Why United must spend

A midfielder - one to link the midfield and attack, but to also contribute a few goals - is about the only thing I think we need atm.

Originally Posted by Whalefish

A midfielder - one to link the midfield and attack, but to also contribute a few goals - is about the only thing I think we need atm.

It'll be interesting to see how Diego does at Juventus. I wonder if that's one we may regret. Obviously it's easy to say stuff like this when you're not making the decisions, but he's at a great age and looked a good fit for what we're missing. I guess the problem is that with Anderson still being primed for the position, a major signing in that area is still deemed unnecessary.

Originally Posted by Whalefish

A midfielder - one to link the midfield and attack, but to also contribute a few goals - is about the only thing I think we need atm.

Silva I think could've done that role really well for us.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

Silva I think could've done that role really well for us.

Ain't gonna happen though mate.

Originally Posted by dodger

That reminds me how strange it is to strange to see him with armband. Mind you, he's quietly climbing the list of United appearences, ahead of some "legends" already.

Imagine if someone told you at the end of the 05-06 season after Chelsea had just won their 2nd consecutive title, that in the opening match of the 09-10 season, JOS would be captain and Michael Owen would be coming off the bench.

Originally Posted by wiganste

Ain't gonna happen though mate.

Oh I know. So we just have to get on with what we've got. Hope a few of our current players really step up this season.

If you ask me honestly what I think we'll win this season? I can't see us winning the premier league - I think 4 in a row is a huge ask and it will be just one too many for us, but we'll be close.

Champions league? No way. Maybe get to the semi's, if we can steer clear of injuries. But with the open draw now, I can see us going out a lot earlier than in recent years.

this link player between midfield and attack, where does he slot into the supposedly reinvented 4-4-2 then?

silva looked a class player in the flesh the other night and would be a decent signing on that evidence. but in a standard 4-4-2? can't see it at all.

the way i see it Rooney's decision-making (a weakness again evident at times on sunday) is the only thing holding him back from being released as a true all round playmaker and forward. as it is he should still be part of an ultra fluid attack of any combination you like from Valencia, Giggs, Nani, Berbatov, Owen, Park, Anderson, Welbeck, Macheda and one or two besides - more and more in the weeks to come. Silva would surely add to that, not necessarily change it. If anything for me watching a brilliant footballer like Silva on and off the ball just reinforces how lucky i am to be able to watch a similarly brilliant footballer like Berbatov game after game.

Originally Posted by Whalefish

A midfielder - one to link the midfield and attack, but to also contribute a few goals - is about the only thing I think we need atm.

An Alonso character, perhaps.

However, if we were to have a Scholes/Fabregas/Lampard/Gerrard type player, firstly, I don't think we have a defensive mid to protect such a player well enough in the continuing absence of Hargreaves. Lampard and Gerrard were playing with two centre mids behind them last year anyway.

What could be done, perhaps, is to play Rooney there against the weaker Prem sides, with Fletcher or Hargreaves as an anchor in front of the back four.

Put Owen/Macheda and Berbatov up top. Valencia and Nani/Park wide.

Against stronger sides, I'd be inclined to go with Fletcher/Hargreaves anchoring and Anderson and Gibson/Giggs just in front of that anchor.

The one thing I was seriously concerned with on Sunday was the confusion between who was doing what in centre-mid and the occasions in which there was noone watching in front of the back four. With Scholes lapsing in this regard, there's noone in central midfield now that really offers a goal threat so the focus should be in protecting our back four and filling in for the two attacking full backs we're likely to feature this year.

Alonso played behind gerrard last season.

What do you mean the open draw now?....can we meet English teams in round16? and winners of groups ( if we win ours )????

Originally Posted by ScarFace

What do you mean the open draw now?....can we meet English teams in round16? and winners of groups ( if we win ours )????

yep to the 1st bit

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

Alonso played behind gerrard last season.

To link midfield and attack, not play between the two, per se.

As did Alonso.

I do watch the odd football match you know, much as it might seem otherwise at times.

could npt give a rat's arse about the European Cup this year

some nice awy ties would be nice in the group stages but we are not going to get there three years in a row so I can accept a last eight/16 exit without too much trouble

as long as we get that 19th title, this season that's all that matters

A more attacking midfield option is what we need.

When the chips are down we have no way of changing the midfield. VDV would be perfect. Not going to happen though.

Originally Posted by celtbion

To link midfield and attack, not play between the two, per se.

As did Alonso.

I do watch the odd football match you know, much as it might seem otherwise at times.

you seemed to be saying that we could use an alonso to link midfield and attack but that he would need a holding midfielder behind him much like gerrard had last season in the shape of ahem alonso

what you're really saying is that Rooney could play in the hole?


anyway basically for me the whole argument is flawed. we defend as a team and attack as a team and anything less than that is doomed to failure - we haven't failed as a team much since the January transfer window in 2005/06. we have plenty of players who can unlock the door with a cunning pass or individual piece of magic. the real issue is to find the right movement to open up massed defences and the best way to do that is to invite the opposition on - or score first and do it early. it's a risky strategy. it's why at our best we've always had the best scrambling defence in the league for the last couple of decades. if we lack anything then it's a Bryan Robson. we have nothing anywhere near that without Hargreaves.

Or even with Hargreaves.

Until Matt James gets in the first team

Originally Posted by Whalefish

A midfielder - one to link the midfield and attack, but to also contribute a few goals - is about the only thing I think we need atm.

Rooney?

A verse from the bible...

And God said unto them:

You should buy Darren Bent, though. Yeah? Because he knows a friend of mine who used to play for Charlton's reserves. Not the one in prison, one of the other ones. And yay though he be great and a top boy, he shall be better than the welsh Lucifer who is white and therefore not a top boy.

Marlo, confirmations 3:43

Originally Posted by Whalefish

It's hardly talking shit if Utd do give the kids a chance. I look forward to it, what this club is about.

Benzema apart I'm struggling to think of a player available for the right money. A player that Utd should have gone out and signed. There's a few good players about but Ribery for £50million or more? Aguero, £50million? Were these ever likely with such inflated fees?

Some folk comment about the debt as if it's an aside. It isn't. It's very £#%&!ing real. Chuck in the economic climate at the moment, £60million left in the bank or not, I'm still a little surprised that folk are getting angry about the lack of a big name signing or two.

Personally I'm looking forward to the kids getting a run in the side. Now is as good a time as any to give them a few seasons and see if they're good enough. I expect the season to be up and down, but I also think we'll be pleasantly surprised come the end whether the club lift a trophy or not.

Amen!