What do we still need? Aka The never ending story

[hmchan]

My feeling is a bit complicated when I see the topic of this thread. I fell in love with United because this team could always excite me and get results even with some mediocre players. We didn't have the money and attractiveness to buy and keep the top players in the world but we managed to remain competitive in the league and the Champions League. Ferguson could always somehow bring out 200% of his players and surprise you with his incredible managerial ability.

Since he retired, however, everything has changed. We have spent billions of money trying to bring in presumably good players and yet we have failed. We are too desperate to regain our competitiveness that it becomes "the never ending story", as the topic suggests. I sometimes wonder how many more players do we actually need. I still like United, I still watch every game despite the difference in time zone, but I have to admit the excitement has diminished.

 

[jesperjaap]

My feeling is a bit complicated when I see the topic of this thread. I fell in love with United because this team could always excite me and get results even with some mediocre players. We didn't have the money and attractiveness to buy and keep the top players in the world but we managed to remain competitive in the league and the Champions League. Ferguson could always somehow bring out 200% of his players and surprise you with his incredible managerial ability.

Since he retired, however, everything has changed. We have spent billions of money trying to bring in presumably good players and yet we have failed. We are too desperate to regain our competitiveness that it becomes "the never ending story", as the topic suggests. I sometimes wonder how many more players do we actually need. I still like United, I still watch every game despite the difference in time zone, but I have to admit the excitement has diminished.

Of course we miss the managerial ability of Ferguson, that is a one off. Biggest problem though is we have simple bought really badly. Not just player wise but manager wise as well. Moyes was never the right manager, neither was Mourinho, was always going to end the way it did, his best days were way beind him and he was totally the wrong fit. I actually thought Van Gaal would do well, but of course didnt.

We have missed out so far on some fantastic managers, Klopp was always my first choice, Nagelsmann should have been snapped up too, Pochettino was also a very good option.

Then you look at the transfer history. Ferguson of course had many duds himself, but in the whole period he was here, literally only a couple of awful windows. Nearly every season he made one excellent signing at least.

Yet Moyes signed totally the wrong fit of players with Mata and Fellaini
Van Gaal signed ageing crocked stars or seriousloy over rated youngsters like Depay
Mourinho signed players to fit his philosophy that just arent Man United type players

So yes,w e have lost our sense of identity, style and generally havent even signed good players.

I am not convinced Ole is the manager to get us back to glory days.......however, the one sign of encouragement is he does know the clubs identity. Genarally I think he has bought the right type of players. He needs to buy more and continue to offload more though as simply his number of purchases was 2/3 players short last summer

 

[croadyman]

Of course we miss the managerial ability of Ferguson, that is a one off. Biggest problem though is we have simple bought really badly. Not just player wise but manager wise as well. Moyes was never the right manager, neither was Mourinho, was always going to end the way it did, his best days were way beind him and he was totally the wrong fit. I actually thought Van Gaal would do well, but of course didnt.

We have missed out so far on some fantastic managers, Klopp was always my first choice, Nagelsmann should have been snapped up too, Pochettino was also a very good option.

Then you look at the transfer history. Ferguson of course had many duds himself, but in the whole period he was here, literally only a couple of awful windows. Nearly every season he made one excellent signing at least.

Yet Moyes signed totally the wrong fit of players with Mata and Fellaini
Van Gaal signed ageing crocked stars or seriousloy over rated youngsters like Depay
Mourinho signed players to fit his philosophy that just arent Man United type players

So yes,w e have lost our sense of identity, style and generally havent even signed good players.

I am not convinced Ole is the manager to get us back to glory days.......however, the one sign of encouragement is he does know the clubs identity. Genarally I think he has bought the right type of players. He needs to buy more and continue to offload more though as simply his number of purchases was 2/3 players short last summer

Yeah Klopp would have been my first choice too but unfortunately that Toy Story puppet sold us as a Mickey Mouse organisation (quite literally)

 

[jesperjaap]

Yeah Klopp would have been my first choice too but unfortunately that Toy Story puppet sold us as a Mickey Mouse organisation (quite literally)

Yes painful to say it as well, you look at liverpool and there high tempo game now under him, would have been ideal here. I do think we should have went all out for Nagelsmann, huge gamble considering his age and relative inexperience, but he looks like an all time great in the making for me, fantastic manager in the making

 

[Devil may care]

Woodward's latest briefing should temper expectations but I still think we'll do all we can to get Sancho for that crucial RW spot. Beyond that I think a cheap Striker will be on the agenda, it'll probably be Igalho but I wouldn't rule out Cavani on a free for a couple of seasons.

Midfield I think is dependent on Pogba being sold, there's no way Ole will drop both McTominay and Fred to the bench and get a proper DM to sit behind Pogba and Bruno IMO, so we'll either stupidly try to deploy Pogba in the double pivot or we'll sell him and get a CM in. We've been linked with Saul, Tonali and Zakaria, all good midfielders, and I wouldn't rule out us trying to get Valverde as part of a deal for Pogba.

 

[jesperjaap]

Realistically, with current situation
Out: Grant, Fosuh Mensah, Smalling, Rojo, Sanchez
In: Sancho

We NEED far more than that though. If we were able to sell all the players, personally:

Out:

As above plus DeGea (said with regret, been a great player but he has gone backwards recently, we have a contract with him, we have a great number two and a great young keeper, let them fight it out, now would be the time to cash in considering his age)

Lindelof: bang average and have a feeling he wouldnt accept beign a squad player, which is all he should be for us, I would actuallykeep Jones as a squad member to guard against Bailly and Tuanzabe having more injury problems

Dalot: We have Laird coming through and Williams can also play at right back

Pogba: For me we already have his replacement in Fernandes, fed up of the circus around him and dotn ever think he will be consistently performing at the levels he is capable of. Though Matic looked finished he did ok the last month of play and again like JOnes would be a valuable and experienced squad member

Perreira: I had relatively high hopes for him but it just isnt happening

James & Chong: Controversial and probably slated, but sorry he is pants, see nothing more than pace and work rate, he has no quality or vision, he wont be here in three years time guaranteed, Id get rid now

Lingard: He is 27 now, not sure he is a postive member of the dressing room and really he has had 8 good months in several years. COuld consider keeping him as a valuable squad member, I would rather take the money personally

£300m odd

In:

Konate
Grealish
Bellingham (send him on loan to Germany if possible)
Camavinga
Sancho
Soteldo (swap for Perreira)
Also would extend Ighalos loan

Under £300m - profit made

GK: Romero/Henderson
LB: Shaw/Williams
CB: Maguire/Bailly
CB: Konate/Tuanzabe/Jones
RB: Bissaka/Laird
LM: Fred/Matic
RM: McTominay/Camaviga
AM: Fernandes/Grealish/Gomes
LW: Rashford/Soteldo
RW: Sancho/Mata
CF: Martial/Ighalo/Greenwood

A young squad, half of which is English but still experienced pros in goal, defence, midfield and attack, also exciting second choice players in almost every position. For me that is a squad that could develop into genuine title challengers in a couple of seasons...of course it is unrealistic and football managerish....the point being, what we need.....we still have players in double figures in my opinion who are either not good enough, dont have the right attitude/ethic or whose time really may be up to make way for others....we are currently still a long long way off of City and Liverpool and 1/2 big signings helps but is still not anywhere near enough

 

[Luke1995]

Maddison or Grealish would do a fantastic midfield with Pogba and Fernandes. We'd have possibly the best attacking midfield in the PL. With Fred behind them and Rashford or Martial or Greenwood upfront we'd be a force to be reckoned with

 

[MetoTTT]

Maddison or Grealish would do a fantastic midfield with Pogba and Fernandes. We'd have possibly the best attacking midfield in the PL. With Fred behind them and Rashford or Martial or Greenwood upfront we'd be a force to be reckoned with

How on Earth Maddison (or even Grealish) could play successfully with Pogba AND Fernandes on a regular basis is beyond me. 3 AM and Fred? Really? Fred is a b2b. How many CMs we'll put on the pitch?

 

[ehsanul]

Buy Sancho and Grealish,and keep Ighalo thats all we need.

 

[Luke1995]

How on Earth Maddison (or even Grealish) could play successfully with Pogba AND Fernandes on a regular basis is beyond me. 3 AM and Fred? Really? Fred is a b2b. How many CMs we'll put on the pitch?

It can work if we have a world class goalkeeper and a good enough defense. Brazil used to play Ronaldinho Kaka and Ze Roberto in midfield all the time.

 

[Bilbo]

It's important that we dont think too big this summer in terms of the number of changes to our squad.

Right now we are a squad on the up. We are playing well, beating some quality opposition and, crucially, the team spirit appears to be as good as it has been in a number of years. We need to cherish that, not try to run too fast. That's not the way United do things. This project is, IMO, a year ahead of schedule already, so the smart play right now is to layer the quality on in stages, not to risk upsetting the balance we've worked so delicately to build.

That being said, my opinion above is still largely based around these being regular times, and obviously we are far from that. We have no idea what competitions we will be playing in next season, no way of knowing how this break will affect our players, and even less idea of how badly global football will be impacted financially. There could be some quite insane bargains to be had whenever the next transfer window opens, and that could lead us to some options that are too good to walk away from.

What I'd like to see? Sancho, Bellingham, and maybe a striker if the right one can be got. I cant see Pogba leaving now so our midfield has a nice balance and adding Bellingham freshens it up, though I also like Kalvin Philips but maybe we are a season away from that with Matic's recent form. 2 to 3 players at most works for me. Sancho is the break the bank player that takes the team up a level.

 

[croadyman]

It's important that we dont think too big this summer in terms of the number of changes to our squad.

Right now we are a squad on the up. We are playing well, beating some quality opposition and, crucially, the team spirit appears to be as good as it has been in a number of years. We need to cherish that, not try to run too fast. That's not the way United do things. This project is, IMO, a year ahead of schedule already, so the smart play right now is to layer the quality on in stages, not to risk upsetting the balance we've worked so delicately to build.

That being said, my opinion above is still largely based around these being regular times, and obviously we are far from that. We have no idea what competitions we will be playing in next season, no way of knowing how this break will affect our players, and even less idea of how badly global football will be impacted financially. There could be some quite insane bargains to be had whenever the next transfer window opens, and that could lead us to some options that are too good to walk away from.

What I'd like to see? Sancho, Bellingham, and maybe a striker if the right one can be got. I cant see Pogba leaving now so our midfield has a nice balance and adding Bellingham freshens it up, though I also like Kalvin Philips but maybe we are a season away from that with Matic's recent form. 2 to 3 players at most works for me. Sancho is the break the bank player that takes the team up a level.

Do you think we will break the bank for Sancho this summer or do you expect us to bide our time on this one

 

[BenitoSTARR]

I’m surprised at the lack of mentions of Houssem Aouar of Lyon. Very much available this summer for a reasonable fee. A very talented player and so composed for a young age!

 

[JohnnyLaw]

I’m surprised at the lack of mentions of Houssem Aouar of Lyon. Very much available this summer for a reasonable fee. A very talented player and so composed for a young age!

Most likely because he’s more of an attacking midfielder/playmaker whereas we’re probably in the market for a defensive specialist to complement Pogba and Fernandes.

 

[ghagua]

The first thing we need to do is sell Lindelof and get a proper partner for Maguire. I have not seen a worse starter in defence than Lindelof, yet he continues to play. he might do well in a league like La Liga, but he is not suitable for the premier league. Along with him should, others who need to move out is Rojo, Jones, and Lingard. Matic has earned a reprieve with his performances in the last couple of months.

We should take the opportunity to stack up on young hungry players in tough times. I know we are not immune to the crisis that is ongoing, but we need to pull out all stops to get some young talent in. There will be some decent value to be had in this transfer window and we need to get in and take advantage.

We should try and get Sancho for the right-wing position. Zakaria or Partey for midfield and any other top talent for other positions the scouting dept has identified. The time to strike is this upcoming window with so much uncertainty around.

 

[Mark Pawelek]

In this order:
Centre-back. Linderof is too slow. None of the other CBs (all 6 of them are either good enough, fast enough nor fit enough). With 2 CBs we have absolute trust in, we can play only one CDM (specialist) in midfield. That will allow us to play both Pogba and Fernandes in a 4-3-3, which makes us title contenders. With a €12m buyout clause, I see no reason not to sign Mohammed Salisu. He's fast, fit, young and can improve.
Right-wing. Yawn: you've heard this all before. The problem is Sancho's price. I don't think we have that kind of money available. Alternative right-wingers are not as good. The only other alternatives are too young. Looks like we have Greenwood, James, and Chong for right-wing next season.
Left-back. Bukayo Saka at Arsenal. Contract ends Jun 21. He's yet to sign a new contract. We need to bid for this 18-year old, 2 goal, 8 assist, wing-back this summer.
Striker: We should have 3 strikers; especially as one of them is still only 18. We, sort of, have 3: Martial, Greenwood, and Rashford - but not without leaving other positions. We can possibly promote Elanga to get some end of match minutes on the left next season - if he can stay fit.

Some strikers and right-wingers under 28, with contracts till June 2021:

Age / Position / Name / Club
27. RW. Florian Thauvin, Marseille. 16 goals and 8 assists in 2625 minutes.
20. RW. Ferran Torres, Valencia. 4 goals plus 4 assists in 1688 minutes.
17. RW. Gabriel Veron, Palmeiras. Wonderkid.

26. CF. Arkadiusz Milik. Napoli. 9 goals in 1236 minutes play. Kosher centre forward.
21. CF. Adolfo Gaich, San Lorenzo. €12m buyout clause. 192m tall, "The Tank" will break a nose to score a goal. Argentinian but Italian passport soon?
24. CF. Alexander Sorloth, Trabzonspor. Plays in BTEC league
24. CF. Hee-Chan Hwang, RB Saltzburg. Plays in BTEC league

 

[BenitoSTARR]

24. CF. Hee-Chan Hwang, RB Saltzburg. Plays in BTEC league

Good potential squad player.

I’d say:

RW - Only position on the pitch now where we have a completely inexperienced or lack of quality player which makes out attacks one dimensional. I believe an added forward line threat could alleviate a lot of pressure on our back line and take pressure off the midfield. Broken record but I’d rather we blow the budget on Sancho and that be our only bit of business then anything else.

ST - Ighalo ideally as he’s a known quantity but there are other options I’d be happy with. The big issue here is price. I don’t see the point throwing £50m+ on an average player so £20-30m max on a solid player would be the preference.

DM/CM - I don’t see Pogba leaving this season so DM would be a better investment. Lots of options but I think it depends what our youth plan is here. It would make sense to look for a 22-25 yr old.

Beyond that I think we’re getting greedy and overly optimistic about how much movement will happen. I’d be happy with Sancho and anything else we can get would be a huge boost.

 

[Skåre Willoch]

I honestly believe signing Sancho, keeping Pogba, and signing any one of Partey, Grealish, Ñiguez, (Bellingham), would complete our rebuild.

If Ole can't make that work, someone surely has to in the future. Great squad for 10 years. Perennial contenders in all competitions.

We wont be quiet in the coming windows either. Haaland 2021?

 

[BenitoSTARR]

I honestly believe signing Sancho, keeping Pogba, and signing any one of Partey, Grealish, Ñiguez, (Bellingham), would complete our rebuild.

If Ole can't make that work, someone surely has to in the future. Great squad for 10 years. Perennial contenders in all competitions.

We wont be quiet in the coming windows either. Haaland 2021?

We’d still need a striker this season too. If Ighalo isn’t kept on we won’t have enough options upfront.

 

[Skåre Willoch]

We’d still need a striker this season too. If Ighalo isn’t kept on we won’t have enough options upfront.

I kind of agree, but a Sancho, Rashford, Martial, Greenwood and James all competing for 3 spots, I feel other areas should be prioritized.

But sure, sign a decent squad striker while we wait for Haaland in 2021.

 

[Tel074]

Realistically, with current situation
Out: Grant, Fosuh Mensah, Smalling, Rojo, Sanchez
In: Sancho

We NEED far more than that though. If we were able to sell all the players, personally:

Out:

As above plus DeGea (said with regret, been a great player but he has gone backwards recently, we have a contract with him, we have a great number two and a great young keeper, let them fight it out, now would be the time to cash in considering his age)

Lindelof: bang average and have a feeling he wouldnt accept beign a squad player, which is all he should be for us, I would actuallykeep Jones as a squad member to guard against Bailly and Tuanzabe having more injury problems

Dalot: We have Laird coming through and Williams can also play at right back

Pogba: For me we already have his replacement in Fernandes, fed up of the circus around him and dotn ever think he will be consistently performing at the levels he is capable of. Though Matic looked finished he did ok the last month of play and again like JOnes would be a valuable and experienced squad member

Perreira: I had relatively high hopes for him but it just isnt happening

James & Chong: Controversial and probably slated, but sorry he is pants, see nothing more than pace and work rate, he has no quality or vision, he wont be here in three years time guaranteed, Id get rid now

Lingard: He is 27 now, not sure he is a postive member of the dressing room and really he has had 8 good months in several years. COuld consider keeping him as a valuable squad member, I would rather take the money personally

£300m odd

In:

Konate
Grealish
Bellingham (send him on loan to Germany if possible)
Camavinga
Sancho
Soteldo (swap for Perreira)
Also would extend Ighalos loan

Under £300m - profit made

GK: Romero/Henderson
LB: Shaw/Williams
CB: Maguire/Bailly
CB: Konate/Tuanzabe/Jones
RB: Bissaka/Laird
LM: Fred/Matic
RM: McTominay/Camaviga
AM: Fernandes/Grealish/Gomes
LW: Rashford/Soteldo
RW: Sancho/Mata
CF: Martial/Ighalo/Greenwood

A young squad, half of which is English but still experienced pros in goal, defence, midfield and attack, also exciting second choice players in almost every position. For me that is a squad that could develop into genuine title challengers in a couple of seasons...of course it is unrealistic and football managerish....the point being, what we need.....we still have players in double figures in my opinion who are either not good enough, dont have the right attitude/ethic or whose time really may be up to make way for others....we are currently still a long long way off of City and Liverpool and 1/2 big signings helps but is still not anywhere near enough

Great post . Well until I got to the keep Jones part then I threw up and left

 

[Tel074]

The first thing we need to do is sell Lindelof and get a proper partner for Maguire. I have not seen a worse starter in defence than Lindelof, yet he continues to play. he might do well in a league like La Liga, but he is not suitable for the premier league. Along with him should, others who need to move out is Rojo, Jones, and Lingard. Matic has earned a reprieve with his performances in the last couple of months.

We should take the opportunity to stack up on young hungry players in tough times. I know we are not immune to the crisis that is ongoing, but we need to pull out all stops to get some young talent in. There will be some decent value to be had in this transfer window and we need to get in and take advantage.

We should try and get Sancho for the right-wing position. Zakaria or Partey for midfield and any other top talent for other positions the scouting dept has identified. The time to strike is this upcoming window with so much uncertainty around.

United have one of the best defensive records across Europe this season so Lindelof isn't that bad . If you have seen Jones play and think he's better then I give up. I would agree to get back to the top we need another quality CB but for me Lindelof is a player worth keeping

 

[Ali Dia]

United have one of the best defensive records across Europe this season so Lindelof isn't that bad . If you have seen Jones play and think he's better then I give up. I would agree to get back to the top we need another quality CB but for me Lindelof is a player worth keeping

I think Lindelof has shown he’s a decent player who still has improvement in him. I’d stick with him. Our defence is fine: if someone truly outstanding came on the market and money is no object then by all means. I’m for competition in the squad. It’s just we have other more pressing issues than replacing Lindelof.

 

[jesperjaap]

Great post . Well until I got to the keep Jones part then I threw up and left

Well hopefully he would be replaced durign the season by Mengi stepping up to place in the squad

 

[jesperjaap]

United have one of the best defensive records across Europe this season so Lindelof isn't that bad . If you have seen Jones play and think he's better then I give up. I would agree to get back to the top we need another quality CB but for me Lindelof is a player worth keeping

He really inst that good either, very much a weak link. Forgetting Jones maybe he is probably our weakest centre back and I would include those on loan. On his side he has been consistant and injury free, unlike the rest though. If we dont sign a centre back this window upcoming, I really hope Bailly or Tuanzabe can step up, or maybe even Mengi as Lindelof is consistantly really average.

I get the feeling he wont be content to be a squad player, in that regard JOnes maybe IS a better option than him, as neither should be starting.

This is the first summer for quiite a while I am genuinely quite excited to see what we do in the market, as there are a good 4 or 5 really good young players we are being linked with who would all improve us irrespective of Pogba staying or going in my opnion and unlike other years, they are mainly English and they are also mainly very realistic.

If we sign some of these, we really could have a very promising attacking outfit for the new season, but we would need a really good back four and I think we are only one centre back away from it

 

[BenitoSTARR]

I kind of agree, but a Sancho, Rashford, Martial, Greenwood and James all competing for 3 spots, I feel other areas should be prioritized.

But sure, sign a decent squad striker while we wait for Haaland in 2021.

I think an injury to Martial and we’re struggling again though.

Surely we want to keep Rashford as a LF/LW not as a central striker where he struggles a lot more.

The issue I have is that Greenwood is then expected to cover RW and ST for a full season during formative years. I think a bit of help is needed.

 

[angusaa07]

If we have serious thoughts about challenging for trophies we need Sancho,
a top centre half, Maguire is better than what we had but he needs someone along side him lindelof isn't good enough Bailly gets injured to much, I'd love for us to go all out for Skriniar but one of Konate or Upmercano could be good.
A centre midfielder if Pogab stays then a defensive minded player would be ideal im not sure Mcsauce or Fred is natural to that position but could probably work short term.
If Pogba leaves we'll need a replacement either a defensive minded and play a midfield 3 of Fernandes, New player and Mcsauce/Fred pushing Fernandes further up or an advanced player like Grealish or Maddison playing Fernandes deeper. Will be interesting to see what Ole does i personally cant wait to see Fernandes and Pogba in the same team and look forward to the restart to see how that develops.
And finally a CF preferably Ighalo or a striker in the loan system or for around the fee that is rumoured for Ighalo around 20 million, as Sancho and a Centre back would likely cost a lot and i think we can see if Martial will develop further. I would stay away from King though think we can do better.

 

[jesperjaap]

Irrelevant of the outs, I would like to see us strengthen with a CB, 2 x CM, RW and a striker ideally:

Bargains:
Malang Sarr £15m
Ascacibar £15m
Bellingham £30m
Dembele (Barcelona) £40m
Pellegri £15m

£115m

Best Value for Money:
Upamecano £45m
Camavinga £45m
Soumare £30m
Chiesa £50m
Edouard £30m

£200m

Best signings:
Koulibaly £85m
Saul £90m
Grealish £75m
Sancho £90m
Cavani £30m

£370m

Personally my choices would be (if Pogba leaves):
Upamecano
Camavinga
Grealish
Sancho
Edouard

£285m

If Pogba stays
Upamecano
Bellingham
Camavinga
Sancho
Pellegri

£225m

 

[Resch]

Some reports about Bayern are trying to sell Hernandez. He could be the fast CB we need and ge can cover the LB. Bayern bought him for 80 millions, but after Corona he could be available for 50 millions.

 

[Kag]

I’d take a right winger like Sancho and stop right there, truth be told. If money is tight (COVID-dependent), fix the gaping hole and we’ve got, right there, a starting XI.

 

[rotherham_red]

Sancho, Bellingham, Grealish. Maybe a DM as well, if we sell Pogba.

Sancho is undoubtedly our number one target, and would entirely depend on if we get CL (I'd back us to get it through either or both Top 5 and EL)

Bellingham is in the nice to have category for me. Amazing talent by all accounts, and someone we will be looking as a long-term investment for anywhere above 15 years. Like I said, nice to have, but not essential, especially with our own set of precocious midfielders like Mejbri, Garner, Levitt, and potentially Gomes (if he stays).

Grealish is dependent upon Pogba. If he stays and signs a new contract then I'd probably not go for Grealish. If the former goes, then we bring in Grealish as a direct replacement. He wouldn't be like-for-like obviously, but he'd fulfill a similar role to when Pogba played in the left side of a midfield 3.

If Pogba does go, then I think the DM/DLP would be the other obvious priority for me. Garner would be the obvious candidate from the youths, but he's probably a year or two away from being ready to play substantial minutes in the first team.

 

[jesperjaap]

Well though we didnt do enough numbers wise in or out, it is the first season since the Pogba window where we have bought well and with a few young players emerging and maybe more to come, things are starting to look promising.
I do think the pandemic situation has maybe curtailed us from making 3 or 4 big signings and several out goings, but with that in mind, what I feel we need is:

1) A centre back partner for Maguire - In terms of a starter and a title contender, Lindelof just doesnt seem the ideal partner for Maguire, personally dont think much of him individually either. That is an area could certainly be improved on. I feel now though we maybe should give another season to see if a couple of contenders could be that player in Tuanzabe and Bailly, as due to injuries they never really got a chance

2) Central midfield - Fernandes has been fantastic of course so that spot is filled. However the two positions behind him, has anybody really shone there? Matic despite a good end to the season has been poor, Pogba has of course been injured but has flattered to decieve since he has been here and consistently done as may poor things as wonderful ones, Perreira just doesnt look to be good enough. Fred and McTominay have progressed, but are either anything more than decent? Of those 6, for different reasons I could see 3 or possibly 4 of them not being here in 18 months. Squad wise there is the possibility of Garner and Mjebri coming through for a couple of those places over the 18months but we definately need one or two additions there I feel and NOW is definately the time to strike as there are a good 9 or 10 really good young midfielders who would be great signings.

3) Right wing - The most obvious area needs improving, it has done for a long long time. Lookign right back to the early days of Fergie we have had a line of excellent right wingers that seemed to get better every time from Strachan, Kanchelskis, Beckham and Ronaldo......that was obviously the peak, Valencia did ok there for a season or two but we really need to improve there. We have been so poor in that area, Greenwood has done well there but he really looks to be more central long term with that finishing ability. And of course Sancho is the ideal signing, whatever it takes, if possible should be done

4) Striker - Martial is so frustrating. I thinkits his best position and he has been ok this year but he really needs competition. Personally I really dont see anybody the right age to buy though at the moment. Werner doesnt seem the right player to me, Havertz has looked gret there recently but it isnt his best position and Haaland just wont happen. Apart from those the only ideal signing to me seem like Brazilian gambles...And why gamble anywway when we have one of the best teenager strikers ability wise in the whole world in Greenwood?

Considering the current climate making it harder to move on players we should be in my opinion, the fact that we have virtually a whole side of possible academy players within 18 months, I think this summer though doesnt solve everything Grealish and Sancho, maybe Bellingham would be pretty much be the very best we could hope for in and Smalling, Rojo, Sanchez and Lingard out. I dont think we would challenge for the title next season with that squad, but I do think we would be closing the gap in the short term significantly and long term things would look very promising

 

[Rob Bowman]

So right now we have locked in as starters... DeGea, AWB, Maguire, Pogba, Bruno, Martial, & Rashford. I would also argue that between Shaw and Williams we are ok at LFB. I would also again argue that with Fred, McT, and Matic we have options for CM, although an improvement would be accepted. Now for CB we have loads of options, and some ok, but maybe not a lock with Linderlof getting the bulk of starts and just tons of unexciting other choices for CB. That seem reasonable? Therefore the one place on the pitch that must be dealt with is RW.

Sancho... all in is my guidance.

After that we need to clean our books at CB and CM... Smalling, Jones, Bailly, TFM, Tuanzabe, Rojo, Pereira, Lingard, Gomes, and Sanchez (not a CM or CB but clearly needs to go) need to be dealt with (Mata is not going anywhere so left him off). Now not saying all need to go, but that is way too many bloated contracts for way to many non-starters. For my money, get rid of Jones, Rojo, Pereira, Lingard and Sanchez, also pick either Tuanzebe or TFM and same with Smalling or Bailly.

Now after Sancho and a clearing the books... now we can look at some other transfers imho.

 

[Devil may care]

If you look at each area of the team I think it's looking likely that we get in two players at most, with perhaps an eye on a bit of January business to supplement things.

With the Igalho extension to January it's obvious we are treading water a bit longer with an aging stop-gap to see if Martial pushes on, so no buys there, same at CB, I think Bailly and Axel will get chances until January to stake a claim while we use the summer to move on at least 2 CB's. For the fullback roles we have AWB/Shaw/Williams/Dalot/Laird so I don't see any business there.

Sancho is obviously the main target for the RW position and while there are a couple of other decent options they are all a big downstep from Sancho so above everything I hope we get that one done.

Midfield is the one that worries me, Matic is unreliable for anything more than short stints and if Pogba stays he doesn't fit a 4-2-3-1 system no matter how many people want it to work, he'll always put massive defensive pressure on the CM next to him in a double pivot and neither Fred or McTominay have the defensive game to be a good fit with him, both are box to box CM's and work better together. So after Sancho I think the key buy is a midfielder, if Pogba stays then a pure DM is required, if he goes then it opens up the options a bit more.

 

[Sean_RedDevil]

SQUAD TALK
Goalkeeper
I wouldn't make a change here because De Gea is still a top goalkeeper (All top clubs have anyway a top goalkeeper) and another loan seasonfor Henderson would be the best for everyone.

J.Pereira should be sold because another loan move would make no sense.

Defence
First of all Smalling, Jones and Rojo must be sold.

I like Lindelöf, Bailly & Tuanzebe but no one has emerged this season for different reasons and since Upamecano is available for around 40m (Koulibaly or Konate would be my favourites but both of them would cost so much more).
Mengi will replace one of Lindelöf/Bailly/Tuanzebe in the 2021/2022 season.

Fosu-Mensah needs obviously another loan move to have a chance for at least a squad place in the 2021/2022 season or that we are getting a decent fee for him.

Loan for Laird should be clear too......if he stays fit then he will have a great loan and then i have massive hopes for him in the 2021/2022 season.

Midfield
To get Thomas Partey for 45m should be a NO-BRAINER (Alternatives: Ndidi, Zakaria, Florentino Luis or even Phillips)......Matic was good in 2020 but we still need a new defensive midfielder of more quality in the starting XI.
A perfect plan would be obviously a loan for Garner and then he takes the place of Matic in the squad.

At least one another attacking midfielder must be signed (I would go for two) to improve the quality behind Pogba and Fernandes.......Mata, Lingard and A.Pereira have had enough chances........Grealish and Szoboszlai would be my favourites because both could play as attacking midfielders and as left forwards (Alternatives would be Van de Beek or Ihattaren).

I would sell Fred because he isn't good enough as attacking midfielder or defensive midfielder.

Forwards
Of course Sancho must be signed But shouldn't we get him then i would sign Ferran Torres or Chiesa + Rashica (Available for 15m if Bremen goes down) or Matondo to improve massively our quality and quantity on the right side of the attack.

Good luck to Alexis Sanchez for the rest of the season so that Inter Milan will buy him for a decent fee

Chong needs obviously a loan move because so far he hasn't done enough to play 20+ games next season.

TRANSFERS
Hello
Sancho: 100
Grealish: 50
Partey: 45
Upamecano: 40
Szoboszlai: 25

Thank you and goodbye
Fred: 30
Smalling: 20
Lingard: 15
Mata: 10
Jones: 10
A.Pereira: 10
Rojo: 5
Sanchez: 9
J.Pereira: 1
Gomes: -
O'Hara: -
Borthwick-Jackson: -
Mitchell: -
Barlow: -
Hamilton: -
Woolston: -
Fojticek: -
Tanner: -

Loans
Henderson
Fosu-Mensah
Chong
Garner
Galbraith
Levitt
Laird
Kovar
Bughail-Mellor
Ramazani
Taylor
Bernard
Carney

QUADRUPLE WINNING SIDE 2020/2021
RASHFORD---------------------------------MARTIAL----------------------------------------------SANCHO
---James----------------------------------------Ighalo------------------------------------------------Greenwood

--------------------POGBA---------------------------------------------------------FERNANDES
-------------------Grealish----------------------------------------------------------McTominay
-----------------Szoboszlai

----------------------------------------------------PARTEY
------------------------------------------------------Matic

---SHAW--------------------MAGUIRE------------------UPAMECANO-------------------WAN-BISSAKA
-Williams-------------------Tuanzebe----------------------Lindelöf--------------------------------Dalot
-------------------------------------------------------------------------Bailly

-----------------------------------------------------DE GEA
-----------------------------------------------------Romero
-------------------------------------------------------Grant

 

[croadyman]

SQUAD TALK
Goalkeeper
I wouldn't make a change here......De Gea is still a top goalkeeper and all top clubs have anyway a top goalkeeper too + another loan move for Henderson would be the best for everyone too.

J.Pereira should be sold because another loan move would make no sense.

Defence
First of all Smalling, Jones and Rojo must be sold.

I like Lindelöf, Bailly & Tuanzebe but no one has emerged this season for different reasons and Upamecano is available for around 40m (Koulibaly or Konate would be my favourites but they would cost so much more).
Mengi will replace one of Lindelöf/Bailly/Tuanzebe in the 2021/2022 season.

Fosu-Mensah needs obviously another loan move to have at all a chance for a squad place in the 2021/2022 season or that we are getting a decent fee for him.

Loan for Laird should be clear too......if he stays fit then he will have a great loan and then i have massive hopes for him in the 2021/2022 season.

Midfield
To get Thomas Partey for 45m should be a NO-BRAINER (Alternatives: Ndidi, Zakaria, Florentino Luis or even Phillips)......Matic was good in 2020 but we still need a new defensive midfielder of more quality in the starting XI.
A perfect plan would be obviously a loan for Garner and then he takes the place of Matic in the squad.

Another attacking midfielder must be signed too to improve the quality behind Pogba and Fernandes.......Mata, Lingard and A.Pereira have had enough chances........Grealish would be my favourite because he could play as attacking midfielder and as left forward (Good alternatives would be Fabian Ruiz, Van de Beek or Ihattaren).

Forwards
Of course Sancho must be signed But shouldn't we get him then i would sign Ferran Torres or Chiesa + Rashica (Available for 15m if Bremen goes down) or Matondo to improve massively our quality and quanity on the right side of the attack.

Good luck to Alexis Sanchez for the rest of the season that Inter Milan will buy him for a decent fee

Chong needs obviously a loan move because so far he hasn't done enough to play 20+ games next season.

TRANSFERS
Hello
Sancho: 110m
Grealish: 55m
Partey: 45m
Upamecano: 40m

Thank you and goodbye
Smalling: 20m
Lingard: 15m
Mata: 10m
A.Pereira: 10m
Jones: 10m
Sanchez: 9m
Rojo: 5m
J.Pereira: 1m
Gomes: -
Bughail-Mellor: -
O'Hara: -
Borthwick-Jackson: -
Mitchell: -
Barlow: -
Hamilton: -
Bernard: -
Woolston: -
Fojticek: -
Carney: -
Tanner: -

Loans
Henderson
Fosu-Mensah
Chong
Garner
Galbraith
Laird
Levitt
Ramazani
Kovar
Taylor

QUADRUPLE WINNING SIDE 2020/2021
RASHFORD---------------------------------MARTIAL--------------------------------------------SANCHO
---James----------------------------------------Ighalo----------------------------------------------Greenwood

--------------------POGBA-----------------------------------------------------FERNANDES
-------------------Grealish------------------------------------------------------McTominay
----------------------Fred
----------------------------------------------------PARTEY
------------------------------------------------------Matic

----SHAW-------------------MAGUIRE-------------------UPAMECANO-----------------WAN-BISSAKA
---Williams-----------------Tuanzebe-----------------------Lindelöf------------------------------Dalot
--------------------------------------------------------------------------Bailly

-----------------------------------------------------DE GEA
-----------------------------------------------------Romero
-------------------------------------------------------Grant

Cannot for the life of me understand why we aren't all over Partey's release clause or someone of a similar ilk in that position

 

[Devil may care]

I'd be happy with either of these.


With Pogba:

(Zakaria, Tonali, Partey and Allan are also good options for the holding role.)




Without Pogba:

(I put Van der Beek but if Pogba goes to Real I'd try for Valverde and if he goes to Juve I'd try for Bentancur.)


Whichever way it goes I hope if Bellingham goes to Dortmund we use that money to buy Camavinga.

 

[King Andow]

I'd be happy with either of these.


With Pogba:

(Zakaria, Tonali, Partey and Allan are also good options for the holding role.)




Without Pogba:

(I put Van der Beek but if Pogba goes to Real I'd try for Valverde and if he goes to Juve I'd try for Bentancur.)


Whichever way it goes I hope if Bellingham goes to Dortmund we use that money to buy Camavinga.

First one looks neat. I'm a fan of Guimarães' game for some time and wanted him before the Lyon move. Maybe it's unrealistic but he would definitely be my first option for that role too. Sancho and him would be great business.

GK: De Gea, Romero, Grant/Bishop
RB: AWB, Dalot
LB: Williams, Shaw
CB: Maguire, Lindelöf, Bailly, Tuanzebe, Mengi
CDM: Guimarães, Matic
CM: Pogba, Fred, McTominay
CAM: Fernandes, Gomes
RW: Sancho, (Greenwood), (James)
LW: Rashford, (Sancho), James
ST: Martial, Greenwood, Ighalo

- Kids like Devine, Puigmal, Traore and Mejbri could be options for rotation on easy cup ties and in an injury crisis, always good to see more of the youngsters.
- I'd look to sell (they're not going all in one window but still): Joel Pereira, Bernard, Jones, Rojo, Smalling, Pereira, Lingard, Mata and Sanchez
and...
Loan To EPL:
Henderson (extend);
To Championship or another competitive league where they get to play:
Kovar, Laird, Fosu-Mensah, Garner, Galbraith, Levitt, Chong and Ramazani.

- Would give a chance to Dalot, Bailly and Tuanzebe to establish themselves, in case they fail buy an experienced RB like Stefan Lainer and a CB better than Lindelöf and Maguire. I hope Gomes extends, the talent is there, I'm curious to see what he can do at this level, playing in his natural position and around good teammates. A proven backup/competition for Bruno wouldn't hurt though (wanted Dani Olmo before), same with a left-footed RW like Ferran Torres.

 

[Jibbs]

If we are to sign just one player, I would want us to sign Ndidi, if not him then sign VdB this year and go for Ndidi next year when Pogba is sold.
Covid has changed the scenario a lot and I don't think any club will try to sign Pogba during this transfer window.
Sancho will also be very difficult to praise away from Dortmund for anything less than 100 m which I don't think United could afford right now.
United should consider doing value for money deals for players like Joe Rodon and Pervis Estupinan this year.
Also try to get rid of players like Sanchez, Rojo and Pereira in this window.
If we can afford, then Sancho should definitely be brought in. Daka in my view will be a good alternative.

 

[berbasloth4]

im going to be a bit positive. i dont think we really need much.

a centre back i dont think lindelof is a title winning centre back good cover etc.

lose pogba the circus is too much bring in a maddison someone who cares about man united.

and as much as i like martial we need guaranteed 20 goals plus from our striker maybe kane maybe steal werner if not rashford might get major responsibilites