Manchester United Thread 25/26 - Teamtalk/Transfers/Gossip Mod Note in OP 26.09.24

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123775795#Comment_123775795

Exactly we just got rid of Garnacho and Rashford and are poised to get rid of Sancho, Antony, Malacia and Hojlund by explicitly telling them they have no future at the club.

We didn't have to keep starting them because they were hard to sell ffs.

BenK

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123775795#Comment_123775795

Yeah surely you can get some team to take him on loan. It can all be done professionally of course but just let him know in no uncertain terms that he hasn't got a future at the club. Any semi-professional player (i.e. not Sancho) will want to move to play football (i.e. Hojlund, Garnacho, Rashford, Antony etc.).

Nalz

❌ Rashford

❌ Hojlund

❌ Garnacho

❌ Sancho

❌ Antony

🔜 Malacia

✅ Cunha

✅ Mbeumo

✅ Sesko

✅ Leon

✅ Lammens

Keep Kobi & keep the football in Casimiro

Now... A Midfielder maybe?

DrPhilG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123775749#Comment_123775749

Nope, you've just demonstrated that you're still missing my point.

And I never said Onana should start. I said I think he will start.

Just move on.

DataDude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123775822#Comment_123775822

Probably a window you’d have taken back in May, especially the departures, but a bit shocking we’re going into the season with Casemiro & Bruno as the only midfielders he trusts, with a reluctant reliance on Mainoo, Mount and Ugarte when he’s pushed.

Mitch Connor

saw a tweet early pointing to why we are a bad side - the list of central midfielders bought in the last decade or so.

Man, grim reading - very few signings of real note, and even those that were turned out poorly (pogba). but so many (no one) or Var Der Beeks.

And this is yet another summer where it is (no one).

So dumb, and it is going to cost us so badly.

Mitch Connor

This is siliar, but also included sabitzer and bruno (maybe another couple, think they are excluded here cause they were 10s, not CMs.)

https://twitter.com/utdscope/status/1962490996110798958?s=12&t=EH6nO6h-92-TdAJc_4YhqA

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123775835#Comment_123775835

Ok don't mean exactly what you are saying.

okey doke.

cosatron

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123775856#Comment_123775856

UNited haven't signed a decent midfielder since Michael Carrick. Fergie neglected midfield aswell towards the end.

blackwhite

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123775158#Comment_123775158

Saying "MDL doesn't perform to his contract" isn't a factually accurate summation of the data or the PSR calculation either though.

It's an assessment that he doesn't preform to his PSR charge, which is a combination of his contract AND his transfer fee amortisation.

The_Kew_Tour

I can't remember time when we have focused on getting top quality CMs over other areas

We could spend the whole summer after Goalie, Defender or Forwards, but a CM? Nah why bother….....

thegreengoblin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123775841#Comment_123775841

It's baffling, it really is. People will get carried away if we manage to stitch together a few wins over the next couple of months but this is so negligent by the club. I think the fact that we seem to have done pretty well with who has come in and then getting rid of the wasters makes it harder to understand. I really believe we are one signing away from being a team that's in proper contention for top six. But it looks like that's it in the transfer market until January.

pjohnson

2 1/2 hours...unless theres news in the next hour Lammens is it.

The Big Easy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123775882#Comment_123775882

We haven't signed a decent midfielder since Ballack, Essien or Vidal.....

Oh wait

DataDude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123775880#Comment_123775880

Yes, that’s a fair correction. I think if we had gotten him on a free and it was just his £200k a week then I’d say his performances are about in line with PSR.

Similar to how I’d view Mazroui now. Good solid squad signing at middling cost. Not a world beater but doesn’t need to be.

The Big Easy

It's like we're still stung from the Veron signing.

The Big Easy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123775158#Comment_123775158

You don't have to get your comparative advantage from the CB position though and I'd suggest it's near impossible if you play a system with 3 CBs.

Our comparative advantage should've been with Mainoo and Garnacho out performing their contract and cost significantly.

DataDude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123775882#Comment_123775882

There were times under Fergie and Ole where this made sense. Be solid defensively and then be direct & electric on the counter through wide areas. All you need is solid, effective midfielders. No superstars needed. Save your money for the attackers.

Klopp did similar at pool, they were one of the best teams in Europe with a midfield of Fabinho, Wijnadlum, Henderson (with Milner getting lots of minutes too). Just be a high energy pressing midfield and bash it out to Salah and Mane as fast as you can when you win it.

Would seem to me that we have completely the wrong profile of midfielders for this formation though.

twinex

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123775841#Comment_123775841

Midfield is central to everything.

Bonkers how this glaring problem continues to be unresolved.

DM_7

Casemiro, Ugarte, Mainoo, Bruno, Mount - no Europe.

If United could have changed that by moving on Casemiro or Ugarte, or had won the Europa final I think a CB and midfielder would have been signed.

For the season ahead I think they prioritised the forward line in the knowledge they need a new midfielder next season, when Casemiro is gone, at the very least.

Forward line was a priority as that is where players were leaving (Antony, Sancho, Rashford, Garnacho, Hojlund).

I am not saying that was the right thing, just trying to make sense of how it unfolded.

Bleating Lamb

Sancho seems to be gone to Villa on loan so those Martinez rumours mustn’t be true.

StringerBell

Would agree, I don't think we will see anyone come in at this stage anyway.

crusd

In 32 years there have be 2 top quality deep midfield signings - Keane and Carrick. That is it.

The Big Easy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123775978#Comment_123775978

They also probably thought they could fudge the GK situation for another year, but that fast became impossible

DataDude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123775946#Comment_123775946

At an overall level yeah just cause you have 3. But I was just referring to MDL’s PSR useage as one player rather than all our CBs. Add De Ligt, Maguire, Yoro, Shaw, Mazroui, Martinez together and it’s a lot of spend chucked at our back 3…and I’d argue only Yoro is the profile that Amorim truly wants (combination of enough speed to press high man to man, and also ball playing/carrying). Fit Shaw could be perfect but just seems injuries have taken a toll now even when available.

Definitely on Mainoo and Garnacho. Young high level players on low wages, long contracts and no/low transfer fee are absolute gold dust these days.

The_Kew_Tour

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123775967#Comment_123775967

Fair points, but what about controlling games and dictating play.

Take for example when Moyes came in..we badly needed 2 CMs.

We get Fellaini, great. Now all we need is a creative/box to box type CM work alongside him. We don't buy anyone.. we suffer.

Fellaini was scapegoat at time for him trying cover 2 to 3 roles at once.

What Liverpool had under klopp was far more efficient but even he suffered when came to CL nights generally especially against the big boys of Madrid and Spanish teams in general like of Atl Madrid and Sevilla.

We have severely lacked ballers in midfield with bite or a player who control play.

We have had some decent CM in that time. Pogba should have kept us going for many years but we always seem be short year on year in CM in real outright quality. 6 and 8 seem be two positions that come bottom of list in terms of signings at the club.

Its cost us heavily and results are there show it.

Bleating Lamb

Pity we couldn’t get an experienced DM in on loan,and we are an injury to Sesko away from having to play a false 9 up top.

Mount excellent in that role so far this Season but you can’t rely on him staying fit in the long term.

EltonJohn69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123775549#Comment_123775549

Onana is 29 ! Jaysus, why was I thinking he was a young keeper…..

DataDude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123776151#Comment_123776151

Yeah completely agree. Not defending what we’ve done now..basically just saying there was some method to Fergies neglect of midfield. Or looking at it another way, he adapted the playstyle to adjust for teams strengths/weaknesses. As did Klopp.

Since Fergie and particularly this year, it’s just lambs to the slaughter with completely the wrong profile for the system.

Seattle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123775978#Comment_123775978

Yep. With no European football, it's really difficult to justify signing a midfielder unless we can offload Casemiro/Ugarte. I think they were prepared to make an exception for Baleba if he could've been gotten for the right price this Summer.

I would prefer for us to go with what we have this season and try to sign a proven high quality CM next Summer when Casemiro departs rather than spend £30m on a midfielder right now that might just add to our current depth.