So are you thinking more of a CDM good on the ball or more of a Carrick type player instead
What do we still need? Aka The never ending story
- Thread starter Devil may care
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So are you thinking more of a CDM good on the ball or more of a Carrick type player instead
Agreed. Maguire Lindelof would look so much better if they had someone like Fabinho in front of them.
Would a hybrid of the two be too much to ask?! No, realistically we need a player that is positionally sound and really comfortable on the ball. A recent example would be Fernandinho. Fred and McTominay not only lack defensive nous, but also really lack composure and can't pass for toffee, really. We need a lynchpin in there, but god knows who that is.
Yeah if anyone can come up with a name feel free to suggest it and then pass it on to our club who look to have tunnel vision
Unfortunately that kind of footballer is rare at the top level. I can't think of many still playing the game.
We need 3 midfielders and a center back.
what sort of budget are we playing with? £120M?
Agreed. We need to churn out a proper technical distributor. Mejbri has a chance so instead of trying to steer him towards a more attacking role, we should be steering him towards being that Scholes, Modric, 2013 Carrick type. Those type of players are hard to buy in the first place so if there's a chance to develop one, you take the chance. He's really young so I'm not delusional enough to bank on him solving a problem, but just to show some impetus in steering him towards hoping he develops into that kind of player.
Just look at who dominated in Europe, and you'll notice Modric, Xavi, and Scholes were midfielders for the past great sides. We don't even need a midfielder to get to that level, we don't even have that midfielder period. We don't have a poor man's version of those players, nevermind 3 of the best ever.
I'm just stressing the idea that it's a problem we still haven't solved in close to a decade. We need our midfielder to be the most technically gifted or at least close, and be constantly present in asking for the ball. That way we can control matches as this midfielder will always be able to bail out a teammate 2 or 3 times a game.
What we need first and foremost is a different attitude from most of those players who 'performed', last night. I've seen it from a lot of United's players this season, where we seem to stroll about (especially at home) as if we are invincible, then invariably we give away a goal then start to perform. Last night we appeared to start brightly, go 1-0 up, then stop playing as if it was gonna be too easy.
I want players to represent this great club with a desire and a purpose that no team will out run, out fight and out think us every time we go out onto that pitch. I can accept that players will make a mistake or two during a game, but where were our Rio's, Robson's and Keane's last night driving the team on? There weren't any.
Ole talked about new players who come in having the 'right character' to play and represent United, there certainly wasn't a lot of that last night.
I expect to see a vastly improved demeanor from this lot when we face Fulham next week.
I want players to represent this great club with a desire and a purpose that no team will out run, out fight and out think us every time we go out onto that pitch. I can accept that players will make a mistake or two during a game, but where were our Rio's, Robson's and Keane's last night driving the team on? There weren't any.
Ole talked about new players who come in having the 'right character' to play and represent United, there certainly wasn't a lot of that last night.
I expect to see a vastly improved demeanor from this lot when we face Fulham next week.
This. Quite simple. Not that we would go out and sign three quality players in these positions but it would be needed to eben think about challenging for the PL next year.
Ideally we need a CB, DM and a RW.. all of which are first team quality, and a back up right back to challenge and rest AWB.
This is a huge summer for us, this is the closest we have been to actually being titles contenders since Fergie left so no half-arsed window this time round please!
This is a huge summer for us, this is the closest we have been to actually being titles contenders since Fergie left so no half-arsed window this time round please!
If we get two out of the three as you mentioned, we would have a great summer. We will struggle to raise the ££ to buy.
I have always said, we are two seasons from challenging. One impact signing per summer and hopefully we can nurture a couple of kids from the academy in that period.
We do have two combative types in midfield but they're unfortunately no where near good enough on the ball. Even combative types like Mark Nobel would get into our team and improve us on the ball imo. If we have aspirations of contesting the big honours, then we need to sign one midfielder (at the very least) who has the craft, guile, ingenuity, along with the discipline to propel us towards the best teams in Europe, where we go out and impose our game on the opposition. Right now we have two players starting in midfield who are their to distupt the oppo, rather than impose their will on the game. But I can understand in some ways why Solskjaer starts them, but I hope we see a midfield conductor bought to the club.
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From what I can tell Sancho and a CB is priority. I think that alone would finish the whole budget. Ole by now should have seen the need and heard the noise to upgrade on McFred. I don't see how we get Sancho, upgrade on CB and DM without the window being halfarsed
Based on last night, a whole new squad.
Based on this season, the spine needs fixing. A new CB, CM and CF. All of the quality to be starting 80% or more of the games.
Plus some competition for Wan Bissaka at Right Back, who won't look out of place when called upon. Like Telles but for the right.
Based on this season, the spine needs fixing. A new CB, CM and CF. All of the quality to be starting 80% or more of the games.
Plus some competition for Wan Bissaka at Right Back, who won't look out of place when called upon. Like Telles but for the right.
I'd love to see us get a CB, CDM and Sancho. That's our budget gone, easily. I'd like a striker too but I don't think we will now that Cavani has extended his contract. It's going to be Cavani/Greenwood/Martial. Striker will have to wait untill next year.
You're absolutely spot on mate imo.
We need a Modric, Scholes type of midfielder who provides the metronomic capability in the team which would improve us hugely in midfield.
Depends what we came get from sales.
Lingard
Van Beek?
Mata ?
Matic ?
think we could squeeze two big signings this summer
CM is a must.
I don’t really know what we need but I think Jack Grealish has proven he is captain material and ripped up the league easily over the last two seasons, he could be a transformative player for us but that may come at a cost because we won’t sign big in other areas of the pitch like CB, MF, ST.
One of Ole's biggest conundrums right now is how to fit Rashford and Pogba in, and it's all well and good talking about rotation but star players on huge wages don't sit out many games. Pogba in the double pivot is never going to be sustainable, on the ball he can provide the passing but he doesn't get around the pitch well enough off the ball and never looks happy. With Rashford his biggest issue at LW is he's greedy in the final 3rd, but it's by far his best position, he's not a good #9 and he is often anonymous at RW.
Pogba still hasn't signed a new deal so if he intends to go then a swap with Juve or Real remains our best option, even though I'll be sad to see him go.
(If Pogba goes to Juve)
(If Pogba goes to Real Madrid)
Pogba still hasn't signed a new deal so if he intends to go then a swap with Juve or Real remains our best option, even though I'll be sad to see him go.
(If Pogba goes to Juve)
(If Pogba goes to Real Madrid)
Looks good. We are looking at 150m on those players though and I don't really see that happening. But if we can spend that amount we'd have a strong and importantly, a balanced team.One of Ole's biggest conundrums right now is how to fit Rashford and Pogba in, and it's all well and good talking about rotation but star players on huge wages don't sit out many games. Pogba in the double pivot is never going to be sustainable, on the ball he can provide the passing but he doesn't get around the pitch well enough off the ball and never looks happy. With Rashford his biggest issue at LW is he's greedy in the final 3rd, but it's by far his best position, he's not a good #9 and he is often anonymous at RW.
Pogba still hasn't signed a new deal so if he intends to go then a swap with Juve or Real remains our best option, even though I'll be sad to see him go.
(If Pogba goes to Juve)
(If Pogba goes to Real Madrid)
What would you want the set up to be like if Pogba extends though
True, we only spent £75-80M last summer so maybe there's a bit extra this summer to splash out.
I'd play Pogba left, Mason right and still get Kounde, as I don't see us getting 4 players in unless one is a swap with Pogba.
I wonder why you think that Tchouameni is the right player then though. He's physical, he's very good at winning the ball back and he's good in the air, but IMO there are players who are better in possession and in terms of creativity currently. Unless I've not seen the right games of his. Do you think he could become a better player passing-wise and in terms of creativity? I've seen you mention Modric, as the type of player we need, I think the closest thing to that sort of player are Fabian Ruiz and Aouar. They are both much better, when it comes to passing the ball, controlling games and progessing the play. Although I have to say that Aouar has had an average season by his standards. I also don't think we have the right partners for both Fabian Ruiz and Aouar. Your boy Soumaré fits the bill better than Tchouameni for what you are describing in my eyes.
Tchouameni I mentioned as the Declan Rice alternative. My preference would be to sign a conductor in the Modric mould, which I don't believe Tchouameni or Rice are.
Misunderstood you then. I agree. The conductor should be more more of priority than the defensively sound player like Rice or Tchouameni.
I'm glad someone agrees with me. The DM can wait, unless we decide to buy both a combative type and a conductor, which unfortunately I don't see happening. But a conductor should be a priority, because if you can control the flow of possession, you will by default improve the defence and attack IMO.
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Sancho
Rice ( With a swap with Lingard plus Cash )
Varane
this year and Go all out for Haaland next summer . This is not beyond the realms of possibility this year , 160 million or so ?
Rice ( With a swap with Lingard plus Cash )
Varane
this year and Go all out for Haaland next summer . This is not beyond the realms of possibility this year , 160 million or so ?
Exactly (regarding the bit in bold). @Devil may care will agree with what you are saying as well. Tchouameni would be a good partner for Fabian Ruiz and Aouar.
Don't see the obsession with Rice, I really don't.
He wont take us up a level, especially if he's going to play in midfield. You're just slightly upgrading on McTom.
He wont take us up a level, especially if he's going to play in midfield. You're just slightly upgrading on McTom.
He would make a better partner for McTominay and Fred than they both are for each other, which in itself would be an improvement, on top of being a better player than either of them. With that being said, I think we should aim higher and he's not worth what he would cost.
We must sign a RW, a new DM and a CB. We can challenge for top 4 again with what we've got, we've proven that, but that's this squads ceiling I think. The rest of the top 4 will strength, as will other teams. We must make progress this summer.
Hes much better defensively than either McTominay and Fred, is younger and is probably a better passer than McTominay at least (and hasn't shown the tendency to make brain dead mistakes like Fred does). Pogba in midfield will never work without a natural defensive midfielder. Rice might become good enough, but of course isn't the instant perfect player like Ndidi would be IMO.
I don't think there is much between Ndidi and Rice they just interpret their roles bit differently and you also have to factor in that Ndidi plays beside Tielemans who is also quite good and mostly with back three as well.
- Sancho - perfect player for a position of need and give us a really good group for the front 3, both with depth and starting quality and an age mix. Compliments the other attackers in that he's an actual creator whereas the others are more scorers. Easy #1 target
- Varane - if possible, would be a great partner to Maguire IMO. Lindelof can be a good #3 option, but the rest are garbage meanwhile Varane and Maguire should compliment each other well.
- Midfield 2 - Fred and Mctominay should be choices #3 and #4 for the midfield duo. Ideally we can put Pogba in midfield and we sign a proper holding mid like Ndidi, but Pogba is likely off so we just sign a completely new duo that can pass the ball progressively and not give it away really carelessly all the time (but also has the passing range so we can actually spread it to our wingers effectively). Hardest positions to sort out, but we won't win the title until we do. Rice might be able to be the more defensive guy. But we would need a progressive passer who can handle himself positionally next to him too and wouldn't abandon the midfield (Tielemans would've been good... maybe Bennacer/Barella)
- Not right away, but goalkeeper - De Gea is still decent, but obviously on his way down. Henderson is average and nothing more than average in any part of his game, and won't be anything more than a stop gap goalkeeper. We'd do quite well to bring in Donnarumma on a free tbh.
- Sancho - 80m
- Varane - 40m
- Rice - 50m
- Barella - 50m
- Donnarumma - contract
- Pogba - 60m
- De Gea - ??
- Lingard - 25m
- James - 20m
- Mata - free
- Matic - free
- Henderson - 30m (won't want to be backup, more for future)
- Jones - please
- Bailly - 10m
- Tuanzebe - 10m
- Williams - 10m
Good luck prizing Inter fan Barella out of Italy. 
Buy Rice, Sancho and Varane or any CB, if money left over send DDG to
Oh right, I didn't realise he could play there, Is that his regular position? I can't say i know much about him playing there.
Ndidi's passing isn't what we want, if we want to upgrade on Fred and McTominay in that regard.
Yeah, you, me and @Adnan are pretty much on the same page, the midfield is dead right now, we need a big #6 and #8 upgrade before anything else imo.
It enables us to play Pogba in midfield though. Mctominay and Fred are both pretty shit as defensive midfielders. There is no defensive midfielder who is both world class defensively and a great progressive passer. Gotta look for partnerships. Ndidi is a brilliant defensive mid and a safe but reliable passer, and enables us to play a playmaker next to him.
I just think a United midfielder should be better at passing the ball, especially for what he would cost. There definitely are players who are defensively sound and good passers. I agree that we should look for players that compliment each other in midfield though.