Bit too much negativity here like. We've played some decent football at times considering a lot of our main starters aren't with us. A couple of players have looked decent enough (Collyer and Amad specifically) to be considered for the community shield, which in itself is just another friendly. The tactics seem slightly changed from last year with the midfield shape which has made us a bit harder to play through, adding the talent and experience from the likes of Bruno, Mainoo, Dalot, Shaw, Martinez will only increase the performance. We've also got Zirkzee who will come in to play that false 9 role We've had had to shoehorn Sancho into. We've got a new coaching setup that's only just come in that will take a bit of time to fully work but I can easily see it having an effect. Yes we need a few players to come in, with any luck we can add De Ligt, Mazraoui and Ugarte in the next couple of weeks. I think it's daft to say we don't look ready or it looks worse than last year though after 3 pre season games.
Are we ready for the start of the season?
- Thread starter Chicharo
- Start date
Hopefully we'll have a clearer picture by the end of next week, it's clear we still need a few more in though.
We are okay. Hopefully, the Euro guys who are still out are available to start from the second game of the season.
I mean we will have 11 players and a manager.
Not overly sure about the quality of either but technically we are ready yes.
Not overly sure about the quality of either but technically we are ready yes.
Why I’m sounder than you
Don't bring such positivity into this thread. This is a thread for people to over react and give knee jerk reactions.
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I was hoping we’d have shifted Maguire, Sancho, Casemiro and Mctominay at least, raising 100-120m in the process to bring in another CB, a LB, and a couple more midfielders and maybe even a young winger. The team feels too much like last season so the same weaknesses and failures.
We couldn't be less ready
We replaced Varane with Yoro, which is exciting but clearly not a short-term upgrade, and Yoro got injured so we dont even have him
Zirkzee is exciting but with Hojlund injured we still have one new striker with no pre-season
Even if we sign couple players before end of August, it will be too little, too late
Our inability of selling deadwood has fecked us over
The biggest positive: I believe our coaching staff is much more capable than it was last year. I really think so and they will try to get more out of the same shit players so we will get to see if you can polish a turd enough...
We replaced Varane with Yoro, which is exciting but clearly not a short-term upgrade, and Yoro got injured so we dont even have him
Zirkzee is exciting but with Hojlund injured we still have one new striker with no pre-season
Even if we sign couple players before end of August, it will be too little, too late
Our inability of selling deadwood has fecked us over
The biggest positive: I believe our coaching staff is much more capable than it was last year. I really think so and they will try to get more out of the same shit players so we will get to see if you can polish a turd enough...
New setup, more or less same shit. One week before first game; 2 in, one out (who counts Donny anyway).
Lots of rumours around so it will maybe look much better before Fulham game at least.
Lots of rumours around so it will maybe look much better before Fulham game at least.
No, we're not. The squad is basically the same and our biggest weaknesses are yet to be addressed.
Shite prep, preseason injuries, deadwood still hanging around.
Always the fecking same.
Always the fecking same.
Definitely not. Very similar starting 11 if no different to last season. That alone is very poor tbh.
No, but this is for everybody due to the euros and Copa. If you had significant players reach the latter stages of those, you will have a rough August. Doesn't help that we have the community shield which city have much better options for than we do.
Our midfield situation is a big problem as Casemiro can't cut it anymore. Our center back situation is a big problem as none of them can stay fit.
Our midfield situation is a big problem as Casemiro can't cut it anymore. Our center back situation is a big problem as none of them can stay fit.
Basically; so far we did:
1. Replaced Varane.
2 Bought one player for rotation in attack.
We didn't (yet):
1. Buy another defender (Yoro is just replacement for Varane)
2. Sell players who we wanted to sell like Maguire, AWB, Lindelof, McT and Sancho
3. We didn't buy new DMC
4. We didn't buy proven striker
5. We didn't buy backup for Dalot
We have one month to do all this which is great but we all know how important is to enter into season more ir less ready.
1. Replaced Varane.
2 Bought one player for rotation in attack.
We didn't (yet):
1. Buy another defender (Yoro is just replacement for Varane)
2. Sell players who we wanted to sell like Maguire, AWB, Lindelof, McT and Sancho
3. We didn't buy new DMC
4. We didn't buy proven striker
5. We didn't buy backup for Dalot
We have one month to do all this which is great but we all know how important is to enter into season more ir less ready.
Like for like that one.
Those irritating international breaks at the start of the season might actually be very welcome this year.
A lot of the early form will depend on how quickly the good players can get up to speed after returning from their longer hols.
A lot of the early form will depend on how quickly the good players can get up to speed after returning from their longer hols.
Of course we're not ready. I don't think any of our league competitors are. It's not really possible to be after a summer with an International tournament
Far from ready. Still need a DM and a CB.
I actually think we played some better football this tour than the last 2 tours and 2 years ago we beat Liverpool 4-0. This year it’s the opposite. Played alright but lost 3-0
No. Worse than last year.
2 years ago we went on to finish 3rd in the league. I can't see us finishing above 7th this season. I hope the manager proves me wrong but I think he should've been sacked last November.
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We've got to get players out and players in NOW.
Yet some people still didn’t call that a good season.
Still need a manager but unlikely to sort that until Christmas
Nowhere near ready. Lots of transfer business still to be done.
1, 3, 5 will hopefully be done soon with DeLigt, Ugarte, and Mazraoui.
Initial optimism is making way now. So far off where we need to be and very average footballers are still way too close to the first team.
People talk about options on the wing, for example, but none of them are of the top quality that other clubs have. No guaranteed goals anywhere in the squad. A midfield that still doesn’t work and players like AWB, Lindelof and Evans starting the most recent friendly.
If the likes of Sancho, McTominay and Lindelof are still here in two weeks time and we can’t bring in players, we are all but guaranteed a poor start to the season. If it’s the same situation on September 1st, the season is over.
Need to start to make big moves quickly.
People talk about options on the wing, for example, but none of them are of the top quality that other clubs have. No guaranteed goals anywhere in the squad. A midfield that still doesn’t work and players like AWB, Lindelof and Evans starting the most recent friendly.
If the likes of Sancho, McTominay and Lindelof are still here in two weeks time and we can’t bring in players, we are all but guaranteed a poor start to the season. If it’s the same situation on September 1st, the season is over.
Need to start to make big moves quickly.
Nowhere near ready. Think this is going to be another transitional season. So many changes with the staff and new coaches, still plenty of transfer business needed doing, I think we'll only know around mid September where we are going and if this is going to be a good season or not.
I think we will be ready. Sure we will have de Ligt and Ugarte before the season starts, possibly also Mazaroui ( not sure we need him unless we get rid of Wan Bissaka)
Most of our starting 11 haven't even trained yet following busy summer tournaments. And our second string aren't good enough to compete in the PL therefore, like most seasons, our start against some testing opposition will have us scrambling to win games.
Nope, and I wouldn't be surprised if we don't get De Ligt or Ugarte if Bayern and PSG aren't willing to lower their demands.
I have an inkling that iNEOS are ok to discard the upcoming season if it means freeing up funds for a bigger squad rebuild next season. And also to prove a point that we won't over-pay.
I have an inkling that iNEOS are ok to discard the upcoming season if it means freeing up funds for a bigger squad rebuild next season. And also to prove a point that we won't over-pay.
Issues last season were how easily our midfield was carved open, injuries to CBs and lack of goals.
We have signed a CB who has got immediately injured. Jury is still out on Zirkzee but I have my doubts he will improve the goal scoring as much as required. Hopefully we have an option for when Hojlund is injured unlike last season. And we haven’t signed a midfielder yet. Really thought it was as much as a priority as replacing Varane. Casemiro is done at the top level.
We have signed a CB who has got immediately injured. Jury is still out on Zirkzee but I have my doubts he will improve the goal scoring as much as required. Hopefully we have an option for when Hojlund is injured unlike last season. And we haven’t signed a midfielder yet. Really thought it was as much as a priority as replacing Varane. Casemiro is done at the top level.
I fricking hate how every season is a transitional one for us. It’s Groundhog Day.
To be fair though, with INEOS now fully implementing their plans, putting new people into backroom positions, change of coaching staff and new signings, you can't make wholesale changes like that and everything fall into place immediately. So I think we have to accept a transitional season, as a price to pay for hopefully sorting out all the mess of the last few years so we can move onwards and upwards.
True. It’s just incredibly frustrating that there have been 11 fecking years of hurt and it looks like there will be 12.
Completely agree with this.
The one thing that makes it interesting is that it will be a transitional season for a number of teams too.
How will Liverpool cope with no Klopp? Can Maresca get Chelsea firing? How will Villa cope with the greater demands of the Champions league and having a target on their back? Etc.
I’d like us to be in a better place with our preparations but it feels like 3rd and 4th are wide open.
We could really do with a good start this time, instead of chasing our tails all year and it will be an interesting first month or so with so many teams impacted by the euros / copa / olympics.
Might need a couple more defensive injuries to get the real Manchester United season opening experience.
I feel like we've had terrible starts for ages now. Maybe i'm being pessimistic?
I feel like we've had terrible starts for ages now. Maybe i'm being pessimistic?
Feels like we are way off…just have to hope the refreshed coaching set up helps and the juice step up.
Players know our predicament. They tell their agents not to accept any calls and suddenly we can’t sell anybody and due to FFP we can’t bring anyone in
It’s not about the money we can afford to buy but it’s levelling it all out for the rules. Players know this and Maguire will get his fair share of games along with McSauce and even Sancho.
Player power.
Especially Casemiro, he’s definitely refusing to leave until it becomes apparent he won’t be starting. To do that, really need Ugarte and Amrabat in first.
It’s not about the money we can afford to buy but it’s levelling it all out for the rules. Players know this and Maguire will get his fair share of games along with McSauce and even Sancho.
Player power.
Especially Casemiro, he’s definitely refusing to leave until it becomes apparent he won’t be starting. To do that, really need Ugarte and Amrabat in first.