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

I am thrilled with Yoro. No caveats, no it's buts ands or maybes.

Yoro wears number 15 at Lille. Wouldn't it be magical if was as good as our former Serbian centre half who wore 15 🙂

Shows the benefit of being in for a target no one thought you could get. Apparently the effort put in was part of what won him over.

I'd prefer to keep Lindelof and focus on other positions, than pay to replace Lindelof with another CB. He's not world class but as a 3rd/4th choice backup he is perfectly fine, and with one year left on contract what money would they even get for him.

In the context of this summer of course. Ideally you'd replace everybody, but there are still full backs, midfielders and attackers needed.

Sorting the midfield would do far more to improve the defence than replacing the backup CB would.

De Laet wasn't the worst tbf to him. He was signed to make up numbers in the reserves because we loaned out so many there were fùck all left. Same reason we loaned in some Bolton full back to fill in.

de Laet was competent when we had an equally mad injury crisis shortage of defenders in the seniors considering he was never supposed to get near the seniors.

Even if these signings turn out or be rubbish, I’m still impressed by the lack drama around them.

Looks like we have a new Gaitan/Sneijder saga 😂

I'd take Rabiot, but I would like Ugarte too. I think we need two CMs, but I am not sure if we get both this summer; but we certainly need one - we need a first choice partner for Mainoo.

I think what we do over the remainder of the summer is really interesting and important, obviously… with respect to Mainoo and Yoro.

I think Yoro will be an excellent signing, but he has weaknesses in his game (that i have read/heard about rather than scouting him myself so maybe my understanding is wrong). He is tall and quick, but a bit slight and weak - which is to be expected of an 18yo, but is something we need to be cogniscent of. He doesn't approach players with their back to goal 'correctly', relying on his pace and dueling to win out - but smart players will take advantage. These are elements I would expect to be ironed out, improved and forgotten about as he gains experience and puts on muscle, but that will take time.

On top of this, the United defensive structure has been TERRIBLE under EtH - exposing our defenders to countless isolations and attacks. In his first season it was not as bad with the triangle of Varane, Casemiro and Martinez controlling that central space in the defensive third, but Casemiro is astonishlingly worse than that first season, and Varane is gone.

I think we need two big things at a minimum… 1: A CM partner for Mainoo that compliments how we want Mainoo to play and 2: A tweak in defensive structure that puts a better protection in front of the defence.

So 1 CM signing needs to help Mainoo defensively and Yoro/Martinez defensively, making up for the weaknesses in the games of Yoro and Mainoo. Ugarte is the only CM we have been linked with, and given he very much does not seem to be a space shielding DM, it would be a bit of a worry tbh, but still far better than where we are.

I also think we can't actually rely on Yoro as first choice this season - so either you keep Maguire and he is first choice, or you sell Maguire/Lindelof and sign another CB.

Ideally the remainder of the summer for me would be:

Maguire/Lindelof Out, De Ligt In. (Sorts CB)
AWB Out, Kadioglu In (Right back and Left Back Cover)
Casemiro and Eriksen Out, Rabiot and Ugarte in (Maybe McTominay out too if he wants out for first team football)

Onana, Dalot, De Ligt, Martinez, Shaw, Kadioglu, Yoro, Maguire, Malaica, Ugarte, Mainoo, Bruno, Rabiot, Mount, Collyer (?), Rashford, Zirkzee, Garnacho, Antony, Hojlund, Amad, Sanco.

I think that would be a very good squad to go into next season with - without a massive PSR splurge.

I think them days are gone. Doubt anyone will be coming in on mental money this summer.

Nice should say no, We want 70m