Out of those Smalling is the only one I would keep. Wouldn't be a bad back up option for next season because being realistic, we're only going to sign one centre back this summer. I would be tempted to add Bailly to that list. Injury prone and doesn't seem to be that highly rated by our current coaching staff. I reckon we could get a decent fee for him too.
Solskjaer target 5 signings; 6 players could leave [BBC, Telegraph, Guardian]
- Thread starter roonster09
- Start date
"There’s a determination behind the scenes to bring in players that can make an immediate difference"
So that's us signing a couple of 30+ players who need a pension top up.
So that's us signing a couple of 30+ players who need a pension top up.
Yeah, this strategy worked so well with Sanchez...
Would really love João Felix and Ruben Dias from Benfica. That Felix kid is the next big thing, we need someone like that at the club, reminds me of a young David Silva... Ruben Dias is just a beast of a centre half.
I think that's pretty similar to most of the names being branded about. I make you right, it's not like Wayne who was coming into a successful established team with quality. He didn't have to hit the ground running on arrival. We need the foundation laying first well before we talk about bringing potential in.....
He might be saying that sarcastically
I'd sell the obvious deadwood and also Pogba.
I'd sign the following...
CB De Light will be out of our reach i think, so perhaps somebody slightly older or perhaps somebody like Milenkovic.
RB AWB if we don't trust Dalot to improve enough, otherwise an older player for backup. We have interesting protects coming through so they need to be considered.
CM Rice. Plays with passion, works hard and has enough technical quality. Will help instill great work ethic into the team.
CM Bruno Fernandes.
RW Sancho.
Then we should look at Hudson Odoi. If it's this summer or the following, see if he'd like to play for us. Martial to be moved on if we can sign him.
Sign some very good youngsters like Fergie used to do to fill squad roles whilst they develop. Don't use old players that will let you down even though they're meant to bring experience ie Young.
Keep Lukaku for another season whilst we bed in Greenwood. Promote some of our youngsters including the return of Tuanzebe. Mitchell may be useful as backup to Shaw if his injury isn't too bad.
It's a lot to ask, but I'd say it's more a 2 year plan. It's also what's needed, so i don't care about the limitations of Woodward to make it happen, this is the benchmark for our summer for me.
I'd sign the following...
CB De Light will be out of our reach i think, so perhaps somebody slightly older or perhaps somebody like Milenkovic.
RB AWB if we don't trust Dalot to improve enough, otherwise an older player for backup. We have interesting protects coming through so they need to be considered.
CM Rice. Plays with passion, works hard and has enough technical quality. Will help instill great work ethic into the team.
CM Bruno Fernandes.
RW Sancho.
Then we should look at Hudson Odoi. If it's this summer or the following, see if he'd like to play for us. Martial to be moved on if we can sign him.
Sign some very good youngsters like Fergie used to do to fill squad roles whilst they develop. Don't use old players that will let you down even though they're meant to bring experience ie Young.
Keep Lukaku for another season whilst we bed in Greenwood. Promote some of our youngsters including the return of Tuanzebe. Mitchell may be useful as backup to Shaw if his injury isn't too bad.
It's a lot to ask, but I'd say it's more a 2 year plan. It's also what's needed, so i don't care about the limitations of Woodward to make it happen, this is the benchmark for our summer for me.
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Smalling and Jones aren't going nowhere so shouldn't be on the list even though they should. The rest of the names on lists don't play anyway aren't worth the change down the back of the chair so makes no odds anyway. If Ole is talking about Pogs, Martial, Rom....that's some big personalities going out the club which might not be a bad thing but who's gonna replace them is the issue.
I suspect Ole thinks there are people here who already can and that would be another level of blind faith.
I suspect Ole thinks there are people here who already can and that would be another level of blind faith.
We've tried the Galactico approach and we either can't attract the best of the best or it hasn't worked. Time to go back to the approach we had under Fergie.
I've always said we should start recruiting from the lower leagues, there's good players there at the fraction of the price.
It’s a good number.
Six players in, more chance of hearing ducks fart.
No reason why we shouldn't if they're good enough. James Maddison has been great for Leicester this season and won't be there for more than two seasons before moving on.
Be careful we aren't going back to the Shankley era and Paisley era. It took years for Liverpool to realise that they had to move on.
There's been quite a few players in the past few season that we could have signed that wouldn't have looked out of place in our team.
Vardy
Kante
Mahrez
Brooks
Maguire
Robertson
And as you mentioned Maddison
All came from lower leagues, we need to get serious with our recruitment.
I agree but we should be looking to sign players that believe United is the pinnacle of their career. At the moment we've got a bunch of players that see us as a stepping stone to something better and just don't care about the cause anymore. Something has got to give.
Great examples but for some reason the board see us as a club that's above that kind of recruitment. They want big names that sell shirts and get sponsorships instead. It's a disgrace.
I agree about the stepping stone. However United being the pinacle, there is also the risk that we sign players who then stop trying to be better because they have signed United and have made it. We need players who want to get better. We have too many who think being at United is the pinacle. They are just happy to enjoy the spotlight United gives them, instead of trying to make United great again.
I agree, which is why we sign young players who see playing for United and being successful at United is the be all and end all for them as professionals. At the moment we have too many players who use United as a social platform to release their own clothing brand. That should be stopped right away.
I agree. As long as we don't go full brexit. I think we need a mixture of good young players with a couple of experienced players, I would not mind the likes of Meunier or Toby. They do not seem to be the clothing brand types.
Absolutely, there has to be balance but we need a spine of players that people coming in will look to and they have to be the most influential group at the club, just like Neville, Scholes, Giggs, Butt, Keane and those were. With those we need foreign talented players that bring excitement and flair to the squad, or even just work ethic. Being a United player doesn't feel like it's earn anymore, it's like you win a place on a Christmas themed scratch card.
I would say the most important appointment they make is captain. If they have to bring someone in, then so be it. Stop appointing someone who is here already and has been part of the failure.
I'd sell most of our players but who are going to take on the likes of Jones and Young?
We're talking about overhauls so I'd sell most of the players we have, even the ones who are clearly good players but with bad mentalities. (Especially so, one might argue.) That means the likes of Martial and Pogba. The guys who played out of their skins for a new contract or to spite their ex boss, only to slack off when they've got what they wanted.
Pogba is off, I reckon. He's joining Zidane at Madrid. Won't be the end of the world. Its a rebuild. I'd rather lose with Academy players than have players like him stink the place up.
We're talking about overhauls so I'd sell most of the players we have, even the ones who are clearly good players but with bad mentalities. (Especially so, one might argue.) That means the likes of Martial and Pogba. The guys who played out of their skins for a new contract or to spite their ex boss, only to slack off when they've got what they wanted.
Pogba is off, I reckon. He's joining Zidane at Madrid. Won't be the end of the world. Its a rebuild. I'd rather lose with Academy players than have players like him stink the place up.
Matic too
As much as I want a total clear-out at United, I think we seem to be concentrating too much on players who aren't playing. For instance, the players listed below obviously need moving on, but how many appearances/starts have they actually made this season and under Solskjaer? Not many I would imagine.
Bailly
Darmian
Mata
Rojo
Sanchez
Valenica
How is just moving on players who hardly play going to improve things? We need to take a closer look at the players who usually start and question whether they should be shifted on. Jones, Lingard, Pogba, Martial, Smalling etc...
Bailly
Darmian
Mata
Rojo
Sanchez
Valenica
How is just moving on players who hardly play going to improve things? We need to take a closer look at the players who usually start and question whether they should be shifted on. Jones, Lingard, Pogba, Martial, Smalling etc...
So let's see here. There should be at least £200m to spend by default. We should be able to add at least £130m to that fee from Pogba sale. That leaves us with £330m. Then there are plenty of players who need to go to clear up wage space and be replaced with better players. Most of you have already mentioned those players but I'd even add Lukaku and Martial to that list. This should give us at least another £100m. That leaves us with around £430m. Here's what I'd do.
Get Sancho first and foremost.
Sign AWB from Palace, perhaps even offering them Smalling, Pererira, Lingard in any deal?
Get in a leader at the back.
Sign young box to box CM.
Replace Lukaku with Piatek.
Replace Pogba with a creative AM.
Promote Tuanzebe to first team.
Looking at options to sign LW and DM.
This literally sounds like something out of football manager but it's really not that unrealistic. The only thing we would need is smart people with a good understanding of football in charge which unfortunately we don't, we have The Glazers and Mr Woodward...
Get Sancho first and foremost.
Sign AWB from Palace, perhaps even offering them Smalling, Pererira, Lingard in any deal?
Get in a leader at the back.
Sign young box to box CM.
Replace Lukaku with Piatek.
Replace Pogba with a creative AM.
Promote Tuanzebe to first team.
Looking at options to sign LW and DM.
This literally sounds like something out of football manager but it's really not that unrealistic. The only thing we would need is smart people with a good understanding of football in charge which unfortunately we don't, we have The Glazers and Mr Woodward...
Realistically we have more then 6 players who either need to/ want to or contract is running our or so are going to leave so keeping it to 6 would mean keeping a lot of players who we need rid of in the squad:
Players leaving through end of contract:
Valencia
Mata
Herrera
Out of these really only Herrera is worth keeping, but think he's got his heart set on leaving. if Mata is happy with a 1 or 2 year deal on reasonable wages i'd keep him but he's likly to want a longer term deal and he realistically shouldn't be part of our plans in 2/3 years so we should let him go.
Dead wood players who really we need rid off:
Darmian
Rojo
Bailly
Players whose want to much money to stay and arn't performing and seem to be giving the team a bad attitude.
De Gea
Pogba
We also need to get rid of Sanchez, he is messing up our wage structure ridiculously and its just embarrassing we need to draw a line under it and move on no matter how much it costs us short term.
So leave:
De Gea: £35 mil (last year of contract maybe lucky to get that)
Pogba: £115 mil
Mata: Free
Sanchez: -£20 mil (realistically if we want rid of him we are gonna have to pay off a lot of his wages which maybe around 20 million)
Herrera: Free
Baily: 5 mil
Rojo - Free
Darmain - Free
income = £130 mil
Thats 8, and all we can realistically expect to leave in one summer, and it would still leave quite a few players who we need to move in the next year or so either cos of age (Young & Matic) just arn't really good enough (Smalling/Jones) and players who havn't quite performed to the level we had hoped yet (Lukaku/Lindelof/Fred). So we still have a lot of work to do. So i don't think we can afford to let less then these 8 leave, it will just leave us to much to do following summers.
As for bringing people in, i've done this based on the idea that we arn't gonna compete next season and need to think about building a squad that might be able to compete in about 3 years, so no players over 25/26.
Signings:
Rice: 75 Million (We need some captain material in midfield he's it)
Felix: 104 million(release clause) we need creativity, he is hands down the best on the market.
de Ligt: 65 mil, the Best young center back on the planet and a leader. Likly off to Barca though so would go for: Milenkovic (40 Mil)
Tielemans - 40 mil (need some creativity in midfield if Pogba goes)
Sessegnon: £35 mil, disappointing season, so will be cheaper, has bags of potential can play either full back or either wing
If we had any money left I'd also sign Brandt for his rumoured release clause:
Promote/Recall from loan:
Henderson
Tuanzebe
Greenwood
Chong
Gomes
Which would Leave us with:
Midfilders:
Rice, Tielemans, Mctominay, Fred, Matic & Pereira
Attackers/Wingers:
Felix, Martial, Lingard, Chong, Gomes, (Sessegnon) (and maybe Brandt)
Strikers
Rashford, Lukaku & Greenwood
Not a finished squad by a million miles, and no way near ready to compete for the premier league, but a squad that would starting to have pieces in place we could build on rather then just tearing it up every summer and spend ages talking about deadwood.
Players leaving through end of contract:
Valencia
Mata
Herrera
Out of these really only Herrera is worth keeping, but think he's got his heart set on leaving. if Mata is happy with a 1 or 2 year deal on reasonable wages i'd keep him but he's likly to want a longer term deal and he realistically shouldn't be part of our plans in 2/3 years so we should let him go.
Dead wood players who really we need rid off:
Darmian
Rojo
Bailly
Players whose want to much money to stay and arn't performing and seem to be giving the team a bad attitude.
De Gea
Pogba
We also need to get rid of Sanchez, he is messing up our wage structure ridiculously and its just embarrassing we need to draw a line under it and move on no matter how much it costs us short term.
So leave:
De Gea: £35 mil (last year of contract maybe lucky to get that)
Pogba: £115 mil
Mata: Free
Sanchez: -£20 mil (realistically if we want rid of him we are gonna have to pay off a lot of his wages which maybe around 20 million)
Herrera: Free
Baily: 5 mil
Rojo - Free
Darmain - Free
income = £130 mil
Thats 8, and all we can realistically expect to leave in one summer, and it would still leave quite a few players who we need to move in the next year or so either cos of age (Young & Matic) just arn't really good enough (Smalling/Jones) and players who havn't quite performed to the level we had hoped yet (Lukaku/Lindelof/Fred). So we still have a lot of work to do. So i don't think we can afford to let less then these 8 leave, it will just leave us to much to do following summers.
As for bringing people in, i've done this based on the idea that we arn't gonna compete next season and need to think about building a squad that might be able to compete in about 3 years, so no players over 25/26.
Signings:
Rice: 75 Million (We need some captain material in midfield he's it)
Felix: 104 million(release clause) we need creativity, he is hands down the best on the market.
de Ligt: 65 mil, the Best young center back on the planet and a leader. Likly off to Barca though so would go for: Milenkovic (40 Mil)
Tielemans - 40 mil (need some creativity in midfield if Pogba goes)
Sessegnon: £35 mil, disappointing season, so will be cheaper, has bags of potential can play either full back or either wing
If we had any money left I'd also sign Brandt for his rumoured release clause:
Promote/Recall from loan:
Henderson
Tuanzebe
Greenwood
Chong
Gomes
Which would Leave us with:
Goalkeepers
Romero, Henderson & Grant
Fullbacks:
Shaw, Dalot, Sessegnon & Young
Center Backs:
de Ligt(or Milenkovic) Lindelof, Tuanzebe, Smalling & Jones
Romero, Henderson & Grant
Fullbacks:
Shaw, Dalot, Sessegnon & Young
Center Backs:
de Ligt(or Milenkovic) Lindelof, Tuanzebe, Smalling & Jones
Midfilders:
Rice, Tielemans, Mctominay, Fred, Matic & Pereira
Attackers/Wingers:
Felix, Martial, Lingard, Chong, Gomes, (Sessegnon) (and maybe Brandt)
Strikers
Rashford, Lukaku & Greenwood
Not a finished squad by a million miles, and no way near ready to compete for the premier league, but a squad that would starting to have pieces in place we could build on rather then just tearing it up every summer and spend ages talking about deadwood.
Sessegnon really isn’t all that
Rather go for AWB, Meunier, Tierney
Rather go for AWB, Meunier, Tierney
AWB would be a great signing for sure. I hope we go for him.
Where do you think Andy Robertson was signed from?Indeed, why would we sign players from relegated teams?
I actually think it's the squad players who need improving. If they were good, we'd have genuine competition for places and players would be at risk of losing thier place.
Martial is looking at Sanchez and thinking "I don't have to perform, he can't replace me".
I’d like Tierney, Meunièr and Alderweireld in and get rid of Darmian , Valencia and Rojo.
7 is cursed. Make it 8.Well that Roy Keane lad and Michael Carrick (not bought when relegated but I'd say he's still a fair example of a good player being relegated) worked out alright I think.Indeed, why would we sign players from relegated teams?
With Bailly injured, 6 should be bare minimum.
RB, CB, CM, CM, RW, ST
You could swap out the RB for another CB as I guess at a push, we could put full trust on Dalot.
Wan Bissaka
Alderweireld
N'Didi
B. Fernandes
Sancho
Some striker
Then if De Gea and Pogba really want to leave, god knows
RB, CB, CM, CM, RW, ST
You could swap out the RB for another CB as I guess at a push, we could put full trust on Dalot.
Wan Bissaka
Alderweireld
N'Didi
B. Fernandes
Sancho
Some striker
Then if De Gea and Pogba really want to leave, god knows
I may be wrong, we did it during LVG's first season.
6 or just 5 (close enough) players signed,
And we sure get rid of so many more.
We care about Liverpool now?
Roy was an eternity ago and Carrick doesn't count seeing as we signed him from Spurs.
Pretty much the minimum we need! Not sure we'll get anywhere near all our targets