Manchester United Banter Archive August 20 2015

 

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20 Aug 2015 22:56:49
German friends tell me that Muller is really keen on a transfer to us. The problem is Rumminegger and his promise of no more sales to their fans. If anything is to move then it needs Muller to formally ask for a transfer. It may yet happen.

Believable4 Unbelievable3

21 Aug 2015 04:35:42
We can always include someone in that deal.
Rooney? Juan Mata? Herrera? Although I'd cry if herrera left

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21 Aug 2015 07:33:28
Do all Germans know Muller? :)

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21 Aug 2015 09:21:53
Chris,

I would take a guess they know at least one person with the surname Muller, like us knowing someone with the surname Smith.

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20 Aug 2015 22:35:44
Still think Ed Woodward is struggling with bring in the big name players. Yes we have signed Mata but he was not wanted at Chelsea, Shaw leaving soton for United is obvious, same with Morgan, schweiny again another player struggling for fake time. Although these are relitivly big name signings, all were fairly easy to attain. But when it comes to the big names from the big clubs, we struggle.

I find it hard to believe we dropped interest in Pedro. If that was the case why on earth did Ed Woodward travel to Barca just days ago? I think it's probably a classic case of United penny pinching and got stung for doing so. I find it bizarre that on accessions we haggle over a million or two for certain top players, yet then go and blow £60m on a Di Maria. Of course we will now say we changed our mind on Pedro, but in reality, at £21m you would be getting a top quality player with bags of experience and a winning mentality, who would improve our side a lot.

As you all know, since I keep mentioning it, I feel were light at the back, but more importantly up top. All this press talk of the likes of Muller and Bale etc, it's just not going to happen. In the first 3 games we look fairly organised and "efficient" is probably the word I would use to describe us. But IMO unless we improve the attack we can't and won't be able to challenge the big 3 in the PL. Before anyone moans that's not me being negative, just fully honest.

If I could make just one signing, anyone, it would be Gareth Bale. The lad is top class, lightening speed, ball control, finishing, set piece, even good in the air. He can play anywhere across the front 3 and is premiership proven. He would cause havoc in this side with depay in support. I'd do whatever it take to get him and if not possible this summer then get it prepared for next summer.

But IMO I think we're probably finished in the transfer market for this window, I think lvg will stick with what he has unfortunately. And we're yet to see woody make a real huge signing, one where the world class player we need actually want the move.

Believable5 Unbelievable10

20 Aug 2015 23:01:00
Pedro didn't want to play for lvg and I don't blame him!

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20 Aug 2015 23:56:26
Pep,

I know yea, who would want to play for a successful manager like LVG!?

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21 Aug 2015 04:40:35
What tells you that woodward was scouting pedro and not any of the bilbao players? Laporte? I know Chelsea have signed him and city would de bruyne and otamendi to their squad.
Chelsea and city sign top rated players every season, and still they found it hard against us when we had a much much weaker squad.
I think we lost the title from the first few games and had we beaten chelsea that night we could have gotten close.
Pedro is someone I would not have liked here simply because we could do much better with griezmann or reus.

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21 Aug 2015 06:50:05
Woodward was in Barca holding talks about Pedro. And came back without him. You didn't want him even though he is a significant upgrade, because you rather Reus or Greizzman, we won't get either of them.

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21 Aug 2015 06:51:24
This is one point where the press may have got their timing wrong. They have Woodward flying over to Barcelona on Monday to complete the deal with Pedro on one hand then on the other saying we knew last week Pedro wasn't interested and we had therefore bid a week ago on Mane at Southampton. So Monday would have been a pointless trip, plus tying up deals is not always the CEO's job.

I understand from let's say a source the Pedro decision was nothing to do with money nor was it that he didn't want to play for LvG. The press love to do a downer on us, put us back in our place below Liverpool and there are some that hope if they say no one wants to join us enough times that some might believe it.

Realism, i am a firm believer that the team at the moment will finish 4th at best. Add Bale and Muller we will challenge for the title but that is up to Woodward.

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21 Aug 2015 07:30:48
GDS2,

Is lvg that successful tho? He's won 2 titles since the turn of the century, one with bayern (not hard) and one where our opponents manager this weekend also won. Lvg lives off his one champions league that he won over 20 years ago. Even Rafa has a better record recently

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21 Aug 2015 08:06:01
Morning all,
Have any of you looked at the amount of games Pedro has played over the past 2 years due to injury? Worth a look. Am I the only one thinking that Chelsea now have 4 injury prone forwards?! (Costa, Remy, Radamel, Pedro)
Just a thought.

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21 Aug 2015 08:15:15
really how many leagues and cl has rafa won recently? how many WC semi finals?

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21 Aug 2015 09:26:16
KG,

No, now they have signed a player a lot of us weren't really that fussed about so now they are guaranteed to finish above us, haven't you heard?

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21 Aug 2015 09:50:19
Ken he won the champions league with Liverpool, 2 leagues with Valencia, Europa league with Chelsea, numerous other trophies. For the record van gaal didn't win his World Cup semi final either so if your going to come up with something ridiculous as that then please get it right.

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20 Aug 2015 21:40:38
Does anyone else think lvg may be lining up a move for vlaar when he sorts his knee out in a few months?

Believable0 Unbelievable7

20 Aug 2015 22:04:31
Nope Nope Nope Nope!

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20 Aug 2015 23:24:42
Not that i want it to happen but with the lack of a cb you never know

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21 Aug 2015 09:08:50
We have Mcnair and Blackett who are much better at the back right now.

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20 Aug 2015 20:32:18
Yarmolenko to Everton - does that free up Lukaku for a possible switch to United with Evans going the other way ?

Believable1 Unbelievable3

20 Aug 2015 21:21:34
Hope not!

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20 Aug 2015 21:27:41
Wouldn't have thought so totally different positions

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20 Aug 2015 21:30:13
He's a winger

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20 Aug 2015 22:25:23
I remember reading something ages ago about us having an interest in Mirallis. I hope not, Yarmolenko is a very good player though.

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20 Aug 2015 23:33:57
Beast surely that was under moysey?

Although didn't they fall out?

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21 Aug 2015 09:44:42
How does signing a winger then free up a striker?

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20 Aug 2015 19:09:33
Look on the bright side at least you didn't have far to go to greet your new signing Pedro, as most of you lot from London anyway.

Believable2 Unbelievable7

20 Aug 2015 19:58:57
Now that is banter mighty, a lot better than your previous attempts lol

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20 Aug 2015 19:59:35
Incorrect stat

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20 Aug 2015 20:08:18
makes no sense

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20 Aug 2015 20:52:29
Wot u on about treacle .I almost spat out my pie n mash u mickey mouse lay about muppet 😆😆

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20 Aug 2015 20:56:42
We could have set our sights on mid table players like Milner or ings.

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20 Aug 2015 21:02:50
"At Chelsea he knows he is going to be playing in a system that Barca play and he has got a manager that gives you a run in the team."
"From a football perspective, Chelsea is a no-brainer,"
According to Danny Murphy.

Chelsea play the Barca way?
Little help needed Mighty red please decrypt your liverpool legend's words to English.

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20 Aug 2015 21:05:46
Decent banter mighty reds. an upgrade on previous attempts

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20 Aug 2015 21:07:06
Let him have this one . God knows he needs it.

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20 Aug 2015 21:09:07
Mighty Reds -Terrible banter son. All your little digs at united are based soley on players we didn't sign.
You do realise that this window alone could amount to way over 100 players don't you.
We didn't bring Ronaldo back ,Bale didn't come,Benzema, Isco was linked ,Ramos (oh wait you did him didn't you ) Varane , I'm pretty sure I'm missing someone but that's just Real Madrid.
Your name alone provides me with a much needed laugh.
Shall we start a list of all the players you could NEVER attract let alone sign.
Shall we all marvel at the combined 67.5 million spent on Andy Carroll/Benteke? combined.?
Brendan Rodgers press conferences?
The amount of years since Liverpool were champions?
Or the 17 yes 17 saviours you have invested in the last two years ,Balotelli,Lambert etc.

Actually Might Reds you crack on listing all the players that don't sign for us,its really crushing our spirits and am sat here sipping a scotch wishing we could be more like Liverpool.

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20 Aug 2015 22:00:18
Pedro deal could still be on. Chelsea struggling to get a doctor to do the medical,

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21 Aug 2015 00:14:54
Scouse humour hilarious nearly wet myself(not)

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21 Aug 2015 06:10:22
Hahahahaha mighty that was quite good 😄

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20 Aug 2015 19:00:47
(Banter please)
Getting away from the transfer mayhem and focusing on some CL Possibilities:

Pot 1:

Barcelona
Chelsea
Bayern Munich
Juventus
PSV
Zenit
PSG
Benfica


Pot 2: (5 places confirmed)

Man City
Arsenal
Atletico Madrid
Real Madrid
Porto
XXX
YYY
ZZZ


3 places yet to be filled.

Sevilla, Lyon, Dynamo Kyiv have already qualified but Sevilla has a better coefficient than us. So its safe to say that XXX spot is occupied by Sevilla.

That leaves just 2 places up for grabs.


Among the teams in the play offs Valencia, Basel, Bayer Leverkusen are ahead of us in the coefficient table.

Result from 1st leg:

Lazio 1-0 BAYER LEVERKUSEN
VALENCIA 3-1 Monaco
BASEL 2-2 Maccabi Tel Aviv

Now if any 2 of the above 3 teams win then United will be placed in POT 3 and our group stage will become that much more harder. Only Valencia have taken a good enough lead so the other 2 could still drop out.


I reckon the worst possible draw for us would be:
Bayern, Real, United, Roma

Best possible would be: (us in POT 2)
PSV, United, Olympiacos, Gent

Best possible would be: (us in POT 3)
PSV, Bayer/Porto(dare I say Basel here), United, Gent

Believable7 Unbelievable0

20 Aug 2015 22:34:58
When I looked at the coefficients the other day we would go into pot 2 in YYY, has something changed?

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20 Aug 2015 23:33:04
A lot of thought went that Mumbai Boy. I hope it's not thought wasted if GDS is right!

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20 Aug 2015 23:48:05
good refreshing read thanks

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20 Aug 2015 23:52:16
Are Real madrid usually pot 2? becos barca are number 1 in spain?

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21 Aug 2015 06:26:24
A champion comes after beating who so ever stand against.
Bring on who ever.

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21 Aug 2015 08:55:06
Mrs. D - only domestic league winners are in pot 1. Pots thereafter are determined by co-efficient.

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21 Aug 2015 08:48:38
The uefa club rankings for competitions
http://goo.gl/A4DlLX

Shows where we actually are on the coefficient, we are above all the 3 teams you mentioned and would actually be placed in Pot 2 in XXX as far as I can see we are ahead of all the other clubs that could qualify. If I am wrong then let me know but the UEFA website wouldn't be wrong would it?

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21 Aug 2015 09:19:05
Didn't man city go into a lower pot last season despite winning the league the previous season?

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21 Aug 2015 09:41:36
GDS2 mate what are u talking about we are 20th while leverkusen, valencia and basel are 19th 13th and 16th respectively, so how are we above them

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21 Aug 2015 12:34:37
Champions in pot 1 is a new rule effective from this season onwards

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20 Aug 2015 18:34:36
I honestly think we will see a big player signed in the next few weeks. I do like the look of laporte I've seen a lot of him in la liga. Mane I haven't watched him that closely and the same for the reported kokorin. Griezmann is a quality player and Muller is undoubtedly world class. If real really want ddg then surely we can do a deal that would involveb ddg getting his move and us getting the strikerv everyone says we need. I personallyv would like adnan and andreas to get a chance to prove the potential and quality they have. If ddg leaves we'll need a keeper. Romero has done well but has a lot to live up to. If we get injuries we will definitely suffer and be light in attack and defensive areas. Somethingb tells me a deal is in the offing and that woodward and lvg may have the last laugh.

Believable1 Unbelievable2

20 Aug 2015 19:04:56
Lets hope you are right.

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21 Aug 2015 09:37:20
Irwin - Was this typed on a Anriod phone? And if so have you recently moved from iPhone?

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20 Aug 2015 18:32:38
Strebor,

You asked me if I think Rooney is good enough to lead the line for us, and the answer is I don't know.

Physically he has the attributes, he's certainly intelligent enough but it just doesn't seem to be clicking and I have no idea for why.

I would guess and say it might be down to the fact he hasn't played as an out and out striker for near on 5 years.

But a player of his ilk should be able to handle it.

Then I look at the fact he's been playing 30 a season since he was 16.

Most players start at 20 and hit that wall at 33ish.

If a play has a 13-15 year career typically then
rooney would be 13 years into his career and thus he may be showing the signs of a player slowing down.

All I really know is that I do not doubt the ability of the man, what I do doubt is whether this change has come a few years to late.

Believable3 Unbelievable1

20 Aug 2015 19:08:02
This is exactly the problem in my mind as well. He was a man well before his years, he has played a hell of a lot and it's going to catch up with anybody let alone somebody with Rooney's build and propensity to put on weight. I bet he works a lot harder than most in training as well to maintain fitness, couple that with the already long career it is a problem.

We are seeing a 33 year old Rooney in my eyes and that is the problem. His touch, pace and mobility are all declining, it is why we see so many basic errors. Also interesting to see the few offsides against Villa, strikers do this if they are naïve or worried about their pace, he clearly isn't naïve, but just like RVP he is starting to doubt himself and potentially will get caught offside more and more. (a bit too soon to judge on offsides as it was one game, but something to consider).

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20 Aug 2015 19:50:41
He has played in the first team since a young age so he could well be burnt out. A human body is like a machine, no matter how good it is one day it will start to fall apart and you'll need to replace it.

You may have hit the nail on the head about him nearing the end of his career, but only time will tell if that's true.

I think next summer a replacement will be bought in and that's when we'll see him slowly be fazed out of the first team. But in the meantime I still see him banging in 20+ goals this season and beat that record, he just needs a bit of confidence to set himself up.

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20 Aug 2015 19:44:48
José , generally a fair assessment. But I would have to disagree with your quote "he's certainly intelligent enough". Rooney may be a lot of things , but intelligent ain't one of them!
Also , in terms of slowing down early because of his career starting at a young age , it would certainly help his cause if he behaved like a professional athlete and looked after himself properly. Nobody to blame but himself there. Cigarettes , booze and fast food do not bode well for a professional sportsman (well , unless it's darts!).
Don't suppose banging grannies helps either :)

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20 Aug 2015 19:56:48
Players develop at different rates so when he burst onto the scene people saw his age and thought he could improve for the next 10 years but really he was already pretty much fully developed and hasn't really improved. He was still a top player at his prime but unfortunately his prime was a few years ago

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20 Aug 2015 21:06:39
Not doubting you here Betty but I have never seen images of Rooney smoking? Plus if he was ever caught in a fast food restaurant surely there would be media coverage (due to how pathetic British media is) or maybe I've been silly and missed something?

Maybe he naturally puts on weight when not training every day, which is still his fault because he should be aiming to stay fit during pre-season.

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20 Aug 2015 21:15:10
Moon fairly spot on analysis. Fergie also saw that his talent was waning and knew he would still have got a fair whack of money had he sold him a few seasons ago. I still think he will score a good few goals this season maybe not 20+ that people have stated but maybe around or just under the 20 mark, I hope for our sakes at least. Going forward, leading the line for Man Utd, I'm sure they will be looking for someone to replace for next season.

As regards to the intelligence point, he has always had plenty of football intelligence but would question how far he would get on the chase

Confidence also seems to be a massive issue, hopefully he grabs a goal or two against Newcastle and can build from there. I feel sorry for him from a footballing perspective as he has played an awful lot since the age of 16 and there has always been massive pressure on his shoulders. At 28 he should be in his absolute prime but instead seems to be on the downward spiral. Let's hope there is still something left there and he can bang in a few more goals and get a few more titles under his belt. Regardless of what people think of him and they way he conducted his business in the past, there is no doubt that every time he pulled on that red shirt he gave 100 percent as if he was a red devil all his life

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20 Aug 2015 21:16:49
I'm not a Rooney fan as in I think his basic errors show he's declining which a lot of us have said for a while not but I do agree he is intelligent, he sees things but I don't know if he is able to execute that pass, that touch anymore.

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20 Aug 2015 21:33:29
That's he tends to holiday in Vegas.

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20 Aug 2015 21:43:32
Not trying to be cynical here Weggy , but the most motivated I have ever seen Rooney to get in good shape was just prior to his new contract under Moyes. Maybe it is just coincidence , I do not know , but he was fitter , leaner and totally motivated up to that new contract. Since that contract was signed , he has looked a different player to me. Probably not deliberately , but I think more than likely it is complacency.
Not trying to turn this into a Rooney bashing , but does anyone honestly see the same desire and fitness now that he showed in the first few months under Moyes?

As for the bit about drinking and smoking and food ( I think I read somewhere that he is quite partial to chips in particular?) , I think it is fairly well known that Rooney struggles with fitness. Body shape and all that play a part , but I just don't think Rooney looks after himself as well as he probably should.

Maybe one of the Eds has an opinion on this?

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20 Aug 2015 21:56:51
Betty, that would have been top banter from an opposition fan.

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20 Aug 2015 22:58:24
Rooney is one of the most intelligent footballers I've ever seen, his positional sense, reading of the game, etc. all show this.

His run to pull both central defenders away from Depay on tuesday were world class and I can think of very few players who could do that.

I simply think Wayne Rooney is starting to slow down and I have no issues with that, he's given his career to this club so I hope we don't just sell him off because he's slowing down.

Would you have sold Giggs when he played central? Scholes when he couldn't finish games? Ferdinand when he lost his pace? No because they're all regarded as United legends just as I think Rooney should be.

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21 Aug 2015 02:27:54
Coouldnt agree more Moon, you don't get to be Englands and (nearly) Uniteds top goal scorer with a lack of football inteligence. I mentioned this the other day, that his intelligent movement and clever touches to bring others in to play, is Rooneys best asset, and ED001 spat his cornflakes over his screen (apparently) lol. But i'm going to stand by my conviction and say that the reason LVG rates him highly is because of how he can play in almost any system, and a number of posistions. Granted his NO. 9 days are behind him by the looks of it, but he's still a top player. As for commitment, I watched an interview with several united players a few weeks back, and the general consensus is Wayne is the hardest working in training, so clearly its his body type that let's him down, which obviously isn't his fault.

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{Ed001's Note - but he plays those positions badly because of his lack of intelligent movement!}

21 Aug 2015 06:19:23
Intelligent movement? Nonsense. The majority of the time Rooney is like a schoolboy footballer , just following the ball.
I may be a little harsh on Rooney about his fitness and how he looks after himself , but don't try to tell me he is an intelligent player.

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21 Aug 2015 10:53:36
Rooney is a very intelligent footballer, I don't know how you guys see otherwise. His ball sense, knowing when to pick a pass, staying onside, the guy even has enough vision to know when to chip a keeper (ask David James) :P

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mbd              

20 Aug 2015 18:19:39
I watched the game on Tuesday from one of the suites which are amazing by the way and I just want to say the staff really deserve credit because they did everything you could ask! Anyway to the game and more specifically the players. I want to just give a little analysis of how I saw it because people still say we need a cb as priority but I don't see it as priority over attack.
Romero was always well positioned even for the goal which amazingly took 2 deflections! There was one moment though when his mind seemed elsewhere, when he hurt his ankle in a challenge. Defensively we look solid with smalling getting to every single threat and blind making smart tackles and great passes. Although I was very sceptical about blind They look like a brilliant together as a defensive partnership! The full backs look great in attack and defence but shaw really excelled on Tuesday. There was one moment when we lost the ball and ran to the other side of the pitch to win it back and it almost resulted in depays hattrick. It was brilliant to see that sort of hard work and dedication to win it back for the team! The midfield looks so much better when the schmidfield is out, I personally didn't think carrick looked great and we looked more confident when bastian came on. Mata played well but sometimes looked like he didn't want to be out wide but it's still no reason for the stick he gets on here, he's a world class player on the right day. Januzaj showed touches of pure genius and had me salivating at times! He needs a run in the team to reach the heights that he will inevitably reach. Depay was simply amazing. He put in such a brilliant attacking performance and was one of the most dangerous looking players I've seen in a United shirt for a while now. Hopefully that gave him the confidence to do it in the league! And although I think Rooney gets way more stick than he should, because he is one of our top goalscorers ever and has helped us reach the heights we have done since he joined us, he was apart from carrick our worst player on the night. I can't remember how many shots he had but it definitely wasn't many! The only players in our team who looked like scoring were depay and Januzaj. We just don't have the players up top to cause problems. I believe we need a player up top to be our aguero or Suarez. A player like muller or greizman would do us wonders along with depay, but I'm just not sure how long we can keep Rooney starting.

Believable3 Unbelievable0

20 Aug 2015 20:16:38
Your touch and ball skills don't tend to fade as you get older though for example Berbatov, Henry, Scholes. His mobility is pretty bad and we know he's no where near as fast as he used to be but I think the main thing which seems to be lacking this season is motivation. Running in behind and wanting to do something special in attack rather than just holding the ball up and offloading it to someone else. He just seems to be lacking any kind of sharpness. It's sad but I think the buzz he got from being made captain is starting to die off. I'd really like Wilson to be given more chances up front this season but he hasn't got a look in yet which is strange. Him and Januzaj centrally would have plenty of creativity and pace between them to cause all kinds of problems.

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20 Aug 2015 18:19:37
United have been trying to squeeze as much as possible out of Madrid for de gea and I've supported that stance all summer. But i swear if in the end he leaves for a laughable sum of money(subjective), no pedro or otamendi fiasco will come even close to it.

Believable3 Unbelievable1

20 Aug 2015 17:29:15
What do people make of mullers new quotes??? Hardly said he is interested but then didn't deny it either. Muller fever gripping me now! Would take 100 million euros but dare I say he's worth it?!?!

Believable0 Unbelievable1

20 Aug 2015 18:11:51
I missed these quotes mate, what did he say?

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20 Aug 2015 18:16:30
It's not our money pep! If it would take that much money to get him, it would take some balls from Ed to do it after the di maria debacle

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20 Aug 2015 22:11:48
“It's basically crazy the numbers which are currently kicking around in football”

"in dresden someone with a megaphone said to me, hey €100 million man! This made me smile"

Interesting quotes heh? I think he's basically just laughing about the whole thing knowing full well it ain't going to happen even if he's slightly interested in coming

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20 Aug 2015 17:48:42
{Ed's Note - We have posted a new article entitled, Manchester United 3-1 Club Brugge Moonviews.

Believable3 Unbelievable0

20 Aug 2015 18:06:38
Great post that moon!

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20 Aug 2015 19:22:24
Engaging read - thank you.

Sounds like something Van Gasl might talk the team through in post-match analysis! Perhaps he should give you a call to help him out?

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20 Aug 2015 22:59:32
I would love to one day be involved at a Championship level, letalone at Premier League level.

But you're right, Van Gaal should give me a call, I'd have this team ticking in no time.

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21 Aug 2015 10:55:38
Thanks Jose, I was watching this space eagerly :)

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mbd              

20 Aug 2015 04:20:35
Hi Ed.
The press seems to have exploded with us being linked to Griezmann now that Pedro saga has come to an end. Is there any way we can get him this summer? Muller seems be staying put and LvG still doesn't have that superstar signing that he wanted(apparently).

Believable2 Unbelievable0

{Ed004's Note - Griezmann would be a top signing}

20 Aug 2015 19:22:17
Greizman is on a different planet from pedro. If we missed out on pedro due to us getting greizman then I'll be over the moon.

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20 Aug 2015 16:40:14
Nice one Eds. Finally got one on there. I hope LVG has a trump card up his sleeve. Personally I'd like to see utd go all out for muller. But will he put in a transfer request?

Believable1 Unbelievable0

20 Aug 2015 15:48:47
Beast made an Interesting argument below in regard to whether LVG upped the tempo against Brugge due to LVG regarding them as a Lesser team.

To be honest Beast maybe onto something but I think its a combination

Playing Brugge it gave us the Opportunity as a team to run both Defensive and Attacking plays at a team that although by some is seen as a lesser team, it would constitute enough of a challenge to see if the team were drilled defensively as well as LVG likes.

I had a funny feeling before the game that we'd see a different Utd against Brugge and wonder now that if LVG is happy with our defensive game will he start to let the team implement the more attacking style that we know we can implement?

I'm positive to say the least :)

Believable1 Unbelievable0

20 Aug 2015 16:15:36
I see it differently. It wasnt so much as seeing brugge as a lesser team but rather a combination of
- desperation to win the home game
- brugge attacking us which gave us room to exploit. I said this last year as well. Whether we win or not, our general play against teams that attack us has been pretty good. It is when teams just park the bus that we run out of ideas.

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20 Aug 2015 16:26:12
I personally wondered if it was just that we went behind, which made us push a bit faster to turn things around.

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20 Aug 2015 17:23:10
Yeah , of course the performance had to have been in spite of LVG because as we know he's a clown who can do nothing right

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20 Aug 2015 15:21:54
Regarding Pedro:
While he is not the best player out there, he is definitely an improvement over all our current right sided wingers. Januzaj and pereiera may go on to be top players in the future but at the present moment pedro would have been a better option. I like Mata, but not when he is playing on the wing and also he gives away the ball way too easily.

Regarding the team:
I believe we need to improve in 4 areas
1.center back
2.striker
3. right winger
4. goalkeeper
This I believe should be the order of priority as well.

We should also sell Evans, Hernandez, Valdes, Lindegaard and Degea.
I hate to see Degea go but I don't want us to keep a player who wants to go.

It is hard to get all this done in this transfer window but the more we get done the better.

Also without trying to jinx, saturday's game is the first game in a long time that I feel confident about winning before the game has actually started.

DRD

Believable2 Unbelievable1

20 Aug 2015 18:07:35
Could also argue that if we brought pedro in that would limit the opportunities of players like adnan and pereira, meaning they probably wouldn't develop into the players they could be.
On Hernandez, if he is happy staying as back up we should keep him, great impact sub

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20 Aug 2015 18:31:55
Man can we stop banging on about pedro. He's gone. Get over it. We will be fine with out him. I've got a feeling Adan we will be just fine. I trust Van Gaal

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20 Aug 2015 20:21:00
Don't understand why I keep reading on here about Pereira behind a right winger. He plays through the middle and if he'd play out wide it'd be on the left to cut in and create like Mata does currently.

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20 Aug 2015 14:20:15
Hi Edds,

Talking of goalkeepers, I heard somewhere Leverkusens Bernd Leno only has a release clause of £13m?

Is this true? If so, we should snap him up!

Cheers, Ronnie.

Believable0 Unbelievable1

{Ed002's Note - It doesn't work like that.}

20 Aug 2015 18:07:30
Good to see you back (albeit briefly) Ed002. Hope you are well.

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20 Aug 2015 18:49:27
Thanks for the reply Edd002 and good to see you on the site again!

Ronnie

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20 Aug 2015 14:35:04
Hi Eds - do you think there is a chance we would go in for Willian? I read he is being touted around Europe - would do a good job for us imo. Better than Pedro as well.

Believable0 Unbelievable2

{Ed007's Note - Utd won't be going for Willian.}

20 Aug 2015 15:55:48
Be a good signing Beast

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20 Aug 2015 16:26:26
I would love us to sign willian i think he's a smashing player and with bit more freedom he would have with us i think he would shine . when i seen they signed pedro my first reaction was i'd love willian. Altho be great have a left footer there like griezman and do same type job depay does on left from our right. is there a young robben out there ha tat guys js puts defenders under so much pressure he constanly runs at them full pace does any1 know a player in same mould as robben its like all young players now want to be the thru ball expert . give us a robben please now tat would bring us excitment.

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20 Aug 2015 16:32:43
I'd like willian he'd suit lvg one touch pass to death style

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20 Aug 2015 14:10:58
Cheer me up someone and tell me the rumours about us considering Antoine Griezmann and Gonzalo Higuain are true.

P.s. Looks like Benzema off to Arsenal for £48m and Otamendi has completed his City move. could this week get any worse regarding transfers!

Believable0 Unbelievable4

20 Aug 2015 14:51:23
Does Romero mean LvG doesn't hate south americans anymore?

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20 Aug 2015 14:55:07
It could get worse if we do sign Higuain for me Jack - he is even worse than Rooney and has been playing off his reputation for longer!

Not bothered about Otamendi or Pedro either, and happy we played with pace the other night so I'm pretty upbeat at the minute. Just hope the tempo continues to improve and it wasn't because we were playing a much lesser team.

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20 Aug 2015 16:22:45
Don't rate Higuain tbh.

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20 Aug 2015 13:24:26
Kokorin not sure on spelling. Is he the surprise Striker eds??

Believable0 Unbelievable0

{Ed007's Note - It would be a surprise to me.}

20 Aug 2015 15:17:47
His agent has been telling anyone that listens that he will be playing for either Spurs or United by the end of the window.

I don't think I have ever seen him play. I have no idea how good he is.

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20 Aug 2015 13:57:21
I have been a Man United fan all my life and through my younger years during the 90s and early 2000s seen us be the top team year after year and i feel like i need to get this off my chest!!
After the years of the class of 92 leaving we did well to rebuild a new world beating team with a spine of van der sar, vidic, Rio, Ronaldo etc!
The way i see it ever since we sold Ronaldo we have never kept on top of improving our team with big names which is why we are stuck in the situation we are in now!! We replaced Ronaldo with Valencia . Valencia has been a good servant over the years but you can't replace a Ronaldo with a Valencia!! We relied too much on buying average players hoping they would come good for us Anderson, Cleverly etc which never worked out instead of buying big name players like a big name club like Man Utd should be buying!!
Look at the likes of Chelsea and City they go for a player and get them to improve their team no fuss!
We get linked with players for weeks and weeks and nothing comes of it and we are all left disappointed for example pedro all but a done deal for 3 or more weeks then within 48 hours Chelsea come in and complete the transfer!!
The De Gea problem should have been sorted weeks ago if he wants to leave like Di Maria did get him gone and get him replaced in enough time instead of leaving it til the last minute and rushing a deal for another keeper instead of making us look stupid by dropping out of the squad him with excuse after excuse as to why!!
We have never replaced Rio and Vidic over 2 seasons on since they left!!
It took us how many seasons to sort our centre midfield out since the scholes and keane years which we seem to have finally done!!
Rooney where do i start . always comes back at the start of the season looking unfit and takes 10 or so games to get going again!! He is not the man to score us 20 or more goals a season and sit him up top on his own we NEED a striker a Van Nistlerooy kind of striker a goal poacher and anything in the box finisher!!
Rooney in my opinion has never ever been that player he is a number 10 who will sit behind the striker and link up the play with his passing range and ability!
If we go into this season with rooney as our main striker we will be fighting for 4th yet again behind Chelsea, City and Arsenal!!
The way we are playing at the minute and have been for a few season now is slow boring and so frustrating to watch there is no pace or urgency!! We keep the ball well but we just don't create the chances going forward and it all just seems slow and lazy!
Remember the days of Ronaldo and Rooney scoring from counter attacks from an oppositions corner when is the last time we did that??
Over the next 2 weeks before the transfer window shuts i'm praying and still have hope Ed and LVG will come good and surprise us but the more the days pass i can feel myself becoming disappointed and frustrated with our transfer activity yet again!!

Believable5 Unbelievable1

20 Aug 2015 15:20:49
I can't argue with any of the above. I mentioned all the above in a list I wrote a few days back. Our transfer dealings have been a bit of joke and especially since Gill left.
We sold Rafael foe £2.5m and rvp for £4.5m.
But it is the frustration of concluding purchases that worries me. If lvg really wanted Pedro, and I'm not that fussed BTW, then we should've gone out and got him.
But now we're left with no right winger and still no news on striker. And we have a gk who is not really no.1. Noit good preparation for the season.
Of course, we've started well but the transfers should've been done by now.

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20 Aug 2015 15:50:55
MDC are you Gary Neville?

Good Post BTW

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20 Aug 2015 13:55:17
I could be totally wrong, I just get the feeling that LVG is going to go with the defence as it is this season, with the DM's giving some quality protection to them. And, I think that we may go all out for a real top quality forward, hence seemingly dropping our interest in Pedro and that blue fella. A Muller, Bale or Reus maybe, who knows, I just feel it's not over yet. Looking forward to September 1st now so we know for sure.

Believable7 Unbelievable0

20 Aug 2015 14:29:50
I agree Brendan, probably see Ibra come in, but I don't like to guess.

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20 Aug 2015 14:54:41
I reckon Berahino & Reus

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20 Aug 2015 15:22:04
I'm not that bothered about the defence. But striker and right winger are a must.

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20 Aug 2015 13:52:15
Football is all about opinions, but I do wonder what people base their expert opinions of a players quality on.
I admit I know little about Pedros qualities because I haven't seen enough to make a judgement. I was swayed against signing him by one of the Eds, who was pretty damming about his ability to improve us.
Now I've read on here today that Otamendi will win City the league. How have you come to that conclusion from seeing a player on tv in another league? The bits I've seen of him he seems pretty poor in possession and has poor distribution. That's just my opinion though.
Also how many on here wanted to sign Mangala last year? He hasn't set them premier alight with his performance, and now looks like he will only be a back up.
Anyway to end my point, nobody on here knows how a player will perform in a new team and new league. Some of our best players have been lesser known, cheaper buys ( Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo) and add Darmian to that list. One of the biggest factors is the player should want to play for us. Trust the club to do what's they think is best ,instead of jumping on the media hyped transfer wagon.

Believable4 Unbelievable0

20 Aug 2015 13:52:11
Whatever happened to acquiring Mats Hummels?

Believable1 Unbelievable0

20 Aug 2015 14:31:22
He liked the new manager and decided to stay. We were slow to move in my opinion, the delay meant he was re-attracted to Dortmund. That's my understanding of it anyway.

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20 Aug 2015 14:57:01
I hasn't happened

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mbd              

20 Aug 2015 11:20:48
hi if any of the eds around can u please explain how come city can spend so much money again if they get de bryne if will be nearly 160 mill spend

Believable0 Unbelievable0

{Ed007's Note - Their sanctions were lifted after they met the financial targets agreed with UEFA.}

20 Aug 2015 14:42:59
Are they likely to breach again with this spending, or are they, somehow, keeping within the spending regulations? Impressive if they are staying the correct side of the rules.

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{Ed007's Note - As per usual it's complicated and I'm no expert but City's net spend in financial/accounts terms without De Bruyne is 'only' £35 million with circa £65 million coming in from outgoings. UEFA said if City lost only £15m in the 2013-14 financial year (which they did with a bit of jiggery pokery) and only £7m in 2014-15 the sanctions would be lifted. The 2014-15 figures haven't been released yet but it looks like they have complied or UEFA wouldn't have lifted the sanctions.}

20 Aug 2015 15:06:03
ED07 so could this spending potentially hurt them next season and lead to UEFA enforcing fresh sanctions on them?

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{Ed007's Note - No.}

20 Aug 2015 13:05:39
As much as I hate to kick the excitement out of all the rumour fun we are having, but I don't see there being be much more action for us.

A central defender and a striker have been on the cards for sometime, but I can't help but think that these 'needs' are probably spun from the media - and the club lap it up for publicity.

We are going to play with 1 striker. We have three players for that position. A proven world class player, a great back up and a young lad with lots of promise.

At CB, our defence is fantastic, is there any point changing it? We have what seems like a set back four; then Rojo and Jones who are both good players (who play left/left centre back, or right /right centre back); then youth in McNair and Blackett. It seems fairly well covered. We are also not conceding goals, and considerably less goals than our rivals. Our defence is the best in the league statistically (since Nov 2014), and fan opinions on clientele doesn't change that.

As unglamourous as it sounds, I think our squad is fairly complete. I think we could probably do with a new keeper but personally, if I was in charge of the business, I'd probably be wanting to see how this group gels and matures before we start buying others.

I'm not saying that I wouldn't be jumping for joy if we signed someone spectacular. I just think we are alright for the time being. It's not the end of the world if this is the squad that we end up with for the season ahead.

Jack

I'm aware I'm going to get slaughtered for suggesting that our team isn't anything less than appalling, and that we need to spend a billion, but I just feel as though it needs to be said. Its all feeling very lynch mob at times.

Believable6 Unbelievable1

20 Aug 2015 13:28:08
Jack,

There is your opinion which I think may be slightly too positive and there is the opinion of others that without a striker and central defender we will struggle to finish in the top 4. As people will know I tend to be closer to your camp than the negative one, and I think generally there is a middle ground that most people fall into.

I feel we will fall short if we don't sign another top striker before the deadline, but I don't think we are anywhere near as bad as some people would like to lead you to believe.

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20 Aug 2015 13:48:21
yeah I tend to feel we could get by defensively , our defence looks well organised and there's good protection now from midfield but it's hard to see us challenge for The title without another top quality attacker

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20 Aug 2015 13:59:54
I think Rooney, if on form is enough for us to win the title however, I think perhaps he knows he is number 1 striker at the club, Hernandez will never be a starter regularly and Wilson won't due to age and experience, so I would like to see a striker come in a put some pressure or perhaps take some pressure off of Rooney depending on how you look at it.
If it is true about Woodward flying over to Spain, I can't help but think there is something more substantial than just for Pedro, especially as we just seemed to whimper away from that deal so perhaps, and hopefully Laporte rumours may have some substance? He and a striker to compete with Rooney would really set us up well. Although I still have confidence in what we have got and the business that has been done so far.

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20 Aug 2015 14:46:33
Very sensible post that. I do think however that a top striker would finish this window off nicely. When Rooneys form dips its usually for more than 1 or 2 games. In a season of 50/60 games that's a bit worrying.
All in all, I think I'm with you on this one. I'd be happy if the window shut tonight and we could all talk about football on here rather than random players thought up by some lazy journo's.

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20 Aug 2015 12:42:37
Well it has been a funny old week so far. The main two targets of the summer have gone to rivals which we seemingly let happen but let's not judge LVG for not signing these players. There must have been some doubt in his mind and until we see them playing week in week out then we won't know if we missed out of not.

I have said it before and I will say it again, in 2003 we missed out on Ronaldinho which was for many a disaster but then we signed Ronaldo and became the best team in the world for a period. (I am adamant if we hadn't met Barca twice then we would be on 5).

There are always going to be players we miss out on but we always find someone to step up. Just look at Smalling so far this season he looks a beast and he is earning Rio's approval. He looks like a real rock at the back now and has been our best player so far. Yes we need someone next to him because Blind is doing well but is a stop gap. I am not sure who we will target now and maybe LVG is waiting for Rojo to catch up in terms of fitness, let's not forget about him.

Also yes we have missed out on Pedro but let's not forget Januzaj and how much potential he has. I needs a chance and it looks as though he may get it. Mata again seems to be a stop gap on that wing and it is slowing us down a bit but its not as though he isn't contributing at all.

Otamendi is a shame but we have to move on now and get behind who ever is in our starting 11 come the 1st of September.

Believable1 Unbelievable1

20 Aug 2015 13:30:00
Missing out on Pedro and Otamendi is a shame from the point of view that they would have improved us. But I honestly don't believe that either are of such a high calibre that they would have made a massive difference. A shame , but not the disaster that some are making it out to be. In the case of Pedro , it would appear that he preferred the London option anyway , so no major loss.

And I don't buy into the idea that it is a double blow because out loss will also strengthen Chelsea and City. I don't see Pedro as any better that Willian at Chelsea. And Kompany will always start at City , and Mangala is looking like he has now settled into English football. So far this season,early to judge I know, Kompany and Mangala have looked like an excellent CB pairing for City. Both have pace and strength and are proper defenders.
Over all , Otamendi gives City a bit more strength in depth , but I really don't see the benefit of Pedro to Chelsea. Seems a strange one to me.

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20 Aug 2015 14:03:37
Agreed betty, Hazard and Willian were fantastic last season and that weird mop thing they have didn't really play. I see Pedro being very disappointed in his role at Chelsea and I can also see why Mourinho may not have wanted him. He doesn't replace any of Chelsea's front 4 for me.

Also Otamendi will probably take Mangala's spot so hopefully that will cause some unrest.

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20 Aug 2015 14:31:55
I agree with betty, I never saw what everybody else did in Otamendi. and I thought he was quite rubbish in the Copa as well. maybe LVG was of the same opinion.

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20 Aug 2015 12:39:24
I really don't get the critisism of Mata at the moment. I get that he's not the quickest but neither was Beckham, Figo, Zidane, Scholes and plenty of other great players. I'm not saying Mata is as good as any of these, but he's a good technically player with lots of intelligence. He was key in the good run last season against Spurs, Liverpool etc. in the position he's being played in now and appears popular with the other players.

Believable1 Unbelievable0

20 Aug 2015 13:20:43
the difference being all those players you listed played in their natural positions ! i don't think people are 'hating' his ability as a player, just his ability as a winger in this formation

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20 Aug 2015 13:27:06
No doubt that he is a very intelligent player. But in the PL the intelligence alone doesn't help. you need that energy and the pace to make it.
You play Mata in a La Liga and i am sure he would excel and be the best at what he does. But at United, he just doesn't cut it. He is all quality, true. But i believe there is a certain 20 year old Belgian that would be better. Nothing against Mata but this isn't the time for romanticism. Mata is a luxury.

You seen how many times he slows the counter attacks. He always cuts inside and makes the safe pass. And he is just way too intelligent for the teams own good when defending. He just doesn't seem to know when to just hoof it outfield.

I would play Januzaj, Young, Valencia before Mata on that wing.

Sorry but i just don't like the sound of MAta in the team sheet when playing against big defenders as they will just run right through him.

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20 Aug 2015 13:29:22
It's not only that he is slow, he is also small, which is tough in the EPL, a more physical league. Very technical, quick mind, as you have said, but he does get pressed hard by the opposition when he receives the ball back to goal on the wing.

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20 Aug 2015 14:10:23
I think Mata is fantastic and I would have him every week in the starting 11. For 2 seasons he was Chelsea's best player. I don't buy into this whole lack of willingness to defend which is why Jose got rid. I have seen him work very hard for the team, tracking back and being a body there. Yes at times he has left his runner but so do a lot of players in that position at times. There is also a lot of criticism on how we play and that we don't take risks going forward but Mata has played 2 passes this season which were world class. Assist for Januzaj and his through ball to Depay who just put the ball wide. I think the team is being built for the 3 behind the striker to have a lot of freedom and rotate between the 3 of them, which is what happened when he assisted Januzaj.

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20 Aug 2015 14:36:45
I don't get the mata hating. he wasn't too small for epl when he was killing it for chelsea. i think playing together with depay and adnan is the best for mata (and united). if he has quick (and intelligent) runners ahead of him, he will flourish.

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20 Aug 2015 15:00:00
We cannot have different measuring sticks for different players. let's not get into Mata being the player of the year for Chelsea. We can then say that for Rooney as well. What he has done in the past and so on.

but let's not get there.

Mata has been here what 18 months. hasn't exactly set the world alight. has he?
I would be very very happy if he could do what he was doing at chelsea. But as of now, i am not convinced.

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20 Aug 2015 16:19:34
shan, like i said, if he has quick and intelligent runners ahead of him, he will flourish - like he did at chelsea. In the last 18 months, how many of these quick and intelligent runners did he have around him at united.

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20 Aug 2015 17:43:14
Who did he have at Chelsea may I ask?

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20 Aug 2015 12:02:12
Hurray. We've signed Donaco!!!! Who saw that one coming? He apparently plays in the slot.

Believable0 Unbelievable0

20 Aug 2015 13:04:48
He's 21. He's famous for his stick and twist movement in the middle. Here's hoping he isn't sh*t, otherwise we'd have to give him the flush!

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20 Aug 2015 11:53:02
The independents 'chief' sports correspondent Paul Hayward on twitter:
City's 4 centre-backs: Kompany, Mangala, Otamendi, Demichelis. Chelsea could be Terry, Cahill, Zouma, Stones. Man U and Arsenal can't match.
Funny how united city and arsenal conceded almost the exact same amount of goals last season.
Incredible how a chief sports writer can completely ignore the impact a top keeper and defensive midfielder has on a teams defence. Look at Southampton last year,
Second best defensive record last year but would you say they have the second best centre backs in the league? Players like schneiderlin are the difference.

The key for the best defence is having a settled team, back 4 specifically, where the centre backs know their roles inside and out. If you have two solid centre backs who can stay switched on and communicate well, as well as a top dm and keeper you are well on your way to having one of the best defensive records in the league.

If de gea stays another season and gives 100% then that's another advantage, along with schneiderlin who is probably tied with matic as the best dm in the league, that we have over our rivals. You don't need 'big name' players like otamendi, who has to come to a foreign league, learn a new language and settle down here.

I honestly think we will have one of the best defensive records in the league come the end of the season if smalling stays fit, regardless of wether we sign a new 'top' centre back or not.

Believable4 Unbelievable0

20 Aug 2015 13:10:31
They were writing a few days ago that since November we have conceded less that any team in the league and now we have improved! I can't see us conceding too many this year anyway I reckon under 30 will help us put in a title run but I don't think we will make it. I just hope we smash our rivals again this year.

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20 Aug 2015 13:18:14
Add to that kompany is class but injury prone and likes a red, mangala is a flop, otanendi is an unknown quantity and dimichealis is crap.

Terry is injury prone and overrated, Cahill isn't any better than Smalling, zouma can't get in the team and they haven't signed stones yet.

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20 Aug 2015 14:30:09
Sounds about right. That guy from the independent talks a load of rolllocks.

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20 Aug 2015 15:31:41
Hayward has always belittled United even when we were winning everything. I think he's a total idiot in linbe with the paper he writes for.

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20 Aug 2015 11:43:38
Picked up this from the European page by Ed002 himself.

I hope you let me post this just so some of you can calm down.

"{Ed002's Note - Many of the usual suspects are still shopping for players and you can certainly expect more from a number of clubs with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Wolfsburg, Manchester City, Manchester United, Juventus, Chelsea and PSG all in the midst of working on transfers that may or may not come off. "

By the looks of it we could well still see a couple more signings by deadline day.

Believable2 Unbelievable0

20 Aug 2015 12:43:20
But but but LVG said we aren't, he is a liar, going to look a right plonker if we sign a top player now LVG after saying that, joke.

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20 Aug 2015 11:38:31
Drop Pedro to go and get Reus? Or Greizman? Makes sense

Believable2 Unbelievable0

20 Aug 2015 11:38:07
Lest we not forget we still have one space free in our Champions League Squad.

There is a transfer to come in.

Believable3 Unbelievable0

20 Aug 2015 11:10:22
Just a thought but with an increasing number of high profile players preferring the bright lights of london as opposed to manchester( or liverpool) pedro sanchez hazard fabregas to name but 4, maybe we should start having a players wife as part of the negotiating team. Possibly Mrs giggs could have persuaded mrs pedro that there are numerous shops in manchester where serious money could be spent and that a yomp over the pennines in steady drizzle is every bit as enjoyable as a stroll down oxford street.

Believable0 Unbelievable0

20 Aug 2015 12:33:31
Surely getting the wife to talk to another players wife is classed as tapping up?

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20 Aug 2015 12:34:05
Maybe send them an episode of Hollyoaks?

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20 Aug 2015 11:06:38
Well the dust has settled on the Pedro saga, people appear to have calmed down and returned to a state of normality. Yesterday was crazy day on the site!

I would emplore people to go and have a look a Domenico Berardi, why you may ask? It appears that everyone is very passionate about getting a right forward and this guy is perfect for us. I won't post up his goal and assist stats again, or the fact the reached a goals scored milestone in less games and a lower age than Messi in a top European league. I won't even talk about his improved all round play. Just go and spend two mins to do a bit of research and let me know if you feels as I do, that this guy on the right and Memphis Depay on the left would be formidable.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Believable1 Unbelievable1

20 Aug 2015 12:39:28
Looked at him he looks good!

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20 Aug 2015 12:46:07
Looks great, but youtube could make me look like ronaldo at times. (I do fancy a good step over every now and then).

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20 Aug 2015 10:49:11
I am sat here wondering if all this transfer stuff is to do with the Glazers holding the purse strings. Maybe they don't want to spend big at the moment?
Our net spend this window is next to nothing now, and if we don't add any new faces then they will have done well. Especially if we do in all likelihood qualify for the Champions League.

I know we have spent big fees on big players, but I really can't think of another reason we would try and purchase a player like Pedro in a structured deal rather than pay the £22m they wanted.

It makes it even more peculiar with the influx of sponsorship money too.

Believable0 Unbelievable2

20 Aug 2015 11:57:47
Hi Sam,
I think Adnan Januzaj is the answer you are looking for.

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20 Aug 2015 12:17:51
Maybe it is just as simple as we didn't think he was worth the price they wanted? Just because you have money doesn't mean you should spend it. There is no conspiracy theory, we didn't value him that highly.

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20 Aug 2015 12:53:48
Sambastin lvg called of the deal we made a bid for muller made a bid for bale earlier that tells you that there is cash not the glazers fault let's wait till after the Window to access our team and our transfer business I remember when we let clyne move to Liverpool all of us were disappointed now look our darmian has performed so let's watch and see we should know by now money is not a problem just lvg wants certain type of players and obviously that's why he called the deal for Pedro off we were never in for him the press only link him to us when e became available and it was obvious he was leaving barca

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20 Aug 2015 13:25:34
I don't believe that Adnan is the answer. He has potential, and yes he is going to be great but right now can you see him getting us to the latter stages of the Champions League, or to have a genuine title push?

I just find it very strange how we have let both Otamendi and Pedro sign for our direct rivals when apparently we were in pole position for both. Only then to deny any interest at all.

I think a few seasons back, we were SEEN TO BE GOING FOR certain players, Ronaldo, Bale, Fabregas, Kroos etc knowing that we couldn't get them. I can't help feeling that the same is happening again with Ramos, Bale, Muller. It looks great to be linked with these names and via the media we look a powerhouse in world football with £80m and £100m bids next to our names. Good publicity if nothing else.

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20 Aug 2015 10:33:59
The last 24 hours have seen a lot of people criticising those of us asking questions about our performance this summer in the transfer market. The usual, 'we dodged a bullet with Pedro' stuff has been cropping up. But there is also a belief that we have done well in this transfer window, even if we don't make another signing. For the sake of discussion, let's go through what happened in this window.

Last summer we made a massive investment. Biggest transfer spend, league record signing, and a massive loan deal. The message was clear: Manchester United do not finish 7th and steps needed to be made to ensure that it never happened again.

The early signs this summer were positive. Signing a hugely exciting player in Memphis, and LVG stating that he wanted to sort out new players early in the summer.

It was obvious that we had a few core problems in our squad. A keeper who was refusing to sign a new contract and looking for a move, a defence that had made a high number of unforced errors, a midfield lacking in strength and depth, a lack of top quality wide players, and a host of misfiring strikers on big wages. When Giggs said that we were looking to strengthen the spine of the team this is what he meant: adding quality players to improve us in every one of our problem areas.

In July we got to work on this: bringing in a new rb and two new midfield players right before going on tour, and even brought in a new keeper on a free. Then things started to get a bit more complicated:

- We sold RVP and (understandably) didn't sign Falcao leaving us bereft of strikers.
- Di Maria forced a move, leaving us short of pace on the wing.
- We moved Blind to cb to cover for our lack of defensive reinforcements, largely in the hope that Ramos would sign.
- And the manager publicly questioned De Gea's frame of mind and exiled him from the squad.

Coming back from tour we still had four main problems:

1. Three of our senior keepers effectively had no future at the club.
2. We hadn't signed a new cb because Ramos had, as everyone suspected, been using us for a new contract and the stop-gap suddenly became a permanent fixture.
3. We had to replace Di Maria.
4. We had three strikers, one that is unproven and one that the manager doesn't rate.

LVG's acknowledgement that we need pace and creativity up front after Di Maria's exit, and that he was still looking to bring in new faces, confirmed that we weren't finished. By all accounts we know that we were negotiating for two specific players: Pedro and Otamendi. In both cases we refused to meet the desired fee and lost them to direct rivals. Regardless how we personally rate these players, the manager clearly does and wanted to bring them to the club. Tellingly, we didn't sign players because of the price.

At present we have a net spend equivalent to West Ham. In addition, we have cut a large amount of money from our wage bill. This doesn't look like the transfer spending of a club with ambitions to challenge for the title. It appears that we have loads of money to bid for players who we have no chance of signing (Bale and Muller), but when a genuine transfer is on the cards it's too expensive. This is worryingly similar to the transfer activity in Fergie's last few seasons when we had our hands tied by our owner's penny pinching: all talk and no action.

The fact of the matter is that we have so far failed to address four of our key issues. The club may intimate that they pulled the plug on deals, or that we already have the players necessary to challenge but our manager and assistant manager's statements over the last few months tell us that this simply isn't the case. The proof of the pudding will be in April when we are battling it out with Liverpool for fourth place instead of fighting for a league title.

By all means pretend that any criticism is being a doom merchant. But the facts all point to the undeniable truth that we have failed to improve the squad in the way the management team desired at the start of the summer.

Believable3 Unbelievable3

20 Aug 2015 11:16:52
I have a worrying feeling you might be on to something. The main two situations involved here are those of otamendi and pedro. But similar circumstances might also have present in the clyne and firmihno transfers. Maybe and hopefully, the next 10 days will prove you wrong.

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20 Aug 2015 11:40:08
I agree with everything you have just said. But hopefully everything you said there is wrong and we have better targets available to buy, but time will surely tell if that's true or not.

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20 Aug 2015 11:41:11
Just on the ramos thing, you rightly point out that we all suspected it, as did the club themselves hence the demand of him for degea in the knowledge it would never happen. I applaud the club on how we've dealt with RM and degea regarding the matter. A squad is about more than individuals, will you eat said pudding if you're wrong?

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20 Aug 2015 11:54:02
Hi Danny,
Good read!
However, I do disagree with the summative statement at the end of your post.
At the start of the Summer, the one main area we needed to improve upon desperately was CM. This has been achieved with new faces that understand how LVG needs those positions to be played. The other points you mention I also believe are in the process of being sorted. The GK situation is less than desirable but Romero has done ok since he came in and if De Gea does leave before end of the window I believe we will replace him. If he stays, he will play it is that simple.
The CB problem you raise is over exaggerated, please read my article of the Football Articles page linked to this site.
Your third point about replacing Di Maria, I thought we had with Depay?
Your final point is the only one I can relate to, again you will see why from reading my recent article.
Good post though mate and look forward to reading your response.

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20 Aug 2015 12:07:40
Good post danny

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20 Aug 2015 12:20:59
Good post Danny my only argument is if it's not a bale or muller or someone of that calibre is there any point in splashing the cash on players who are not much if any better than what we have? By this I mean would pedro going to take us to the next level? I'm sure if bale was available we'd do everything to get him. Otamendi yes maybe would of improved us but I don't know much about him. Time will tell and still 2 weeks left yet

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20 Aug 2015 12:23:02
Good post with plenty of good points, and if you wait 12 days and post and post it again then you might be correct, at the moment I am willing to not think a club that paid £60 million for a player last summer is 'penny pinching', perhaps just being a bit more sensible.

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20 Aug 2015 12:41:02
It does seem that way. Because of no CL, United's turnover is projected to fall to£390m in this reporting year but increase again to £520m the following year, which with the reduced wage bill, should shed off boatloads of free cash. I've seen projections closer to £600m for the year after which would take us above Madrid. But, if we don't make the champions league at the end of this season then there would have to be a big revision downwards

So, it would seem evident that CL qualification is the most important achievement from a financial point of view, and with this in mind, not investing in the squad looks like a risk not worth taking. The financial losses would be the equivalent of paying for a £50m transfer every year.

Which leads to the conclusion that there are various possibilities, or combination thereof:

1. The club believes its already done enough transfer-wise to secure CL football next year.
2. The club has faith in its younger players and wants to give them a chance to shine rather than lose them or loan them.
3. They genuinely believe that of the names bandied around like Pedro and Otomendi, there is no one that brings an improvement significant enough to justify the spend.
4. There is still a big transfer possible (Inshallah).
5. No Spanish speaking person in his right mind wants to play for the cantankerous philosopher.
6. You're right. Contrary to any reason known to us, the Glazers have put the brakes on for financial reasons despite the footballing logic demanding otherwise - at least to us desperate fans.

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20 Aug 2015 12:54:00
I agree with some of what you say Danny about the strange behaviour in the last few weeks in the transfer market. It doesn't seem to make sense that we publicly express an interest in a player and then lose out over a couple of million. It does seem to remind me of the last few years under Fergie where we chased Ozil and Hazard and lost out.
On reflection though i think our defence looks a totally different prospect this season, Darmian looks like he been here for years and a proper solid defender who opponents will not relish going up against. Shaw has come back from holiday looking like a man on a mission to live up to all that early promise and i think he will establish himself as the best young left back in Europe. The biggest surprise for me has been Smalling who always gets compared to Rio but after the few games this season I think he is more like Vidic, absolutely dominating everything back there at the moment, like Rio said on BT sport on Tuesday he looks like he's in Beast mode. Blind has done all that's been asked so far but i like others have reservations about how he will cope up against the world class strikers. I think this is our only real weakness in the back four as we don't have a ball playing CB to partner the more physical nature of Smalling. Otamendi does look a good buy for City and he would have definitely strengthened us but maybe LVG sees him and Smalling as two similar to warrant spending the money on him.
The Midfield has had the major overhaul that everyone demanded and to be honest i probably would have bit your hands off if Bastian, Memphis and Morgan were offered over the summer. Hopefully LVG persists with Memphis down that left hand side where he loos at his best and in Young we have a good cover.
Our problem is how LVG fills the right hand side and No9 & No10 roles. He seems to like Mata on the right not as a winger but as someone to fill that channel between central and the touch line many of us aren't in agreement with that but it seems that's how he wants to play. Brings me onto Pedro and again I would have welcomed his signing but what would he actually bring to the party. From his interviews we have established that LVG wants a pacey option on the wing from a player with a high work rate and discipline. Remeber Toni Valencia? In his first few seasons he was very good you would see defenders panic whenever he ran at them. Since his injury he lost that confidence and so many times would get a one on one and then turn back to the right back or look inside rather than take his man on. He still has to be the quickest player in our side much quicker than Pedro, hopefully his RB days are over and LVG starts to build him up back to that standard of when we first signed him. I know his crossing is abysmal but surely that can be developed quite easily. The one place I think we need to strengthen is up top, Rooney has been a great striker but i don't think he has that role in him with the current players, playing this philosophy, we need a Benzema or Lewandowski if we are going to continue this style or I would take a Berahino to play in front of Rooney.
There a little while to go in this window yet and i don't believe we are finished with signings yet, one or two correct signings and that could be the difference between title contenders or another year of steady development either way it looks a lot more promising than it did at Xmas last year.

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20 Aug 2015 15:53:40
Danny. I agree with all you said and I too think there is gross underspending and lack of real ambition and direction at the club.
The club is totally committed to signing commercial deals and seem to be able to do this at will.
However, when it comes to the footballing side, our dealings leave an awful lot to be desired. In fact, many deals are farcical.
The club have lostvits ability to attract and conclude deals. We're also losing our attraction to the top players as the club goes from one transfer cockup to another.
I think Woodward is doing a great job for the glazers in signing these commercial deals, but he's never been the right man to structure and conclude the transfers. I think the club need to go back to square one on that front and employ someone who knows the ins and outs of transfers. Chelsea, juventus seem good at it, so it can be done, we just need to employ the right personnel to do the job.

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20 Aug 2015 10:23:53
Danny Pughnited posted yesterday that this summer has been one if tightening the purse strings after last seasons splurge to ensure CL football and the more I think about it he has a very valid point.

With Ed002 saying that a few club owners may be looking to cash in over the next two years or so it does make sense, given the owners history, that they may be reluctant to finance anymore major purchases especially after the Di Maria disaster.

As much as we crave that difference maker in the side I am and shall not be holding my breath.

Believable0 Unbelievable0

20 Aug 2015 10:51:35
Not being funny but Memphis the other night looked like the definition of a difference maker. The one signing we really do need however is a CB and it's horrible we've missed out on Otamendi and that he's gone to our main rivals instead.

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20 Aug 2015 11:14:59
Memphis will be a good player I have no doubt but he is no Messi or Bale.

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20 Aug 2015 13:26:46
Bale hasn't made much of a difference at Real as of yet. And of course Memphis is no Messi. Nobody is, not even Ronaldo, the boy is from a different planet.

But Memphis can be a difference maker, it will either be this year or next. Special talent

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20 Aug 2015 13:35:52
JMB,

I would say Depay is at a similar level now to where Bale was at the same age to be honest, if he progresses the same way we will be getting a huge wedge from Real Madrid in 2018.

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20 Aug 2015 13:41:26
Bale has won a CL and scored in the final for Real. There is not even a comparison with him and Depay at the moment.

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20 Aug 2015 14:46:10
Maze GDS2 said at the same age i don't think bale was scoring in UCL final or winning CL at 21, but is it right to ask a 21 year old who is playing is the league for the first time to be the difference maker, i mean it is understandable when we would want rooney this season or di maria and falcao last season to be game changers every match to win us games but to do the same from depay i feel is asking too much of him, he has potential to be ronaldo or messi in future but currently he is decent player at best,
when ronaldo came he had rooney along side him complemented by likes of giggs, scholes and ferdinand. while currently other than ddg we have no world class players at the club.

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20 Aug 2015 10:17:25
An in form kompany and a settled otimendi win city the league this year imo. That could be an excellent partnership and with Silva and aguero sorting out the attack their starting 11 trumps everyone's. Can't wait to test ourselves against them. I think we'l finish above arsenal and Chelsea tho

Believable0 Unbelievable3

20 Aug 2015 10:52:59
city arsenal Chelsea utd, gunner struggle this season united.

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20 Aug 2015 11:00:13
I pretty much wrote a post saying exactly the same thing yesterday and I'm really got a load of stick for it,but that's the same as what I think we ain't going to win the league imo or champions league I would be surprised I'd were up there challenging for any,we need 1 class cb and cf then we would be in business

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20 Aug 2015 11:01:54
And why didn't we buy otamendi lvg says he won't buy a player unless it would be better than what we have,then surely otamendi is better than what we have and was available and don't give me any crappie about having the funds for him

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20 Aug 2015 12:09:04
I said exactly that abiut otimendi and got ripped. He's better than all our cbs. I think he didn't want to join us

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20 Aug 2015 09:55:04
Why don't you do a league for rumours off the papers and websites to see who's the best and worst? A lot of these media outlets are printing pure speculation so let's out them with a table of the best?

Believable0 Unbelievable0

{Ed001's Note - there is already a site which does that.}

20 Aug 2015 09:35:46
No offense to all the members here, but i think this page needs a good dose of Shappy or Moonrinho; maybe both.

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mbd              

20 Aug 2015 10:52:48
It is in progress, watch this space.

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20 Aug 2015 11:12:31
@jose moonrinho, with you seeming to have a decent grasp on what lvg is trying to do with our side, where do you think it's not quite clicking ?

Is it just a case of it'll take time or is it personnel struggling to put it into motion.

I only ask as your right up on LVG style of football was a great read.

Thanks in advance

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20 Aug 2015 11:31:05
Oooh, i feel like a kid on Christmas Eve!

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20 Aug 2015 13:15:46
Strebor,

I think it is clicking, we're doing everything right except holding the ball up well enough.

Swap Rooney out for let's say Mario Gomez and you'll see a high conversion rate.

the way we play, with high possession levels and good movement is what Van Gaal is after and at times we may scrape wins and struggle to break teams down, but we are playing the way we should be.

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20 Aug 2015 14:05:29
thanks Jose,

so the striker position is the biggest problem area in your opinion.

do you think Rooney is capable of doing what's needed of him up there or is it a lost cause ? in your opinion obviously.

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20 Aug 2015 09:28:33
Good morning lads.
I have finally figured out what happened on the pedro deal. Our woody boy is a genius I tell u, a genius!
The woodman knew of Chelsea interest in pedro but he also knew their interest in, interestingly, one antione griezzzman or what ever he is called. And I think ed02 said that his transfer to Chelsea was possible early in the window.
But woody somehow SOMEHOW managed to force Chelsea's hand on pedro so we now can a have free go at antione.
😂😂😂

Believable1 Unbelievable1

20 Aug 2015 10:07:49
Omg.
Nice try to calm itself down.

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20 Aug 2015 10:38:45
If you're right Dip

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20 Aug 2015 11:13:52
This could be a case for mulder and scully

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20 Aug 2015 09:09:29
Good morning ed from rainy Blighty.

I again listened to your new podcast well done on that, I was wondering since its in the pipeline to get a few sites to have one of it would be possible to maybe have us start our own one?

I don't mind getting the stuff together and could post u the file before it's put up obviously, but I think this is something that could really take off.

If the answer is yes, is there any posters out there that would be interested in coming on the first one?

I would write a running order of topics with the interested ppl. I just think this could really work well for the site.

If u don't think it's doable yet that's cool it's just an idea mate.

Many thanks
CTR

Believable1 Unbelievable0

{Ed001's Note - that would be great mate, I was keeping you in mind when I had a chance to speak to you about it and put something together for you to do it. If you can put it together, then that would be great mate. If you use the contact form, unless you already have my direct email addy, then I will sort out with you a way to do it.}

20 Aug 2015 09:25:59
Brilliant idea!

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mbd              

20 Aug 2015 10:11:53
Brilliant mate, so anyone interested?

Do u have my email matey? If not I'll send u an email using the contact form.

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{Ed001's Note - I don't, Ed033 is the one who has access to those sorts of things so it would be easier if you sent me your details through the contact form.}

20 Aug 2015 10:14:27
If it needs a dose of positivity I am your man!

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20 Aug 2015 10:26:24
Great idea, I'd be interested. Just wondering, would it be posted to YouTube or somewhere different?

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{Ed001's Note - it goes on our football-news-views.co.uk site, linked on this site, will be on iTunes and on youtube as well.}

20 Aug 2015 12:31:27
GDS,
I'd love to host a podcast with you and beast on it at the same time.

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20 Aug 2015 12:31:30
I would have a go, too. Except I have no idea what you're all talking about.

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20 Aug 2015 13:36:57
I would love to tame the beast, I bet he's a pussy cat really.

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20 Aug 2015 08:42:10
Looking at manes stats. He scored 1 more goal than mata. That is about the only thing that he did better than mata and young. Chances created, assists etc he is worse than mata and similar to young. If mane is the standard we are setting ourselves I am a tad disappointed. All in all this hasn't been a good transfer window for us imo but saying that I don't think it has been for ANY British clubs. This summer has been difficult for clubs all over Europe too by the looks of it. Is it a case of club power back on the Rise or ffp affecting transfers?

Believable0 Unbelievable4

20 Aug 2015 08:49:27
Telegraph reporting we are looking at GRIEZMANN pay the £40m release clause please. 24 lots of pace scores for fun can play either wing.

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{Ed001's Note - did Griezmann not just sign a new contract with an increased buyout clause?}

20 Aug 2015 08:55:00
Mane is 23 and has bags of talent. He is a real threat pace wise and if managed correctly could reach a very high level. Now I am not saying we should sign him as I don't think he is ready for Utd (just yet) but please hold back on your comparisons with a young lad whom has one PL campaign under his belt and a £37million superstar who has Valencia, Chelsea and Utd amongst his previous and current employers.

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20 Aug 2015 08:57:53
Your saying it hasn't been a good summer. We have signed a top player in Depay, top midfielder in schneiderlin and schweinsteiger and a top class no nonsense defender in Darmian. You still think we have had a bad summer?

Come on mate cheer up if we get Mane I wouldn't be excited or disappointed because he's young and don't know how he'd turn out for us.

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20 Aug 2015 09:04:09
I think if mane is signed he will play supporting striker mate tbh.

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20 Aug 2015 09:08:24
Stats don't always paint the correct picture though Pep. Pedro scored 11 last year does that mean that Mane should be at Barca because he scored the same amount? Or does it mean Pedro should be at Southampton because he only scored 11? Apparently stats show we've also had the best defence in the league in terms of conceding goals since last November but for me you'd have to be daft to say we have the best defence in the league.

I'm not saying Mane is my ideal signing but he's young enough that he can still improve, he does have goals in him, he is quick and is very talented. He also has experience in the PL. He would be a good signing in my opinion and is better suited to the league than Pedro. My one issue is we are probably going to have to pay £30m to have a chance of getting him. If we're paying that sort of money or s bit more then there are players who I think would be better.

I think all in all its been s good window though. We've strengthened in areas where we had to. CM was our weakest area now it's arguably our strongest, we have a RB who has had a great start here and in Depay a player who can contribute now while still having the potential to be one of the best in the league and Europe. There are still a couple of weeks left and while it doesn't look like we will sign anyone very soon if be surprised if no more came in.

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20 Aug 2015 09:21:04
Do stats tell you how fast a guy runs or how much work he puts in? Stats are a very simplistic way of judging a player, if we had someone with slightly worse stats than Mata but with electrifying pace I would prefer them on the right hand side (not saying this is Mane)

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20 Aug 2015 09:21:51
It hasn't been a sensational window in the fact that we haven't brought a wolrdie or 2. But to say its hasn't been a good window for us when we have sign 4 top quality players in Darmian, BS, MS and Memphis. Is, IMO, a long way off the mark.

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20 Aug 2015 09:23:05
I have to completely disagree mate.

We sorted out a problem we have had for like 5 years with the Center Midfield, We covered Valencia's blatant lack of defensive ability with Darmian. And Memphis is going to be awesome.

It's been a great window for other British clubs as well, So again, i think your wrong. Arsenal bought what they've needed since Seaman, Citeh seem to have found Kompany a suitable Partner (Otamendi). Even out the top 4, clubs like Stoke, signed Affelay, Shaqiri, Joselu. Sunderland with M'Vila, Leicester with Inler, Palace with Cabaye, Villa with Adarma Traore and Newcastle with Wijnaldum.

This season has proved that the Premier League will be tougher than ever.

No disrespect mate i just don't agree with you.

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20 Aug 2015 09:25:49
I never wanted Pedro

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20 Aug 2015 09:35:56
I honestly don't think we will sign anybody else but I still think we have had a good window. 4 cracking signings that have improved us in the right areas. Also allowing Blind to play Cb which at the minute seems to be going well and the more he plays there the better he will get. We all know we could do with another striker but with Hernandez back Fellaini Janujaz and Wilson and even Depay we do have optiobs up there. Maybe the club are right to penny pinch a bit to stop clubs taking us to the cleaners for every transfer.

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20 Aug 2015 10:14:24
No offence taken lads it's been a good window just not as good as I'd hoped that's all. Its the fact we've not signed a cb and striker yet. that's the thing that might mean winning the league this year

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20 Aug 2015 07:37:20
If you're to believe the press, you'll think that we just missed out on Ronaldo and Messi put together. Wtf. This is pedro we're talking about, very good player but not a sensational player. I think United will recover from this terrible loss!!!!

Believable5 Unbelievable0

20 Aug 2015 08:06:29
I agree about how good he is (not a worldie) but there are so many issues here.

1. Assuming we did want Oatamendi and Pedro, why was it so hard to sign them? It's not as if they were massively overpriced; in terms of Pedro to we seem to have been haggling over £2M.

2. Why is LVG now saying we won't be signing anyone else? If Smalling or Rooney get injured then we are short in those areas. We know it, the press know it, the Eds know it, our opponents know it.

3. by far the biggest concern I have relates to our strategy and approach. We need a CB and a CF. The knee jerk pursuit of Ramos suggests we didn't have a target or were unable to sign our preferred target (Hummels?). As for CF, LVG now tells us we are well stocked there. We have Rooney who looks lethargic, Chicarito who is an impact sub, Wilson who is young and raw, and apparently Januzaj who couldn't get in the team last year.

We have made some very good signings so far but the long drawn out saga of Oatamendi and Pedro make us look silly. I now worry that Ed will throw stupid money at somebody. If it is Muller or Bale or Lewandowski then great, but how about £35M for John Stones, £20M for Mane, or £25M for Robben?

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20 Aug 2015 08:23:41
Van Gaal spoke publicly about Pedro saying the ball is in his court and that the decsion was down to the player. Why is he speaking to the press as if there is some sort of offer been put to the player and an agreement was in place with Barcelona?

It think Ed Woodward would be peeved off with LVG at the moment for discussing transfers and indivdual players from other clubs. To now come out and say that United will make no more signings when we are still short is ridiculous and it will make Woodward and the club look foolish when someone comes through the door.

Like I said previously there is either a major lack of communication within the club or LVG has to shut his mouth and stop putting his foot in it.

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20 Aug 2015 08:57:49
Managers and clubs lie all the time especially when they say that their shopping is done. I fully expect us to sign a player or two

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20 Aug 2015 09:18:54
Oh come on, LVG is towing the party line with 'no more signings', nobody looks foolish if we do sign more players, Mourinho said 2 weeks ago Chelsea were going to sign no more players and they have just signed 3 haven't they? Is Mourinho foolish as well or was he just playing the media like LVG?

If we sign nobody else then we have still had a decent summer, the players we have signed are all first team players, at the beginning of the summer that is what we wanted, we are still a couple short obviously but we are also still 12 days away from the end of the window, so let's wait and see before we start complaining. If on September 1st we have this squad then judge it then, and if you aren't happy let it be known.

Such a shame the whole Pedro thing because there was a cracking atmosphere and positivity around here and amongst united fans after the result on Tuesday, nothing actually happened yesterday for our club, Chelsea just signed a player, and suddenly everybody is down in the dumps again. Pedro wasn't the player / position we needed (although he could have been an asset not denying that) so we now have an extra 20 million to spend on the position we actually need.

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20 Aug 2015 10:27:41
GDS2 would you be peeved off if you were trying to do your job which holds with it big expecatation and your work colleague was consistently undermining you and telling contradiary stories to everyone who will listen?

Van Gaal should be told by the club to shut up in regards to transfers and state 'Ed is dealing with all transfer activity' whilst focusing on trying to win the league.

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20 Aug 2015 11:00:17
MAZE,

From everything I have heard Ed and LVG have a good relationship, if they didn't I am pretty sure there would be hundreds of media outlets ready to tell that story, so it seems to me that you are making an issue where there doesn't appear to be one there.

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20 Aug 2015 06:56:15
If you believe the press we did want Pedro, were haggling over paymeant structure, Chelsea charged in with Fabregas playing a part and off he went to Chelsea. I as ambivalent about hm but we do look amateurish

Believable3 Unbelievable2

20 Aug 2015 07:44:07
Agree AJH but the feeling I get, after reading various media stories, is that he wasn't committed to coming to us, preferring instead a move to London.

Think the media today are delighting in making us look amateurish as it's a United story - guaranteed click bait - and they've fallen out with Van Gaal after some strained press conferences recently.

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20 Aug 2015 07:56:03
Wallace, I think he would have come to us but we were haggling over the price. he was ours to lose and we lost him

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20 Aug 2015 08:03:19
I rarely comment on these things but I understand it was nothing to do with money.

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20 Aug 2015 08:06:29
Maybe you're right - remember reports that we haggled over Schneiderlin also. Maybe we wanted to a more structured deal, with less upfront and more in add-ins, as opposed to Chelsea who paid up front. Perhaps we are more mindful of FFP nowadays, what with trying to trim the wage bill also.

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20 Aug 2015 05:24:07
I might get shot down but personally I am very happy that we are looking at Mane right now. Of course, Reus, Bale, Griezmann would have been better but I have been following Mane closely since he joined Saints and must say i was very very impressed by him.Then just after his scintillating performance where he scored the fastest hatrick, I was like "Ya, he can be top class player under right guidance" . I was about to post describing Mane but i was sure most of the posters would criticize me saying MOTD fever so i never posted. So now we are here looking to sign Mane. He may not be the big name we are looking to sign but he is full of pace, trickery and has good finish . He likes to go past defenders.He is still just 23 and can be good for our RW position competing with Mata . Hence, I would really love to sign him

Believable6 Unbelievable3

20 Aug 2015 06:52:13
I don't think we are looking to sign him. I think we leaked interest to divert from the Pedro fiasco.

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20 Aug 2015 08:36:10
His stats are worse than youngs and matas

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20 Aug 2015 08:55:59
I think stats are hard to compare players unless they play for the same team, yes Southampton where decent last season but I believe we would create more chances for him and the fact it was his first season in the league

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20 Aug 2015 03:47:16
If, as per Ed001 comments, we are done for the window, I think my heart just sank. I am all for giving youth a chance but I certainly am frustrated to see Mata play on the wing. LVG doesn't trust Januzaj over there. I would even put Valencia rather than Mata.

We need pace in the front 3. If Rooney doesn't have it, we need someone besides him who actually does. If Memphis isn't available, we are back to being pedestrian.

Come on Woodward, surprise us please.

Believable3 Unbelievable3

20 Aug 2015 06:27:23
I maintain that if a centre forward does not come in and we rely on Rooney, then yes he will score but we will be 4th at best this season. It would put LvG at risk with that plan and as can be seen on here there are already a few with their knives out for him. I agree with what he has done so far but my cracked record says , again, we need a top centre forward and centre half to cement top four or move up.

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20 Aug 2015 07:46:05
Look at Ed002's comments about all big clubs still looking to do business on Euro pages - think there's more to come.

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20 Aug 2015 07:54:00
Sorry guys, but I'm going all out French! DF/CB Aymeric Laporte? Twinned with Smalling? AT/ST Yassine Benzia, dubbed 'new Benzema'? If we have to go for a keeper, Yann Sommer! Keep fluidity in our play and goals will come! Memphis will chip in with some goals like the other night, gel and we are ready to rock! Signs were showing against Brugge! Come on lads, abit of PMA!

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20 Aug 2015 08:03:48
Red man some on here have had the knives out since game 1 of last season and haven't put them away.

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20 Aug 2015 08:05:28
Good shout Ronnie. Too much PMS on here at the mo!

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20 Aug 2015 08:34:36
Mort

I agree, the guy has generally done the right things, he has also encouraged our youth which pleases me. It has to be said that it was difficult for him to stop and turn the supertanker that was previously steaming into oblivion. He has the gravitas but between now and 6pm 1st Sept we should find out how long he will continue because without a top class CF I don't see a step change improvement from last season and he will be under pressure from then on with most questioning him rather than just some as now.

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20 Aug 2015 08:59:55
Ed001 saying he thinks we might be done might just be his point of view I'm sure one of the eds have said ed02 is the only one in the know, fingers crossed we will sign someone but I don't see it as the end of the world if we don't , our main issue since saf left was confidence but now I think we gradually getting that back

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