18 Aug 2022 12:54:59
The Casemiro links really worry me. Excellent player no doubt, however, Real Madrid don't get rid of players who they are desperate to continue with, he is 30 years old, coming to a new league and into a struggling team. The reports we will increase his salary significantly on a 4 or 5 year deal are also concerning.
Based on how few of our signings have actually worked out over the last decade, this seems much more like an overpayment for a player who is going to be past his prime shortly rather than us signing a top quality defensive midfielder for the long term.
I hope it works out well, as he's obviously a great player but I'm more worried than excited about it.
18 Aug 2022 13:33:04
Did you see him in the CL final just a couple of months ago? Or just because we have been linked with him, he will become a bad player? Which top quality defensive midfielder is a sure shot guarantee that he will be great for us?
18 Aug 2022 13:59:11
Like I said UA, he's an excellent player. That's not in question and he is one of the best in his position.
The concerns I have are that spending 60m for a 30 year old defensive midfielder with no experience in the league as well as increasing his wage significantly doesn't seem like the kind of move a side like Real Madrid themselves, City, Liverpool etc would make.
It has the hallmarks of a player leaving a club when they are quite happy to cash in and us being left with a player in say 2 or 3 years on a massive wage who we cannot move on. Doesn't mean it won't work out but I'd say the concerns are legitimate based on the club's dealings in the last decade where we have overpaid and had difficulty moving players on.
18 Aug 2022 14:12:14
Top player, though I do worry a little about his injury record. Iirc he’s missed more games than Varane over the past decade or so.
18 Aug 2022 14:21:19
I wouldn't worry about his age, it doesn't seem to be a problem for quality players in his position - Scholes, Pirlo, Modric, Carrick etc.
He has played 368 times for Madrid and has 63 caps for Brazil so he must be alright. If he is willing to come to Utd then Utd should be all over it and at the same time trying to bring in SMS.
Those two would be a massive upgrade on McFred. If they can bring in a motivated FdJ motivated then suddenly Utd have finally sorted the midfield.
Better still if they can also move on Fred and or McTominay. The latter is 'only' on £60k a week so that could be doable. The former is on £120k a week so could be a bit more tricky.
18 Aug 2022 14:48:20
Mancman
He is nothing like the guys you have mentioned. He is not a playmaker to ping balls around the Pitch and rarely scores. He is a defensive combative midfielder who wins the ball and gives short passes to the play makers.
He does get away with lots of borderline stuff but when you lose half a step they become clear fouls.
18 Aug 2022 15:54:39
I've seen a couple of comments on the site about Casameiro being injury prone from people who've obviously never looked at his injury record.
18 Aug 2022 16:48:16
I am okay with the Casimero link and I was okay when there was a loose link to Kante at Chelsea earlier in the window. A hard working HM who will allow the other midfielders to progress the ball forward.
I think he would work as a lone HM with more progressive players (Fenandes/ Erikson/ New Midfielder) or alongside FdJ is he was to come in as a double pivot with FdJ progressing the ball.
On his age, Ideally we would bring in some youngsters but as Madrid have done we can look to do this over the next couple of years to replace him slowly. even with a view to promoting Savage/ Iqbal etc.
18 Aug 2022 17:53:22
Fair enough Nothing changes. I did suggest he might work well with Savic though.
I think he could be a good signing but for the fees, wages and length of contract I've read about subsequently it is a big gamble and I'm not as sure as I was.
Perhaps I'm lurching around desperately like Utd look to be hoping for something, anything that will improve on McFred.
On proper reflection Utd have blown it again. They should have followed the Rangnick plan of young, hungry, technical players looking to take a step up to the next stage their careers.
18 Aug 2022 23:05:27
He's got quite a gung-ho style. pretty much every tackle he makes is by sliding in on the deck. It's all well and good while he still has the timing I suppose but still, he'll be picking up a few cards I imagine.
18 Aug 2022 23:13:28
Redseven he’s missed something like 18 games in 8 years through injury.
18 Aug 2022 23:16:56
We have a habit of signing players who have just past their best, good to see some consistency.
19 Aug 2022 00:07:50
Caolan. He’s averaged just 26.4 league games a season over the last 10 years. The injury stats on TM are wrong - unless you believe that RM have intentionally left their best CM out of their match day squad (let alone their starting 11) 100+ times over the past decade.
19 Aug 2022 10:31:16
Redseven,
You're including seasons there when he was a young player and had'nt fully broken into the Madrid team and was making less appearances which is totally misleading.