Manchester United Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread - See Mod Warning in OP, 09/11

Hummels would join us in a heartbeat and Dortmund are naturally a selling club. I see no reason why it won't happen if we go for it.

J. Marston wrote: »

We probably look a better bet for Champions League next season. Dortmund are currently in 13th position with 7 points from 7 games.

Realistically we could be near bottom of the table after the next 5 games

Dortmund are missing 4 or 5 starters too afaik

Nuts102 wrote: »

When did he tell you that?

Don't you know, everybody wants to join us now? If you'd told me at the start of summer 2012 when Hazard fúcked us off that by the end of summer 2014, we would have RVP, Mata, Di Maria and Falcao in our squad I would have laughed in your face.

We have become an attractive club to join again. We have the bones of a potential Champions League winning squad if we could just sort ourselves out at the back and make one or two more midfield signings.

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

why not?

worse teams have won it.

I agree - also, it was said it is the BONES of a CL winning side.

IMO, De Gea, Rafael, Shaw, Herrera, Di Maria, Mata, RVP, Rooney, Falcao are all players either good enough or have the potential to be good enough to be starting and winning CL finals. We improve the central defence and central midfield and there should be no real excuse in terms of general player quality. I like the look of Blind too - but feel he would will be an excellent squad player rather than a top first team starter.

Hummels and Vidal, for example, added in either of the next two windows - or Strootman instead of Vidal as another example, and you have a side that SHOULD be up there at the very top.

As I have been saying for a while now - offensively we have a cracking setup, but it is defensively that we are going to be caught out as we simply don't have a strong enough core to the side.

in addition to the talent issues in certain areas of the squad, I really do feel we lack leadership and character. LVG mentioned it recently himself, and said it was an issue with the transition we are having - new leaders and characters need to emerge, and that could take time.

The point currently remains though - and is highlighted by the captaincy discussions had earlier in the summer. RVP and Rooney were really the only two candidates, almost regardless of whether you feel Rooney is a good candidate for captaincy.

DDG shows no real leadership or command of his defence. None of the senior defenders have done so either in their careers so far. Now arguably they were simply defering to Vidic and Rio and will step up now in their abscence; but we need to actually see it.

In midfield I believe Herrera and Blind were leaders of their previous teams - so hopefully with time they will bring a leadership and attitude to their game for us. Carrick has always been a bit too passive in this respect. I think Fletcher could be a great leader of the side, but I don't think he has the physicality to make himself a starter, very much due to his illness. Mata seems a great guy, but not a leader of men. Di Maria will lift the side and the fans, but don't know about him as a leader.

Just looking back to the previous big united sides.

Mid 90's had Schmeichel, Bruce, Pallister, Keane, Ince, Cantona.

Early 2000's was kinda lean to be fair. Neville was a good talker. Keane was still there, and Giggs would have commanded respect but I don't think Rio was a leader at that time, nor Silvestre. O'Shea would be a nope imo. Ronaldo certainly not.

Late 00's - Van Der Sar, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Scholes, Tevez, Rooney, Giggs. Leaders, Characters.

Right now - I would say Rooney, RVP are arguable leaders. Blind could become one based on his Ajax rep. Rafael is a 'character'. Jones? Smalling? Evans? Shaw?

It is something we lack at the moment, and it will take time to come through from the players we have.

bangkok wrote: »

that's not smog, its smoke from all the weed neymar and dani alves are smoking

Hiding the dilated pupils.

Lukker- wrote: »

One step at a time, lad.

This post is very similar to how journalist take manager or player's words completely out of context. The post was so simple, it was

We have the bones of a potential Champions League winning squad if we could just sort ourselves out at the back and make one or two more midfield signings

You highlighted just Champions league winning squad to make it sound as if he is saying we have champions league winning squad.

Very poor.

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Agree - though I think Raf is too impulsive for captaincy and Jones is a bit dim by accounts. Captaincy aside, they could be leaders and a significant presence in the squad, yep.

And Rooney is guilty of both of them.

Timmyctc wrote: »

Rooney been sent off what. Once in the last few years.

Prob about the same as Raf tbf. Not saying Raf should be captain now, but you are comparing their discipline so just thought I'd point that out.