And we've started playing with an third CB in defence. You'd think having at least one top CB would be a good idea in this situation...
Mehdi Benatia | Signed for Bayern Munich
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) and Imran (@Annihilate Now!) are here to discuss Amad saving our blushes in a win against Southampton as well as our now annual loss at home to Brighton. They discuss Amorim's post-match comments, revisit how mid-table we may or may not be, and discuss some transfer news.
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And we've started playing with an third CB in defence. You'd think having at least one top CB would be a good idea in this situation...
Faint praise even if true. I would say Jones and Evans ahead of Smalling. And Blackett too, if he progresses as he has so far. But none of them are Rio/Vidic/Stam/Pallister etc are they. And that's the benchmark.
Hopefully Rojo can hit the ground running...
We are playing with fire if we dont get in an experienced CB and CM.... top 4 is by no means assured.
In my opinion top 4 is mission impossible without a few more buys. Even then not assured.
Benatia, Lucas Silva and either Di Maria/Cuadrado should enable us to challenge for the title not just Champions League qualification.
Thats what we should be aiming for.
Ed Woodward.
If we get Blind and Vidal we will get into the the top 4, if we also get Di Maria we would challenge for he title.
I think that would put us in the mix with 4 others. The league just got extremely competitive. I haven't looked at the UEFA rankings for a while but last time I did I was a little concerned that in a few years we may be looking at only the top 3 making into the CL. The English top teams need to pick it up in the CL.
edit: just had a quick look. I was wrong. It was United's ranking that worried me...
6Manchester United
Next year we lose the 36.671 ranking. Let's hope to god we don' have another 0.400 next year!
Having said that, the English teams do need to keep an eye over their shoulders as the French teams improve. Guessing Italian teams are going to decline for a while yet.
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I think that would put us in the mix with 4 others. The league just got extremely competitive. I haven't looked at the UEFA rankings for a while but last time I did I was a little concerned that in a few years we may be looking at only the top 3 making into the CL. The English top teams need to pick it up in the CL.
edit: just had a quick look. I was wrong. It was United's ranking that worried me...
6Manchester UnitedEngland 36.671 16.050 21.285 26.357 0.400 100.764
Next year we lose the 36.671 ranking. Let's hope to god we don' have another 0.400 next year!
Having said that, the English teams do need to keep an eye over their shoulders as the French teams improve. Guessing Italian teams are going to decline for a while yet.
I think LVG is well abreast of the situation, its Woodward that should be submitting bids that are very hard to refuse.
The other top 4 teams have not only immensely strengthened but they all have fantastic coaches...it will be challenging to reach the top four this year....the upper hierarchy of the club does not seem to fully grasp that.
If the various bids in the press are true (I believe very few are) they are quite bizarre. We over bid for up and coming players and under bid for world class players making the bids about the same for each level.
You do know that as it stands, Evans is more "experienced" than Benatia.
I think it's a conscious policy – as in sell on value. And it tells me Woodward/the Glazers don't really understand what they're doing. It may have been fine a few years ago under Fergie, but not now ffs
And are Bayern bidding 30 mill euros for Evans? Perhaps the word should have been 'quality'.
To quote a great man "typical germans"
Bayern get get fecked.
Bayern get get fecked.
This will go the way of Thiago & Kroos if Bayern are in for him, so let's get on to a second target asap.
Kicker in todays print; Bayern clear with Benatia. Talks ongoing with Roma. He is already searching for a house in München.
If Kicker says that then it should be as good as done.
If Kicker says that then it should be as good as done.
FFS...if Rojo/Jones gets injured and we start shipping goals left and right, LVG and Woodie better not start bitching about the quality of the side....they had months to bid £30m+ for Benatia.
Hes talked about moving here before and reckons we're the biggest club in the world. If we pay up i reckon we could get him, only if woody hadn't lost the checkbook.
Perhaps the player simply wasn't interested in joining United under the current circumstances (no CL and an uncertain future). I believe United would have splashed the cash, if given the signal from the player.
Are there quotes? And when are they from i.e. this summer?
Check the OP. From about 2 years ago.
There are quotes from 2 years ago in which he stated he would love to join us.... if Woodward manages to stump up £35M, he will be at Old Trafford, Champions League football or not.
Apart from the Jim White tweet no one has actually said this is happening, right?
And even then that was clearly bullshit as he made reference to him literally being on his way.
And even then that was clearly bullshit as he made reference to him literally being on his way.
Don't be daft, maybe if we offered him a feckload more than at Bayern but he said he'd love to play for United because he was asked about playing for United specifically when we were managed by Ferguson and he was Udinese. It's more than likely he'd much rather play for a brilliant Bayern side than the complete shower that United currently are.
Mate that was only a few days back. Give him time. Ed left Australia on "urgent" transfer business in July last summer and he just about about made it back to Manchester on transfer deadline day to sign Fellani.
2 years ago we were champions - I wouldn't bet on him feeling the same now if bayern come calling.
Lol, that some guys really thought that Woodward could secure a deal, when another topclub is involved
To be fair Bayern's offer jumping from 18 euros to 30m is completely implausible. I don't think they want to spend that much hence looking in Spain as well.
Ron Vlaar it is so
At least we know that this Jim White is a muppet. He should be banned.
Lol, that some guys really thought that Woodward could secure a deal, when another topclub is involved
Give them Fellaini in return?
Apparently Chiriches from Spurs is off to Roma for 8m. Could be some legs in the Benatia move.
yeah he is off to Bayern. I am pretty sure if we would have gone in for Chiriches, Levy would have asked 20m or something like that.
Thought Roma were going for Nastasic who is a better prospect than Chiriches but has some knee problems if I am not wrong. Benatia coming here looks highly unlikely, he will end up at Bayern.
Sorry my post wasn't clear I didn't specifically mean he would be moving to United just that he could be moving. They'd be better off with Nastasic if you ask me I think City are making a big mistake letting him go.
Why stop with our current trend? Why waste money on world class players like Benatia! Ron Vlaar and Danny Blind would be brilliant signings and fit perfectly into our "System".
"Cries"
"Cries"
Doubt there are too many here that feel we dont Need a CB. My post was simply in response to you singling out Smalling as not good enough when he's better than any option bar Evans(discounting rojo). And yeah, none of them are a Rio/Vida/Stam but if that's the level of CB you think we should let them go for, only Silva might make the cut and we'd be selling everyone we have.
Fair enough. I realise most on here disagree with me on Smalling. And I also realise LVG has to be careful how he handles the current squad in general.
Most people seem to think Evans/Smalling/Jones judging by the thread on best current defender. Personally I would swap Jones with Smalling because of his will to win and his work rate – he's a little bit like Gary Nev and there might be a case that you need someone like that.
Maybe people are just trying to focus on the positive with the three. But there are plenty who state that they're good enough – or at least they talk them up and talk about potential – after four or so years of unconvincing displays. Yet they forget that someone like Januzaj cemented his place straight away. We didn't have to wait long to see he made the grade. Ok, defending is different – but not that different. IMO they're not just good enough, not for the first 11 anyway.
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I too rate Jones ahead of Smalling in that whilst hes more risky he can be a better defender. Im not sure based on what i;ve sene in the past few seasons that Smalling, or Jones are good enough for a top four side in themselves. You at least need an experienced world class defender there to develop them and keep them settled.
My concern is that was supposed to be the plan with Vidic and Rio – they were supposed to develop with them. But to my mind they haven't, at least not enough. Should we repeat the process? Isn't that the definition of madness?
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