Sancho, Grealish, Rice or Calvert-Lewin?

Is take a decent striker any day.

Rashfords miss, and Cavani doing more in 15 minutes than Martial in 75, today showed exactly where we lack a good option
 
Calvert Lewin is the best on that list.

The talk of it being a one off season reminds me of when we never bid for Kane.
 
Sancho obviously. His potential is the highest of all of them and he has done the most in the game thus far probably and is only 20 years old.

I do like Grealish as a left winger and think he would suit us well alongside Bruno and any of our quick attackers.
 
MikeKing said:
Sancho obviously. His potential is the highest of all of them and he has done the most in the game thus far probably and is only 20 years old.

I do like Grealish as a left winger and think he would suit us well alongside Bruno and any of our quick attackers.
Click to expand...

I think people worry about Grealish playing in Rashford's favourite position, however feel he could play in more positions than Marcus so should still go for him if there is an opportunity in the summer
 
Looking at Grealish this season, I think he'd be the game changer. With that amount of ball retention, we'd be able to play on our terms against any team.

Alongside a goalkeeper, I think we'd have a genuine shot at the title if we could get him. If the opposition just can't get the ball off your main playmaker with the likes of Fernandes, Rashford and Cavani all around and looking to take advantage, I think the quality and style of the opposition suddenly doesn't make much difference.

He'd have a Hazard-like effect on the team. A genuine playmaker that is feared by the opposition and would have them on the backfoot whenever we have the ball.

My only problem with the links in the summer was where he would play, but if we get him, he would be the best player at the club, and Rashford could easily play on the right to accommodate him, with Fernandes in his favoured position behind Cavani or Martial.
 
Grealish is the player to get to transform the team. Grealish and Bruno just ahead of someone like Rice or Zakaria would be amazing. He'd be a perfect signing once we can get rid of pogba, he has similar talent but works his ass off for the team. Grealish can play multiple roles in the team; I can see him eventually turning into a similar player to Scholes the way he can control the game. He's brilliant against the press; he should have been bought in the summer instead of de Beek.
I would keep away from Sancho for the moment, very risky signing.
We could be transformed if we could buy these four signings in the order below. I believe they are players that we have a chance of getting.

CB - Pau Torres
DM - Zakaria (Rice would be my top pick, but he's off to Chelsea).
Grealish (if we can get rid of pogba in January we should go all-in for Grealish now, the team's boost would be massive).
RB - not sure who? I can't understand why Williams hasn't got more games as Wan Biska has been off form, continuously caught out of position.
Backup GK - I can see De Gea leaving in the summer if we can get a buyer, his form has dipped massively over the last two seasons. After almost ten years at the club, he still doesn't come off his line. Henderson deserves an extended run in the team.
 
Mylock said:
Grealish is the player to get to transform the team. Grealish and Bruno just ahead of someone like Rice or Zakaria would be amazing. He'd be a perfect signing once we can get rid of pogba, he has similar talent but works his ass off for the team. Grealish can play multiple roles in the team; I can see him eventually turning into a similar player to Scholes the way he can control the game. He's brilliant against the press; he should have been bought in the summer instead of de Beek.
I would keep away from Sancho for the moment, very risky signing.
We could be transformed if we could buy these four signings in the order below. I believe they are players that we have a chance of getting.

CB - Pau Torres
DM - Zakaria (Rice would be my top pick, but he's off to Chelsea).
Grealish (if we can get rid of pogba in January we should go all-in for Grealish now, the team's boost would be massive).
RB - not sure who? I can't understand why Williams hasn't got more games as Wan Biska has been off form, continuously caught out of position.
Backup GK - I can see De Gea leaving in the summer if we can get a buyer, his form has dipped massively over the last two seasons. After almost ten years at the club, he still doesn't come off his line. Henderson deserves an extended run in the team.
Click to expand...

They are all good suggestions but can only see us bringing in maybe Caciedo and possibly a LCB in January, think anything else will be during the summer including Pogba who I see staying until then. We could definitely do with a keeper who offers a more commanding presence than De Gea which could end up being Henderson if he is given that opportunity. I would throw in Aarons as a suggestion at RB and no doubt Grealish would be a game changer for us but it's whether Utd are prepared to pay big money for him.
 
I like Graelish, but where would he fit in our starting 11? He won't take Bruno's spot in the #10 and he won't take Rashford's spot on the left. So unless Rashford is going to become a fulltime RW'er, I don't see why we would spend that kind of money on a player who wouldn't be in our first 11 week in and week out. So for me, the choice would be Rice. He is a perfect Matic replacement. He is also a leader...
 
SadlerMUFC said:
I like Graelish, but where would he fit in our starting 11? He won't take Bruno's spot in the #10 and he won't take Rashford's spot on the left. So unless Rashford is going to become a fulltime RW'er, I don't see why we would spend that kind of money on a player who wouldn't be in our first 11 week in and week out. So for me, the choice would be Rice. He is a perfect Matic replacement. He is also a leader...
Click to expand...

Personally can only see him going to Chelsea and joining his mate Mason, could see Grealish coming in to replace Pogba in the summer with him and Bruno operating in front of a proper DM whoever that turns out to be of course
 
I really think English players are much overpriced and that includes Sancho as well. So United are right to look at other places to fill the gaps. And I really do think we will go that route rather than overpaying massively especially in current climate
 
Although the teams' immediate needs are a centre-back, right-back, and a right-winger, Grealish would be a fantastic replacement if Pogba is sold. His ball retention is fantastic and can play in a number of positions. He would add another dimension to our play by dominating the ball together being probably the best at countering.

Calvert Lewin would be surplus to requirements if Cavani gives us another year. I think Cavani is a better team player than Calvert. With a couple of young wingers signed Sancho could now be surplus to requirements if these players can do a job. I don't get the hype with Rice: besides, United have never played with a specialist defensive midfielder.

My preference is Grealish.
 
I'd take 3 out of 4, if they weren't literally 100% overpriced, especially in the current market.
 
With Rashford having some good games at RW, Msson an option and Diallo and Pellistri in development I'd hold off on Sancho for now. I've never been a fan of the Rice style DM and haven't given up on Martial and Mason as strikers so that just leaves Grealish, him on the left, Rashford on the right and Martial through the middle sounds great, but given he's going to cost £80M and we need 2 midfielders, a CB and RB competition before we even think about attackers.
 
croadyman said:
Personally can only see him going to Chelsea and joining his mate Mason, could see Grealish coming in to replace Pogba in the summer with him and Bruno operating in front of a proper DM whoever that turns out to be of course
Click to expand...

You're right. Rice will probably end up at Chelsea, I'd like to see him at United though. I also would have liked us to bid on Ake before City did. Now he's rotting on their bench while he could have been the left footed quick partner Maguire needed...
 
Sultan said:
Although the teams' immediate needs are a centre-back, right-back, and a right-winger, Grealish would be a fantastic replacement if Pogba is sold. His ball retention is fantastic and can play in a number of positions. He would add another dimension to our play by dominating the ball together being probably the best at countering.

Calvert Lewin would be surplus to requirements if Cavani gives us another year. I think Cavani is a better team player than Calvert. With a couple of young wingers signed Sancho could now be surplus to requirements if these players can do a job. I don't get the hype with Rice: besides, United have never played with a specialist defensive midfielder.

My preference is Grealish.
Click to expand...

Good post, hope you are well Sultan mate
 
Sultan said:
Although the teams' immediate needs are a centre-back, right-back, and a right-winger, Grealish would be a fantastic replacement if Pogba is sold. His ball retention is fantastic and can play in a number of positions. He would add another dimension to our play by dominating the ball together being probably the best at countering.

Calvert Lewin would be surplus to requirements if Cavani gives us another year. I think Cavani is a better team player than Calvert. With a couple of young wingers signed Sancho could now be surplus to requirements if these players can do a job. I don't get the hype with Rice: besides, United have never played with a specialist defensive midfielder.

My preference is Grealish.
Click to expand...

Where would you play Grealish?
 
Calvert-Lewin fits nicely but for what he'd cost you have to try to find the next target man probably.

Rice as a CB would interest me, even at a high cost. He could also be the DM we bring on late in games when we have a lead like up against Leicester, or sit in front of the defence and let Van De Beek really focus on ball movement and getting up the field as his partner in easier games (like how the Matic-Pogba partnership is supposed to work). He'd also presumably be useful when we go 3 at the back. I prefer Phillips as a straight DM, though. Wonder if Dan James + 20M or so could get that done since they'd get a massive upgrade at LW (Harrison is okay but often their weakest starter) who fits them perfectly, and enough money to buy a pretty highly rated replacement from France, Spain, Germany, Portugal or the Champo.

Grealish would really help us peg teams back and he draws so many fouls that Bruno would have more set piece opportunities. I think he makes the most sense if we sell Martial and Greenwood becomes our main goal scorer:

---Rashford-------Greenwood
Grealish---Bruno-----------------

with Bruno in a free role/false 9 spot giving CBs nobody to mark and Greenwood and Rashford looking to score goals coming from wide to the center. Grealish is the playmaker from the left and then 2 holding mids from Fred, McTominay, Van De Beek, Caicedo(?) and the Carrick style passing DM we need to buy with Pogba and Matic moving on. James and Diallo give us backup wingers and Cavani is the target man 9 for another year at which point we need to buy a replacement. If we keep Martial, he and Cavani give us good depth and maybe Martial starts on the left forward spot with Rashford on the right until Greenwood usurps Martial, or Cavani just leaves in a year or two and we rotate the 3 younger strikers for the 2 spots and hope Greenwood becomes the target man/poaching 9 we need. Could also buy one for cheap, either another veteran like Cavani, or a clever punt like we did with Chicharito, or pay a bit more and get a target man we thing will mature like Calvert-Lewin did, like Marcus Thuram or another promising 9, like Wolves did paying 35M or whatever it was for Fabio Silva.

Sancho I see us less likely to buy with Diallo coming, but he still fits well as his major strength is getting the ball to the feet of forwards and apart from Cavani our strikers want the ball coming to them on a plate.
 
Seeing how Havertz (similarly rated to Sancho in BL) has flopped at Chelsea makes me wonder if we dodged a bullet with Sancho at the sort of prices bandied about. He’s never been that impressive for England.
 
My thoughts are fairly long on this one, of players who aren't good enough in our squad and the players mentioned.

Sold
Martial (£45-50M)
Pogba (£50-60M)
Bailly (£20-25M)
James (£10-15M)
Mata (£7-10M)

Say on average these players are on £100K a week on average between them (the mean of their salaries) that's £26M off the wage bill, and £132M on the lower end of the scale on sales (taking the minimum value in sales)

Sold/Released
Romero (£3M)
Lingard (£10M)
Jones (Free)
Rojo (Free)
Pereira (Free)

Ighalo (Gone - Jan 2021)

Say for fun, the players here are all on £50K per week (Conservative) that's £13M per year saved on waves, and £13M on sales.

If all those sales happened, the squad is a little light, but I think Tuanzebe is capable of stepping up, then there needs to be one more CB (talking a long-term pairing for Maguire).

James is just a failed experiment, Mata is old now, Pogba has never really delivered, and Martial I think is below the quality that's expected at United.

Martial is turning into Mata MK.II in terms of doesn't really lose the ball, tidy player but not going to win you games.

Who to buy?

Considering also that United didn't spend big last summer, there's definitely money for two in that list.

Although I'm not sure who.

I feel Amad Traore will be given a run, the priority is a CB, CDM, and a striker if there's one needed, if Traore doesn't adapt then a RW needs to be brought in.

Personally I still feel Sancho, but obviously a CDM and CB need to happen too.

Midfield
United have, Bruno Fernandes, VDB, Fred, Matic, McTominay (Stop-gap see how he develops over the next 2 years).
  • Sell Pogba for 50-60M, and bring in someone like Grealish for £70-80M, Grealish is obviously going to fight for the shirt, he would make our midfield reach the next level.
  • Bring in a CDM (no idea who, Ndidi is a great player but I think he would cost too much and United would get fleeced), but a CDM is a must.
Also I like Rice but haven't seen enough of him.

As for Calvert-lewin I have no opinion of, but I'd rather ear-mark Haaland for Summer 2022.

Wingers
Traore and Pellistri given games, with Greenwood competition for places.
  • Sell Martial and James, both don't cut it at the top-level, especially James. Sell him back to Leeds, bring in a top RW, even the likes of Sancho now his price may have dropped. (Martial would be around £40-50M in todays market given his age) Sancho would be around £80M.
If there's money left after a CDM is identified, get a CB.

Cavani would be fine for an extra year, extend his contract until 2022 or so I think United really need to get a top striker.

Obviously people talk about Haaland but his clause for €75M can't be triggered until Summer 2022, that fits in with Greenwood + Cavani up front until Summer 2022 with all the other areas of the squad, CDM, CB, RW, and CM replacement for Pogba being brought in.

Then the squad would be title challengers with squad depth.

It's really not that far away, and Uniteds transfer window although it felt underwhelming I think was actually a good window thinking about it.
 
Last edited:
crossy1686 said:
The only correct answer is Grealish really isn't it? His return for the outlay is top class.
Click to expand...

Yeah it's just getting Villa to sell for a decent price in the summer which is the difficult bit and would certainly need to strike before the euros start as well
 
NoPace said:
---Rashford-------Greenwood
Grealish---Bruno-----------------

with Bruno in a free role/false 9 spot giving CBs nobody to mark and Greenwood and Rashford looking to score goals coming from wide to the center. Grealish is the playmaker from the left and then 2 holding mids from Fred, McTominay, Van De Beek, Caicedo(?) and the Carrick style passing DM we need to buy with Pogba and Matic moving on.
Click to expand...

I quite like this idea.

I think Grealish improves the team pretty much regardless of who we have to leave out.

If we get a real quality DM then we can play a 4-1-3-2 with Grealish on the left of the three and, say, VDB on the right.
 
OrcaFat said:
I quite like this idea.

I think Grealish improves the team pretty much regardless of who we have to leave out.

If we get a real quality DM then we can play a 4-1-3-2 with Grealish on the left of the three and, say, VDB on the right.
Click to expand...
If we get a top quality DM it would be perfect for changes in system and team selection.

We literally don’t have a DM in the side apart from a legless Matic.
 
OrcaFat said:
I quite like this idea.

I think Grealish improves the team pretty much regardless of who we have to leave out.

If we get a real quality DM then we can play a 4-1-3-2 with Grealish on the left of the three and, say, VDB on the right.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I wonder if they'd fancy Brandon Williams and/or Daniel James plus 30-40M or so. They get a 3rd fullback to backup both Cash and Targett and James would start at LW for them with Grealish gone. They do have Guilbert as a plausible backup RB and may not want to invest a ton in a backup to Targett when they can probably find a decent option for cheap, but Dan James and 45-50M would allow them to buy an 8/10 to rotate with Barkley and McGinn (who they are running into the ground), if Grealish pushed for the move.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.