14 Sep 2020 22:22:12
As Roma and United have ceased all negotiations for Smalling. Roma now close to signing Kumbulla. Can this window be any more embarrassing, feel for smalling and to have the move fail over 2/ 3 mill. Amateurish as usual. Never mind new signings we can't shift our deadwood, we always overvalue them and wonder why we don't have any takers.


1.) 14 Sep 2020
14 Sep 2020 22:30:55
I don't see how 20 mil is overpricing one of the best defenders in Serie A last season. For example, if Roma could value Dzeko for ~20 mil last season, while he was on his last year, why can't we value our players at 20 mil? Every club can put up a price and not move an inch when United wants to sign a player, but we can't do the same?


2.) 14 Sep 2020
14 Sep 2020 23:02:36
This might work out well for Utd. Smalling could be a decent partner for Maguire.


3.) 14 Sep 2020
14 Sep 2020 23:17:27
Your point works the other way also. We’ve been complaining about the price for sancho and wanting a cheaper deal due to C.V. yet aren’t willing to budge on our valuation for Smalling. Can’t really complain about Dortmund if that’s the case. Also we have 7 CBs would it not be wiser to take slightly less to get a few of those off the books?


4.) 14 Sep 2020
14 Sep 2020 23:21:43
For years we have been asking us not to overpay for players and not to sell players for cheaper than they are worth. We are doing just that and moaning about that as well 🤷🏼‍♂️.


5.) 14 Sep 2020
14 Sep 2020 23:21:50
I'm with trololo on this one, when any other club expect us to pay the asking price why shouldn't we expect the same in return. Smalling had a decent season last year and if roma want him so bad they would pay it.


6.) 14 Sep 2020
14 Sep 2020 23:31:59
I don't get how 20m is over pricing the best defence in serie a last season. really? Your going to go off his good season last year rather than the 8/ 9 mediocre ones he's had with us before that?

Forget what other clubs do with us this is about smallings transfer and smallings transfer only. plus other clubs know we'll eventually pay up not everyone is as stupid as us.


7.) 15 Sep 2020
15 Sep 2020 01:29:02
Also why would you want to sell the best defender last year in Serie A (if that’s true) when we look at the 6 other options we have.

{Ed0666's Note - because Ole is making the decisions


8.) 15 Sep 2020
15 Sep 2020 07:00:51
A soon to be 31 year old CB on massive wages with just over 18 months left on his contract.

Get a grip lads, it's Chris Smalling, not Fabio Cannavaro.


9.) 15 Sep 2020
15 Sep 2020 08:31:05
If smalling was one of the best defenders in serie a. It says more about how poor the defending is in serie a.


10.) 15 Sep 2020
15 Sep 2020 09:26:00
Smalling best in Serie A?
In that case, most of the top European clubs would have been fighting for him.

Bonucci, Koulibaly, Skriniar, Romagnoli, etc, would be laughing :)


11.) 15 Sep 2020
15 Sep 2020 09:53:15
Ok guys, this is my opinion, and I will try to "defend" it.

@Tim - I haven't mentioned the Sancho deal, but every deal we try to make, in general. VDB deal seems like a rare one, where we didn't have much trouble. Why don't you try looking the other way, Dortmund won't move from their price, not even for 1 mil, they won't even let us pay in installments, so why would we budge to any other club?
It depends what stance we take now. If Roma doesn't think that deal is ok, they can walk away. If we don't think that Sancho deal is ok, we should walk away.
What I agree on, is that we need to offload players, but not for any price. Should we give him to Roma for free? Or is there perhaps interest from some other clubs?

@Dbrooks Why wouldn't I go from that?
1. How many good seasons did 0, for example, Maguire have? Was this a very good season for him? How many players get a transfer after just one good season?
2. In those years, how good was the squad? Was it all his fault? Was he really that bad? How good is the squad now? Could he perhaps play better with these players? Why do some people see him as a better partner to Maguire?
3. Maybe there is a league that suits him better? Don't you think he could play for 3-4 years easily in Italy?
So, obviously, you agree with our transfer policy in past years? You wouldn't change it? You wouldn't like for us to not overpay the players, and you wouldn't like for us to sell our players for a decent amount? God forbid that things change! Maybe I'm too optimistic that things will change, but I would like us to try. Especially now, when there are 2 transfers that can show things have changed.

@Footballgoesincircles One of the best is what I said, and as he was picked in team of the season of Seria A, I guess that is pretty spot on. You would sell him because there is no interest in Jones and Rojo, possibly no interest in other options as well. He is bringing interest because he had a good season. And, as Ed said, maybe he isn't in managers plans. In my opinion, he would be a good 3rd or 4th option. I do rate Baily highly, but he is injured far too often.

@Angelred He is not Cannavaro, that is why he would cost 20 mil, not more. I already gave an example of Dzeko, he was in his last year of contract, while being 33 years old at the time, and Roma still valued him 20 mil (which Inter refused to pay) . I would rather use him, than undersell him.

@W16wes Sure, why don't you look up how English clubs did against Italian? For example, Liverpool didn't manage to beat Napoli in 2 games last year, and Napoli finished 7th place in Italy. It is a different style of football there, I can agree to that.


12.) 15 Sep 2020
15 Sep 2020 10:13:13
The problem here is where Tim got his info from. From a quick search, it suggests the move is still on, that Smalling is a priority and that any deal for Kumballa does not negate a deal for Smalling. Of course, none of this is from any reliable source or official channel. The fact he missed the team training and promo shoots seems more reliable.


13.) 15 Sep 2020
15 Sep 2020 11:38:20
Fair enough points. there just seems to be a lot of mixed messages coming out at the minute and as usual we seem to not have a clear plan or strategy. We have so much deadwood to shift and whether we agree on how much they are worth or not, those players all got new deals they should never have got. Thus creating this mess.


14.) 15 Sep 2020
15 Sep 2020 19:09:41
Dzeko was a proven goalscorer mate. You pay more for attacking players anyway.


15.) 15 Sep 2020
15 Sep 2020 21:34:21
Sure, I agree on that, but he was still 33 years old in last year of contract. I just took it as a close example, what they did to Inter, and what are we doing to them. Maybe karma, or something :D
Still, Smalling did very good for them, he blended in very well, and was voted in team of the season, in his first season. That should count for something.
I guess if it was a question of only 1-2 mil, we would already sell him for 18-19 mil total. But it seems Roma isn't even that close to our price.


16.) 16 Sep 2020
16 Sep 2020 09:54:21
Comparing Smalling and Sancho is ridiculous. You can't say "If dortmund can be like that, so can we", because the difference is that Dortmund don't want to sell Sancho. Utd do want to sell Smalling.

When you don't want to sell, you overvalue, this puts most buyers off, but if they are willing to pay up, you get enough to replace the player and come out ahead on the deal. There is no reason at all to budge on your valuation and meet the buyer half way.

When you DO want to sell the player, their value is what teams will pay for them. If you don't budge and at least meet them halfway, you don't sell the player and are stuck paying wages etc on a player who is only going to go down in value.

This is not rocket science boys.