My biggest worry is the amount of goals we have conceded from set pieces this season particularly corners. I just fear that if this partnership continues along with a very out of sorts AWB at the moment that we might end up dropping some very costly points and end up falling away from the good position we have got ourselves into so far. I will say that obviously the delayed start to the season certainly hasn't helped but need to cut down the sloppy goals we are conceding
Potential CB Options
- Thread starter croadyman
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My biggest worry is the amount of goals we have conceded from set pieces this season particularly corners. I just fear that if this partnership continues along with a very out of sorts AWB at the moment that we might end up dropping some very costly points and end up falling away from the good position we have got ourselves into so far. I will say that obviously the delayed start to the season certainly hasn't helped but need to cut down the sloppy goals we are conceding
Those hoping for a new CB are going to waiting a while, I think Ole loves his scandy boy at CB and doesn’t see it as a priority at all.
Rozay has made a couple of excellent posts regarding it in this thread.
Rozay has made a couple of excellent posts regarding it in this thread.
Sven Botman from Lille looks a good prospect. Really strong in the air, good passer (typical Ajax academy product), left footed. Only 20 years old.
I have no idea on new CB signings. But, I think we should bring Phil Jones back into the fold. He is awesome and I love him.
A shame we didn't land (did we even try?) De Ligt. That ship has sailed and it's never coming back, but can you imagine Maguire and De Ligt with Lindelof and Tuanzebe covering for them with Bailly as a fifth option for the time being? Not bad at all.
Despite the media outcry for a new CB I agree with the poster above who opines that Ole is happy enough with our crew. I see a CDM being a higher priority but if we really have a shot at Alaba in January let's take it.
Despite the media outcry for a new CB I agree with the poster above who opines that Ole is happy enough with our crew. I see a CDM being a higher priority but if we really have a shot at Alaba in January let's take it.
I'm not sure about that. There was plenty of noise about us looking for a CB in the summer, and while Ole may be heavily pro-Maguire, he can't have not noticed how poor we've been in defence at times this season. I'm pretty certain he'd like for there to be at least more competition in that position.
Not sure I understand that - Rio was rapid.
Don't forget Solksjaer told Ake last season that United were looking for a left-sided centreback. It's still a glaring hole in our squad.
If we're going to pull the trigger on any CB option, it'll be someone who can play on that side of the partnership.
If we're going to pull the trigger on any CB option, it'll be someone who can play on that side of the partnership.
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It will be exciting to see how Pau Torres gets on; I hope I'm not eating humble pie.
Is that the guy who runs Sule for the title of most cartoonishly gigantic player in the world?
There was a Lille defender i saw against milan who was absolutely cartoonishly huge. That's him yeah?
This is the biggest concern. Last season we conceded least goals in open play of all teams. And it seems to the same this season as well. So the best defence in the league in open play, in terms of goals conceded, but when the whole team defends at setpieces, we are poor. One reason is of course how poor our midfield and forwards are I the air, but the biggest issue is how poor we organise ourselves imo.
I agree with this. It has become some kind of “truth” that Lindelof and Maguire don’t complement each other but in reality they have very different skill set. The only one they have in common is that both are good with ball. It is also good to have one CB who likes to attack the ball all the time, even if it means killing Bailly at the same time, and one CB who always understands when he should fall back and cover.
They both also make oil tankers look quick and nimble.
Still cannot decide if Utd want someone they can develop or someone who has the experience to come straight into the team
I think Lindelof has improved and generally looks more assured alongside our best CB, Maguire, but let's be frank we need a better CB then them both in order to lift the level of our defense. On the other hand I am not quite sure it's fair on our defenders to take the brunt of the blame when in my honest opinion we lack a proper defensive shape and sometimes we are so easy to play against. I feel that first and foremost we need a proper CDM, a world class one or someone with that kind of talent who will give us much needed stability.
Ideally we need to buy both alongside the needed RW addition also depending on Pellistri and Diallo. If I had to choose for a CB addition, I would go for Upamecano, I feel he would compliment Maguire, Konate is another good option and so is Milenkovic.
Ideally we need to buy both alongside the needed RW addition also depending on Pellistri and Diallo. If I had to choose for a CB addition, I would go for Upamecano, I feel he would compliment Maguire, Konate is another good option and so is Milenkovic.
Do you see us signing one now or think we will bide our time and wait until the summer instead
Since we concede least amount of goals in open play of all PL teams, it seems like an imaginary problem.
So how do we cut down on these goals conceded from corners then
We've conceded 10 goals from open play this season, which, together with Brighton, is the joint 7th best record in the league. Spurs have conceded the fewest (3).
I'll grant you that set piece goals are a bigger problem though - only three teams have conceded more than us there.
https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/2...amStatistics/England-Premier-League-2020-2021
Well it isn’t by replacing 6”4 Maguire who wins more headers than anyone. That’s before we get to the 6”3 Pogba who wins everything at the near post.
The obvious solution here is to upgrade the goalkeeper to one who knows how to come out and claim a cross. Our centre half ‘problem’ is imaginary, or at least largely overstated. It has been this way for many years too. Back to when Smalling and whoever were the meanest defence around we were constantly being told we had a problem there, despite barely conceding. Or at least back then, it was explained as a result of our ultra defensive tactics or something.
Both of our defenders could be better, but I don’t think they represent the weakest part of the team. I’d love Konate to come in don’t get me wrong. I think Konate and Haaland alone, along with Caicedo if he’s any good, will complete the team.
Leadership. There is no-one in that back four who is organizing the defense. Maguire should be that guy but have you ever seen him having words with anyone. Guiding them or shouting at them? Nope. Thats why I am confused as to the CB we need. Upamecano is the best. But he's young. Same as the other options - White, Kabak etc. They wouldnt solve this problem. Alaba would add the leadership qualities but from accounts from Bayern fans he's not the best CB and especially heading. We need a fast left sided CB, good in the air and with good leadership qualities.....hmmmmm dont think thats possible.
First of all, I don’t think buying a speedy CB would help at all with that. It’s a team effort to defend setpieces. We have better players overall than many teams who concede less corner goals than us. Imo it needs to be solved with better organisation and training/coaching.
Doesn’t really need to be a CB to organise at corners, could basically be anybody. In some teams it is the goalkeeper for example.
I agree with your conclusion. It’s not so easy to find someone who would be a guaranteed upgrade. If you get a faster CB, that player probably lacks skills that we have today. Also, Lindelof and Maguire played more or less every PL game together since Maguire arrived. That continuity is also worth a lot.
I think the CB we need is not available in January, imo that guy is Upamecano same would be for Konate, maybe Milenkovic would be a different story. The guy from Villareal, Torres was mentioned but I don't think he would be the right fit as he was described as slow.
If you mean whether we will go for CDM, then maybe this ecuadorian lad is planned for the CDM reinforcement, I don't think we will go for a big name signing in January, even though we should reinforce as fast as possible.
Neither of them are bad players individually but I don't think they complement eachother particularly well. There's just too many faults between them to make it as a partnership, or at least one that can help us sustain a title push.
As you say, the pace might not be that significant. But when you factor in Lindelof's 30-something% success rate in aerial duels and the number of individual errors still occuring at the back, it doesn't give you a great deal of confidence in them over the course of a season.
I don't see us buying a CB in January either,yes I know it's a risk not going for a Badashile/Torres now but seems Utd are prepared to wait for the right player.
Would you prefer Haaland to Calvert-Lewin then provided we still wanted to deal with Mino of course. I also take it that you think Konate is a better option than Upamecano as well.
Nor fecking should it
Manager should at least try something different, zonal marking and bringing all our players back isn’t working but we just keep doing it.
Really can’t understand why a team that counter attacks so well and struggles to defend set pieces invites teams to load out penalty box and rules out any possibility of countering ourselves.
I can only see us making one big signing next summer so I think any CB will have to be relatively cheap, someone like Sven Botman but there seems to be a lot of talk about him going to Liverpool.
Yeah would definitely be worth looking at man to man marking on set pieces,did you mean signing a CB in January or the summer as was little confused.
This! I've banged on about it to the point of boring myself. Yes we need a quicker, commanding CB beside Maguire, and my choice would be Konate, but unless we change our keeper to a commanding one, we'll still look in sixes and sevens regularly at the back. Put Oblak behind our current CBs and you'll be surprised how secure they'll look.
Yeah I do wish De Gea was that kind of keeper who would come out and catch the ball with authority on set pieces
Of course I’d prefer Haaland to DCL, he looks a different level completely.
As for Raiola, I’ve said a few times that I don’t see him the villain many others do. So long as his practices are not illegal, then business is just business. We are an enormous entity and I’d be disappointed and embarrassed of the club if we were intimidated away from business because of a difficult negotiator on the other side. Raiola is a football agent. No more, no less. They have similar agendas, and always have done, and we’ve dealt with them for decades. The only difference is that Raiola is outspoken, but so what? The press speak about us excessively, everyone has an opinion on Manchester United, and naturally, as a football man, so does Mino Raiola. Lately that opinion hasn’t been too favourable, and that is for obvious reason, but so what?
Football has become a soap opera, generally speaking, and for the fans who seem to want a 360 and 24/7 football ‘experience’ - people like Raiola make a great storyline villain. In reality, I doubt our club care about him nearly as much as our fans seem to. And rightly so. It’s not an emotional world. Especially his section of it. It is business. Regardless of whatever Raiola says, Pogba is held under contract by Manchester United, for example. That’s what really matters. If Pogba wants to stay, he will. If he wants to leave, he will. Raiola is not the one dictating proceedings, he just voices his opinions publicly which gets fans in a hiss.
I couldn’t care less about Mino and fully want and expect United to pursue Haaland if the player himself is open to joining us.
And yes, I have a slight preference of Konate over Upamecano for a few reasons, although would be more than happy with Dayot. Upa appears to be close to Bayern in any case.
Totally agree on Raiola. His job is to get Pogba out or get as much cash for his players (and himself of course). If that means making interviews and coming across as the bad guy or asking for ridiculous wages, or getting a player to keep swapping clubs then thats what he will do. Thats his job. Thats why the players love him and the clubs hate him. But at the end of the day the players are in charge and he is doing what is instructed of him. There is no way he is going behind Pogbas back or any of his players. I have never heard a player slag him off. Ive never heard Pogba say a word against him. Why? Because he loves him being a cnt.
I’m watching this thread with interest because Liverpool also need a central defender in January and rather more urgently than you guys so we don’t have to keep playing the 19 year old rookie in defence and can move Fabinho back into midfield.
Of these listed options, Upamecano seems to be Bayern bound, Diego Carlos is a slow, error-prone clown who loves to slide tackle and grapple in the box, Koulibaly is far too expensive for anyone, Akanji is dreadful, and Konate whilst he does have potential seems to have an error a game in him probably because of his age.
That leaves kounde who I like but I agree with giorno that his lack of physicality might be an issue in this league.
With our history of CBs, it would be madness to get one with Konate’s injury record.