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

FourFourRED

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122398031#Comment_122398031

Casemiro unlikely to leave unless Saudi fancy him. Why is it so detrimental to let McTominay go? His best role is 10 and we have Bruno playing almost every minute there and Mount will hopefully be able to be the backup there.

Robson99

Would love to see us sign Adam Wharton for the middle of the park… great player imo

FrankN1

We may be in a title race next year... stranger things have happened

nullzero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122398375#Comment_122398375

In a top four race I'd say.

City will walk the league, too many clubs in flux at the moment, no stand out challengers unless Arsenal can do something special.

useless

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122398416#Comment_122398416

hmm, I think Arsenal might go close again. The whole 115 thing might rattle City a bit. Either way, I don't see Utd being title contenders next year. Top 4, they should be contending.

FrankN1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122398416#Comment_122398416

I'd be hoping for an easy top 4 finish. Anything else would be rubbish.

DiscoStew

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122398435#Comment_122398435

On the basis of signing a striker who doesn’t score a lot but will hopefully help unlock more goals from our other forward players… and an 18 year old centre back?

Nothing about that screams easy top 4 finish to me.

We would need some significant additions and exits in the coming weeks to be thinking we’re guaranteed top 4.

It’s a very good start to the Ineos regime, the speed at which they are doing these deals is tremendous. But there’s still a long way to go to meet your expectation IMHO.

The_Kew_Tour

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122398472#Comment_122398472

For me the expectation to think we will turn things around in 1 or 2 years is just way too optimistic and unrealistic.

The sad reality is that the neglect of the Glazers throughout all aspects of the club will take much more time.

The price of these deals are still ott for my liking but least we now getting deals done and not dragging out. Baby steps but once we are going forward it has be positive.

To think Ineos can just suddenly change the whole structure and mismanagement overnight is not really fair. That's not to say they should come in for no scrutiny but fans need have little more understating or the **** show of past 10-15 years and its going take some time to mend.

All_in_Flynn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122398735#Comment_122398735

I'm not sure we have even over spent that much for our first 2 signings. Zirkzee at £40m is about what you'd expect to pay for any decent to good player today.

As for Yoro, you can certainly argue that 52m for a 18 year old with 1 year left on his contract is over paying. However, when you look at what Everton are looking to get for Brantwaithe and Palace Guehi then the 40m for instance doesn't seem that outlandish for a player as coveted at Yoro is/was. The fact he only had a year on his contract was, this situation, an ace up the sleeve for Lille. We either had to pay a premium where Madrid probably couldn't match (Mbappe's huge outlay, stadium etc) or he goes to Madrid on a free next summer all likely.

Suppose what I'm trying to say with the above is that for me, there is a clear difference in our dealings on the 2 players above than what we have been seeing United do seasons gone. I'm encouraged by what we've seen so far.

Robson99

Don't see what the fuss is with the monies spent on Yoro….much rather see 50 mill spent on a young upcoming player than on a 30yo. Ronaldo and Casemiro as examples spring to mind. We appear to be working on the age profile as well as budget which is encouraging.

Mitch Connor

I don't think anyone here expects us to be going for the title - but anything less than top 5? (really top 4) has to be considered a failure.

IMO if you were to get a look at the clubs budgets for the coming season, and the following seasons - you would be seeing projections made on making it quarters of the league cup, fa cup and europa league, and a top 4 finish. Projections for future seasons would include the plan for having CL football.

I don't see any way that United are not aiming for top 4. Even as things went to sh last season, Ratcliffe said CL is the target, CL is important.

We may not make top 4 - because other clubs might just be better no matter how we improve, or because our first choice CB is an 18yo who will make mistakes at times, or our striker scores no goals, or our tactics leave us too open etc etc etc. We may fail for a variety of reasons, but not making top 4 will be, and has to be, considered a failure.

And where we talk about years of neglect and poor ownership needing a long time to rectify?
PIF took over Newcastle in late 2021. Newcaslte had near the bottom of the table. they finished 11th that season, and 4th the following season. is it unreasonable to think United could go from 8th to 4th? When the team cotains Onana, Shaw, Martinez, Yoro, Maguire, Dalot, Mainoo, Mount, Bruno, Rashford, Hojlund, Zirkzee, Garnacho - and others - and the time and apparentl willingness to add more? Like I get last season was TERRIBLE, but the seson before that was not. We should not be accepting last season as the baseline for the performance of this team. My opinion on why we had those issues is probably over-written here at this point so i won't rehash it now - but we should 100% be entitled to expect a massive improvement on what we saw last season. If we don't, that is a massive failure and should not be brushed off as 'still trying to fix the glazer mess', they can't be blamed for everything.

El Gato De Negocios

CL qualification has to be the minimum expectation for next season, as well as a substantial uptick in PL performances and results. ETH got alot of slack last year but if we continue to perform the way we performed for most of last season, he won't see Christmas. It's very much shyt or get off the pot time for him.

PARlance

I'm just hoping for positive goal difference!

Mantis Toboggan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122398435#Comment_122398435

Considering the money spent it would be a minimum requirement.

paulbok

Are the rules for 5th place getting CL football the same this season (ignoring Euro comp winners finishing outside top 4)?

With Germany getting that extra place and having 2 teams getting to the finals, It'll be tough for England clubs to make up the gap.

Have to be aiming for top 4 this year. City and Arsenal you would assume take two places, but a lot of clubs now vying for the remaining.

United, pool, villa, spurs, Chelsea & Newcastle all likely to be involved and you can't rule out another team hitting a long purple patch.

Ideally we are able to sell on Casemiro and Eriksen (maybe McTominay as well) and bring in a starting DM, and cover for Mainoo so he's not run into the ground.

Selling AWB while there is interest and bringing in that Turkish RB who can cover the left seems to be a smart transfer. Ideally we upgrade both full back slots but everything ain't happening in one window

Depending on the sales of HM and VL another CB.

That's as much as I can see happening, unless a new no.2 GK , (no mention of Bayindir leaving anymore?).

If all those transfers work out, we should be looking at challenging again the following season. However, that's a lot of ifs to happen as well as the 'ifs' already at the club, eg Mount, Rasmus.

Realistically we'll probably need to replace a few of last year's and this year's transfers within the next 2-3 seasons to get the squad to where it needs to be.

But, the club is finally moving in the right direction, they seem to have a plan and are acting on it, big time. Whether it works, only time will tell, but it's becoming an exciting wait instead of the depression of the last decade.

Choo Choo?

Mitch Connor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122399300#Comment_122399300

The rules are the same - but you get the average points per team, so having more teams doesn't really help, as far as I could work out.

If the English clubs perform and go further, they could do it fine.

ericzeking

Tis great to be buying young players who, I as a non championship manager playing average Joe, have never really heard of. Every year, City come up with new players from nowhere, no fanfare, no saga, and then you read, oh he cost 50m and he's 22 and he turns out to be brilliant….I'm thinking the likes of Doku and Gvardiol.

Iseedeadpixels

We should have been top 4 last season if it wasn't for injuries tbh.

All_in_Flynn

Top 4 is the minimum requirement. But I'd also argue that there needs to also be a significant improvement in how we are playing. If we are still conceding shot after shot and nicking games by the odd goal then I think it's a coaching issue.

billyhead

Top 4 with the amount of money spend should be the minimum expectation. Anything less is a failure and ETHs continuation in the job should come under serious consideration.

The_Kew_Tour

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122398933#Comment_122398933

No it's all fair points and I won't argue with that in fairness.

Like you I am encouraged but I don't expect much good fortune for while yet. We maybe only top 4 club and it take time to become consistent league contenders again.

On separate note I see posters expecting Top 4 finishes. Of course that should be minimum, but when I talk about expectations I'm talking about winning the league again, I'm talking about CL titles again. Getting to top on consistent basis rather than odd limp challenge every 3 or 4 years.

loyatemu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122399465#Comment_122399465

if we don't get top 4, he's gone for certain. I hope he succeeds, but frankly he's lucky to still be at United for next season.

FourFourRED

Time to go back in for Branthwaite at a lower offer? 😁

https://twitter.com/david_ornstein/status/1814239255108997122?s=12

Mitch Connor

https://twitter.com/academyscoop/status/1814241886091001940?s=46&t=3K_zzKW1mofN0lL5nTqFEg

That would be a fairly huge pick up for the academy if we could get it done. Obviously young but looks a HUGE talent.

Quags

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122399555#Comment_122399555

All the Everton fans baiting United fans over spending the money on Yoro must be sick now that we will go back in with the same first offer

Mitch Connor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122399620#Comment_122399620

I'd be happy to agree a fee of JUST less than what we paid for Yoro. Just out of spite. 51m vs 52m.

xtal191

We should be in a battle for 3rd place this season, anything outside the top 4 would be a complete failure imo

Mitch Connor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122399618#Comment_122399618

Tweet deleted so maybe not true - or was maybe asked by the club or people involved to remove it.

FourFourRED

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122399726#Comment_122399726

Who is the player?

Mitch Connor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122399765#Comment_122399765

Chido Obi from Arsenal.

16yo from their U18 side, who scored a bagful for that side last season, and has trained with the seniors a bit.
Arsenal are trying to keep him, and i think it was reported a month of so back he was expected to sign a contract with them. He hasn't, as of yet, signed his scholarship contract with them - so would be free to move (with compensation paid)

Might be he is visiting a few interested clubs. Might be AcademyScoop was simply wrong.