The Manchester United Club Thread **Sponsored by Comedy Central**

[fez]

Sounds like a good thing. For far too long bang average players have been paid like stars. Good players have been paid like superstars on the slightest hint of ever becoming world class and far far far too many players have stuck around for years on nothing but the fact our squad is never "finished" enough for their position to be a priority.

If we genuinely want to compete for anything of note we need a CF, RW, 2 CMs inc. a top DM. New LB because Shaw is injured too much. RB because Dalot and AwB aren't good enough. A first choice CB to partner Martinez (if he can regain fitness). Thats 7 players.

Its utterly shambolic how expensive our current squad was to assemble and how low the overall quality of it is.

 

[Droolinggimp]

I bet there are plenty of Academy players that are not quite good enough or not quite ready, who will play for the badge, put a shift in, gain plenty of experience. I say take a chance for the next season with some kids, all the while getting rid of the dead weight and getting a few experienced but cheap player to support the kids. I'm all for 2 more seasons getting a squad that wants to play for the badge.

 

[adam cool dude]

Exactly. Greenwood is surely the only one we can actually make money on? Sancho is certainly a big fat red in the negative column, if we even can sell him.

Greenwood will be playing in a United shirt next season.

8 goals and 6 assists in 28 games for a mid table team in La Liga after not playing for a year.

 

[Thekwango]

Greenwood will be playing in a United shirt next season.

8 goals and 6 assists in 28 games for a mid table team in La Liga after not playing for a year.

You reckon? Can’t see it myself, the pr alone would be a nightmare. Rightly or wrongly, I don’t think he plays for us again.

 

[dacads]

Yep can easily see 10 players that need to be moved on.. the rebuild continues .. again

Too many injuries / old / dead wood

Will be great to see the open heart surgery

 

[spudbynight]

The issue with ETH is he's delusional.
That and signing Anthony is hilarious

I can’t see Man Utd getting more than about £20m for him now. Even at that price I can’t see who would want him.

 

[Reuben klang]

What a pointless statement, every player is for sale. It’s entirely down to the offer.

As said above the biggest issue is whose going to buy them? You’ve also got a history of putting price tags on players massively too high, even when they can leave for free in the coming windows. JLingz being a prime example.

Surely better to have a loss on paper now rather than a huge loss in the following window.

I don’t know if it’s because they think the buying club will come back and pay way over the odds towards the end of the window like what United seem to do with every single signing they think that’s just whats meant to happen but find out that every other club they try to get smart with just walk away. Maguire, DvdB, Martial, Henderson etc

 

[mid_gen]

Hopefully SJR is going to end the strategy of buying washed up older players on massive salaries, Casemiro, Varane etc.

I'd much rather see us playing youngsters like Hojlund, Mainoo, Garnacho, and yes, Antony, because he doesn't deserve the stick he gets! Overpaid for him for sure but he's better than most of our squad.

 

[booyaka]

What a pointless statement, every player is for sale. It’s entirely down to the offer.

As said above the biggest issue is whose going to buy them? You’ve also got a history of putting price tags on players massively too high, even when they can leave for free in the coming windows. JLingz being a prime example.

Surely better to have a loss on paper now rather than a huge loss in the following window.

I don’t know if it’s because they think the buying club will come back and pay way over the odds towards the end of the window like what United seem to do with every single signing they think that’s just whats meant to happen but find out that every other club they try to get smart with just walk away. Maguire, DvdB, Martial, Henderson etc

Wages is the biggest issue - No one is taking on players like Martial who's on £250k a week.... Hardly plays due to injuries and when he does play has 1 decent game in 5....

Money/offers for players is fine, but lots of them will just stay put due to the wages - Just look at the nonsense of the Phil Jones situation....Played 13 games over 4 years at the end of his career at United as he was on £120k a week by all accounts and was happy to just sit there and take the money.

I'm all for a good clear out - but I don't see more than 2 or 3 players actually leaving due to no other clubs going to take the wages on.

 

[adam cool dude]

Wages is the biggest issue - No one is taking on players like Martial who's on £250k a week.... Hardly plays due to injuries and when he does play has 1 decent game in 5....

Money/offers for players is fine, but lots of them will just stay put due to the wages - Just look at the nonsense of the Phil Jones situation....Played 13 games over 4 years at the end of his career at United as he was on £120k a week by all accounts and was happy to just sit there and take the money.

I'm all for a good clear out - but I don't see more than 2 or 3 players actually leaving due to no other clubs going to take the wages on.

Saudi

SJR is into oil after all. I am sure he got contacts.

 

[fez]

Wages is the biggest issue - No one is taking on players like Martial who's on £250k a week.... Hardly plays due to injuries and when he does play has 1 decent game in 5....

Money/offers for players is fine, but lots of them will just stay put due to the wages - Just look at the nonsense of the Phil Jones situation....Played 13 games over 4 years at the end of his career at United as he was on £120k a week by all accounts and was happy to just sit there and take the money.

I'm all for a good clear out - but I don't see more than 2 or 3 players actually leaving due to no other clubs going to take the wages on.

Yeah, its a triple whammy. We paid too much for the players, they've shown little to suggest they are top quality and their wages are obscene for their talents. You have to find a club that will take a punt on them, pay them probably more than they are worth and United have to take a massive hit to accommodate the 3 afformentioned points.

Unless you think you can genuinely promote some youth players we simply can't have another big clearout. We might raise £150m from player sales but then we would be needing to bring in 5-6 new players to replace them. We need quality, not more average players.

 

[Steedie]

Players I'd keep are Garnacho, Hojlund, Mainoo, Fernandes, Onana and Dalot

The rest I wouldn't be sad to see the back of at all. Rashford has shown he doesn't have heart unless he's playing for a new deal, and this is probably our last year to cash in, so get him gone.

Onana has been great since Christmas, sure he still makes the odd decision that is questionable, but he's been brilliant the second half of the season and I think he'll just get better. Especially when we can play in a way that he can actually utilise his distribution skills properly. Dalot, while probably not the best player out there, is one of the few that gives his all every game and plays for the badge, he deserves to stay. The other ones don't need justification as they absolutely have to stay.

I really hope we shift a lot, I would absolutely take a year of floating around mid-table at best, if it means we've ditched all the old, overpaid players as well as the crap that's been lingering for years. Get 2-3 brilliant players this summer, then continue to build. With how well our youth teams are doing lately, I've no doubt we've got some absolute gems to come through as well, it could really be an exciting time in the next 1-2 years if that's the case and we don't have washed up veterans preventing them coming through

EDIT - Sorry, Martinez as well. Just hope he can get fit and stay fit

 

[Jimbeam3678]

I don't follow Man U that closely but surely Fernandes is part of the main problem at Man U - a very bad culture?

 

[Converge]

I don't follow Man U that closely but surely Fernandes is part of the main problem at Man U - a very bad culture?

Wouldn’t you be grumpy and have a face like a slapped arse being in that team during the main part of your playing career?

He expects more of his team mates and doesn’t get it.

 

[fez]

I don't follow Man U that closely but surely Fernandes is part of the main problem at Man U - a very bad culture?

Nah, I don't think he is a cultural issue at the club. Fernandes (and Maguire) I would say are two of the only players that have been with us for years whos application I almost never question. Fernandes whinges on the pitch too much and has resting whinge face but he always puts in a shift. I wouldn't have him as captain but his application is hard to question.

The issue with him is that he is always trying to create when sometimes he needs to just calm down and think about the bigger picture. City choke games because they control them. We never control them.

Hes a big bone of contention amongst United fans because ultimately his stats are brilliant. Best in the league for the most part. Potentially in the right team he wouldn't feel the pressure to constantly be trying to create and could be part of a good "team". We haven't ever had that though so currently he appears to be part of the issue when it comes to our complete lack of control in games.

 

[Jimbeam3678]

Wouldn’t you be grumpy and have a face like a slapped arse being in that team during the main part of your playing career?

He expects more of his team mates and doesn’t get it.

I'd argue, as captain, maybe lead by example. Think John Terry, Steven G, Roy Keane or a more modern-day example Declan Rice. I would insert a Spurs example, but err yeah, a name escapes me

Bruno strikes me as a high performer but low trust to steal something from Simon Sinek

 

[Converge]

I'd argue, as captain, maybe lead by example. Think John Terry, Steven G, Roy Keane or a more modern-day example Declan Rice. I would insert a Spurs example, but err yeah, a name escapes me

Bruno strikes me as a high performer but low trust to steal something from Simon Sinek

All of those guys had/have decent teammates around them who gave a damn. Spurs… yeah, who knows!

Bruno isn’t right for captain, I think that’s clear. But I don’t think it’s right that he gets so much stick considering his circumstances. He’s doing his best in spite of the circumstances in and around the team.

 

[fez]

I'd argue, as captain, maybe lead by example. Think John Terry, Steven G, Roy Keane or a more modern-day example Declan Rice. I would insert a Spurs example, but err yeah, a name escapes me

Bruno strikes me as a high performer but low trust to steal something from Simon Sinek

I think that the fact you named mainly players that haven't been in the game for 10 years, some of them for nearly double that suggests that captains like that are few and far between. As to Rice, has he shown anything of note? I think the role of captain these days is massively overstated. Our issue isn't a captain fantastic, its a team of noodles with no backbone.

 

[Shamikebab]

Mata talking about how bad Fernandes is as a captain link

 

[adam cool dude]

Mata talking about how bad Fernandes is as a captain link

It's okay Talk sport and Sky News will spin it the other way tomorrow.