I assume this only happens if McTominay goes?
Sofyan Amrabat | signs for United on loan
- Thread starter TheReligion
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I agree, if anything it seems to be average English players have longevity in Italy
I seem to recall he played deepest of the midfield 3 against Arsenal in pre-season and did really well. Obviously it was only pre-season, but it was still against top class PL opposition.
Am I saying he'll do the exact same in the prem? No, it's a completely different reality, but he's shown promise, so one to keep an eye on.
Still think we need to buy an actual midfielder
That's my guess, yes. Think it is very unlikely now that McTominay goes. With Maguire also remaining, that is probably our business for this summer concluded.
Would be bad news if so - we'd be starting this season with less midfield options then we had at this time last season.
I think (hope) we get someone if/when Donny goes.
There's a young player at Feyenoord who is utilised in such a way by their head coach Arne Slot. That player is 23 year old Lutsharel Geertruida who is currently being utilised as a RCB but is also utilised as a RB depending on the challenge posed by the opposition. And Geertruida is very comfortable coming into midfield to provide a balance for the team and has the physical and athletic capabilities to go with his ability in possession where he's comfortable on either foot. RB Leipzig came close to signing him but the deal fell through due to RB Leipzig offering €32m and Feyenoord wanting €36m. So RB Leipzig turned to their back up option and signed Lukeba from Lyon.
Geertruida is very good and € 36 million is probably a steal.
Doucoure from Crystal Palace would be interesting. Good all-around midfielder, would cost a fortune though from what they were telling the press.
DM cover badly needed based on first game showing from Casemiro.
Even without that which I pin largely down to the system, we still badly needed DM cover for Casemiro.
Yeah they're asking for 80m upwards if I remember correctly. We wont spend that on a squad player.
United will end up buying S Amrabat, they’ll keep S Mctominay and Hanibal Mejbri and our transfers for this summer will be done maybe a striker or loan but I doubt it.
Midfield Options of ; Casemiero,
S Amrabat, Bruno, S Mctominay, M Mount,
C Ericsen, K Mainoo and Hanibal is more than enough to cover injuries and suspensions. I have a feeling we’ll see Mount or Bruno start wide right or wide left in a lot of games as ETH does not normally like to stretch the pitch like Pep but he’s uses a narrow width formation where his teams like to close the opposition space.
Midfield Options of ; Casemiero,
S Amrabat, Bruno, S Mctominay, M Mount,
C Ericsen, K Mainoo and Hanibal is more than enough to cover injuries and suspensions. I have a feeling we’ll see Mount or Bruno start wide right or wide left in a lot of games as ETH does not normally like to stretch the pitch like Pep but he’s uses a narrow width formation where his teams like to close the opposition space.
Good player. Prefer him to Onana, I think. Either would have been miles cheaper last summer. Do our scouts just rely on Match of the Day?
I really don't understand why we spent that much on Mount. He's not a bad player, but you'd think for 55M we could have found a star, and while Mount had good seasons for Chelsea, he's never going to be strong or creatively brilliant or a really quality option when we're better off with a double pivot.
Onana's physical qualities are incredible but I could see him being a McTominay who never puts it together despite being that.
We should probably sign more guys on their way up but I guess that's the price of Ten Hag not trusting anyone. Not sure why he didn't bring in someone to run transfers and we didn't sign a couple of guys from smaller teams. Hojlund counts, and I'm glad we've signed Andre Onana because I do think we need a keeper who can pass, but there's no way 55M for Mount was good spending. Any time I've watched England for the last few years it's clearly been Bellingham and Rice and then a big question mark for the 3rd mid. Those guys cost a ton, but there have to be non English midfielders who would have sown up that spot that we could have signed.
Eriksen was a great bridge signing and without him we don't get the CL and I think he can be a useful sub and backup to Bruno, but I don't think we've made as good a signing this summer in Mount. Useful player for us, particularly when Eriksen is gone in 2 years, but the big money this summer should have been spent on a purer #8 type, not a #10 like Mount. Dahoud or Kamada on a free and the 80M we're spending on Mount and Amrabat going towards Caicedo or buying Zubimendi or something seems like it would have made more sense.
Why is it so damn hard to write a name properly? So many here seem unable to do so.
Not even asking for pronunciation since there I don't think I've listened more than two anglophonic persons speaking a latin language correctly.
I think it’s more likely it happens when VDB goes as McTominay was likely to stay once Fred was sold as only one of them was needed, Mount and Mainoo will offer something different and for the most part be fit versions of VDB’s desired role if he’d have worked out whilst Amrabat is Casemiro’s back up and sometimes partner in hard away games or at least that’s my thinking on it all.
State of this post. Casemiero, Ericsen, Hanibal? Bloody hell.
As long as we are talking about Dutch league here, what is your take on Sangare? Seems to be in a pretty similar bracket to Amrabat prices-wise and would be a more rounded package skillset wise. Not as excellent with his passing like Amrabat but still pretty good and potential to improve being a little younger than the Moroccoan. Additionally he'd bring slightly better ball carrying, goal threat, physicality and defensive nous to the table.
Link to his fbref
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Doesn't Sangare play for PSV EINDHOVN.
While I agree Mount is an odd incoming, when you look at the fees Arsenal and Chelsea are paying for midfielders maybe £55m doesn't get you much in this market.
Ups my bad, thanks for letting me know, I edited the post.
Mark my words… Amrabat will not be a back up. You talk about big away games?! What about “small” home games where we got ripped apart by Wolves!! In pre-season ten hags preferred set up was with Casemiro and Kobe in a 2, prior to Kobes injury. That’s exactly what we will return to when amrabat signs. You could drive a jumbo jet through that three on Saturday. Cas can’t do it all on his own.
Leaving it this late in the day in signing, arguably, the most important midfielder the club needs....or one where you think the clubs needs.
God knows what Ten Hag thinks/wants.
God knows what Ten Hag thinks/wants.
Leaving it this late in the day in signing, arguably, the most important midfielder the club needs....or one where you think the clubs needs.
God knows what Ten Hag thinks/wants.
Money's not there I presume. Partly all of their faults for that.
We laugh at other teams, but there's a reason they put players to train away from the main team when they're not wanted. Now we're suck with players nobody wants, including us.
This isn't happening, is it? Pavard definitely not happening either due to Maguire refusing to take a pay cut I would assume.
Well done on spelling McTominay correct
If Mount had multiple years in his contract, he would have cost north of £80-90m. Ucl winner, full English international and very good age.
I think they will get him anyway. This FFP is all a scam.
Yeah we should do. 29m Euros should be doable without having to sell first, even is FFP were an issue.
I’m not going to lose my shit just yet, still have a few weeks to go.
Cant judge him after 1 game. 55m is cheap these days if anything. Lavia costs 60m and hasnt yet had a real breakthrough.
Eindhovn for Gawd‘s sake, it‘s in Holland not Norway.
I would hate to see him go to Liverpool.
Smart money would be on him signing for Liverpool, not us.
They've had a shit window but we're still the most incompetent amateurish brain dead club in Europe when it comes to managing a squad and navigating a transfer window.
They've had a shit window but we're still the most incompetent amateurish brain dead club in Europe when it comes to managing a squad and navigating a transfer window.
If he joins Liverpool then we’ve only got ourselves to blame. He’s been waiting weeks for us to make a move while we fanny about trying to shift the likes of Fred and Donny.
I’m not disagreeing with you in the slightest as the midfield performance against Wolves was abysmal, I hate the look of Mount alongside in a 3 with Casemiro and Fernandes as Mount doesn’t seem to have the tactical discipline or awareness to know the space the opposition has when he goes running around aimlessly.
That said though I believe ETH will persist with that trio as his first choice midfield choice as he seems to believe Fernandes and Mount can play as two 8’s ahead of Casemiro as the defensive midfielder which may have worked 4-5 years ago when Casemiro was more mobile but as seen by the Wolves game won’t work now unless the opposition parks the bus.
This is why I think we should have been in for Caicedo or Rice or someone like that as they have the tactical discipline, awareness, positional sense and stamina to be legs in the midfield so we’re not overrun. Casemiro showed last season he can be a force further forward so could have alternated with a Rice/Caicedo in sitting and going forward as well as high pressing without worry of us being wide open.
I’d feel far happier with Casemiro and Amrabat with Fernandes the furthest one forward, Amrabat is a De Jong type player who has more steel but is a tier below De Jong as a player although that said is far more suited to playing alongside Casemiro than Mount. Casemiro is great positionally which often makes up for his lack of legs but that isn’t something we can always bank on so yes for me Amrabat alongside Casemiro BUT I don’t think ETH will do it unless Mount continuously underperforms.
Looks more like 110 m is the price of a midfield star these days. 55m is in the same territory as Lavia.
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