24 Aug 2020 09:39:54
Perisic, Coutinho, Gnabry, Coman. All players deemed not good enough at elite clubs. Shappy named James as a short term option got pelters.

Jose was lambasted for trying to sign Perisic 2/ 3 years ago. I wouldn't personally want Coutinho but it just goes to show that players that are surplus to requirements at top clubs can definitely serve a purpose.

Players have a stigma if they don't work out at a certain club. We should be looking to Juventus, Barcelona, Madrid and using their predicaments to improve our squad.

Our imagination in the transfer market is abysmal.

1.) 24 Aug 2020
24 Aug 2020 10:24:54
These elite players don't fail at specific clubs due to ability. they are all outstanding players.

Managers have different tactics that don't suit them, prefer different players, they get injured and struggle to recapture form, or more often than not the physicality of certain leagues isn't for them.

But it doesn't mean they should be written off as surely there are cracking deals to be had.

Not suggesting any of these players but De Bruyn and Salah at Chelsea; Paulinho at Spurs; Falcao in the Prem with two clubs. All stellar after subsequent moves.

{Ed047's Note - Gnabry wasn’t deemed not good enough, at the time Wenger wanted him to stay but he wanted the move.

Don’t think anyone thought he wasn’t going to be class.

2.) 24 Aug 2020
24 Aug 2020 10:30:50
Mumbles, it's always a tricky one. Most only want to sign players who are on a clear upward trajectory.

Yet often complain that we get held to ransom for the players we sign.

Ultimately as we have seen with many different signings with our club and at others is that there are more than one way to skin a cat. There is no single way to approach the transfer market.

Who got excited when we signed Schmeichel, Irwin, Vidic etc?

While I expect people got a little more excited when we signed Veron, Di Maria, Falcao and Sanchez.

Then you have signings like Carrick who many people question and it isn't until a years later that people realise just how important a player he was.

Sometimes the best signings are the ones who score goals, make Hollywood passes or last minute crunching tackles. Sometimes the best signings enable everyone else to play 10 or 15% better, sometimes they are the players who unite the group.

They don't have to be superstar names. Just because a player didn't work out at one club that doesn't make them bad players. There can be a multitude of reasons for a player to not "make it" at a club, not fitting the managers plans, not settling in a new country or city, picking up injuries, language barriers, adjusting to a new league, a change of manager or playing style etc.

Ultimately the key to successful transfers is solid research into a player, his skill set, his personality, his adaptability. While also having a very clear idea about what you need and how the new signing will fit into the group and how they fit into the team and style.

Signing older players isn't a problem if you have a need for experience.

Signing younger players isn't a problem as long as you have a development plan for them.

It doesn't matter whether you are signing them from Juventus, Sporting Lisbon or Spartak Moscow as long as you know how they fit what you need.

I think there is a lot of snobbery with football fans when it comes to transfers. Everyone wants their club to sign the biggest name, the most expensive, the young player with the most potential etc etc.

When a club makes a sensible signing for less than 20m they get accused of shopping in the bargain bin, of having no money. Clubs are derided for making sensible signings rather than blowing huge sums of money.

We are a terrible bunch when it comes to transfers. We complain that we get ripped off and club's hold us to ransom, then complain that we cannot sell "deadwood" players for big fees.

I'm not even sure if as a club we have ever been hugely successful in the transfer market. I don't remember too many summers where we have signed 3 or 4 players and all of them have gone on to be hugely successful first team players.

I'd say if we sign 4 players on average one fails, one succeeds and the other two are middle of the road solid players but nothing special.

Yet every summer we expect the club to sign 4 or 5 players who'll go straight into our first 11 and be huge successes. Which considering that has never happened in my 30+ years of supporting the club seems a little far fetched.

This summer most fans want us to sign a first choice RW and CB, while some would like to see Shaw and Martial replaced, while exciting young players are wanted at CDM and CAM to add competition.

Jadon Sancho (120m), Upamecano (50m), Alex Telles (40m) and Moussa Dembele (60m) . While Rice (60m) and Grealish (80m) seem to be players a lot of fans want to see signed. Just the 410m on up to 6 players, 4 of them as first 11 players and a 140m worth of players to sit on our bench.

Personally I prefer the signings that come out of left field have very little expectation and do very well.

I'd choose a Vidic, Evra or Carrick over a Pogba type signing every day of the week. That doesn't mean I don't think there is a place for big money big name signings. Just that every signing doesn't have to be one.

{Ed047's Note - I’ve lost count of the big money/named signings you’ve craved after 🤦‍♂️

3.) 24 Aug 2020
24 Aug 2020 10:31:47
I agree Mumbles, the whole I don't want x team's bench players doesn't always make sense. I'm not advocating that's where we should be looking for all of our players but of the teams mentioned above, there are plenty of players on their bench that would start or make a very good contribution for us. Take Juve for example, they have four CB's who are all probably better than ours, players like Ramsey or Rabiot in midfield who could also contribute here.

The main issues would be whether they fit with our squad and would settle relatively well in the city. You'd also hope the club have done their homework on that but with United it doesn't seem to be a guven. That's where we seem to have fallen down over the last few years by signing names rather than signing players who actually fit the side.

Imagine saying to a United fan after Fergie retired that within the next 7 years or so we would break the world transfer record, break the world transfer record for a defender, sign Ibrahimovic, Schweinsteiger, Sanchez, Di Maria, Depay, Falcao and the rest. On the face of it you'd assume we'd have won plenty of trophies and been very successful. In reality most of the above have been disasters financially and reputationally and even the moderate successes of Ibrahimovic, Pogba, Maguire etc still have plenty of questions around whether the signing was the right one. Signing the players deemed the best doesn't always work.

4.) 24 Aug 2020
24 Aug 2020 11:27:52
Good posts mumbles and shappy.

I think there are many players at those clubs that are ripe for the taking and probably wouldn't cost us as much as the top targets.

It's imperative we improve the squad right now with what is available and not go OTT on big money/ name signings.

Sir Alex had the knack of signing players that for within the system and every so often he would plomp for that big name/ price tag and it seemed to work more often than not.

I would look at Chiesa, Rodriguez, Skriniar to improve the current crop and who might be attainable.

5.) 24 Aug 2020
24 Aug 2020 11:29:22
I don't think Jose got stick for wanting Peresic, I believe when rumours of wanting martial to go the other way surfaced way what fans objected to.

6.) 24 Aug 2020
24 Aug 2020 12:08:22
Agree Mumbles.
Our decision maker's shouldBut Jose targeted too many old pro's in addition to Perisic like Willian and Boateng.

The bench strength of PSG and Bayern were astonishing.

PSG had Veratti, Icardi, Gueye, Draxler on the bench.
Similarly Bayern had Perisic, Coutinho, Sule, Pavard, Hernandez etc, .
Amazing depth.

7.) 24 Aug 2020
24 Aug 2020 13:01:17
Should we re sign lukaku or young.

I wouldn't go near James based solely on his football ability and suitability to both united and thd epl.

8.) 24 Aug 2020
24 Aug 2020 11:18:12
Ed047, are you referring to me or United fans in general when you say craving big money/ named signings?

As on the whole I've been against most of them, I was sceltical of Di Maria, Lukaku and Pogba, I argued that Maguire was overrated and there were better options, I've said the same about Grealish this summer. I've also said that unless we can get the cost down that we should consider other options to Sancho especially if Greenwood keeps improving.

The big names I've backed are Falcao as it was a loan, Sanchez as I thought he still had a few more years at the top left and was EPL proven. While I said James Rodriguez at 25m is better value than Grealish at 80m.

{Ed047's Note - you

9.) 24 Aug 2020
24 Aug 2020 13:37:03
Jred, stop trying to be the smartest man in the room. It doesn't suit you.

10.) 24 Aug 2020
24 Aug 2020 13:49:56
It's easy to get carried away with big name signings. Who wouldn't enjoy Di Maria joining from European Champions. He was/ is a quality footballer. Like wise with the other high profile players joining. there's optimism every summer when you hope the right transfers are made to give us our best chance.

The problem is we get tunnel vision with who we should buy. And the marketing side plays a big part. We should have offloaded Pogba by now, even if we have to take a hit his price. Get a replacement in. Ed named some stellar players that could replace him but we're just delaying the inevitable of him leaving.

Some proper squad planning and picking up 2 or 3 players from tbose elite clubs whos time has come will help Ole achieve his goals because he certainly needs all the help he can get.

11.) 24 Aug 2020
24 Aug 2020 14:17:32
Signing the likes of James Rodriguez and Douglas Costa is not the answer.

Awarding ageing, injury prone, out of form outcasts, lucrative long term contracts is not the correct transfer strategy.

There are plenty of more sensible alternatives like Federico Chiesa, David Neres, Ismaila Sarr or even David Brooks!

The window is open until 5th October.

The long term vision should not be sacrificed and let panic prevail over wisdom.

12.) 24 Aug 2020
24 Aug 2020 14:47:25
We don't have a long term vision unfortunately DLIB. I'm not for one second saying we should load our squad with aging pros on high wages. But to make a point, we have Jones and Rojo on serious money doing nothing. Why not have someone who can actually effect a game of football instead of those two?

I'm making the point that there are options at these clubs, maybe not the two you've mentioned but we should certainly be open to taking these players.

These players should not be discounted. Coman for example has gone from PSG to Juventus and onto Bayern. Won league titles with them all and now the champions league but some would turn their nose up at him as "Not good enough"

13.) 24 Aug 2020
24 Aug 2020 14:52:44
DLIB, what's the long term vision?

14.) 24 Aug 2020
24 Aug 2020 15:55:57
Mumbles - I completely agree that just because some players have struggled at other Clubs shouldn't preclude them being considered. I was referring principally to James and Costa who we have been heavily linked.

I remember Robben and Sneijder both going on to have excellent careers having failed to impress at Real. They both left the summer they signed Ronaldo. I've often thought we should have included them both as part of the deal!

I have no idea why Rojo and Jones were rewarded with long term contracts, it was a mistake but presumably to protect their transfer value. The fact both remain at the Club will probably mean we'll miss out on another CB this summer.

I don't think we have to panic. There are alternatives available to Sancho and Greenwood has been a revelation. Over the course of a full season he could possibly even match Sancho's stats, certainly from a goal scoring perspective anyway.

I still wouldn't rule out Grealish. He can play anywhere across the front three or in a deeper midfield role either as part of a midfield diamond or midfield three. He would give Ole plenty of options.

15.) 24 Aug 2020
24 Aug 2020 16:15:13
Now there's a fact mumbles😂😂😂😂😂.

16.) 24 Aug 2020
24 Aug 2020 16:29:46
Guys, don't assume others motivations. James and Costa simply aren't good enough, it is nothing to do with being unwanted at other big teams.

17.) 24 Aug 2020
24 Aug 2020 16:31:25
So we should sell pogba and buy one of ghe Stella players that ed has mentioned?
But at the same time we don't need to sign Stella players?
Is sancho a stella player? Because people don't want us to sign him
Is grealish a good young hungry British player with epl experience? Because people font want us to sign that type of player .

Truth is people rate certain players and will make an argument why we should sign them over anyone else.

If we went and spent big money on saul certain people wouldn't bat an eye lid. If we spent the same money on someone else they would be up in arms .
And that's the way it is for everyone really .
But at thd end of the day the club will sign who they sign .
I don't know why people get so wound up no transfer is a sure thing.

18.) 24 Aug 2020
24 Aug 2020 16:48:53
Shappy you clearly went to the same school as gary neville and have an opinion on everything either that or you have far too much time on your hands.

19.) 24 Aug 2020
24 Aug 2020 17:58:15
Allan, everyone has an opinion on everything. And as a full time student I definitely have too much time on my hands😂.

20.) 24 Aug 2020
24 Aug 2020 18:42:00
Shappy, don't stop Shappin man!

21.) 24 Aug 2020
24 Aug 2020 22:00:15
Sancho is more of a Heineken man I believe.