Our Transfer Strategy This Summer

[dave2528]

Why in the name of all that is good and right would we even think of getting rid of Nani, Evra, or Berbatov?

Nani is just now coming good, and it makes absolutely no sense that he would want away from the club, or that we would want to sell.

Evra just needs time away from football to recharge his batteries.

Berbatov still has a role to play here, and was instrumental in us winning the league this year. I see this as nothing more than creating smoke where there is no fire.

 

[Sarni]

All year you've been harping on how we've got to face reality about our transfer plans the coming years like a broken record, and now you're on about getting Reina.

He might not be that expensive, doesn't he have one or two years left on his current contract? And I said that I can see us spending big on a goalkeeper if he is certain to succeed, Reina definitely is a safe option. Besides, we will have the money from the sale of Kuszczak and possibly a few other players. But yes, Reina is a very unrealistic target, I just pointed out his name as a possibility, i.e. we might go after someone that hasn't been linked with us all that much. Buffon is another possibility.

I still maintain that we will not spend big in the Summer and our net spending will be insignificant.

 

[Chrisjn]

Some of the posts in this thread were funny.

Apologise for the word definite. I guess I meant definite in my view - but it should have read probable.

The only two 'surprises' I feel would be these guys:

Berbatov
Nani


I feel Berbatov wants to stay and has already proved that he can be useful in unpicking defences and scoring goals. Not convinced he'll stay though.

Of Nani - he's had lots of assists and scored a few goals. I'm not saying SAF will pack his bags for him but if Inter were saying that's the only way we coud get Schneijder SAF would have to make a decision. My feeling is that I don't find him to be a team player and as we have Valencia on the right most of the time I noticed this season that Nani towards the end of the season lacked the final ball. Was showing skills - but final ball lacking. SAF could make the decision and get someone who contributes more to the team.

He may not - who knows?

One player I left out of my original post. Adel Taraabt. SAF likes these kind of players! We'll see.

So SAF is gonna sell Nani and sign Taraabt.

 

[Wan]

All year you've been harping on how we've got to face reality about our transfer plans the coming years like a broken record, and now you're on about getting Reina.

Sarni will claim that it's all funded by Ronaldo's transfer money.

 

[Sarni]

Sarni will claim that it's all funded by Ronaldo's transfer money.

Football club funding their transfers from money they receive for departed players, yes indeed it's an outrageous claim.

What I've been saying for a while is that we will not go and spend heavy money, City or Chelsea like, to rebuild our team because we don't have that kind of money. We also don't have the money to compete with City for certain players. What we have been doing basically ever since Glazers arrived, with one or two exceptions, is to find talented players and move for them early on to secure their signatures before someone else snaps them up. We have also been offloading players at very good prices, which helped us to fund these players because I do not believe at all in the £30m a year transfer kitty given to us by owners.

There is nothing wrong at all with how we have been operating. We are run as a business and we are expected to be profitable, so it's only reasonable that we will look at cheaper alternatives and be sensible about our moves. I don't expect us to go out and buy recognized players at very high prices because we cannot do that with City, Chelsea and to some extent Barcelona and Real Madrid around, it's a recipe for a disaster. We have chosen another path and it is working well.

The only real issue I have is that we are not moving for a midfielder, and have not been for a while. I think the reason for that is a mixture between Ferguson putting faith in our current personnel and the lack of a truly class midfielder available at a decent price in the market (hence there is no value in the market comments). When you look at transfers from the past two or three years there has been very few midfielders available who would improve us. If we had £150m to spend like City have we would have probably got someone like Modric by now but we cannot do that, perhaps this is the year to bring him or someone alike, especially as Tottenham will miss out on Europe, but I'm not sure it will happen becaue a few other clubs are looking for the same kind of player.

To be fair I am tired of explaining myself on this subject. Plenty of other people hold the same opinion, though I admittedly talk about this more because I spend a fair amount of time in here, perhaps too much which is why I have been trying to cut back on it lately.

 

[tintedsepia]

Are you like, on acid?

Silva - it's not like he's never made a decision before:-

Ince, Kanchelskis, Beckham, van Nistlerooj, Ronaldo, Stam

 

[tintedsepia]

One thing on the full back front.

I don't see Evra going anywhere. He just signed a new contract. However, it is interesting that Fabio has got the games under his belt at Right Back rather than what we all thought was his best position - Left Back. to that end it looks like we have 2 Right Backs that will go on to beocme world class - the da Silvas.

SAF may decide he wants a back up Left Back.

 

[massey]

One thing on the full back front.

I don't see Evra going anywhere. He just signed a new contract. However, it is interesting that Fabio has got the games under his belt at Right Back rather than what we all thought was his best position - Left Back. to that end it looks like we have 2 Right Backs that will go on to beocme world class - the da Silvas.

SAF may decide he wants a back up Left Back.

Fabio has played very well lately must be said and at the moment looks a bit more composed than His brother.But they are young and will both go on to be important players for us at right and left back I imagine.I doubt fergie will get another left back seeing as fabio and o'shea can cover for evra when needed and the extra player would just be surplus and hinder the chances of the youngsters if anything.

 

[tintedsepia]

So SAF is gonna sell Nani and sign Taraabt.

Why do you try to distill a whole transfer strategy down into a single sentence?

Transfers aren't as simple as that. I'm not saying that remotely. I'm sure he's had a look at Taraabt. Sources at QPR said there was interest there in January and Taraabt wanted to go - he's captain at QPR.

Not saying he's definitely going to sell Nani. Merely that it is possible. It is possible Nani wants to go somewhere with a guarantee of First Team Football where he can (in his own words) 'express himself' rather than 'calm things down for the benefit of the team'. I don't know what his thinking is.

Just raising a discussion - but I don't think our transfer strategy is as simple this season as 'we're definitely going to do x, y, or z'.

It is clear we're losing quite a few players this season and SAF himself says we're looking at bringing in 2 or 3 players but this has been planned for quite a few seasons ago when SAF highlighted the fact that Neville, VDS, Scholes, & Giggs retired and we'd need money for that.

We may not get these players, the clubs may not want to sell, players may want all sorts of guarantees, clubs may want too much money, other clubs may offer more money etc.

So to boil things back down into a simple sentence is not always helpful.

 

[Moriarty]

Where on Earth has anyone got the idea from that Nani is going?

It has been doing the rounds for a while now but I've never seen any sources being quoted. Just hacks making things up probably as I doubt that Nani's going anywhere.

 

[apotheosis]

Football club funding their transfers from money they receive for departed players, yes indeed it's an outrageous claim.

What I've been saying for a while is that we will not go and spend heavy money, City or Chelsea like, to rebuild our team because we don't have that kind of money. We also don't have the money to compete with City for certain players. What we have been doing basically ever since Glazers arrived, with one or two exceptions, is to find talented players and move for them early on to secure their signatures before someone else snaps them up. We have also been offloading players at very good prices, which helped us to fund these players because I do not believe at all in the £30m a year transfer kitty given to us by owners.



There is nothing wrong at all with how we have been operating. We are run as a business and we are expected to be profitable, so it's only reasonable that we will look at cheaper alternatives and be sensible about our moves. I don't expect us to go out and buy recognized players at very high prices because we cannot do that with City, Chelsea and to some extent Barcelona and Real Madrid around, it's a recipe for a disaster. We have chosen another path and it is working well.

The only real issue I have is that we are not moving for a midfielder, and have not been for a while. I think the reason for that is a mixture between Ferguson putting faith in our current personnel and the lack of a truly class midfielder available at a decent price in the market (hence there is no value in the market comments). When you look at transfers from the past two or three years there has been very few midfielders available who would improve us. If we had £150m to spend like City have we would have probably got someone like Modric by now but we cannot do that, perhaps this is the year to bring him or someone alike, especially as Tottenham will miss out on Europe, but I'm not sure it will happen becaue a few other clubs are looking for the same kind of player.

To be fair I am tired of explaining myself on this subject. Plenty of other people hold the same opinion, though I admittedly talk about this more because I spend a fair amount of time in here, perhaps too much which is why I have been trying to cut back on it lately.

TBH i have shared a similar view ever since Ronaldo and Tevez left. The season after we were short up front, and the midfield started to lose form rapidly. I believed we surely had to buy a decent midfielder at the start of this season. Instead SAF bought the striker we needed imo the season before, and we have become more potent than last year as a result.

This summer is now the time for all such speculation to be put to bed one way or the other. I am still far from convinced that we will spend £30-£40m on either Sneijder or Modric, but the fact we have been linked so heavily with those 2 in particular is giving me a little more cause for optimism.

I still can't make my mind up whether or not we have got the type of resources to spend £40m on one player, if that was all SAF believed we needed. However it is widely accepted we will probably spend at least £15-20m on a keeper, i also believe we could benefit from a defensive minded and combative CM as well as some creativity.

The names being mentioned combined would cost a lot of money, but if we are not in for marquis names who is there really who would be significantly better than what we have? If not Sanchez maybe Young? If not Rodwell then Parker? Adam instead of Modric or Sneijder? De Gea or Stekelenburg?

One selection is undoubtedly cheaper than the other, but i don't think they will be as cheap as some seem to think, therefore we still may end up paying significant sums without the guarantee of proven quality we need at the highest level. The truth is everybody is being overpriced these days, the market has changed, and how we continue to operate within it will hopefully be better determined this summer.

 

[Aaron]

if you're going to play the transfer game and speculate we'll sign major players, at least have the common sense to say that chances are it'll mean at least one, being moved on.

I despise this acceptance that we'll sign players but give the look as if the person who suggests people who might go is the person who invented cancer. It's infuriating.

We all want nobody to leave. We all want loads of world class players to sign. But it's not awfully realistic.

Instead it's "we'll sign everyone and sell nobody. Ever, nobody who is ever any good will ever leave. Absolutely not."

If that's the attitude don't bother to play.

 

[MadDogg]

if you're going to play the transfer game and speculate we'll sign major players, at least have the common sense to say that chances are it'll mean at least one, being moved on.

I despise this acceptance that we'll sign players but give the look as if the person who suggests people who might go is the person who invented cancer. It's infuriating.

We all want nobody to leave. We all want loads of world class players to sign. But it's not awfully realistic.

Instead it's "we'll sign everyone and sell nobody. Ever, nobody who is ever any good will ever leave. Absolutely not."

If that's the attitude don't bother to play.

How many top players that we've wanted to keep have we had to sell?

Ronaldo, but that had nothing to do with us having to sell him to free funds. Anyone else?

We will not be selling the likes of Nani, Carrick or Evra. Not unless they actively want to leave, anyway. There is a very small chance that Berbatov will be, but only if we want to replace his position in the squad, not to get money together to sign someone else.

 

[Aaron]

How many top players that we've wanted to keep have we had to sell?

Ronaldo, but that had nothing to do with us having to sell him to free funds. Anyone else?

We will not be selling the likes of Nani, Carrick or Evra. Not unless they actively want to leave, anyway. There is a very small chance that Berbatov will be, but only if we want to replace his position in the squad, not to get money together to sign someone else.

Well Sir Alex has sold top players a number of times for one reason or another over the years. It's also surely common sense to know that all managers, if they want to delve into the market, will have to, usually, create space. Usually that does involve trimming the fat around the edge, but not always. It isn't unheard of by any means for big players to be shipped out to make way for others, either new signings or in-house promotions.

I can understand the argument that we won't sell X because of a specific reason, but it seems as if people seem to find it an outlandish claim that we'd be interest in selling anyone other than players who are hardly 'first team' regulars anyway. As if it would be an unprecedented occurrence.

As I said, I don't expect anything like major changes but I think or or two big players could come in and I wouldn't be shocked if one big player leaves. Not least because of the economics of it all.

 

[apotheosis]

Well Sir Alex has sold top players a number of times for one reason or another over the years. It's also surely common sense to know that all managers, if they want to delve into the market, will have to, usually, create space. Usually that does involve trimming the fat around the edge, but not always. It isn't unheard of by any means for big players to be shipped out to make way for others, either new signings or in-house promotions.

I can understand the argument that we won't sell X because of a specific reason, but it seems as if people seem to find it an outlandish claim that we'd be interest in selling anyone other than players who are hardly 'first team' regulars anyway. As if it would be an unprecedented occurrence.

As I said, I don't expect anything like major changes but I think or or two big players could come in and I wouldn't be shocked if one big player leaves. Not least because of the economics of it all.

Well said, it only makes sense to me. I have offered speculative scenarios and usually all you get is people dismissing the possibility outright. They may well be right but there is nothing wrong with speculating as long as it

I honestly believe 2 months ago Carrick was on his way out. He had performed poorly for at least 18 months before that, but may well have saved himself for his general performances especially in the latter stages of the CL. A similar case can be made against Anderson. Berbatov has only performed to any consistently high standard for 6 months out of the last 3 years. Nani is similar to Berbatov, flashes of brilliance but more often than not inconsistent and frustrating for the majority of his time here. Gibson has not progressed that much considering he made his debut back in 2005.

I am not saying that this is concrete proof that any of these players will be sold, but what i am saying is that they are perfectly valid observations which go against considering them indispensable.

If we consider 2 of the best and most consistent performers VDS and Scholes are probably leaving, who out of those players i mentioned above would anybody like to depend on for consistently high quality performances week in week out?

 

[sajeev]

Well Sir Alex has sold top players a number of times for one reason or another over the years.

stop going over it like a broken record it without understanding the context of each individual transfer (we have rarely sold a top players unless it was inevitable)

 

[tintedsepia]

What do people reckon about central midfield players for next season?

Rodwell/Adams/Henderson/Diarra/De Rossi all been linked this year!

I don't fancy any of these. Don't know why. Saw that we've done well with Carrick, Giggs, & Park in recent weeks.

I happen to think Pogba WILL be thrown in (not 30 games, but a 10 games next season) as SAF always knows when to put players in.

But what kind of player are we looking for. Scholes was a passer and Hargreaves is/was a ball-winner who could drive the team forward.

 

[surf]

A possession player who is totally comfortable on the ball. A Fabregas/Scholes/Modric type.

The box-to-box monsters of yesteryear seem to be a vanished species. Perhaps that's just an indication of how the game has moved on.

 

[sammsky1]

OUT: VdS, PiG, Obertan, Scholes, Brown,

In: Neuer, Schneider, Sanchez, Wellbeck, Cleverly and maybe Messi

 

[Devil may care]

What do people reckon about central midfield players for next season?

Rodwell/Adams/Henderson/Diarra/De Rossi all been linked this year!

I don't fancy any of these. Don't know why. Saw that we've done well with Carrick, Giggs, & Park in recent weeks.

I happen to think Pogba WILL be thrown in (not 30 games, but a 10 games next season) as SAF always knows when to put players in.

But what kind of player are we looking for. Scholes was a passer and Hargreaves is/was a ball-winner who could drive the team forward.

The only one out of the one's you listed I could see us being interested in is Rodwell as he's British.

I just don't see many top quality creative midfielder's on offer, Modric and Sneijder are too pricey, Sahin went to Madrid, I don't see Fergie being interested in Banega and the best of the rest are already at big clubs.

I do think there may be some mileage in the M'Vila story though, he seems like a Fergie signing to me, and that could mean the plan is to just make our midfield strong defensively and not worry about goals or creativity stemming from that area of the team.

 

[johnmufc]

To get a significant sum of money from sales of the players mentioned, we would have to sell all of them!

Owen, Hargreaves, VDS = £0

Obertan, Bebe = £1

Gibson, Macheda, Cleverley = £5-6m each

Carrick = £7m

Berba = 10m (max 12m)


I am certain we will sign Rodwell, probably at around £18-20m. May seem inflated, but potentially an absolute bargain.

De Gea seems the likely GK.

Hopefully, we will get an established, top quality CM, but I'm not holding my breathe.

My word.

 

[Aaron]

What do people reckon about central midfield players for next season?

Rodwell/Adams/Henderson/Diarra/De Rossi all been linked this year!

I don't fancy any of these. Don't know why. Saw that we've done well with Carrick, Giggs, & Park in recent weeks.

I happen to think Pogba WILL be thrown in (not 30 games, but a 10 games next season) as SAF always knows when to put players in.

But what kind of player are we looking for. Scholes was a passer and Hargreaves is/was a ball-winner who could drive the team forward.

My top choice out of that lot would be Di Rossi, although I've heard from a few that he has not had the greatest of seasons this year.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

My top choice out of that lot would be Di Rossi, although I've heard from a few that he has not had the greatest of seasons this year.

All the more why we should go for him. He'd be cheaper than ever before.

 

[RedThaiDevils#7]

I think this will be out strategy:

1. Invest heavily on a GK - Top priority

2. Invest on youth - Will have to consider the prospects of which of our players are leaving... I'd love to have Gotze ( Would swap Obs and Bebe' + Cash for Gotze )...

But I think our squad is really balanced, the youth team are doing a great job too and I don't think we need to splash out cash for a top MF or anything, as long as our current players are doing a goodj ob

 

[Aaron]

But I think our squad is really balanced, the youth team are doing a great job too and I don't think we need to splash out cash for a top MF or anything, as long as our current players are doing a goodj ob

I think we do, if Scholes leaves, as he will. Also, as improved as Darren Fletcher is and as crucial as he now is for us in the 'big' games, I cannot help but thinking the loss of Owen Hargreaves (many moons ago now) means that if we only really have Darren Fletcher as someone who can provide 'teeth' in the middle, then we are bit light, in that respect.

 

[RedThaiDevils#7]

I think we do, if Scholes leaves, as he will. Also, as improved as Darren Fletcher is and as crucial as he now is for us in the 'big' games, I cannot help but thinking the loss of Owen Hargreaves (many moons ago now) means that if we only really have Darren Fletcher as someone who can provide 'teeth' in the middle, then we are bit light, in that respect.

Fletch - Carrick - Gibbo - Ando - ( Possible ) Hargreaves - Giggs

Fletch/Carrick/Hargreaves....

I don't think we're light...

We will be light if we let Hargreaves/Scholes and either Gibbo go, but I'm sure SAF rates
Gibbo than many many here so I don't think we'll let any of our young MF's as of yet.

Lets not forget that Park was already used once in CM, Obertan has done AMC and Valencia plays CM for his country...

With the versatility of our current squad, I don't think SAF needs to invest until he identifies the best replacement for Scholes and/or a possible Box to Box DM like you said we were lacking...

 

[Aaron]

Fletch - Carrick - Gibbo - Ando - ( Possible ) Hargreaves - Giggs

Fletch/Carrick/Hargreaves....

I don't think we're light...

We will be light if we let Hargreaves/Scholes and either Gibbo go, but I'm sure SAF rates
Gibbo than many many here so I don't think we'll let any of our young MF's as of yet.

Lets not forget that Park was already used once in CM, Obertan has done AMC and Valencia plays CM for his country...

With the versatility of our current squad, I don't think SAF needs to invest until he identifies the best replacement for Scholes and/or a possible Box to Box DM like you said we were lacking...

I understand but my point about Fletcher, as he is vital to us in the bigger games, when fit, is whether or not he is vital because he is a vital player or whether he's only vital because he's the only player we have who can fulfill that role. If you see what I mean.

Is the only reason Fletcher has become so important to us over the last 18 months, because we've had nobody else to turn to in order to do what he does in the middle. Carrick, Anderson, Giggs, Scholes...all seem like passers rather than cock-blockers. Players who can be used to pack the midfield with numbers but that's all they'll amount to so far as protection is concerned, just numbers. Is Fletcher on his own enough to provide the alternative. If we signed an alternative to Fletcher, I think it'd give us more options in the middle and perhaps we'd have a player who was better than he is at what he does. He's most improved over the last two years, no doubt though.

 

[RedThaiDevils#7]

I understand but my point about Fletcher, as he is vital to us in the bigger games, when fit, is whether or not he is vital because he is a vital player or whether he's only vital because he's the only player we have who can fulfill that role. If you see what I mean.

Is the only reason Fletcher has become so important to us over the last 18 months, because we've had nobody else to turn to in order to do what he does in the middle. Carrick, Anderson, Giggs, Scholes...all seem like passers rather than cock-blockers. Players who can be used to pack the midfield with numbers but that's all they'll amount to so far as protection is concerned, just numbers. Is Fletcher on his own enough to provide the alternative. If we signed an alternative to Fletcher, I think it'd give us more options in the middle and perhaps we'd have a player who was better than he is at what he does. He's most improved over the last two years, no doubt though.

So we didn't win a big game without Fletch ?

I've seen numerous of occasions where we even used O'Shea and Giggsy to bully Chelsea... Has nothing to do with Fletcher... Trust me.

Fletch is fine, we don't need an alternative and we will only get one if we decide to release Hargreaves.

Carrick is not just the passer, he is the defensive gizmo in our defense too ( When he is on form like he is now ).

So I don't really think we need to consider another Defensive minded MF unless we lose both Fletch + Carrick at the same time... And if I can recall them both being injured... Even a MF of Ando and Scholes were getting the points and winning the games required...

 

[Aaron]

I'm amazed you think Hargreaves features in our plans at all, to be honest.

Why on earth would he?

If he can play again, great, but I'd doubt his name appears in any 'plans' the manager has for next season at all. Plan A, B, C or any other letter of the alphabet, including the Greek ones.

 

[RedThaiDevils#7]

If he gets play per play contract... You never know when players can revive their career.

 

[Aaron]

If he gets play per play contract... You never know when players can revive their career.

Yeh, but 'you'll never know' isn't really going to be an integral part of our planning next season.

If you think we'll sign someone if we don't extend Hargreaves contract, and with it being highly unlikely he'll ever play again anyway, you accept then that we DO need to sign someone else?

 

[Denis' cuff]

just love all this muppetry - the keeper issue looks done and dusted and I thought it would be the Ajax guy but not so sure now.

It's probably easier to speculate on departures:

VDS
Brown
GNev
Hargo
PIG
Scholes
Owen?

for me, anything other would be a surprise but he has done it before


just a reminder to anyone thinking Gibson is off, fergie never fails to mention him when talking of the future players

 

[RedThaiDevils#7]

Yeh, but 'you'll never know' isn't really going to be an integral part of our planning next season.

If you think we'll sign someone if we don't extend Hargreaves contract, and with it being highly unlikely he'll ever play again anyway, you accept then that we DO need to sign someone else?

Not unless we sell Gibbo too.

Would I like to sign a player ? FFS, why don't I just request for Iniesta, Messi etc...

I don't think its that easy though, and the way our transfer strategy has gone, we usually take a lot of time to identify the target...

So to me, I don't think we're in a rush to by a certain DM... Even IF we sell Hargreaves, its not like we don't have the knack in CM and it is costing us games, United's game has always been about passing, we were spoilt with complete players like Keane and Scholes... Not to mention Robbo..

But at the current game, all MF's seem to take the money than the club... Hargreaves was a yes because SAF thought he was the successful heir to Keane, even if he was half the player Keane was, I"d be happy with the Hargo transfer at that time.

But right now, to say that we need an alternative for Fletch who isn't clearly a first team player in every game, it would be rather harsh and I did state that we will buy a potential player which did mean to all positions...

SAF will surprise us again, something will definitely happen this summer and I'm sure he's already on track to sign the players he wants at this very moment.

 

[apotheosis]

Not unless we sell Gibbo too.

What has Gibbo got to do with DM anyway?

So to me, I don't think we're in a rush to by a certain DM... Even IF we sell Hargreaves, its not like we don't have the knack in CM and it is costing us games, United's game has always been about passing,

It's costing us points away from home. We have no ball winner, and before you play football in a game you have to win the right to do so. We have failed to win those battles on many occasions away from OT this season.

But right now, to say that we need an alternative for Fletch who isn't clearly a first team player in every game, it would be rather harsh and I did state that we will buy a potential player which did mean to all positions...

We don't need an alternative to Fletch, we need an alternative to Carrick. When Carrick was out at the start of the season, we used Fletch in that role and shipped 7 late goals away against Fulham, Everton and Bolton. Fletcher is not and never will be a DM. He is not a particularly good tackler and does not hold his position with enough discipline.

While i wouldn't say DM is a priority, i can certainly understand some people suggesting we could benefit from picking up someone like Parker for playing certain away games.

If he was available for the right price he would give us a bit of steel and fight when we need it and an opportunity to rest Carrick without exposing the defence.

 

[evra]

Box to box midfielder and a GK.

 

[RedRover]

Why in the name of all that is good and right would we even think of getting rid of Nani, Evra, or Berbatov?

Nani is just now coming good, and it makes absolutely no sense that he would want away from the club, or that we would want to sell.

Evra just needs time away from football to recharge his batteries.

Berbatov still has a role to play here, and was instrumental in us winning the league this year. I see this as nothing more than creating smoke where there is no fire.

I personally think he's the main doubt.

Only a year left on his contract and earns a decent amount of money. He's been fantastic this season for the most part but now seems resigned to playing second fiddle to Hernandez and frankly, he's not the same player off the bench.

A decent fee might be enough for Fergie to part with him - especially if Welbeck's coming back or if another young player might be targetted.l

 

[tintedsepia]

I'm split on this issue.

I too was schooled in the Keane/Ince/Robson eras when we needed seek & destroy central midfielders who could drive the team forward.

I wonder though if - like VDS has done with goalkeeping - the game has moved forward and we need a different type of player.

For instance. someone posted an excellent article on how VDS works with his goalkeeping - excellent position & communication and organisation of his defence means he's very efficient and needs to make very few saves - but, when he does he's there to make them. Before we needed an amazing shot-stopper who was excellent on 1-on-1s.

With the midfield, we usually have a lot of the ball for the vast majority of our matches (except perhaps the away legs of higher standard European games and top 4 UK games). So perhaps a ball-winner is not so integral to our plans. If we keep the ball anyway, perhaps what we need is a player who can drive the team forward, or a player who can speed up our play with 1-touch passing, and make incisive passes splitting the opposition apart and who also scores goals.

Just a thought.