United need to change their transfer strategy starting in JANUARY

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co....indow-14023287

Jose Mourinho has not been in the business of playing his transfer cards close to his chest at Manchester United.

All summer, at every single pre-match press conference, post-match interview and chat, he made his intentions quite clear: Four players.

He was forced to settle for three this year but refused to cause a fuss at being denied the last man on his list and Mourinho endorsed Ed Woodward's February remark that there would not be as much 'churn' as there was under Louis van Gaal.

"I think I've guided before that we want to get to a more steady state and be buying and potentially selling a lower number of players each year," Woodward said.

"I think we're in that kind of environment now compared to where we were two, three years ago, when perhaps there was a little more churn required from the playing squad perspective."

Perhaps there was even a sly glance across town. City have been in 'churn' mode for two summers now, discarding four full-backs and signing three in the most recent window.

Mourinho and Pep Guardiola arrived in Manchester at the same time but their transfer strategies have significantly diverged. In 18 months, City have signed 13 players to enhance their first-team squad compared with United's seven.

And in the Manchester derby, just two of Mourinho's signings started the fixture, with two more on the bench. Four of the starters were signed in Sir Alex Ferguson's day - and that is excluding academy graduates Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard.

Mourinho would have preferred to be able to call on two of his 'untouchables', Paul Pogba and Eric Bailly, but those numbers reveal a harsh reality: This United squad needs more than just tweaking.

Mourinho has successfully repaired the spine, but that has delayed surgery elsewhere. United continue to pay the price for previous transfer blunders and there is still dead wood hanging around, while the aging limbs of distinguished servants are getting little respite with no long-term replacements waiting in the wings.

Ahead of the January transfer window, United look in need of two full-backs, a central midfielder, a right winger and an additional forward - assuming they can hold on to all of their key pieces.

Most of that will have to be done in the summer, with Michael Carrick and Zlatan Ibrahimovic looking certain to depart and Marouane Fellaini currently set to join them.
But there are others who need to be moved on. Daley Blind and Matteo Darmian were omitted from the matchday squad on Sunday, and while Luke Shaw has made progress his future remains uncertain.

United also look over-stocked at centre-back with Axel Tuanzebe not getting the minutes he deserves, and Mourinho may have to find room for returning loanees Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Andreas Pereira next season. The lack of churn policy is admirable but results do not depend on consistent staffing.

After finishing sixth last year, manager and board oversaw a relatively conservative summer comprising three additions and only one senior exit.

Ahead of next season, United need more than four.

Its been reported (yeah I know) we have £90m to spend in January

I wouldn't bother with January, leave that in the purse and add that to the summer budget to it and buy quality instead of mediocre squad shite for next season

It’s not a poor squad, but it’s still a way off being at the level we want.

I’d like to start freezing out some of the chumps who won’t be here next season and get Tuanzebe and one or two others more involved. Maybe Mensah back in January; Palace fans I know rate him but he’s only playing occasionally.

All with a view to shifting 8/9 next summer and adding a handful in the right areas.

worrying that we're still in the position after 3 managers and however many millions spent, where the only rational solution is to sign more players? really, is that the answer?

i get that we're not where we need to be quality wise, but there needs to be some action taken behind the scenes to rectify the infrastructure of the club, maybe whilst there look at how we coach players? but what do i know, i guess signing another 3-5 players will rescue it

Originally Posted by Tronics

but what do i know, i guess signing another 3-5 players will rescue it

Worked for guardiola. .

Young, Herrera, Bogbrush, Lingard, Blind, Smalling, Jones, Mata, Darmian - all shitc***s that need to be sold.

Mkhitaryan is edging himself closer to the exit door as well.

Carrick and Zlatan are just a waste of time now, both need to leave for everyone's sake.

I don't think I've seen any other big club who is as sentimental and hesitates as much as United when it comes to getting rid of players who are blatantly not good enough or no longer useful to the club.

How on earth is Bogbrush still at the club FFS?

Originally Posted by Tronics

i get that we're not where we need to be quality wise, but there needs to be some action taken behind the scenes to rectify the infrastructure of the club, maybe whilst there look at how we coach players?

I think it's the manager's shithouse tactics as well. That first 40 minutes against City last Sunday was such a £#%&!ing disgrace.

but what do i know, i guess signing another 3-5 players will rescue it

Or we could continue to stick with the likes of Herrera, Bogbrush, Young, Smalling and Jones and hope that they come good and fulfill their "potential".

We're owned by tight @#%&!s. Nothing will ever change until we're sold and Woodward is hung for his crimes against humanity.

"Churn"

What a £#%&!er

Originally Posted by Shade

Or we could continue to stick with the likes of Herrera, Bogbrush, Young, Smalling and Jones and hope that they come good and fulfill their "potential".

He looks the same raw injury prone oaf that he did the day he arrived

Originally Posted by ScarFace

We're owned by tight @#%&!s. Nothing will ever change until we're sold and Woodward is hung for his crimes against humanity.

This is one of our main problems

Even though we chuck money about like confetti at times we seem to haggle over a few million here and there and missing out on some needed targets.

Couldn't we have bagged hazard for an extra 6million?

Originally Posted by Red Al

He looks the same raw injury prone oaf that he did the day he arrived



This is one of our main problems

Even though we chuck money about like confetti at times we seem to haggle over a few million here and there and missing out on some needed targets.

Couldn't we have bagged hazard for an extra 6million?

It’s in their culture. It’s not a myth. Worse people in the world to deal with unless you’re one of them. Trust me , I’ve lived in or next door to Cheetham Hill and Gatley and done plenty of biz in both. Hope I don’t get arrested .

we could do with better players, but we're not going to achieve that just by spending money. we are not the biggest dog.

what we need to do is get in players with potential and play them (or make better use of what we have). in a team that is built around a tough and dynamic midfield. you can't complain about the effect of matic.... but players like tfm and tuanzers should be getting a chance (so should shaw).

of course, in order to develop players and play in a way which is both exciting and effective, we would have to get rid of mourinho. there is no discernible style or plan to the way we play other than "like an underdog", relying on packing a line across the edge of the box and hoping to hit on the break. shameful.

smalling and jones have not been england's defensive partnership for the next 10 years. shaw has been sidelined. we have strikers playing on the wing and no wingers and a big sackful of number 10s. and a "striker". it needs to be sorted out on the ipads and on the training ground, not buying players real, barca and city don't want.

Next two windows

Griezman 90m

Alex Sandro £40m

Ozil free

Goretzka free

Easy

Originally Posted by ScarFace

We're owned by tight @#%&!s. Nothing will ever change until we're sold and Woodward is hung for his crimes against humanity.

Is the right answer.

We now have more players than we did two years ago who would get in a Barca or Madrid XI. Until we can make a case for at least 8, we're well off the pace.

Definitely keep (youngsters aside):
De Gea, Romero, Valencia, Bailly, Darmian, Lindelof, Matic, Pogba, Mata, Martial, Lingard, Rashford

Need binning off:
Fellaini - if we're going to play the United way, he needs to be gone
Smalling - always a mistake in him
Mata - same as smalling, plus extra cards
Jones - too injury prone
Lukaku - goals in him, but off the pace compared to the rest of our front line

50/50:
Mhkitaryan - needs to sort things out with the gaffer and get his head up
Shaw - as above
Herrera - if he's happy not being first choice, keep him.
Young - keep as back up if he'll take a pay cut

Need thanking for their service and calling time on:
Carrick, Zlat

Of the 12 that I'd definitely keep, not all would get in a top European XI, but they're good enough to be part of the squad going forwards.

Young, Valencia, Jones, Smalling, Darmian, Shaw, Fellaini, Blind, Mata, Carrick, Zlatan and Herrera all need binning. Jose has one hell of a £#%&!ing job on let’s be honest. Our standards have dropped. None of those @#%&!s are good enough and a few are old.

Originally Posted by 92ToBury

Is the right answer.

We now have more players than we did two years ago who would get in a Barca or Madrid XI. Until we can make a case for at least 8, we're well off the pace.

Definitely keep (youngsters aside):
De Gea, Romero, Valencia, Bailly, Darmian, Lindelof, Matic, Pogba, Mata, Martial, Lingard, Rashford

Need binning off:
Fellaini - if we're going to play the United way, he needs to be gone
Smalling - always a mistake in him
Mata - same as smalling, plus extra cards
Jones - too injury prone
Lukaku - goals in him, but off the pace compared to the rest of our front line

50/50:
Mhkitaryan - needs to sort things out with the gaffer and get his head up
Shaw - as above
Herrera - if he's happy not being first choice, keep him.
Young - keep as back up if he'll take a pay cut

Need thanking for their service and calling time on:
Carrick, Zlat

Of the 12 that I'd definitely keep, not all would get in a top European XI, but they're good enough to be part of the squad going forwards.

Poor Blind doesn’t even get a mention

And Darmian can £#%&! off

Originally Posted by 92ToBury

Is the right answer.

We now have more players than we did two years ago who would get in a Barca or Madrid XI. Until we can make a case for at least 8, we're well off the pace.

Definitely keep (youngsters aside):
De Gea, Romero, Valencia, Bailly, [SIZE="7"]Darmian, Lindelof, Matic, Pogba, Mata, Martial, Lingard, Rashford

Need binning off:
Fellaini - if we're going to play the United way, he needs to be gone
Smalling - always a mistake in him
Mata - same as smalling, plus extra cards
Jones - too injury prone
Lukaku - goals in him, but off the pace compared to the rest of our front line

50/50:
Mhkitaryan - needs to sort things out with the gaffer and get his head up
Shaw - as above
Herrera - if he's happy not being first choice, keep him.
Young - keep as back up if he'll take a pay cut

Need thanking for their service and calling time on:
Carrick, Zlat

Of the 12 that I'd definitely keep, not all would get in a top European XI, but they're good enough to be part of the squad going forwards.

Originally Posted by shenwen

Poor Blind doesn’t even get a mention

And Darmian can £#%&! off

Originally Posted by That Boy Ronaldo!

Keep Blind as emergency scapegoat.

Darmian can play left or right back so is useful cover.

Originally Posted by 92ToBury

Keep Blind as emergency scapegoat.

Darmian can play left or right back so is useful cover.

Interesting use of the word "play"

Originally Posted by Denis Irwell

It’s in their culture. It’s not a myth. Worse people in the world to deal with unless you’re one of them. Trust me , I’ve lived in or next door to Cheetham Hill and Gatley and done plenty of biz in both. Hope I don’t get arrested .

Utter shite, I worked for them for 8 years and they are much the same as any one else, @#%&!s are @#%&!s, cool and the gang are cool and your a fool.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

We're not doing a quick fix though, are we. We've only signed 6 players in 2 years. City signed 13 and spent 490m, now that was a quick fix.

Besides, we're 4 places higher in the table than this time last year, we're 6 points better off, we've scored 12 more goals won 3 more games.

All we can do is improve year on year.

we are treading water, not improving.

I agree it's not a quick fix, it's more of a sticking plaster. we need to build a factory, not buy cheap stuff to fill our shelves.