I've never watched Leighton Baines play a match and thought, feck what a player. A decent solid enough premier league full back. Nothing special but it's not to say he wouldn't do a decent job here. Would certainly be nice to have decent left footed delivery from that side and would provide a solid overlap option for Nani/Young but unlike Evra would atleast provide a quality final ball. As has also been mentioned would give us a genuine threat from direct frees and corners. Don't feel strongly one way or the other about this one but maybe gradually warming to the idea.
Leighton Baines
- Thread starter ::sonny::
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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.
Im on a fence as well. I guess the price will impact my judgment more than anything.
I can't see Rooney wanting to give up the free kick duty, Ashley Young was good at them at Villa but Rooney still takes most around the box
Can't help think Everton will hold this back until the after we play them in the first game.
Which would be unwise. If we push the right buttons in the build up to the game, we could easily destabilise their preparation.
That would be stupid since our best option at LB after Baines is Distin.
Usually not a good idea to pull a stunt like that. First it gives them little time to spend the money - and players whose heads have been turned rarely give 100%
Take Modric last season when he didn't play us in our 3-0 win because he wanted to go to Chelsea
Which is exactly why I said it would be unwise on Everton's part to unnecessarily prolong the transfer saga - an assertion adam118 made.
I'm very meh about Baines. He's a grand player, but if Barca got Alba for something like 14mil then anything close to that for Baines is too much.
Alba was in the last year of contract, Baines still has 3 years left.
Which has been explained many times on here. However I still don't rate Baines any higher than 8 million.
That doesn't really effect my thinking on it. If we have to pay anything over 10mil for Baines then possibly the money could be better spent elsewhere.
Does anyone really think we'll get a player, in any position, of any quality for £8 million these days?
That would give you a Bebe plus change...
Got Hernandez for under 6. Got Smalling for around 10 which probably included addons.
Liverpool got Enrique for 6, City got Clicky for 7.
Newcaslte have supposedly signed a decent RB for around 7m too.
I dont care how much we pay for anyone, but the going rate for a decent LB certainly isnt 15m
Liverpool got Enrique for 6, City got Clicky for 7.
Newcaslte have supposedly signed a decent RB for around 7m too.
I dont care how much we pay for anyone, but the going rate for a decent LB certainly isnt 15m
Outside of Real Madrid and Barca, only two players transferred for more than 10 million last season. You mean to tell me that they were all crap??
Edit: in La Liga only obviously.
Edit: in La Liga only obviously.
The two left backs were (I think) refusing to sign new deals - the others you refer to were PL unknows.
I personally don't think United would pay £15 million for a left back currently but I reckon the going rate for an international would't be any less than £12 million given that he's got years left on his contract. Especially the case when said club have seen United paying £5 million or so for a kid from Division 3.
Enrique and Clichy were in the last year of there contracts. Hernandez and Smalling were young unknowns.
Yes you can get players who are running down contracts, but that's never always a possiblity.
FWIW, paying less for a player's transfer doesn't necessarily mean that the player is actually cheaper. Often players who only have 1 year left on their contracts and who are signed for relative "peanuts" in todays market value, tend to be offered higher wages by their signing club (which is probably the case with both Nasri, Clichy and a few others but not necessarily the Barca contingents as their ex-players dream of going back).
So if Clichy was signed for 7 mil, and he's earning anywhere around 40,000 per week more at City, over the course of a 4-5 year contract alone, the additional wages adds up to another 7-10M.
Note these are not actual figures.
So if Clichy was signed for 7 mil, and he's earning anywhere around 40,000 per week more at City, over the course of a 4-5 year contract alone, the additional wages adds up to another 7-10M.
Note these are not actual figures.
Apparently he's deciding his future today. That's if this is his genuine twitter account?
https://twitter.com/L3Baines
https://twitter.com/L3Baines
That account is fake.
He's the new Hazard.
A Everton player would clearly have more than 546 followers
United won't jeapordise the pursuit of another player by overspending on a left back. The club will have a budget and won't go over what they deem reasonable.
Probably I'm reading too much into it. But Fergie has just hinted that Brady will be used as a left back to Patrice Evra this season thus meaning our interest in Baines is over. Will everyone be happy in this?
Yeah right, saying we're going to have Brady try out playing left back rules out us signing a real left back
We tried Richardson at left back too. We still bought others, thank god
Yeah right, saying we're going to have Brady try out playing left back rules out us signing a real left back
We tried Richardson at left back too. We still bought others, thank god
He said this. For me, this indicates that there's a chance Brady maybe used as a left back for next season.
I think it obviously depends on how he does pre season, if he impresses then perhaps, but its a big deal to be put in the LB position at a young age.
Just look at Jetro Willems at the Euros, class for his club side but his inexperience showed.
Just look at Jetro Willems at the Euros, class for his club side but his inexperience showed.
We didn't want to give Fabio a chance and we're gonna give it to someone much greener? Riiiiight...
Think the words "it's an area we're paying attention to" and "we're a bit short at left back" probably adds weight to the Baines story.
I think Brady will be watched carefully this tour, if it doesn't work out, i expect we'll push to sign a more experienced left back for cover.
Do you expect Fergie to say we're going to give Brady a chance in South Africa and China, but we're still trying to sign a left-back? I don't. It doesn't rule out us signing Baines.
I think if our interest in Baines has been concrete, we'll sign him even if Brady is man of the match in each game of pre-season.
You can have 3 left backs in a squad and he's not going to be better than Fabio so it'll be short term no matter what
You can have 3 left backs in a squad and he's not going to be better than Fabio so it'll be short term no matter what
It's not that we didn't want to give Fabio a chance. He played rarely due to the fact that Evra was hardly ever injured and kept his position. Fabio, on the other hand, became too good/too old to sit on the bench, it's time for him to establish himself as a first-team regular, be it here or elsewhere. Brady, on the other hand, is younger and could take a role of Evra's deputy, at least for some time.
In other words, I understand that Ferguson decided Fabio was too good to still sit on the bench, so he decided to loan him out. His role could be taken by Brady, for whom even to sit on the bench of the first team will be a huge step-up.
By the way, the tour has started, it's too late to sign Baines - I mean, Ferguson would have done it much earlier if he really wanted him.
Which means we're in danger, we'll be totally if Evra gets injured.
Which means we're in danger, we'll be totally if Evra gets injured.
Why? The marvels of technology means Fergie does not need to be around to sign a player. Kagawa and Powell were both signed whilst Fergie was off on holiday.
Even if Baines signed, he would not of joined up till the rest of the Euro 2012 players joined.
I'm sure all the people who usually facilitate transfers are readily available and we've brought quite a few players after or during a tour.
Evans can play full-back.
According to James Ducker, there's been no interest, he's usually quite good for United stuff.
I can't quote you, something's wrong with the Caf again.
I don't mean Ferguson needs to be around to sign a player, but he likes to have it all finished before the tour starts. You're right though, I forgot Baines was at Euro 2012. I don't know what to think, really. I don't expect us to sign Baines, so I'm worried that we're (probably) going to have only Evra as a proper left-back, because he never gets injured, Fergie's playing with fire here. That also means he's going to play every game, even if his form is terrible.
Pogue, I know Evans can play left-back, but it's not long-term solution.
I don't mean Ferguson needs to be around to sign a player, but he likes to have it all finished before the tour starts. You're right though, I forgot Baines was at Euro 2012. I don't know what to think, really. I don't expect us to sign Baines, so I'm worried that we're (probably) going to have only Evra as a proper left-back, because he never gets injured, Fergie's playing with fire here. That also means he's going to play every game, even if his form is terrible.
Pogue, I know Evans can play left-back, but it's not long-term solution.