06 Sep 2020 10:02:12
I don't see a lot more transfer movement for us in the market with a month to go until the window closes.

with this in mind I see the following squad.

GK = De Gea, Romero, Henderson

FB - Wan Bissaka, Shaw, Dalot and Williams, Fosu Mensah

CB - Lindelof, Mcguire, Bailly, Tuanzebe.

DM - Mctominay, Matic.

CM Fred, Fernandes, De Beek, Lingard
Mata

Forwards - Rashford, Martial, Greenwood, Ighalo (if signed)
James.

Players to break through :- Laird, Garner, Mejbri, Levitt.

1.) 06 Sep 2020
06 Sep 2020 10:31:33
I think Romero and Dalot will go, Smalling and Rojo have interest from Italy, Jones amd Lingard are available.
We have interest in several players and we just need to stump up cash for Sancho or walk away.

2.) 06 Sep 2020
06 Sep 2020 11:55:54
Ideally Romero, Jones, Rojo, Bailly, TFM, Dalot, Andreas Pereira, Lingard and maybe Mata would all leave this summer bring in a modest amount in fees maybe 50-60m maybe at most, but freeing up a huge amount of wages.

I wouldn't sell Smalling, he is arguably our second best CB at worst our third best.

3.) 06 Sep 2020
06 Sep 2020 12:17:29
Shappy

The decision to loan Smalling out instead of Jones was questionable, at best. However, Smalling made a success of it. Said a few times on here that I had a feeling Smalling might have been a better partner for Maguire than Bailey or Lindelof. Ole has to decide and be fair to Smalling, he gave him a taste of Italy. Ole needs to either give him the position alongside Maguire or sell. All indications are that we are looking for a partner elsewhere for Maguire and therefore Smalling should be given a chance to go, especially at 30. The continued dithering on the CB and RW positions are typical of what we have seen from the club. We also still don’t know what is expected for our fullbacks, an area our opponents look at carefully.

4.) 06 Sep 2020
06 Sep 2020 12:17:48
MOTZ,

There will be more movement in the window, we will sign more players, crazy to suggest otherwise so best to wait and see.

5.) 06 Sep 2020
06 Sep 2020 12:48:56
I’d be very surprised if we don’t sign at least one more player; two if we don’t sign Sancho.

6.) 06 Sep 2020
06 Sep 2020 15:08:02
Red Man, ultimately it depends on what offers you have. I don't think anyone wanted to sign Jones even on loan. In an ideal world we would have sold both Jones and Rojo last summer.

Of the centre backs on our books based on current ability Maguire is the best we have, its a toss up between Smalling and Lindelof for 2nd/ 3rd, beyond that if fit Bailly edges the rest, while Tuanzebe has potential to be better than all of them. Whether he reaches that level remains to be seen. Injuries are causing him real issues, his career seems to be going down the Wes Brown route. Supremely talented but injuries might stop him ever reaching his full potential.

I'd get rid of Jones, Rojo and Bailly. None are good enough and most of the time they are injured anyway. I'd give Tuanzebe another year or two, but as 4th choice maybe as he needs to prove he can be reliably fit first.

I think Ole's plan was to give Tuanzebe a shot as 3rd choice to see if he could push Lindelof out of the team. Which meant Smalling would have been 4th choice which at 29/ 30 meant the fair thing to do when an offer to leave on loan came through was to let him go.

This season though I'd have Smalling in the team with Maguire with Lindelof as 3rd choice and Tuanzebe 4th.

While Lindelof has the more desirable qualities in modern football in terms of technical ability and playing it out from the back. Purely on defensive terms Smalling is better, he's quicker, stronger, better in the air, reads the game better, communicates better.

Keep him and play him. If we look at the players we could sign Upamecano won't be sold this summer unless for silly money. Jose Gimenez is the same. Koulibaly is 29 would cost a fortune and has never played in the EPL (I'm also not convinced, I thought Smalling played better than him last season in Serie A) . Then the options become players like Badiashile who looks like he has all the qualities but is very raw, might as well give Mengi a run out. Pau Torres ticks a lot of boxes, talented, the right age, right attributes. However he looks a little light weight for the EPL and would need to gain more muscle, while he would also cost 45m or more.

I think keeping Smalling and waiting a year to see how players like Upamecano, Pau Torres, Konate, Badiashile etc do with another season under their belt and if we need to make a move for one we could do it next summer.

This summer I'd be very happy if we sign Jadon Sancho and either Sergio Reguilon or Jamal Lewis to go with Donny van de Beek who has already joined.

Then next summer look at CB, CDM and maybe a versatile young forward depending on how Greenwood, James or Chong on loan develop. (Upamecano or Pau Torres and Declan Rice or Florentina Luis), along with players like Mengi, Laird, Garner, Levitt and Chong coming back from loans maybe ready to have a shot in the team.

7.) 06 Sep 2020
06 Sep 2020 16:38:21
I think Jamal Lewis is going to Newcastle.

8.) 06 Sep 2020
06 Sep 2020 17:13:21
Supposedly Welsh, he is a good player. He might end up being one of those players who move from a relegated team for under 20m only for few years time one of the top club's will spend 50m+ on him.

Maguire and Robertson from Hull, Bowen at West Ham could be another who moved from the Championship to the EPL in January for what might look like a bargain in a year or so's time.