We've brought 7 players and despite not all of them were great the world didn't imploded. Actually we improved on the year before. This year it will be easier because (according to my team) we would have only the RB position were we'll absolutely need to play a new player from day 1. We can afford giving time to our players. Young can play first teamer instead of Depay, Smalling and Jones can do the same for Oramendi and Laporte, Di Maria for Bale etc, Carrick/Fellaini for Gundogan/Schneiderlin etc. Hopefully all players will settle down quickly and prove their worth...
The world didn't implode last season but we had the definition of a transitional season. We didn't compete for any trophies throughout the season, despite having far more rest than our rivals. The reason for this was our abysmal start which was hampered by players settling in, players learning what Van Gaal required of them and injuries. The absolute last thing we need is for half our squad to be settling in and learning Van Gaal's style of play again. If we take this route we'll again be delaying our chances of winning anything by another year.
You say we could transition them into the team. Sitting on the bench for a couple of months isn't going to help 7-8 new players adapt to the Premier league. The only way they'll adapt is to consistently play and during this period the chances are they'll make a lot of mistakes whilst adapting. Could we drop them in favour of Smalling/Jones etc after they make mistakes? Absolutely but that isn't going to do their confidence any favours and will just leave us back to square one.
You can't assemble a strong squad by throwing money at 15 different player's from several different league's in 12 months and expect to have a great team.
Rest assured we would have less chance of a transition period if we bring the quality players we need rather then relying on players who are either not very good or they vanish in the treatment room after 5 straight games or else both. One hint, we've got more chance of actually winning the game if we've got Laporte in defense than Blackett.
Give me an example of a team that's changed half their squad in 12 months and has gone on to do really well? The closest I can think was Chelsea after Abramovich took over which took them 2 years and that was when competition was poor in comparison.
Obviously your example is completely disingenuous. A more apt comparison would be Laporte and Smalling, as the former isn't coming in to replace our 6th choice centre back. Again I'd say in the first season in English Football we'd have less of a chance of silverware with Otamendi/Laporte than Otamendi/Smalling because having a player who knows the League, knows the system and is settled would be a huge benefit to those around him.
That speak volumes of the quality of the player isn't it? You see fullbacks moved upfront because they've got too much quality to be relegated as fullbacks but you rarely see wingers being converted as fullbacks, at least not at Valencia's age...
I'm not arguing whether we need an upgrade on Valencia, that's obvious and our main priority. I'm arguing the statement that "he's a winger". As a full back he's comparable with most back up player's, in an attacking sense I don't think he's offered anything that would put him above Championship level in a few years. As it stands he's a decent back-up full back, not a winger.
I am pretty sure that the neutrals would rather have Jovetic or Cuadrado than Valencia TBH. Anyway apart from Valencia none of the players you've mentioned would be sold. We're just bringing in some competition for their roles. If they are good enough than they can easily keep their first team place.
I'd much prefer a versatile player that can come into the team and work hard and do a job, rather than a player who spends 6 months a year on the treatment table.
Hence why I wouldn't sell Fellaini, Young etc. Have you read my squad list?
The problem with your list is that you have several players who'll expect squad rotation who won't even make our bench. The team you posted would have Valencia, Smalling, Jones, McNair, Blind, Carrick, Young, Fellaini, RVP, Hernandez, Nani, Rojo all fighting for 6 slots on the bench. A player who's had a good season and we've only just bought in Blind would be relegated to 3rd choice DM/LB. Again total fantasy that Van Gaal would effectively bin him after 12 months.
Johnsen was a first teamer in the treble winning run. Wes made 13 appearances for the first team and no Smalling is nowhere near to Wes and Johnsen.
I made a slight error. Only Stam, Johnson, Neville & Irwin made a meaningful contribution that season. Brown/May/Berg started less than 30 games between them. Their contribution was a footnote to the season as best. I disagree about the Smalling assessment: Stam, Schmeichel, Irwin and Neville were the reason our defence was so great that year. You put Smalling next to those 4 player's and he'd look phenomenal. Jonny Evans looked great next to VDS, Ferdinand, Vidic & Evra and Smalling is a far better player than Evans.
We will have an injury crisis in defense with the current defense. We always do. Hence why we need to buy.
Which is why we should replace Evans with a defender with a great injury record. Having Rojo, Smalling, Jones, A.N. Other and McNair is enough cover.
I said sticking to old players. Also that policy was criticized by Scholes himself who said that something must be terribly wrong when your best CMs are at the wrong end of their 30s (referring to Giggs and himself)
I am proposing a phasing out of a quality player over a couple of seasons, rather than replacing him. If we have 7 versatile players all fighting for 3 positions at least one of them will not get a game. Again it's about balance and either Carrick, Fellaini or Blind will never play if we're that well stocked.
A more balanced approach would be Schneiderlin comes in this season so we have Fellaini/Schneiderlin/Blind/Carrick who fight for 2 positions. Then dependent on a) Fellaini's form; and b) Carrick's fitness we go all out for a quality midfielder next Summer when the likes of Pogba/Verratti may be available.
With your approach when a truly world class player becomes available we either bin a player we bought 12 months earlier to accommodate them or pass up the opportunity. That'd be stupid in my opinion.
Where did you say you'd bring in 8 players?
Leno, Alves, Darmian, Otamendi, Laporte, Schneiderlin, Gundogan, Bale...
Or do you mean where did you say they'd magically fit in? Well you had 7 of our starting XI changing and said "That team would be competitive". Assuming you meant for a Premier League/Champions League title then I think you're naive. Players don't just perform like stats on a spreadsheet. As I've said I don't think that team would be competitive next season as the sheer level of upheaval would mean another transitional season.
Well Alves, Carrick and RVP are on their 30s. If they dont like the bench than they are free to leave next year and join Sunderland. I also see nothing wrong in a top club to have the likes of Jones, Smalling, Fellaini, Hernandez and Blind on the bench. They are hardly world class players. Also I am pretty sure that the club will survive the selling of Mcnair, Blackett, Rafael and Evans (do the last two still exist?) and Nani...
I agree with you that Blackett, Januzaj, Evans and either Rafael or Valencia shouldn't have a role to play next season. They should either be loaned out in the case of the former two players or sold. However the sheer amount of signings you're suggesting won't just condemn players to the bench, it'd condemn them to the stands. In some cases you're signing a player just to force out other talented players, not thinking about the impact of constantly changing the side to accommodate players who'll want to play. This is before you even think about the unrealistic £250m budget that would be required to fund this spending spree.
Either well it's pretty academic as no manager in world football would follow your policy.
) to 6 for me.