Yep, it would've more or less been the final piece of the puzzle. Annoying we couldn't get it done when we're so close.
Luckhurst: United prepared to move for a holding midfielder in January
- Thread starter Valar Morghulis
- Start date
Surely with the signing with Ronaldo we should try to push the envelope with this season. Makes no sense to me why we are not going all out to get a CM now.
May be Bruno/Mata can play in number-8 role?
Lindeloff reads the game well.
The pass he made to Bruno for his goal against Leeds was Pogba like.
He can defend. His one weakness is heading. Varane is far superior.
We have Bailly as cover for CB and Lindeloff can be too.
Yet if we do not make a specialist CDM signing today, the Ronaldo signing looks exactly what I thought at first.
A Glazers revenue generating exercise.
Fred is average.
McT is a box to box player
Matic is done.
The Southampton and Wolves match showed our lack of depth in the department.
My friend doesn't understand this joke, could someone explain it to him.
There is an argument to be made that adding too many new faces to the starting XI at once can be a bit tricky. Also, if there are no CDMs that are both good enough and available for a reasonable price, then I guess it makes sense to wait a bit.
I really wanted a CDM, though. It would have been my first priority this summer.
I really wanted a CDM, though. It would have been my first priority this summer.
Not that he'll score 20+ league goals at least?
We will face many games like Wolves where our midfield will be out fought. Not sure how the balance of the team would be when we play Ronaldo. We have midfielders with big weakness. Fred is erratic with many loose touches, Mctominay doesn't move to create passing option, Pogba is a defensive liability and Matic is just not mobile at all.
Pogba in 2 should work at least in home games but in away games with all fans back in the stadium don't think it will work.
Pogba in 2 should work at least in home games but in away games with all fans back in the stadium don't think it will work.
Not really sure why we’re waiting. Maybe we can’t afford it, maybe the right target isn’t available but surely we just need a body in there at this point. I’d be ok with us recalling Garner tbh.
Thanks, would make a good chant if he ever came to England
McFred, Matic, Pogba, Jones, Lindelof
VDB
Not a double pivot DM
According to Ole he is
VDB played in the double pivot against Instambul Basaksehir in the UCL, Leicester and Wolves in the PL, and Watford in the FA Cup. In the first 3 he played with Matic, and against Watford it was with Scott. Also, he played more deep for Ajax a lot of times, especially after De Jong's departure. He is an option.
Also, we signed 3 world class players and i think that counts as the best windows of the top 4 clubs. Let's see: Liverpool only brought Konate but failed to replace Wjinaldum and add more depth to their attack.
Chelsea apparently won't bring Saul anymore and Kounde is looking unlikely each minute, so they only really brought Lukaku. It's a good sign, but they are one injury away from having to play Werner as the striker. Also, not much depth behind Kante-Jorginho-Kovacic. Also, they have 4 CB, and play with 3 at the back, so lack of depth, that's why they wanted Kounde.
City brought 100m Grealish but then it was failure after failure. With Kane, Ronaldo... They lost Aguero and replaced him with nobody. I know Pep likes to play with a false 9, but it helps when you have a proper striker as an option.
Also, Leicester and Tottenham had a good window. They've kept their best players, and brought some reinforcements.
So, nobody has had a perfect window and addressed every hole they needed. I think we came closer with 3 world class players. We should challenge for the title, there are no guarantee, but we should be in the conversation by the end of the season.
Also, we signed 3 world class players and i think that counts as the best windows of the top 4 clubs. Let's see: Liverpool only brought Konate but failed to replace Wjinaldum and add more depth to their attack.
Chelsea apparently won't bring Saul anymore and Kounde is looking unlikely each minute, so they only really brought Lukaku. It's a good sign, but they are one injury away from having to play Werner as the striker. Also, not much depth behind Kante-Jorginho-Kovacic. Also, they have 4 CB, and play with 3 at the back, so lack of depth, that's why they wanted Kounde.
City brought 100m Grealish but then it was failure after failure. With Kane, Ronaldo... They lost Aguero and replaced him with nobody. I know Pep likes to play with a false 9, but it helps when you have a proper striker as an option.
Also, Leicester and Tottenham had a good window. They've kept their best players, and brought some reinforcements.
So, nobody has had a perfect window and addressed every hole they needed. I think we came closer with 3 world class players. We should challenge for the title, there are no guarantee, but we should be in the conversation by the end of the season.
Disappointing, still think we need someone in there with legs who can properly beat the press. McFred are both made better by having the other there but don’t impress on their own, and that means taking something out elsewhere (and we will already be making system adaptations/accommodations for Ronaldo who won’t press much). A young Matic would have been great sadly.
I would mind a bit of Saul’s “loan with conditional requirement to buy” deal I read they were requesting from Chelsea.
signing Ronaldo is an interesting one because I think it somewhat changes the timeline. He along with Messi is the ultimate “win now” guy, at his age can’t be part of a long term project. I think especially had we won a trophy in the last two years (we essentially left two europa leagues on the table), or if we win one this year, people would be happy enough seeing Ole’s project as a work in progress with obvious improvement. Now there are more expectations. The right midfielder would add more than his individual value to the team, he would unlock a lot for us.
I am a bit disappointed that we could not plug such an obvious hole in the team. We knew we needed one for so long.
We at least needed a stop gap option who is better than current Matic as backup to McFred.
We at least needed a stop gap option who is better than current Matic as backup to McFred.
Maybe we were going for a CDM but Ronaldo required a quick change of plans?
I mean, you listed Lindelöf who never played there in his life and Jones who is barely even a footballer anymore.
Bruno played in the double pivot in the second half of his United debut (against Wolves). Maybe he's one of the options.
Still doesn't explain why we weren't even in for Saul on loan just to make up the numbers. One injury to McTominay and we're stuck starting Pogba + Fred in a double pivot. Matic is too old, VdB isn't trusted there. So really it's 3 players for two positions and one (Pogba) doesn't even want to play there.
Wait? Wait you say?
Do they not know how internet fans operate?
Do they not know how internet fans operate?
He played as a CM for Ajax loads - he's not a pure 10 and won't cut it there for us but it's not a long shot to think he'd offer more than Matic. We don't really play a DM, we just have 2 quite limited CMs, both of whom are better as b2bs and don't have the discipline to hold (as Fred was at Shakthar).
Who is Luckhurst saying the 6 options are?
Fred McTominay Matic Pogba VDB and Garner?
There's two valid options there and one of them has just had surgery, and the other is Fred.
The real reason we had no plans to sign a CDM is the squad is full, because we give new contracts out like candy and give Lingard and Jones all the cuddles they need to convince them to not push for moves.
Fred McTominay Matic Pogba VDB and Garner?
There's two valid options there and one of them has just had surgery, and the other is Fred.
The real reason we had no plans to sign a CDM is the squad is full, because we give new contracts out like candy and give Lingard and Jones all the cuddles they need to convince them to not push for moves.
Yeah the squad is too bloated at this point. And we seem to be struggling to move any of the deadwood.
I hope not signing a DM doesn’t come back to bite us on the arse. If we are going to wait until next year then we better be going after the best one on the market.
State of this forum when we sign Sancho (£73m), Raphael Varane (£41m) and CRISTIANO RONADLO (£12m + £485K p/w) and STILL people are crying because we haven't bought even more players!
It's no wonder we're seen as entitled by other clubs/fans!
It takes time to build a proper squad. We wasted a decade between roughly 2008 and 2018, either doing not much at all or throwing money at the wrong players.
You can't undo all of those bad decisions and fix all of those problems in just a couple of Summer windows.
We aren't playing FIFA. These transfers involve real humans, with real emotions, and real money!
It's no wonder we're seen as entitled by other clubs/fans!
It takes time to build a proper squad. We wasted a decade between roughly 2008 and 2018, either doing not much at all or throwing money at the wrong players.
You can't undo all of those bad decisions and fix all of those problems in just a couple of Summer windows.
We aren't playing FIFA. These transfers involve real humans, with real emotions, and real money!
That's what happens with a combination of handing out trash contracts and a manager who's too scared to sell anybody. Now we have 1 billion attackers for 3 positions but 3 midfielders for 3 positions
SAF played Jones and O Shea in midfield. Jose played Pepe there.
Too many people don't understand this
Let's be honest, after signing Ronaldo, this midfield addition would always be more hopeful than anything. We signed 3 world class players, and I can't say I'm not happy with this window.
We might have gone for a midfielder if we had raised funds through selling some of our fringe players, but we seem to be shit at that. Let's hope we learn that as a lesson on what happens when we hand out massive wages to average players.
Ole will have to alter his tactics to accomodate DVB, or change formations to suit what we have. I bet 99% of the managers in football would love to have this squad.
We might have gone for a midfielder if we had raised funds through selling some of our fringe players, but we seem to be shit at that. Let's hope we learn that as a lesson on what happens when we hand out massive wages to average players.
Ole will have to alter his tactics to accomodate DVB, or change formations to suit what we have. I bet 99% of the managers in football would love to have this squad.
Next year there will be a push for Haaland. Then they will claim something else when another window ends and some other position of significance gets ignored. Why not for once go all in and hand the manager a squad with no gaping holes in it?
Having options doesn't mean having quality. We had James, Martial, Greenwood etc as wide options but still decided to get Sancho so this "options" bs is something I won't buy.
What I do understand is no CDM = no title.
I would like to be proven wrong on this but time will tell
all the money spent this year is left over from last year. Ronaldo pays for himself.
Still, no DM.
Still, no DM.
Did you watch the Wolves game? We clearly need a DM.
Even with this midfield we were second last year. Maybe this new additions will lift us in the table and we'll be in the mix for the title. Especially if Ronaldo will score like 20 goals or more.
Of course getting a mid would be near perfect window but it's great even without that. In any case Ole should mix it up and use VDB ffs.
No CDM doesn't necessarily mean no title and neither a CDM means a title.
I get it we need that CDM but it seems like it's the new reason to cry about.
To repeat myself it's been a truly great window.
Of course getting a mid would be near perfect window but it's great even without that. In any case Ole should mix it up and use VDB ffs.
No CDM doesn't necessarily mean no title and neither a CDM means a title.
I get it we need that CDM but it seems like it's the new reason to cry about.
To repeat myself it's been a truly great window.
It's possible to sign more than 3 players in a transfer window or did you not realise this?
The reason we can't is because we're still throwing money at the wrong players i.e. the 6 or 7 players in our 25 man squad who offer us nothing either because they physically can't or, in VdB's case, because Ole hates them.
And yet some people actually seem to be still wanting or expecting more. It's crazy. Not sure I can remember a transfer window this good. Seriously. A top young wide attacking player, a WC CB who even in his first game looked class and CR7. Seriously top work by our recruiting team.