Summer 2019 Midfield Rebuild
- Thread starter bosnian_red
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Our commercial deals haven't dropped yet only Addidas is designed that way as far as known.
If we don't make CL this year they will. At the moment the failure to get a quality midfielder means we have a chance to get top 4 but in a fight with Arsenal/ Wolves and probably Everton. Leicester maybe not unless good dealing in last 2 days of transfer window.
A quality midfielder probably changes that chance to probable. The Addidas deal drops by £20m, thus 1/3 of a new midfielder at £60m is effectively instantly recovered for making top 4. Not to mention the savings on further signings and contract renewals with players demanding large mercenary contracts. And then there is the chance to keep other commercial deals current and potential interested.
Basically it makes more sense to spend on another midfielder than to be tight even if the focus is just on money!
Maybe Veron?
But overall you are correct. My point is in the past at least we use to compete for top players signatures and had WC players on the pitch in multiple positions.
Now we play players out of position just to get a starting line-up.
I'm so disappointed that it looks like we aren't going to sign a center midfielder. We are woefully shorts on both numbers and quality. In a lot of ways we are in a similar spot to before Fergie retired and we are completely dependent on Carrick. Now our most reliable midfielder is Scott McTominay. Sad to say really...
Change the title to Summer 20 rebuild and thats probably more likely at this point.
Change the title to Midfield Destruction
Selling Pogba next summer will fund it.
This thread has really, really went well.
The last one was Pogba, but I am not sure that counts- it was a unique scenario.
Jonesy will be having a roam around in midfield at this rate.
Don't worry young Chongy, Greenie, Gomesy and Lingzy will step up and we'll be fine.
And Rashy.
Why is it that British based managers all end up calling their players by the same derivative nicknames? Makes me cringe every time.
Or we'll sell him and use the money for an 8th CB, and a left winger.
maybe this is our attempt at truly returning to the Fergie glory years - midfield neglect.
How bloody hard is to find a defensive midfielder replacement for matic, they aren't that hard to find for other clubs and usually aren't overly expensive either compared to other positions on the pitch,l.
True. We just need a hard bastard who is good positionally, and can pass reasonably well. At this stage, we're not dreaming about getting Casemiro or Fernandinho of this world.
Well cant wait to see us get dominated for another season
What a great rebuild. Take a bow Woodward you cnut.
I guess we are going to line up with 2 in midfield and a no 10, based on pre-season. Seems Ole doesn’t want a “defensive midfielder” which is maybe a throwback to Fergie who didn’t like that style of player in his team. So it’ll presumably be two box-to-box midfielders, both expected to help out at both ends of the pitch.
Obviously Pogba will start, presumably it will be McTominay partnering him. I guess their back ups would be Fred and Andreas, with Matic (hopefully) just picking up scraps.
I think McT fully deserves a run in the first team, but the drop off in quality after him and Pogba is huge. We’re really relying on Fred and Andreas to step up massively. And to hope that using him sparingly means Matic will be able to keep his energy levels up.
I think we’ll regret not bringing in at least one more midfielder.
Obviously Pogba will start, presumably it will be McTominay partnering him. I guess their back ups would be Fred and Andreas, with Matic (hopefully) just picking up scraps.
I think McT fully deserves a run in the first team, but the drop off in quality after him and Pogba is huge. We’re really relying on Fred and Andreas to step up massively. And to hope that using him sparingly means Matic will be able to keep his energy levels up.
I think we’ll regret not bringing in at least one more midfielder.
no rebuild.. just a dismantling
Are we planning to use Maguire as DM or something?
Great thread. Can’t wait til your next one
This is what has me shaking my head in disbelief....
All of these players listed above, and others too, and yet we don't fancy any of them to improve on Matic, Mata or Fred? Seriously?
We have had 3 months and we have the funds available, so why does it seem that Longstaff, with 9 senior games to his name, is the only MF that we have any real interest in?
Even then, it doesn't feel that we pursued Longstaff with much aggression either.
We baulked at the valuation and gave up.
I just cannot believe that Solskjaer is happy with what he has available, and I just cannot understand why we haven't signed at least one senior MF.....
It's been one of the best summers for years in terms of available midfield talent. I think the truth is we just took so long sorting Maguire (and the Lukaku sale) that we ran out of time to do anything about it.
It's scary how confident we must be, with 10CBs, 1mid and 2 strikers, we are going to compete for top 4.
Funnily Ole had said in the presser some months back that players and agents are dying to join our club. Don't want to blame Ole for this but I am still watching this space, Ed Woodward and all I can see is an abyss that we have dug for ourselves.
The worry this year is that our most stable consistent front six is giving us
Martial - rashford - lingard
Mata
Pogba - McTominay
I believe we will try greenwood, Gomes, Garner but I’d bet we only see them get 10-15 games each. That main team gives me no confidence of a top 4
Martial - rashford - lingard
Mata
Pogba - McTominay
I believe we will try greenwood, Gomes, Garner but I’d bet we only see them get 10-15 games each. That main team gives me no confidence of a top 4
Do we blame the new transfer deadline day or do we blame our sorry ass board for this?
It's starting to show how the new transfer deadline has somewhat affected our slow negotiating skills. The bottom line is, We need Aston Villas negotiators on board, how they managed to sign 12 (TWELVE) players is beyond me.
It's starting to show how the new transfer deadline has somewhat affected our slow negotiating skills. The bottom line is, We need Aston Villas negotiators on board, how they managed to sign 12 (TWELVE) players is beyond me.
James will play more games than Mata. Barring injury, I think he'll start around half our games.
I’m think it’s becoming obvious our Brexit Fc rebuild had Rice and Longstaff as our midfield targets. Both unattainable this summer. So left with nothing.
..... Jones?Are we planning to use Maguire as DM or something?
Looking at the preferred formation so far in pre season, it looks like we will default to a 4-2-3-1 which means there are only 2 midfield slots.
That leaves us with roughly 4 midfield slots in the first team. Pogba, Mctominay and Matic already take up 3 of those slots. Fred has been ok so far and will probably take up that 4th spot.
We also have Perreira, although I think his preferred role will be in the no 10 spot.
I'm guessing this is probably the mindset management has right now, which is why the priority has been on defence. Next is the attack and lastly, the midfield. That would explain a lot of what they are doing right now. 2 defenders and a pacy attacker.
That leaves us with roughly 4 midfield slots in the first team. Pogba, Mctominay and Matic already take up 3 of those slots. Fred has been ok so far and will probably take up that 4th spot.
We also have Perreira, although I think his preferred role will be in the no 10 spot.
I'm guessing this is probably the mindset management has right now, which is why the priority has been on defence. Next is the attack and lastly, the midfield. That would explain a lot of what they are doing right now. 2 defenders and a pacy attacker.
Baffling as to why we haven't brought in a midfielder despite letting Herrara/Fellaini go. He had his critics Herrera but he was our second best midfielder and we didn't even get a fee for him or replace him. We need Fred to step up now and show he's a £50m midfielder and show some consistency unlike last season.
Problem with Fred was even during his good games last season he still turned over the ball in dangerous areas due to his sloppy touch and passing. McTominay did well at the back end of last season and will get more minutes I'd imagine, if he carries on with his progression then he will plug a gap in the midfield. There was a space in the midfield there to strengthen and the players were out there but seems we were only linked with Longstaff?!
Problem with Fred was even during his good games last season he still turned over the ball in dangerous areas due to his sloppy touch and passing. McTominay did well at the back end of last season and will get more minutes I'd imagine, if he carries on with his progression then he will plug a gap in the midfield. There was a space in the midfield there to strengthen and the players were out there but seems we were only linked with Longstaff?!
Honestly I hope so, but the briefings since seem to suggest maybe that he expects the front three to be what I said, though maybe his thinking (again from interviews is) is to push pogba into the 10, with presumably Matic or Fred. Though nothing I have seen so far from those two makes believe they can step up. Hence why my original post was that from an experience and mindset who will play? Matic and Fred look awful, now if James come in and plays well maybe he pushes lingard back to 10? I still don’t think a from three/four of rashford, lingard, martial and James score enough goals. It’s bold I’ll say that
It's senseless to pay a massive premium for untried English talent like Rice and Longstaff. We should recruit untried talent from abroad at a quarter the price. We don't need any English prospects at those prices, we have our youth players. Right now, I'd add Garner to the squad because I have more confidence in him than Matic, or even Fred.
As noted: Fred & Matic can lose the ball in dangerous areas. If this happens again in the next month - resulting in another goal conceded - next time: we must play Garner ahead of them. Garner does not lose the ball. If it even looks like he's about the lose possession, the last thing he does is pass to a red shirt; even as he's falling, or sitting on the ground, he'll shield the ball with his body and kick it away to a team player. Very endearing attribute.
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If only we could buy Ndombele this summer... the transfer window would be so much better. We were going to have a lot more confidence in the engine room.
It is enough that we have to trust Gomes, Chong and Greenwood to fill in for Mata and Lingard... but wanting from Mctominay and Garner to be consistent the whole season and do what Matic and Fred cant/didnt vs the top sides...seems too much for me. Oh well... may our transfer inactivity in midfield and attack be a good thing for our younger talents!
United fans still think we can blow every other club out of the water by buying everyone we want. The answer to every question on this board is buy, buy, buy.
Not about net spend or amount used on player transfers....It is about how you spend that money.
Instead of spending £80m on Maguire, £50m on AWB, one could have spent £25m on Meunier or Atal at RB, £40m each on two of Roca, Barella, Grillitsch, Tielemans, Rabiot wage and sign on fee, Partey etc and used the rest and the money from James on a non-Maguire CB.
Club(Owners) did not want to spend more, Maguire deal was finalized when we knew that Lukaku to Inter was a deal...
Yeh. Value in the market. Makes me pine for the days when SAF brought in unknowns from the back of football-nowhere; like Scandinavia, Balkans, Ukraine. It actually worked for him. Must've been because he scouted them.
I was thinking this just the other day.
When was the last time we scouted and bought a good player/prospect?
I mean not too long ago we bought Chicharito, Ole himself, Vidic etc.
These days it seems unless they are literally dangled in front of us (Premier league players) or already at Juventus (Dybala) then we wont sign them.
Fred is just a wierd one. Firstly his goal output in the Ukranian league was minimal. And I've never seen him play like a 25m player, let alone a 50m player.
TLDR: We might as well fire our scouting network as they are either totally useless or the board doesnt listen to them anyway.
You can argue Dalot but..
Yeah players like Hernandez, Vidic, johnsen, solskjear even Evra was a good price and park turned out to be a highly valued squad player, dont know how much it would work in today's market when you see players like fred moving for 50 odd million, zaha being quoted at 80-90, felix from benfica 120 million, these players 15 maybe even 10 years ago would have been worth easily under 20 million.
Even spurs are having to splash 50+ million on signings to try and get to the next level.
Still think an obvious signing we should have made this summer when it was obvious Herrera was leaving was to sign ironically a player called...Herrera on a free, hector herrera the Mexican player formerly of FC Porto who is now playing for Atletico Madrid, he was literally an identical player to herrera in quality and work ethic with probably an even better engine.
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It surprises me that Rice and Longstaff often get spoken of in front of Lewis Cook. Before injury Cook was ready for a full England call up. He's the heartbeat and captain of the England under 21s and his absence this summer killed England's chances at the Euros.
Of course he needs a good half season post injury but he's the talent of that trio in my opinion.
Of course he needs a good half season post injury but he's the talent of that trio in my opinion.