Fixed it for you.
I know, the only one in the side from this season is Luke Shaw who cannot keep fit, if we bought that lot they might have all settled in after a couple more seasons. We cannot buy all the players being named. I am sure Wayne will be chuffed as hell being on the bench.
Feck me, that's a great post. Serious muppet abilities shown. 10 out of 10.I think the best way forward, if we're going to use the players already at our disposal (Memphis included), is to go for a 4-3-3 with a deep forward. Let's look at the squad we have...
GK: De Gea, Valdes, Lindegaard, Amos
RB: Valencia, Rafael
CB: Rojo, Smalling, Jones, Evans, McNair, Blackett
LB: Shaw, Blind
CM: Carrick, Herrera, Fellaini, Pereira, Cleverley
LW: Young, Memphis, Januzaj
RW: Mata, Di Maria, Nani
ST: Rooney, Van Persie, Hernandez, Wilson
Color-coding:
Black: Very likely to stay. No rumours suggesting otherwise.
Red: Not in Van Gaal's plans, likely to leave.
Orange: Uncertain future. LvG would prefer to keep.
Green: Youngsters. Loan moves likely.
Out of the red players, I would prefer to keep Nani personally. He's been decent for Sporting and seems to have regained a bit of his old mojo. He also plays in a position where we're in need of extra bodies. Di Maria has the potential to be world class there once he finds his form, but his future is uncertain. Mata isn't a right winger at all and is a bit of a mis-match as far as the squad goes. I can't realistically see us fitting him into his strongest position behind the striker, so he's being shoehorned in as a winger right now. In other words, right wing is a problem area. The problem with Nani is that he's a risk-taking winger who will try something spectacular or difficult which will often result in conceding possession. That's not the sort of player Van Gaal wants in his side, unless it's a really good player, which Nani hasn't been for a while. The other red players won't be missed. In total, they have played very little for us this season, mostly due to everyone bar Rafael and Evans being on loan. Evans should be hitting the best form of his career, but seems to be regressing rapidly and Rafael somehow can't recover from one injury before injuring a completely different body part. He broke his face this season. Who does that?
Of the orange players, I'd prefer to keep all of them, and De Gea in particular, but he is looking more and more like a lost cause every day. The other two have been underperforming this season and are taking up a relatively large chunk of our wage budget, but at least in Di Maria's case, it's likely that we'll see much better perfomances from him next year. Van Persie can also do a job as long as we compensate for his limitations in other areas of the pitch, which is what I've been trying to do.
The green players could all benefit from loans. I can easily see Pereira and/or Januzaj going to PSV as part of the Memphis deal, while Blackett definitely needs a season in the Championship or the reserves before he can provide reliable cover for us. Wilson would probably benefit from a season at a lower-placed PL team, but we need backup strikers and right wingers, and Wilson can do both, so it's a judgment call.
Then there's the players in black. Our central defenders are severely injury-ridden. Smalling has taken on the role as leader to a degree this season, but I feel like the defence would benefit from having a player who can provide the consistency and leadership that all great defences are founded on. We're lacking a bit of both at the moment. Valencia is a trusty worker at right back, but lacks the quality you want when challenging for the title. Our left back has looked solid with Blind and Shaw. Some injury problems there, but with Rojo as another option, as well as the odd stint from Young, this is covered quite well.
Our central midfield has two definite starters in Carrick and Herrera, while Fellaini has proven to be a good option when teams won't be broken down by pass-and-move football. Combined with Young's crosses he has bailed us out many times this season. A very valuable tool to have, but not necessarily one we want starting every game, due to his obvious limitations. Young has been one of the performers of the season, as well as the biggest surprise in the league. He'll get a lot of games even with Memphis coming in. I want to see Young take the right wing and pop in crosses without having to do the cutback routine he's been overdoing this season, while Memphis does his thing on the left. Di Maria will also be a decent option if he's still here next season. His pace and ability to carry the ball forward will work on either wing, as well as the midfield if he gets another go there.
Rooney is a definite starter no matter what. I prefer playing him upfront to wasting him in midfield. He hasn't got the quick feet and agility needed to work the midfield role, but his instincts will still see him rack up goals as a striker. Van Persie needs to get a bit of urgency back into his game. He's not as hard-working as Rooney, but makes up for it with his technique. Both lack pace, but both are big and strong and good at holding up play.
I want to see us play a formation like this next season:
Essentially a diamond/4-3-3 hybrid. Rooney acts as a deep forward, creating a diamond of sorts in midfield. Carrick controls the shape of the team and the tempo of the game while Herrera and Di Maria are responsible for carrying the ball forward and doing the leg work, both in possession and when pressing the other team. Rooney mostly plays with his back to the goal and pops up with the odd late run into the box. The wingers are responsible for the quick runs in behind the defence. Look at what Barcelona and Real Madrid are doing at the moment. They're main outlet for goals isn't the centre forward, but rather the wide players. We should be doing the same with the players at our disposal. Mata has been as dangerous as our strikers when it comes to scoring goals, and I'd be surprised Memphis doesn't at least notch up a few, given his record for PSV this season. I feel like Rooney and RVP will both be much more effective as target men with movement around them than as the main goal-scoring threat in the team. Give them the ball up the field and the central midfielders will be available and facing the goal, while the wingers will be making runs in behind. We already have the players to make it work decently. We just need a bit of cover in midfield and possibly a right winger with a tad more pace.
Mata's not a perfect fit for the system, but I have no idea what will happen with Di Maria and Nani. Both could make the right wing spot their own, but they haven't shown it as of late. Otherwise, there's not much doubt in where players fit in.
I want:
Starting RB:
Danilo would have been perfect, but is off the market. Clyne seems the most likely. One of the best in the Premiership this season, young and English. Not many better available options this summer, if any. Alves has been mentioned and Carvajal is the outside shout.
Starting CB:
Fine, so Jones was hilarious yesterday and Rojo made some breath-taking last-ditch efforts, but you want someone who avoids that sort of thing altogether by being in the right place and keeping things under control. Ideally Hummels, if he could stay fit, given his ability on the ball. Godin or Otamendi are better defenders and less injury-prone, though.
Cover for Carrick:
Blind isn't it. Schneiderlin seems to be the Caf favourite and Strootman has the Van Gaal connection. Both would do, but Verratti is a future superstar holding mid for me. He's also an angry little dog with tons of tenacity and bite.
Right wing:
Two different types of players, but the movement and link-up play of Müller or the pace and power of Bale could both be devastating in the system. I've also been toying with the idea of Lacazette playing here. He's got the attributes, but is less proven.
Additional midfielder:
Herrera and Di Maria aren't enough. Di Maria isn't even a sure thing in midfield. Strootman, Schneiderlin and Verratti could all play here too when Carrick starts, but an extra player could be needed. Pogba is the dream. Powerful runs, skilled on the ball, dangerous shot and decent passing and defending. Would fit the role like a glove. Yaya's been taking the piss out of the PL for years and Pogba is his heir. Someone like Gundogan makes sense as a squad player/potential starter, while I have a bit of a boner for Koke and Kovacic too.
Goalkeeper:
Worst case scenario, we could be needing a new one. Cech should be available and we should do what we can. I'd prefer to get the sure thing rather than going for an unproven talent at this point. We can't really afford to add more insecurity at the back. That being said, I like Leno from Leverkusen. He's only 23, but he's the next big thing coming out of Germany in my eyes. Will be battling with Ter Stegen for the #1 spot in Die Mannschaft once Neuer loses his oomph.
Most likely:
Cech, Clyne, Hummels, Schneiderlin, Bale, Gundogan
If I could have anyone:
De Gea stays, Carvajal, Godin, Verratti, Müller, Pogba
That would give this squad next season:
Additional players, barring any sales: Lindegaard, Evans, McNair, Blackett, Powell, Januzaj, Pereira, Wilson, Hernandez, Nani
It makes me moist. Please read my post and make it happen, Woodward.
I think the best way forward, if we're going to use the players already at our disposal (Memphis included), is to go for a 4-3-3 with a deep forward. Let's look at the squad we have...
GK: De Gea, Valdes, Lindegaard, Amos
RB: Valencia, Rafael
CB: Rojo, Smalling, Jones, Evans, McNair, Blackett
LB: Shaw, Blind
CM: Carrick, Herrera, Fellaini, Pereira, Cleverley
LW: Young, Memphis, Januzaj
RW: Mata, Di Maria, Nani
ST: Rooney, Van Persie, Hernandez, Wilson
Color-coding:
Black: Very likely to stay. No rumours suggesting otherwise.
Red: Not in Van Gaal's plans, likely to leave.
Orange: Uncertain future. LvG would prefer to keep.
Green: Youngsters. Loan moves likely.
Out of the red players, I would prefer to keep Nani personally. He's been decent for Sporting and seems to have regained a bit of his old mojo. He also plays in a position where we're in need of extra bodies. Di Maria has the potential to be world class there once he finds his form, but his future is uncertain. Mata isn't a right winger at all and is a bit of a mis-match as far as the squad goes. I can't realistically see us fitting him into his strongest position behind the striker, so he's being shoehorned in as a winger right now. In other words, right wing is a problem area. The problem with Nani is that he's a risk-taking winger who will try something spectacular or difficult which will often result in conceding possession. That's not the sort of player Van Gaal wants in his side, unless it's a really good player, which Nani hasn't been for a while. The other red players won't be missed. In total, they have played very little for us this season, mostly due to everyone bar Rafael and Evans being on loan. Evans should be hitting the best form of his career, but seems to be regressing rapidly and Rafael somehow can't recover from one injury before injuring a completely different body part. He broke his face this season. Who does that?
Of the orange players, I'd prefer to keep all of them, and De Gea in particular, but he is looking more and more like a lost cause every day. The other two have been underperforming this season and are taking up a relatively large chunk of our wage budget, but at least in Di Maria's case, it's likely that we'll see much better perfomances from him next year. Van Persie can also do a job as long as we compensate for his limitations in other areas of the pitch, which is what I've been trying to do.
The green players could all benefit from loans. I can easily see Pereira and/or Januzaj going to PSV as part of the Memphis deal, while Blackett definitely needs a season in the Championship or the reserves before he can provide reliable cover for us. Wilson would probably benefit from a season at a lower-placed PL team, but we need backup strikers and right wingers, and Wilson can do both, so it's a judgment call.
Then there's the players in black. Our central defenders are severely injury-ridden. Smalling has taken on the role as leader to a degree this season, but I feel like the defence would benefit from having a player who can provide the consistency and leadership that all great defences are founded on. We're lacking a bit of both at the moment. Valencia is a trusty worker at right back, but lacks the quality you want when challenging for the title. Our left back has looked solid with Blind and Shaw. Some injury problems there, but with Rojo as another option, as well as the odd stint from Young, this is covered quite well.
Our central midfield has two definite starters in Carrick and Herrera, while Fellaini has proven to be a good option when teams won't be broken down by pass-and-move football. Combined with Young's crosses he has bailed us out many times this season. A very valuable tool to have, but not necessarily one we want starting every game, due to his obvious limitations. Young has been one of the performers of the season, as well as the biggest surprise in the league. He'll get a lot of games even with Memphis coming in. I want to see Young take the right wing and pop in crosses without having to do the cutback routine he's been overdoing this season, while Memphis does his thing on the left. Di Maria will also be a decent option if he's still here next season. His pace and ability to carry the ball forward will work on either wing, as well as the midfield if he gets another go there.
Rooney is a definite starter no matter what. I prefer playing him upfront to wasting him in midfield. He hasn't got the quick feet and agility needed to work the midfield role, but his instincts will still see him rack up goals as a striker. Van Persie needs to get a bit of urgency back into his game. He's not as hard-working as Rooney, but makes up for it with his technique. Both lack pace, but both are big and strong and good at holding up play.
I want to see us play a formation like this next season:
Essentially a diamond/4-3-3 hybrid. Rooney acts as a deep forward, creating a diamond of sorts in midfield. Carrick controls the shape of the team and the tempo of the game while Herrera and Di Maria are responsible for carrying the ball forward and doing the leg work, both in possession and when pressing the other team. Rooney mostly plays with his back to the goal and pops up with the odd late run into the box. The wingers are responsible for the quick runs in behind the defence. Look at what Barcelona and Real Madrid are doing at the moment. They're main outlet for goals isn't the centre forward, but rather the wide players. We should be doing the same with the players at our disposal. Mata has been as dangerous as our strikers when it comes to scoring goals, and I'd be surprised Memphis doesn't at least notch up a few, given his record for PSV this season. I feel like Rooney and RVP will both be much more effective as target men with movement around them than as the main goal-scoring threat in the team. Give them the ball up the field and the central midfielders will be available and facing the goal, while the wingers will be making runs in behind. We already have the players to make it work decently. We just need a bit of cover in midfield and possibly a right winger with a tad more pace.
Mata's not a perfect fit for the system, but I have no idea what will happen with Di Maria and Nani. Both could make the right wing spot their own, but they haven't shown it as of late. Otherwise, there's not much doubt in where players fit in.
I want:
Starting RB:
Danilo would have been perfect, but is off the market. Clyne seems the most likely. One of the best in the Premiership this season, young and English. Not many better available options this summer, if any. Alves has been mentioned and Carvajal is the outside shout.
Starting CB:
Fine, so Jones was hilarious yesterday and Rojo made some breath-taking last-ditch efforts, but you want someone who avoids that sort of thing altogether by being in the right place and keeping things under control. Ideally Hummels, if he could stay fit, given his ability on the ball. Godin or Otamendi are better defenders and less injury-prone, though.
Cover for Carrick:
Blind isn't it. Schneiderlin seems to be the Caf favourite and Strootman has the Van Gaal connection. Both would do, but Verratti is a future superstar holding mid for me. He's also an angry little dog with tons of tenacity and bite.
Right wing:
Two different types of players, but the movement and link-up play of Müller or the pace and power of Bale could both be devastating in the system. I've also been toying with the idea of Lacazette playing here. He's got the attributes, but is less proven.
Additional midfielder:
Herrera and Di Maria aren't enough. Di Maria isn't even a sure thing in midfield. Strootman, Schneiderlin and Verratti could all play here too when Carrick starts, but an extra player could be needed. Pogba is the dream. Powerful runs, skilled on the ball, dangerous shot and decent passing and defending. Would fit the role like a glove. Yaya's been taking the piss out of the PL for years and Pogba is his heir. Someone like Gundogan makes sense as a squad player/potential starter, while I have a bit of a boner for Koke and Kovacic too.
Goalkeeper:
Worst case scenario, we could be needing a new one. Cech should be available and we should do what we can. I'd prefer to get the sure thing rather than going for an unproven talent at this point. We can't really afford to add more insecurity at the back. That being said, I like Leno from Leverkusen. He's only 23, but he's the next big thing coming out of Germany in my eyes. Will be battling with Ter Stegen for the #1 spot in Die Mannschaft once Neuer loses his oomph.
Most likely:
Cech, Clyne, Hummels, Schneiderlin, Bale, Gundogan
If I could have anyone:
De Gea stays, Carvajal, Godin, Verratti, Müller, Pogba
That would give this squad next season:
Additional players, barring any sales: Lindegaard, Evans, McNair, Blackett, Powell, Januzaj, Pereira, Wilson, Hernandez, Nani
It makes me moist. Please read my post and make it happen, Woodward.
It's a lot more potent than what we've currently got. The wingers would be cutting in, which gives you three players capable of scoring goals up front. Having one player who smashes in a tonne of goals every season isn't necessarily better than spreading the goals out across the front line.
MataMan my muppet offering feels so shallow now.
I think we know regardless of what happens Rooney will start almost every game next season if fit, so with that in mind I think LvG will either opt for 2 new CM's or 1 CM and 1 striker as he has to keep that AM#10 role for Rooney if he buys a top striker.
Never mind the players picked, basically just an example of each choice.
I'd rather we got rid of Mata, even though he's a much more likeable player than most in our squad. He doesn't really fit it and he's not good enough to warrant a change of the system.
Khedira isn't really a CDM. He is much more box to box.
