Manchester United Banter Archive March 14 2019

14 Mar 2019 19:13:15
Lots of talk about various CBs. Surely if Toby is available at a very sensible fee then it’s a no brainier. Quality CB, knows the league, good price, keeps funds free for other positions. What’s not to like?

14 Mar 2019 20:25:52
I like him ajh. Is it a season or 2 too late? Has he peaked and stated to wane?
I do think we need an experienced head back there with real leadership qualities. He has a lot of the attributes we need no doubt about it and he would improve us but for how long?

14 Mar 2019 22:12:16
Good player, but as ken says maybe a season too late. He has had a lot of injuries over the last couple of seasons. Will he stay fit long enough to make a difference?

14 Mar 2019 22:31:32
Wages will obviously be the issues as well as length of contract. He probably feels for how well he's played he's been significantly underpaid compared to his contemporaries.

Hasnt had a contract extension at spurs so probably on a relatively low wages. So he will probably want to play catch up and get an inflated long term contract with a top european club.

Have to be careful we don't get stuck with a defensive alexis sanchez situation.

14 Mar 2019 22:33:15
He had a few injuries last season, but has played regularly this year despite not signing a new contract. He’s just turned 30, and should be able to play at the top level for another 4 or 5 years. If he’s available and wants to come here, there should be no hesitation in bringing him in.

14 Mar 2019 23:01:38
Phil Jones is probably paid more than Toby. We might get a few more games out of Toby. and the physios might be left lonely either. Win win!

14 Mar 2019 23:35:19
Massive fan but I agree think he may be on decline. A year or two ago he was the best cb in the league. Now he’s behind Van Dijk, Laporte and lindelof for me. Would be a steal at £26m though. However, as we have seen from the Van Dijk signing, a world class signing can take you from battling for top 4 to challenging for the League and champions league. He’s transformed liverpool. Spend that money on koulibaly and we will become contenders on all fronts. He’s a beast. However, it does seem Dias is our first choice. Either way a cb should be the first signing we make.

15 Mar 2019 00:52:46
He would be a terrific signing and we need someone experienced at the back.

15 Mar 2019 05:17:08
Alderweirald would be a bargain at 25 million. Would be a solid signing at the back.
He reads the game fantastically and is pretty good playing out from the back.
We can get a solid 4 years out of him and is premier league proven.
Unfortunately Ed said that we are not interested in him.

15 Mar 2019 07:12:19
Why do people believe he will still be good enough to be first choice at 34/ 35?

How many CB's can you name who were still world class in their mid thirties?

Most CB start suffering from injuries in their early thirties due to the physical nature of their job. Back and knee injuries though impact from landing after jumping for headers. Muscle injuries due to the explosive nature of reacting to quick attacks i. e. one second your standing the next your sprinting at full speed. That sort of physical exertion is high impact on your body.

I would steer clear of him. He has been a great player but he will very soon start to decline if he hasn't already. He could very well be a Sanchez signing. One that looks like a no brainer, where we weaken a rival while improving us with a seemingly world class player at a bargain price. Only to end up feeling like we got our fingers burnt.

15 Mar 2019 09:44:36
Realistically- jones, rojo bailly could raise 70% of the cost of a shiny new cb, koulibaly, skriniar and jiminez eg, but would pay for others muted to be of interest. Factor in getting 300k+ a week off the wage bill and its a financial and footballing win, win situation. The funds allegedly available could go on rb valencia off, mid mata away? and a forward- sanchez/ lukaku? Difficult to shift sanchez but altogether releasing funds for wages as well as some return would please our DICTATOR of football EW and provide a number of positions with the quality needed.
The above is all imo quite easily attainable as jones would have suitors epl and championship promotion sides, rojo muted for Turkey and bailly definitely in la liga or epl (Arsenal ) . Mata spain, valencia a wages only move to see out his career and if luk is not the answer sure plenty of sides would take him on.

15 Mar 2019 09:53:19
Let’s take a look at some of the top teams in Europe

Barca - Pique, 32 and still key
Real - Ramos soon to be 33 and still key
Athletico - Godin, 33 and still key
PSG - Silva, 34 and still key
Juve - main centre back pairing are 34 and 31

A good cb, can easily play at the top level into their 30s.

{Ed002's Note - All of these clubs are looking at buying CBs.}

15 Mar 2019 10:04:12
Shappy there are many elite world class centre backs in their 30's
Chellini, Bonucci, Thiago Silva, Diego Godin, Pique and Ramos (debatable) to name a few.

Players like Rio, Puyol, Terry were all very good in their 30's.
If we can get 3 good years from Toby, it will be worth it. Tuanzebe can be integrated slowly during that time.

Considering the inflated prices around, he will be a bargain. And we can invest huge sums elsewhere in the squad.

15 Mar 2019 10:11:31
I get that Ed, but these players are still able to play at a high level, and in most cases these clubs want to keep their experienced defenders to help new arrivals develop and acclimatise. The issue at United at the moment is that the ‘senior’ defender is Smalling, who is poor in terms of positional awareness, composure and organisational skills. This doesn’t help the younger defenders like Lindelof and Bailly to develop and improve. I think a key difference between United and the best sides in Europe is that we don’t have a top class experienced cb in the squad. This is one of the issues where Jose was completely right.

{Ed002's Note - If they are old enough they are good enough taken to the extreme then?}

15 Mar 2019 10:13:37
Real's announced yesterday their signing Militao. I imagine de Ligt will beat Barcelona within 12 months.

Personally i'd sign two centrebacks. Diaz and Toby/ Koulibaly. Promote Tuanzebe. Sell Bailly, rojo and one of Jones or Smalling.

15 Mar 2019 12:34:17
I think we will buy a young promising CB.

16 Mar 2019 05:11:14
I think that unless we can get de ligt or skriniar then he’s a good bet. He knows the league, we know he can perform in the league and at 25/ 26 million would mean we can spend elsewhere (as and where ole/ a. n. other manager feels) . Spending 50-100 mil on a centre back that doesn’t know the league is always a risk, whether Koulibaly or the others I mentioned. If Koulibaly doesn’t adapt straight away (being older) he might never, de ligt or skriniar (being younger) could be more adaptable. If they’re not available then Toby for a third of the price might be the sensible option.

14 Mar 2019 06:26:43
So that’s 4 English teams into the quarter finals with 1 from Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Holland. Bayern look like an old tired team and Real are all over the place this year, they are both going to have to rebuild which will lead to some frantic transfer activity. PSG should have done better but we saw to that and the other teams from the big leagues didn’t deliver.

Do we want an English team, do we want an ‘easier’ game against Porto or Ajax? What’s the betting we draw Spurs?

14 Mar 2019 08:10:32
Avoid Barcelona or Juve and we should be able to beat the rest or atleast have a good chance of beating.

14 Mar 2019 08:15:29
I want Liverpool!

14 Mar 2019 08:26:12
So UEFA like a sub plot so I fully expect the draw to come out like this:

Man Utd Vs Spurs, Ole Vs Poch for the United job.

Man City Vs Liverpool, the battle for the EPL.

Barcelona Vs Ajax, the battle of the Cruyff teams.

Juventus Vs Porto. No sub plot, but should mean that they get to keep Ronaldo in the competition until the Semi-finals at least. And he is a big crowd puller and money maker for UEFA.

14 Mar 2019 08:32:13
I'm convinced we'll get Juventus for some reason.

14 Mar 2019 08:48:00
I would love a game against Barcelona or Juventus. Don't want an English club.

14 Mar 2019 10:10:13
Shappy, if that doesn't transpire will you take it as evidence there is no conspiracy? ;)

14 Mar 2019 10:16:39
Im easy on the draw ajh.
Whoever we get we can beat and any one of the other 7 could beat us.
Luck during the games will play a part.
We have beaten juve and spurs already this season.
Barca and city are the 2 strongest teams left imo i'd be happy to draw any of the other 5 and would be confident that we can get a result if we play to our best.

14 Mar 2019 11:13:39
It really is so open this year. Perhaps the most open it has been in years. I have confidence that we can put in a performance against any of the remaining teams. But I would like to avoid Barcelona or city. I have a sneaky feeling we will get Liverpool. What a tie that would be. It’s incredible how we thought our season was a write off and now ole has us believing again. There’s nothing quite like knock out champions league football. So excited.

14 Mar 2019 11:44:32
I think facing liverpool would be such a cagey, never fraying affair, hope it doesn’t happen yet, City are capable of winning the tie at home, Barcelona are beatable but can rip you apart at the same time, Juventus I have said before the season would win it, avoid, Ajax a bit of unknown and Porto obvs everyone will want. I just hope there is a battle or Britain somewhere, preferably city v Scouse again.

14 Mar 2019 12:21:42
Feck it. Just enjoy it from here on in. None of us thought we'd be here anyway.

14 Mar 2019 12:51:54
I hope we get Barcelona and beat them.

14 Mar 2019 12:01:30
RWWD, no I would take it as evidence that they realised I have rumbled them. lol.

It makes no difference anyway, we are going to win it.

Just for context, Ole's greatest moment in a United shirt came 20 years ago in the final of this competition. Fate maybe?

Also the last time an EPL team placed a former celebrated player in charge of their team as an interim manager that side won the UCL.

14 Mar 2019 13:09:13
City will get porto they always get a good draw.

14 Mar 2019 16:30:49
Should also say the English sides are bound to get each other as UEFA don't like British sides and would hate the idea that the EPL gets the great advertisement and endorsement of having four teams in the semi-finals of the UCL.

14 Mar 2019 17:22:59
I really hope Juve, Barca, City and Liverpool draw between themselves.
That would put 2 of the top 4 teams who can win the champions league out.
Porto, Ajax and Tottenham are ties with somewhat similar difficulties.
I think we'll draw Ajax.

14 Mar 2019 17:45:55
I reckon you and Barcelona will get Ajax and Porto we will definitely get city again cos it’s definitely rigged poor old spurs will get juve but I think spurs will beat them but got feeling they go out on away goals. definitely Barcelona get one of Ajax or Porto.

14 Mar 2019 19:10:06
I don’t thInk anyone will want us, City, or Liverpool. City and the Scousers are pretty scary and we are now a very unknown quantity, our recent record will worry the other teams.

14 Mar 2019 19:15:39
Dont want Barcelona or juve next but scouse in the final!

14 Mar 2019 23:15:47
My predictions

Juventus v Ajax
Utd v Spurs
Liverpool v Barcelona
City v Porto.

14 Mar 2019 23:46:53
Not being rude or insulting towards the deceased but I'd hate Juventus to get Liverpool

If their was crowd trouble at least it would only be the supporters of said team involved.

It always bugs me why every other team got banned for 5 years.