17 Jul 2022 12:38:14
The on going concern amongst most United fans seems to be who will play in midfield come the Brighton game. The fear of not having a new midfielder in to displace McFred seems to be a key factor in many fans wanting to abandon the FDJ deal and go for someone else, anybody else, just for the love of god not McFred.

Yet I don't think there should be a huge worry as I think there are several possible options the manager could do if FDJ isn't signed before the start of the season.

While I'm fairly sure that Lisandro Martinez has been signed to play as a CB, his previous experience in midfield mean that he could easily play a few games there if needed.

Personally I also think we'll see Eriksen play mostly as a No.8 rather than wide or as a No.10.

We could easily see a midfield of Martinez, Eriksen and Bruno start against Brighton.

Maybe we'll see a different formation, maybe three at the back, with Martinez and Varane/ Lindelof flanking Maguire, with the additional body in defence would could afford to play a more creative duo in midfield, maybe even Eriksen and Bruno. Eriksen did play some games as a No.6 for Inter Milan, and did a good job.

Maybe playing three at the back would allow for a youngster to step up into midfield, both Savage and Zidane Iqbal have impressed on tour so far, maybe one of them might be given a chance. Or now Garner is free of the injury that kept him out of the first couple of games he might prove himself to be a player EtH may choose to rely on.

We play four EPL games before the close of the window on September 1st, is it better to make do with what we have for those 4 games if it means the manager gets his first choice signing for the other 34 league games and all cup games?

Or do we sign our 2nd, 3rd or 4th choice option just so they can be available for 4 more games than what FDJ may be available for?

1.) 17 Jul 2022
17 Jul 2022 12:45:40
Lindelof shouldn't be near a first team of a club with top 4 ambitions he is apart from anything else the easiest bullied CH in the league, week after week heis targeted.

2.) 17 Jul 2022
17 Jul 2022 12:50:05
I don't think we'll move on from FdJ, or move for another player if it doesn't happen. The club will wait up until the close of the window I reckon and if we don't have him so be it. But I think we'll get him eventually.
It's necessary to adapt formation but at this moment in time I can't see much point in getting a manager reknowned for one formation, using that in everything we've seen then going for a different formation, especially to catch the mighty Brighton off-guard. Garner will tear them to shreds anyway.

3.) 17 Jul 2022
17 Jul 2022 12:53:02
Sorry Shappy, I think that's rubbish. How much money do you want to bet on that midfield. We won't easily see it and if we did, most teams would run right through us.

If we were going to see 3 at the back, do you not think we might have seen some evidence of that by now.

That's a very odd post mate.

4.) 17 Jul 2022
17 Jul 2022 14:00:01
We badly need midfield reinforcements. We were out played, out ran, out classed in the central midfield nearly every week. The McFred tag team needs to be dismantled if we have any chance of consistently playing well.

I think the young lads like Savage and Iqbal have done well but they should be going out on loan realistically. Martinez is a CB who can probably play midfield at a pinch but I'm thoroughly against shoehorning players into positions they rarely play.

De Jong is the tricky one. Stick or twist? I would hope they would know from the player if he's willing to join, and if this delay is all about him getting what's owed to him. There's nothing inherently wrong with 2nd or 3rd choices. Liverpool have done well when they couldn't get their main targets.

Still a few weeks left before the season starts. We're getting the players in that the manager wants and that's key. A couple more in and a few of the fringe players out we'll be looking in good stead for the start of the season.

{Ed014's Note - ed02 has told us numerous times on our group chat that he doesn’t want to move.

5.) 17 Jul 2022
17 Jul 2022 14:01:23
BFBW, Lindelof is better than Maguire and until Martinez proves himself in the EPL the second best CB we have behind Varane.
Every defender has a weakness or two. Maguire can be out paced and out turned by the Titanic. While his on the ball ability is in my opinion massively overrated. He's tidy on the ball but is no Beckenbauer. I remember at least half a dozen great forward passes from Lindelof, his assist to Rashford the other season when he split the opposition wide open with a perfectly weighted ball over the top being an example of what he can do. I haven't seen anything even half as good from Maguire. Is he good enough? Probably not, but I'd rather see him lining up for us next season than Maguire.

Tony, I'm just saying there are options, will it be McFred if FDJ isn't signed in time? Maybe, but only because the manager will feel they are the best option. Or maybe one or more of Eriksen, Garner, Savage, Donny or Iqbal will prove themselves and step up.

I also don't find it odd that in just the first 2 games of pre-season the only formation we have seen is 4231. It's EtH's primary formation, while preseason is about building up fitness and getting the players to grips with the style the manager wants to play. It would be totally pointless and actually detrimental to play around with formations at this stage.

6.) 17 Jul 2022
17 Jul 2022 14:49:39
Mumbles, I wouldn't say getting Martinez to play in midfield is "shoehorning" a player into a role they aren't used to playing.

From the ages of 18-22 he played most of his games in midfield. Around 50 of his 125ish senior appearances have come in midfield. So around 40% of his games have been as a midfielder.

Is it ideal? Probably not, but it could be an option the manager considers if he thinks that is what is best.

7.) 17 Jul 2022
17 Jul 2022 15:00:21
I don’t understand the de Jong situation. It seems that he is owed money from Barcelona and is holding out for this money. Yet he is linked with other clubs. So, is the money owed the real issue? If he is interested in a move to any other club other than United, who picks up the tab?

8.) 17 Jul 2022
17 Jul 2022 15:15:36
I think we should spend the whole summer chasing FdJ then buy Fellani last day of window.

9.) 17 Jul 2022
17 Jul 2022 15:29:58
Shappy, the manager who signed him played him as a CB. I would assume that's where he bought him to play but as you said, maybe he has his eye on his versatility.

Ed14, the lad has not changed his stance since the start of this fiasco. I was giving the club and Ten Hag the benefit of the doubt chasing him as Ten Hag has supposedly being talking to De Jong so maybe there was a hint of him joining.

Whatever happens though I'm not happy the club tried to sign him. Where it will become an even bigger fiasco is if we sit by the phone hoping Frenkie says yes. Just move on and get the next choice in.

{Ed014's Note - agree mate, there are defo others out there.

10.) 17 Jul 2022
17 Jul 2022 16:28:52
I think every single United fan can see that we need a midfielder who sits and controls the centre of the park and likes a tackle (Bryan Robson please) . It’s no good playing someone there who ‘used’ to play there or who Google says made ‘x’ amount of appearances in midfield in 2015 (! )

We need a midfielder. A good one. I’d love it to be FDJ, but he loves Barcelona and wants to stay. Fair one. So it’s time to move on to Eric’s second choice, I’m sure him and his team have a dossier on players of all positions. Whether they are available is up to Laurel and Hardy (aka Arnold and Murtough) to sort out.

Formation wise……who knows just yet. Maybe we are going to go three at the back. I’d worry about conceding with Maguire in a back 8 to be honest. We are heavy at the back now with Martinez so hopefully we can get some out of the door as the overall quality isn’t great.

11.) 17 Jul 2022
17 Jul 2022 17:47:01
Mumbles, I fully expect Martinez to play 95% of his minutes for the club at CB.

Yet he does have the versatility to play at both CDM and LB.

I'm not saying he will play CDM, just that he is an option in those first few games if the club haven't been able to sign their first choice midfielder by then.

12.) 17 Jul 2022
17 Jul 2022 23:12:15
On the one hand you could think fdj must have gave us some encouragement for us to still chase him at this point, and in reality you could realise were wasting time on him. Drop it and move on, neves although not world class will provide improvement. As will many others.