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Team: Manchester United Where from: Bristol Favourite player: Ole Gunner Solskjear Best team moment: Champions league final 1999 Interests: Manchester United duh. lol Timezone: (GMT) Western Europe Time, London, Lisbon, Casablanca |
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Shappy's rumours posts with other poster's replies to Shappy's rumours posts
21 Mar 2021 08:17:12
Ed002, I see United have been linked with Pedro Neto from Wolves as a possible Sancho alternative, are you aware if there is any truth in this?
{Ed002's Note - I am not aware of any approach from Manchester United but they may well have spoken with his agent - but I don't know that they have.}
1.) 21 Mar 2021 12:40:55
Thanks Ed002. I think he'd be a great signing if we could get him. I've been really impressed with him this season.
{Ed002's Note - The advantage Neto has is that he could prove a cost efficient alternative to Sancho and Grealish whilst Diallo gains experience - so it does make some sense. Whilst I would expect Wolves to resist a sale a significant offer may prove tempting.}
2.) 21 Mar 2021 13:00:10
Neto is a good player. Don't see United in for a RW though now in all honesty as expect we would prioritise Centre Forward given Cavani may be off and Martial being Martial. If we were looking at RW though it clearly won't be Sancho given the cost quoted. I suspect Sancho joins Chelsea. Neto would be a quality addition at half the price.
3.) 21 Mar 2021 13:03:49
Neto is my preferred candidate for the RW position. I think his work rate is superior to Sancho. He’s been really impressive for Wolves this season.
I asked the question a couple of months ago and it was a no. Thanks for another update Ed.
4.) 21 Mar 2021 13:53:24
Looks good on the ball neto but I think his decision making is still pretty poor .
That said only turned 21 the other week so plenty of time and room improvement.
5.) 21 Mar 2021 14:00:42
Neto won't come cheap either though reportedly cheaper than Sancho. A fee of 50m was mentioned in the media.
6.) 21 Mar 2021 14:38:30
dev, 50m is the minimum fee that gets attached to any player we are linked to.
I think the 45m Liverpool paid Wolves for Jota sets a pretty fair baseline. I think Jota was a slightly more important player for Wolves when Liverpool signed him. So I think somewhere between 35-45m is a fair price for Neto, and about right. No doubt United will pay 80m though as I'd have said 35-45m was about the right price for Maguire at the time.
7.) 21 Mar 2021 14:58:35
I think for a player with Netos quality, age and potential 50 millions is a fair price. Maybe is cheap.
I am not sure he is a worst player than the 100+ million Sancho.
8.) 21 Mar 2021 19:14:40
I want Grealish. He is a really creative player and would help take the weight of Brunos shoulders. Plus Grealish can play in so many positions from left wing to right wing, just behind the strikers and even as a false number nine. He draws fouls from opposing teams for fun and his decision making is getting better and better.
{Ed077's Note - has Grealish played RW? Never seen him play there. Honestly I dont watch Villa much because of his constant diving so dont know}
9.) 21 Mar 2021 20:51:39
I think Grealish played RW once while on loan before his Villa breakthrough 😂.
10.) 21 Mar 2021 22:01:07
Lol Neto was barely mentioned as a RW option and now he’s everyone’s first choice. He hadn’t particularly excelled but seems a cost-effective option for the position.
11.) 21 Mar 2021 22:42:09
Grealish drifts across the front line. Mainly plays coming in from the left wing it is true but is more than capable of playing other positions. Besides we have Amad and the othwr young signing for right wing.
12.) 22 Mar 2021 06:59:22
The reality is that with Grealish signing a new deal last summer, and Villa's excellent season his 70m price tag from last summer will have gone up close to the 100m.
He's a good player but certainly not one we could afford to be spending anywhere near that much on.
13.) 22 Mar 2021 07:38:40
Wouldn't touch Grealish with a bargepole, £100m English premium, no ta, Neto feels much more a United player to me.
14.) 22 Mar 2021 10:30:27
Neto would be a quality addition for the future especially at the prices being quoted. My issue with this is that RW will probably be down the order for summer purchases considering our needs and the amount of money available. With Greenwood (unless he is moved to a striker role) and Diallo (progressing) I think we have that covered for this summer and could look in 2022 dependent on hpw these 2 do.
15.) 23 Mar 2021 09:56:10
I can't believe people write off Grealish so easily in favour of Neto.
Grealish has performed at a very high level for two or three seasons at least. He has carried Villa this year. Since he was injured and not played their results have taken a nose dive.
Grealish is still among the top of the stats charts showing how many fouls he has drawn, chances created, etc despite not playing for a month now at a busy time of the season.
Yes Neto looks good but with him its buying potential whereas Grealish is the real deal now. Grealish has matured into a fine player and if we could ger him Ings and a proper defensive midfielder it would improve our team immeasurably.
16.) 23 Mar 2021 11:53:18
Salford7 - i am with you mate, Grealish is a top player absolutely head and shoulders above Neto.
17.) 23 Mar 2021 13:53:17
Salford, without question Grealish is a very good player. I only have two minor concerns about him and neither are to do with his talent. I wonder whether his mentality and attitude will translate well to a club with top level expectations. Will his ego deal with not being the big fish. While his off-field behaviour isn't something that he can get away with under the glare of playing for a club like ours.
That said the reality is that it will cost close to 100m to get Grealish, where as Neto would be available for half the cost of not less. Neto is younger and with a similar ceiling in my opinion.
If Grealish and Neto were both available for 45m then I don't think there will be any question which one people would pick. But they aren't and during a summer where our budget will likely be limited the options could be Neto and a CB or just Grealish. In that instance I think most would take Neto.
19 Jan 2021 13:41:29
Ed002, I'm hearing quite a lot of chatter about United holding an interest in the young Argentine defender Facundo Medina currently of RC Lens.
With rumours of even a possible move in January for him. Personally I find that unlikely as he only moved to France from South America last July.
Do you know if United hold an interest in him, and what the view of him is in France. He's supposedly caught the eye of several well thought of French pundits and coaches.
{Ed002's Note - I am not aware of Manchester United making an approach but ironically there is very significant interest from a number of clubs in his centre back partner, Loic Bade.}
1.) 19 Jan 2021 14:37:24
Ed002
Any truth to the rumours linking us to Robin Le Normand of Real Sociedad? Or is it just the random names linked for click bait purpose? Also is he any good? Not seen much him play.
Thanks.
{Ed002's Note - Robin Le Normand (CB) I am not aware of any approach to Real Sociedad by Manchester United but told another interested side that he was not for sale meaning that a club would need to agree to his buy out clause to effectively make an offer. But they do money and want to keep their "prized assets" so may be open to a good offer.}
2.) 20 Jan 2021 11:27:50
Is sign him just for the name alone. Bobby the Norman!
20 Dec 2020 13:24:21
Ed002, do you know if Manchester United have a serious interest in 19 year old Ecuadorian Moises Caicedo who has been linked to United in the past couple of days.
From what I've read without watching him he sounds like a promising, talented young CDM/ CM. But I would doubt he would be coming to United to be first choice anytime soon.
{Ed002's Note - My understanding is that he impressed when Manchester United were following up on looking at another player who they had first seen in the Real Sociedad reserves. There has been interest in Caicedo from a couple of other sides.}
1.) 21 Dec 2020 11:05:20
I can see him going straight into the first team squad, he's a full international, he's 19 so he's old enough. From his highlights package which is quite lengthy for someone that's not played for the last 6 months he looks a beast at tackling and breaking up play, chips in with a couple of goals. I think he's an ideal replacement for Matic over time, get used to the Premier League and get him ready for next season.
2.) 21 Dec 2020 12:25:08
Kidder, Pellistri looked the business in South America and is a similar age and has a similar amount of first team experience.
It's a huge step up in level of competition to the EPL, while they are young lads moving halfway around the world to a very different culture.
There will be a period of adjustment and I wouldn't expect him to be thrown into the first team immediately.
3.) 22 Dec 2020 20:01:28
A lot of talk in Ecuador (social media so pinch of salt lads) that something has been agreed.
13 Nov 2020 17:14:16
I've heard a rumour that United and Juventus have/ are exploring the idea of a Pogba/ Dybala swap either in January or next summer.
Dybala's wage demands are beyond what Juventus are prepared/ able to pay him and the stalemate over a possible new deal means they will have to sell by next summer at the latest to avoid possibly losing him on a free in 2022.
While Pogba's position at United has been clear for a long time. He wants to leave, but the club have blocked a move as they would need to sell for less than they paid and they don't want to lose face. However, the club have now got themselves in the stupid position of not being able to sell him due to the activation on the one year extension and they cannot "profitieer" from that extension. Meaning they keep an unhappy player for the next 18 months then lose him for nothing, they offer him a new massive deal and pay a player far more than he's worth and throw the wage structure into disarray, or they find a solution where he leaves and the club save face.
So, I was wondering is a Pogba/ Dybala swap even possible?
1.) 13 Nov 2020 17:39:25
Shappy they can sell him next summer or in Jan.
2.) 13 Nov 2020 17:58:53
Dybala is a good player for sure but plays mainly as a second striker. Is that the position we really need to reinforce the most? Feels like we'd go for him due to convenience rather than extensively scouted him etc and he be right for the team. Mishandling Pogba will lose us some serious cash ultimately. If we were going to swap Pogba for anyone at Juventus though I'd be targeting Matthijs de Ligt. At least then that's moving on a known problem for a potential solution (to our CB issue) .
3.) 13 Nov 2020 19:06:14
We already have too many Ams in Vdb, Bruno and Pogba why would we swap Pogba for Dybala. It would be like the dumbest thing to do.
4.) 14 Nov 2020 07:30:07
I think dybala could suit an interchanging front 3 system but yeah I would worry about him wanting to play the Bruno role. In an ideal world we’d just sell pogba, we have no use for him. He cannot play in a team with Bruno in my eyes as they occupy the same spaces and Bruno is much more reliable and had shown more in less than a year than pogba has since he returned. For me I would sell him and bring in a quality DM. Ideal would be Saul as he can play the deeper role but I think if we were to go down the purely defensive minded midfielder we couldn’t go wrong with Zakaria. Saying that Partey certainly looks the real deal atm.
5.) 14 Nov 2020 07:41:57
He isn't AM Singh, he is, as Halesini said, a second striker. It could mean a change of formation, and playing with two forwards.
6.) 14 Nov 2020 13:44:26
Always thought he’d be a great option at RF.
7.) 14 Nov 2020 14:10:14
Ken, my understanding is that as United triggered the one year extension in Pogba's contact (which would have been up next summer 2021) to last until 2022. That means any money from any sale would go to Pogba unless some sort of agreement can be reached between United and Pogba to circumvent the "profiteering" regulations.
i. e. the club can't activate the one year extension just to make money from his sale.
While Dybala wouldn't be my first choice option, I could see him working well in a two man front line if the management decided to go with a 41212 or 3512 shape full time with the squad.
I've heard that it is an option both club's are exploring to save face/ get a player they want/ avoid losing key players for free.
Personally I'd have sold Pogba last summer, and brought in Bruno a few months earlier.
Ideally I think we need a left sided CB partner for Maguire (as we are unlikely to drop a 80m player who is the club captain) . Getting a left sided CB means Maguire can be pushed over to the right hand side and get a little more protection from AWB.
A CDM to replace Matic long term, who struggles to play 2 games a week over a whole season. I really like McTominay, but I don't think he is a natural holding player. He best attribute is his running power and ability to move box to box, neither of which is used as a holding midfielder. While his passing range is limited, especially his long range passing accuracy, and his defensive reading of the game is average. Although he is strong in defensive duels. While Fred I'm not sure what his best role is. He isn't great creatively, his passing and first touch are erratic, he is terrible in the holding role. He is at his best as an annoying buzzing player, getting in the face of the opposition and winning the ball back then playing short, simple passes. However, I feel to really get the best out of him you would need BOTH a deeplying playmaker AND a No.10. either way, we seriously lack a natural holding CDM to cover/ replace Matic.
Then obviously we need a RW, it was meant to be Sancho. Whether that ship has sailed remains to be seen. Yet next summer we will likely have to compete with at least one of Liverpool, Chelsea, City, PSG, Real Madrid or even Barcelona for his signature. Meaning that he will likely cost more than what we weren't willing to pay this summer.
8.) 14 Nov 2020 16:32:08
People keep saying that, but is that really the case Shappy? Sancho wants to go to England, which would leave 4 teams in the race. Chelsea already has a lot of atackers, and if he choose Liverpool, he would be 2nd choice. He won't go back to City. PSG might be an option, but I think that's highly unlikely. Real has different targets in Mbappe, Haaland and the player from Ren (forgot his name) . Barcelona has no money, unless they sell some of their expensive players. Back to Liverpool, as I think they could be an option, if Salah leaves.
9.) 14 Nov 2020 17:18:28
Trololo, Salah might leave Liverpool next summer so Sancho could be the replacement.
City might have a new manager and could look for a big name signing for the manager and could look to Sancho.
PSG might lose either Mbappe or Neymar and would look for a top signing to replace either of them.
Real Madrid have been approached by his agent and could easily switch their focus to him if they can't get other targets.
Barcelona might be looking for a replacement for Messi and Sancho could be the ideal player.
Chelsea are less likely to get involved, but do have a previous interest.
I doubt ALL of those sides would be interested, but if even ONE of them are then we immediately face competition for him which we didn't have this year. While the likelihood that NONE of them would show an interest is slim at best.
10.) 14 Nov 2020 20:39:32
Considering we keep playing juan mata right wing and let him drift infield and link up with other attackers, it isn't outside the realm of possibilities that dybala could do a similar sort of role.
11.) 15 Nov 2020 01:07:46
We might as well swap him with cash. The guys is the modern day Carlton Palmer.
12.) 15 Nov 2020 01:16:40
Sure Shappy, we both got our opinions about that possible transfer, but you made it look like every club out there is going to fight for Sancho. There is no chance that every club you mentioned will be interested in him. Liverpool could easily be the only contender.
13.) 15 Nov 2020 05:42:41
Dybala has a fantastic left foot and can easily play on the right side of a front three.
14.) 15 Nov 2020 10:31:27
Trololo, I'm not sure I did.
"Yet next summer we will likely have to compete with at least one of Liverpool, Chelsea, City, PSG, Real Madrid or even Barcelona for his signature. "
That's what Is said in my post. Where I clearly say "likely" and "at least one of".
I haven't said anyone would definitely be in for him, just that several other clubs are likely to hold an interest.
Personally I think the deal is dead. If we weren't prepared to pay what Dortmund wanted this year then why would we pay it next year?
{Ed002's Note - Juventus are already in discussions with another side over Dybala as clubs are making an effort to agree transfers as early as possible. An exchange for Pogba is not something that has been discussed and there remains the issue of a renewed contract if Dybala were to drop his insistance on a particular clause in his contract.}
15.) 15 Nov 2020 11:35:57
Cheers Ed002, that puts that to bed.
16.) 15 Nov 2020 22:42:19
Sorry, I read it in that manner. Yes, we wouldn't pay that amount, but neither did anyone else. Obviously the price was too high. As much as I'd like to see Sancho playing for United, it shouldn't happen at that price.
And virus is still active, I doubt much will change until summer, concerning other clubs (and Uniteds) budget.
16 Oct 2020 10:38:29
"Paul's our player, he's going to be here for another two years and I'm sure Paul is focused on doing his best for us and we want to see the best of Paul. I'm sure in the next couple of years we'll get the best out of him. "
Solskjaer's most recent comments about Paul Pogba. So I doubt he'll be dropped for the Newcastle game, and it looks like the club intend to activate the one year extension and let him leave on a free in 2022. Poor decision in my opinion, and just shows the lack of leadership, direction and basic understanding of football from the top brass at the club.
1.) 16 Oct 2020 11:19:35
“Pauls head is elsewhere, he has wanted to leave for the past 3 summers, didn't see eye to eye with previous manager like a lot of the squad. Paul is not focused on doing his best for us, i'm sure hell excel elsewhere in the next couple of years”.
Probably closer to the truth but ole is hardly gonma say that in his press conference.
2.) 16 Oct 2020 11:37:01
What about the poor decision making from Old to keep shoe-horning him in the midfield, playing deep when it clearly isn't working?
3.) 16 Oct 2020 12:16:03
It worked pretty well last season post lockdown.
I can't think of a single player who has played well in the league for us this season.
4.) 16 Oct 2020 12:57:35
Just don't play him. Should be easy enough for the manager.
5.) 16 Oct 2020 13:08:01
Maybe Paul Scholes?
6.) 16 Oct 2020 13:15:08
Did it dsg? 2 cup semi finals and a dismal few games before that.
Our best run was when pogba was injured.
7.) 16 Oct 2020 13:17:04
so we will be playing with ten men for the next two seasons then.
8.) 16 Oct 2020 13:20:00
DarkKnight, With Pogba there are three options with him in the squad.
1. Don't play him at all. but the draw back is every time you drop points that decision will be questioned. While if the club weren't going to play him they might have well sold him this summer even if it was for 10m.
2. Play him in a position that will get the best out of Pogba even if that is to the detriment to other players such as Bruno, Rashford or whoever. The plus side is pogba plays well, the downside is others might not. Plus if Pogba doesn't sign a new deal then he leaves after we have built the team around him.
3. Try and crowbar him in at his detriment and not that of other players who are committed to the side. That way if he leaves then he isn't a key player in our squad. While other players haven't had their form impacted by Pogba. While win, lose or draw you can't be questioned for leaving out "potentially" one of our best players.
None are good options, we have an unbalanced squad and a key player who wants to leave. Ideally the club would have moved him on this summer and Donny would have been his replacement in the first team. While Lingard or Pereira could have added depth until next season when hopefully one or two of Garner, Levitt and Mejbri might be ready to push for a first team spot depending on how they develop this season.
9.) 16 Oct 2020 15:02:48
I agree with Ken. Our best run was with Fred-Mactominay double pivot.
10.) 16 Oct 2020 17:38:49
2 guys with limited talent giving it everything are better than a player with lots of talent but not giving it his all.
11.) 16 Oct 2020 17:52:22
Ken, Pogba featured in every unbeaten game since project restart.
His first appearance post lockdown was against Spurs in which he won us the penalty after coming on as a substitute.
Apart from that he started all other matches.
I just feel he is not motivated to play for us. It shows in the lack of effort.
There are times when Bruno busts his guts and tracks back when he loses the ball, but I've yet to see that attitude from Pogba.
12.) 16 Oct 2020 17:55:05
Ken i wouldn't say that the only problem is he doesn't give everything. The 2 limited guys you refer to are simply better than Pogba in this role, they are better defencive 8 in this double pivot role.
13.) 16 Oct 2020 18:27:15
Pogba should be playing as understudy to Bruno, with Fred and VdB and Matic and McTominey fighting for the other two positions.
14.) 16 Oct 2020 18:53:36
Trd read the post.
We have been poor since he came back in the team. I think since project restart we played well twice. Before restart we played well in 7 or 8 games while he was injured. Our form has deteriorated since the restart game by game until now.
Its not just him ole has them all playing badly especially his own signings.
15.) 16 Oct 2020 18:59:08
Given how Pogba has played for the last year he doesn’t even merit a place in the starting 11. If it wasn’t for his commercial/ social media value the club would be working much harder to shift him out. Also, our relationship with Real Madrid is horrendous and I can’t see us ever selling anyone to them under the current environment. I saw Spanish reports that Barcelona were interested and perhaps we could get some players from them in exchange. De Jong would be my top choice, he’s come into some criticism from the Catalan media recently and when that happens then 90% of the time it doesn’t work out well for the player.
16.) 17 Oct 2020 08:07:26
Not sure Real will be Pogba's next destination, aren't they prioritising Mbappe, a right winger and Camavinga next summer?
17.) 18 Oct 2020 06:50:00
He wouldn’t excel anywhere dsg he’s a no good drama queen.
Shappy's banter posts with other poster's replies to Shappy's banter posts
06 May 2021 22:06:57
Roma had 22 shots, having 13 on target.
What tonight proves is:
1. We can't play without a defensive double pivot. We complain about McFred but simply without that defensive cover in midfield we concede far too many chances.
2. This idea that the "right" partner will make Maguire a better player is just not true. Bailly is quicker and can cover him in theory. Yet in reality when a defender has to cover for another then the area they should be covering is left undefended.
While a striker and a RW would be good additions (and we need them) surely tonight proves where our true weaknesses lie.
1.) 06 May 2021 22:45:48
And yet we win a semi final comfortably and still moaning.
2.) 07 May 2021 06:05:51
Someone trying to be Mr Positive in all posts.
3.) 07 May 2021 06:11:14
One game in a tie that was already over doesn't prove anything.
05 May 2021 07:23:46
So, I have been reading sporadically over the past couple of days, but I'm in the middle of exam week so my ability to engage in these discussions is sadly limited this week.
United Addict, I've had a look down the back of the sofa but I'm a little short of the 4Bn needed, maybe we can have a whip around?
I've seen the debate between Ken and GDS, and honestly, I can see both sides. On one hand there is absolutely no sane reason why the Glazers would sell the club currently. It just doesn't make financial sense; you don't sell the goose that lays the golden eggs. While on the small-scale individual level that GDS lives on him alone giving up his season ticket won't make a lot of difference as there are dozens of people who are willing to buy up his season ticket even now. So, he would lose out for little to no gain.
When it comes to the Glazers ownership, I have mixed feelings. I hate the way they bought the club; I wholeheartedly disagree with it. Yet from a business sense it was a brilliant deal. I'm unhappy with the lack of investment in facilities, the club makes enough money to repair the stadium roof, we can afford to redecorate and improve the facilities. However, for some reason they choose not to. It might be that they don't see it as a necessary investment, or they may not really be aware of the condition. They are very "hands off" owners. They have though allowed the investment in players, which as fans surely, we care more about the quality on the pitch than the shade of paint on the walls.
The issue is their "hands off" approach is a double-edged sword, the benefit of not having a meddling owner who doesn't understand football making footballing decisions can be disastrous. We have seen many lower league clubs and even ex-EPL sides tumble down the leagues and even go out of existence due to owners trying to play fantasy football with a real club. However, the "hands off" approach also means that there is somewhat of a power vacuum, no clear vision from the top, no real footballing understanding making key footballing decisions.
My biggest complaint of the Glazer ownership isn't them taking dividends, it's their choices in who to have running the shop. If they had hired the best in class in terms of running a football club and not a hedge-fund then they could have spent significantly less than the 1bn+ on players that they have and still be in a better position on the pitch. That money saved could have been spent on facilities or whatever. The reality of our current footballing malaise isn't a lack of spending on players it's a combination of hiring the wrong managers and spending huge amounts on the wrong players. Someone pointed out that we spent 80m on Maguire while City spent 40m on Dias. Fellaini, Schniederlin, Schweinsteiger, Di Maria, Lukaku, Blind, Lindelof, Maguires, Dalot, Fred, Sanchez, Mkhitaryan, etc, etc. Just look at all that money spent on those players wasted, how many of those players have made a telling contribution to our team? Spent more wisely by people who understand football and we could have a side that could genuinely be challenging City for the title this season, regardless of the Glazers dividends.
When people say we need a back up RB, hello what about the 20m spent on Dalot, or even Williams?
We need at least one top quality CB after spending on Rojo, Blind, Bailly, Lindelof and Maguire to the tune of 180m+. That isn't a lack of investment, its spunking money up the wall.
We need a CDM, yet we spent 50m+ on Fred less than 3 years ago.
We need a RW, have we signed a RW? Not really, certainly not someone who primarily plays from the right. We have bought square pegs for a round hole and tried to crowbar James, Mkhitaryan etc into the RW spot, as well as trying a striker in Greenwood and a CAM in Lingard there from our own academy. With all that money spent no one special-ist right sided attacker signed, that's just incompetence.
We need a striker, yet we spent huge amounts on Martial, Zlatan, Lukaku and Cavani. That is over 180m on strikers in transfer fees and signing on fees. You shouldn't be able to spend 180m on one position and still not have a good enough option there. Again, that isn't a lack of investment its just money being poorly spent.
So, the real issue for me with the Glazer ownership isn't dividends or debt, it's the simple poor running of the club. For the sums spent we should be a much better side. We aren't and that is due to the amateur way the club is run.
As for trying to force the Glazers out, I will say be careful what you wish for. There are no guarantees the next people will be better than the current ones. But if you are determined to try and shift them then Ken is right you need to hit them in the wallet. However, I don't think giving up season tickets is a realistic way of doing that. We have too many fans who'll just buy them up. That would need to be a coordinated effort across millions of fans. Sadly, that just won't happen. However, ticket sales are only a fraction of the clubs income. If you really want to hit them in the wallet you need to start protesting against the sponsors. Sponsors only pay huge sums for good publicity and being aligned with our club brings. As fans we have the ability to flip that on its head, make it that brands such as Adidias and all the other corporate sponsors are getting bad publicity from their connection to the club and suddenly sponsorship will dry up. You would reduce a massive revenue stream and there won't be anything the Glazers could do about it.
1.) 05 May 2021 08:08:28
For every Dias there is a Mangala. I seem to remember City were also in for Maguire, we just outbid them. If City outbid us for the likes of Maguire, I'm sure many United supporters would have complained.
2.) 05 May 2021 09:16:37
Grim, ManCity realized that an average player like Maguire was not worth that amount of money.
Right move from them.
We on the other hand broke the world record transfer for a defender knowing he has BIG deficiencies in his game and need another defender to address it.
Yet another shocking decision making from the amateurs.
3.) 05 May 2021 09:19:27
Maybe Grim, I wouldn't have been one of them as I did say before we signed Maguire that he wasn't a player I thought was good enough.
Maguire isn't a bad player, he's just limited in certain aspects. As such he isn't worth the sort of fee we paid for him.
Is he any better than Fofana who Leicester signed for around 30m?
I appreciate that not all transfers work out. Yet our hit rate is extremely low. Personally I think the lack of structure, vision and planning is behind it.
We don't have a clear vision of how we want to play.
We don't create pathways for our academy lads into the first team.
We sign players who are playing well in a vastly different set up to the one we play.
We have in the past seemingly signed players for their brand appeal as much as for their footballing ability, or they're suitability for the current squad. Vanity signings.
Maguire is a case in point. Bought because of his nationality as much as for his footballing ability. Anyone who had scouted Maguire would be well aware of his limitations. I'm not a professional scout and I could see them from the limited minutes I saw him play for Leicester and England. It was clear then that we didn't have the sort of defenders at the club who had the ability to mitigate his weaknesses. While it's arguable that his biggest strengths (playing out from the back, and getting on the end of crosses both in defence and attack) didn't really suit our playing style at the time. We were/ are a counter attacking side, not a possession based side. Our full backs tended to bomb forward leaving the wide areas exposed meaning that instead of crosses coming into our box for Maguire to defend it was quick players cutting in and running at him at pace. Something Maguire has always struggled with due to his lack of pace and mobility. While we had no one at the time who could deliver quality accurate crosses from set pieces for Maguire to attack in the oppositions box.
Since his signing we have had to adapt our play to mitigate his weaknesses. We now play with narrower almost inverted full backs so as to not leave Maguire isolated, we have also had to move to a defensive minded double pivot to further shield the defence, in an attempt to force attackers wide and to cross into the box to play to Maguire's strengths. As a side note this has exposed Lindelof's aerial weakness.
Many of the team's current set up issues stem from a slight shift in tactical set up to mitigate an £80m signing. That's ridiculous, and highlights the poor scouting, planning and flawed thinking that goes into our signings.
4.) 05 May 2021 09:32:37
Do we have that much over subscription for season tickets? Would GDS or anyone else’s be snapped up so quickly? In the old days maybe but now I am not convinced at all. There is no waiting list, it’s very expensive as a hobby with major commitment for games that can now be any day of the week, you have to have ultimate flexibility with work and home to go.
Like Shappy I see both sides, I know how hard it is to give up a season ticket held for decades. Yet I also know financial is the best tool to fight with. Thing is giving up a season ticket isn’t that big a deal, it’s your other activities that actually count, they make their real money on advertising and big deals with sponsors. Stop spending in the ground, the shop, on line, on those who sponsor or on mutv would likely be more effective than giving up your ST.
5.) 05 May 2021 10:40:29
RedMan - even more difficult for folk financially due to C.V. affecting jobs, income etc.
6.) 05 May 2021 11:23:20
Wonder how long that post would have been if you weren't doing exams Shaps ;)
I can see both sides of the debate also, but I am not a fan of being told to give up my season ticket or I can't have an opinion.
7.) 05 May 2021 11:38:44
Shappy, I can't help but think about your lecturers and professors having to go through your essays and thesis. I am sure because of you they now start questions with 'In hundred words or less, explain . . '
Couldt help it pal :)
8.) 05 May 2021 13:46:24
Who said you couldn't have an opinion and nobody told you to do anything.
9.) 05 May 2021 17:44:42
There have been two phases to the Glazer's ownership:
1. The 1st 10 years was spent servicing the LBO debt and thus failing to pay the cost of replacing our quality players with those of similar quality while rival clubs, unburdened by debt load, caught us up when they were acquired by billionaires using their own money. This phase can be summed up by SAF's "there's no value in the transfer market". Advantage over.
2. The post SAF era when, finally, money was then thrown at the problem. However it seems to have been done in a hasty desperate manner without any cohesive on the field planning as might have been provided by a technical director.
You can choose to blame who you want - none of the main protagonists look that good - but to me the old adage "The buck stops here" applies.
10.) 05 May 2021 19:02:50
Maybe SAFs "there is no value in the transfer market" was the truth and mean it. SAF replaced Ronaldo with Valencia and fans are accuse Glazers for this.
What if SAF simply wanted Valencia? Previous two years SAF took Hargreaves, Nani, Anderson, Tevez on loan and Berbatov. So they backed him. I can't believe SAF was a yes man and played with Glazers cards when he said there is no value. O think he simply meaned it.
11.) 05 May 2021 21:18:58
Thanks guys, second exam of the week finished and I was even a few words below the word count 😂
Herrera, it was the timing of Sir Alex's comments. There was a global financial crisis that the Glazers hadn't expected and as such the high interest loans took a hammering. The club had a big financial black hole at the time and selling Ronaldo saved huge financial penalties.
Money was tight for a few seasons, almost entirely because of the debt. That was when Sir Alex said there was no value in the market.
02 May 2021 07:38:54
"It's nice to see when the quality of a manager is more important than the experience you have"
Nice little quote from Jürgen Klopp on Ole being named Manchester United manager. He went on to say:
"Nobody knew how it would work and it worked out absolutely sensationally from the beginning and then a little dip, and now they look absolutely really good. He deserves credit for that along with his coaches".
So what do we take from this?
Is Klopp being genuine and he can see something in the way Ole is managing the club. Or are quotes said to the media not always entirely honest? In which case can we ever take a quote in the media at face value?
1.) 02 May 2021 08:14:42
What do we take from this. Most Managers say nice things about their next opposition. How has it worked sensationally and who for? Liverpool have won the European Cup and the precious League on Ole’s watch. The Manager of our greatest rivals wants the ex Cardiff manager to stay in position because it gives Liverpool more chance to win the major trophies. Most opposition fans want Ole to stay.
2.) 02 May 2021 09:27:34
Ofcourse the opposition managers and fans would love Ole to continue as they can have fun watching us stay in mediocracy.
3.) 02 May 2021 09:28:09
Bit harsh Red, Ole has done well, been more consistent in the league than Moyes, LVG and Jose. He needs to improve in knockout competitions, hopefully he can do that his year.
I know you want instant success but that was never going to happen with Ole, his job was to stabilise the team and provide consistency. You cannot argue he hasn't done that, especially with our away form over the last 12 months.
I'm sure nobody knows more than Ole that he needs to win something, but if we win the EL this year, bring in a decent CB and get Cavani to sign for another year, I think that will be a successful year.
Out of interest, who would you get in to replace Ole at the moment?
{Ed014's Note - I’m sure it was you that suggested your squad was as good if not better than city’s, I assumed you’d been drinking, in which case his efforts have been piss poor.
4.) 02 May 2021 09:36:12
I don’t think you can take anything from it, but I presume you will use it as evidence that Ole is the Messiah.
5.) 02 May 2021 10:24:47
Not at all Fresh, I've said numerous times that I don't think Ole is good enough to take us back to the very top.
It seems that opinions must be polarised. If you think the manager should be sacked then you want to see his head on a pike outside Old Trafford, or if you don't think sacking him will make a huge difference then you think he is the Messiah.
Like I've said now for the millionth time it seems. I don't think Ole is a great manager, I do think he is doing okay under the circumstances. While I don't think a huge amount will change if/ when we change manager. The style of football has been fairly similar under Moyes/ LvG/ Jose/ Ole, so I doubt it'll change much under the next manager.
Truth be told I posted this for two reasons. Firstly, to highlight the near complete irrelevance of posting a quote to back up your opinion. It's a pointless endeavour trying to substantiate your opinion with the opinion of another person, especially when that opinion is taken out of context.
Secondly, just as a fishing exercise, for rubbishs and giggles 😂.
6.) 02 May 2021 10:47:30
I wouldn't take a word of this seriously.
Ole has done fine, lots of mistakes but measurable improvement. Better football than Jose but a hell of a long way to go. Almost what you'd expect taking a rookie manager from Norway.
Failures are above him with the running of the club and player signings. he's done fine with what he's had but could have and should have had more.
There has been improvements in the squad and a number of players either moved or moving on: Sanchez, Smalling, Young, Darmian, Lukaku, Rojo. Andreas, Jones, Lingard, De Gea, Axel seems next.
He's also introduced, developed or improved a number of youth and bought players.
Externally we're are going to lose the EPL to a sovereign state who are condemned by Amnesty International. Investment of £2B (let's not talk about where it came from and what happend to the labour that made it) where our owners have taken out £1B. Let's be real how do you compete with that?
FSG have invested in players, wages and stadia in the same period and enjoyed success. Let's hope we win today and keep them out of the UCL so they feel the pinch of that investment.
Taking all if of this into account Ole has done some good things and has without doubt reinforced club values and culture. If he left now he leaves us in a better place.
The confines of our reality vs ability to deliver on fan ambitions are different concepts.
{Ed014's Note - wasn’t Ole bragging about how much money you’d have to spend even whilst there was a pandemic.
Liverpool haven’t spent as much as you or City and they won the league 🤷♂️
7.) 02 May 2021 12:55:33
To be honest I couldn't give a flying f**k what Klopp says or thinks! I think he is preparing to loose so he's lining up the excuses.
{Ed014's Note - you need to let the bitterness go fella
8.) 02 May 2021 13:46:42
There is tremendous support from manager to manager. They must converse very often besides just on matchdays and what we see or hear about. I think Klopp is a genuine guy and don't see any reason he'd present this angle for any particular reason if he didn't mean it.
I don't see any manager winning the league with Manchester United in the next few years, and that isn't a reflection on who is in charge now. City will add a world class striker next season, Chelsea are going from strength to strength and despite adding at least seven first team players this season Tuchel will add his own over summer. I suspect next season will be a scrap between those two. These things go in cycles, Utd were in one with great success over a long period and we were a bit spoilt, but it's someone else's turn now. At least we're not Arsenal, their fall from grace has been more alarming I'd say.
{Ed014's Note - very alarming but that’s what you get with owners with zero interest if football but rather just money.
The same reason you’ve been floundering around since 2013 and wasting a fortune in dosh.
9.) 02 May 2021 14:18:27
Arsenal have managed to stay top half for a very long time, they may not have won much in recent years but neither have we! .
I wouldn't call arsenal's fall from grace alarming when you think they are still a top ten team, we have spent massive sums of money to try to maintain top four, and city spend insane amounts to be top of the pile. Money talks.
10.) 02 May 2021 15:00:02
Ole is doing a great job, and Klopp is recognizing that. Funny how people in the game seem to recognize what he is doing but on here he is cast as a pantomime villain.
He is not the messiah, or what ever else people want to throw at those that support him.
He understands the club, from top to bottom (at least on the playing side) and has quietly gone about getting the club back to what is was when it was winning.
The flack he gets on here for playing a double pivot with Fred and McTom is relentless. He is accused of being boring, not wanting to win, destroying the tradition of the club. Yet mid week we destroyed Roma in a semi final playing this way, with exciting attacking football.
To still talk about the guy in terms of his cv now is quite frankly ridiculous. He is doing it, in the job, and is the best of the rest after a superb season from city.
What he needs is supporting, properly supporting and let's see if he can challenge next year for the title. If we hold back, and half support him - that might mean the club don't back him for what he wants to improve in the summer.
I'm not convinced we need limitless spending. But give the guy what he wants in terms of additions within a set budget and let's see what he's got.
If he fails again in the UCL group stages, then maybe we decide he just hasn't got that extra 5% it takes to be elite. If he's way off in the league then maybe it is time to say the same. But after this season? Not for me.
11.) 02 May 2021 16:58:03
How much would it cost to get arsenal back into the top 4 do you thinK? 😉.
30 Apr 2021 21:27:41
I know we have several posters on here from India. The current situation in India with regards to the C.V. is horrific.
I just want to send a message of solidarity and best wishes to all fellow posters in India and their families.
We don't always agree on what we discuss on here, but we are all United supporters and we are all human beings.
Stay safe and look after eachother.
1.) 30 Apr 2021 21:42:42
Times are hard Shappy and I hope and pray the same for people over in India.
2.) 01 May 2021 07:34:38
Thanks Shappy and Singh. Really appreciate your concerns and wishes. The second wave has truly hit us badly. Its as horrific as can be. Everywhere you look around, its sickness, bodies, people tumbling over each other to get to the medics. Its a nightmare.
That said, we are all trying our level best to defeat this C.V.
I would like to give a shout out to one of our own, perhaps some may know him. I know him personally as well as professionally. He took a sabbatical from his CEO position 6 months back to be on the ground to help the needy. He is here helping setting up facilities, hospitals, beds, isolation centers and what not. I know he adopted a few families as well to take care of them. Recently he again used his personal assets and his connections to import oxygen and concentrators from US and the emirates. He is out there fighting. Well done SHAN. Really proud of you. At this time, the world needs fighters like you.
3.) 01 May 2021 08:37:27
Good man shan a real nice guy.
Keep the faith UA.
4.) 01 May 2021 08:59:07
Well done Shan
A really sad situation in India, a wonderful country I visited once. My thoughts are with everyone there.
30 Apr 2021 08:46:37
Two big take away points from last night.
1, Having a hard working intelligent striker does make winning games much easier. His second goal for me was the most impressive, pure poachers instincts to predict the loose ball to tap home. It's those goals that Martial is missing from his repertoire.
2, An equally or potentially bigger impact than Cavani was Pogba. Having that extra creative player stationed out wide meant that all of our play didn't have to go through Bruno. That gave Bruno the space he needed to have his best game for us in two months. While the creative threat from Pogba made much more space for all of our attackers.
1.) 30 Apr 2021 08:56:48
Shappy- I agree: maybe because you put your points across in less than 5000 words mate:)
2.) 30 Apr 2021 09:52:45
Agree Shappy. when Pogba plays in that left wide position it opens up a new dimension for United going forward.
Like you said it also relieves a lot of pressure from Bruno who has struggled over the past 5-6 weeks.
The only thing i wasn't happy about was Rashford being stuck on the right, he didn't look comfortable and had a poor game.
The dilemma is if Pogba stays and Ole puts him on that left side which is obviously his best position what happens to Rashford.
In my opinion Rashford isn't an out and out centre forward and clearly he isn't happy on that right side and in my eyes Greenwood is much more effective playing on the right.
3.) 30 Apr 2021 10:21:56
Maybe it's time to play Tashford as a forward, if Cavani goes and Pogba stays?
4.) 30 Apr 2021 11:35:00
Shappyy well done amd i agree with whst you say and its good that you didn't write a essay so i actually bothered readin ya post.
5.) 30 Apr 2021 11:53:28
Cavani was world class.
His ability on the ball is under-rated. That pass to Greenwood and his touches around the box are just simply too good.
Also, Bruno had Pogba to work in tandem for the added creativity which helps a lot to break down teams.
Only thing which irked me was not giving VDB a run in when the game was done and dusted.
Is he a 6th choice in midfield now? If we are to plan a future with him, he should play more games ahead of Mata and Matic.
6.) 30 Apr 2021 13:23:22
Shappy
If you look back to probably 18 months ago I kept saying Pogba further forward on the left to let him be creative. Some said it was right where Ole had him as a holding midfielder, where I said he could get caught in possession, however maybe last night opened some peoples eyes that he is, as I said better further forward.
7.) 30 Apr 2021 14:20:29
With the right man behind him he should be able to do it from midfield alongside bruno.
8.) 30 Apr 2021 14:25:15
I think it's pretty evident that Pogba should be playing further up the pitch on the left. His best games have come from that position and he's starting to be influence games on a more regular basis.
The big question is will he stay or will he go.
9.) 30 Apr 2021 14:35:43
Red Man - I completely agree, there is absolutely no doubt Pogba is at his best when he is on the ball in the final third. He can dribble, pass, shoot, he’s also a decent crosser of the ball and good in the air.
I think we can sometimes get seduced by his physical attributes, by his power, his strength and size and view him more as a Patrick Vieira type player getting around the pitch, making tackles and driving the team forward from midfield but I’ve never really seen Pogba as that type of player. Of course he can play that role but defensively he’s not a great tackler, he doesn’t sense danger or track runners and can often be caught in possession in his own half when he plays deeper.
I really like him from the left, operating in the pockets with the freedom to move around the pitch and get into the box but crucially getting him on the ball in the final third where he is both creative but also offers the team a genuine goal threat. I think if he plays in that position all season he’s capable of scoring at least 10 league goals with 10-15 assists.
10.) 30 Apr 2021 15:00:44
Pogba reminds me of Hazard/ Nasri playing on that left hand side, able to play between the lines, is a very good dribbler and has the eye for a pass and links up really well with Shaw.
11.) 30 Apr 2021 18:22:19
Ole's tricky Thursday night reds are on the move.
Great game, Bruno's first and Cavani's top bins goal where fantastic. Pogba played great but would love to see him and Bruno play as 8s with a single pivot. Special shout out to agent Smalling for doing his greatest hits rendition and reminding everyone of his love for Utd and being our 12th Man.
I can see this summer being a quiet one if Cavani stays, which could be a good thing. I guess it depends on Martial and if he leaves, Sancho would be a good replacement along with an upgrade on Johnny Lindelof but feel we need more quality in CDM.
12.) 30 Apr 2021 21:11:35
Of the 6 penalties given away at OT this year Pogba has been responsible for 4 of them. He is not a good tackler and that position on the left does require him to track back and put in his defensive quota. But that said, he does seem to be best suited to playing closer to the opponent's goal both as a provide and a scorer.
As noted, the set up did seem to waste Rashford, who may not have enjoyed himself at all, but it's a team game and thus a sacrifice worth making if we're going to bang in 6.
06 May 2021 09:45:59
I think Serie A is the ideal league for him. If he goes I'll wish him well.
03 May 2021 13:00:11
I'll check down the back of the sofa and see if I can scrape together a spare 4bn😂.
{Ed014's Note - your word count on this site can’t be far off 4 billion Shappy 😉
02 May 2021 12:27:25
Jgb, I doubt very much that is the case. The rumours are that we will sign a striker only IF Cavani leaves.
I suspect he'll probably not feel entirely welcome in the UK after being suspended for a racial comment.
Plus he has a young family and wants to return to South America to be closer to his extended family. Something many people who live in different countries to their extended family are realising in a post C.V. world. Having spent a year not being able to fly between countries so freely.
30 Apr 2021 19:27:48
Would be ideal if we can get him to stay one more season.
Firstly, he is performing for the team, any potential replacement signed is not guaranteed to hit the mark.
Secondly, I don't think we can afford to spend upwards of 100m on a top class striker this summer.
Thirdly, I have high hopes for Greenwood, while I wouldn't be against asking him to step up next season. An extra year training and learning from a top class striker will only aid his development. While a striker of Cavani's age and injury record means Greenwood will still get plenty of chances to play through the middle and prove his worth.
30 Apr 2021 08:14:32
Still over paid Angel😂.
06 May 2021 18:38:15
So are all the teams left in the UCL crap? Or are they all of a similar competitive level thus they cancel themselves out in matches. Sort of like an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.
For me this is the biggest underestimation that the ESL club's made.
You ask any fan of any of the top sides which was their most important match of the season they will likely say the game against the their biggest rival.
Yet if you ask them which was the most entertaining game, well then it will likely be a big win against one of the "smaller" clubs.
Which 90 minutes did you enjoy watching most this season, our 2-0 win at the Etihad, or our 9-0 thrashing of Southampton?
In a ESL you would likely see tight, tactical, low scoring games every week for the most part. 1-0, 2-1, 0-0.
While the games against the top sides draw the most media attention, and receive the most intrigue. They are also often the dullest matches as well.
The reason fans are interested in the matches against the top side is because they don't happen very often. However, if it was every week then they would soon lose their appeal. Especially when most weeks the games are lacking in entertainment.
06 May 2021 10:17:48
I think its just one of those cycles. Real and Barcelona for the past 10 years have be lifted by having arguably the two best players ever playing for them.
Messi and Ronaldo are now declining, and the next generation are yet to hit those heights.
Juventus seem to have become complacent after so many years of not being challenged in Serie A. They don't know what they are doing or how to improve, they are stuck between cycles. They mixed with a winning formula in an attempt to win the UCL and it hasn't worked.
Bayern Munich look ready to become the dominant force over the next few years for me. Kimmich is unreal, Gnarby, Coman and Sane up front look dangerous. They have some great options in defence, they just need to find the right system. Lewandowski and Newer will need replacing in the next year or so, but they have the money to bring in the best. Plus in Nagelsmann they have arguably the best young manager in the world. Last year they won the Bundesliga, the UCL, the DFB-Pokal cup, the UEFA Super cup and the World Club Cup. So they have been pretty good up to now.
PSG have two of the best talents in the world in Mbappe and Marquinhos. They also have the worlds best actor in Neymar.
I think this year has been odd, no fans in stadiums and so much football crammed in to such a short period of time it hasn't really be a year for entertaining football. Just grit your teeth and get through it.
Footballers bring the skills, but fans bring the passion. Once we get fans back into stadiums the passion for football will return.
06 May 2021 10:04:08
Tuchel is a good manager, I'm not sure he is a great one though. Chelsea have had many top manager, yet Di Matteo is the only Chelsea manager to have won the UCL with them so far.
Cup competitions always require a certain amount of luck, but credit to Chelsea they have been much improved since the change in manager. They have a very good squad, while Liverpool might have the better first 11, I think it might be far to say Chelsea have the better squad.
If United and Arsenal make it to the EL final then we will will have the second all English European finals in 3 years.
Its great for English football. While each team has at least a couple of top young English players. Foden, Mount, Saka and Greenwood are probably my four favourite young English players to watch.
Foden looks like a future Balon D'or winner to me.
Mount is just ridiculous, he can play in the double pivot, as a free 8, a No.10 or out wide and it doesn't matter where he plays he influences the game. From a 22 year old to be able to impact the game at the highest level regardless of where he is played is astonishing. It also makes a mockery of the excuses made for players like Pogba when they struggle and we are told they aren't playing in their "best" position.
Saka showed great promise at LB and LWB, but like Bale he looks like he needs to be played further forward to really make the most of his abilities. Personally I'd probably pick him over Sancho for our RW spot.
Greenwood for me looks like a young RvP, which is a huge compliment as in my life time as a United supporter I feel that RvP was the best striker we had. The skill, the control, the way he hit the ball with little back lift but hit it so cleanly he would still get unbelievable power and accuracy, he could score all sorts of goals, he could run off the shoulder or drop deep and build play, he could score left foot, right foot or head. I don't believe we have had a more complete striker. I feel Greenwood could be as good, but unlike RvP we would get him potentially for his whole career rather than just the final few years.
05 May 2021 21:18:58
Thanks guys, second exam of the week finished and I was even a few words below the word count 😂
Herrera, it was the timing of Sir Alex's comments. There was a global financial crisis that the Glazers hadn't expected and as such the high interest loans took a hammering. The club had a big financial black hole at the time and selling Ronaldo saved huge financial penalties.
Money was tight for a few seasons, almost entirely because of the debt. That was when Sir Alex said there was no value in the market.
05 May 2021 09:19:27
Maybe Grim, I wouldn't have been one of them as I did say before we signed Maguire that he wasn't a player I thought was good enough.
Maguire isn't a bad player, he's just limited in certain aspects. As such he isn't worth the sort of fee we paid for him.
Is he any better than Fofana who Leicester signed for around 30m?
I appreciate that not all transfers work out. Yet our hit rate is extremely low. Personally I think the lack of structure, vision and planning is behind it.
We don't have a clear vision of how we want to play.
We don't create pathways for our academy lads into the first team.
We sign players who are playing well in a vastly different set up to the one we play.
We have in the past seemingly signed players for their brand appeal as much as for their footballing ability, or they're suitability for the current squad. Vanity signings.
Maguire is a case in point. Bought because of his nationality as much as for his footballing ability. Anyone who had scouted Maguire would be well aware of his limitations. I'm not a professional scout and I could see them from the limited minutes I saw him play for Leicester and England. It was clear then that we didn't have the sort of defenders at the club who had the ability to mitigate his weaknesses. While it's arguable that his biggest strengths (playing out from the back, and getting on the end of crosses both in defence and attack) didn't really suit our playing style at the time. We were/ are a counter attacking side, not a possession based side. Our full backs tended to bomb forward leaving the wide areas exposed meaning that instead of crosses coming into our box for Maguire to defend it was quick players cutting in and running at him at pace. Something Maguire has always struggled with due to his lack of pace and mobility. While we had no one at the time who could deliver quality accurate crosses from set pieces for Maguire to attack in the oppositions box.
Since his signing we have had to adapt our play to mitigate his weaknesses. We now play with narrower almost inverted full backs so as to not leave Maguire isolated, we have also had to move to a defensive minded double pivot to further shield the defence, in an attempt to force attackers wide and to cross into the box to play to Maguire's strengths. As a side note this has exposed Lindelof's aerial weakness.
Many of the team's current set up issues stem from a slight shift in tactical set up to mitigate an £80m signing. That's ridiculous, and highlights the poor scouting, planning and flawed thinking that goes into our signings.