Manchester United Banter Archive July 03 2014

03 Jul 2014 21:22:09
It's nice to see us actually spending money and for once being realistically able to sign the players we have been linked with, I have a bit of time on my hands so thought I'd do a round up of a lot of the rumours.

Goalkeepers: None
Obvious to see why

Defence:

De Vrij:
Age:22
Fee:?
Potential: Wouldn't say world class but a fine centre back nonetheless.
Likelihood of signing: 8.5/10
another promising young centre back we could add to the fold. Definitely a position that needs filling. Worked under Van Gaal before so should fit his ideology nicely and will help implement it into the team. Feyenoord are not a huge club so will struggle to hold onto a player when a bigger team comes knocking. We seem to be the only team linked with him for various reasons.

Mangala:
Age:23
Fee: £32,000,000
Potential: slightly under the world class bracket although there is a chance
Likelihood of signing: 3.5/10
Once again it's another promising young centre back, a recurring theme I hope. Man City seem front runners on the money front with this one but however he apparently wants to go to Chelsea. Would've been a nice signing for us but not the end of the world.

Vermaelen:
Age: 28
Fee:£8-12,000,000
Potential: Already peaked and was never a world beater, could rediscover his form with a good run of games.
Likelihood of signing: 7/10
If he rediscovered his form he would be a welcome addition to the team and help to replace the experience we have lost, if not he could be an expensive (wage wise) flop.

Hummels:
Age:25
Fee: £20,000,000+
Potential: already world class with room for improvement
Likelihood of signing: 3/10
Hummels would be my dream signing in the heart of our defence as he is world class and would walk into any teams defence. He publicly ruled out a move this year but that means nothing but with teams like Barcelona looking for a centre back it may be hard to acquire him.

Midfielders:

Vidal:
Age: 27
Fee: £40,000,000+
Likelihood of signing: 5/10 (optimistic)
Potential: he is currently the best box to box midfielder there is at the moment and will be approaching his peak soon, he may stay at the peak for a while though.
The dream signing of any fan, 90% of fans would agree that whatever it takes to sign him of there is any chance should and must be done.

Hector Herrera:
Age: 24
Fee:?
Potential: not seen enough of him to comment

Carvalho:
Age: 22
Fee: £37,000,000
Likelihood of signing: 9.5/10 (if we pay the buyout clause which seems likely with our spending so far)
Potential: World class bar any major injury
Our midfield needs an enforcer who can let the more creative centre midfielder (Herrera) play more freely and allow him to work his magic, and Carvalho may be as close as it gets to perfect as a solution for this, he is strong and provides a very good link between defence and attack as he can start a move with just one or two touches, with the right tuition he may well be a mainstay for years to come.

Clasie:
Age: 23
Fee:?
Potential: once again I haven't seen enough of him to make a fair comment
Likelihood of signing: 6/10
From what I have seen he seems like the creator of a midfield three and we have Herrera for that so it may be unlikely that we do sign him however our midfield does need a complete rebuild and Herrera can't play every game.

Strootman:
Age: 24
Fee: £25,000,000
Potential: Depends on injury
Likelihood of signing: this window 3/10 next window 8/10
Van Gaal rates him highly so it's a no brainier he'll want him for a team that needs a completely new midfield.

Wingers:

Di Maria:
Age:26
Fee: £30,000,000 (approx)
Potential: getting to the norm peak age, world class on his day.
Likelihood of signing: 7/10
Pace is what we need and this is what he will bring, can pick out a pass and a cross pretty decently as well. However he is one footed and inconsistent.


Griezmann:
Age: 23
Fee:?
Potential: not seen enough to comment

Robben:
Age: 30
Fee:?
Potential: already peaked/ at peak, is currently a world beater.
Likelihood of signing: 5/10
Same as di Maria but a more consistent upgrade.

Depay:
Age: 20
Fee:?
Potential: unpredictable could range from Ashley young to Arjen Robben.
Likelihood of signing: 7/10
A bit of a Zaha-esque character attitude wise, has the tools to be top class, needs to be shown how to use them.

03 Jul 2014 22:19:04
I agree with a lot of what you just said with the exception of a few things.

1) Hummels is not world class, people go on about David Luiz making mistakes and having lapses in concentration, this man will give away 5-7 goals a season through his sheer lapses in concentration.

I wouldn't want him anywhere near OT.

Who would I go for instead? Well, I'm a really big fan of Inigo Martinez, imo the finest young CB in the world.

Also, this comment "Feyenoord are not a huge club" - I suggest you look up Feyenoord, they're a massive club.

Yes, if United, Barcelona, etc. came knocking for one of their players they'll find it hard to keep the player but what club wouldn't? They're as big as any club in Holland and if the dutch league was as strong as it was in the 90's then Feyenoord would be a top destination for any player.

Oh and What on earth are your ratings based on? your opinion? Just for clarity. :).

Well thought out post though! :).

Nice layout Avid: I would say though that Robben is a true goalscorer, while Di Maria is not, and he is wildly inconsistent with his passing and crossing. Both would trouble defenses though for sure.

The Moon.

I maybe should've worded it better, they are not a financial powerhouse would better express what I meant to say.

I was actually lucky enough to go to Amsterdam last year and train with the Feyenoord first team and with Ajax and at the Ajax training facilities I was coached by the legendary Arnold Mühren. And I was luckily enough that my trip coincided with the Ajax vs Feyenoord game but unfortunately all the Feyenoord fans were banned.

Yeah they are a massive club but like I said they cannot compete financially.

Thanks for the feedback though :)

And the ratings are based on personal opinion and what other teams are being linked with that player and the likeliness that they could be pried away.

Moon, just intrigued on what you thought of Rio Ferdinand as a singing/player? He, Like Hummels, could be outstanding, but there were many many times where he would just shut off and goals would be conceded or could have been conceded.

Signing not singing

03 Jul 2014 17:43:49
if Juventus are still interested in Evra and possibly nani I feel that we should be using both as an incentive to sign Vidal.

03 Jul 2014 15:15:21

Players:

Vermaelen,
Carvalho,
Vidal,
Sanchez,
Pogba,
Miranda.

I've not mentioned Dutch players as I am of the understanding that LvG has strictly put a ban on any transfer talk whilst they are still involved in Brazil.

Thanks

{Ed002's Note - Try the search engine.}

03 Jul 2014 15:53:36
Just thought I would share this with fellow United fans.

A Liverpool fan has just told a United fan that I follow on Twitter to, and I quote, "stop living in the past."

Let me just repeat that so that it sinks in.

"STOP LIVING IN THE PAST"

A Liverpool fan said that.

Yes, a Liverpool fan.

Lmfao

Thanks for that believe

03 Jul 2014 16:36:19
El Confidencial in Spain apparently believes di Maria is off to Manutd.? He would be an awsome signing if its true if you ask me.

03 Jul 2014 17:22:37
Amazing mate,

03 Jul 2014 11:41:26
There are so many rumours about our midfield that it is hard to keep up with what is true and what isn't. Here is my take on it all - some will agree, some won't, but hopefully it will spark a bit of a debate.

We have to assume that van Gaal will play a midfield 3. The post will be based on this assumption.

Looking within, van Gaal I am sure will keep Carrick and will see him as a useful squad player for the number 6 role. He is also a fairly intelligent player with his passing and positioning. A good older head who has been around the club for quite a while. I can also see him giving Cleverley a try. Whatever you say, in his break through season he was very good but he has gone backwards. 6 months to impress as a squad player I think or he will also be gone. There's also Fletcher who I think is past it, a decent player in his prime but not anymore. I could quite easily see him move on to another Premier League club or up to Scotland - no rumours about this though. Anderson can't possibly stay, if van Gaal could get him to knuckle down he has all the potential to be a top player - but I don't think he will get that chance and I don't think he deserves it in all honesty, his best days were as a more advanced midfielder anyway and that won't happen with the players we have in the squad. I hope that Powell gets some good game time on the tour and impresses, he's the one for me that should break through next but maybe another loan move beckons first. Then the wig. He had one or two good games but isn't good on the ball and is worse off it in a positional sense - all he can do is head. Not someone that fits in with the van Gaal way so I can see him going straight out the door by September 2nd.

The one that I can't pass judgement on but am very excited about is Herrera. He has the vision, the shooting etc to be a good number 8 for us. He will get up and down the pitch and will be a great link between defence and attack.

So if that were to happen we would have Carrick, Herrera, Cleverley (Powell out on loan) as three true central midfielders. Van Gaal will play 3 in the middle and there will be a 6, an 8 and a 10. As I said, Carrick is an okay option for the 6 and Cleverley probably could play the 8 in some games or from the bench. Herrera will start for us in the number 8 position.

The strongest area of this midfield 3 will be the number 10. Mata as first choice, Rooney second and Kagawa third. Whether Rooney and Kagawa will be over the moon at this remains to be seen. No work needs to be done though for the number 10 role. The number 6 though is the area that needs the most immediate attention. Vidal would be wasted there, he is the best number 8 / box-to-box midfielder in the world. If he was signed I can only think that he would play number 8 and rotate with Herrera. But to spend £30 odd million on Herrera just to rotate him seems odd to me. On this basis I can quite easily see us not get Vidal as we already have the player for that position.

There are other names banded about for the number 6 position. Khedira being the main one but I don't rate him at all. He gives the ball away a lot and seems pretty immobile. Also when I just wrote Khedira my computer suggested that I was trying to spell 'person'. The most likely option then would seem to be William Carvalho who is a definite number 6. I don't know as much about him as some but he seemingly tackles well, intercepts well and plays good simple balls to the more creative players. Having two attacking full backs in Rafael and Shaw, he would be good to sit in and form three center backs when we have the ball. In this sense, he is ideal. I don't for one minute believe though that we will pay the £37 million. A lot of negotiating will have to be done to complete this deal, but it is looking to be the most likely.

Midfield options for the 6 then would be William Carvalho and Carrick. The number 8 being Herrera and Cleverley. In an ideal world I think van Gaal would like Strootman as well, and I fully expect us to go for him in January as he is a better rotation option than Cleverley. Three options for number 6 and three options for number 8 would give us good squad depth and would give us cover for when we get our plentiful injuries. This is where I think De Jong may come in to cover William Carvalho and Carrick. He is experienced and whatever you say about him, he works hard and is dependable (apart from his fouls).

So by January if we had Herrera, Strootman, Cleverley, Carrick, William Carvalho and De Jong would you be happy? Too many options? Not good enough? What do you think.

Yes I would be happy Fresh. I also think that Anderson will be given a chance, as you say he doesn't deserve one, but if LVG gets him fit he could be immense.

Kagawa being third choice would be a waste as well, best off selling him if that is the case but I honestly think it will be Rooney that is surplus to requirements as Kagawa could be number 2 to Mata but Rooney would not tolerate that and we are paying too much in wages for him not to be first team. Especially without Europe, I don't see Rooney being effective for the last 20 mins of games or Carling Cup - plus he needs to be match fit to get the best out of him.

My money is on Rooney to Chelsea as it has been since he signed that contract.

03 Jul 2014 12:21:00
Fresh, you have too much time on your hands writing all that when truth be told nobody has a clue what system he will adopt and the only thing we can be certain of is that he will play a system that best suits the players available. The press are really going over the top with it: 3-5-2, 3-4-3, 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 they have named everything except 4-4-2.
From the more reliable articles I have read about Van Gaal he likes the '6' and '8' to be versatile and be able to do the other role comfortably, if this is true I don't see that anybody would be wasted in our rebuilt side.

Fresh I admire you spending what must have been a far amount of time and thought typing your post but I think you're wrong in your assumptions.

5 minutes work to type up lol. Was bored! What do you think then carloto?

Truthfully Fresh I haven't got a clue, I'll wait until we kick off against Swansea and see what happens.

Beast,

Rooney will not be going anywhere.

Just as he is doing with Holland, Van Gaal won't play just one system - it will depend on the opposition and their tactics.

What I can see developing is a pretty adaptable squad with a number of players able to play multiple positions facilitating tactical changes during the course of a match without substitutions. The only area we seem to have a surfeit is at #10. Given the schedule and a decent manager, I think the squad, as it is now, can successfully challenge for a top 4 slot without any further acquisitions.

From a financial point of view the big jump in revenues is Champions League qualification. While Van Gaal will want to win the league this coming year, and there may well be additional players coming in I do not expect the club will splash a lot of cash on one player unless he is on the list of top targets - that may get delayed until we have the lure of European football back in our pockets.

The Glazers will be quite satisfied with Champions League qualification.

There are more chances of Rooney growing hair like Samaras than of him being sold.

Deeps.

You would actually think many posters on here were on the blower to van gall every day discussing future tactics with him, he's in a world cup at the moment in case anyone forgot so until he actually starts the job and gets a squad which he feels is fit to compete for the league he won't even no what formation he's going to use and whos going to be used. stop stressing my fellow reds all we be revealed in good time, until then enjoy the ride!!

Just off the phone to my mate LVG .

Im with stretfordender on this one as I am of the opinion van gaal won't know what system he is going to play until he has seen the players train. The pre season tour may still tell us nothing if he experiments with players positions and systems to get a better feel of some at his disposal. Its reasonable to say that rvp is the only player he truly knows and will be able to use that knowledge in his planning (obviously he knows the keepers position and general areas squad members play in but he doesn't know how versatile they individually are). All I can say is my sense of optimism is greater than the last incumberant, but I hoped he could succeed too.

03 Jul 2014 10:10:53
Just a thought Cuadrado started out as a right back I believe RWB for us possible? he certainly has the work-rate.

I can't see us playing with wing backs. And if we do, we already have Rafael and Valencia who have long term deals.

Fresh. Valencia is terrible for us at RB. What makes you think he could play RWB any better?

Redseven, Valencia is poor at right back and poor at right wing so the double negative could make him brilliant combining the two roles.