If there was a quality centre-half available we'd have signed him in the summer. There's no point spending unless it's a definite improvement on our current options.
Okay then, what quality centre-half was available in the summer? Hummels clearly wasn't, and I'm pretty confident we pushed hard for him.That's nonsense. Money talks, except United chose to blow it all largely on attacking players that you didn't need anywhere near as much as you needed to improve on defence and CM.
Let's go mental and sign Garay, Coleman, Strootman, Subotic and Ronaldo in the next two windows
De Gea
Coleman/Subotic/Garay/Shaw
Strootman/Blind
Herrera
Di Maria/Falcao/Ronaldo
With Rojo, Mata, Carrick, RvP and Rooney as back up!
Okay then, what quality centre-half was available in the summer? Hummels clearly wasn't, and I'm pretty confident we pushed hard for him.
My point remains, there were no quality available centre-halves in the summer. I'm confident we'd have spent big on a quality defender had one been available! It was well within our means to spend a hell of a lot more, you do realise this?Look, you spent £64m on Di Maria + £6m loan fee for Falcao.... and you've committed a vast amount of wages on both.
The notion that you couldn't have signed a top-notch CB (and a top-notch CM) for that amount of money - not to mention the £45m you've spent on Herrera and Blind - simply lack all credibility.
Would be nice but we're not a bottomless pit, that would all add up to about £200 million including the Falcao fee.
Would settle for Garay, and Strootman personally, plus Cuadrado, or Reus so we can go 4-3-3, then if we sign Falcao i'd be happy to see one of RvP, Rooney, or Mata go to pay for it.
In My opinion Diego Godin would be absolutely ideal for us. We're crying out for someone like him at the heart of our defense.
Okay then, what quality centre-half was available in the summer? Hummels clearly wasn't, and I'm pretty confident we pushed hard for him.
Benatia wanted Champions League football anyway so he wasn't an option. As for the others, van Gaal either didn't believe they'd be an improvement on current options, which is definitely the case with some you've mentioned, or they simply didn't fancy the move. We spent massive money this summer, and could have spent a lot more. The reason we didn't bring in a top quality centre-half is because none were available to us.Sorry to butt in, but there was Godin, Mangala, Garay, Benatia, who imo we could have easily got, if we'd wanted to take the cheaper option there was Di Vrij, Vlaar, Caulker, or dare I say it Lescott who could have come in, people would have sneered but i'd have them now, even players like Ashley Williams, Shawcross, or Hangleland could have done a better job for us, and given us cover.
Godin is a year younger than Vlaar and is absolutely tailor made for EPL football.Has enjoyed an incredible year, his age and lack of Premier League experience would put me off though. Wouldn't be surprised to see us move for Vlaar in January, I'm serious.
Atleti won't sell anyway.Godin is a year younger than Vlaar and is absolutely tailor made for EPL football.
My point remains, there were no quality available centre-halves in the summer. I'm confident we'd have spent big on a quality defender had one been available! It was well within our means to spend a hell of a lot more, you do realise this?
Benatia wanted Champions League football anyway so he wasn't an option. As for the others, van Gaal either didn't believe they'd be an improvement on current options, which is definitely the case with some you've mentioned, or they simply didn't fancy the move. We spent massive money this summer, and could have spent a lot more. The reason we didn't bring in a top quality centre-half is because none were available to us.
That's a load of shite and you know it.Almost any player suddenly becomes 'available' if huge sums are offered to both club and player: the history of transfer deals shows this. The United management team got their priorities wrong, just as they've been doing for some time now.
There are many, many CBs in the world who are better than Smalling and Evans (for example), so the 'none available' argument doesn't wash. Even Joleon Lescott is better and he was free.
That's a load of shite and you know it.
Evans and Smalling are good, doesn't take any smarts to come to that conclusion, just not top quality.It really isn't. You're going to ship a bucket-load of goals this season ... but I'm sure you'll keep telling yourself that Evans and Smalling are good.
Atleti won't sell anyway.
According to Sport witness United representatives were back at Sporting.
I thought we had spent fairly big on a quality centre back in Rojo???? (thats what Im hoping turns out to be the case anyway)My point remains, there were no quality available centre-halves in the summer. I'm confident we'd have spent big on a quality defender had one been available! It was well within our means to spend a hell of a lot more, you do realise this?
We need someone from EPL. That would be ideal.
Who's good enough and available?
We need someone from EPL. That would be ideal.
Who's good enough and available?
Stones - Everton must need money for their new stadiumIf you believe the press, Vlaar would seem the obvious candidate.
We will not sign new players in January transfer window. The only possibility that we sign someone is if more than 2 of our 5 CB's are injured at that time.
Stones will be a great defender but is he really much better than what we have now? We need someone with plenty of experience and leadership to come in, regardless of age IMO.Stones - Everton must need money for their new stadium
Vertongen - If Spurs are up for sale then surely players must be as well (plus they need cash for their new stadium)
and yes Vlaar who is probably available for a lot less money than the other two plus has of course worked under LVG (though vertongen has Ajax experience so should "understand the philospohy")
I understand why people like PL experience due to the pace and power of the leage but the BL is close in these aspects so there is subutoc / sokrates (Dortmund might sell one of them if not Hummles) potentially Dante now Benaita, Boatang and Badstuber are available at Bayern, and one of my favourite options who if the money is right is surely getable is Rudiger.
Okay then, what quality centre-half was available in the summer? Hummels clearly wasn't, and I'm pretty confident we pushed hard for him.
Benatia wanted Champions League football.Benatia was one of Serie A's best defenders and he was available all summer as was miranda.
based on sunday yes he is though I take your point about experience - still if we dont get him whilst he is available we may never be able to get him fron a chelsea / arsenal etc if they take the opportunity - and I certainly dont think he would weaken our defence right nowStones will be a great defender but is he really much better than what we have now? We need someone with plenty of experience and leadership to come in, regardless of age IMO.
Benatia wanted Champions League football.
Benatia wanted Champions League football.He was available all summer for around £35M but no one wanted to pay it.... until Bastuber got injured and Bayern decided to pony up.
We really should have prioritized the money to get him instead of Falcao.
Benatia wanted Champions League football.
He never wanted to leave Roma, it was only when we was told he'd have to be sold that he entertained the idea. He turned down City, Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid according to him, you really think we'd have had a chance? He wanted Champions League football. He also complained about Munich being cold on signing, but keep telling yourself he was an option.If we seriously bid before Bayern, we would have most likely gotten him.. Champs League or not.
Sorry to butt in, but there was Godin, Mangala, Garay, Benatia, who imo we could have easily got, if we'd wanted to take the cheaper option there was Di Vrij, Vlaar, Caulker, or dare I say it Lescott who could have come in, people would have sneered but i'd have them now, even players like Ashley Williams, Shawcross, or Hangleland could have done a better job for us, and given us cover.
Grass is greener piss. Caulker is horrific and will help relegate another team that wasted beans on him. Stoke concede more goals than United and Shawcross plays every week. Williams is poor and would look like a mug at the top level and Hangeland would look like a total embarrassment in a line as high as ours. Di Vrij isn't very good either, and Vlaar has performed abhorrently during his time in the Premier League. Our defenders are better, have had better games against top attackers both domestically and in Europe and have had a multitude of good to great games at the club, of course, all of which can be roundly forgotten after an anomaly of a game against Leicester. The only things that stand in favour of average players such as the ones you mention - and even Garay has yet to fully convince - is their fitness records.
Who moves out of your current CB's:
Rojo (obviously not him as he's new)
Smalling?
Jones?
Evans?
There are already four CB's at the club, will Jones move to CM or maybe Smalling out to RB?
If United sign a CB I'm tipping one of the above will be moved on come season's end. Possibly two, depending on how many games they get.
