29 Jan 2020 17:31:03
Fernandes deal is now officially confirmed and so delighted to have him.
This deal has a lot of positives for me:
1. Provided he settles in quickly we would not only have his creativity but also a goal scoring midfielder we have been craving for a while.
2. His signing could really help us pursue and probably convince some of our other targets come this summer, as he is a quality player.
3. We would not be so desperate when pursuing other midfield targets in the summer and puts us in a better position on the negotiation table.
4. Fernandes's presence would help us move on Pogba and Matic and use the funds to strengthen the team further in the summer.
5. The most important of all, we might have a chance to make a top 4 finish provided he settles in and everyone around him give their best till the end of this season.
A month of pursuing and finally we got him. Can't wait to see his performances in a United shirt soon.
29 Jan 2020 17:44:59
Brilliant signing and a step in the right direction.
29 Jan 2020 18:02:27
Outstanding signing - our best since RvP.
Now for Dembele. (I can dream! )
29 Jan 2020 18:35:03
Unfortunately he has decided to wear a Homer Simpson t-shirt for his arrival in Manchester. Woodward is already eyeing up the sponsorship deal with The Simpsons.
29 Jan 2020 18:38:06
Why is everyone so desperate to get rid of Matic? he's only 31 and I hear people speaking about like he's in his 60s.
29 Jan 2020 18:39:08
Finally, the no. 10 area which was a significant weakness is solved.
Hope he settles in quickly.
He is an excellent penalty taker and free kick specialist.
He can also score some screamers.
Absolutely excited to watch him play.
Rash, Martial, Greenwood up front with Bruno playing just behind them looks ominous.
29 Jan 2020 19:24:06
I think Matic has been very good the last month or so and deserves more credit. Useful experienced squad player. As long as he’s not automatic starter he should stay imo.
29 Jan 2020 19:50:19
Exactly Damon.
I don't have a clue.
Matic is good and for me is still far better than McTomminay.
29 Jan 2020 20:30:38
And, as if to prove his worth .
29 Jan 2020 20:37:24
Matic and Fred have been the two best players for the past 3 weeks. I must admit I thought Matic was done but he’s playing really well. Cracking finish tonight against city as well.
29 Jan 2020 20:45:00
Delighted! Had my Sporting Lisbon tracksuit on all day. Can’t wait to see how he does receiving the ball in the pockets where we usually see Lingard. If we get Pogba putting a few shifts in when he’s back we might just get in the top 4.
29 Jan 2020 20:52:19
Let’s see if it‘s maybe two brilliant signings in one.
Can’t see Pogba‘s ego putting up with not being the focal point of the media anymore.
Maybe this will kick him into gear to show he is still the top dog.
30 Jan 2020 05:26:27
I do agree that Matic's performances have improved recently and is a quality player when on form. However, with the way we seemingly want to play I do not see him starting in games when everyone is fit. With Fernandes coming in as well, it is certainly going to be Fred, McTominay and Fernandes starting in midfield.
Having both Matic and Mata as backups wouldn't be a bad idea, although I don't think they will be able to cope having to play too many games in case of extended injuries to key players.
The key question would also be if Matic/ Mata are content with playing backup, as cover for other players. We still do need more bodies in midfield irrespective.
30 Jan 2020 06:44:00
Matic has always been a good player. Treated quite unfairly by the fans on here. Still don’t see what Fred is about yet other than pure energy, but hopefully he continues to improve!
30 Jan 2020 08:45:26
Matic has quality, but his legs are gone. Not in the sense that he has lost pace as he never had it. But in the sense that he doesn't have the fitness to play 40 games a season. He has always struggled with maintaining his fitness in a 50-60 game season, tending to tire towards the end of each season, in recent years the point at which he starts to tire has steadily become earlier and earlier.
At the moment he is playing well as last night was only his 15th appearance for us this season, having spent most of the early part of the season out injured. 8 of those game have come in January. He will probably play relatively well for the next month or two.
He could be a decent squad option if that's what he wants to be, but if he wants to play every week then a move to a league played at a slower tempo would be best for him.
30 Jan 2020 09:26:49
All the more reason to manage him properly then Shappy.
30 Jan 2020 09:58:56
Betty, from what I gather Matic at 31 still sees himself as a key player for a side for another couple of years. He wants to play all the games. In the EPL with the pace of the games he just can't do that at a high enough level over a whole season.
He might be able to play for us if he only played league games and was given a bit of a break at some point during the season.
From what is in the press it is Matic who wants out more than the club want him off the books.
The interesting thing though is that for the last 30 days Matic could have been negotiating a pre-contract with any foreign club, he may well have been. But nothing has leaked to the press if he has.
The big push previously was from Inter, yet Brozovic has really stepped up and made that CDM role his own at Inter and if Matic was to move there it would more likely be to be back up for Brozovic. Which doesn't sound like what he wants to do.
30 Jan 2020 10:25:57
Shappy spot on re Matic and his physicality. It's why he conceded that stupid foul and got sent off last night. He was never blessed with pace but now he is like Mata and finds it too much against younger faster plays to even track back and make clean challenges. He is still a good player and in a less physically demanding league would shine even more. That said I would keep him for the next year until we get a real upgrade on him if that's possible.
30 Jan 2020 11:59:48
"Had my sporting tracksuit on all day"WTF 🤔🤔.
30 Jan 2020 21:34:21
Everytime 😂. 🎣.
{Ed002's Note - I cannot answer about the timings of transfers but can tell you where I know of some level of interest. Aleksandr Sobolev is the only one of the original players that the club were considering buying that cannot be discounted as the others have moved or are not moving right now. The club have, with Spurs, Burnley and RBL, taken a look at Vedat Muriqi but I cannot see him moving this month.