Six new recruits needed at Man Utd; Klopp urged to take FA Cup seriously
Manchester United fans look at who needs to go and stay at Old Trafford in the summer and will Jurgen Klopp take the next round of the FA Cup seriously? All in the forum…
Join in the debate here…
Man Utd’s spending analaysed
Had a long debate with a mate this weekend about how United have spent crazy amounts, etc. and he wondered how we spent so much yet have such a poor team; so I’m taking a bit of time to put some info out there:
Taking from our first post-Fergie season until now in terms of major and not free transfers:
13-14: Spent 75m on Mata (still here) and Fellaini (sold for a big loss).
14-15: Spent 200m on Di Maria (sold for big loss after one year), Shaw (still here), Herrera (free transfer out), Rojo (loaned out and not first team player), Blind (sold for a small loss).
15-16: Spent 150m on Martial (still here), Schneiderlain (sold for roughly same amount), Depay (sold for roughly the same amount), Darmian (sold for a big loss), Schweinsteiger (free transfer out)
16-17: Spent 180m on Pogba (still here), Mhkitaryan (sold for Sanchez), Bailly (still here but always injured)
17-18: Spent 150m on Lukaku (sold for roughly the same amount), Matic (still here), Lindelof (still here)
18-19: Spent 70m on Fred (still here) and Dalot (still here – one for the future)
19-20: Spent 210m on Maguire (still here), Wan-Bissaka (still here), James (still here – one for the future) and Bruno Fernandes (still here)
So, taking all that into account: yes, we have spent but we need to take some points into account:
– Only 13 players have stuck around and that includes 2 players that should be players for the future.
– We have sold on a large number of players but made losses on them or have not re-invested the funds.
To me, these two points further indicate how poorly our transfer policy has been and what a poor transfer manager Woodward has been.
Sympathy for the Devils
‘Liverpool have bough nobody that United could not have afforded’
Yes SftD, the primary point about our recruitment is not how much we have spent but more how poorly we have spent it.
You can blame each of the managers in turn and/or you can bame Ed/owners for not putting a cohesive and cogent structure in place to ensure we were buying the right kind of players.
For example, Liverpool have bought nobody that United could not have afforded at any point – ever.
OGS said he is tearing the house down to ensure the players that are here are the players that want to be here. However, thats akin to a Public Sector redundancy programme for United with the marketable people leaving and the no marks staying. It does in some way explain how we are 38 points behind the leaders – we have a squad full of players who are mid table mediocrity.
moral
All swings and roundabouts. We have spent, and massively too. We have outspent most teams in the league over whatever period people care to use as a measure. We are clearly not performing as well as our expenditure indicates we should be. We also started off in a good position.
Our issue is how poorly we have recruited, imo. Anyone can cherry pick players with hindsight and say X is better than Y and also cheaper, but we really haven’t spent wisely.
Alfie07
Combination of Ed wanting the likes of Di Maria and Sanchez & the likes of LVG/Jose wanting Blind, Bailly, Mkytaryian and Depay. No one has had an overriding strategy and it’s a mish mash of 4 or 5 different “visions”!
It’s almost like we need someone to set a rebuild strategy in place and stick to it over a 3/4 year period…
happyhurling
Thanks for the feedback lads!
Yes, not all of our signings have worked out, but at the same time, we had some pretty good players:
Di Maria is still top class.
Depay is tearing it up in France and for the Netherlands and has been linked to Liverpool
Lukaku is still a top player and scoring goals at Inter.
Blind was performing very well for Ajax last season too.
I think the real question is:
How did we let all these players go without adequately replacing any of them, even though we got funds for them (less than we originally invested in some cases… but still)?
Another thing to note is: yes we have bought and spent a lot, but how many of those players are still here?
Mata -35m
Shaw – 27m
Martial – 50m
Pogba – 89m
Matic – 35m
Lindelof – 40m
Bailly – 30m
Fred – 50m
Maguire – 80m
Wan-Bissaka – 60m
Bruno Fernandes – 55m
Those are the regular(ish) starters, with Mata and Matic reaching the end, Bailly never fit and us overspending on pretty much all of them.
Sympathy for the Devils
No idea how accurate the figure are, but this is interesting given the subject:
Alfie07
Coutinho skews Liverpool net spend
Alfie – Liverpool’s ‘net spend’ is massively skewed by the Coutinho deal isn’t it?
Fact is they paid the most ever for a goal keeper, the most ever for a defender and 50m for keita. Salah 40m, Mane 30m etc. Fabinho 30m.
I don’t get where people are saying they’ve signed cheap players and made them brilliant. Maybe with that little scottish t**t of a left back they’ve got but that’s about it.
“The Ox” cost them almost 40m didn’t he?!
happyhurling
What Man Utd need
Experience has taught me not to expect too much activity this summer despite the continuous need for major surgery. A centre-back, a left-back, 2 midfielders, a right winger and a striker are must to even begin to improve our starting line-up and that’s without addressing the lack of overall depth as well. With our scouting a recruiting system all over the place I don’t see us acquiring the top players we need, which means it’s difficult to second guess who we’ll go after. As for the outgoings, very few players should feel safe because of a lack of quality but plenty will end up staying as said lack of quality is precisely what’s giving better players second thoughts about joining United.
GOALKEEPERS
I’d be tempted to sell De Gea with Romero and Henderson around. He’s still a top keeper on his day but those are increasingly fewer and further between. No one would begrudge him wanting to join a club that can challenge for trophies.
FULL-BACKS
AWB is a good defender but completely lacking when going forward. Dalot is almost the opposite and both will need to improve. Williams is looking good but should still only be back-up while Shaw has stunk out the place way too long.
CENTER BACKS
Maguire has been a disappointment but will keep the armband and, therefor need a better partner. Lindelof is too slow and soft but won’t be sold either. In theory, one of Bailly, Jones and Rojo would be an ideal partner for Maguire but they’re all made of glass and only share 2 brain cells between them. Tuanzebe has a nice song but simply doesn’t look good enough and TFM has gone completely off the boil. I doubt Smalling would want to return but the fact he’s our best defender sums the situation perfectly.
MIDFIELDERS
Pogba needed to go last summer and nothing has changed since. McTominay has a big heart and can definitely contribute while Fred has improved. He’s nowhere near good enough but still a lot better than Andreas Pereira. Matic’ and Mata’s legs are long gone and it’s a mystery how Lingard has managed to fool people into thinking he’s an actual footballer. Garner and Gomes aren’t ready and I doubt they ever will. Bruno will need time to adapt and better players around him but he’s definitely someone to build a team around.
ATTACKERS
Rashford is an absolute key player but we need a center forward to complement him. Martial is not that player and we should sell if a good offer comes in. James has hit a brick wall because of the jump in quality he’s facing but I still think he can be a useful squad player when he’s got a full season under his belt. Greenwood shows a lot of promise but it’s way too soon for us to pin all our hopes on him.
In conclusion, that’s far from a squad that can challenge at the top and I dread going into next season with the same dross. We simply HAVE to act now. Not to win the title but to have a realistic chance of in the next 5-10 years
roygbiv
Alternative view
Roy – I think there might be a slightly different way of looking at it, if i may?!
GOALKEEPERS
Don’t need any. Bring Henderson back and we have amongst the best 3 keepers in the league.
FULLBACKS
Not so long ago this pool consisted of Young, Darmian, Valencia and Shaw. I think AWB, Dalot and Williams are a huge upgrade and what we had, Shaw is fighting for his United career agreed. But i think we can go into next season with these 4 as the fullbacks, simply because there are other areas of the team needing surgery.
CENTREBACKS
We need one. I think Maguire will settle and be better next season and i think Jones should be sold. Which leaves us with Lindelof and Tuanzebe as back-up to Maguire and the new CB. (After writing this i had completely forgotten about Bailly – dunno what to say about him)
MIDFIELDERS
Let’s assume everyone is still a United player until sold. Fred, Pogba and Fernandes could be a very good midfield with McTominay as cover. We should get rid of Pereira, Mata, Lingard and Matic and get at least another midfielder in the summer – two if Pogba goes.
ATTACKERS
Rashford changes the whole dynamic of our attack. Without him the others looks lost. But a front 3 of him, Martial and Greenwood isn’t bad. Dan James is a good back up. I’d say Rashford and Martial should compete for the left hand side. We need a world class centre forward and Greenwood should be back up to him. Then we need a world class right winger and Dan James is back up to him. So we need 2.
As a big improvement to the current team i make that 4 players needed. But if you look at our recruitment over the last recent past they’ll probably say Lindelof is good enough to partner Maguire with Bailly (like a new signing!) so i bet we don’t sign any defenders in the summer. In midfield i reckon Fred’s form has done us out of another midfielder. Matic will get a contract extension (he’s been pretty decent recently to be fair) and then we’ll have McTominay and Pogba back with Fernandes. Unless they offload Pereira (unlikely) i don’t think they’ll feel the need to sign a midfielder after Bruno. I think they’ll add 2 players in the summer. A right sided forward and a striker (depending on what happens with Ighalo). The line that will be spun here though, if we don’t sign forwards, is that we don’t want to hamper the developments of Mason Greenwood and Dan James.
So, in short, i’d say we need 4 players in the summer. I reckon we’ll get 1. Maybe 2 at a push…
🙁
happyhurling
It won’t be 6 players ‘net’ coming in, but if as expected the likes of Pogba, Matic, Jones/Smalling and Lingard go out (not to mention Mata and Pereira), then the gimps sure as fuck need to replace them, AND plug the other gaping holes in midfield and up front that are already screaming out to be filled, simple as that.
Blacky
Lingard to Atletico? Wouldn’t surprise me at this point, seen a few articles saying Simeone’s days at Atleti may be numbered given their current run of form and lack of offensive bite. That’s a big if though. If Simeone goes, Lingard may well sign for Atleti but can’t see where he’d play?
Between Partey, Saul, Koke, Vitolo and others, there’s no really open spot and he won’t leave to be a bench warmer. Can’t really see them wanting him otherwise. As for Roma, even by Serie A standards he’d be a poor buy.
killyboye
So much deadwood still to clear. Jones needs sold. Bailly needs a loan to get back to playing first team football. Maybe we can sell him after. Tuanzebe should’ve been Maguire’s partner from the start. Give them a run of games together. Matic will be off this summer.
I reckon we’d get about 10 million for Lingard. Hopefully Real Madrid offer 100 million for Pogba and that’s the end of Raiola at United too! Most important this summer will be a CM followed by right winger
homerjay540
Who should stay or go
GKs
De Gea – should keep but if a good offer comes in (90m+) wouldn’t be the worst thing to sell him and bring in Henderson.
Romero – Keep as backup
Grant – Might as well keep as 3rd choice until Joel Pereira develops.
DFs
Lindelof – Keep
Bailly – Sell
Jones – Sell
Maguire – Keep
Smalling – Keep when he returns
Rojo – Sell
Dalot – Keep
Shaw – If we can sell him on for a good fee and bring in a good replacement go for it, if not then keep but look at bringing in an attacking replacement ASAP
Fosu_Mensah – Sell.. didn’t even know he’s still at the club to be honest
Wan-Bissaka – Keep
Tuanzebe – Keep
Williams – Keep
NEW CB to compliment remaining players.
NEW LB to take on Attacking LB role.
MFs
Pogba – Keep (unless he wants to leave desperately)
Fred – Keep
Mata – Sell
Lingard – SELL SELL SELL
Periera – Sell
Bruno Fernandes – Keep
Gomes – Loan out for a season
Matic – Sell
Garner – Loan out for a season
McTominay – Keep
NEW DLP to compliment the reamining 4.
FWs
James – Keep
Sanchez – Sell
Martial – Keep
Rashford – Keep
Greenwood – Keep
Chong – Loan out for a season
NEW Target-man (like Lukaku? *sigh*)
NEW RW
Team next year with these 5 new players (4-2-3-1)
De Gea/Henderson
AWB – Lindelof/Smalling/NEW CB – Maguire – NEW LB
McT/Fred – Pogba
NEW RW – Bruno Fernandes – Martial/Rashford
Rashford/NEW ST
Definitely can’t expect much better in one window (and highly doubt we’ll even get all of those).
Sympathy for the devils
Will Klopp take Chelsea seriously?
Pleased we’re through but just hope JK takes teh Chelsea game seriously and respects the fans who pay his salary and travel to the games. His only flaw is his total disregard for the FA/League cup which is frankly shameful and a total disgrace including to the reputation of the club around the world. And before anyone bleats tediously about depth of the squad the players themselves are capable and all want to play in the next game and would love to win the FA cup.
Sadly I expect his arrogance to reign supreme again, play a weakened team and shame the club as well as disregard the youth players efforts so far in the cup as well as his loyal fans
timetogobr
Very impressed with the result.
Seems like the atmosphere around the whole club just couldn’t be any better right now.
What a great time to be a young kid coming through the ranks.
Elliott, Jones, Williams, all ones to watch for the future.
j c
Personally don’t believe a loan would be beneficial for players on the fringe of the first team compared to 20mins at the end of games where we’ve wrapped up the 3 points. The more experienced, world-class players can provide better guidance on the pitch.
We also play with a very unique system at both ends of the pitch which takes time for even established professionals to get used to. I think loans would be more beneficial for the players who are a level below that, need to develop specific aspects of their game at teams who can accommodate that and are some way off getting first team minutes.
Razor
Jones, and even Williams, must not go out on loan.
They are ready for the first team in appropriate matches/situations – mainly as substitutes when the game is won, or starting in FA or League Cup. They could even start in the odd easier league games at home, or to fill in for injuries.
Jones in particular has an arrogance about him that can take him right up to the very top. Personally I believe Williams will do better, but I don’t mind being proved wrong.
This is what Klopp thinks about Jones “Unbelievable player. Scouser, very confident. He can’t wait to play in the first team, and he will be a Liverpool player if nothing strange happens, 100%.”
Songman