Solskjaer OUT!!!! (& Man U still rubbish!)

ToneControl

How much do you think MU will spend in the summer, and how much on each position?

ToneControl

ourmaninthenorth said:

Philly_Q said:

ourmaninthenorth said:

We should help Real with their balance of payments problem by taking Modric, Cruz and Bale off their hands...we could do a part ex with Pogba, who I'm simply out of patience with. 

I'm dead serious. 

Bringing in a bunch of big-ticket 30 year olds as a short term fix would be very Mourinho-esque.

I think we need a short term fix, to remain both competitive and relevant across all the major competitions. and to give the 5 youth team players that have star written all over them that we have, a little time to develop. An addendum to that is it will also buy the board some time to develop some sort of workable enduring business model to strike the right balance between buying in and developing from the juniors up. That's not just an MUFC , that's an any club thing. 

Simply buying the big ticket worldwide players is simply not sustainable for the game, let alone individual clubs. 

All long term strategies have to start somewhere...more often than not in short term action that appears a little counter-intuitive. 

I think Modric is the best midfielder in the world, imagine what he could bring to any club for 5 years. Bale's got plenty left in his legs, and is quite clearly out of favour at Real. Tony Cruz is a cunning bugger, who's looked after himself well. We could get 5 years of service from them, and about 500 years of football brain between them to pass down to the young 'uns. 

I think there's definitely a case to get 2 or 3 world-class mature players, to fill the gap left by years of cash being sucked out of the club and the poor purchases of the past

In particular, every time I see a free kick, I never expect a goal. Where is the scary free kick taker to compare with Messi, Ronaldo, Beckham?

ToneControl

ourmaninthenorth said:

tony99 said:

underdog said:

tony99 said:

"city buying the title" 

because liverpool haven't spent any money 

lol

Liverpool have spent the money from player sales and club profits though. Selling Coutinho paid for Alisson and VVD, also we have posted huge profits.

City have a fake and over price sponsorship deal in amongst the other dodgy ways they're tried to inject money, they have virtually 2 full teams of expensive world class players, Liverpool have a left back that cost £8m from a relegated team, and a RB who came through our academy.

I'd recommend you just stick to talking about the "on pitch" stuff seriously. Your team are playing very well, there's no need to get into who's got the right to be successful or not.

Besides, there's one or two people still left living in the delapidated area immediately around anfield who may well question any inherent righteousness that liverpool may claim to have.

I think intellectually you're hinting at a very robust and important point - namely the "get em out by friday" vibe of property acquisition in the area failing the aborted Stanley Park move -  that certainly warrants discussion. I would respectfully suggest however not here, and not now. We're already on a gypsy's warning for certain flagged content, and I for one would like to see this thread stay live and not BCD, at least to the end of the season. 

Perhaps we can make it the closed season topic to take us up to August?  There's definitely enough material to take us there.  

How about it Gents...midfield formations and leave the corporate ( small c ) for another day? 

I'm very interested in the subject of Anfield area redevelopment, could anyone please PM me links to stories on this?

iseverynamegone

Of the current squad who do we think is good enough to command a starting berth in a team that could challenge for the title next year? 

De Gea
Luke Shaw
lindelof
Pogba
Lingard
Herrera
Rashford
Martial

Quite a few gaps, also considering a few of the midfield we might want to keep are potentially going to leave. 

I think Fred was bought purely to cheer up Lukaku by demoting him from having the worst first touch in the squad. 

monkey42

iseverynamegone said:

Of the current squad who do we think is good enough to command a starting berth in a team that could challenge for the title next year? 

De Gea
Luke Shaw
lindelof
Pogba
Lingard
Herrera
Rashford
Martial

Quite a few gaps, also considering a few of the midfield we might want to keep are potentially going to leave. 

I think Fred was bought purely to cheer up Lukaku by demoting him from having the worst first touch in the squad. 

Of that bunch...who would be a definite starter for city or Liverpool 

iseverynamegone

It’s a different question,  but you don’t need to match them player for player to challenge for the league. 

How many of Liverpool’s starting 11 would displace any of city’s starting 11 ? Van Dyck? , Salah at his best , Mane this season in places ?

monkey42

iseverynamegone said:

It’s a different question,  but you don’t need to match them player for player to challenge for the league. 

How many of Liverpool’s starting 11 would displace any of city’s starting 11 ? Van Dyck? , Salah at his best , Mane this season in places ?

You need good players though to win the league.

that group of players are nowhere near winning the league....and most of those have had a few seasons to try

That’s 3 of the Liverpool players you mention..although I would say possibly all the front 3 and Robertson....

this year...none of the Utd players for me...even DeGea has dropped in standards

iseverynamegone

That’s 3 of the Liverpool players you mention..although I would say possibly all the front 3 and Robertson....

So no Aguerro and Sterling? Or are you playing a front 5 

monkey42

iseverynamegone said:

That’s 3 of the Liverpool players you mention..although I would say possibly all the front 3 and Robertson....

So no Aguerro and Sterling? Or are you playing a front 5 

so which of the Utd front line would you have ahead of those 5 players? Martial...lukaku...Lingard...

MagicPigDetective

iseverynamegone said:

It’s a different question,  but you don’t need to match them player for player to challenge for the league. 

How many of Liverpool’s starting 11 would displace any of city’s starting 11 ? Van Dyck? , Salah at his best , Mane this season in places ?

Alisson seems as good as Ederson
Alexander Arnold is as good as Walker
Robinson is superb
Fabinho top class
With only one point difference, I can’t see much between Man City and Liverpool’s first XI, but City have more strength in depth 

iseverynamegone

monkey42 said:

iseverynamegone said:

That’s 3 of the Liverpool players you mention..although I would say possibly all the front 3 and Robertson....

So no Aguerro and Sterling? Or are you playing a front 5 

so which of the Utd front line would you have ahead of those 5 players? Martial...lukaku...Lingard...

Well I’d have Rashford in the mix, Tony on the bench and Lukaku on the beach  but that isn’t the point you were making 

guitars4you

Do you pick the formation first and style you wish to play, then find the players to fulfil that role - But don't pick someone to play out of position, even if they are a good player

Do you pick/buy the players - Then try and find a formation that allows that player to gel within the existing framework

I prefer the first option - The likes of Ajax and Barcelona play the same system from junior + youth, through to first team - That way, youngsters can move through and settle in so much easier - The team has an identity to how they wish to perform now and develop for the future

Dare say there are examples of both that work - But 1 or 2 great players alone don't generally bring success - Look at Messi with Argentina - IMO a great example of consistent team work ethics, without the best players, is Germany - Very rarely does Germany produce the best players in Europe or indeed the world - But they are consistently a contender - Granted they produce the odd G Muller, Beckenbauer, and Lotha Matthaus, but they never produce a Cryuff, Messi, or Ronaldo etc - But they consistently produce a good team

Not sure where MUFC will rebuild from next  - Do you buy big, do you find potential like D Rice at a more affordable price - Do you promote within the academy - A sign of the times now for many clubs, but how many new managers join a club and just want to spend big - Part of great management is to find + develop IMO

Just a few examples - Kevin keegan, Ian Wright, Alan Hansen, Jimmy Floyd Hasslebank, all found for little cost in lower leagues and the initial cost to buy was very little - Even Ronaldo's initial move to MUFC was of finding potential at a relative low cost - ie proper scouting

We all know what Fergie did with his youngsters, but granted you don't find a R Giggs or P Scholes in every youth team - Yet you look at the top 5/6 clubs today and very few players now come through the youth system and establish themselves in the 1st team - I'm not saying none, but I am saying few - Maybe there are various reasons for this 

Very few clubs have the potential to spend big - So find a system, as per Ajax (and MUFC have done in the past), that can allow juniors to develop and bring in some potential (like a young Ronaldo)

monkey42

iseverynamegone said:

monkey42 said:

iseverynamegone said:

That’s 3 of the Liverpool players you mention..although I would say possibly all the front 3 and Robertson....

So no Aguerro and Sterling? Or are you playing a front 5 

so which of the Utd front line would you have ahead of those 5 players? Martial...lukaku...Lingard...

Well I’d have Rashford in the mix, Tony on the bench and Lukaku on the beach  but that isn’t the point you were making 

So, watching the game today..I’d tell them all to stay on the beach...

but I know what point you were making as well 

iseverynamegone

This thread started as parody at one time 

underdog

Just seen the score, how the hell did that happen? I am genuinely shocked, not seen or read anything about the game but that score line looks like a hammering.

I think I can let go of the hope that Utd will take points off city 

Edit: and very much on topic, I still don't get why the gave him a contract so soon, they could have spoken when the season ended, see where they finished etc.

tony99

underdog said:

Just seen the score, how the hell did that happen? I am genuinely shocked, not seen or read anything about the game but that score line looks like a hammering.

I think I can let go of the hope that Utd will take points off city 

Edit: and very much on topic, I still don't get why the gave him a contract so soon, they could have spoken when the season ended, see where they finished etc.

Think they're gonna sack him then rehire him as caretaker while they seek his replacement.

ourmaninthenorth

I fookin hate football. 

mixolyd

United players are running on gas: the transition from four or five seasons of low effort, no pressing football under LVG and Mourinho to the OGS high energy mega-press has been too much for them.  The club has a job on in the close season to jettison the players who are naturally lazy - most of whom are in long, high wage contracts - and replace them.  Then a proper pre-season and they’ll be able to string a few performances together again.

menamestom

underdog said:

Just seen the score, how the hell did that happen? I am genuinely shocked, not seen or read anything about the game but that score line looks like a hammering.

I think I can let go of the hope that Utd will take points off city 

I can't see us beating City, if anything it will be a hammering.  Anything can happen in a derby, but I can't help but think Liverpool have the bigger banana skin with Wolves than City do with us.

Although with Arsenal getting beat today there is still a slither of hope for United to get top 4 and they will at least be expected to play.  Had Arsenal have won I think Pogba and co would be booking their holiday destinations and prepping their Instagram management teams to find some good shooting locations.

axisus

Top 4 looks gone. We need to ship out a shed load of players and go for the long rebuild. Cut out the dead wood. Can't see Man U winning anything for a long time. Amazing how the team turned to gold for a while, and now they are back as a pile of sh*te again.