Well, if you would actually read my posts, I was wondering which player we could sign that isn't at his best as a #10. Which is why I asked for suggestions. It's obvious that Bale and Lucas Moura aren't attainable. I am merely trying to suggest that most players we could sign for the wide positions are at their best in the #10 role, but there can only be one player occupying that position and we need players wide. Again, if we were to sign Griezmann, I would like to us to play him just off Martial, but I also wouldn't mind him wide in a 4-3-3.
LvG Says He Needs A New Winger Soon....
- Thread starter drmuji
- Start date
Well, if you would actually read my posts, I was wondering which player we could sign that isn't at his best as a #10. Which is why I asked for suggestions. It's obvious that Bale and Lucas Moura aren't attainable. I am merely trying to suggest that most players we could sign for the wide positions are at their best in the #10 role, but there can only be one player occupying that position and we need players wide. Again, if we were to sign Griezmann, I would like to us to play him just off Martial, but I also wouldn't mind him wide in a 4-3-3.
I know we have the benefit of hindsight but if we were looking for a speedy winger who can pose trouble out wide surely we should've at least tried to go for douglas costa (I don't know if we did recently)? the guy's tearing teams apart.
Leroy Sané and Felipe Anderson are at their best when operating from wider areas. Both are rapid, and Felipe just might be the fastest winger in Europe with the likes of Costa and Moura. Apart from Bale and Reus, there aren't many standout winger options, and even both those players aren't wingers anyway, more wide forwards who drift inwards. After them there's a huge differential, and Felipe and Sané at at the top of the lot talent wise.
Whether we can harness that talent is another matter altogether. Gifted wingers have a reputation for being notoriously inconsistent until they reach a stable level like Robben, and there's a chance they might fall afoul of the manager if they remain inconsistent for extended periods, especially in terms of their passing and defensive work-rate.
I wouldn't mind the 4-3-3 either FWIW. For that formation we could use Greizmann as a wide forward because he'll have some freedom to roam about and link up in the final 3rd. But he'd be ill-suited to a 4-2-3-1 in which we have a tendency to make it two banks of 4.
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Sign Reus. We haven't had a massive injury lay off in a while
Sadly both aren't good enough yet IMO. Do you think Felipe Anderson would turn out to be good for us? I've seen him struggle in most games against better teams.
That's the thing though. There aren't a lot of quality wingers around these days who can come in and start contributing like Ribéry or Robben. The best ones are already at big clubs, Costa somehow flew under the radar; we had one of the best, but he didn't fit in. Now we want to buy another one, and there's a chance of the player failing to adjust again because he isn't the finished product. Almost every winger signing will be risky unless it's a Bale type player because Reus has become a bit injury prone, Griezmann is not an ideal fit for the position, Sané and Anderson are still developing, Mané will cost big money and isn't proven in Europe, Mahrez has only produced for the last year or so.
Fergie was always rumoured to be keen on him, made enquiries over a few years, but never a serious move. Since he retired I've not heard us linked with him at all.
Pretty much agree with that. What do you think of Fekir? I probably prefer him to all of them currently, despite his injury.
I would be all for Sane, only 19(!!) him and Martial would be 
!
Mane would be a good one, he is very versatile and will get us 10-15 goals, very Pacey.
!Mane would be a good one, he is very versatile and will get us 10-15 goals, very Pacey.
Fekir damaged 3 of his knee ligaments.
If we want to push for the league, and progress pretty far in the big cups (F.A. and CL), I personally think we could do with one winger in January. We can sign someone big in the Summer, but for now, with only Depay, Lingard (who has exceeded expectation so far), Young, Mata (not a winger) and possibly Pereira (better down middle), we should be looking for someone to sign in January.
Thing is, there's not many options out there. The most realistic ones from the list are probably:
Mane (25m) - Handful when he's on his game. Possibly better down the middle, though
Felipe Anderson (25m) - Have never watched him, but from what I've heard, he's supposed to be rapid.
Mahrez (20m) - He's not as fast as the two above, but very good at taking players on.
If I had a choice, I'd go for Mane. The type of player we're missing, in my opinion - someone who is always willing to run off the ball, which stretches teams and creates space for our players. Along with that, he's a box of tricks (frustrating, at times) can take players on and scores goals.
Thing is, there's not many options out there. The most realistic ones from the list are probably:
Mane (25m) - Handful when he's on his game. Possibly better down the middle, though
Felipe Anderson (25m) - Have never watched him, but from what I've heard, he's supposed to be rapid.
Mahrez (20m) - He's not as fast as the two above, but very good at taking players on.
If I had a choice, I'd go for Mane. The type of player we're missing, in my opinion - someone who is always willing to run off the ball, which stretches teams and creates space for our players. Along with that, he's a box of tricks (frustrating, at times) can take players on and scores goals.
He's right. We need more quality and pace in the attacking positions, that's obvious.
Sadly, there isn't a great deal to pick from. There isn't even any young player from a lesser league knocking on the door with quality performances and goals every week. There was one last summer, Depay, who we've already seen struggle to come to terms with his big move.
The likes of Hazard, Gotze and Sanchez triggered the interest of more or less every big club in Europe at the time. Some of the names bandied about in here so far are nowhere near as proven as this lot when they got their big moves elsewhere.
Sadio Mane is probably the most likely avenue to go down at this point, something I wouldn't have a problem with. He's a good player and he could be very good, but if we're to get back to the top then our wide forwards need to be (or have the potential to become) some of the very best in the world. Mane probably isn't that. It's a tough market.
Sadly, there isn't a great deal to pick from. There isn't even any young player from a lesser league knocking on the door with quality performances and goals every week. There was one last summer, Depay, who we've already seen struggle to come to terms with his big move.
The likes of Hazard, Gotze and Sanchez triggered the interest of more or less every big club in Europe at the time. Some of the names bandied about in here so far are nowhere near as proven as this lot when they got their big moves elsewhere.
Sadio Mane is probably the most likely avenue to go down at this point, something I wouldn't have a problem with. He's a good player and he could be very good, but if we're to get back to the top then our wide forwards need to be (or have the potential to become) some of the very best in the world. Mane probably isn't that. It's a tough market.
Fekir is an excellent player, but I dunno about signing him just yet mate. He might be worth the punt, maybe the injury will knock his pricetag back a bit, but unless he shows some signs of atleast recovering from the ligament damage, it will be a risky transfer. That said, he's still young so maybe he'll make a full recovery and get back to his best level.
Griezmann for me too, but tbh i would be concerned about why we would have to buy another winger in the first place. LVG has already spent 80m+ on 2 wingers, and neither one produced for him. Not writing Depay off yet personally, but it could be argued signing Griezmann -or anyone else for that position- would be pretty much replacing Depay anyway. Would Griezmann fare any better than Di Maria or Depay? Both players seemed to start off ok, before quickly losing confidence and form for one reason or another. Di Maria had his off the field problems of course, but buying Depay as a replacement, and then (allegedly) looking to buy yet another replacement for that position after only half a season, -especially considering the recent emergence of Lingard- would be baffling to me.
Saying that, I'd still love us to sign Griezmann, he is top quality. Could be like a fast right footed Mata. Goals and assists galore!!
Saying that, I'd still love us to sign Griezmann, he is top quality. Could be like a fast right footed Mata. Goals and assists galore!!
El Ghazi and Sane? Hazard and Sanchez weren't doing it for Lille or Udinese every week either. Fischer seems to pick up some form again, on the other hand he seems to be playing as a striker and less wide.
What do our French posters have to say about Thomas Lemar, Bernardo Silva, Soufiane Boufal and Wahbi Khazri? @JPRouve @kouroux
Edit: Forgot about Ntep.
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Well, they were. Hence Barcelona bought Sanchez ahead of practically every top club in Europe. Chelsea purchased Hazard ahead of huge competition for his signature, predominantly in England.
Hazard scored 20 in 38 during his final season at Lille, having won Ligue 1 player of the year twice off the belt. His all round game looked superb, too. Sanchez, less impressive, but still scored 12 in 31 appearances during his final season at Udinese, doing enough to convince the best team in the world to take a punt on him.
Sane and El Ghazi have barely played 50 professional games between them. Talented, maybe (I've never seen them play), however, they aren't really the kind of obvious player I'm talking about.
Don't think Di Maria and Memphis should be classed as wingers tbh.Griezmann for me too, but tbh i would be concerned about why we would have to buy another winger in the first place. LVG has already spent 80m+ on 2 wingers, and neither one produced for him. Not writing Depay off yet personally, but it could be argued signing Griezmann -or anyone else for that position- would be pretty much replacing Depay anyway. Would Griezmann fare any better than Di Maria or Depay? Both players seemed to start off ok, before quickly losing confidence and form for one reason or another. Di Maria had his off the field problems of course, but buying Depay as a replacement, and then (allegedly) looking to buy yet another replacement for that position after only half a season, -especially considering the recent emergence of Lingard- would be baffling to me.
Saying that, I'd still love us to sign Griezmann, he is top quality. Could be like a fast right footed Mata. Goals and assists galore!!
I know this lad at Dortmund with pace, the ability to beat a man and a good final ball when on form. Belgian I think. Sign him up Louis
Fair enough. Wasn't aware anymore that Hazard's numbers were that good.
The most important is that the player we buy is the best out wide. With Martial/Depay/Mata we have enough players who are at their best in central areas.
Go for winger, not a no 10 I say. Hence I’m not convinced about Griezmann.
Go for winger, not a no 10 I say. Hence I’m not convinced about Griezmann.
We cant be taking gambles with players just back from injury...ala Gundogan last summer. It's enough of a gamble when they are firing in another league bringing them here. Thankfully the "business" probably needs a proven talent at the club to appease the sponsors hence the big push for neymar. Always good to get a world class South American in from that perspective.
How's heartbreaker Lucas Moura doing in Paris? Any links or chance of a move?
The problem is that Southampton have said they wont be selling any players this season. That may or not be hard and fast but I seriously doubt they would let one of their best players go mid season. I dont think Mane is a serious possibility because of this.
Surely it all depends where we are in the league come Jan. If we were top or afew points off I really wouldnt see any need to splash big on a winger when we have Depay on the bench and Young most likely. Best to wait and see which of these targets actually has a good season.
Nani, oh wait...
I'm just not as concerned about our wingers than I am our #10 in a 4231.
Let's review our current options out wide:
Juan Mata. An inverted winger who doesn't have the pace we want to see but he's somehow very effective.
Memphis Depay: A slow start to his United career, but apart from wearing a dopey hat does anyone seriously question his incredible potential?
Jesse Lingard: A newbie who's impressed so far, but the jury is still out on whether he's United quality.
Ashley Young: A fantastic squad man.
Antonio Valencia: A great servant but he's lost his attacking ability and is winding down his days at United.
Adnan Januzaj: I'm not sold that he has the speed, the strength or guile -- you've got to have one of the three -- but it's not over for him yet.
None of these players play at the elite level of Bale or Reus, but we might as well forget about either player (and Ronaldo). For me, the perfect target would be Griezmann, who can play either wide or in a central attacking role. Our attacking play goes nowhere with Rooney at either 10 or 9 and unless we believe Rooney will remain with the club for another three seasons after this season -- a real possibility (or threat!), one supposes -- we have to address the core weakness in the squad as soon as possible.
I'm going to hang my hat on Memphis coming good soon enough and when that happens, and if we can bring in Greizmann, we're suddenly a potent attacking force. Greizmann can step in at 10 or play wide right or left. He's no "jack-of-all trades" but he happens to be very effective as an attacking player in several different roles.
Jesse should be given a genuine chance to prove himself and we'll see what he does with his chance. Juan will be a useful asset against the bus parkers; when we need more speed, such as against a team which plays an open game against us or we need a wise player who can provide useful service in defense, we can sit him down. Young as a solid option coming off the bench. Valencia as a deep sub option.
Let's review our current options out wide:
Juan Mata. An inverted winger who doesn't have the pace we want to see but he's somehow very effective.
Memphis Depay: A slow start to his United career, but apart from wearing a dopey hat does anyone seriously question his incredible potential?
Jesse Lingard: A newbie who's impressed so far, but the jury is still out on whether he's United quality.
Ashley Young: A fantastic squad man.
Antonio Valencia: A great servant but he's lost his attacking ability and is winding down his days at United.
Adnan Januzaj: I'm not sold that he has the speed, the strength or guile -- you've got to have one of the three -- but it's not over for him yet.
None of these players play at the elite level of Bale or Reus, but we might as well forget about either player (and Ronaldo). For me, the perfect target would be Griezmann, who can play either wide or in a central attacking role. Our attacking play goes nowhere with Rooney at either 10 or 9 and unless we believe Rooney will remain with the club for another three seasons after this season -- a real possibility (or threat!), one supposes -- we have to address the core weakness in the squad as soon as possible.
I'm going to hang my hat on Memphis coming good soon enough and when that happens, and if we can bring in Greizmann, we're suddenly a potent attacking force. Greizmann can step in at 10 or play wide right or left. He's no "jack-of-all trades" but he happens to be very effective as an attacking player in several different roles.
Jesse should be given a genuine chance to prove himself and we'll see what he does with his chance. Juan will be a useful asset against the bus parkers; when we need more speed, such as against a team which plays an open game against us or we need a wise player who can provide useful service in defense, we can sit him down. Young as a solid option coming off the bench. Valencia as a deep sub option.
I don't get this Reus-transfer-talking tbh. This guy is really good but so injury-prone. I wonder why some don't take notice on that? Bale in the summer would be great. A january imcome wouldn't help lingard and Pereira in any way.
I seriously question Memphis' incredible potential. He has no football intelligence whatsoever. I wouldn't mind Mané, he already impressed me last season.
Bale plays for Real Madrid and is one of the worlds best players why do some people not take notice of that. Ronaldo likely leaving or likely not being their nailed on best player as each year passes so to me Bale is another pipe dream.
Me neither. It's obvious that Reus isn't interested in moving to any Premier League club.
Yeah Im not sure about Memphis either. I just havent seen the incredible potential, he has been for me really disappointing so far. Right now I would have Janzaj, Perriera, Lingard, Young and Wilson ahead of him in the pecking order for a spot in the front 3. Hope he comes good soon.
How is he going to with that many players ahead him?
I'm someone who sees a lot of potential in him, and I think he needs to play at least semi-regularly to improve. The fact that he's said to have 'no football intelligence' is definitely amendable. From what I've seen, he seems keen to impress and improve. With match experience, he will adapt to the league, and improve as a player too.
A winger that can cross you mean? What a crazy idea!
Again, dont a lot of those come as a 10?
The quote I read in the local rag was specifically Mata and Lingard were not fast enough and that his first job is to to get some faster wide players.
We need somebody with pace that's all I know. Our play lacks way too much pace at the moment.
You don't come across many of those with his pace, though.
As odd as it sounds a pacey player wont impact that much if the ball is moving slowly from player to player. Also Theo for example was nullified by Fergie and many others as a threat by ensuring he only got the ball from a standing position more so than being played in behind. So infact we are needing a speedy skillful dribbler.
I forgot about Pereira. Does he have the speed Van Gaal says publicly that he needs? Probably not. Still, I'd like to see him given a chance as well. He's got an excellent skill set and a good head about him.
We need to put clubs like West Brom and Watford away early enough in the match so that we can bring on our younger players to what they've got before deciding to invest 50+m on someone else.
We need to put clubs like West Brom and Watford away early enough in the match so that we can bring on our younger players to what they've got before deciding to invest 50+m on someone else.
Ntep is hot and cold, an interesting but very inconsistent player. All the players are average except Bernardo Silva who has a very good potential to develop into a cracking creative player.