Manchester United Banter Archive June 12 2012

12 Jun 2012 23:47:24
it seems clyne is expected to sign but it seems to off gone a bit quiet.
if his out of contract and wanting to sign for us I would of thought we could of tied up a deal quickly before anyone else turned his head.
Could it be that we are no longer interested, do the edds or anyone else know
jred

Or he has already agreed to join in principle but the club have more important matters to deal with first? Perhaps now they will seal the move? I guess we will know soon enough mate. I would prefer to get this Modric deal tied up first mind.

Sydney!

What Modric deal? The one in The S*n? It may be hard to 'tie up' a deal which probably hasn't even been discussed yet?

T0MB0Z

When Ed002 says there is a very good chance Modric will be joining Manchester United, I take that as a sign that talks are taking place. He doesn't comment on speculation.

Sydney! {Ed007's Note - He?}

The Modric deal which will probably take till deadline day, with Levy extracting every penny he can. I expect 25m-28m will seal the deal now Levy knows Modric has no interest in PSG.

Harold!

I'm not denying there's an interest. SAF has been an admirer of Modric for some time so it stands to reason that we'd be in for him - especially given that he tried to force a move away last summer, Spurs are once again not in the Champions League and Redknapp's future at the club is in question.

I just think we're getting a little ahead of ourselves based entirely on a bogus article in The S*n.

T0MB0Z

It's not entirely based on the Sun story, like I said Ed002 has said there is a very good chance a deal can be struck for Modric.

Sydney!

There's a significant difference between 'a very good chance a deal can be struck' and waiting for the deal to be finalised though.

T0MB0Z

Ed002 is a girl Syd, should know that by now! I think we are in for Modric, Fergie is a fan and he would fit in perfectly.

GDS

I would like use to sign modric but i have a feeling fergy is going to put his trust in clevs.
jred

The editor wouldn't say there is a very good chance that we will sign Modric if talks were not taking place between Spurs and United. With talks taking place I hope a deal can be wrapped up for the little Croat. I fail to see what was wrong with my original comment.

Sydney!

I think we may well be interested in Modric, but that doesnt mean we are going to sign him. If i recall, we were also in for Sneijder, Nasri, Hazard, Benzema, Ozil.....etc and nothing materialised.
Just out of curriosity, are chelsea still after Modric? Didnt Modric say he prefers chelsea, as he wants to remain in London? Things could get very interesting if chelsea rejoin the race.

Millz
P.s I dont mean to be cynical, i just think people are jumping the gun with luka.

Jred, we are short on midfielders so will need to buy a couple this summer. Anderson looks like he is moving on, Fletcher is sadly unlikely to return, Pogba will leave and Scholes still needs replacing. The manager has always said that if he was to make signings they would have to be equally as good, better than what he has already got or they will have the potential to be better than what we have already got. He will not buy players who will not improve the team's quality.

When you say you expect the manager to put his trust in Clevs, do you mean you think the manager will pull out of the Spurs talks or that United are not even having talks in regards to Modric?

Sydney!

Your original suggestion implied that a deal was already on the verge of being completed...

T0MB0Z

I'm not really sure syd if you read and believe the papers etc you would have to think we are in for modric.

But when you look at it from fergys point of view i think he rates modric but i also think he rates clevs, i think carrick kagawa will both start, if we pay 30 mill for modric he will start to so were does that leave clevs.
I feel fergy has a long term plan for clevs he said last year he was going to give him a chance and did until he got injured.
I know its a squad game but how many chances would clevs get if we bought modric?
would fergy spend 30mill on modric if he believes clevs could be as good.

i like modric and rate him would like us to sign him but im not sure fergy is going to.
jred

TOMB0Z has got it in for you today Sydney! - what have you done mate?

Joe

No it never, with negotiations taking place I merely hoped we would get the Mods deal tied up (completed). I never suggested for one moment it was a formality, hence the reason I made it my priority over Clyne.

Sydney!

Syd - 'I would prefer to get this Modric deal tied up first mind.' - to me that suggests that a deal is in place and just needs to be finalised. Perhaps that's not how you meant it - but that's how it reads.

Joe- I haven't 'got it in for' Sydney! I actually really rate him when it comes to our youth set up and the way we play - I'm just questioning his tenancy to suggest that we're targeting/on the verge of signing certain players when there's little evidence other than paper talk to suggest so.

T0MB0Z

Jred, I think Clevs would get plenty of games even with Mods in the team. We are weak in midfield and we are low on numbers, certainly will be if we do not buy for the midfield. Who is definitely going to be available for midfield next season? Cleverley, Scholes, Carrick & Giggs. There is room for two central midfielders and I for one would want better then what we have already got. The manager never thought about Clevs last season when Nasri and then Sneijder were on the cards, cannot see Clevs preventing us from boosting our midfield with talent, I would be very concerned if we never bought two decent central midfielders this summer. Just hope Spurs aren't too difficult, but we both know they will be ;)

Sydney!

Fair play T0MB0Z, what I meant was before we deal with Clyne I would want the club's negotiators to put all their focus on striking a deal with Spurs over Modric. I understand that it's just talks taking place and I have not taken it for granted that he will sign, however I do think we will get this one sorted, but that's just opinion.

Sydney!

T0MB0Z,

I didn't know Sydney played for the United youth team, I will keep an eye out if you say you rate him ;)

I think you misread what he said and have made a big discussion out of it. He wants us to get the Modric deal tied up because it is important, he never once stated there was a deal in place and has kept saying the same since and you keep arguing your point!

GDS

I'm just messing around with you T0MB0Z - I realise you don't have it in for Sydney!

I do though, he's awful!

Joe

Syd
I think nasri and sneijdrr would both of played a dif position than clevs
Jred

12 Jun 2012 23:03:42
In:
Kagawa
Powell
Willems
Modric/Strootman/M'Villa
Lewendowski

Out:
Owen
Berbatov
Anderson
Park
Macheda
Kuzachak

My Dream!

Whale

Kagawa
Powell
Clyne
Willems
Strootman
Modric
Henriquez

Sydney! {Ed004's Note - Would prefer M'Villa. He is brilliant for Rennes playing in a more box to box role. He is also a Manutd fan apparently then that would be the perfect summer for me. Maybe Izaguirre for Willems but either would do}

Nah mate, that is who I believe we will bring in.

Sydney!

Dream:
kawaga
powell
marchisio
martinez
schmelzer
kyriakos papadopoulos

probable:
kagawa
powell
modric
henriquez
baines

Realistic dream:
Ins:
Modric - £25m
M'Vila - £22m
Kagawa - £12m
Muniain - £18m
Del Piero - Free

Outs:
Berbatov - £8m
Anderson - £12m
Nani - £25m

Nani/Munian depending on whether Nani seems likely to sign a new deal. I don't think Munian would really be a step up atm - but think that in 2 years time Munian will be capable of playing Nani off the pitch!

Probable:
Kagawa
Baines
Powell
Henriquez
Tiote

T0MB0Z

T0MB0Z, "Probable"

What's probable about Tiote joining? Where did you hear that one? Newspaper ;)

Sydney!

Syd- SAF's come out and said that he admires the player on a few occasions, Tiote is young and has EPL experience (which seems a common factor in a lot of our signings as of late) and I only see us signing 1 more CM player - in which case Tiote makes the most sense.

T0MB0Z

So you are criticising me about Modric, yet it's okay for you to do the same regarding Tiote? I have never heard SAF say he admires Tiote once, even if he had how does it make him signing for us "probable"?

Sydney!

Syd - I'm not telling people we ARE waiting to wrap up deals that are supposedly already in place - rather that I THINK the signing is probable. There's quite a big difference.

Why do I think it's probable? Based on our spending over the past few years I can't see us committing to the £30mish that it would cost to get Modric whilst teams like Chelski, PSG and Man City might. Again, based on our spending, I only see us signing one more £15m+ player and Tiote, from the players I've heard SAF praise in the past who we've been linked with, seems the most likely (based on both price and ability).

T0MB0Z

I would be happy if signed:
-Kagwa
-Powell
-Munain
-Cabaye
-Willems

__________Gea
Rafa___Smalling__Vidic___Willems
_______Cabaye__Cleverly
____Nani___Kagwa___Munain
___________Rooney

Millz {Ed004's Note - Would be an awesome team but I think you would have to play Carrick alongside Cabaye to offer more defensively}

Ed004

I think cabaye is alot more defensive than carrick. Carrick usually sits deep and rarely goes foward but i think Cabaye and cleverly can take turns going foward.

Millz {Ed004's Note - Cabaye needs someone like Tiote to do the defending for him... That is why I would replace Cleverley with Carrick}

Would this be the same Cabaye who made more tackles.than any other midfielder.in the league last season. I think he plays better when he has someone who does their fair share of the defensive work but I don't think an out and out DM is needed as Cabaye is very good defensively.

Shappy {Ed004's Note - I still think he needs someone who is still better defensively beside him}

12 Jun 2012 22:30:47
Berbatov and Hernandez had over 40 goals between them the season before last but last season neither could get a place in the first team because of Danny Welbeck. He was chosen ahead of them not by any manager but possibly the best manager in english football history. Rooney has praised him as has Shearer, he was picked for his country in the toughest looking game in our group at a major competition and held his own and was probably our man of the match against a team that has a real chance of winning the euro's and is nubeaten in over 20 games. And he's only 21, so what is with all the talk about Welbeck not being good enough? Sir Alex thinks he is, and Roy Hodgeson does too. He is only 21 and will improve. For me he was one of the highlights of the season.

I some times struggle to understand some fans. Everyone says they wanna see good young player make it at our club. Then when a lad come through who has an excellent chance they say things like we need proven players not youngster. I think Sir Alex was right about the cows in a field, it seems people only want to see youngsters we've paid money for and not ones from our academy. I remember when Fletcher was a youngster coming through and everyone moaned and said he wasn't good enough and now the same people moan that we didn't win cups or titles because he was either suspended or injured.

Welbeck is fast with good technique, he has good vision and his passing is excellent. Yes his shooting isn't great yet but every 21yo footballer has aspects of their game they need to work on. People need to look at what he brings to the team, would Rooney have scored as many last season had Welbeck not made the space for him? Would we have conceded more goals if Welbeck wasn't holding the ball up well taking pressure off our injury ravaged defence? Welbeck was just as key as Cleverley was to that beautiful free flowing football we played until Cleverley got injured. We couldn't have played like that with Berbatov slowing play up or Hernandez losing the ball in the build up.

I think some people need to loom at what he brings to the team. I am a big fan of Lewandowski as I watch alot of Bundesliga and I follow Dortmund and watch their games every week. But based on the performances i've watched at the euro's so far i'd pay more for Welbeck then I would for Lewandowski. And thats without my rose tinted spec on.

Shappy

You are not wrong shappy, I have just done a simular post about how our fans are too quick to jump on players backs, even though they are doing well or are our first choice picked by Fergie.

1redarmy

I think Welbeck was our most improved player last season.....BUT

Could we rely on him to create something out of nothing as Rooney, Berbatov and Hernandez have done in the past?

Also, his footwork and close ball control was at times woeful last season, I lost count of the number of 1 on 1 opportunities he fluffed by losing control of the ball or getting it stuck under his feet.

I look at other young players and just think he is still way behind what would be accepted as real top quality.

At 21 Owen was phenomenal, could create and score goals. Ronaldo was the same, Rooney was 10 times the player Welbeck is at 21.

I just don't see him being all that Ferguson and Hodgeson have built him up to be.

Excellent post, I have long said that its very unlikely that a first team striker will be signed. Henriquez will be the one I feel.

The next player we will sign will be a central midfielder, for me Modric and Cabaye are the first choice. If we one then we will do well.

Lastly I'm desperate for a decent left back, I don't think I can deal with Evra playing anymore. We won't improve defensively at all.

RedDevil19

I'm backing Wellbeck to be a beast by the age of 23/24 when he has matured, improved his finishing and gained that added bit of compusure (which he's already bot a bit of tbf). HOWEVER, would I back him to play a big part in us winning the PL or CL next season? Or to single handedly take us there if say Rooney gets injured? That's the bit I'm not sure about....

So, do we 1) gamble on Wellbeck now to play 40 games next season and to be an instant success OR 2) do we get in a more experienced striker to add quality in the meantime, someone who Wellbeck can learn from but will still allow him to get at least 20+ games and be blooded in more gradually? THAT is the (particularly long) question....

Of course if the plan is to play most of next season with a 4231 formation this argument becomes pointless as 3 strikers and Kagawa is probably enough

Gav

Gav
thats the point i was trying to make
jred

Welbeck will be no better than Zamora or bent IMO

Pardoe

Shappy
could berb and chica not get in the squad because of welbeck or because both players have struggled for form this season.
If chica had continued his form of the previous season would welbeck of been first choice.
As for england he deserved to start yesterday but that may tell you something about england strikers

at the moment welbeck looks a good prospect but is he good enough to be first choice striker for united?
which i think may of been the point edd was trying to make before.
would he be good enough for madrid starting 11 or barce, munich,city.
i think he is a good prospect but not ready to be our first choice striker maybe in a couple of years.
jred

Pardoe I think that is a silly comment, neither Bent or Zamora would get a place in uniteds squad let alone team which Welbeck is doing so by the judgement of Sir Alex.

I don't get this arguement if Rooney gets injured could he step up, how many players in the whole.world could do for us what Rooney does? And how many of them will happily sit on our bench wait for Rooney to get injured?

The plan is to play a more free flowing football next season with goals being scored by everyone and not just the strikers, thus the signing of Kagawa. So if Rooney gets injured next season we'll do what we always have done and made do. Unless Benzema is happy to sit around waiting until Rooney gets injured.

Shappy

{Ed007's Note - Was it this you forgot to tag Shappy?}

Pardoe,

He is already better than both of them in many aspects of his game, silly comment.

Agree fully with Shappy, couldn't have put it better myself (mainly because I don't have time to write a novel), he will improve even more over the next 2-3 years and we could have a complete striker on our hands for free.

I love a good young player coming through the academy and making a name for himself, he has been improving every year and is still getting better all the time.

I am looking forward to seeing him improve in United's first team and change the mind of people who do not see how good he really is.

Ah maybe I did have time for a novel!

GDS

My point is Shappy if Welbeck played for any other team would we buy him?

Pardoe {Ed007's Note - That's what I said last night to cause all this lol.}

Yeah it was cheers bond mate.

Jred mate Welbeck was starting all the games at the start of the season, which means he was first choice before Berbatov or Hernandez had a chance to show they weren't in great form. Also I think we'll be playing mostly with one striker next season which means Welbeck will be second choice behind Rooney. There really is no point making him third choice unless we can get someone who is the complete striker who is in their prime. Were being linked to Lewandowski who has just as.much growing to do as Welbeck, so I see no point signing someone like this. It woule have to be someone very young with world class potential or someone in their prime. Why waste money signing someone we probably won't need rather than sign the players we do need.

Shappy

Lewandowski in no way is step up from our 1st choice Welbeck as ST. Fans must also admit the fact that presence of Kagawa will make him look more better striker next season.

Shaun

Pardoe, that is an almost impossible question to answer as there would be so many variables. But if he was playing somewhere else then yes I would expect us to be interested in signing him as we have signed other strikers who have shown less in lesser leagues before. 7m on Hernandez for example who had hardly set the mexican league on fire when we signed him.

Shappy

We lost the league on Goal difference.........so really playing Welbeck so much over Hernandez for example probably cost us the title. But at least it ensured he played for England this summer?.

Shappy
i might be wrong on this but was chica not rested at the start of the season due to playing for mexico and then got injured or some thing like that
jred

No name,

Welbeck lost us the title, are you kidding me?

GDS

Jred I think Hernandez was injured at the start of the season but the fact thqt he couldn't dislodge Welbeck on his return to fitness shows that Welbeck was earning his place in the team. The fact remains that Sir Alex felt Welbeck was more deserving of a place.in the first team than two players who had 20 goals apiece the season before. I dare say Sir Alex knows a.good footballer when he sees one. Its not like the Evra situation where we had no one else to.play in that position, we had two proven goalscorers.who were being kept.out of the team by this young lad.

No name, to state Welbeck cost us the league shows the extent of your football knowledge. You've completely discounted the chances.Welbeck has created other players either by directly assistiny or by creating the space or being involved in the build up.

Shappy

I see people got off the "lets hate nani" bandwagon just to get on the " lets hate welbeck" bandwagon.....nice.
Even a blind person can see that welbeck is better than chicarito.
I watched lewandoski in atleast 15 games last season and i have seen plenty of welbeck. I would say they are simillar players and are at the same level. The only difference is that welbeck tracks back abit more and is proven in the epl.
If we are to bring in a striker, it needs to be someone of cavani, falcao, Higuain, RVP quality. But if we are going to be playing rooney up top with kagwa behind him, I dont see a striker of that quality coming in just to sit on the bench.
So basically, Welbecks fits the bill perfectly.

Millz

12 Jun 2012 22:22:48
Can someone remind me of the name of the young (under 16/17?) Striker we were supposed to be signing from Crystal Palace, at least according to a few rumours that were circulating?

I'm not confusing this with the rumoured Clyne move, I'm sure we were linked to a really young striker from them but can't for the life of me remember the name.

Can anyone confirm that we are actually after this lad (or am I just imagining it!).

Cheers.

Red Rob

Could well be wilfred Zahar but we havent been linked with him I don't think, well my sources haven't told me anything about him so..... Hope thos helped sorry for my limited knowledge on this matter

Coombesy

Sure we're not talking about Jonathan Williams? He's a CM but he is around that age (18 now I think) and we've been linked with him this year. Big future supposedly..

Joe

Thanks guys but it certainly wasn't Zaha nor was it Jonathan Williams - the lad I'm thinking of is part of their Academy and as far as I know hasn't made a senior appearance for them (although I may be wrong on that).

Anyone else know owt on this?

Red Rob

12 Jun 2012 22:07:33
Good to see united getting a couple of deals in early. Just too more players left to get, a midfielder and a left back. Wouldnt like to see modric come in because he's over priced and though he's a very good player he's also getting on in years and not the sort of midfielder I would like to see, would prefer strootman. I wouldnt like to see baines come in as he is not man united quality and he too is getting on in years, would prefer alba/willems. Comments?

I am 26, I was under the impression I was quite young, but thanks for suggesting I am 'getting on in years'!

Can I ask you something? How many times have you seen Strootman play? If so, where does he play, what qualities does he have that make him better than Modric? I do not know much about him thats all and many on here suggest he is nothing like Modric so would hardly be instead of him?

GDS

Some people make me laugh .we dont need young players we need players that can come in and do a job now. and as for modric at 26 gettin on in years,that is laughable.

imagine u had been manager 10 years ago scholes would have been sold for being too old instead of playing some of his best football for the past ten years

Ralph

12 Jun 2012 22:01:27
After watching Poland v Russia tonight it's clear that Lewandowski is brave, hard working and highly talented. Playing alongside Rooney he could be sensational.

It was also clear from that game that Arshavin has massive quality, small centre of gravity and is very fast, should we sign him too?

GDS

12 Jun 2012 21:58:22
alri lads just wondering on our probable last cmf buy this summer, heavily linked with modric but i think there are cheaper maybe potentially better alternatives. forget about ball winner type player for now.. just talkin about modric type, linking the def and attack.. my 1st choice wud be marchisio think hes brilliant and wud only cost 20mil maybe 22 mil max, my 2nd choice wud be cabaye great passer wud only play better at united with better players. who wud be ur modric type player? funny question but cnt answer modric...

12 Jun 2012 21:50:44
Happy with the Powell signing and I hope we get Modric after the Euros. I believe that any rumours involving players from the Euros should be ignored since when have you seen us sign a player during a tournament?

Also I have heard that Asamoah has said he would prefer a move to the prem and I personally believe we need someone like him. If we play a 4-2-3-1 (attack-minded formation) like we did in 08 I feel that we need someone to do the ugly side of the game. Depending on what I just said this is the team I feel we'll field next season;

De gea

Rafael-Evans-Vidic-Evra

Modric- Asamoah

Valencia-Kagawa-Young

Rooney

I feel that Evra has got one more year left in him as I don't think we'll get baines but I'm not really bothered either way. I also feel that kagawa could be played on the left with Rooney behind Welbeck/Hernandez.

I feel that Carrick has earned is place in the starting XI, but since it is a squad game, I'd like to see Carrick and Asamoah rotate, along with Scholes and Modric rotating, and Kagawa and Cleverley. That leaves us with two deep lying play makers, two attacking mids, and two mids with defensive duties. Also, that gives us so many options in the midfield. maybe something like this 4-3-3 would allow us to have a ridiculous amount of possession

----------De Gea----------
-Rafa-Smalls--Vidic-Evra-
------Carrick--Scholes-----
-----------Modric------------
-Tony----Rooney----Kagawa-

with Nani and Young as very viable options as well. I agree that we do need some steel in the midfield, but I think we can use Barca as a case study, as they do not have this so called 'steel'. They retain so much possession that there is no need to have stronger players on the pitch.

Sparty On

12 Jun 2012 21:47:16
does this nick powell deal mean that ross barkley is definetly no longer an interest. i know that the interest and gossip has cooled considerably since probably last summer, but i always kind of hoped that fergie was just leaving barkley at everton for another few seasons to get as much experience as possible before interest really increases. just imagine a midfield with powell and barkley in it, maybe with a holding midfielder. their
creativity, athleticism, work-ethic (not so much powell) and general quality could be incredible and the future of the england team too. the mouth waters at the prospects. as i write this, i want this to happen more and more, and hope that fergie is still interested in barkley

mitch

Barkey plays in midfield where as Powell plays in the space between midfield and the forwards. I think a midfield three of Tunnicliffe Barkey and Powell would be awesome in a few years and all english too.

Shappy

I hope it's Barkley that we want and not Baines.

Sydney!

12 Jun 2012 21:37:27
I think people should rethink when comparing a player to scholes, or saying 'he' is scholes' replacement.

Could end up like the Keane references and we still have n0t replaced him. (according to all british sports journalists)

We will never be able to replace Scholes, we need to appreciate him whilst he still plays and change and adapt when he retires (again).

In my opinion the changes are already coming into place SAF knows what he is doing.

|Cban

I don't think necessarily that's true, we tried to replace Keane with Hargreaves but that never worked out because of his injury problems. But I do agree with you in that changes are coming in the way that we play.

CnM

It is not 'replacing Scholes' it is replacing the player who starts off the attacks, who turns defence into attack and who retains possession. We need somebody like that and Scholes is not going to be around forever. Modric would be perfect for that role.

GDS

Exactly he'd be directly taking Scholes' role in the team as GDS says, that's not to say he will go on to emulate his career or anything

Gav

12 Jun 2012 20:58:47
Why not try attempt to sign Thomas muller from bayern he is outstanding young strong good passer just look at him when he play in world cup and now euro I think he will fit in our style of play I would prefer him over modric any day


Comment?

How does this comment sound ?, MOTD Syndrome

BennyBlanco

Müller can take a good corner.
NWDA

Dont think it's MOTD fever. He was awesome at the world cup and was a name on everyone's lips. He's backing that up by having another good tournament...

So consistently good, outstanding young player, so of course it's an overreaction, behave.

Outstanding player, but I don't really see him as a midfielder more a second striker or playing out wide cutting in. Apparently he's not sure to stay at bayern.

Would lock myself in the toilets for 5 mins everyday for a month if we got I'm.

RedBear

12 Jun 2012 20:24:00
Anyone have Dzagoev in their dream team? He's turned out to be a good buy and cheap too!

Gav

Me!

Harry Sims ;)

Yeah I have, I'm currently top I think :P
SqueakyBum

12 Jun 2012 20:12:27
YES! Lets get the Cabaye wagon rolling.

I have watched a big amount of him this season with my cousin and 2 workmates all big Newcastle fans. I seen him live once aswell when on a stag do in Newcastle which prompted me to post a while back about him as an option, for which I was widely critisized about.

But I genuinely see allot of the Scholes like game in him. He can do offensive work just as good as graft and defensive duties which gives the all round package.

With few teams likely interested we could get a gem of a player with 6-7 years of his prime in front of him for a decent fee in todays market. Added to the fact we need that area reinforced he should be one of the (1st imo) options we are looking at.

Very similar to how Juve ended up with Vidal for peanuts and no competition.

Jono

I think he's a great player and very under rated. Statisticly last season he had a belter, in the top ten midfielders for pass completion and made most tackles, scored and assisted more than Modric too;-) lol. He has everything. He'd be my first choice with Joao Moutinho second and Nuri Sahin third. Lets hope we see him in the famous red shirt next season.

Shappy

12 Jun 2012 19:50:07
Rumour is Harry Redknapp has left Spurs. No details if he's left or has been sacked, could this be Spurs are selling players without his blessing

Nope it isn't ..Harry had this to say about those rumours ---"No, I haven't resigned, and I have no idea why it is being suggested that I have resigned.

"This is an outrage; an absolute liberty for people to be putting around this kind of rumour on the internet. It is not true, there is not a chance I will resign. Why should I? I have a year left on my contract."

BennyBlanco

12 Jun 2012 19:37:11
scholes, giggs, carrick, nani, young, nani, cleverly, powell, kagawa
and ofcourse since its the last season for scholes and giggs they might serve as mentors only ............... so that leaves space for one more midfielder to come in
strootman or modric could be the possibilities
and if nani also departs a winger might also come in

If one Nani departs we've still got the other one ;)

DodgyBanter

Dodgy,

Brilliant response, didn't even notice, took me a minute. Made me laugh.

GDS

12 Jun 2012 19:28:20
www.101greatgoals.com/gvideos/new-manchester-united-signing-nick-powells-goals-crewe-20112012/

Check out his goals.

Sydney!

Man can he strike a ball! I know some of those are against non-prem goalies, but some of those were going in regardless of who was in net!

Pistol

Cheers Syd, good video he don't half like a shot does he!

It's led me to think could this be our strongest XI in 2 years time?

___________DDG__________
Rafael__Smalling_Jones__Fabio?
_______Modric_Tunners_____
Nani______Powell_____Kagawa
_________Rooney_________

Now that would be tasty! :)

Gav

p.s. the lineup is just a bit of fun to see what kind of exciting starting XI we COULD see, so no need to to moan about Wellbeck not being in there as I'm sure a lot will change in 2 years!

12 Jun 2012 18:26:15
What's peoples opinions on Gebre Selassie

Something wrong with my mobile site Eds? Can't see Bond's cutting comment about MOTD fever?

DodgyBanter {Ed007's Note - I never said anything on this thread DB? Sorry mate.}

Have to say I have been very impressed by him. We could do far worse, he looks like a prospect however after watching France yesterday if we sign a RB i'd certainly hope it would be Mathieu Debuchy!

Rosco.

Athletic quick strong good on both defending and going forward good be available at a good price

Sorry Ed, that was sarcasm... I'll try to be a bit less sharp next time ;)

LOL!

DodgyBanter {Ed007's Note - :-)

12 Jun 2012 17:58:15
i think cheilenni , lewandoski and stootman would be great summer signings !!
boxley

12 Jun 2012 17:02:20
since the day, samuda's words have been translated in whatever way! i was trying to find the truth behind it. difficult as most ppl are on annual holiday. united have left open inquiry for Lewandowski. but lots of people may be doesnt kno that Barrios have left BVB. so for now they only have Lewandowski as out n out st. they r pushing for Bendner but to replace barrios. BVB is not will to sell him this season. so our inquiry is knocked back, suppose to be for around of 18m. SAF is not planning to push for it.
rodio17

12 Jun 2012 16:58:10
Not really banter, just a footballing idea... but I think when players are sent on loan to certain clubs, you should be allowed to put a clause in the contract stipulating that the player on loan must get a certain amount of playing time. i think if the parent club paid a certain amount of money (depending on player) that this could be achieved. smaller clubs would love taking players on loan and playing them especially if they are making a bit of money from it. {Ed002's Note - It happens already.}

There goes my dragons den idea

12 Jun 2012 16:19:20
Halesini

I think he could get into the Barcelona squad, I rate him about as highly as Tello or slightly higher, who's a similar player. I actually believe Welbeck has a better football brain than Tello. Welbeck can pass, shoot, dribble and the best thing about him is that he knows when to do it.

Percy

12 Jun 2012 14:52:05
Jono (Modric issue),

Only just saw your post from yesterday.

I agree if signing Modric means we have no funds for anybody else then it may not be a good deal. I am not suggesting we spend 35 million on him as I do not think any player is worth that (even though that seems to be what you may need to pay these days). I have said if we can get him for 25 million + extra for trophies etc then for me that would be a fantastic deal.

I think he is the closest thing to Scholes I have seen in the Premier league, his passing is fantastic and he moves the ball quickly, which is what we are trying to do and how we can massively improve. If we have any 3 of Valencia, Nani, Kagawa, Young, Welbeck and Rooney ahead of him and another midfielder next to Modric, even if it is Carrick or Cleverley, the pace we would break with would scare any team and would make us so exciting to watch.

We do need a left back certainly and if signing Modric means we have no funds for a left back then maybe buy a cheaper option, but as far as I am aware this is not the case and we will be able to spend money on both.

I am more wary of spending 20 million on Baines, as even though he is a good player, I think there is better out there for cheaper that could give the extra cash to buy another midfielder.

I have been of the opinion since before the summer we will sign 5 players, LB, CM, AM + 2 young players. The AM is signed (Kagawa) and rumours are one of the young players (Powell) is on his way. So I expect 3 more to come in and Berbatov, Park and Anderson to leave.

GDS

12 Jun 2012 12:04:36
When Cabaye was mentioned yesterday I stated that he was a very good midfielder but I always felt that something was missing and I couldn't tell what. Well the more I thought about it the more it frustrated me as I still couldn't work out what it was. So I spent some time last night and all morning going over games he's played in to see if I can see what it is. And what i've discovered is that this thing must be a figment of my imgaination, the more I watched him closely the more it seemed to dawn on me how perfect he'd be for us, and how great a partnership he could have with Carrick in the middle.

He has fantastic energy and movement, always running and finding space, his vision is superb. He sees passes that others just wouldn't see and his brilliant passing skills means he is able to pull these passes off with ease. His vision and reading of the game mean he is able to do his defensive work and make important interception and he loves to tackle. He also has a very good shot on him and has supreme ability at set pieces. In short he is the complete midfielder, he works hard, he tackles well, makes key interceptions, has fantastic passing ability and the vision to create and score goals. My only initial concern was his age, at 26. But with some thought I realised that he is at the perfect age as he has experiance but plenty of miles left on the clock which is exactly what we need when you look at the ages of our midfielders it becomes.clear we have a few over 30 and the rest are under 24 so someone in their prime years is what we need.

I think a base of Carrick and Cabaye would allow players like Rooney, Nani, Valencia, Young, Kagawa, Welbeck and Hernandez the freedom to attack and also supply them with the ball to do so.

So Jono it seems I have been won over and again it looks like we both want the same player to join, lets hope this summer has a happier ending to last.

Shappy

AND M'Vila to play instead of Carrick and then we are laughing.....

So many players so few to buy. The list of mids we could buy is endless, the list of ones we could realistically get is shorter and the ones we will get is even shorter...

I want modric and M'villa but if not them two, cabaye and Strootman will do!

1redarmy

Yeah he's very impressive, ticks all the boxes. I like the fact he's got a bit of bite to him, would be a good addition. I think Newcastle would want 15-20m.


Parks

If i were to sign as asked earlier it would be Sahin/Witsel and Cabaye and sell Anderson and we will be fine..!

Shaun

Shappy,

I know exactly what is missing......

Months of dodgy rumours of us signing him and the media bandwagon claiming him to be the Messiah.

He justs gets on with the job without drama and i really like that in him.

He's not a marquee signing which is probabley something else that is missing.

He would be a deflated feeling transfer that would be untold fruition of the team.

People would be down beat by news of his signing but he would shine like a new penny!

Monk

I don't see the point in signing M'Vila as we have Tunnicliffe who is a very similar player at a similar age, all be it abit further behind in his developement. Sir Alex has said he won't be signing a DM and that he feels playing with an out and out DM is out dated. Further if you look at the squads Sir Alex has built he likes to have four or five midfielders each with different qualities so signing a player similar to what we have isn't likely to happen.

I don't tend to get pulled into the media hype and tend to look for what I feel we need rather than rely on the unreliable press for info. I just think I haven't paid enough attention to him over the last season, probably to busy looking for talented players in other leagues and missed what was right under my nose. Lol. Thats the way it goes sometimes.

Shappy

Tunnicliffe is going to be an animal. I think he won't be ready for 6 months to a year, but even then, he'll only be 19-20 years old. Let's hope he gets taken on tour pre season, see what he can do at senior level.

Percy

Good to see a couple of posters join the Tunnicliffe bandwagon! He is going to be a top player for us imo. Its surprising that so many want us to add steel to the midfield and yet never mention Tunnicliffe.

REDFAITH

Just heard tunnicliffe has been linked to six month loan deal at hull city i know hes been loaned out to championship sides last season but if hes not going to get much game time six months loan could suit both parties hull have good reputation for looking after loan players especialy utds
d edwards

To be fair, I've been banging on about Modric for ages (wanted us to sign him 2 years ago not just jumping on the bandwagon, lol) as I think he'd fit right in and improve us from day one. And I still want him deep down

But I must say Cabaye would appear to have a few advantages over Modric including being cheaper and better defensively. Between Carrick & Cabaye we'd be solid defensively and really effective at getting the ball to our forwards. I still think Modric controls the tempo of games more effectively but with Cabaye, not only would we save say £10m on transfer fee but there'd also be less of a need to buy a defensive minded CM. (And I do realise he's not a DM but he does have more 'bite' and likes a tackle as Shappy stated)

Hmmmm, food for thought I guess

Gav

12 Jun 2012 11:53:07
Having watched both Sneijder and Modric a lot recently, there is some thing I cannot understand. Modric will be 27 at the start of the season and is a very good player, Sneijder is 27 now and is world class. Modric will probably cost 30m +, Sniejder will cost 22m+, his wages would be higher but 8m would pay a lot of wages. Buy Sneijder !

You have watched them a lot, but feel that they should be compared in this way?

They are totally different players. It is about buying what you need, we have signed Kagawa in Sneijders position, we only have Scholes who plays like Modric, so we need to replace him.

Sneijder held us to ransom last year and Fergie pulled the plug on a deal, I think the signing of Kagawa stops any chance of signing Sneijder.

Getting bored of people comparing these two different players, it is like comparing Scholes and Keane in their prime and saying Keane doesn't score enough so he would be useless.

Also changing players ages so they suit your argument is silly. Modric = 26, Sneijder = 28.

GDS

They are not the same player, I take it by you have watched them play alot recently means the two euro games?

Sneijder is world class but didnt really have a stand out season last season hence the reason he is cheaper than Modric, also he plays a lot higher up the field than Modric.

Sneijder would be a lot closer to Rooney than Carrick where as Modric would fit in nicely next to Carrick allowing the amazing Kagawa to work his magic.

Research before posting mate.
Leave a name too!

1redarmy

Why not buy Hummels or Lewandowski instead? The reason why Modric would be prefered over Sneijder is because Modric is a midfielder who can play either deep or high up the pitch, he is also proven in the prem, Sneijder is world class when playing off the striker which is where Rooney or Kagawa like to play, as a deeper midfielder he is just a good player but not world class. He would cost alot more and he priced himself out of a move to us last year which I think shows that money is the only thing on his mind at this stage of his career. So quite simply Sneijder plays his best football in a role we don't need any strengthening in, where as Modric plays in a position we do need to strengthen.

Shappy

Sneijder just turned 28 and Modric isn't even 27. Sneijder is constantly injured and does no work in defence. They also play different positions, Sneijder plays Kagawa's position who I believe is the better player.

Percy

I see this sneijder for 22 million business is this a fact or is it peoples opinions.

Discountdave

12 Jun 2012 11:07:09
Ed! Your thoughts on Daniel de rossi!

Doesn't he fit into DMF role that we are craving for?

Victor J.

12 Jun 2012 10:04:07
Exactly how many years do we have to wait for another Champions League Cup or a real Manchester United Team whom we would BOSS around like good old days?

**RedPoltergeist**

Ermm why?

We don't have a crystal ball.

GDS

Dont worry my son, I have just split a fortune cookie and next year we gonna win it! and the next and the next and the next we are going have billions by our very own quataries! Benzema! Messi! Cristiano will return! pre contract agreements in place and we having a name change Real Manchester so no worries me old china you can get your very own benzema shirt plum coloured just for you. Aint that shweet?

Crimson Kujo

You realise there was 9 years between our last two European Cups?

M.D.

Why, are you not going to stick around for the years we dont?

1redarmy

12 Jun 2012 00:20:15
if welbeck wasnt a man united player you wouldnt be sticking up for them.
both teams and players were average tonight
jred {Ed007's Note - JRED I am in total agreement with you, Welbeck is very average. If he wasn't a Utd player would he be on many people's wish-lists? I have this 'fight' with Ed004 on a regular basis, then he tells you his best team for next season and Welbeck isn't on it!}

Welbeck is vastly underrated by our fans. He's technically brilliant, big, strong, fast and has good decision making all of that with a superhuman work-ethic. He is going to be an absolute star. He would be very high up on my wish-list.

Percy

007 I thought you had more sense than that ;)

TK-Red {Ed007's Note - He is poor mate, I think people hype him because he is a Utd player, if her was at Stoke or Bolton nobody would take any notice of him.}

92% pass success rate last night, that is unheard of for a striker. Alan Shearer's MOTM and mine too. He will be a very good player within the next two seasons.

Sydney! {Ed007's Note - Come on Syd, you sound like a politician there. Statistics can be manipulated to suit. If he was playing for LFC you would be whipping him!}

Percy I 100% agree with you. His development is speeding up and he is fast becoming a big name at Old Trafford. He has bags of confidence too now and I fully believe by the time he is 25 he will be scoring 20-25 goals a season.

He links with Wayne well too.

1redarmy

Sorry Ed mate but you're wrong on this one. You may say he is poor but when this lad is 26 he will be one of the best around if he continues to progress as he is. The Stoke and Bolton example is misleading as, with any player, form will always suffer in a poorer team that play a different style. IMO he is certainly going to be better than Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke and that is saying something itself.

TK-Red {Ed007's Note - I hope you're right mate but I really can't see it. IMO he will never reach the level of a Higuain/Benzama. He is nowhere near even being in the top ten strikers in Europe and I doubt he will, I just feel that some Utd fans are accepting second best with him. Would you expect the 'big' clubs on the continent to come ion for him if he was leaving Utd? Bayern, Barca, Madrid..... I also doubt he will ever be as prolific Cole or Yorke.}

I don't rate Welbeck that much tbh, I have to agree with 007 on this one.

Alot of you are saying he holds the ball up well....not in my eyes, he loses it more than he keeps it.

He can't dribble, he can't shoot 8/10 times, he can't pass, poor runs....I just don't rate him at all. And add to the fact he runs like a new born Deer, he annoys me.

If he was a Chelsea/Arsenal/City/Liverpool/Spurs/Newcastle etc. player then I guarantee that no body would want him to be signed.

MPez
MPez

Just a bit of Statistics for you boys, calculated these myself :P

Minutes per Goal (EPL 2011/12):

Dimitar Berbatov - 73 Minutes
Papiss Cisse - 86 Minutes
Mario Balotelli - 102 Minutes
Wayne Rooney - 105 Minutes
Nikica Jelavic - 106 Minutes
Edin Dzeko - 107 Minutes
Robin van Persie - 111 Minutes
Sergio Aguero - 113 Minutes
Jermain Defoe - 117 Minutes
Aigybeni Yakubu - 145 Minutes
Javier Hernandez - 148 Minutes
Carlos Tevez - 150 Minutes
Grant Holt - 150 Minutes
Pavel Pogrebnyak - 159 Minutes
Emmanuel Adebayor - 167 Minutes
Demba Ba - 171 Minutes
Clint Dempsey - 196 Minutes
Daniel Sturridge - 206 Minutes
Darren Bent - 207 Minutes
Craig Bellamy - 207 Minutes
DANNY WELBECK - 224 Minutes

Says it all folks....

MPez

007, Is Alan Shearer a United fan? Welbeck is a good player with plenty of potential. He has everything. As soon as he starts lumping them into the net he will be the finished article. When did the penny drop for Yorke, Giroud, Drogba, Villa, Llorente, RVP? 25, 24, 23, 24, 25 & 26? Give him time he is just a kid.

Sydney! {Ed007's Note - 'As soon as he starts lumping them in'...isn't that what he is meant to be doing already? If he isn't scoring he is not doing what he is meant to. That is like saying once a GK starts saving the ball he will be the finished article, but for now he can let in 5 goals a game. Man Utd don't have the luxury to give players time, they need to be producing week in and week out on the big stage to compete against other club's spending sprees. Do you think Utd need a new striker Syd? If so who would you suggest and would he start on the bench or go straight into the team alongside Rooney? Welbeck may well become a great player, but right now he is not good enough to be a regular in the Utd first team.}

Did the "big" continental clubs ever go in for Yorke or Cole? Or Solskjaer or Sheringham? I see it as the other way around mate. I think if he was called Welbeckinho, other than having an unfortunate name, people would be raving about him and more specifically about his potential. Personally I dont rate Higuain that highly. Good striker and all but I wouldnt put him in what some would call 'the elite'.

TK-Red {Ed007's Note - Like I said to Syd TK, Utd need quality players for right now, potential is all well and good but Arsenal have been using that road and look what happened there. Potential can go either way, I hope he does become a great player but he shouldn't be a regular starter for Utd at this time.}

I dont think that says anything MPez. As someone said earlier stats dont tell the whole story and lets be honest that list is full of seasoned professionals. How many goals per minute did any of them score aged 21? I would bet my house that none of them were prolific at Welbeck's age. Its also probably worth nothing that Welbeck's minutes to goals ratio is bound to be higher than the majority of that list as, a select few aside, he played more minutes than the majority of them.

TK-Red

Lets not forget that Wayne Rooney scored 35 goals this season and a large factor in that was his partnership with Welbeck. If Tevez and Aguero played together all season and Aguero scored 40 goals and Tevez only got 10 would that make Tevez a poor striker? Its not just about strike rate. Danny Welbeck scored something like 14 goals this season. He got a further 5 assists. Directly contributing to nearly 20 goals in a season is good work for any PL striker in my book. Especially one that is 21 years old and isnt a guaranteed starter for every game.

TK-Red

007, "Lumping them in", I meant becomes prolific. Like RVP did a couple season's ago at the ripe old age of 26. I genuinely believe Welbeck will score 20+ goals next season.

MPez, Welbeck did play a few games on the left wing too last season. Lets not forget this was his first season as a United player, next season is judgement time and I think a few on here will have a red face. Cleverley and Welbeck will have a great season next season.

Sydney! {Ed007's Note - I have a sudden feeling of deja vu here Syd ;-) Didn't you say that last summer but the list was a bit longer?

TK - 'I would bet my house that none of them were prolific at Welbeck's age'

Balotelli IS Welbeck's age? Rooney got 23 in all competitions when he was 21. Seems a little better than Welbeck's total of 12? Tevez banged in 25 goals in 38 games for Corinthians when he was 21. Aguero scored 21 for Atletico. Hernandez got 21 in 28. Sturridge is only 1 year older than Welbeck. I could go on...

Your argument that his minutes to goals ratio is 'bound to be higher' because he played more minutes is also a little flawed. As a striker - it's his job to score goals. If he plays more minutes he should be scoring more goals. End of.

I rate Welbeck a lot but have said before that his finishing leaves a lot to be desired. He has everything a striker needs with the exception of a clinical finish and as a result his shot conversion seems to be somewhere in the region of 1 in 10 (According to ESPN he has 13 goals from 99 shots - so not a bad guess on my behalf).

If he can work on his finishing he has the potential to be a top notch striker. He was the best England player on the pitch yesterday and I think he'll have a good tournament - but in terms of our strike force next season I'd like to see a PROVEN goalscorer (so not Lewandowski) who can come in for a few seasons while we wait for Welbeck and Chico to develop. I'll mention Del Piero again as I honestly think our younger strikers could learn a lot from him. He wouldn't cost us anything either which will suit SAF.

T0MB0Z

007, this was Welbeck's and Cleverley's debut season. Cleverley's proper debut season will be next season due to him missing most of last season.

Sydney! {Ed007's Note - You were expecting a more than those two to get serious game time though Syd. It is hardly their debut season when they have been out on loan and know what the EPL is all about. Cleverley was unlucky to get injured and looks like he will be a fantastic player, I have a lot more confidence in him than Welbeck. Last summer you spoke about a lot of young players making an impact or getting more game time, Welbeck didn't look any better in May than he did in August, you can't say a young player is good enough for the first team and then say it was their debut season so it's ok that they were mediocre. Europe was a shambles, and with one or two quality signings last summer (including a striker to play with Rooney) I believe that Utd would have won the league. Utd need players that are going to go straight in and improve the first team straight away. Do you expect Henderson to improve at LFC next year now that he has his 'debut' season is out the way?}

I can't wait to see Welbeck this next season, if he stays fit he's gonna have an incredible year. You can see he has grown into his senior role this year, now he's commanding first choice for England (he'll stay in there with Rooney I'll wager) his confidence must be sky high.

He also knows what to work on... Finishing (head and shot)... Look at final England warm up, quality finish. I would rather Welbeck over Benzema, no squad issues, MUFC through and through and room to improve.

Watch this space ;)

DodgyBanter {Ed007's Note - A striker that needs to work on shooting and heading.... I know he is young but shouldn't he have been working on them already mate and shouldn't he be at a higher level to play in Utd's first team?

"Potential can go either way, I hope he does become a great player but he shouldn't be a regular starter for Utd at this time"

^^
I think this is the point, I rate Wellbeck and hope he progresses to be one of Europe's top strikers. But if we are to play 2 up front next season we need someone who we can rely on to knock them in NOW. If Rooney were injured and we played Barca, Real or Bayern in the CL would we be happy with Wellbeck & Hernandez up front? And no other strikers for the bench? I wouldnt. Also, there's no problem of 'blocking development' IMO as 4 strikers will get plenty of games during the course of the season. Fergie would make sure of that

If we play 1 up front though, I wouldn't bother getting a striker

Gav

007, I don't think Welbeck has been mediocre. I think he is developing great and he will get better and better. 26 goals is what Berbatov got in his first couple of seasons at United, Welbeck will beat that amount no problem. If Rooney plays upfront on his own next season then what's wrong with having Welbeck on the bench or what's wrong with Rooney partnering Welbeck who he says he loves playing alongside? Kagawa's and Welbeck's link-up play next season will be frightening. Rooney will have a field day. The difference between Henderson and Welbeck is Welbeck is playing well, just needs to add more goals to his game. Henderson has been poor. Goals will come with Danny I have no doubt about that. Fancy a wager :)

Sydney! {Ed007's Note - I will take your wager Syd. Welbeck will not score 20 league goals in one season for Utd before he leaves in a couple of years ;-) If he gets 15 (league goals) this season I will send you a special football-rumours T-shirt and cap.}

T0MB0Z

Wayne Rooney played 55 games in a season when he was 21 and he also played in a better team than we have now. Even so 23 goals is hardly prolific. Same goes for Balotelli who, as you say is the same age as Welbeck, and yet he only scored 3 more goals than him. Hernandez scored 20 goals last season but everyone criticizes him for not being very good at link play, then when we have Welbeck who is very good at link play people say he isnt good enough. As for Tevez, Im sorry but being prolific in Brazil means nothing when comparing him to Welbeck. How many goals would he get if he played in a slower paced league? Atleast 25 I would say. I dont see how the minutes to goals argument is flawed. The stat itself is flawed as it would have Berbatov at the top of the list when he hardly played this season. A strikers job isnt just to score goals. Football isnt that simple, just look at Modric. He gets very few goals and assists but is he a poor player? Welbeck provided a great link between midfield and attack this season. His control and one touch passing inspired our early season form.

TK-Red

007, lets say 20 goals in all comps (League Cup, FA Cup, League & UCL).

I believe Danny will score more than 20 goals next season.

Sydney! {Ed007's Note - 25 in all comps... and it's a deal.}

Lets say 22 in all comps, that beats Berbatov's tally the season before last by one goal?

Is the bet on ;)

Sydney!