05 Apr 2024 09:29:29
Genuine question:
If INEOS came out and said that next season would all be about getting high earners off the wage bill, giving kids a try and having a year that looks great for FFP, ready to go for it the year after when all the back room team are finally in place, would you accept it?
Personally I'd rather a season of removing Bayindir, AWB, Varane, Eriksen, Casemiro, Rashford, Martial etc. and blooding the likes of Amass, Kambwala, Gore, Amad.
Give me an 8th place finish with kids who look like they actually want to run and be here over a 6th place finish with the multitude of mercenaries we have currently every day of the week.
The key would be communicating that fully to the fans. That next year is about saving money and trying youngsters, to see who could really be a United player the following year and longer. Then we go for it in 25/ 26.
05 Apr 2024 10:05:55
As long as the manager goes with the players you've mentioned I'd have no issue with that downsie.
05 Apr 2024 10:20:42
Think it has to be a mix of this and signing good young players. Take away the expectations of a title charge for the next couple of years but make it clear that the vision is building a squad of players who fit the system being implemented and that will grow together to make a real title winning team. No more 30 year olds, max age of 25 for signings unless it’s a great opportunity for example free signings or very good prices. Get rid of the old underperforming players and bring through a young core who want to play for each other.
05 Apr 2024 10:44:34
Downsie, that's a no brainer. I'd rather watch the ball boys/ girls playing.
05 Apr 2024 10:51:04
we would get relegated or fighting for survival. Never going to run a football club like that. Most of these kids people talk about are never going to be good enough or close to being ready.
Most team that is are good and competes at the highest level have a mix of very seasoned pros and yes they earn a lot of money and some young players. some of these kids you are mentioning are 2/ 3 years maybe more away even being physically ready to cope with the pl and good way to ruin them is sending them out there to get beat up.
Mainoo looks close to picking up an injury imo. watch that space.
05 Apr 2024 11:06:34
Mainoo looks close to picking up an injury? How does that even make sense.
I think he is being overplayed for his age right now but how you can say he like close to picking up an injury is bonkers.
Really and truly some peoples faux expertise is too much to take??.
05 Apr 2024 11:10:57
Expectations of a title charge? Have not had those for over a decade.
05 Apr 2024 11:33:08
Getting rid of many of these players and predominantly bringing youth is probably the best use of any transfer budget we may have.
Ten Hag? Not perfect, but who is.
I think he has suffered more than the fans as a result of this bag of moronic self serving gits.
05 Apr 2024 11:36:59
I think most would accept that right now, but I suspect most would also me moaning about it halfway through next season having watched inconsistent football and having had to endure a few humiliating defeats.
I said yesterday we need to be careful when making changes, evolution over revolution has always tended to be more successful in football.
Chelsea have tried to change too much too quickly, and as a result have dropped from a top four side to a mid-table side who still looks a season or so away from really being able to challenge for a UCL place.
I've said our first team squad is far too big, we need to reduce it from 36 players down to 26 players at most. So that's 10 players leaving without being replaced. There should be another 4-6 players leave with replacements brought in.
We need to be signing first 11 player quality, and shy away from signing squad players or good back up.
80% of our summer signings need to be better than the current first 11 and go straight into the team, with at most 20% of them being highly talented players with huge potential who maybe need a little developing to be first team players.
None should be "solid" back up players. There are positions where we need to strengthen where we probably have a good enough first choice option.
For example with Højlund, but we have no one else. We shouldn't be signing a solid back up player, we should be aiming for someone as good as Højlund or possibly better. That could be someone who has a proven track record or someone with the potential to be as good or better than the Dane.
We need to stop spending money on players who aren't good enough and who would only weaken the side of they played. If we are going to play a player who isn't good enough then I'd rather it be a kid from the academy who might actually be able to step up and show themselves as good enough. If they don't then it's someone we could then sell for a decent price to a club lower down the league.
Players like Elanga and Mengi have had very good season's at Forest and Luton. While ultimately I don't think either will be good enough to be first choice at United, I'd rather be giving lads like that a chance, and pushing up their value than spending 25-30m on someone who will never really be good enough, but patches a hole for a season or two.
We need better, but that will take time. 14-16 players out this summer, 5-6 players signed to replace them.
Get them settled, build them into the team with those who are good enough and start to give the team an identity.
Then the following summer it's a case of one in one out. Sell/ release a further 4-5 players, and bring in 4-5 players to replace them. Make sure the ones leaving are for the most part the 4-5 weakest players in the squad and replace them with top level talent who are or will soon be good enough to be first choice.
At that point we would be starting the 2025/ 26 season with 10-12 new players from our current squad, 17-18 of our current squad will be moved on by that point, those new players will be blended with the core of Onana, Martinez, Dalot, Mainoo, Mount, Garnacho and Højlund to give us a squad of 17-20 players who are good enough, hopefully with a few more academy lads who've stepped up and are in and around the first team squad by that time (maybe players like Harrison, Amass, Gore, the Fletcher twins, Lacey, Biancheri and McNeil) .
That's next season starting the rebuild (2024/ 25), the following season bringing most of that squad rebuild together (2025/ 26), then it'll probably be the season after when we can add the finishing touches, those few cherry on the top players or just improve on those who haven't kicked on as hoped to round out the squad. At that point we should be able to mount a serious title challenge (2026/ 27 season) .
It has to be a three year project, changing too much too soon will not shorten the length of time it will take, it will just mean we will have a bigger drop off initially and have a bigger gap to close.
We need to be able to balance this rebuild while still ideally qualifying for the Europa league at least each year. The European football is essential for several reasons. Firstly we need it for the revenue, rebuilds cost money and we need to make it to spend it. Secondly, for the prestige and the ability to attract the players we need, top players might be prepared to go to a top side playing in Europe's second tier competition, especially if they can see a plan and progress towards getting back to the top. But they will be less willing to join a side that has dropped off the map entirely. Finally, the squad needs it to help them develop. A new squad will only get better by playing games together, losing out on 8-12 games a season by not being in European football will slow that development down. Also players need to get into the rhythm of playing twice a week, keeping fitness levels up, staying match sharp etc. You often see a club have a great year and make it into a European competition, only to see them drop off the following season when they are having to get used to playing twice a week, international travel and the changes that makes to their training regime.
We need to make sure that we don't drop off too far as it just makes making up the ground again that much trickier.
That probably means that some of the players we know aren't good enough stick around next season to be replaced the season after. Players like AWB, Maguire, Lindelof, McTominay, Rashford, Bruno etc maybe they stay for another season. They do after all at least contribute to the side, even if they aren't ultimately good enough.
This summer we need to prioritise getting rid of those who add little to nothing to the side, players like Donny, Pellistri, Hannibal, Alvaro Fernandez, Williams, Sancho, Greenwood, Malacia, Shoretire and Martial. That's 10 players who have contributed literally nothing to this season, or last season.
Then we need to look at those who need upgrading due to decline/ injury players who are having a diminishing impact on the side. Players like Varane, Evans, Casemiro, Bayindir (if he wants to leave), Antony if we can find a buyer.
After those players have gone only then can we really look at moving on the likes of AWB, Lindelof, Maguire and McTominay. In truth they probably need to stay next season otherwise we'd be looking at moving on 19 players in total, which is just far too much.
Focus on the spine of the team, two CB's, at least on CM ideally two, a ST who can challenge Højlund, then a LB who can challenge Shaw.
We probably need to keep AWB as we won't be able to bring in full backs on both sides and as we have seen this season LB needs to be the priority. We probably won't be able to bring in a RW, especially if we can't shift Antony. While it's a position of need we do have Garnacho who is making the position his own this season, as well as Amad and potentially Mount who can play there. We need to focus on that spine, games are won and lost by the centre of defence and in midfield. We currently have one defender (Martinez) and one midfielder (Mainoo) who are good enough, they both need a partner AND top quality competition/ rotation option as neither can be expected to play 50 games next season due to age or fitness.
Maybe we can sign a player or two who if flexible enough to cover two positions, a first choice in one and a top quality back up in another. Maybe we sign a CB who can play LB, or a ST who can play RW. We might need to look at players like that in the short term until we can bring in improvements across the whole squad.
05 Apr 2024 11:53:08
Ken how can you argue that Mainoo doesn't look close to picking up an injury, then make a statement that you think he is overplayed? They are intrinsically linked.
Being overplayed in football significantly increases the likelihood of picking up an injury. There is an increased risk of immediate impact injuries but also a greater susceptibility to overuse injuries due to repeated stress on the body.
05 Apr 2024 12:18:53
Kurtis I think he is being overplayed because he is 18 and is getting used to the physical demands of the league.
It's impossible to ascertain if his body is going to get injured right now. Totally impossible. There is no way to judge that.
Bruno made his pro debut at 19 and has never once missed a match through injury. Yet Phil Jones spent his career in the treatment room as has Shaw.
Prevention is better than cure but there is no way of knowing if he is close to an injury by watching him it's just nonsense talk.
05 Apr 2024 12:22:08
I’d be playing the kids now tbh…seasons gone so what’s to lose. At least they’d show the application and desire this other lot miss.