Wookieman Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 I can save you pages worth of Modric talk by simply saying you won't be signing him. we can always dream. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShirazS Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 I hope we're not looking at either of Modric or Moutinho. We need a holding midfielder because without Fletcher, we have no ball-winner in midfield. I hear Witsel can do that job but I would rather we get someone like Lars Bender or even Etienne Capoue Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSB Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 Looking at our midfield t's certainly missing that key option to replace/compliment Carrick in the harder games. Unless of course Jones is going to be moved there on a permanent basis to become the new Robson. Think we're a long way from knowing what Jones position/role will be. Will most likely get some games there this season unless we sign at least two players. I remember saying before last season that Anderson would break out and be a top player through the season. At the start it looked possible and then once again he went through all the same problems he had before. Can't give him that chance anymore. See I reckon his performances from the start of last season have earned him one (more) final chance. If he'd been ***** and then injured fair enough, but him and Cleverley were pretty exhilarating at the start. I hope we're not looking at either of Modric or Moutinho. We need a holding midfielder because without Fletcher, we have no ball-winner in midfield. I hear Witsel can do that job but I would rather we get someone like Lars Bender or even Etienne Capoue A holding midfielder and a ballwinner are not one and the same. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pangaea Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 Unless we happen to get good money for Berba and/or Anderson (if he really is on the way out for real this time), I'm not sure we're able to bring in a midfielder of the 30m type. Moutinho will probably be in that range, and we know Modric is. Think it's more likely, if we sign another midfielder, that it will be a guy a bit more under the radar, a bit less well-known. Would love to be wrong of course, and (again) wouldn't at all mind Javi take the trip up north. Football seems to be moving away from a roughly 4-4-2 formation, and has been for some time, so maybe we should be less married to that (rough) formation too. Granted we can play quite different from match to match, but think it's time to move more in the direction of 4-2-3-1, which I hope Kagawa is a sign of. If that happens, though, it will be to the detriment of Welbeck and Chicha. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShirazS Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 A holding midfielder and a ballwinner are not one and the same. Fair enough. We need a ball-winner then. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSB Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 I think if we have a more stable midfield partner for Carrick then our 4-4-2 can easily become more of a 4-2-3-1/4-2-4-0 with, say, Nani-Rooney-Welbeck-Young rotating positions. In other good news (or terrible if you're a MORON) - Nani has confirmed to the Times of India that he's very happy and contract talks are ongoing \o/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooders86 Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 the Times of India? that well known knowledge and source for all the big footballing stories? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSB Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 Largest circulation in the world for an English speaking newspaper Looks like it may have been a one-line response to a rumour they ran suggesting he'd set a deadline for a new deal. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aderow Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 the Times of India? that well known knowledge and source for all the big footballing stories? I'd take them over some English news sources tbf Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomtuck01 Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 We won't buy an holding midfielder, just not Fergie's style. Owen Hargreaves, non? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSB Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 Ballwinner. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
7Bestie7 Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 Owen Hargreaves, non? SAF buys (or uses) ball winners in a deeper, more holding role, in certain games to add support to the defence but he almost never uses players in the way of a holder. This allows them to still move higher up the pitch as the play dictates whereas a true holding midfielder wouldn't. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomtuck01 Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 SAF buys (or uses) ball winners in a deeper, more holding role, in certain games to add support to the defence but he almost never uses players in the way of a holder. This allows them to still move higher up the pitch as the play dictates whereas a true holding midfielder wouldn't. Probably why we're so over exposed between the defense and midfield all the time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
7Bestie7 Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 I agree. Even when he plays the Carrick-Scholes combo deep, both are allowed a flexibility to move forward. What I think the team needs - and is what Hargreaves might have become - is someone who is naturally able to do both jobs and so can turn the sitting/roaming higher switch in their play on and off depending on the game situation. It all comes back to the way SAF doesn't have a set tactical framework. If he stuck to the 4-2-3-1, we could have the "double-pivot" which allows the ball winners to get forward and even in a 4-3-3 there can be a ball winner, a ball carrier and the creative guy with the winner and carrier acting as their own partnership. But since he keeps going back to a 4-4-2 ish base, there's no mindset there of NOT going forward from our ball winners. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirZ Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 You could do alot worse than signing Cabaye. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
7Bestie7 Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 Haha Boris Becker commentating on the Wimbledon final: "Why is Sir Alex not sitting in the Royal Box? One of the greatest managers of all time!" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddidiodion Posted July 8, 2012 Author Share Posted July 8, 2012 Said "the greatest football manager of all time" actually! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
7Bestie7 Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 I happily stand corrected. Damn my dog for barking right at the commentary! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pago Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 rumours from the transfer thread that fulham have rejected a bid from us for dembele. I havent seen too much of him but i always thought he was more of an attacking midfielder than anything else. he looked alright in one game i saw last season but nothing special. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phat Phish Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 yeah he's an am. has also played striker iirc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phat Phish Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 don't think he's the solution we need though. would take him as a park replacement though i.e. a squad player Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSB Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 I agree. Even when he plays the Carrick-Scholes combo deep, both are allowed a flexibility to move forward.What I think the team needs - and is what Hargreaves might have become - is someone who is naturally able to do both jobs and so can turn the sitting/roaming higher switch in their play on and off depending on the game situation. It all comes back to the way SAF doesn't have a set tactical framework. If he stuck to the 4-2-3-1, we could have the "double-pivot" which allows the ball winners to get forward and even in a 4-3-3 there can be a ball winner, a ball carrier and the creative guy with the winner and carrier acting as their own partnership. But since he keeps going back to a 4-4-2 ish base, there's no mindset there of NOT going forward from our ball winners. or two of the above and a holder, which is where I think we're lacking - not that we need a holder to start every game, but to give us the tactical flexibility in certain situations. Discounting Scholes and Giggs for a moment due to the tactical tweaks necessary to incorporate them successfully, and Fletcher for obvious reasons, at present we're going into this season with the following midfielders, in order of attacking inclination - Kagawa; Anderson; Cleverley; Carrick. In any midfield three Carrick has to be the designated holder, despite the adverse affects this has had on his game at times in the past, with Cleverley and/or Anderson as box-to-box runners and Kagawa or Anderson as the playmaker. If Carrick's absent for whatever reason we're pretty much down to hoping the Ando/Cleverley dovetail from early last season provides sufficient defensive cover, which it didn't seem to at the time. By signing a genuine holding midfielder/anchorman/midfield screener/whatever we would not only have a specialist for Carrick's holding role (and a replacement in the event he's injured), but we also have the option of either including Carrick in a role that, while more advanced for him personally, still includes a stronger defensive element, as something of a holder/box-to-box hybrid that his natural game seems to lend itself to. You could do alot worse than signing Cabaye. Cabaye would be a cracking all round option, but I think he'd cost a pretty packet at the mo. Recently came out pleading with the board to retain their better players so not sure how keen he'd be to move in any case. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirZ Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 I reckon he would cost you £15M-£18M tops. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddidiodion Posted July 8, 2012 Author Share Posted July 8, 2012 Don't think Cabaye imposes himself enough on games playing in a deeper role personally (purely from his time at Newcastle and a few internationals), he's been a much better player when given freedom to advance and do the creative stuff. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSB Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 His stats from last season are out of this world - I think it's more that he goes about his business quietly enough that it isn't noticed next to the more bombastic Tiote. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
7Bestie7 Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 or two of the above and a holder, which is where I think we're lacking - not that we need a holder to start every game, but to give us the tactical flexibility in certain situations. Discounting Scholes and Giggs for a moment due to the tactical tweaks necessary to incorporate them successfully, and Fletcher for obvious reasons, at present we're going into this season with the following midfielders, in order of attacking inclination - Kagawa; Anderson; Cleverley; Carrick. In any midfield three Carrick has to be the designated holder, despite the adverse affects this has had on his game at times in the past, with Cleverley and/or Anderson as box-to-box runners and Kagawa or Anderson as the playmaker. If Carrick's absent for whatever reason we're pretty much down to hoping the Ando/Cleverley dovetail from early last season provides sufficient defensive cover, which it didn't seem to at the time. By signing a genuine holding midfielder/anchorman/midfield screener/whatever we would not only have a specialist for Carrick's holding role (and a replacement in the event he's injured), but we also have the option of either including Carrick in a role that, while more advanced for him personally, still includes a stronger defensive element, as something of a holder/box-to-box hybrid that his natural game seems to lend itself to. I actually hate to see Carrick as our main defensive option so I'm definitely in the camp of bringing in a genuine holder plus ball winner. The team has plenty of attacking options further up field which means there won't be a weakness if there's a stronger base in midfield. I think it's even worse than just adverse affects on Carrick's game, I think it stifles him to the point he becomes non-existent on the pitch at times. He can certainly do the job but he needs that creative, almost defensive Regista, brief so that if he forgets his defensive responsibilities for a few minutes we're covered. Scholes seems to have been playing deeper not just because of his legs but also so he can cover for Carrick's attacking movement. So yeah, for me it's forget all about Snjeider, Modric et al and bring in some strong, technically good midfielders. Turn them into Barca-type midfield Liberos is SAF wants to but just make sure they know how to sit when they need to. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pago Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 I just the DHL advert that has man utd in it. who is the player who kicks the ball in brazil? Do they even play for us as I dont think i've ever seen him before! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggressive minor Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Actually think someone like Sandro would be perfect for you, but anyway, he is staying here! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursty2 Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Park is officially gone now then. A great servant to the club but for 5M nobody is complaining, good luck to him. I really hope we move quickly in signing a new CM and LB now though as the squad is tiny. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnhughthom Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 I just the DHL advert that has man utd in it. who is the player who kicks the ball in brazil? Do they even play for us as I dont think i've ever seen him before! I take it you aren't talking about Chicarito? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icondacarver Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 I take it you aren't talking about Chicarito? No, the boy mobbed by his mates on a Brazilian beach. I think he was deliberately chosen because he looks a bit like Neymar Definitely not a player on our books. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren24 Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 The more I read into the Park transfer as the media talk about it, the more I absolutely love Park and wish him all the best. My judgement had been a little bit clouded due to his lesser impact in games this last season, but he gave us many great years and hopefully he can finish his career on a high with QPR who look to be doing good things. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddidiodion Posted July 9, 2012 Author Share Posted July 9, 2012 Park is going to score a winner against us next season, you just know it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren24 Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Yeah, probably. He'll be humble about it though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icelander83 Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 He'll score a winner for us Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icondacarver Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 If Park had made this transfer in January, he would have been there to chop Aguero down before he got into the box. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pangaea Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Sad to see him go as he's a good player (despite a poor last season), but it's the right decision. Would have been even tougher for him to get games now with the arrival of Kagawa, and nigh impossible if we have another bloke coming into the midfield puzzle. Great player, and if the 5m figure is correct I'm in two minds over it. If it's 2.5m up front it's not fantastic money by any means, and Park is easily worth 5m. Wish him the best of luck (36 of 38 games ofc) in QPR. He has served the club well and scored a ton of important goals. Just read 27 goals in 205 matches. That is pretty good for a midfielder (waves to Carrick). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phat Phish Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 fergie's getting pretty good at clearing out the dead wood Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pago Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Hopefully the rest of the fees are based on QPR stayin up rather than winning the league or anything like that! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooders86 Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 the first time i've heard Park speak was in his qpr press conference .. he's awesome Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razzler Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Was it 2m or 5m then for Park? Keep reading 2m and then suddenly 5m appears. Will it reach 5m and it's 2m now then? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheps. Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 £2m with potential add-on's reaching £5m, yeh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigcwwe Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 From what i understand it is £2.5m up front and then another £2.5m if QPR stay in the league this season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jigsaw13 Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 OT, but just seen that MK Dons have signed Alan Smith, completely forgot he existed and played for us. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigcwwe Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Was on loan there all last season iirc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren24 Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Rio's latest tweet Film of the day: A k0kc and Bull Story starring Steve Coogan....decent watch! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursty2 Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Sources saying we've put in a bid of 30mil for Lucas Moura. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
7Bestie7 Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Sources saying we've put in a bid of 30mil for Lucas Moura. Attacking CM without the playmaking skills of Ganzo, yes? Makes absolutely no sense unless United are truly getting rid of the 2-man midfield. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursty2 Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 I watched a video of him earlier and he's immense to be fair, think Ronaldo when he was very raw, that's him. And in the video he was always coming in from the right, which if he is a RW I don't see why we'd buy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
7Bestie7 Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Looks like he enjoys coming in on his left foot which means SAF could switch him to the left and play him almost as a left wing Ronaldo (that is playing on his strongest side but still capable of cutting in and scoring goals). If, and I think it's a big if, the bid is a legit one then it allows for Valencia to be rotated out to keep him fresh/against opposition where his wide-play isn't successful and still not lose anything on the left wing. Nani and Lucas could theoretically alternate wings. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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