Let's go out and buy Denis Zakaria.. That would make a balanced first choice midfield 3 of... Zakaria... van de Beek... Fernandes... maybe change van de Beek for Fred in certain games.
Potential Matic Replacements
- Thread starter FootyGirl88
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I feel like a Jewish kid at Christmas. Genuinely feel like I'm missing out on stuff. This young man is so good but he obviously needs players around him.
I know he is a rival and all but has Kalvin Phillips been good in the PL this year in your eyes?
Has he came back from his injury yet?
Kelvin Phillips would be a significant improvement to what we already have. I think he would be a terrific signing for £30 million.
I’d say it’s a little risky signing a player after one season however we’ve been tracking him for a while and I’m confident if we go for him we’ve analysed him deeply and are confident.
We seem to be getting better in the data science department. Moneyball and predictive modelling obviously doesn’t work in isolation but it’s a powerful weapon in the arsenal if we are world class in it.
I’d say it’s a little risky signing a player after one season however we’ve been tracking him for a while and I’m confident if we go for him we’ve analysed him deeply and are confident.
We seem to be getting better in the data science department. Moneyball and predictive modelling obviously doesn’t work in isolation but it’s a powerful weapon in the arsenal if we are world class in it.
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Two words.
Teun Koopmeiners.
Teun Koopmeiners.
How's he going this season? I watched highlights of him before the season started and he looked like exactly what we need when in possession, but it's hard to judge defensive attributes in highlights. Especially playing in the Dutch league.
Sander Berge could be an option. Sheffield United might sell him for a reasonable fee if they go down.
Still can't believe that we missed out on Partey, and Jota. Going all in on a player we could not afford was just plain stupid by Ed.
He's not a proper DM, he'd have to play in a pivot so McT or Fred would still be playing. There's not many out and out DM's around anymore.
Zakaria-Fred
----Bruno---
That would be decent
Ironically as well, Jota has had a bigger impact than Sancho probably would have. For the price he was available for we should have been all over him.
Leeds would sell him to us, and the player would sign for us, the Leeds/ Man Utd rivalry has no effect - it’s a ridiculous statement. Cantona, Ferdinand, Smith are transfers between the club. Furthermore, something very minor is the loan of Cameron B-J. Whilst that wasn’t a success, it shows there’s no issue between negotiating transfers between the two clubs. The only club that won’t sell us a player, and that we wouldn’t sell a player to is Liverpool.
whether he’s a player we would want, and whether the player would want to come are different matters.
he’s a player in the ascendency, and having just started to get in the England squad would probably cost £50m to buy as long as Leeds stay in the PL.
How's he been for them?
who stum
He's been the man of the match in the 2 games he's played since he got back. terrific player..... but sad he's at Leeds.
He's been the man of the match in the 2 games he's played since he got back. terrific player..... but sad he's at Leeds.
Leeds sold us Cantona, Rio and Smith because they were struggling financially and we were flying, so any top player would have looked to join us then. At the moment, there are better teams in the PL that he would rather join. Hence, my assessment that he wouldn't join us.
not the worst shout. Looks to be improving all the time.
Denis Zakaria is a defensive midfield player.. a number 6.. maybe you should take your opinion up with his managers at his club and national team.
your post implied they wouldn’t sell him and he wouldn’t want to come to United, because it’s United, ergo the rivalry - that’s what I strongly disagree with.
whether you think he wouldn’t sign because there are better teams than us, is a completely different point. One I would argue with as well, simply because Liverpool and City are unlikely to need him.
I’d go for him as we don’t really have a player like him in the squad, i.e a DPL.
One of the most Carrick-esque players out there at the moment. Like Carrick he’s not the most mobile or aggressive player but we have the likes of McTominay and Fred for that. If we sell Pogba we could probably improve on them aswell if we wanted to.
Doesn’t hurt in times like these that he probably wouldn’t cost a fortune.
Sorry mate, I meant Zakaria.
There is a guy called Uroš Racič in Valencia. Good potential. Remember the name. Will be better than Matic! Already better than Pogba.
Zakaria is back from injury and has featured in Gladbach's last two games.
How's he playing mate?
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Excellent as always.
He came of the bench against Shakhtar midweek in a comfortable win and started the last league game in a double pivot along side Neuhaus against Schalke and played very well. But Schalke have been very poor for a long time and have now gone 25 games without a win, so it was a good game for him to start after a long lay off and he played as if he hadn't been out for a long period of time which was good to see.
Thanks, shocking stat about Shalke there. With Zakaria I think it's like we talked about before, not a January buy but should be monitored for the summer to see if he's fully back to his best, as while he's probably 4th or 5th choice for midfield signing for me, he's still a good player.
I would be happy with zakaria too.
I’m sure we were linked with him at some point earlier this year ? Sure I even saw the ‘new Matic’ moniker attached to him too but I may be wrong, looks a player from the few times I’ve seen him play.
Average at best. Not worth considering in the slightest
Really like the look of Laimer at Leipzig, if he comes back from his knee injury the same player. Mobile, hardworking, positionally aware, good on the ball - everything we need in a CDM.
I would love to see Neves in United. That will be amazing.
VDS said that VDB could play anywhere in midfield and he would get regular game time.
Who do you think would be the best option out of Zakaria, Rice & Phillips. Personally I don't think either of the last two are available,however could also see Berge being another option if Sheffield Utd go down.
Berge isn't a defensive midfielder from what I've seen of him. He plays as the highest midfielder in a 3-5-2. Too big and clumsy anyway, you need to be agile these days.
Zakaria, Rice, Neves, Florentino Luis (Dias has settled well at city) Tonali
all would have been a big upgrade on Matic
all would have been a big upgrade on Matic
Try telling Ole
id say Ole was told there was no money for a major upgrade in midfield after VDB and Fred were signed. Here have 3 more years of Matic oh and Pogba sounds like he is staying because we can’t get the cash for him, that’s like a new signing. It’s a major failure at the top to identify and address problems in the team. Ole was trying to sell Matic last January but we sign him up for 3 more years after 4 good games? That’s straight from the signing jones up for 4 years or making DDG the highest paid GK on Earth playbook. That’s not on the manager.
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I think we need a pure 6 so that Bruno and Pogba/VDB can play more forward and assist in attack. personally not a fan of the double pivot.
Yeah we have been failing to identify priority positions for years due to how badly the club is being ran
We will probably go for Rice.....and fail ?
The good thing is there are plenty of quality options around in the position, many of whom will be available and are at a good age. Chances are one of them will be coming in next summer. Everyone knows where our issues lie in midfield and with VdB coming in as the likely Pogba replacement, I think everything is set up for a big purchase there in 2021.
Hopefully we'll see the RW, CB, and DM purchased next year, and we can really push on as a team. Add in a striker once Cavani goes and we'll be pretty much set. Or at least, that's the dream...
Hopefully we'll see the RW, CB, and DM purchased next year, and we can really push on as a team. Add in a striker once Cavani goes and we'll be pretty much set. Or at least, that's the dream...