Well, that was disappointing last night wasn't it? I though we were well beaten though and the game again highlighted our areas of weakness.
With that in mind I've had a think overnight and this is what I'd do in the transfer market over Summer. I'm doing this on the assumption Ole will remain as manager and that he'll persist with the 4-2-3-1.
GK:
I'd sell De Gea and give Henderson one season to prove himself. Tom Heaton is a decent experienced GK as a No2 IMO. United could go for Donnarumma from Milan on a free I suppose too but perhaps his wages will be high.
Defence:
An area we certainly need to improve in. A pacy CB who is good in the air would be the preferred candidate IMO but we do also need to address the set piece issue. With that in mind I'd try to sign Andersen (who is on loan at Fulham). He's impressed me when I've seen him. Lack of pace could be an issue but he's good in the air and if we cut out the cheap goals we'd be better off. I know we could spend big for a CB but I'd prefer to keep the transfer funds for further up the pitch.
Midfield:
Another area of concern. Unless we get an absolute top class DM to enable us to play Pogba alongside and Bruno ahead then I'd be tempted to sell Pogba and invest in two energetic and technically proficient CMs. Players who can get up and down the pitch. We need players here who are better on the ball. I'm not sure who realistic candidates here would be really but surely there's someone out there in Europe?
Attacking midfield:
I think we're OK with Bruno here as first choice aren't we! However, as an option I don't think Donny has worked. I'd probably cut my losses with him and try to bring in someone like Pereira at West Brom. A player who can dribble, play on the wing and one who knows where the goal is. We could do with more players who can take defenders on.
Front three:
Rashford is clearly better on the LW so I'd cement his position there. Long term I think he's a better option there than Pogba (who I'd sell as per above).
I'm happy that Cavani has extended his stay. This should buy us some time to see if Mason can develop into a No9.
Martial can blow hot and cold. Let's hope it's hot next season.
Mason will get game time across the front three so no worries on that score.
I'd bring in Sancho though. He'd add balance to the right hand side as well as goals and assists. He'd also open up space for our other attackers.
James, Amad etc can play supporting squad roles or, in the case of Amad perhaps even go on loan. If we got Pereira he's another attacking option too.
I feel in addition to getting top class players in we also need to bring players who compliment what we've got. I don't think the ones we've got are reaching their potential at present.
In the summer I'd go with.
Outs:
Jones
Dalot
Lingard
Pogba
VDB
Romero
DDG
Pereira
That should bring in about £100 to £120m you'd think.
Ins:
Sancho
Andersen
Pereira
Heaton
2 x CM (I'm open to suggestions here!)
If the Glazers do present Ole with a £100m war chest then we can spend around £200m over the Summer. Based on the above we'd be improving the squad and bringing the wages down and I think it'd be a more complimentary squad. A squad though that Ole must utilise better next season (even if it means possibly going out of the domestic cups early).
Feel free to agree/disagree/lol/ignore as you wish!
DC's summer transfer madness
posted on 14/5/21
comment by Scott The King McTominay (U10026)
posted 2 hours, 57 minutes ago
He is better at certain things, and he suits certain games. Like them, he’s just not very good and has been a poor signing. When we need legs in midfield he can be a massive liability. It’s a horses for courses selection of midfielders.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think this 'legs' thing gets way overstated with Matic. He's a player that regularly covered the most ground for us in midfield and ranked among the top midfielders in the league for it, including just a season or so ago, and he's no less mobile than Rodri, or Carrick, or Alonso or a host of other players who play(ed) that position and role. He covers the ground very well both with and without the ball.
posted on 14/5/21
But it’s not about how much ground, it’s how quickly. It’s an obvious issue, hence why he doesn’t play much now. He lacks speed, acceleration, mobility an intensity in his play. And it’s a problem when you’ve got Maguire behind him who has similar issues.
When Matic is good he’s a useful player. But most of his time at the club he’s been crap. And he just cannot play a run of games without his form dropping after the third game. Offering him a new contract was stupid.
But I still put our midfield issues down to Ole. He’s the one that sets it up the way it is, which doesn’t get the best out of the midfield. He’s also neglected to address the quality of the individuals (and they do lack quality) by going into the transfer market.
posted on 14/5/21
Berba. I'm not really sure how Villarreal play but from what I've read they don't press high and they're not particularly defensive either. A bit half and half. I think we should be beating a team setting up like that as you'd like to think we have more quality than them. Would Matic bring a calmness if Maguire doesn't play perhaps? The lack of his pace offset a bit by our CBs being a bit pacier so we could push up a bit more.
posted on 14/5/21
Hendersons shockers yesterday has destroyed all trust i had in him
those were schoolboy errors, and he's made loads in the last couple of years
we got to sell DDG and buy a first choice keeper
posted on 14/5/21
comment by Scott The King McTominay (U10026)
posted 2 hours, 14 minutes ago
But it’s not about how much ground, it’s how quickly. It’s an obvious issue, hence why he doesn’t play much now. He lacks speed, acceleration, mobility an intensity in his play. And it’s a problem when you’ve got Maguire behind him who has similar issues.
When Matic is good he’s a useful player. But most of his time at the club he’s been crap. And he just cannot play a run of games without his form dropping after the third game. Offering him a new contract was stupid.
But I still put our midfield issues down to Ole. He’s the one that sets it up the way it is, which doesn’t get the best out of the midfield. He’s also neglected to address the quality of the individuals (and they do lack quality) by going into the transfer market.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Most centre midfield players are not quick. He’s no slower that the players I mentioned and many, many others that I didn’t. Matic has been a key player in title winning teams. There’s nothing wrong with his pace for his position. His physicality, carrying the ball, reading the game and passing are very, very good. He’s at the stage of his career where he needs to manage his games, but players are now increasingly playing comfortably into their thirties without any issue. He should be used more often that he has been, especially ahead of Fred.
posted on 14/5/21
comment by Diafol Coch 77 (U2462)
posted 2 hours, 13 minutes ago
Berba. I'm not really sure how Villarreal play but from what I've read they don't press high and they're not particularly defensive either. A bit half and half. I think we should be beating a team setting up like that as you'd like to think we have more quality than them. Would Matic bring a calmness if Maguire doesn't play perhaps? The lack of his pace offset a bit by our CBs being a bit pacier so we could push up a bit more.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He’s our best “proper” CM - better than Fred & McTominay. He should also be fit and fresh - he looked excellent at Leicester. I’d personally put him & McTominay in the middle and go from there.
Ole’s created a bit of a problem for himself by squeezing Pogba in on the left and then shifting Rashford to the right. Apart from the fact Rashford isn’t as good on that side, you’ve then got two wide players who aren’t particularly good at tracking their fullback and keeping a good, disciplined team shape out of possession. Both of them “cheat” in their own way. It’s probably part of the reason Ole goes with McFred - because both of them have to scuttle into slightly wider positions throughout the game to cover Rashford & Pogba. Would be interesting to see if that is reflected in their heat maps, but I did notice how often they both had to come over to help their fullbacks who were getting a bit isolated against Liverpool.
posted on 14/5/21
But those players you mentioned don’t play for us, so I don’t care. But they have superior abilities to read the game and use the ball, so you can make allowances for that anyway. Matic just isn’t very good, it’s why Chelsea sold him. I saw this signing being bad coming a mile off, and so it came to pass.
There are players playing comfortably into their 20’s without any issues. Matic isn’t one of them, though. He should play more games, because we are running the squad into the ground, but he’s still not good enough if we want to be competing for top honours. Neither is Fred, but he has more uses because of his physical attributes, he can actually play a run of games, and has generally performed better than Matic for the last two years.
Hopefully they’ll all be sold in the coming seasons anyway. If we then bring in a top coach we might finally start seeing our midfield perform on a consistent basis. It is only hope I have, however.
posted on 14/5/21
comment by manutd1982 (U6633)
posted 11 hours, 55 minutes ago
And that for me is an issue with Ole. I definitely think that Bruno and Pogba can play together with a top quality DM behind them but Ole seems reluctant to try. It would be a big shame if we did sell Pogba simply because Ole can’t fit him into a cohesive XI.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It hasn’t gotten the best out of Fernandes when Ole has tried it (most often with the box midfield) even when United are dominating possession. And you build this United side around Bruno, no question for me.
Bruno excels with a good amount of space to work in, and we’ve seen Pogba playing inside at eight stepping on his toes and making it much easier for the opposition to block the passing lanes and cut off Bruno’s supply. Pogba starting in midfield or wide allows Bruno to find the pockets he needs to ensure he remains accessible, or alternatively occupies two opposition midfielders creating space for the United fullbacks and wide players to work combinations to get in either side of the opposition fullbacks.
It also doesn’t make sense to put your two most creative players in the same space on the pitch, particularly when one of them delivers more in terms of creating chances when operating in other areas (wider and/or deeper).
If I was coaching the side and United signed a prime Kante, I’d be playing Pogba in a two with him, or someone like VDB in a two with the Kante and Pogba wide left, allowing Bruno to continue at ten in all the space he wants.
posted on 15/5/21
comment by The Mur Man (U22601)
posted 11 hours ago
Outs
Lindelof
Lingard
Fred
Pogba if he won’t renew.
Matic
DDG starts as No 1 but the GK is picked on merit going forward.
AWB, Bailly, Telles, Donny and Martial get another season to improve.
In
A quick CB who is comfortable on the ball.
A DM comfortable receiving the ball under pressure
A CM to compete with DVB and McTom for a CM spot (if Pogba goes)
The best forward we can get, be that a CF or RW.
4 in is probably a push but do able if we get decent money for Pogba and Lingard.
A CB, DM and forward should be achievable if we keep Pogba.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
CB: The names in the media are Kounde, Torres and Varane but they’re all right footed. Last year we kept hearing that we were after a left footed CB to allow Maguire to move to the right. With this in mind I’d look at Romagnoli at Milan. Not the quickest but he is left footed and reads the game well.
DM: Haven’t seen enough of Bissouma but he’s getting rave reviews so either him or someone like Zakaria. He’s got pace, is incredibly strong and is good in the tackle.
CM: I would honestly look at Ward-Prowse for a CM squad role, although I don’t think he’d necessarily leave Southampton. This would be based on letting DVB leave.
RW: Sancho is the obvious option although I really like the look of Hakimi.
posted on 15/5/21
I do also think we need a back up for Bruno’s position so we can give him a rest. Pereira from WBA, as already mentioned, would be a good option.