
Wan said:
It's not just an 'adequate' midfield though considering it's been the same midfield that have gotten us through the past 4-5 years.
Click to expand...

No it isn't. Carrick isn't the same player he was at 26-27, Scholes has been declining since mid 2008 and now he's gone, thats the 2006-2008 midfield totally different, the time when we were the best team in the world.

Since then our midfield has barely been "adequate" and our forward line is making up for our lack of midfield creativity and power rather than our midfield aiding our forward line (a few games with Giggs on fire last season aside).

People are forgetting Carrick is 30 at the end of the month, he's on the way down and that leaves us with Anderson and Fletcher as the only two midfielders near their "peak", it's mental not to strengthen the midfield now and I'm pretty sure Ferguson wont do it.
 
Bilbo said:
I'm not sure that its fair to use a points total to judge the quality of the team? The league is getting stronger every season. 80 points might well be enough to win it again this season.

That said I agree that in certain fixtures last season we struggled when pressed. Then again, the midfield also played fantastically well on occasions. From the sounds of it this M'Vila fella looks an ideal signing, but then I also think we're going to see Phil Jones play in midfield quite a bit this season. Watching him in the U-21's he looked very accomplished with the ball at his feet.
Click to expand...

It's obviously not perfect, but it highlights the fact that United were able to drop a lot of points and still finish top, when in other years other teams would have taken advantage of any slip ups.

While I agree in general terms teh league gets stronger year on year, last year wasnt a vintage season by PL standards and I'm not sure the quality was as high as it has been in other years - but thats all a matter of opinion I suppose.

You're correct that at times we struggled - especially in midfield. In away games we were far too happy to let the opposition have the ball - the Everton and Fulham games early in the season were good examples, when despite being infront we sat back and allowed them to attack and maintain a foothold in the game. Few United sides would have done that in the past.

My point was that it only takes one of the top 4 next year to improve and they could go on to be the one side to dominate the league as has been the case in previous seasons. This is why issues in the squad need to be addressed.
 
Wan said:
It's not just an 'adequate' midfield though considering it's been the same midfield that have gotten us through the past 4-5 years.
Click to expand...

It isnt though is it - Its lost one of the best midfielders England's ever produced, as well as the fact that Giggs is getting close to retirement.

You wouldnt see Rooney retire and say its the same forward line we had over the last few seasons.

It also ignores the fact that for a good chunk of that spell we had another top player in Tevez, and a world player of the year keeping teams busy as well as younger Paul Scholes. We also often played a different system to the 4-4-2 we seen to prefer now.
 
RedRover said:
It isnt though is it - Its lost one of the best midfielders England's ever produced, as well as the fact that Giggs is getting close to retirement.

You wouldnt see Rooney retire and say its the same forward line we had over the last few seasons.
Click to expand...

Yes, a 25 year-old Rooney would have roughly the same impact as the 36 year-old Paul Scholes retiring.
 
Excal said:
Yes, a 25 year-old Rooney would have roughly the same impact as the 36 year-old Paul Scholes retiring.
Click to expand...

You have baffled me with this comment.

Clearly you monumentaly misunderstand the point I was trying to make.
 
Seems like we wont sign anyone now, were done with our bit in the transfer window.
 
Redrage said:
Seems like we wont sign anyone now, were done with our bit in the transfer window.
Click to expand...

Nah, I reckon Fergie would have mentioned something after the De Gea transfer if this was the case.
 
Arse admitting they're in talks with United about the transfer Nasri so it seems the muppets were right afterall. Not only that, if we sell Brown & O'Shea I'm sure we'll be signing another full back or we'd be one short.
 
Rams said:
Arse admitting they're in talks with United about the transfer Nasri so it seems the muppets were right afterall. Not only that, if we sell Brown & O'Shea I'm sure we'll be signing another full back or we'd be one short.
Click to expand...

When did this happen? All I've seen so far is media speculation and not a single quote from anyone at Arsenal or Nasri's representatives. Link?
 
I still expect to United to buy a young left back to put pressure on Evra, along with a CM (Nasri) and a random talent in midfield too.

I know I'm a muppet :lol:
 
Fergie on a Paul Scholes replacement: "How do you replace somebody like Paul Scholes? It's very difficult. If you bracket four of the best midfield players in the world he'd be alongside Xavi and Iniesta and then you take your pick. In my mind he's one of the top four players in the world. How will we overcome it? Maybe the next few weeks will help us overcome it. Maybe somebody will emerge out of the youth team or one of the young players ermerge, and then we carry on."
Click to expand...

Step up Tom Cleverly.
 
Mickey said:
Step up Tom Cleverly.
Click to expand...

When did Fergie say that? I'd be more excited to see us a youngster break through than any other possible signing. The only thing is, how are they supposed to emerge if they're not even included on the USA trip?

I'm looking forward to the new season. I think one of these youngsters will make a name for themselves before the season is done.
 
Cleverley will join later on. He has an extended break because of his involvement with the U-21 squad.
 
I'm increasingly beginning to think we're not going to sign anyone major for creative midfield and instead bring someone up from youth.
I do wonder if we'll bring in a defensive mid though, if only just for some cover; there seem to be a few available, and I don't think we'll have to pay too much crazy money for one.
 
After yesterdays press conference i've changed my mind and think there could be not only one but two signings in the midfield one being defensive.
 
Striker10 said:
Scholes retiring wasn't in our plans either. So it's hard to say what our plans our now. Thats what makes it fun.
Click to expand...

Yes it was. SAF had identified that we could be facing the retirement of Neville, VDS, Scholes, Giggs & Hargreaves leaving all int he same year so plans were made for it. David Gill said that.
 
I think its quite clear from the latest comments that we are looking at the transfer market but will only sign a player worthy of replacing scholes. If a world class midfielder is not available then we will give youth a chance
 
How could anyone seriously suggest after Fergie's press conference that we are not in for anyone?
We are quite clearly in for at least one player imo. That's how I would interpret the quotes.
 
We'll definately get one more player. Whether it be Sniejder is another story.

Gill has said United have to buy a World Class players to replace Scholes so at least we know it's not going to be a Charlie Adam or Jordan Henderson type.
 
Plan M said:
We'll definately get one more player. Whether it be Sniejder is another story.

Gill has said United have to buy a World Class players to replace Scholes so at least we know it's not going to be a Charlie Adam or Jordan Henderson type.
Click to expand...

He actually said that we'll only buy if a world class player becomes available to us. He also said that any player that improves on what we have is world class. Make of that what you will, but I don't think we'll sign another player this summer unless Nasri becomes available.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.