Oh god, this is difficult. Picking five players would already involve compromises and trade-offs. With unlimited resources I think we really need:
1) A new keeper who can sweep and distribute very accurately, long and short.
2) At least two deep-lying midfielders who provide ball retention and progression and understand how to compress space.
3) A solution to the right flank - meaning an attacking right back or a (probably left-footed) right winger.
4) Goal scoring prowess so we're not totally reliant on Ronaldo.
5) A centre back who fits ETH's requirements with regard to ball progression and attacking shape.
...so we could easily recruit seven players to meet our ideal requirements. We could cut some corners by bringing in certain types of players. E.g. a player who is in the grey area between centre forward and inside forward, or a centre back who (like Jurrien Timber) is also at home as a right back. But there are only so many trade offs you can make. The centre back-right back is probably not going to provide the same level of marauding overlapping / underlapping quality as a specialist attacking right back; and if the right-sided attacker is more of a striker than creator, maybe you need a more attacking outlet.
Another pause before I finally answer my own question.
Still think DM is top priority, then CB.
After that, take your pick from RW, CF, another midfielder and possibly RB.
If it's true that De Jong and Antony are getting closer, then that's great but I still think we'd need a CB and possibly another midfielder. There is a fair bit to do.
The fact you guys are supposedly in for Lewandowski shows you just never learn.
i think we need in order
CM
RW
RB
CB
we shipped goals for fun last season and struggled at the other end to score them... its hard to fathom out what is actually the most important position to fill first.
I'd say an attacking winger might even top anything else given all we have is rashford and martial, who have been poor for ages, sancho who still has to show any real form and Elanga.
So, my priorities:
1 & 2: central midfield. Weakness in the middle has been the Achilles heel of United for years. We have been extremely vulnerable to a high press and bad at compressing space. On top of that, we have now lost our most talented passer and the one specialist DM in the senior squad. It has to be top priority to recruit a player with primarily defensive qualities (both athletic and strong understanding of space) and a player who excels in ball retention and progression (which looks likely to be Frenkie De Jong).
3: Compromise defender option.. I'm going to suggest a name here: Jurrien Timber. As per the post above, he's not a marauding right back but can play on the right. He's also an upgrade on the rest of our CBs in terms of bringing the ball out of defence: very comfortable on the ball. As a team progressing the ball out of defence better is very important - we need to be less wobbly, less conservative, more ambitious. A new midfield + upgraded defence will help us achieve this.
4: attacker. I'd love to replace DDG at this point but I think its i) not going to happen and ii) we could still use Henderson as a stop-gap. Key requirements here are: goals; strengthening the right side (which with my other choices isn't achieved by the other signings) ; improving the pressing capacity of the front line (of our existing attacking players only Elanga and Bruno are relatively high intensity in the press). I think it's a struggle to achieve all three in one player. Antony from Ajax is very creative and will press as ETH requires but can't be expected to be prolific in his first season in the PL. Nkunku looks a very impressive player, both as a goal scorer and energetic, versatile all-round forward, but doesn't tend to play on the right. Not really sure who the ideal player would be.
comment by Luke Combs - FJB (U3979)
posted 17 minutes ago
The fact you guys are supposedly in for Lewandowski shows you just never learn.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'd draw attention to your use of the words 'fact' and 'supposedly', Luke. If the interest in Lewandowski were substantiated, I'd agree with you but we get linked with hundreds of players and the reports about this story seem particularly speculative at this point.
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 44 seconds ago
comment by Luke Combs - FJB (U3979)
posted 17 minutes ago
The fact you guys are supposedly in for Lewandowski shows you just never learn.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'd draw attention to your use of the words 'fact' and 'supposedly', Luke. If the interest in Lewandowski were substantiated, I'd agree with you but we get linked with hundreds of players and the reports about this story seem particularly speculative at this point.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Very very true, in fact it's likely a lazy rumour by the journos.
de Jong is much more the type of signing that makes sense for United, players with a point to prove.
Clockwork & Dunc: key question is whether it's just one midfielder if we're only selecting four players. I don't think there's a single midfielder in the world who fixes our midfield, unless a youth player (Garner) bursts into the team or ETH can magically repurpose an existing player as a world class DM.
comment by Ji Sung Park's Cousin - It's Beekers! (U2958)
posted 2 minutes ago
CB/DM/CM/Striker
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's have some names, JSPC!
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 39 seconds ago
Clockwork & Dunc: key question is whether it's just one midfielder if we're only selecting four players. I don't think there's a single midfielder in the world who fixes our midfield, unless a youth player (Garner) bursts into the team or ETH can magically repurpose an existing player as a world class DM.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Perhaps if we could somehow get Timber, De Jong, Antony and another midfielder...
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 34 seconds ago
Clockwork & Dunc: key question is whether it's just one midfielder if we're only selecting four players. I don't think there's a single midfielder in the world who fixes our midfield, unless a youth player (Garner) bursts into the team or ETH can magically repurpose an existing player as a world class DM.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I do think a 3 of Fred, De Jong and bruno could actually work if fred is the one pressing and harrassing.
De Jong despite culers opinion is good on the ball and has the ability to pick a pass and adjust the tempo of the game.
for me i would be happy with Antony, De Jong, Dumfries and someone like Torres or timber.
you mentioned about the keeper RR, and strangely enough Onana who has played plenty under ETH is available on a free this summer
You lot are getting seriously left behind and now you’ve got a manager who just seems to want to put the Ajax band back together.
Your board/directors are atrocious when it comes to the football side of things
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 9 minutes ago
comment by Ji Sung Park's Cousin - It's Beekers! (U2958)
posted 2 minutes ago
CB/DM/CM/Striker
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's have some names, JSPC!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
That's where it gets hard!
To keep in it the realms of reality, these seem the more reasonable rumours and each have their merits, from my limited knowledge:
CB: Torres/Timber
DM: Neves/Rice
CM: De Jong/Eriksen
FWD: Not sure, maybe Jiminez. Anthony gets a mention, but no idea on him really.
comment by Striketeam7 - the smartest person you know - Arsenal shat it on 16/01/22 - Todger (U18109)
posted 5 minutes ago
You lot are getting seriously left behind and now you’ve got a manager who just seems to want to put the Ajax band back together.
Your board/directors are atrocious when it comes to the football side of things
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think it would be smart to suspend judgement at least until you see what players we recruit, but maybe also how well they perform, before sniggering about this. The board and the backroom team have been atrocious over years and years. This is the first window where Murtough has substantial control, and working with a different chief executive, so we'll see if he's just as bad or something of an improvement.
As for 'putting the Ajax band back together', again we don't know how much is journalistic conjecture. But if we do bring in two or three players ETH has worked with before, only time will tell if it's a sign of limited imagination and players aren't up to the shift to the PL. Or if it's a smart tactic because he knows their quality and having players who totally understand his demands and trust his methods.
Conte has recruited Bentancur whom he managed at Juve, Perisic whom he managed at Inter, and Kulusevski, who was also at Juve. There can be advantages to selecting players you know or who come from systems you are familiar with.
We need a versatile attacker given how many of those sorts of player we have lost (Martial, Greenwood, Lingard). Bowen, Raphinha, Antony… All might be gettable.
CM is definitely a priority: De Jong, Eriksen and maybe Garner coming in could be enough to see us through and evaluate next season. We still have McFred & DvdB - the latter we might see a lot more from under ETH.
We need another CB and ideally a full back or two. Someone that can perform several positions pretty well; a modern O’Shea if you like. That would be handy rather than signing a specialist in a certain position at the expense of another position.
But if we do bring in two or three players ETH has worked with before, only time will tell if it's a sign of limited imagination and players aren't up to the shift to the PL. Or if it's a smart tactic because he knows their quality and having players who totally understand his demands and trust his methods.
-----------
We've been rightly criticised in the past for buying players with no real sense of how they'll fit in. If ten Hag is indeed buying players he knows, that's likely to be an improvement straight away.
comment by Ji Sung Park's Cousin - It's Beekers! (U2958)
posted 7 minutes ago
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 9 minutes ago
comment by Ji Sung Park's Cousin - It's Beekers! (U2958)
posted 2 minutes ago
CB/DM/CM/Striker
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's have some names, JSPC!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
That's where it gets hard!
To keep in it the realms of reality, these seem the more reasonable rumours and each have their merits, from my limited knowledge:
CB: Torres/Timber
DM: Neves/Rice
CM: De Jong/Eriksen
FWD: Not sure, maybe Jiminez. Anthony gets a mention, but no idea on him really.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'd be keen on a flexible forward who can play centrally or wide. Hard to say whether a CF or a RW would be more important if we couldn't find that player.
Pre season Pirlo will end up getting back in the squad too don't forget.
comment by FFS Dunc FFS (U11713)
posted 24 minutes ago
you mentioned about the keeper RR, and strangely enough Onana who has played plenty under ETH is available on a free this summer
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Didn't realise this. If we're doing some smart scouting for once, and can identify the right players on frees, then just maybe we can fill five or six holes.
The fact that we didn't compete with Villa for Kamara on a free makes me hope we have a clear idea of who we want, and can obtain, for the DM position.
Thought he had some kind of drug ban hanging over him?
My hope is that if we sort the midfield out properly, coupled with some proper coaching that helps us actually control games, our defence and attack will improve with it.
So my priority signings would be 2 midfielders.
Followed by a CB that can bring the ball out and help dictate, start moves from the back (one that's fit every week wouldn't go a miss either), and a right sided attacker.
I an pinning some hopes on ETH improving a number of the current squad too.
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Ji Sung Park's Cousin - It's Beekers! (U2958)
posted 7 minutes ago
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 9 minutes ago
comment by Ji Sung Park's Cousin - It's Beekers! (U2958)
posted 2 minutes ago
CB/DM/CM/Striker
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's have some names, JSPC!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
That's where it gets hard!
To keep in it the realms of reality, these seem the more reasonable rumours and each have their merits, from my limited knowledge:
CB: Torres/Timber
DM: Neves/Rice
CM: De Jong/Eriksen
FWD: Not sure, maybe Jiminez. Anthony gets a mention, but no idea on him really.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'd be keen on a flexible forward who can play centrally or wide. Hard to say whether a CF or a RW would be more important if we couldn't find that player.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Whoever we get will end up on the left wing, no doubt!
It's a tricky signing though, needs to be a striker that will be happy to rotate with (and learn from) Ronaldo... Or, as you say, a more flexible attacker/forward who can play in various roles, ideally with an aim to cement the striker role over the next season or two.
I've seen very little of Nkunku admittedly, but I do like what I've seen. Not heard even a sniff of a terrible rumour on Twitter of us being in for him though.
Sign in if you want to comment
Four summer priorities
Page 1 of 4
posted on 13/6/22
Oh god, this is difficult. Picking five players would already involve compromises and trade-offs. With unlimited resources I think we really need:
1) A new keeper who can sweep and distribute very accurately, long and short.
2) At least two deep-lying midfielders who provide ball retention and progression and understand how to compress space.
3) A solution to the right flank - meaning an attacking right back or a (probably left-footed) right winger.
4) Goal scoring prowess so we're not totally reliant on Ronaldo.
5) A centre back who fits ETH's requirements with regard to ball progression and attacking shape.
...so we could easily recruit seven players to meet our ideal requirements. We could cut some corners by bringing in certain types of players. E.g. a player who is in the grey area between centre forward and inside forward, or a centre back who (like Jurrien Timber) is also at home as a right back. But there are only so many trade offs you can make. The centre back-right back is probably not going to provide the same level of marauding overlapping / underlapping quality as a specialist attacking right back; and if the right-sided attacker is more of a striker than creator, maybe you need a more attacking outlet.
Another pause before I finally answer my own question.
posted on 13/6/22
Still think DM is top priority, then CB.
After that, take your pick from RW, CF, another midfielder and possibly RB.
If it's true that De Jong and Antony are getting closer, then that's great but I still think we'd need a CB and possibly another midfielder. There is a fair bit to do.
posted on 13/6/22
The fact you guys are supposedly in for Lewandowski shows you just never learn.
posted on 13/6/22
i think we need in order
CM
RW
RB
CB
we shipped goals for fun last season and struggled at the other end to score them... its hard to fathom out what is actually the most important position to fill first.
I'd say an attacking winger might even top anything else given all we have is rashford and martial, who have been poor for ages, sancho who still has to show any real form and Elanga.
posted on 13/6/22
So, my priorities:
1 & 2: central midfield. Weakness in the middle has been the Achilles heel of United for years. We have been extremely vulnerable to a high press and bad at compressing space. On top of that, we have now lost our most talented passer and the one specialist DM in the senior squad. It has to be top priority to recruit a player with primarily defensive qualities (both athletic and strong understanding of space) and a player who excels in ball retention and progression (which looks likely to be Frenkie De Jong).
3: Compromise defender option.. I'm going to suggest a name here: Jurrien Timber. As per the post above, he's not a marauding right back but can play on the right. He's also an upgrade on the rest of our CBs in terms of bringing the ball out of defence: very comfortable on the ball. As a team progressing the ball out of defence better is very important - we need to be less wobbly, less conservative, more ambitious. A new midfield + upgraded defence will help us achieve this.
4: attacker. I'd love to replace DDG at this point but I think its i) not going to happen and ii) we could still use Henderson as a stop-gap. Key requirements here are: goals; strengthening the right side (which with my other choices isn't achieved by the other signings) ; improving the pressing capacity of the front line (of our existing attacking players only Elanga and Bruno are relatively high intensity in the press). I think it's a struggle to achieve all three in one player. Antony from Ajax is very creative and will press as ETH requires but can't be expected to be prolific in his first season in the PL. Nkunku looks a very impressive player, both as a goal scorer and energetic, versatile all-round forward, but doesn't tend to play on the right. Not really sure who the ideal player would be.
posted on 13/6/22
comment by Luke Combs - FJB (U3979)
posted 17 minutes ago
The fact you guys are supposedly in for Lewandowski shows you just never learn.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'd draw attention to your use of the words 'fact' and 'supposedly', Luke. If the interest in Lewandowski were substantiated, I'd agree with you but we get linked with hundreds of players and the reports about this story seem particularly speculative at this point.
posted on 13/6/22
CB/DM/CM/Striker
posted on 13/6/22
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 44 seconds ago
comment by Luke Combs - FJB (U3979)
posted 17 minutes ago
The fact you guys are supposedly in for Lewandowski shows you just never learn.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'd draw attention to your use of the words 'fact' and 'supposedly', Luke. If the interest in Lewandowski were substantiated, I'd agree with you but we get linked with hundreds of players and the reports about this story seem particularly speculative at this point.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Very very true, in fact it's likely a lazy rumour by the journos.
de Jong is much more the type of signing that makes sense for United, players with a point to prove.
posted on 13/6/22
Clockwork & Dunc: key question is whether it's just one midfielder if we're only selecting four players. I don't think there's a single midfielder in the world who fixes our midfield, unless a youth player (Garner) bursts into the team or ETH can magically repurpose an existing player as a world class DM.
posted on 13/6/22
comment by Ji Sung Park's Cousin - It's Beekers! (U2958)
posted 2 minutes ago
CB/DM/CM/Striker
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's have some names, JSPC!
posted on 13/6/22
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 39 seconds ago
Clockwork & Dunc: key question is whether it's just one midfielder if we're only selecting four players. I don't think there's a single midfielder in the world who fixes our midfield, unless a youth player (Garner) bursts into the team or ETH can magically repurpose an existing player as a world class DM.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Perhaps if we could somehow get Timber, De Jong, Antony and another midfielder...
posted on 13/6/22
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 34 seconds ago
Clockwork & Dunc: key question is whether it's just one midfielder if we're only selecting four players. I don't think there's a single midfielder in the world who fixes our midfield, unless a youth player (Garner) bursts into the team or ETH can magically repurpose an existing player as a world class DM.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I do think a 3 of Fred, De Jong and bruno could actually work if fred is the one pressing and harrassing.
De Jong despite culers opinion is good on the ball and has the ability to pick a pass and adjust the tempo of the game.
for me i would be happy with Antony, De Jong, Dumfries and someone like Torres or timber.
you mentioned about the keeper RR, and strangely enough Onana who has played plenty under ETH is available on a free this summer
posted on 13/6/22
You lot are getting seriously left behind and now you’ve got a manager who just seems to want to put the Ajax band back together.
Your board/directors are atrocious when it comes to the football side of things
posted on 13/6/22
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 9 minutes ago
comment by Ji Sung Park's Cousin - It's Beekers! (U2958)
posted 2 minutes ago
CB/DM/CM/Striker
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's have some names, JSPC!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
That's where it gets hard!
To keep in it the realms of reality, these seem the more reasonable rumours and each have their merits, from my limited knowledge:
CB: Torres/Timber
DM: Neves/Rice
CM: De Jong/Eriksen
FWD: Not sure, maybe Jiminez. Anthony gets a mention, but no idea on him really.
posted on 13/6/22
comment by Striketeam7 - the smartest person you know - Arsenal shat it on 16/01/22 - Todger (U18109)
posted 5 minutes ago
You lot are getting seriously left behind and now you’ve got a manager who just seems to want to put the Ajax band back together.
Your board/directors are atrocious when it comes to the football side of things
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think it would be smart to suspend judgement at least until you see what players we recruit, but maybe also how well they perform, before sniggering about this. The board and the backroom team have been atrocious over years and years. This is the first window where Murtough has substantial control, and working with a different chief executive, so we'll see if he's just as bad or something of an improvement.
As for 'putting the Ajax band back together', again we don't know how much is journalistic conjecture. But if we do bring in two or three players ETH has worked with before, only time will tell if it's a sign of limited imagination and players aren't up to the shift to the PL. Or if it's a smart tactic because he knows their quality and having players who totally understand his demands and trust his methods.
Conte has recruited Bentancur whom he managed at Juve, Perisic whom he managed at Inter, and Kulusevski, who was also at Juve. There can be advantages to selecting players you know or who come from systems you are familiar with.
posted on 13/6/22
We need a versatile attacker given how many of those sorts of player we have lost (Martial, Greenwood, Lingard). Bowen, Raphinha, Antony… All might be gettable.
CM is definitely a priority: De Jong, Eriksen and maybe Garner coming in could be enough to see us through and evaluate next season. We still have McFred & DvdB - the latter we might see a lot more from under ETH.
We need another CB and ideally a full back or two. Someone that can perform several positions pretty well; a modern O’Shea if you like. That would be handy rather than signing a specialist in a certain position at the expense of another position.
posted on 13/6/22
But if we do bring in two or three players ETH has worked with before, only time will tell if it's a sign of limited imagination and players aren't up to the shift to the PL. Or if it's a smart tactic because he knows their quality and having players who totally understand his demands and trust his methods.
-----------
We've been rightly criticised in the past for buying players with no real sense of how they'll fit in. If ten Hag is indeed buying players he knows, that's likely to be an improvement straight away.
posted on 13/6/22
comment by Ji Sung Park's Cousin - It's Beekers! (U2958)
posted 7 minutes ago
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 9 minutes ago
comment by Ji Sung Park's Cousin - It's Beekers! (U2958)
posted 2 minutes ago
CB/DM/CM/Striker
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's have some names, JSPC!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
That's where it gets hard!
To keep in it the realms of reality, these seem the more reasonable rumours and each have their merits, from my limited knowledge:
CB: Torres/Timber
DM: Neves/Rice
CM: De Jong/Eriksen
FWD: Not sure, maybe Jiminez. Anthony gets a mention, but no idea on him really.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'd be keen on a flexible forward who can play centrally or wide. Hard to say whether a CF or a RW would be more important if we couldn't find that player.
posted on 13/6/22
Pre season Pirlo will end up getting back in the squad too don't forget.
posted on 13/6/22
comment by FFS Dunc FFS (U11713)
posted 24 minutes ago
you mentioned about the keeper RR, and strangely enough Onana who has played plenty under ETH is available on a free this summer
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Didn't realise this. If we're doing some smart scouting for once, and can identify the right players on frees, then just maybe we can fill five or six holes.
posted on 13/6/22
The fact that we didn't compete with Villa for Kamara on a free makes me hope we have a clear idea of who we want, and can obtain, for the DM position.
posted on 13/6/22
Thought he had some kind of drug ban hanging over him?
posted on 13/6/22
My hope is that if we sort the midfield out properly, coupled with some proper coaching that helps us actually control games, our defence and attack will improve with it.
So my priority signings would be 2 midfielders.
Followed by a CB that can bring the ball out and help dictate, start moves from the back (one that's fit every week wouldn't go a miss either), and a right sided attacker.
I an pinning some hopes on ETH improving a number of the current squad too.
posted on 13/6/22
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Ji Sung Park's Cousin - It's Beekers! (U2958)
posted 7 minutes ago
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 9 minutes ago
comment by Ji Sung Park's Cousin - It's Beekers! (U2958)
posted 2 minutes ago
CB/DM/CM/Striker
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's have some names, JSPC!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
That's where it gets hard!
To keep in it the realms of reality, these seem the more reasonable rumours and each have their merits, from my limited knowledge:
CB: Torres/Timber
DM: Neves/Rice
CM: De Jong/Eriksen
FWD: Not sure, maybe Jiminez. Anthony gets a mention, but no idea on him really.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'd be keen on a flexible forward who can play centrally or wide. Hard to say whether a CF or a RW would be more important if we couldn't find that player.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Whoever we get will end up on the left wing, no doubt!
It's a tricky signing though, needs to be a striker that will be happy to rotate with (and learn from) Ronaldo... Or, as you say, a more flexible attacker/forward who can play in various roles, ideally with an aim to cement the striker role over the next season or two.
posted on 13/6/22
I've seen very little of Nkunku admittedly, but I do like what I've seen. Not heard even a sniff of a terrible rumour on Twitter of us being in for him though.
Page 1 of 4