05 Aug 2020 16:09:33
United are now being linked with FC Porto left back Alex Telles.

1.) 06 Aug 2020
06 Aug 2020 09:00:49
Great signing If true.

2.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 08:46:55
Do we really need a left back?

I'm not saying we couldn't improve on Luke Shaw, and Williams isn't ready to make the position his just yet IMO. I think he could be ready within the next couple of years if he keeps rotating with Shaw.

If we bring in a new first choice it's going to slow his development though, and I think the squad could be improved more by new signings in several other positions.

3.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 10:24:22
I'd stick with Shaw he's improved massively this season plus he looked a lot leaner and fitter after lockdown. he's got my full backing.

4.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 10:54:55
I like Shaw and it did look like he was getting back to his best, but he is injured again and that has to be a concern.
He has missed 14 league games this season compared to a combined 6 for Maguire, Lindelof and AWB. (38, 35, 35)
To have a settled back 4 he needs to be making the same numbers as the rest of the guys back there.

5.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 11:13:10
I’d personally sell Dalot and put Williams on the right to provide competition for AWB with Telles and Shaw on the left. Williams has potential but is obviously better on the right. If playing on the left with Rashford, we have 2 players who will look to cut in and so it’s easier for opponents to nullify them. Something I believe which will always prevent us reaching greater heights is the lack of attacking width from the fullbacks. It’s what has made Liverpool so effective. Sort that out and we’ve got a great chance of competing.

6.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 11:18:34
On paper it doesn't look like we do. Yet Shaw has only started 29 games and made a further 4 appearances from the bench. We have played 59 games so far, will play 60 and could play 62. We know he won't be fit for any more games this season.

If Shaw was fit for 80% of our games I'd say we wouldn't need another LB. Of the players we have who can play full back in our first team TFM and Dalot have had even worse injury records than Shaw, while neither have show yet that they are good enough when fit. Leaving Only AWB, Williams and Shaw who on average misses nearly 50% of our games through injury.

We definitely need another option, a left footed one would be ideal.

7.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 11:42:28
If we get a left footed fb where does that leave williams?
Cover for AWB? Who is only 22 if fit plays and played 35 out of 38 league games this season .

8.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 12:21:11
Jred, full back is the most physically demanding position on the pitch. We currently have 3 players good enough to play regularly (AWB, Shaw and Williams) .

Of which one regularly misses games through injury, while another is a young player player who only made his debut 8 months ago.

AWB will need resting, we should be playing 50-60 games a season. Which means there are 100-120 appearances available to our full backs in a season. If we have 4 good options then they all get 25-30 starts each.

Williams is far more offensive than AWB so could be an option off the bench if we need a goal, or in games where we might need more attacking width.

The same argument could be made for not signing a RW as they would block Greenwood.

The reality is that we need squad depth and we need good quality players who can step in and give the young players a break when they need it.

Sir Alex dropped DDG when he first came a few times just to take the heat off of him when his form dropped.

We need another full back option, and as we only have one left footed option (who suffers from injury) it makes sense to sign a left footed one.

I did mention yesterday that we might not have to sign a player to do this. If either Chong or Fred can adapt to playing full back then we would have that option in the squad. However, at best we have a few games to find that out before next season.

9.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 13:05:55
shappy your better players play if fit 9 times out of 10 .
Awb played 36 league games this season
Trent 38
Robertson 36 .

If we sign a lb to cover shaw where does that leave, williams TFM and maybe even laird or dalot.

10.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 13:18:48
Missed a trick with Ake. Able to cover CB and LB, or midfield if necessary (his preferred position) . Admittedly he is a great utility player - jack of all trades, master of none.

11.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 13:23:33
Do not forget Ethan Laird.

12.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 14:23:22
So jred where do you stand on signing a RW? Seeing as that will impact the number of minutes Greenwood gets next season.

13.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 15:05:35
Greenwood will get game time anywhere across the front line Shapps.
Him being too footed helps to play multiple positions.

14.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 15:46:06
TrueRedDevil, I agree, yet Williams is also just as comfortable playing in either full back position.

So why is it okay to bring in competition for one talented youngster who can play in multiple positions but not to do so for another youngster?

15.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 16:10:26
Shappy
I would sign a rw that would be 4 players for 3 positions .
Your talking about having 4 players for 2 positions .

Plus defenders don't really get rotated as much .

16.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 16:42:51
Shappy, Greenwood can play up front or on the left too, and since Ighalo is the competition for second choice up front, I expect him to get some time there as well as at RW (less so at LW, baring injuries) .

Signing a LB will hold back Williams AND Laird, who I would otherwise expect to be competing with Dalot or TFM (as I doubt we'll shift both this summer) for the backup RB slot, while Williams rotates with Shaw and hopefully starts making the position his over the next couple of seasons.

Backup forwards tend to get a lot more game time off the bench than backup FBs anyway.

17.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 18:02:02
Shaw is one of the reasons that we are miles behind. I mean this mentality. Shaw has so far 16-5-11-11-29-24 Premier League appearances with us. So clearly he missed a lot of matches, although he is not his fault the club was without its left back for over half a season for most seasons. Taking into account that sometimes he came back from injuries with extra kilos and he needs many matches to be back to speed then i would say that he played "good" 1-2 months a season . Ofcourse good is subjective, having 7 asists in your Premier League career speaks itself.

18.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 18:38:08
Yes yes and yes. Williams can cover both RB and LB but if we signed another LB that'd mean Williams would be required to cover RB more often.

19.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 18:45:37
This is the problem Herrera. While he is on a big contact and would be hard to shift. I would say on the whole he does a good job for us when fit, often underrated. But that's the problem he can't stay fit long enough to rely on him.

20.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 19:09:20
So perhaps he is over rated by some and under rated by others. Shaw had his best season imo and still only played half the games he has become a steady eddie never lived up to his billing of the best young lb in the world. But steady eddie is ok every team needs a couple of steady eddies.

21.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 19:57:38
Shappy i don't see him doing a good job overall. Nowhere near the job a top full back do. He is not very good at defending, he is nowhere near good enough at attacking and he can't stay injury free. I think the obvious think is to replace him, for me its obvious. I don't want another Jesse or Jones situation debating until they are 25-26 if they are good enough and waiting to come good. They wont.

22.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 20:00:08
We still have the games where we go 3 4 3, so potential for Shaw or AWB to drop into the three.

23.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 21:03:06
Shaw broke his leg, then had 2 difficult seasons under jose .
Since ole has come in he played 40 games last season picking up jnited player of thd year .
And has had another good season this year playing 33 games.
The lad only turned 25 a couple of week ago he will be fine.

24.) 07 Aug 2020
07 Aug 2020 21:34:25
Think you need to go to spec savers Damon, Shaw leaner and fitter? What?

{Ed047's Note - must have said it tongue firmly in cheek as he’s the same porker he’s always been.

25.) 08 Aug 2020
08 Aug 2020 00:59:45
Will be fine? A player with 7 asists in 6 seasons, not injury free and with fitness problems? Then Liverpools fans must see Robertson like a god. And that's our difference, if we find Shaw fine then we get what we deserve.

26.) 08 Aug 2020
08 Aug 2020 12:07:58
Herrera each to their own lines drawn in the sand some would rather do that than admit that the player hasn't fulfilled his over hyped potential. Steady eddie no more. i'm not knocking him for that as i said every team needs a couple of steady eddies not everyone can be a bruno.
Best in the world is what some were saying he would be he was the most expensive teenager but to be fair he was totally over hyped. He is a run of the mill fb average by epl standards.
Jred is right he will be fine just like lots of our players they will just tick and plod along being fine.
We don't need to or can't have worldies in every position.
We thought and were told we were getting a worldie i suppose that's where a lot of the disappointment comes surrounding shaw.