So current update for me...
Hope to see Rashford more on the right and possibly make that spot his own. Martial on the left. Cavani rotating with Greenwood as the striker, as we need that natural goal presence, someone who will sniff out chances in the box but also capable of linking up (but generally being a pure striker). Cavani is that, Greenwood can become that. Rashford on the right of that makes it quite a balanced front 3 IMO, with Bruno as the 10. Is it maybe too attacking/goal focused of a front 4? Time will tell, but Rashford on the right takes up a more creative role and provides width which we desperately lack, and Martial on the left can have his space to link up outside of the box without leaving us light in the box. So starting wise, its good so long as Rashford Greenwood being first depth/rotation option is good as well. James/Lingard as 2nd depth fine as well. Cavani is only 1 or 2 years though, so is it a case of Greenwood stepping in as the starter up top and Martial/Rashford being fine and us needing just depth after Cavani, or will we need a striker after Cavani but Martial/Greenwood/Rashford will be fine for wings, or will striker and left wing be fine and we need a right wing because Rashford/Greenwood can't do it on the right... so a few question marks which this year with Rashford should go some way to clearing up, at least for the right wing, but otherwise might take a couple of years. Either way, if we extend Cavani, I don't think we'll sign anyone else in the front 3 til 2022 when he goes.
In defence, Telles/Shaw I think will just rotate, not convinced one is better than the other, both have their pros and cons but depth is good with that. Wan Bissaka is good and Williams/Laird/dalot even is fine for other young right backs as cover or out on loan. Center backs I think we have a mish mash of a group. Maguire is good but flawed. Lindelof is decent. Tuanzebe has shown flashes but really unproven. Rest aren't worth mentioning but clog up space. Upamecano is the obvious guy who would go a long way to sorting things out, fast, strong and aggressive, good on the ball, and just seems like a good partner for Maguire.
GK is fine with De Gea and Henderson, though I'm not sure what the near-long future looks like in terms of when Henderson takes over. Could be a while.
Bruno obvious starter as the #10 whether we do a 433 or 4231. His partners in midfield is where things get murky. I don't see any reason to keep pushing on with Pogba. He's good individually but just doesn't fit the players we have, system we want to play or even the league tbh. He wants more time on the ball and more freedom. His age and injury history and contract situation should mean he leaves next summer. That leaves Fred, McTominay, Matic and Van de Beek. I really like Van de Beek and think he can be an excellent #8 to be in a 3 with Bruno in front. But that needs the right holding mid (every team needs the right holding mid anyway). I fear we'll struggle to look properly balanced for a while unless we sort that out. McTominay isn't it, Matic is past it, Fred not good enough or not quite the right player for that either. All are decent players, but only Matic is stylistically the player that would've been good for a midfield of Matic, Bruno and VDB. All are just squad player level though, which is an issue when you have too many of those. So while Fred has done well individually, McTominay has done well individually, Matic has random good runs.... none of them really suit the midfield or are of a high enough level overall.
So if I could pick 3 players/changes next summer, priority wise I'd go:
- CDM in - Kamavinga (sell Pogba and Matic)
- CB in - Upamecano (sell Jones/Rojo/Bailly)
- ST in - Haaland (replace Cavani if gone in the summer) OR
- RW in - Sancho (if Rashford can't cut it on the right, or Diallo isn't it, or whatever else).
With only the CDM and CB being immediate priorities to address this upcoming summer.