That depth chart has a few errors. I think if you go three deep it works better.The discussion was about Man United in the last topic.
I was actually thinking today about the changes to their squad they need to make.
The way I see it, the defense looks pretty good. Maybe you bring in another CB for depth reasons, but they don't need to spend a lot of money on any defensive player. They need to be better in goal, but you can't bring in a replacement for De Gea. You need him to improve his form. If he does that, it improves Man United a lot.
Most of the changes Man United needs are in midfield. The way I see it, they need a starting 6 and a back up 6. If Pogba is sold, they also need a starting 8. They definitely need at least a starting 10, and potentially a back up 10. They also need a few more wingers, probably a starter and a back up.
Something like this.
GK: De Gea/Romero
RB: AWB/Dalot
CB: Lindelof/Bailly
CB: Maguire/?
LB: Shaw/Williams
DM: ?/?
CM: Pogba/McTominay
AM: ?/Mata
RW: ?/James
LW: Martial/?
CF: Rashford/Greenwood
That depth chart has a few errors. I think if you go three deep it works better.
GK: DDG/Romero/Henderson
RB: AWB/Dalot/Laird
CB: Lindelof/Bailly/Jones
CB: Maguire/Tuanzebe/Laird
LB: New/Williams/Shaw
6: McTominay/DM/Garner
8: Fred/Pereira/Garner
10: Pogba/Pereira/Gomes
LW: Rashford/James/Martial
ST: Martial/Greenwood/Rashford
RW: New/James/Greenwood
I think that there are completely obvious needs. A new LB, a new midfielder, and a new RW. My ideas for each:
LB: Grimaldo, Chilwell, Telles, Gaya, Sandro
CM: Bruno, Saul, SMS, Aouar, Palacios, Adams
RW: Sancho, Chiesa, Neres, Malcom, Thauvin
Now obviously some of these are very high reaches. With the sales of Smalling, Alexis, Matic, Lingard, etc. and the money from Lukaku and the money we make every season, the cost shouldn’t be an issue. I think the best combo might be Gaya, Saul, and Chiesa with regards to value. Now if we could sign Chilwell, Saul, and Sancho that would be amazing but also 250M and I doubt Ed would spend that. A 4231 with Pogba at 10 sounds great to me as long as there’s defensively responsible players behind him. McTominay has definitely been real good and is a very important player for us. I think he fits almost that Carrick role but not quite as good on the ball but better athletically. We have a good core but definitely need to add to the 11.
That depth chart has a few errors. I think if you go three deep it works better.
GK: DDG/Romero/Henderson
RB: AWB/Dalot/Laird
CB: Lindelof/Bailly/Jones
CB: Maguire/Tuanzebe/Laird
LB: New/Williams/Shaw
6: McTominay/DM/Garner
8: Fred/Pereira/Garner
10: Pogba/Pereira/Gomes
LW: Rashford/James/Martial
ST: Martial/Greenwood/Rashford
RW: New/James/Greenwood
I think that there are completely obvious needs. A new LB, a new midfielder, and a new RW. My ideas for each:
LB: Grimaldo, Chilwell, Telles, Gaya, Sandro
CM: Bruno, Saul, SMS, Aouar, Palacios, Adams
RW: Sancho, Chiesa, Neres, Malcom, Thauvin
Now obviously some of these are very high reaches. With the sales of Smalling, Alexis, Matic, Lingard, etc. and the money from Lukaku and the money we make every season, the cost shouldn’t be an issue. I think the best combo might be Gaya, Saul, and Chiesa with regards to value. Now if we could sign Chilwell, Saul, and Sancho that would be amazing but also 250M and I doubt Ed would spend that. A 4231 with Pogba at 10 sounds great to me as long as there’s defensively responsible players behind him. McTominay has definitely been real good and is a very important player for us. I think he fits almost that Carrick role but not quite as good on the ball but better athletically. We have a good core but definitely need to add to the 11.
With all due respect, I'd only be really excited about the bolded guys. Saul and SMS aren't bad, but I don't see Saul coming and SMS still is a bit more of a question mark for me. LB I could see getting maybe Grimaldo or Chilwell. After that though I don't find that list that exciting. I'd also add CB to the list and a top drawer one at that. And United should have brought in Haaland. On the flip side do you count on Pogba or will he be gone?
On a related note, this was amusing:
Carragher is probably right about Solskjaer, but horrible context about the transfer business by just throwing out how much they spent.
McTominay is the most important midfielder on this team (arguably more than Pogba). He has quietly become one of the best DMs in the PL. Mata has been garbage. He is too slow and not athletic at all. Lingard isn’t in my lineup for a reason. Both Pereira and Fred have turned it around this season, especially Fred who has been our best player along with Rashford.You know your team better than I do, but I think if you want to be the third best team in England next season, which shouldn’t be an unreasonable ask, at least two high priced CM is needed. And if Pogba is sold, it becomes all three CM positions where a new starter is needed. I don’t see McTominay as a starting level CM. I think Mata can do a job for another season as the backup AM. Lingard, Pereira and Fred are laughably bad players, in my opinion. They should be sold.
But I only watch Man United sparingly, so you would know better.
My biggest goal is to get top 4 and then slowly build from there. All of those guys at LB would be a huge upgrade on Shaw. I think that all of the guys that I listed for CM would be an upgrade somewhere. I listed some 10s and some 8s. The reason being the flexibility of Pogba. If we sign someone like Bruno then Pogba becomes more of an 8 but someone like Saul would make Pogba more of a 10. At RW, most people would be an upgrade. Right now we have no natural RWs on the roster. Yes both Greenwood and James can play there but Greenwood would be much better at ST and James just isn’t ready. That final product isn’t there from him.
I personally don’t see Pogba leaving. I think United will set a huge price on him that few teams that need him can afford. Only two teams that I could see needing him that could afford him are PSG and RM but I don’t see either of them spending that much money. It just seems like everything runs through Pogba. I also think the main problem is that he’s not pushed far enough forward so we got him playing as a 10 and it gives him the freedom to do whatever. The main reason why I think he would work next to Bruno, Saul, honestly all of those guys is their work rate. I mean look at the guys he’s been successful by. Herrera, Kante, Vidal, etc. all of them have elite work rate.
Yeah I agree that those guys aren’t the type United historically would be targeting but you gotta start somewhere. Getting top 4 this season would be huge for them. Bruno and Sancho alone would go a very long way. I’d argue we are the 3rd best team in the league at that point (if everyone returns to form and injury luck) and we could possibly overtake City. I don’t know about a CB, especially right now. In the future, yes agreed but right now I think Maguire, Lindelof, Bailly, and Tuanzebe is a pretty good rotation. I think LB is a much bigger need than CB. Shaw and Williams have both looked suspect (to say the least) defensively this season. They regularly get beat but Maguire or Lindelof are generally there to tidy things up (and also there’s a lack of real quality RW in the PL). Also I completely agree about if Pogba doesn’t want to be there but here’s the thing, he really hasn’t said anything to the media about wanting to leave. It’s all his agent or stuff the media claims in order to make him look bad. There’s a damn vendetta against him in the English media. They act like he killed their first born and is now plotting to kill their second. It’s insane. I mean half the time it’s out of context quotes or just straight hearsay.Well if top 4 is your goal then yeah, you don't need necessarily who I suggested which is tough between now and then. That said if the player is available I say go for them. United need some real reinforcements and a shock to that squad and more than half the guys you mentioned aren't the sort of players I think a club as big as United are historically should be targeting. That's where I was coming from. However if you were able to get Fernandes this window and then somehow land Sancho in the Summer that would be huge. Add a top drawer CB and I think you're in very good shape. Don't even need to bother with LB.
Difficult to say. At the moment it doesn't sound like Madrid would move for him, but with their midfield six months is a long time and if Zidane truly wants him then maybe he can get him come Summer. I do see PSG as a viable suitor as well. If they cash in on Neymar, Mbappe' or both then I could see a move for him. I'd add Juventus to the list. Anyway, I don't think it'd be a bad thing if you could buy Fernandes, sell Pogba and still have some cash on the table with the difference. Of course you'd need another CM, but if Pogba isn't committed I say sell him.
All the big England clubs have been this for years. It's why Chelsea always get linked to a ton of players that don't really make sense.I have a feeling United are going to be used as the leverage club that players will use to extort money out of their current club or desired destination.
This would be a great signing. I mean captain obvious and all that, but AFCON was moved back to the middle of the season. We will need something like this. There's plenty of games for him to play and Firmino can't play 50 games every season for very much longer.
There's also the obvious element that Liverpool should be looking to consolidate their position.
This would be a great signing. I mean captain obvious and all that, but AFCON was moved back to the middle of the season. We will need something like this. There's plenty of games for him to play and Firmino can't play 50 games every season for very much longer.
There's also the obvious element that Liverpool should be looking to consolidate their position.
Yeah, that rumor has been out for awhile now. I think it was someone on Sky that reported that Chelsea were going after a CB on a PL rival that would cost at least 50 million. I'm not sure I like the idea of spending big on a 28 year old that is unproven in terms of being on a big club.Dunk rumour to Chelsea now at 50 million apparently. Doubt it happens, if it did I would be gutted.
Bersant Celina is also being linked to Brighton. Celina was a Potter signing at Swansea and has been solid over the past year for both club and country with Kosovo.
Yeah, I don't really see him playing that Firmino role full-time either. I could see him slotting in there, and playing fine, but it would be a different look from what Firmino provides.I think Werner would be a good fit for Liverpool, but not in Firmino's position. More as a backup to Salah and Mane. He doesn't play like Firmino, and is not really good with his back to the goal.