What do we still need? Post Summer 2016 edition

We need too much to do in one window, can only see a maximum of 4 or at a stretch 5 players in so will be a case of prioritising, ideally I think Jose would like 2 centre backs, a lb, 2 midfielders and 2 forwards but it will be done over two summers rather than one.

I expect a CB, midfielder, griezmann and a centre forward will be the players we bring in, perreira will hopefully be given a chance and tuanzebe, TFM and maybe Mitchell could all possibly step up and solve some of the other problems. If mourinhok can get more out of Shaw and martial that would be like two new signings as well so we might not need as much as it seems we do.
 
If we sign just Griezmann to bolster our attack and the rest of our targets are defenders and a DM (As the Great Sky Sports are inferring), I'm going to be severely underwhelmed, our attack has been pretty dire going on 3 years now.
 
BennyBlanco said:
If we sign just Griezmann to bolster our attack and the rest of our targets are defenders and a DM (As the Great Sky Sports is inferring), I'm going to be severely underwhelmed, our attack has been pretty dire going on 3 years now.
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It has and its been my main issue but i dont agree on reinforcements. Our issue is that we needed one forward who can consistently score goals.

Griezman, Martial, Rashford, Mkhi, Mata, Pogba

Thata a decent attacking force and should be enough. Potentially you could swap Mata for someone but id hate to lose him.
 
BennyBlanco said:
If we sign just Griezmann to bolster our attack and the rest of our targets are defenders and a DM (As the Great Sky Sports are inferring), I'm going to be severely underwhelmed, our attack has been pretty dire going on 3 years now.
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This is my view as well. Griezmann would be a fantastic signing but we'd still lack a great wide player (who can beat players) and a striker.
 
Smores said:
It has and its been my main issue but i dont agree on reinforcements. Our issue is that we needed one forward who can consistently score goals.

Griezman, Martial, Rashford, Mkhi, Mata, Pogba

Thata a decent attacking force and should be enough. Potentially you could swap Mata for someone but id hate to lose him.
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But didn't we have that this year with Zlatan? who hit 28 goals this year and we still looked so,so inept at times.
Swapping out Zlatan's 28 with Greizmann's 25-30 wouldn't take us up another level by itself.
We'd have to be hoping a 19-20 year old Rashford can step up and provide a full season of quality leading the line, which is still unlikely at his tender age. Martial who has been severely, severely... disappointing this season and a big 2nd year improvement in consistency from Mkhi.
All of which, at this point, you're not entirely sure of.
 
An Irish Red said:
This is my view as well. Griezmann would be a fantastic signing but we'd still lack a great wide player (who can beat players) and a striker.
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If Harry Redknapp was in charge of United he would get Jesus Navas on a free transfer. :lol:
 
BennyBlanco said:
But didn't we have that this year with Zlatan? who hit 28 goals this year and we still looked so,so inept at times.
Swapping out Zlatan's 28 with Greizmann's 25-30 wouldn't take us up another level by itself.
We'd have to be hoping a 19-20 year old Rashford can step up and provide a full season of quality leading the line, which is still unlikely at his tender age. Martial who has been severely, severely... disappointing this season and a big 2nd year improvement in consistency from Mkhi.
All of which, at this point, you're not entirely sure of.
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Definitely risks given their form but they'll need games so decisions would need to be made on those lads futures first before reinforcement.

If Ibra goes you could argue another senior striker would be wise. Would give Rashford time that way
 
I am not sure we need defensive addition. As a collective, Mourinho can get job done from current lot even if individually there are flaws in most of them.
I am hoping for a Striker alongwith Griezmann and 2 central midfielders. Herrera, Pogba, Fellaini and a 36 yr old Carrick is simply not enough to fight on all fronts. TFM and Pereira can be given game time but can't expect them to be top notch straight away. One defensive and one box-to-box CM will do.
 
An Irish Red said:
This is my view as well. Griezmann would be a fantastic signing but we'd still lack a great wide player (who can beat players) and a striker.
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I agree, it seems we might have briefed the UK journos that 4 is the magic number, but I think we need 6, 7 if De Gea goes, but I wouldn't be surprised if he ignores LB, uses Romero as the keeper and puts Rashford in the LWF role as he'll be under huge pressure to play him consistently.
 
Wishful thinking: Griezmann, Lemar, Pulisic, Keita, Emerson, van Dijk

That's what I'd love to see, but it won't be happening. Whether we need a striker and which CB we should sign are probably the trickiest decisions.




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bucky said:
Wishful thinking: Griezmann, Lemar, Pulisic, Keita, Emerson, van Dijk

That's what I'd love to see, but it won't be happening. Whether we need a striker and which CB we should sign are probably the trickiest decisions.
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Two wingers and Griezmann as the #9?
 
Devil may care said:
Two wingers and Griezmann as the #9?
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To be honest, I'm not as averse as you are to Pogba playing in a midfield 2. :nervous: Something like this:

De Gea

Valencia/Tuanzebe/Fosu-Mensah - Bailly/Jones/Smalling - van Dijk/Rojo - Emerson/Blind

Herrera/Keita - Pogba/Carrick/Tuanzebe

Mkhitaryan/Pulisic - Griezmann/Mata - Lemar/Lingard

Martial/Rashford

Big games:

De Gea

Valencia - Bailly - van Dijk - Emerson

Herrera/Keita

Keita/Herrera - Pogba

Griezmann - Rashford - Lemar
​
I know what you are going to say about Martial and Rashford as our #9 options and I am aware it would be very risky going into the season with them as our options, but I also think we'll get more goals from elsewhere. Mourinho isn't going to do it though. He'll definitely sign a #9 IMO. Like I said, wishful thinking and what I would love to see.
 
bucky said:
To be honest, I'm not as averse as you are to Pogba playing in a midfield 2. :nervous: Something like this:

De Gea

Valencia/Tuanzebe/Fosu-Mensah - Bailly/Jones/Smalling - van Dijk/Rojo - Emerson/Blind

Herrera/Keita - Pogba/Carrick/Tuanzebe

Mkhitaryan/Pulisic - Griezmann/Mata - Lemar/Lingard

Martial/Rashford

Big games:

De Gea

Valencia - Bailly - van Dijk - Emerson

Herrera/Keita

Keita/Herrera - Pogba

Griezmann - Rashford - Lemar
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I know what you are going to say about Martial and Rashford as our #9 options and I am aware it would be very risky going into the season with them as our options, but I also think we'll get more goals from elsewhere. Mourinho isn't going to do it though. He'll definitely sign a #9 IMO. Like I said, wishful thinking and what I would love to see.
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I respect that mate, I mean Pogba in a 2 might be something I just have to get used to but I'm not sold on Martial and Rashford as #9's in that system, in a 2 striker system I think Rashford could do very well, his best performance this season was when he was paired with Lingard against Chelsea at Old Trafford, but we are even less likely to play with 2 strikers than your system lol. If Jose did opt to go for Rashford or Martial as the #9 I feel we need a different type of #10/SS than Griezmann as they need setting up where as Griezmann needs the #9 to be the foil that sets him up.
 
Without going overboard here's what I think we need to go into next season.

CB - We've got the numbers but lack quality, Jones' fitness cannot be trusted, Smalling and Rojo should be used as squad options. We could even sell one of Smalling or Jones and use Blind as an option.
DM - Currently there's only Carrick who can play that position.
CM - We need to have at least 4 players we can pick from to play the 2 #8 positions. As of now, we have Pogba, Herrera and Fellaini, need one here.
Winger - A player who can bring us goals from the two wide positions of the front 3.
Striker - Now that Zlatan is not going to be available for a long time, add to that our inability to convert chances, this is one of the most important positions we need a player for.

What can wait.
Fullbacks - Valencia Darmian Shaw Blind TFM those are enough options to pick from for the two positions. Also, Shaw deserves another chance.

5 signings should be a fair expectation. But we really need our current players to step it up a notch.


Edit - Here's what the squad should look like.

DeGea, Romero, Pereira. (3)
Valencia, Darmian, Bailly, NEW CB, Rojo, Smalling, Shaw, Blind, Tuanzebe. (9)
NEW DM, Pogba, Herrera, Fellaini, NEW CM, Pereira, TFM. Carrick (8)
NEW Winger, Mikhi, Martial, Mata, Lingard. Januzaj (6)
NEW CF, Rashford. Ibra (3)

That's 29 players.

Jones & Young couldn't make it.
We wouldn't need Janujaz either. We haven't offered Carrick a new contract yet, don't think we're going to either.
 
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I think we'll sign two big attacking options being Greizman and Belotti big money moves. I'm surprised no ones really talking about Belotti all that much the guys pretty insane very few better at his age in his position at the moment can score with both feet effortlessly and loves a header proper number nine! I also think we'll see Keane come back to the club I don't think he's ready for champions league football yet but that's who I think we'll sign. As for a holding midfielder I've genuinely no clue I hear things about Bakayoko but imo if he was our 1st option he'd be holding the Manchester United shirt already alongside Ed! Maybe add a left back to that but that's a stretch imo five players max this summer.
................DDG...............
Val......Baily....Keane...Darmain
...........New player..........
.....Herrera........Pogba.....
Griezman..Belotti...Mhki

There's also a lot of options in the squad like Rashford etc
 
Devil may care said:
I respect that mate, I mean Pogba in a 2 might be something I just have to get used to but I'm not sold on Martial and Rashford as #9's in that system, in a 2 striker system I think Rashford could do very well, his best performance this season was when he was paired with Lingard against Chelsea at Old Trafford, but we are even less likely to play with 2 strikers than your system lol. If Jose did opt to go for Rashford or Martial as the #9 I feel we need a different type of #10/SS than Griezmann as they need setting up where as Griezmann needs the #9 to be the foil that sets him up.
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Yeah, that formation would probably only work with someone like Jardim at the helm. I think Griezmann is very good at providing something for his partner up front and Martial is at his best as well IMO. But it's definitely more likely that Mourinho would agree with you there and opt for someone like Belotti.
 
Considering City and Chelsea should be much improved next year, I think we probably need to plug all the holes in the squad properly to even have a fighting chance at winning the league.

Assuming Griezmann happens, that still leaves a 9, a CM, an LB and an LCB.

----------9-------------- (Rashford)
Mkhitaryan--Griezmann (Martial, Mata, Lingard)
----Pogba--CM---------- (Fellaini, Pereira)
-------Herrera---------- (DM, Carrick, Blind)
LB--------------Valencia (Shaw, Blind, Darmian, Tuanzebe)
----LCB----Bailly-------- (Rojo, Blind, Smalling/Jones, Tuanzebe)
--------De Gea-----------(Romero)

That's a proper squad and injuries, suspension or a player needing a rest with midweek games wouldn't cripple us:

-The attacking backups are very good and one of them can start when we play with 4 attackers. Mata, Martial or Rashford are very good players.
-Herrera can move up to CM with the new DM coming in if Pogba or the new CM is out. If Herrera is out, the DM can start.
-If the LB is out, Shaw can play.
-If the RB is out, Darmian gives us solid defensive play at least.
-If a CB is out, then Rojo and Blind are good on the left, whichever of Jones or Smalling stays can replace Bailly.

Not enough starts for some good players, but quality-wise, I think that's what needed to make us a proper contender for the Prem and CL. Assuming about 80M for Griezmann, 50M each for the 9 and LCB, 40M for the LB and CM and 20M for the backup DM and that's 280M, which is probably more than even we can spend.

If we can't afford all that in one summer or Mourinho doesn't want to add 6 new players, I think we could live without the LCB for another year as Rojo and Blind have both played well there, and either the 9 and LB with Rashford + Martial and Shaw having the talent to perform there and being at the kind of age where a leap commonly occurs, but who the hell knows which of those 3 will perform at that level next year?
 
Possibly a LB but not a real problem because I still reckon there's a big player in Shaw. Definitely need a holding midfielder to free up Pogba and Herrera (who is better further forward). Need a CB whose not injury prone. Need a GK if De Gea leaves.

Biggest signings up front, need a striker and at least one winger. However a return to form from Martial, Rashford developing more and Mikhi finding his Dortmund form again means we might not be as short as we think. Need to be signing top top players or not too bothered at all to be honest. No more players that might improve us.

Greizmann, Weigl/Verrati or a top player of that ilk, Ousame Dembele/winger of that ilk and a good NOT INJURY PRONE CB and we would have had a fine summer.

Edit: Bale if possible would be incredible even with his injury problems.
 
We need a striker that can work the line and will create space for others as well as getting goals. I'd maybe opt for Morata but I think that's a position we need someone. It's probably a kick in the teeth to Rashford and Martial. Especially Martial as I think he is the more talented out of he and Rashford and a better 9 but what ya gonna do.

Think we need two CM just for depth really then I'd go with a CB and send Jones packing, he really can't be counted on.
 
I always trust a Dietician. First priority is a centre forward. Ibra will be 36 and was already declining in terms of finishing percentage and mobility, even without a serious injury.
 
Martial given his form this season shouldnt be considered among the 3 front line up next season. Even Rashford I am sceptical but he could work if the other 2 forwards are world class and able to carry him while he spent his game time developing his supposed 'potential'. I really believe need to get at least 2 world class players up top, rotate with mata/miki and we should have a good force.
 
We need to avoid signing Dier, Keane, Perisic et al; get rid of Rooney, Fellaini and Lingard while also demoting Rashford to a squad role and then bring in some serious quality.

Griezmann, Sanchez, Fabinho, Mendy, Manolas.... that's the sort of quality we need.
 
An Irish Red said:
We need to avoid signing Dier, Keane, Perisic et al; get rid of Rooney, Fellaini and Lingard while also demoting Rashford to a squad role and then bring in some serious quality.

Griezmann, Sanchez, Fabinho, Mendy, Manolas.... that's the sort of quality we need.
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Agreed, people seem to forget that this team finished 6th in the PL.
 
An Irish Red said:
We need to avoid signing Dier, Keane, Perisic et al; get rid of Rooney, Fellaini and Lingard while also demoting Rashford to a squad role and then bring in some serious quality.

Griezmann, Sanchez, Fabinho, Mendy, Manolas.... that's the sort of quality we need.
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Jose isn't going to sell either Fellaini or Lingard and I think they can be useful squad players but I agree with the rest of your post. We need alot more quality in the starting 11.
 
According to players performance this season, individually we'd need a LB, CB, RF, LF, SS and ST in starting XI and depth at CB, RB and CM. That's unrealistic.

The following includes new purchases as well as promotion of peripherials to substantial squad roles.

First priority should be goalscorer(s) and a LB. These are the major weaknesses in our starting XI assuming no injuries/suspensions.

LB: Aside from under-performing LFs our left side struggles due to absence of any help from LBs in the attacking half. Left-sided Valencia would be great but even a LB combination of Darmian's 1v1 defending, Blind's passing and Young's pace will do wonders to our productivity from the left.

Striker/Second Striker: Griezmann seems nailed on for the SS role. We have the RF covered with Mkhitaryan and Mata. Our LF and ST are so interconnected that I believe only one addition will be made to either ST or LF. Personally, a ST is more important.

Second priority should be creativity/dribbling and CMs. We struggle to create chances when Pogba is off-form or unavailable and break through teams. We could also do with quality in midfield.

Creativity/Dribbling: This is secondary need because I believe we already have the personnel. In theory Mhkitaryan and Mata should be enough along with Pogba to add to this. Had Mkhi shown any sort of his true ability in the league posters wouldn't have cried about B.Silva. Since we've had difficulty breaking through teams which stay deep, I believe we'd have benefited more with a dribbler with a good close control to play 1-2 football than a pace merchant winger to just whip in a cross. Reasons being a) no space to run behind defenses and b) lack of attackers with good heading and a "Lampard" ability.

CM: So much revolves around Pogba. For me he can become a great complete CM. Except for a few PL games and in CL, I think we don't need a true CDM, Herrera is enough for that role if needed. Having another CM who is equally good at attacking and defending will be more beneficial. Addition of Pereira should also help in numbers.

Optional priority should include a CB and a RB.

CB: Unlike others I don't think a major addition is needed at CB assuming that Rojo's injury has no significant implication. Considering his age (27), injury (1st time) and modern medicine he should be back as before as long as he takes care of his diet and fitness. In addition, Tuanzebe, in his short stint, has shown he is unfazed by professional football and has been able to stand out among seasoned veterans. As a back-up CB, I think he's worth depending upon.

RB: Not an urgent need, but maybe it'd be wise to start planning Valencia's successor.

To summarize, next season's squad:

GK: DDG, Romero, Reserve; Pereira (loaned), Johnstone (sold)
CB: Bailly, Rojo, Tuanzebe, Smalling, Blind, Keane (cheaper for squad option); Jones (sold)
RB: Valencia, Darmian, Tuanzebe; Varela (sold)
LB: New LB, Darmian, Blind; Shaw (loaned), Young (sold)
CM: Pogba, Herrera, New CM, Pereira, Fellaini, Carrick; Mensah (loaned)
LF: Martial, Lingard; Januzaj (sold)
RF: Mkhitaryan, Mata
SS: Griezmann, Mkhitaryan
ST: New ST, Rashford, Martial; Rooney (sold)
 
Pretty obvious that we need goalscorers, a striker who can score 30+ goals a season and a winger/second striker who can score 20+. Its pretty easy to look at this year's top three league scorers and think we should get one of them but Kane is nearly impossible, Sanchez seems very difficult so that leaves Lukaku who is gettable but i'm not sure about his relationship with Mourinho.

We might have to look abroad for a new topscorer but we desperately need one if we want to mount a title challenge.
 
kthanksbye said:
Without going overboard here's what I think we need to go into next season.

CB - We've got the numbers but lack quality, Jones' fitness cannot be trusted, Smalling and Rojo should be used as squad options. We could even sell one of Smalling or Jones and use Blind as an option.
DM - Currently there's only Carrick who can play that position.
CM - We need to have at least 4 players we can pick from to play the 2 #8 positions. As of now, we have Pogba, Herrera and Fellaini, need one here.
Winger - A player who can bring us goals from the two wide positions of the front 3.
Striker - Now that Zlatan is not going to be available for a long time, add to that our inability to convert chances, this is one of the most important positions we need a player for.

What can wait.
Fullbacks - Valencia Darmian Shaw Blind TFM those are enough options to pick from for the two positions. Also, Shaw deserves another chance.

5 signings should be a fair expectation. But we really need our current players to step it up a notch.


Edit - Here's what the squad should look like.

DeGea, Romero, Pereira. (3)
Valencia, Darmian, Bailly, NEW CB, Rojo, Smalling, Shaw, Blind, Tuanzebe. (9)
NEW DM, Pogba, Herrera, Fellaini, NEW CM, Pereira, TFM. Carrick (8)
NEW Winger, Mikhi, Martial, Mata, Lingard. Januzaj (6)
NEW CF, Rashford. Ibra (3)

That's 29 players.

Jones & Young couldn't make it.
We wouldn't need Janujaz either. We haven't offered Carrick a new contract yet, don't think we're going to either.
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Pretty much what I think. We do now know Carrick is staying and I still have relatively high hopes Perreira can be a good option in central midfield.

I do think up front Martial is a striker and a good finisher and Rashford is a massive attacking threat, though the finishing isnt consistent for me. Although its a gamble not buying there, personally I dont think its one of the most important positions though, I think the winger is. Just like for years we had brilliant central midfielders in Scholes/Keane/Butt/Robson/Ince then struggled for a long time and still are in that area to a degree I don tthink we have had consitantly good wide players for a while now. Giggs/Beckham/Kanchelskis/Ronaldo where are these players now? Valencia was only good there I think for a season (liking him at right back now) and apart from that we have Rashford/Martial playing out of position there. DiMaria who was far better in an advaced cm role til moved out wide where it didnt work, Ashley Young, Depay, Mata who is a number 10, Lingard who is a squad player.

We need a proper quality attacking bums of seat wide man that can create
 
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