Arguably the 2nd best squad in the league behind Arsenal.
Squad Depth | We're doubled up!
- Thread starter AnotherLondonManc
- Start date
I just need to say that this layout is a thing of beauty
I was just thinking the same!
Do you actually think so?
No way. Especially not with our weak midfield
I think, crucially, whilst I don’t subscribe to the idea of a first choice XI, we do now have 16-17 players of genuine starting XI quality, meaning real competition for places. This helps form by driving higher standards and eliminating complacency. Those players are:
Onana
Dalot
Mazraoui
Shaw
Martinez
De Ligt
Yoro
Maguire
Casemiro
Mainoo
Bruno
Mount
Amad
Rashford
Garnacho
Hojlund
Zirkzee
Some might debate Maguire.
We also have some decent back ups in Malacia, Amass, Collyer, Eriksen, Evans, McTominay,
Then we have a group of players that need to be moved on in order to fund new signings: Lindelof, Hannibal, Pellistri, Antony and Sancho. And potentially one of Eriksen/McTominay.
If you look at the core list of players you’ll see that in terms of genuine competition for places we desperately lack another CM, and another wide forward. Our current second line for both positions has us using McTominay/Eriksen and Sancho/Antony. None of those players is going to provide genuine competition for places, nor real quality in the event of rotation or injury.
So there’s still work to be done, but on the whole a massive improvement from where we were just a few months ago.
It must be noted that the situation would look significantly worse if it hadn’t been for the rise of Amad. With him, we now have three proper players for two positions, in Garnacho, Rashford and him.
This window a CM is a must. Either Ugarte or Fofana would help add much needed depth to the midfield pivot roles. I think Neves is out of reach. At this late stage if we could agree a mutual termination with Eriksen, I would happily take Rabiot on a free to provide that depth. We need at least three good CMs for the two positions, and Casemiro, Marino and Rabiot would be a decent enough set of options, plus the back ups.
Next summer, a proper replacement for Casemiro should be top of the agenda, along with a winger. Currently at the top of the list is Williams and Doue. Although I believe the latter will be snapped up by PSG or Bayern this window.
Onana
Dalot
Mazraoui
Shaw
Martinez
De Ligt
Yoro
Maguire
Casemiro
Mainoo
Bruno
Mount
Amad
Rashford
Garnacho
Hojlund
Zirkzee
Some might debate Maguire.
We also have some decent back ups in Malacia, Amass, Collyer, Eriksen, Evans, McTominay,
Then we have a group of players that need to be moved on in order to fund new signings: Lindelof, Hannibal, Pellistri, Antony and Sancho. And potentially one of Eriksen/McTominay.
If you look at the core list of players you’ll see that in terms of genuine competition for places we desperately lack another CM, and another wide forward. Our current second line for both positions has us using McTominay/Eriksen and Sancho/Antony. None of those players is going to provide genuine competition for places, nor real quality in the event of rotation or injury.
So there’s still work to be done, but on the whole a massive improvement from where we were just a few months ago.
It must be noted that the situation would look significantly worse if it hadn’t been for the rise of Amad. With him, we now have three proper players for two positions, in Garnacho, Rashford and him.
This window a CM is a must. Either Ugarte or Fofana would help add much needed depth to the midfield pivot roles. I think Neves is out of reach. At this late stage if we could agree a mutual termination with Eriksen, I would happily take Rabiot on a free to provide that depth. We need at least three good CMs for the two positions, and Casemiro, Marino and Rabiot would be a decent enough set of options, plus the back ups.
Next summer, a proper replacement for Casemiro should be top of the agenda, along with a winger. Currently at the top of the list is Williams and Doue. Although I believe the latter will be snapped up by PSG or Bayern this window.
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Barring an injury crisis, I think it's a squad that can reasonably compete for 4th or 5th. Unfortunately, an injury crisis at United is as much a guarantee as death and taxes, so I wouldn't be surprised if things go haywire again and we're looking at 7th or 8th.
Even if everyone stayed fit for the season we once again don't have enough goals to compete with the big boys. Hojlund might score 15+ again simply because someone has to but Rashford is more likely to have another dud season than he is another 30 goal season and Zirzkee isn't the type of player who is going to score a ton of goals.
Even if everyone stayed fit for the season we once again don't have enough goals to compete with the big boys. Hojlund might score 15+ again simply because someone has to but Rashford is more likely to have another dud season than he is another 30 goal season and Zirzkee isn't the type of player who is going to score a ton of goals.
Agreed with most of your post.
Right now we're just a top 4 contender, and there are a lot of unknowns about the manager, new signings, current players, and other things as well, but if Ineos are going to be even just half-decent owners, they'll get us challenging for the PL with deep runs in the CL as well, by the 26/27 or 27/28 season IMO. Maybe even sooner if ten Hag proves himself to be the man for the job. Ineos are rich, they are showing huge ambition and revealing big plans for the club, United are rich as well, and proven footballing people are being hired left and right to help with the rebuild. Let me phrase it this way: I think only Glazer-esque incompetence can stop us from becoming a serious club again, and maybe it won't even take a long time for us to get there again.
I genuinely love the optimism. I personally dont see that happening, certainly not to that extent. Four more players in whilst managing to sell five of the current squad? One of which we have had bids for (McTominay) and rejected because they werent what we deemed enough. Once it hit 20m on McTominay we should have accepted. We just might get one last bid in for him and if we do we should accept. After that we wont be seeing bids for Casemiro and Eriksen. If we are really lucky we might see someone bid for Lindelof or Hannibal. This idea that we will somehow clear out so many players in one window is rediculous. Its gonna take us if two not three windows to sort it.
OUT
McTominay
Lindelöf
Eriksen
Pellistri
Hannibal
You should get 40-50m for these players.
IN
Two midfielders.
McTominay
Lindelöf
Eriksen
Pellistri
Hannibal
You should get 40-50m for these players.
IN
Two midfielders.
Can see that happening. Think we'll still be lacking goals as our attacking players are either not great quality (Antony, Sancho and Rashford as well currently) or haven't fully developed (Garnacho, Amad, Hojlund, Zirkzee). 4th place finished would be possible, of course depending on how rivals perform.
Of course we are lacking goals unless 1-2 players are having a "Rashford 2022-2023 season".
But this must be a topic in 12 months.
Our defence should really improve with the new signings.....if we can stay fit (Terrible start with Yoro).
But our team will not improve with the current midfield......nothing will change.....only Mainoo and Collyer are fine.
We need two midfielders.....Ugarte and Rabiot would really be okay.
Agree with this. Think we rely entirely on Bruno for chance creation AND goals. Our forwards and wingers don't create or score enough for me.
With coaching and hopefully maturity and improvement, Sancho Rashford and Garnacho could be -scary-. Last season they were easy to defend against. I think it is insanely important like never before that we get a good start - if we get a few goals and wins I can see us flying when confidence flows.
Yeah agree. I think last season that loss at Arsenal early in the season after Garnacho's goal was disallowed set the tune for how our season would go. If we won that perhaps we'd finish much higher in the league even with all the injuries. At leas to me it felt like a big moment.
I'd be happy with those two. Rabiot could be Eriksen-like signing in terms of being a free agent who is around 30 and can still be useful player for the team.
Our midfield is very far from being doubled up.
That second XI is pretty rough in places... defence has definitely levelled up though (still need a back-up LB that isn't pregnant though).
We really need to revamp our midfield base. We should ship out McTominay and Eriksen and get Ugarte and Fofana in.
I think we still have gaps.
LB - we need to move on from Shaw, as good as he is, he's so often injured.
CM - Mainoo is first on my teamsheet. Everyone else is flawed. McT isn't good enough, Eriksen and Casemiro aren't fit enough. Can Mount play in a 3? idk - he's definitely not one for a midfield two. We need more central midfielders, enough so we can play a 443.
LB - we need to move on from Shaw, as good as he is, he's so often injured.
CM - Mainoo is first on my teamsheet. Everyone else is flawed. McT isn't good enough, Eriksen and Casemiro aren't fit enough. Can Mount play in a 3? idk - he's definitely not one for a midfield two. We need more central midfielders, enough so we can play a 443.
Not so much doubled up, more double Dutch
Not even top 6
Why are everyone assuming Berge is a real #6? He really isn't.
Ugarte and another left back then I think we have a very solid squad and it shows when Lindelof, Malacia, Eriksen and Sancho weren’t even named in that original list.
Personally think we can move Lindelof, Malacia, Eriksen, Hannibal, Pellestri and Sancho all on and would only need to bring in for example Ugarte, Rabiot and Hermoso in yet still be a stronger squad that way.
Having the likes of Amass, Collyer and Wheatley coming through and the likes of the Fletcher’s, Fitzgerald and Lacey not too far behind shows that Ineos and the footballing set up are getting things right that we’ve got wrong for a long time.
Personally think we can move Lindelof, Malacia, Eriksen, Hannibal, Pellestri and Sancho all on and would only need to bring in for example Ugarte, Rabiot and Hermoso in yet still be a stronger squad that way.
Having the likes of Amass, Collyer and Wheatley coming through and the likes of the Fletcher’s, Fitzgerald and Lacey not too far behind shows that Ineos and the footballing set up are getting things right that we’ve got wrong for a long time.
If we sign Ugarte then it's starting to look like we really do have a strong squad. Ideally we probably could get rid of a few of the old guard (Lindelof, Mctominay, Sancho) but it's looking far better compared to last season. People worry about the left back and striker positions but I think we'll be fine for the most part (Bruno can play as a false 9 or Rashford could start in the centre if Holjund and Zirkzee are missing, and Amass/Malacia will get games during the season at left back).
Wouldn’t call Sancho the old guard in any sense of the word hah! He’s come, done feck all in 3 years, caused a fuss and left all before the age of 25
If we can sell Sancho, then great. But I don't actually mind keeping him in the squad. We're marginally better with him in it.
Following last season's tear up with ETH, I don't see him kicking up any kind of fuss if he's not playing regularly, and there's a good player there on his day.
I doubt his sale will equal any signings we wouldn't otherwise make, so having him in the squad for depth isn't a problem