"Marquee" signings vs "Potential" signings

golden_blunder said:
so in theory some of you lot wouldnt take a 29 year old Messi?
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You can obviously take any principle and come up with an extreme example to contradict it. A 29 year old Messi would be fantastic, nobody would say no to that.

But would I rather we spent £80m on a 29 year old Messi, or £80m on two extremely talented players in their early 20s? Pogba and someone else along those lines? I may well go for the latter to be honest.
 
Highly dependable on the situation I'd say. When you've already got a worldclass/older player in a position I'd rather see talented backup who could learn and grow into the role as backup, when we've already got backup I got no problem with buying a marquee player who is exactly what we need. It's about what is best for the team and that should always be balance and good cover, I don't think one or the other is better. Signing 30yr+ players can also be for the longterm if it's done when the club expects some youth players to make a step up soon, they would also add some experience to our fairly young squad. Replacing them again in 2 years time won't be a problem as our spine of the team should be older and have their starting places.

It's more fun to follow young players develop trough their carreer, but I don't mind muppet season either. Anyways we've already got the best potential signing this window :drool:
 
A mix even though thats sitting on the fence..
Potential helps us long term and its exciting to see them grow with our team (before Madrid take them)

But when Falcao and Di Maria were signed, this whole place went mental. :D It was exciting to see.
 
As I've said in previous threads, LVG isn't interested in signing someone who has potential to be a good player in 3 or 4 seasons, he's looking for players who will come good this coming season and the season after, and rightly so.

From his perspective, what's the point in setting up a team full of potential for them to never realise it under his tutelage? For our next manager to come in a win trophies? Why should he do that? He's got two seasons left on his contract and if United don't win the league in his time here everyone will consider his time here a failure.

I do enjoy an exciting young prospect as much as the next person but I'd rather we won the league next season and if that means signing Ramos, Schweinsteiger and anyone else knocking 30, then that suits me fine.
 
crossy1686 said:
As I've said in previous threads, LVG isn't interested in signing someone who has potential to be a good player in 3 or 4 seasons, he's looking for players who will come good this coming season and the season after, and rightly so.

From his perspective, what's the point in setting up a team full of potential for them to never realise it under his tutelage? For our next manager to come in a win trophies? Why should he do that? He's got two seasons left on his contract and if United don't win the league in his time here everyone will consider his time here a failure.

I do enjoy an exciting young prospect as much as the next person but I'd rather we won the league next season and if that means signing Ramos, Schweinsteiger and anyone else knocking 30, then that suits me fine.
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I obviously have no special insight into Van Gaal's thinking about things but this is not my understanding of the way he operates, and looking back at his time at his former clubs the evidence suggests he does indeed take great pleasure in bringing through young talent. Many players got a break under him as kids and went on to fulfill their potential under other managers, Schweinsteiger being one of the famous examples.

I agree with you that he needs people who will be good in the next couple of seasons, not people who wont come good at all until after he's gone. But these things dont happen overnight, they are a process. I would imagine he would be more than happy to bring in players he can mould into good players, who will be useful in the next couple of years, who will then continue to improve and peak 4 or 5 years down the line. He's done it many times before and taken credit for it, so I dont see why he wouldnt again. If he has an eye on his legacy, it would add to an already lengthly list of stars who benefited from his tutelage.
 
I like the potential signings to be honest - those hungry to win stuff and who grow into the team and winning stuff.

You need the established marquee signings who've been there and done that too though - you need the balance.
We probably need some marquee signings atm really.
 
Always need a combination. Marquee signings need to have the right attitude to go with their experience though, or the potential of your younger players runs the risk of being corrupted.
 
I'd feel a lot better about the marquee signings if it felt as though they were calculated, planned decisions with a clear outline of what they will bring to the 1st team. At the moment it feels as though Ed is running around Europe blindfolded with a big stick like a fat kid after a pinata.

A large amount of that is media bollocks and agent feckarsery though. It might be time somebody from the club came out publicly and shamed a few of these Journos and agents before this more money than sense image begins to seriously hamper us.
 
I'd rather the potential signings although it needs to be calculated potential. The likes of Rio, Rooney, De Gea, Ronaldo etc who were young at the time but clearly one of the best for their age range and position, like with Depay at the moment. These lads have the desire to win trophies, to develop into the best players in the world whereas the marquee signings have already been there and done it and most of them time they associate their career with the previous team meaning a lack of motivation and them not repeating their previous feats.

But then there is the other potential where it's just a get lucky buy like Manucho, Liam Miller, Hernandez, Bebe etc. These rarely work but every now and again, one does come off and contributes to the team i.e. Hernandez & Vidic. These are more risky buys as they are not associated as top talents but there is something there and they have been playing well in inferior leagues.

But again we have "argubably" wasted a decent amount of money on potential who have played for us and contributed but never quite reached the heights they should of i.e. Anderson, Nani, Jones (?) etc.
 
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