10 Aug 2022 15:24:49
Hi eds,
What is the plan at RB?
AWB does not seem to be the answer or in the plans - who are the targets? Was Clauss the primary target?
Cheers.
{Ed002's Note - If Aaron Wan-Bissaka departs, consideration may be given to having Brandon Williams replace him. Clauss was never an option. I mentioned the other options previously.}
10 Aug 2022 16:31:06
I was hoping that wouldn't be the reply, would rather have Rodney Trotter.
10 Aug 2022 18:27:21
Dear god.
10 Aug 2022 18:32:59
We can't replace every position.
One of Dalot, Fred and McTominay will have to be in the starting 11 on a regular basis.
Personally I'd rather that be Dalot with Williams backing him up with two midfield signings forcing McFred out of the first team.
10 Aug 2022 21:13:54
Why do one of those have to play on a regular basis? If all three aren’t good enough (which they aren’t) then there isn’t an obligation to play one of them is there.
10 Aug 2022 21:29:08
Why can't we replace every problem position? Chelsea are. City are. Arsenal are.
10 Aug 2022 21:53:48
Sly sports reporting we've revised our interest in max Aarons.
10 Aug 2022 16:23:02
apparently united have already rejected plenty of bids for wan bissaka, they should have just kept laird got rid of the deadwood still there.
10 Aug 2022 22:23:12
And what was the outcome of this revision redarmy87?
10 Aug 2022 23:20:07
If we replaced every problem position then we'd be buying 9 players this summer,
Consider that when we were interested in Sesko from RBS the price was 55m. However, he went to RBL for 24m.
Which is ridiculous. 9 players at 50m a player is a 450m outlay this summer.
Surely everyone realises that that isn't realistic?
The reality is that we can't and we won't replace every player that needs replacing this summer and that several of the players who were here last season will be starters this season.
So it comes down to what positions you feel are most important to upgrade and which players could maybe make do this season. As in reality not all positions can/ will be strengthened.
Do I think Dalot is good enough? Probably not on what we've seen from him so far. However, he is young and he can improve. I definitely know Fred and McTominay aren't good enough, and they aren't likely to be able to drastically improve. While considering how vital midfield is to a side I personally think midfield is more important of an upgrade than any other part of the pitch.
11 Aug 2022 03:09:01
Well Shappy we got Eriksen for Free and Malacia for 12 million.
With proper scouting and competent people in charge, it is possible to get players in.
11 Aug 2022 04:05:23
There's a difference between being able to and wanting to. It is the latter that United are lacking.
11 Aug 2022 05:27:54
Shappy. Both Salzburg and Leipzig are Redbull owned teams so there is nothing surprising Sesko went for 24M.
11 Aug 2022 08:28:52
TRD, Eriksen was an unusual situation where a player who suited the manager was available on a free. Malacia is a young lad from a smaller league who isn't even guaranteed to be first choice.
Look at the comments on here about some of the budget friendly options we have been linked with.
Rabiot and Arnautovic for example was a chance to add two players for less than 30m.
Look at the backlash and the comments.
Manchester United fans want 10 new players this summer, but not just any old 10 players, they have to be top class players, players with experience, who have played in top leagues, who have played at the highest level, who have great potential, who aren't over the hill, who can make an instant impact and who have never been considered a flop at another club.
Most United fans would have turned their noses up at Salah for 40m from Roma. The former Chelsea flop who could only score in a much weaker Serie A, but couldn't handle the EPL.
Many United fans only considered Eriksen good enough as a squad option to rotate Bruno. Had concerns about his age.
I even saw some United fans suggest Malacia would be the new Buttner, a cheap back up LB bought from the Eredivisie who would ultimately not be good enough.
Ultimately I think you hit the nail on the head with this line: "With proper scouting and competent people in charge, it is possible to get players in".
Therein lies the problem, we haven't had competency in our scouting and recruitment for years.
Our two most senior scouts left 8 weeks ago. Our chief negotiator is leaving at the end of the transfer window.
We have a new manager who has his ideas.
A broken and in need of rebuilding scouting department who have a horrific track record.
A new DoF and a new CEO both if whom are learning on the job, and a chief negotiator who has one foot out the door and was pretty awful at his job when he was fully committed.
Does that sound like we have the tools to have a great transfer window.
{Ed001's Note - you can't really compare the potential signings of Rabiot and Arnautovic with Salah coming from Roma. If you do, then you are completely missing the point about why people were upset at the idea of signing them. This is not because people don't rate them, no matter how much you try and claim it was, nobody was even considering their ability when they didn't want them.}
11 Aug 2022 08:38:29
MM, while the Redbull link in this case has probably made a difference.
In reality there are dozens examples of cases where the fee United were asked to pay far exceeded the fee another club ultimately paid.
Haaland for example would have cost us 60m from RBS, he moved to Dortmund for around 20m.
United frequently are quoted much higher fees. When we first approached Feyenoord about Malacia were were quoted 25m. We backed off at that price. A deal was then agreed with Lyon for around 12m, we then offered 15m which was accepted.
They agreed a price less than half of what they quoted us with another side. We only managed to get Malacia at that price because of the already agreed deal with Lyon.
11 Aug 2022 09:03:34
9 signings may have been expensive but there were many free transfers that would’ve improved us. For example, I still can’t believe we haven’t gone for Belotti - a physical presence who can also play RW. No brainer. But the whole summer has been spent one one player.
11 Aug 2022 09:17:17
Actually, Ed, it is both their ability and what they bring off the field, at least it is for me.
11 Aug 2022 09:47:41
Ed001, I'm not comparing those examples directly. Just using them to make the point that most United fans will find at least one reason to not be happy about a potential new signing.
If United sign FDJ there will be a section of the United support that won't be happy because he hasn't been screaming that his hearts desire is to play for Manchester United from every street corner in Catalonia. Others will complain that we have over paid for him. Others will say he didn't set the world alight at Barcelona and that he isn't that great, that we are getting Barcelona's cast offs etc.
United fans always find something to complain about when we sign a player.
TRD is suggesting that we can sign multiple players cheaply with good scouting. The reality is if a player is available for a lower fee there will be a reason for it.
Maybe they have flopped somewhere else, maybe they have an attitude problem, maybe they struggle with injuries, maybe they are in decline, maybe they are unproven at a decent level, maybe if we're lucky they are in the final year of their contract and thus available for a "lower" fee.
However, even then top players at a good age with one year on their contract still tend to cost between 25-35m. That's what you'd expect to pay for someone like Youri Tielemans for example this summer. Which is hardly cheap, just cheaper than usual. 10 players at a "cheap" 30m is still 300m in one summer.
The fact that some United fans are unhappy because the club isn't going to start the season with an entire new first 11 just shows how detached from reality these fans are.
11 Aug 2022 09:58:51
Shappy, what colour is the sky? I think you could make a great case for whatever you deemed it to be :D.
11 Aug 2022 10:37:57
Spenno, you need to be more specific with that question. Are you asking what colour is it actually or what colour we perceive it as? ?.