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Post by Brunt's Left Foot on Jun 6, 2015 12:09:33 GMT -5
TBF we could do with more than just 2 fullbacks so signing both would be good. But you're right that we'd need a LB. I just couldn't think of one that was a realistic get and who was half decent. Either way, I doubt we'd get Glen Johnson. He's definitely the least likely target out of the ones I listed. If he stays in the Prem, West Ham looks the most likely destination. Johnson is garbage. I can't see Pulis going for him because apart from going forward he doesn't offer very much. Nah, he's not that bad. He just looked worse by comparison because he was playing at a high level. See also Darren Fletcher, who looked completely out of his depth at Man Utd but has fitted in nicely here. Johnson would be a decent signing for any mid-table or below team, wage demands withstanding.
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Post by Hammersmith Hardman on Jun 6, 2015 12:45:08 GMT -5
Always rated Micah Richards, certainly hope we're in for him too, and if rumours are to be believed Poyet passed up the chance to sign him last summer.
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Post by Himmy! on Jun 6, 2015 13:33:55 GMT -5
Johnson is garbage. I can't see Pulis going for him because apart from going forward he doesn't offer very much. Nah, he's not that bad. He just looked worse by comparison because he was playing at a high level. See also Darren Fletcher, who looked completely out of his depth at Man Utd but has fitted in nicely here. Johnson would be a decent signing for any mid-table or below team, wage demands withstanding. Always rated Fletcher haha. It's a game of opinions eh? I've no doubt Pulis will make some good and steady signings for you.
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Post by Mike Giggs' Munchies on Jun 7, 2015 14:58:47 GMT -5
I wrote down what transfers I wanted last week, I'll dig them up and post them in a miute for you lot to praise me/rip me to shreds. In the meantime, one of those ridiculously early predictions things: 1. Chelsea 2. Manchester United 3. Manchester City 4. Arsenal 5. Tottenham 6. Liverpool 7. Stoke 8. Everton 9. Southampton 10. Crystal Palace 11. Swansea 12. Aston Villa 13. Newcastle 14. West Ham 15. Norwich 16. Watford 17. Sunderland 18. West Brom 19. AFC Bournemouth 20. Leicester City Bottom half MUCH harder than the top half. I tend to do it 'bottom up' after the top 8 judging by who is the worst rather than who is too good to go down.How'd you end up with that bottom 3 then? How do you end up rating Leicester or West Brom worse than Newcastle or Sunderland? And how is Bournemouth worse than Norwich or Watford? Honestly it seems more the opposite of what you said. It reads more like you did in fact base it off of 'too good to go down' rather than who is better, which can really only be assessed based off of the end of last season. My point is more that no one below Swansea is too good to go down - they're all pretty sh*t, and so whilst any of them would be 'worthy' of being relegated, I've gone for the ones who I think will be worst of a bad bunch. I picked Leicester because I don't think they can keep up their miracle run, Bournemouth because I just don't think they will have the quality and West Brom because I think they may lose Pulis and Berahino and be totally unable to replace either. Not that Sunderland, Watford, Norwich etc. will be great, but I just think they will be the worst 3. Here's my transfer hopes. I am assuming that the widely-reported figure of £150m is correct, and that I can use any sales to bolster my budget. So, here goes… In: Depay (PSV) – £22mIt would be churlish not to include the deal that is already done, but as it happens this would be first on my to-buy list anyway. A brilliant young player with clear similarities to Ronaldo (though obviously no expectation to reach that high a level). Just what we need, and a typical United signing. Between him and Mata we’ll have two of the deadliest free kick takers in the world too. In: Hummels (Dortmund) – £35mReally the perfect fit. Not the best season last year, but his quality is not in doubt. His age provides the perfect balance of experience and youth required for our back line. A no-brainer from our end. In: Alves (Barcelona) – Free (apart from the wages!) Sign him on a two-year contract and squeeze out the last of his top-flight talent before letting him move to Qatar or the USA. The lack of a fee allows spending to be done elsewhere (and for those keeping up, I have £93m left to play with). After he leaves either sign Clyne or whoever the new bright young thing at right back is. Out: Falcao (Monaco) – Free (but at least we get rid of the wages!) I, like most United fans, am sad to see him go – he wasn’t that bad at first (just rusty), but the intense criticism really got him down and by the end he was pretty poor. I’m still convinced he’ll be a top class striker again elsewhere, though he probably won’t quite reach his previous heights. Out: Evans (Sunderland) – £8mI like Evans, and will also be sad to see him go, but he really has struggled the past couple of years. He wasn’t given enough credit for his strong performances in Fergie’s last 2 years, but there’s no denying his fall from grace since SAF left. I can definitely see Sunderland coughing up for him, especially as he’s popular with the fans after a previous loan spell. In: Lacazette (Lyon) – £25mSparkling form in Ligue Un, and although we’ve seen this kind of thing end in disaster before, he really does have potential. He can be understudy to Wayne for a year or two before leading the line after Rooney either gets dropped or moves into midfield. Another youthful, talented, mid-range price, United-esque purchase. Out: Wilson (Sunderland) – LoanI’ve sent Wilson to Sunderland because of our good relationship and past history with them, but any top-tier club would be excellent for his development. Out: Januzaj (Real Sociedad) – Loan Don’t know why we didn’t do this in January. Our acm area is stacked right now and Adnan needs gametime. Would have a great education in Spain and Moyes would give him discipline whilst allowing him to flourish when possible. In: Gundogan (Dortmund) – £25mNot a perfect replacement for Carrick, and he may not even start when everyone is fit (depending on form etc.), but seems to have recovered from his injury and has shown real talent in his career so far. Out: Smalling (Spurs) – £16mI know he’s had a good season, but I still don’t believe he can get much better – unlike Jones, who would be able to settle down as a CB once and for all in this squad. I’d rather sell Rojo but as he’s only been with us for a year, this seems more likely. Spurs could do with a decent centre back and would probably enjoy the opportunity to buy British (and therefore home grown). Out: RVP (Juventus) – £5mWe like you Robin, and you did exactly what we bought you for, but its time to let go. He’s been infuriating to watch this season. I’m happy to have Chicha as a third choice striker for another year, although if we had a good offer for him it wouldn’t be the end of the world holding RVP in reserve until his contract expires. I’d rather get rid though. In: Eder Alvarez Balanta - £20mI wanted Laporte but I assume that is done for this summer now he's signed a new contract. Balanta is a top young prospect and a bit cheaper - he's great on Football Manager too ;[ I just really want to secure some top young defensive talent, and Varane/Laporte/Marquinhos are all locked up. He's a left footer too which is helpful. And, if necessary, two more: Out: De Gea (Real Madrid) – £30mThis would be awful, but unfortunately seems increasingly inevitable. The worst part is that we paid £20m for him in the first place – a £10m profit on a player that has transformed so much is really a huge disappointment for us. In: Lloris (Tottenham) – £30mUnfortunately a lot of the top young goalkeeping talent (Ter Stegen, Courtouis etc.) moved last summer (or returned to their parent club in Courtouis’ case), so this is not the ideal time to buy. It makes me sick that Lloris, a very good but not as good as De Gea goalkeeper, would cost the same if not more. But unfortunately that’s the way the cookie crumbles. If we can find another young, top goalkeeper (Football Manager recommends Simone Scuffet or Gerónimo Rulli) then go for it. So, in summary, here would be my new squad: First XI (4-2-3-1):
De Gea/Lloris
Alves --- Hummels --- Balanta --- Shaw
Carrick --- Herrera
ADM --- Mata --- Depay
Rooney Bench:
Valdes
Jones
Rojo
Blind
Gundogan
Fellaini
Lacazette
Squad:
Lindegaard
Valencia
Rafael (assuming we can’t shift him)
Blackett
McNair
Young
Nani (ditto Rafael)
Perriera
Chicharito
Six or seven in (depending on DDG) and six or seven out (including loans); more if we can sell Rafael, Cleverley and Nani. I also believe I have £40m left to spare – enough to get another fairly big deal through if necessary. That said, I think this squad could achieve our aims this season and then crack on to win the league in 16/17 when it would have had time to settle, and young players (Depay, Laporte etc.) would have had time to grow. Rumour mills seem to suggest Lacazette to PSG and Gundogan to Bayern are more likely than either of them to United. There's no chance Smalling leaves. Lloris seems like he is going to stay with Spurs - Cech actually seems a more likely option. Would some of your top performers from last season really just become bench/squad players? It would seem mightily harsh for example to not even include Ashley Young on the bench given that he was probably your best outfield player last season. I actually think United's XI for the start of next season might look more like this: Cech Alves - Otamendi - Smalling - Shaw Carrick - Blind Young - Mata - Depay Rooney LVG doesn't seem too in love with Herrera or Di Maria. I could see both on the bench until they're needed. Your picks are mostly realistic though. At least there's no mention of Ronaldo, Bale, Vidal or Pogba. Also, Mata one of the best FK takers in the world? Is he? I know he's hit a few great ones over the years but he's never been a regular taker/scorer of them. It'd be a bit like saying Kolarov and Seb Larsson are two of the best FK takers in the world. Also, Cleverley has joined Everton on a free. You must have missed that. Lacazette has been linked to tons of clubs, and its still early days. Same with Gundogan. Smalling won't leave I agree - its just what I would do personally were I able to get the other signings. Why do you say that of Lloris? Everything I've heard says he wants CL football but to stay in England if possible. It is harsh on Young, but that's the way it goes in football. Young was good after January/February but he isn't good enough to be a long term solution. I think LVG was really impressed by Herrera after Feb/March, and he more or less said so, saying that Herrera was now playing the way he wanted him to. Yeah there's no way any of them are coming (Vidal a very slim possibility, but still very unlikely). Mata statistically is the best FK taker in PL history, with the best conversion rate. I also find that when he doesn't score he is often very close too. I wrote that before Cleverly joined Everton. I took him out of the squad at the bottom but maybe I've missed a mention of him in the text.
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Post by Brunt's Left Foot on Jun 7, 2015 15:53:01 GMT -5
My point is more that no one below Swansea is too good to go down - they're all pretty sh*t, and so whilst any of them would be 'worthy' of being relegated, I've gone for the ones who I think will be worst of a bad bunch. I picked Leicester because I don't think they can keep up their miracle run, Bournemouth because I just don't think they will have the quality and West Brom because I think they may lose Pulis and Berahino and be totally unable to replace either. Not that Sunderland, Watford, Norwich etc. will be great, but I just think they will be the worst 3. Lacazette has been linked to tons of clubs, and its still early days. Same with Gundogan. Smalling won't leave I agree - its just what I would do personally were I able to get the other signings. Why do you say that of Lloris? Everything I've heard says he wants CL football but to stay in England if possible. It is harsh on Young, but that's the way it goes in football. Young was good after January/February but he isn't good enough to be a long term solution. I think LVG was really impressed by Herrera after Feb/March, and he more or less said so, saying that Herrera was now playing the way he wanted him to. Yeah there's no way any of them are coming (Vidal a very slim possibility, but still very unlikely). Mata statistically is the best FK taker in PL history, with the best conversion rate. I also find that when he doesn't score he is often very close too. I wrote that before Cleverly joined Everton. I took him out of the squad at the bottom but maybe I've missed a mention of him in the text. Yeah but predicting us to go down seems to be based on a lot of what ifs and such. Pulis and Berahino haven't been linked with any imminent departures, and I don't see how Crystal Palace are much better than us. I'd say we're on a similar level. Lloris I thought I read an interview with him the other day that said he was happy at Spurs and wouldn't force a move. If Spurs don't want to sell him, and I can't see them doing so, I think he'll stay. Dropping Young might be what you want or what you think might happen, but I personally can't see Van Gaal just dropping him. Not yet anyway. Maybe if he starts the season a little bit slowly or has an injury. Herrera should play but similar to the Young situation, would he just drop Carrick or Blind like that? I guess you'll probably have quite a few injuries again next season anyway so you might not have to worry about choosing some players over others. Mata isn't statistically the best FK taker in PL history. He's the best FK taker over the last 14 years of the PL. It also doesn't account for distance of the free kick, or any other conditions.
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Post by TheNinthCloud on Jun 9, 2015 19:29:51 GMT -5
I think United getting rid of Falcao would definitely leave a big chunk of change to pay for an Alves or Gundogan.
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Post by Brunt's Left Foot on Jun 10, 2015 8:56:52 GMT -5
Alves has signed a new deal with Barca so I guess that's not happening.
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Post by Brunt's Left Foot on Jun 10, 2015 10:19:10 GMT -5
De Gea to Real Madrid seems like it will be done imminently. Rumour has him moving for only £18m potentially rising to £21.5m.
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Post by TheNinthCloud on Jun 10, 2015 23:29:52 GMT -5
I'm out of the loop. why is De Gea looking at Real?
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Post by Himmy! on Jun 11, 2015 3:37:14 GMT -5
I'm out of the loop. why is De Gea looking at Real? Casillas is supposedly off but has been for two years now so let's see. Ayew to Swansea mind. It pains me to see how well they're progressing. Wages sound huge though.
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Post by Mike Giggs' Munchies on Jun 11, 2015 15:01:25 GMT -5
I'm out of the loop. why is De Gea looking at Real? Born & raised in Madrid and his family live there (including his girlfriend). I suppose they're the pinnacle if you're a Latin player, or arguably any player really. The Marca £18m reports seem like bollocks though (unsurprisingly as its Marca). Will be incredibly surprised if he goes under £20m or £25m. Considering we paid £18.5m for him in 2011 I think we'd just rather let him see out his contract. My point is more that no one below Swansea is too good to go down - they're all pretty sh*t, and so whilst any of them would be 'worthy' of being relegated, I've gone for the ones who I think will be worst of a bad bunch. I picked Leicester because I don't think they can keep up their miracle run, Bournemouth because I just don't think they will have the quality and West Brom because I think they may lose Pulis and Berahino and be totally unable to replace either. Not that Sunderland, Watford, Norwich etc. will be great, but I just think they will be the worst 3. Lacazette has been linked to tons of clubs, and its still early days. Same with Gundogan. Smalling won't leave I agree - its just what I would do personally were I able to get the other signings. Why do you say that of Lloris? Everything I've heard says he wants CL football but to stay in England if possible. It is harsh on Young, but that's the way it goes in football. Young was good after January/February but he isn't good enough to be a long term solution. I think LVG was really impressed by Herrera after Feb/March, and he more or less said so, saying that Herrera was now playing the way he wanted him to. Yeah there's no way any of them are coming (Vidal a very slim possibility, but still very unlikely). Mata statistically is the best FK taker in PL history, with the best conversion rate. I also find that when he doesn't score he is often very close too. I wrote that before Cleverly joined Everton. I took him out of the squad at the bottom but maybe I've missed a mention of him in the text. Yeah but predicting us to go down seems to be based on a lot of what ifs and such. Pulis and Berahino haven't been linked with any imminent departures, and I don't see how Crystal Palace are much better than us. I'd say we're on a similar level. Lloris I thought I read an interview with him the other day that said he was happy at Spurs and wouldn't force a move. If Spurs don't want to sell him, and I can't see them doing so, I think he'll stay. Dropping Young might be what you want or what you think might happen, but I personally can't see Van Gaal just dropping him. Not yet anyway. Maybe if he starts the season a little bit slowly or has an injury. Herrera should play but similar to the Young situation, would he just drop Carrick or Blind like that? I guess you'll probably have quite a few injuries again next season anyway so you might not have to worry about choosing some players over others. Mata isn't statistically the best FK taker in PL history. He's the best FK taker over the last 14 years of the PL. It also doesn't account for distance of the free kick, or any other conditions. It is based on some what ifs; it would be impossible to make predictions without them. If it wasn't based on what ifs then it wouldn't be a prediction, it'd be a fact! Berahino has been liked with a move away a lot and Pulis has form for leaving if not given money. Palace were better than you last season, and will look to build on that more IMO. Its still early days for all these predictions though. Since you posted that Lloris has been quoted as basically saying he'll want to go United if De Gea leaves. I definitely think LVG sees Young as a stop gap. Its not the first time he's had half a good season in a United shirt. Herrera played more than either Carrick or Blind towards the end of the season; if all are fit Blind would most likely be the one to make way. Fair point, though I maintain he's a brilliant fk taker. He's come very close on several occasions as well as the ones he's scored. The stats that we have available back me up. ----- Shame Alves stayed at Barca but I suppose its hardly a surprise. Would have preferred him to Clyne but Clyne would hardly be a bad buy. We've been linked with everyone under the sun and its only June 11th, though I must admit we should really have our business done by mid-July rather than waiting until the last moment like last time. I'll be sad if Chelsea get Falcao 'cos I like him. I still think he can/will come good somewhere.
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Post by Hammersmith Hardman on Jun 11, 2015 15:09:51 GMT -5
I'm out of the loop. why is De Gea looking at Real? Casillas is supposedly off but has been for two years now so let's see. Ayew to Swansea mind. It pains me to see how well they're progressing. Wages sound huge though. They have some bloody good negotiators. Through the years they've made some very shrewd signings that have helped them develop.
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Post by TheNinthCloud on Jun 11, 2015 15:38:37 GMT -5
I'm out of the loop. why is De Gea looking at Real? Born & raised in Madrid and his family live there (including his girlfriend). I suppose they're the pinnacle if you're a Latin player, or arguably any player really. The Marca £18m reports seem like bollocks though (unsurprisingly as its Marca). Will be incredibly surprised if he goes under £20m or £25m. Considering we paid £18.5m for him in 2011 I think we'd just rather let him see out his contract. I guess the shortlist for United is Lloris, Valdes, and perhaps Cech? Lloris being the ideal one due to age.
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GBM™
Main Eventer
Joined on: Oct 17, 2006 14:16:18 GMT -5
Posts: 2,441
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Post by GBM™ on Jun 12, 2015 8:48:22 GMT -5
Born & raised in Madrid and his family live there (including his girlfriend). I suppose they're the pinnacle if you're a Latin player, or arguably any player really. The Marca £18m reports seem like bollocks though (unsurprisingly as its Marca). Will be incredibly surprised if he goes under £20m or £25m. Considering we paid £18.5m for him in 2011 I think we'd just rather let him see out his contract. I guess the shortlist for United is Lloris, Valdes, and perhaps Cech? Lloris being the ideal one due to age. Good luck to United trying to deal with Levy should they end up selling De Gea.
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Post by Mike Giggs' Munchies on Jun 14, 2015 9:33:28 GMT -5
I guess the shortlist for United is Lloris, Valdes, and perhaps Cech? Lloris being the ideal one due to age. Good luck to United trying to deal with Levy should they end up selling De Gea. Fair, but if Lloris wants to go not much Levy can do (like Berbatov, Bale, Modric etc.). Would expect a deal for £30m-ish.
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Post by Markw on Jun 17, 2015 3:55:59 GMT -5
Always nice to get a crap team on the opening day.
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Post by Brunt's Left Foot on Jun 17, 2015 5:22:40 GMT -5
Bit of a tricky start. Man City (H), Watford (A), Chelsea (H), Stoke (A).
I'd be happy to get 4-5 points from that.
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Post by Dan on Jun 17, 2015 5:55:38 GMT -5
Would take Falcao in a heartbeat if we can get him on loan, a very tough task for Jose to decide who starts as Number 9. On a side note, why's Falcao got rid of his barnet?! The modern day Batistuta is no more!
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Post by Hammersmith Hardman on Jun 17, 2015 6:13:09 GMT -5
Always nice to get the English Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Brazil 1970 rolled into 1 on the opening day.
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Post by McBlake on Jun 17, 2015 7:33:45 GMT -5
Literally, the only reason Mourinho has signed Falcao is so he can be all like To Man Utd. He's such a bore these days.
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