Realistic transfer window targets.

Say we can sign three or four players more, which would it be for you. Excluding the done deals obviously, Zaha and Varela.

Be realistic.

Thiago Alcantara, either Strootman/Fellaini and Bale for me.

Bale should be out number 1 target. Best British player, and all the best British players belong at Manchester united for me.

Don't think we need Garay right now. Smalling should be given a chance.

I wouldnt say Bale is realistic at all. The fee will be 50m+, and there's no way we'll pay that

Thiago and Baines, being realistic.

Originally Posted by wiganste

I wouldnt say Bale is realistic at all. The fee will be 50m+, and there's no way we'll pay that

United have a history of paying big for top British players, I'm hopeful. Plus he'd immensely improve our team.

Originally Posted by Aman27deep

United have a history of paying big for top British players, I'm hopeful. Plus he'd immensely improve our team.

No doubt he'll improve us but we won't get done over by spuds again

McCarthy and Baines by the looks of things..

anyone we can have a good look at

Realistically?

Realistically United will be looking at anyone they can get on the cheap or a young player they can bring in for peanuts and sell for more in a couple of years.

In my opinion Thiago is nowhere near a realistic target. In fact, I have been utterly stunned that we actually seem so close to signing him.

He's just not the type of player we sign; a technically brilliant, world-class, Latin player from another European heavyweight. When was the last time we did that? Veron?

Obviously we've all known for a few seasons that the midfield needs strengthening, and we've all listed potential players that we should sign, but never in my wildest dreams did I ever think we'd get this kid. It just seems far too good to be true.

Originally Posted by Aman27deep

United have a history of paying big for top British players, I'm hopeful. Plus he'd immensely improve our team.

Football's moved on since then

We would pay 30 to 40 million for a player like Bale but not the amount Spurs would want for him

Anyway Levy would never sell him to us now
I think he would rather take 10 million less from Madrid than sell to us

If we sign Thiago then we only need a powerful top class midfielder to play alongside Carrick or to cover for him
Maybe Fellaini although I'm not completely sold on him

Get Nani signed up to a new contract and have a side like this for the start of the season

------------De Gea-----------
Rafael----Evans----Vidic--Evra
----------Fellaini---Carrick----
--Nani------Thiago---Kagawa-
------------Van Persie--------

hope evra stays and we don't need to waste money on a position where we are sorted, reckon this thiago lad could be a goer but until he is holding a united scarf over his head with old trafford in the background hmmm.
McCarthy could also be a realistic target not got the wow factor but is a very good young player who reminds me of nicky butt, not saying instead of thiago cause the fact is we could do with both.

Originally Posted by Neo

In my opinion Thiago is nowhere near a realistic target. In fact, I have been utterly stunned that we actually seem so close to signing him.

He's just not the type of player we sign; a technically brilliant, world-class, Latin player from another European heavyweight. When was the last time we did that? Veron?

Obviously we've all known for a few seasons that the midfield needs strengthening, and we've all listed potential players that we should sign, but never in my wildest dreams did I ever think we'd get this kid. It just seems far too good to be true.

No concerns over his physicality for the requirements of the PL? The likes of Mata and Silva have not struggled in that regard but they are playing with more attacking freedom with solid midfields behind them. Thiago will probably be playing in a 2 if he signs and that puts a lot more defensive responsibility on him.

TBH I have not watched him play that often, you seem entirely convinced by him.

As long as Utd do not sign Strootman, finally got the chance to watch him in that u21 tournament. A mate had compared him to Gibson, looked more like Gareth Barry to me in those games.

Originally Posted by ZiggyStardust

Football's moved on since then

We would pay 30 to 40 million for a player like Bale but not the amount Spurs would want for him

Anyway Levy would never sell him to us now
I think he would rather take 10 million less from Madrid than sell to us

If we sign Thiago then we only need a powerful top class midfielder to play alongside Carrick or to cover for him
Maybe Fellaini although I'm not completely sold on him

Get Nani signed up to a new contract and have a side like this for the start of the season

------------De Gea-----------
Rafael----Evans----Vidic--Evra
----------Fellaini---Carrick----
--Nani------Thiago---Kagawa-
------------Van Persie--------

I usually agree with virtually everything you say regarding team selection etc, but IMO people are wrong to shift Kagawa to the wing.

He's potentially a world-class number 10, and we should play him right in the middle where he can cause the most havoc. His touch, vision, skill in tight spaces and link-up play are devastatingly good. Moyes needs to build our attack around him, not shunt him to the wing.

Thiago (if he signs) should play deeper, alongside Carrick, with Kagawa in a more advanced position linking with the front three. Thiago has the ability to dictate games from midfield, and he also has a very underrated ability of winning back possession from the opposition. He'd be superb next to Carrick.

I've always advocated the need for steel in the middle, but with a pairing of Carrick and Thiago we'd have so much control of possession that it would be difficult for any team to physically dominate us like we've seen in the past few seasons. Carrick and Thiago would run rings around the likes of Yaya Toure and Ramires. The need for a midfield powerhouse would be lessened as we'd control games so much. It would hopefully result in a far more attractive style of play too, as opposed to the negative style of welcoming teams on to us.

Originally Posted by Neo

I usually agree with virtually everything you say regarding team selection etc, but IMO people are wrong to shift Kagawa to the wing.

He's potentially a world-class number 10, and we should play him right in the middle where he can cause the most havoc. His touch, vision, skill in tight spaces and link-up play are devastatingly good. Moyes needs to build our attack around him, not shunt him to the wing.

Thiago (if he signs) should play deeper, alongside Carrick, with Kagawa in a more advanced position linking with the front three. Thiago has the ability to dictate games from midfield, and he also has a very underrated ability of winning back possession from the opposition. He'd be superb next to Carrick.

I've always advocated the need for steel in the middle, but with a pairing of Carrick and Thiago we'd have so much control of possession that it would be difficult for any team to physically dominate us like we've seen in the past few seasons. Carrick and Thiago would run rings around the likes of Yaya Toure and Ramires. The need for a midfield powerhouse would be lessened as we'd control games so much. It would hopefully result in a far more attractive style of play too, as opposed to the negative style of welcoming teams on to us.

He wins the ball back for Spain and Barcelona because of their pressing game
We might under Moyes start pressing more but we definitely won't press like Barca or Spain do

We need to look to Bayern for a more similar style and for that we need a more powerful midfielder to play alongside Carrick

Kagawa wouldn't play on the wing but like an inside forward as he does for Japan
Think of Moyes' Everton team last season and he would play similar to Pienaar with Nani taking Mirallas place
If playing from the left for Madrid was fine for Zidane then I don't see why Kagawa can't play really well from there

We can change the players for easy home games but for the big games that would be the type of first 11 I would be looking for

Originally Posted by Tiberian

No concerns over his physicality for the requirements of the PL? The likes of Mata and Silva have not struggled in that regard but they are playing with more attacking freedom with solid midfields behind them. Thiago will probably be playing in a 2 if he signs and that puts a lot more defensive responsibility on him.

TBH I have not watched him play that often, you seem entirely convinced by him.

As long as Utd do not sign Strootman, finally got the chance to watch him in that u21 tournament. A mate had compared him to Gibson, looked more like Gareth Barry to me in those games.

He's a completely different player to Mata and Silva IMO - he's better suited to a deeper role dictating the tempo of a game, as opposed to Mata, Silva and Kagawa who operate much further up the pitch.

I believe Thiago is more than adept enough at the rougher side of the game - he won possession for his side more than any other player in the Euro U21 tournament, and he personifies Barca's ideology of relentless pressing more than any of their recent youth products.

I'd be happy with just Thiago. We don't need much.

Originally Posted by Neo

I believe Thiago is more than adept enough at the rougher side of the game - he won possession for his side more than any other player in the Euro U21 tournament, and he personifies Barca's ideology of relentless pressing more than any of their recent youth products.

That has to be a team wide mindset to get the best of his abilities in that area. Utd have not pressed the ball consistently for a long time. Will be interesting to see if Moyes can move the team away from dropping off to the edge of the box as the main defensive tactic.

Like the potential of Thiago, Kagawa, Nani, Van Persie, even Cleverley and Anderson, linking up, all technically solid players who can move the ball quickly.

Originally Posted by Tiberian

Like the potential of Thiago, Kagawa, Nani, Van Persie, even Cleverley and Anderson, linking up, all technically solid players who can move the ball quickly.

Welbeck too, IMO; his link up play is very good.

Will also be interesting to see how Zaha slots in. He's very raw but seems to have a lot of natural ability and confidence, so playing with much more technical players at a high tempo could see him as a far more favourable option to the unimaginative, one-dimensional Valencia.

Thiago would need to adapt to a team playing with real width first and foremost. The notion that United need to adopt a style similar to Bayern's is curious - United have their own style, the only question is where they get the width from against certain opposition, especially in home games where the free player is usually in our back line.

It'll be interesting to see whether Moyes actually gets McCarthy and how often he uses him away from home in place of say Kagawa. If Rooney stays then that gives further promise of 2 up front continuing to be used regularly (even if that doesn't actually include wiggy all the time). Nani will be a bit part player because he's not trustworthy tactically and not good enough anything like consistently to be given a free role.

It will also be interesting to see how much influence Guardiola can have at Bayern if he bottles it and attempts to change his own style to theirs. If he makes a few tweaks to make his mark then he could fall betwixt and between, so he's got a tricky first season.

Still hoping the reported interest in Griezmann is true