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Manchester United Thread 2015/16


Harryseaess

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What fuss? It's all been speculation.

He turned up for training early unlike Di Maria..

the stuff his agent said at the end of last season like "Nico wants to leave Valencia and is going to do everything possible to achieve it.": http://www.skysports.com/football/news/12691/9865037/man-utd-target-nicolas-otamendi-wants-to-leave-valencia-says-agent he said that in a Valencia radio interview a couple of days after the season ended, you dont burn your bridges that openly without the serious interest of another club

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I'll be pretty disappointed if we go in to the new season without improving our CB choices. I love Evans to bits, Smalling really grew on me in the second half of last season but Jones is utter ****, just constantly a disaster waiting to happen. Rojo can be goodt here, too, but it would really be nice to have one top class CB. To think of some of the partnerships we've had there and now it is a constantly rotating Evans/Smalling/Jones due to injuries. As good as our buys have been so far, it will be pretty disappointing to not improve on what was our weakest area last season. At least we've got a proper RB now, although if the rumours are true and LVG is going to pick Valencia ahead of Darmian (which personally I don't think will be true, at least I hope).

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I think the main issue is not a top class CB available in the market like Ramos or Hummels. Otamendi is good, certainly better than what we have here, but is not world-class. We brought in Rojo to add to the numbers last season and LVG probably doesn't want to buy one for the sake of it again.

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If that is the case we should be looking to the future. There are younger CBs out there who are better than what we have now and which have the potential to be world class in the future.

We'll have the same problem next year and the year after. Surely it's the job of the scouts to identify these players earlier rather than waiting a couple of years (with average defenders) to see who becomes the world class player we need.

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Same position we're in for an attacker essentially.

Think we're going to need another year of developing the squad before we'll be ready for a title challenge. I'm not sure we have the strength at the back or weapons up front to get 85~ points, we'll probably fall short in a few too many games and end up in the high 70's. I think the team has been nicely improved on this year and we've done lots of good business that will see us well into the future but ultimately you can't buy what isn't on the market. We don't need to do what we did last year and buy average players to fill in the gaps this year because the squad is good enough for top 4 without any, so if LvG doesn't think Otamendi is of the necessary quality to allow us to push for the title then fair enough. We've brought in Depay who might potentially develop into the attacker we need, I can't really see a defender out there who would do the same and who is available other than maybe Laporte and by all accounts he hasn't had quite such an imperious year last season as the season before.

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Smalling is 25 and Jones is 23. They are not 100% developed themselves. What we do need is a commanding presence in the backline (ie like Vidic/Rio/Evra were) and that sort of aura doesn't come in younger CBs. If we do sign someone like Laporte, we would be none the better.

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If that is the case we should be looking to the future. There are younger CBs out there who are better than what we have now and which have the potential to be world class in the future.

Isn't this exactly why we signed Smalling and Jones in the first place? Ferguson and his scouts knew this exactly when Rio and Vidic eventually leaves that the defense needed someone to hopefully pair up with Evans as they took the risk of losing Pique and Shawcross. Well they haven't become that world class defender yet, but I'm afraid both Smalling and Jones are running out of time to do so, which is why we should be looking for that one world class and tailor made CB like Ramos rather than going for a John Stones.

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The thing I find strange is Smalling being in the second team in pre-season. I would not be surprised if Van Gaal starts with Jones and Blind to cure his left foot fetish. If he is going to persist with that then we need whoever is the best left footed centre back available because Smalling/Jones are much stronger than Rojo/Blind.

or he just plays smalling and the left-footed rojo again which would be good. blind wouldn't be there if rojo was.

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Smalling is 25 and Jones is 23. They are not 100% developed themselves. What we do need is a commanding presence in the backline (ie like Vidic/Rio/Evra were) and that sort of aura doesn't come in younger CBs. If we do sign someone like Laporte, we would be none the better.

This tbh. We have the numbers and they aren't as sh*t as made out. This season we'll have better protection from an improved midfield too, which should help. No point in buying a new CB unless it's an improvement on what we have, so he'll start every game when fit. Ramos would obviously be such a player, but if he's not available then we may as well stick with what we have.

Last season we crumbled every time Carrick was injured, but now we have Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger too, so that should not be such a pressing problem (almost literally). The best defence in the world will still falter without proper midfield protection, with attackers freely running at them and being outnumbered.

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Always wondered why we've never been strongly linked with Laporte from Bilbao, he'd be ideal really. A top quality ball playing left footed centre back who's still young.

Because as soon as he was linked with us they offered him a new contract with a 50m euro release clause, it was already 42m euros before that.

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If we can't get what we need, an upgrade is still an upgrade.

It's an upgrade but not a big upgrade. Laporte isn't going to turn us from a 4th place team to title challengers, he's a small upgrade for a massive price and if he doesn't develop how we hope we're stuck with an even more exaggerated problem than we have now. A leader at the back is what will make the difference for us in defence, not a 20% improvement in Rojo's performance. If there isn't that leader available then our defensive issues aren't going to change much either way.

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Milinkovic-Savic doesn't have international clearance yet I don't think. In better news Callum Gribbin has signed his contract to stay with us. 4 year contract - scholar until he turns 17, then 3 years pro
Zak Dearnley and Ro-Shaun Williams have also signed their contracts finally

Fosu Mensah has signed a 3 year deal too. Great news.

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Rojo won't come to the US due to the passport and visa issue. Also fined two weeks' wages for it I read.

More annoyed at where di Maria is tbh. Very unprofessional of him to pull a 'Sterling'.

Going to be pretty awkward for him too if PSG don't match the reported £50m we want for him.

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Will Januzaj be able to switch national allegiance if Platini gets his way and sticks Kosovo in FIFA once he's elected? It's well known he has strong pride in his Kosovar heritage so may ditch Belgium if he can play for Kosovo. I'm pretty sure players can switch allegiance if a new country joins FIFA - in which case imagine the potential Kosovo side that could result from it.

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Have we also signed up Tuzanbe up on a long-term deal yet?

Not heard anything about him yet, but as other young promising players have extended (and getting pro deals), hopefully that is the case with Tuanzebe too (you had a rather unorthodox spelling :lol:)

Given his age it may not happen until next year, however. Depends what deal he is on now I suppose.

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Not heard anything about him yet, but as other young promising players have extended (and getting pro deals), hopefully that is the case with Tuanzebe too (you had a rather unorthodox spelling :lol:)

Given his age it may not happen until next year, however. Depends what deal he is on now I suppose.

We're not as concerned with losing Tuanzebe as we were the rest so I don't think there'll be a rush. He'll sign in tme

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Not the best half that. 0-2 down after leaving them WAY too much room to run inti time and again. Good play from us at times going forward, with flicks and 1-2s, and Memphis should perhaps have scored on the good pass from Rooney.

Looks like they've been instructed to stand high, but it was too easy for PSG to hit us on the counter with almost half the pitch behind our defence. Hopefully we improve in the 2nd half.

DDG almost had a horrible assist as well :thdn: Thank goodness they blew that one over.

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Poor last night.

Defensively we were exposed for every weakness there is, time and time again relying on a wingback to cover. I almost feel sorry for the goalkeepers too(even though DDG should have done much better) because PSG were allowed to play balls into an incredibly difficult area for the keeper to sweep but they had to come because Jones and Blind weren't getting there. I wouldn't start Jones or Blind in my best United defence.

LVG has already confirmed it will be Blind and one of Smalling or Jones. Kane's going to have a field day.

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LVG has already confirmed it will be Blind and one of Smalling or Jones. Kane's going to have a field day.

He didn't even mention Jones. And, therein lies the problem. Tho I think Smalling is ok with a veteran. Like Hummels!

In other news, the papers report that we will not be getting Ronaldo back after all.

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Just watched the match, two really poor defensive mistakes handed PSG the match. Second half would have been more exciting at 0-0.

Basti looked better, and Rooney got his touch back. Mata's offside goal was fantastic.

Some points from the whole of pre season:

DDG looks shaky :(

Darmian is GNev brought back to life :D

Shaw looks fit and has played well

Disappointed we didn't try Depay on the left at some point, he needs space. Kept getting over run in the middle.

Not enough Herrera :(

Blind is not a CB

what has Smalling done to deserve being back up to Jone and Blind. Was our best defender last year

Jones is going backwards.

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