03 Sep 2021 17:01:46
Should have asked as well, who would anyone pick as their English league team?

{Ed014's Note - Ederson, Walker, Dias, VVD, Robertson, Kante, Fabinho, De Bruyne, Salah, Ronaldo, Son.

1.) 03 Sep 2021
03 Sep 2021 17:49:10
Ederson, Walker, Dias, Van Dijk, Shaw, Kante, Bruno, De Bruyne, Salah, Ronaldo, Son.

2.) 03 Sep 2021
03 Sep 2021 18:45:06
Is walker really any good? Ederson isn't better then De Gea, Varane over Dias any day, the rest ill go with your team Fresh.

3.) 03 Sep 2021
03 Sep 2021 19:25:52
Ederson, Trent, Varane, Dias, Shaw, Jorginho, KDB, Pogba, Salah, Antonio, Grealish.

4.) 03 Sep 2021
03 Sep 2021 20:33:39
Martinez, TAA, Diaz, Varane, Shaw, Kante, DeBruyne, Bruno, Mane, Son, Ronaldo.

5.) 03 Sep 2021
03 Sep 2021 21:02:41
DDG
AWB, VVD, Dias, Varane, Laporte
Fabino, Ndidi, Kante
Cavani, Firmino.

Best negative hard-working get me a 0-0 draw.

6.) 03 Sep 2021
03 Sep 2021 22:20:53
Alisson
Alexander Arnold
Van Dijk
Varane
Robertson
Kante
Bruno
De Bruyne
Mane
Ronaldo
Kane.

7.) 03 Sep 2021
03 Sep 2021 22:48:54
Mendy
Trent
Varane
VVD
Shaw
Kante (this was autocorrected as Kanye which would be funny)
Bruno
De Brune
Son
Ronaldo
Mane.

8.) 03 Sep 2021
03 Sep 2021 23:22:52
DDG
TAA
Varane
VVD
Shaw
Jorginho
KDB
Fernandes
Kane
Ronaldo
Greenwood.

9.) 04 Sep 2021
04 Sep 2021 09:17:48
Martinez
TAA
Dias
Varane
VVD
Shaw
Kante
Greenwood
Bruno
Mane
Ronaldo.

{Ed014's Note - there are some seriously red tinted specs that get Varane over Dias or VVD.

10.) 04 Sep 2021
04 Sep 2021 10:47:57
Ed so many people are seriously underrating Varane, and I thought this before he came to United, so has little to do with allegiance. I don't think people have seen enough of him to realise just how good he is.

11.) 04 Sep 2021
04 Sep 2021 11:04:35
Varane has been playing the highest level for over a decade.
Multiple champions league winner and World cup winner and still only 28.

12.) 04 Sep 2021
04 Sep 2021 11:04:39
LLV, I think playing his club football at Real Madrid alongside Sergio Ramos means he was never quite in the spotlight.

From the matches I watched of Real Madrid the Ramos/ Varane partnership reminded me of the Terry/ Carvalho partnership at Chelsea.

Where the louder, more aggressive, in your face defender seemed to get all the plaudits yet it was the other quieter defender who was actually the more skilled of the two.

Ramos was always known as a liability right up until he played alongside Varane, who covered for him.

I expect to see something similar at United with Maguire being praised over the next 2-3 years for excellent performances. Yet in truth he will only able to play those sort of performances because he has Varane alongside him.

The British media are always more impressed by a trier than a talent. Someone who charges around, throws themselves about, dives in where it hurts or makes last minute blocks/ tackles/ interceptions. Which in turn influences the opinion of the fans. A great defender reads the game well and stops a dangerous situation from developing rather than reacting once it has.

Varane will make a huge difference to our team. As a side note I expect to see Maguire get 5-8 goals this season now we have quality deliveries from set-plays and a designated set-piece coach. Which in turn will make people believe Maguire is a better player.

13.) 04 Sep 2021
04 Sep 2021 11:10:25
One double-save from DDG with the ball straight at him both times and he's back in team of the year :D.

14.) 04 Sep 2021
04 Sep 2021 11:23:48
Allison
TAA
Maguire
Varane
Shaw
Kante
Bruno
De Bruyne
Rashford
Ronaldo
Salah

To be clear, I think VVD is a much better player than Maguire, but I’d rather have a CB pairing that play together regularly (which, one assumes, RV and HM will have been doing for a full season by the time this hypothetical EPL 11 plays) .

15.) 04 Sep 2021
04 Sep 2021 11:24:55
Spenno, in all fairness, the second save was outstanding, pure reflexes. The main issue though is that most other top keepers would have come out on the corner and either gathered the ball or punched it clear, and therefore would't need to make a spectacular save.

16.) 04 Sep 2021
04 Sep 2021 11:10:43
I agree to an extent Shappy. But against Wolves, Maguire didn't play particularly well, yet Varane was excellent. I recall Maguire being caught out of position, the Wolves player through on goal and Varane sliding in to block the shot. Those things will not go unnoticed. And I do think Maguire should score more this season, although with Varane, he won't be the only one challenging for the ball on corners anymore.

To be fair to Ed, Dias is a great defender, easily the best in the league last season due to VVD's injury, but he's has one very good season at a top club, whereas Varane is massively decorated, and has shown consistency and the highest level over many years.

{Ed014's Note - there’s a real need to see Varane cut it in the Premiership before we consider him on a level with Dias and VVD.

He may be decorated but there’s plenty of players with plenty of medals that were in the right team at the right time as weren’t necessarily that good themselves.

17.) 04 Sep 2021
04 Sep 2021 16:24:40
Dias has had one good season, not exactly a premier league legend. It's likely to happen, but for now, he needs to show he can match last season each year.

Why does a player need to prove themselves in England to be taken seriously? We see the Ronaldo vs Messi debate everywhere, under that logic it's a no brainer because Ronaldo has played in England. It's the Pele and Maradona may have been good, Maldini and Beckenbauer too, but could they have performed on a cold rainy night in Stoke logic?

{Ed014's Note - why does he have to be a legend, I’m simply talking about how good he is, when have you actually watched Varane to know how good he is?

Dias hasn’t played 2nd fiddle to anyone to be immense, nor has VVD.

Time will tell, but if he is as good as either Dias or VVD I’ll be gobsmacked!

18.) 04 Sep 2021
04 Sep 2021 17:23:09
I've been following Varane since he was 18, as it's nice to see a success story involving a local lad, watching him now and then over his career. I remember his break-through season at Lens and the hype across the region, and nation, as he was seen as potentially being the player to fill the hole left by the likes of Blanc, Thuram and Desailly, and he's lived up to those expectations. It's easy to forget he was playing central defence for Real Madrid as a teen, and went there only when Zidane intervened to prevent him moving to United, there aren't too many defenders getting that kind of interest at 18.

You say he's been playing second fiddle too, but who's he played second fiddle to for France? He's the first chosen in the back pairing from an ever growing pool of frankly great defenders. He's got 80 caps at 28, getting his first at 19, which isn't bad considering only 8 players have reached the 100 appearances mark to date. He was also the youngest player to ever captain France at 21.

Although Ramos has been a great defender, how much of that is down to his partner, who is someone who just keeps his head down and plays?

{Ed014's Note - LLV he could be a hit in the Premiership but when I’ve watched him numerous times he hasn’t looked anywhere near the level of Dias and VVD.

There is little doubt they are the heartbeat of their respective defences, it’s been there for all to see whether that be here or at previous clubs.

When I see that at United, irrespective of medals, caps or age then I’ll be the first to say he’s every bit as good. Right now I’d be amazed if that was the case.

19.) 04 Sep 2021
04 Sep 2021 18:40:05
LLV, if Varane signed for anyone other than United he would be Beckenbauer's secret love child and a chip off the old block.

It's just the typical ABU's.

24 hours before Ronaldo signed for United he was one of the best players on the planet and was about to guarantee City winning the league, both domestic cups, the UCL, the super cup, the world club cup and men's health monthly crossword. He was an elite player and instantly the best striker in the league.

Yet he then signs for United rather than City and suddenly he's over the hill, not a shadow of the player he used to be, only signing for the money, and clearly not as good a striker as Harry Kane.

The sad thing is it's the same pundits and journalist singing a completely different tune based purely on the player signing for United rather than a rival.

It's pathetic, but it does make me smile. The moment the media start saying things like this is a sign that they suddenly consider imus a genuine threat.

Over the last 8 years they stopped or at least heavily reduced the amount the bad mouthed us. We were washed up and they didn't feel threatened by us. After this summer they have changed their tune. There is a genuine feeling that United are starting to build something and could be back challenging at the sharp end. As such they feel the need to criticise everything we do.

Suddenly 4 time UCL winner and world cup winner Varane isn't that good and has been riding on Ramos's coattails his whole career. If he went to City, Chelsea or Liverpool he would be considered an instant up grade to their defence, and would be talked about as a player of equal stature to VvD or Dias.

Sancho also is suddenly considered a gamble and not as good as players like Harvey Barnes. One pundit even said Barnes would have been a better signing as he is EPL proven. I like Barnes and think he's a good player, yet he turns 24 before the end of the year and in reality had half a good season in the EPL before injury ruled him out for the rest of the season.

While Sancho has 94 goals and assists in 125 appearances for Dortmund. How he can be considered a risk compared to Barnes is beyond me.

United on paper had the best transfer window in the EPL, especially in terms of improving the first 11.

If anyone else signed the players we did for the fees we paid the pundits and media would be creaming themselves over it. Yet when it's United suddenly these players are all risks or over the hill.

As for Arsenal fans they spent 29m on Ramsdale, while we signed a better keeper in Heaton for absolutely £0.00.

{Ed014's Note - that’s because he’s one for the future not one for the now and then. 🤦‍♂️

And stop playing the victim ffs!

20.) 04 Sep 2021
04 Sep 2021 19:45:17
I don't think they have an agenda. They told you what they see.
I have also my doubts about Varane and although he is an upgrade I don't think he is in VVDs level. Maybe he will prove us wrong, i wish he will.
I also think Sancho is clearly talented but i have my doubts where he will play and what his best position is. My thoughts is that his skillset is more of a number 10-second striker rather a winger. At least in Premier. Miki had great numbers at Bundesliga and he also played right winger for them but when he came and Zose tried him at right wing he was average at best.
I also have doubts about Ronaldo. For most part of games he is a liability and he can't always score at last minutes to make up his bad performance. So i agree that he would better suited to City as the cherry on top of the cake. Because these type of players can either be the cherry on top of the cake or liability.
That said they are all talented, they can all play good stuff and improve significant the team. But until then i will have my concerns and the transfer window is perfect only on paper.