You and me know what missing in our defense but you are still being stubborn to stick with buying youngster and have faith in players who haven't step up for 3 years +. And again back to my previous posts, if Smalling and Rojo failed to step up, you want the youngster to step so you want to see us relying on 3 very young centre backs like Gimenez, Bailly, and Tuanzebe in 2018/2019?
BRILLIANT IDEA!
So let’s say we replace Jones with an experienced defender. There aren’t many top experienced CBs in the UK, so we have to sign it from another league. Currently, the Ferrari of experienced defenders is Bonucci, he’s 29 and he’s got issues with Allegri which makes him available for bid from us. Let’s say, we spend 30m-40m to get him here.
Mourinho has other players in mind so that signing will pretty much suck up all the budget allotted for CD. With Bonucci, Rojo, Bailly and Smalling in the team, we would still have to loan our youths out. Therefore Bonucci’s experience will be ‘wasted’ around players of his same age. In 4-5 years time we would need a total revamp in defence. Bonucci, Rojo, Smalling and Valencia would be too old to do the job.
If we take that route then we might as well sell Smalling and Rojo and bring someone younger for example Gimenez. Bonucci’s experience would be invested on top quality defenders who have the potential to one day lead Manchester United’s defense. TFM, Williams and Tuanzebe would remain at United and fight for the 4th defender role.
I confess that I like that route, although I do acknowledge the risks of it.
a- We would be changing a lot of staff in a critical role which might have an impact on the team. Both Bonucci and Gimenez will need time to settle down in the EPL which would leave us a bit light in CB.
b- Young defenders need plenty of game time to develop. I lost count of how many times I actually swore at a young Gary Neville before he learnt not to dive in tackles inside the box. Shadowing isn't always great and I wonder how Smalling-Jones would have developed if they invested their early part of career playing week in week out instead of shadowing Rio-Vidic. Keane is a classic example of what regular first team football can do to young defenders.
c- while I am not a big fan of Smalling and Rojo myself, I do acknowledge that United has no DM, which leaves the defence vulnerable.
Taking that in consideration, then maybe the wisest strategy would be to make changes on a slower tempo. We bring in Gimenez, a top quality young RB to shadow Valencia and a top quality DM (I am a big fan of Kessie) and see the effect these players would have in defence. Who knows, maybe Gimenez’s signing would be the wake-up call needed for Smalling to step up. Currently he has little competition for his first team spot (Rojo is average, Jones is always injured) but that would surely change, with Gimenez in the squad.
The year after we can re-assess the defence and see what we need. Had Smalling/Rojo stepped up? Is Gimenez and Bailly good enough to lead the defence? How did Tuanzebe and go faired on loan? Gimenez and Bailly would be nearly 24 at that stage, which means there’s some possibility that we won’t need an experienced head around.
I think with Laporte the seriousness of the injury could have been playing on his mind earlier in the season. It could be next season before he is back to his best once he has got his confidence back. I think with leg breaks it can undermine a players confidence a little. He is getting outshone by his CB partner Yeray Alvarez a little bit, another good youngster coming through at Bilbao.