06 Apr 2025 20:16:23
Assuming I'll get some stick for this, but I don't think we are a million miles off.
4 players. And I genuinely believe we'll be top four next season. Problem is, those four need to be starters, allowing current starters in their positions to be bench/ rotational options. Plus a special place for Tyler Dibling as a rotational option.
Frimpong, Wharton, Cunha and Osimhen are the four starters for me. Yet I think we'll have to sacrifice Garnacho, Rashford, Hojlund and maybe even Mainoo to get them.
GK: Onana/ Bayindir
RCB: Yoro/ Mazraoui
CCB: De Ligt/ Maguire
LCB: Martinez/ Heaven
RWB: FRIMPONG/ Dalot
LWB: Dorgu/ Shaw
BWM: Ugarte/ Casemiro/ Kone
BPM: WHARTON/ Collyer
R10: Amad/ DIBLING
L10: CUNHA/ Mount
CF: OSIMHEN/ Zirkzee/ Hojlund/ Obi
Net spend of under £100m makes that happen and none of it is unrealistic.
{Ed025's Note - for you to finish top 4 next season Downsie, those 4 new faces would have to be...
1..Jesus christ
2..Superman
3..Thor
4..the reincarnation of Diego Maradona.. :)
06 Apr 2025 21:09:10
Lol Ed025! That's the funniest thing I've seen/ read all day.
{Ed025's Note - after watching that game today i had to cheer you guys up mate.. :)
06 Apr 2025 21:10:49
Can’t disagree with ed, i see no light at the end of the tunnel and i been walking 12 years ?.
{Ed025's Note - its a hard slog watching United these days G nev, you used to have some great teams and great players mate but this present team are as bad as iv seen, im an Evertonian and even though we are poor i cant think of any player in your squad (besides Bruno and possibly Mainoo) that i would want in our team..
07 Apr 2025 00:07:27
Downside, I don't disagree we aren't too far away from a marked uptick in performance levels, consistency etc etc.
I agree with Frimpong, I'm indifferent on Wharton, likewise Cunha, probably a no one Osimehen (due to him always having issues off field) .
I agree with offloading some players to make it work, but I am still not in agreement we should be offloading Garnacho and Mainoo yet.
My concerns would be, I am yet to trust Onana between the stick and we need someone who just knows where the goal is.
I've mentioned Delap a few times, I think we are at that level of procurement, not the Kane's off the footballing world, we need to take a step or two down the ladder and seriously rebuild.
Anyone who will demand high wages, is off the list in my opinion as it will create an imbalance within the squad.
For those stats men out there, it would be great to understand the disparity across each squads wages to understand the league position versus salaries! Or just get chat got to do it.
07 Apr 2025 06:45:09
We need a GK a CB a CM and a striker that’s just for starters that may get us in top 6 but only may
IMO
Ugarte not good enough
Rasmus no where near good enough,
De Ligt/ McGuire both too slow
Onana is a clown as showed again yesterday with his for the cameras save
Mazzouri and even Dorgu look suspect
Yoro light weight
Garnacho become the new one trick pony Antony
Mainoo. no legs or pace
That’s before we even get a right back and a 2nd striker
So much needed to get this team anywhere near challenging.
07 Apr 2025 07:31:42
Jesus Christ already plays for us the number of times his name is shouted at Old Trafford these days.
{Ed025's Note - love it Grim..
07 Apr 2025 07:42:14
3-5-2 doesn’t really work with these players, we have a front two who struggle to make an impact and wing backs who spend more time defending than attacking.
Priority this summer is a target man who can hold the ball and bring the wing backs into play.
07 Apr 2025 09:30:36
Is Delap a serious upgrade on Rasmus? I think he is a tad further along but for me they're pretty similar players. Hope we win the Europa as it cash aside we might be able to attract better.
07 Apr 2025 10:54:58
always sceptical of buying players with one good season to their name- understand you have to move fast and take a bit of a gamble but Ferguson of Brighton can't even get in the west ham team as a regular starter -Wharton not playing 90 mins ATM and Dibling has had a decent season - Frimpong i guess you know what you are getting, Osihem the same . not sure we can really gamble that much with the others.
07 Apr 2025 13:26:40
Downsie - where was Bruno in your list?
He’s our best player by a huge distance. He has to have a spot in the starting 11.
I don’t think United will bring in that many players. Maybe 1 or 2, and I fear it will be overpriced young players with a sell on value.
Personally there’s only a couple of players I’d keep from the current squad. But that’s not possible in one window.
I think it’s likely to be another tough season next year. Most immediate problem they need to solve is scoring some goals.
07 Apr 2025 15:12:32
Not a cat in hells chance fall guy, that United can only bring in 1-2 players! They will bring in 4 minimum.
07 Apr 2025 15:37:02
UTD will spend big again they always do a reason why there in constant debt has to be the massive amount succesive managers have spent on bar Bruno absolute dross . Still best in class now apparently so future transfers should be way superior definitely need a striker Hoijlund and Zirkzee are awful.
{Ed025's Note - im not a big Zirkzee fan Brum but when he came on yesterday i thought he was your most effective player mate..
07 Apr 2025 15:39:33
I think we are in a weird place with this squad.
I feel like we are 4 or 5 first team players away from having a good team (GK, RWB, CB, CM and ST) .
However, the strength of this squad lies in it's potential and not its currently ability.
We are hoping that players like Yoro, Heaven, Dorgu, Mainoo, Garnacho, Amad, and Højlund all reach their potential. Yet the odds are that at least 2 or 3 won't develop to the level to be starters in a title winning side.
While we are also hoping that maybe a few more from the academy step up over the next few years (Mantato, Kukonki, Amass, Kone, Scanlon, the Fletcher twins, Lacey, Ibragimov, Chido Obi, etc) .
Yet even if they do they will likely be 4-5 years away from being regular first team players.
The problem with our squad is that we don't have many top players, who are good enough, in their prime right now.
Realistically we have MdL, Mazraoui, Martinez, Ugarte, and Bruno as players who are between 24 and 30 who are good enough to be a starter in a title challenging side.
Of those 5 players we have Martinez who is a serious injury concern at this point, Bruno who is 30 and will likely decline in the next 2-3 years, and Mazraoui who looks more like a great squad player rather than a nailed on starter due to the formation we play and the roles in the team.
Players like Dalot and Zirkzee are fine as squad players, but not good enough to be regulars for a side with title ambitions in the EPL.
So over the next few seasons our squad has 2 maybe 3 players who are good enough, regularly fit, and in their prime.
The other 7-8 players we need for our first team either need to be bought or the young players with potential need to step up to take one of those positions.
While that still doesn't account for squad depth, which is essential in the extremely physical demanding EPL.
For me this summer we need 4-5 players between the ages of 22-25 who are ready to go straight into the first team and improve it, just to be challenging for the top four positions.
If we are forced to bring in younger players with potential due to budget restraints or missing out on players to rival teams, then that improvement is dependent on those young players stepping up. Which obviously isn't a given.
For example I like Liam Delap, he looks like he has the potential to be a top player. But he isn't a top player yet and might be 2-3 years away from being at that level consistently. If we have to sign Delap because we either can't afford or lose out to players like Osimhen or Gyökeres then the step forward we make this summer will be smaller next season, with the hope that Delap eventually becomes the top player we looks like he could be a few years down the line.
Depending on what happens over the summer, and how our young players develop then next season we could either be challenging for a Europa league place or sneaking a UCL place. Much depends on us brining in 4 or 5 first team ready players who all hit the ground running.
Even if it all comes together, and we get the right players, I still think this squad is 3-4 years away from genuinely challenging for the title.
07 Apr 2025 15:39:42
I'd be stunned if we sign less than 4 players. Quality depending on whether we win the Europa and therefore have CL and more cash and can tempt the best players.
There are a couple of free signings available who'd walk in the team if we can convince them of the project as they'll have options.
07 Apr 2025 17:49:33
I like Yoro. Only defender we have that looks more than comfortable bringing the ball out, even in tight positions.
07 Apr 2025 17:59:42
I think we may surprise people next season. I think with the right summer buys we can get top four next season. Clearly there is some strengthening needed, a GK and someone who is a goal scoring CF. I see a much better structure to build on now developing.
Zirkzee did what Hojland was incapable of doing using his strength and creating some space. Quite embarrassing really for Hojland.
People are talking us down, yet I do see some grass shoots under Amorim, it won’t please the opposition so expect the doom messages to continue. Yes, I would like to do well in Europa, it’s a cup and a lottery where if we can’t score we may struggle to win it or get through, but let’s see, Que sera.
07 Apr 2025 22:34:39
Agreed Redman. I don't see an outstanding side in the EPL right now. Liverpool are clearly very good but have some strengthening to do. Arsenal and Man City also need to do some work. We need a striker and a no. 10 (I'd have Amad as RWB) and definitely need a no. 8. But with that we can be top 4 level. The dream is to add Ederson/ Hjumland, Cunha/ Mbeumo, Delap/ Osimhen but as always it's going to be someone different. However I do believe that level is what's required.
07 Apr 2025 23:29:33
Realistically recent history has shown we will not get 4 quality players in the summer. Sure we may well get 4 players but the likelihood is there will be an element of having to take what’s available either because of the finances or because we are not an attractive club at the moment. Bottom half, most likely not in Europe and structurally an embarrassment. Sadly I feel far more players will stay than we need to be rid of.
As a result I honestly think we will be in the doldrums for a while yet and will not get my hopes up. That way I will not get myself as worked up about it as I have this last few years.
Plan for the worst, hope for the best is possibly the right mindset as a Utd fan at the moment.
Top 8 finish next year would be a realistic expectation in my books.