Manchester United Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread - Mod Note in OP, 25/08

Christy Browne

rarnes1 wrote: »

Utd paying insane money for a position not entirely needed is weird.

Seeing more Liverpool fans than United one's in the United thread is weird.

J. Marston

Don't really understand people saying it's not a position that really needed strengthening. Our wingers are useless (Januzaj is promising but still fairly wasteful) and we have no pace in attack.

Di Maria changes that.

Rayne Wooney

................DDG..............
.................Vidal...............
Di Maria....Mata.....Kagawa
.........Rooney...RVP............


Be grand

Hank Scorpio

If he signs and we get a good midfielder in I don't have any doubts we`ll make top 4. The only question is again, if he signs, do we get a midfielder in or wait for Strootman. I'm not gonna buy into it anyway until I see him holding a united kit

DrPhilG

If we are indeed on the verge of signing Di Maria, I'd be baffled if we don't try to get Khedira too. Reports are that he's available for only £15M so surely there's a deal to be done there.

The only things I can think of is that his wage demands are as rumoured, around £200k a week. Either that or Strootman/Vidal is more than just a possibility.

Sebastian Dangerfield

I dont understand people saying we dont need attacking players. Yes theres a hole in defense and midfield, but how many times last season did opposition keepers leave OT without having a significant save to make? The days of us losing games and pinning the opposition back for the last half hour of games are long gone - if anything we seem to run out of ideas and slow the play the more the game ticks on.
Yes a defensive midfielder is needed and hopefully will be taken care of, but to say we dont "need" reinforcement in attack is wrong. We need improvements all over the pitch and if we ship out Nani, Zaha, Bebe and possibly Kagawa (wasted) and one of Welback or Hernandez (Id go with the latter) and bring in a top class replacement, its good business.

RobertKK

We needed people in defense, people in midfield and a winger.

Anyone who thinks we didn't need a winger should be made rewatch matches from last season.

LVG calls Valencia a defender...nani was inconsistent, same with Young, Januzaj very young.
We don't need world class is the argument if one thinks we don't need ADM.

Deiseboy01

zorro2566 wrote: »

http://youtu.be/AAmnHqNrwm0

Di Maria best bits, he is something special all right!

Meh, he's got a few tricks but he's no Lee Catermole is he?!

J. Marston

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/sport/football/Premiership/article1450275.ece

DrPhilG

J. Marston wrote: »

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/sport/football/Premiership/article1450275.ece

Version I read was that City were offered him but declined.

Can't find the link.

They are on thin FFP ice, and they also already don't have the right ratio of homegrown players so I can't see them buying another foreigner.

J. Marston

J. Marston wrote: »

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/sport/football/Premiership/article1450275.ece

What a load of ****e.

Be a bit hard to sell Negrado seeing as though he's out till around Christmas.

Haha just noticed it's a Duncan Castles "scoop". Spoofer of the highest order.

NIMAN

Who would ever have thought that the 2nd game of the season away to Sunderland would be such a big game for Man Utd?

gosplan

Great move by Utd.

Recognition that they're where they are and it's worth spending shedloads to fix the situation.

Very positive from the club.

Zico

RobertKK wrote: »

Anyone who thinks we didn't need a winger should be made rewatch matches from last season.

LVG calls Valencia a defender...nani was inconsistent, same with Young, Januzaj very young.
We don't need world class is the argument if one thinks we don't need ADM.

If LVG's stated tactics involved a winger then I'd agree we needed one.

Based on rumour of a Di Maria transfer we're supposed to believe he's ditching 3-4-1-2 after just 45 mins against Swansea.

It would look like he's reached for the panic button after 1 game and that doesn't seem like his way at all.

Lord TSC

LVG has said that he is only playing 352 because of the players available. He dropped it against Swansea because after an injury, we didn't have anyone capable of playing the right wing back role. It wasn't a panic situation; it was saying "It's not a good idea doing this with who I have on the field". If anything, I admired that we had the ability to change formation on the fly; I felt Moyes would pick his formation and no matter what happened, it never changed.

Meanwhile, the addition of DiMaria means we will have a player capable of playing the 433 he prefers. He has stated before he doesn't think we had the wingers to play 433, specifically name dropped DiMaria as being the player he would like so he could play 433.....

This isn't a panic move to a new formation because one failed after 45 minutes. It's a very obvious move towards the system he actually wants to play, as opposed to the one he was forced to play.

Fescue

Lord TSC wrote: »

LVG has said that he is only playing 352 because of the players available. He dropped it against Swansea because after an injury, we didn't have anyone capable of playing the right wing back role. It wasn't a panic situation; it was saying "It's not a good idea doing this with who I have on the field". If anything, I admired that we had the ability to change formation on the fly; I felt Moyes would pick his formation and no matter what happened, it never changed.

Meanwhile, the addition of DiMaria means we will have a player capable of playing the 433 he prefers. He has stated before he doesn't think we had the wingers to play 433, specifically name dropped DiMaria as being the player he would like so he could play 433.....

This isn't a panic move to a new formation because one failed after 45 minutes. It's a very obvious move towards the system he actually wants to play, as opposed to the one he was forced to play.

One huge part of that change is the switch to three centre-backs, which Van Gaal believes his defenders have embraced. Why 3-5-2, or its variations? “Because it’s more easy to defend. You have to defend the space and the player who is coming into it. When you play like that it’s always less than 15 metres [between the three centre-backs], and then it’s more easy to defend when you communicate good.
“And there are always wide players. And they are always free when they move good, in the right tactical way at the tight tactical time. When I play with three strikers, they are also wide. When you play with full-backs, they are also wide, but they cannot always go. When you play with three defenders, they [the wing-backs] can always go. Both at the same time. That is a risk, but I am a risky coach. Then you have to switch the play. And you know that all the wide players are free. Now, we have to look more for the free players.”

From his comments above during the Neville interview, I got the impression he was in favour of adopting this long term.

If so I believe Di Maria will play as part of the 3 in midfield, as he has done for Real and Argentina.

djPSB

Di Maria is a quality player. A player I'd love to see at LFC.

However, I do think our recruitment policy is better than United's at the minute.

Rodgers and Co have gone for second tier players who have the potential and desire to become top Premier League players. All the salaries seem to be incentive based too where players are rewarded for reaching their targets.

United seem to be going for players who have already been there and already made it at the top clubs e.g. Mata, Di Maria. Which is fine in principle but they've done it all before and might be just looking for the big pay days from here on. United also seem to think that throwing money at it will solve the problems and are maybe sacrificing team balance somewhat. You would also have to question, if Di Maria cares about football and wants to win the biggest trophies in the game, why he would join a club not in the CL.

LuckyLloyd

Di Maria is a great player but I wouldn't have thought he was a ~£60m player. Fees really are insane at the moment.

adox

djPSB wrote: »

Di Maria is a quality player. A player I'd love to see at LFC.

However, I do think our recruitment policy is better than United's at the minute.

Rodgers and Co have gone for second tier players who have the potential and desire to become top Premier League players. All the salaries seem to be incentive based too where players are rewarded for reaching their targets.

United seem to be going for players who have already been there and already made it at the top clubs e.g. Mata, Di Maria. Which is fine in principle but they've done it all before and might be just looking for the big pay days from here on. United also seem to think that throwing money at it will solve the problems and are maybe sacrificing team balance somewhat.

Van Gaal has already stated that the squad is unbalanced so is fully aware of it and hopefully addressing it.

Utd get criticised if they sign up and coming players and are told they need to buy proven talent to get back to where they were and when they do they also get criticised.

Money needed to be thrown at the squad. It needed investment before all the departures in the summer and has needed even more since.

They have also employed one of the top managers in the game so it's disingenuous to just say they are throwing money at the problem.

Larry Wildman

United fans are easily pleased. Our midfield is a joke. Our defence is a shambles. And the club is splashing out £50m on a winger. You couldn't make it up.

We've broken our transfer record three times in recent year - Berbatov, Mata and Di Maria. The first was a disaster, the second is looking like a disaster and the third will be a disaster. Why? Well in Mata and Di Maria's case it's because we're ignoring the "caveat emptor" of their clubs deeming them surplus to requirements and wanting to get rid of them.

Here's an idea - Why don't we buy someone (e.g. Vidal) whose club actually want him and who other clubs covet? But no, it's much easier to pick up rejects and mercenaries from our rivals in areas where we're already covered.

magnumbud

Sunday supplement talking di maria after the break

adox

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Di Maria is a great player but I wouldn't have thought he was a ~£60m player. Fees really are insane at the moment.

Agree with that and prices have really become over inflated, not only for the top players but has trickled down to the lesser quality players also.

Utd haven't helped themselves by(for whatever reason)leaving it so late to sign him(if he does sign).


Will be interesting to see what the fee ends up being. Reports have varied wildly with Sky running it as £48 million with others as high as £64 million.

The_Kew_Tour

IF we do get Di Maria I will jump on the positive bandwagon once more.

A CM now and we be doing A1

Vinz Mesrine

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

IF we do get Di Maria I will jump on the positive bandwagon once more.

A CM now and we be doing A1

Do you not think Di Maria will be playing CM?

Zico

I've never rated Di Maria that highly. He's not in the same class as Ronaldo, Bale , Ribery and Robben, and they're the calliber of player I'd want to be spending over £50m on.

I'd be happy out if there's a defensive midfielder and a centre back who can marshal the defence coming too before the end of the transfer window.

However I can't help suspect that Woodward would be buying Di Maria just because he's for sale, like his last transfer coup Juan Mata, and just like the last transfer window we won't sign the players we actually need.

It doesn't matter if LVG wants to play 3-4-1-2 or 4-3-3 we won't be able to play either effectively without a stable platform at the back and in midfield.

I'm hoping this Di Maria story is bull**** and we're actually going to fix the spine of the team before doing any cosmetic work.

Lord TSC

Lindergaard,
Raphel, , Rojo, Evans, Shaw
Carrick, Fellaini, Herrera, Lingard, Anderson,
Welbeck

Could be a pretty decent first eleven if they weren't all out hurt (or unregistered, in Rojo's case)

redbaron_99

Seems like more Liverpool fans in here than united fans. Haha.

DiMaria is a wonderful player, and despite what the opposition fans, and a couple of pretenders, are saying, he is a player we badly need.

Anyone who has been watching united over the last twelve months will know one of our biggest problems has been the pace of our play. It's far too slow and predictable, and has been crying out for someone with pace and trickery to speed things up, and to get the opposition on the back foot.

Yes, we need a central midfielder too. And I firmly believe we will get one this week.

sydthebeat

Lord TSC wrote: »

Lindergaard,
Raphel, , Rojo, Evans, Shaw
Carrick, Fellaini, Herrera, Lingard, Anderson,
Welbeck

Could be a pretty decent first eleven if they weren't all out hurt (or unregistered, in Rojo's case)

Decent if playing in the championship! !

Larry Wildman

"Larry Wildman is a troll. His views are outrageous."

I said that Rojo could be trouble and was pilloried for it. Well Rojo is allegedly facing criminal charges for bottling his neighbour.

I've been critical of Juan Mata and have been lampooned for it. The consensus on Sunday Supplement is that "Mata has gone backwards at United".

Trolling indeed. Not living in a fantasy world where everything's great and our players are all wonderful more like it.

Vinz Mesrine

redbaron_99 wrote: »

Seems like more Liverpool fans in here than united fans. Haha

Yeah, you said that last night too.

The_Kew_Tour

Vinz Mesrine wrote: »

Do you not think Di Maria will be playing CM?

Have not got a clue tbh.

Kagawa

I understand what people are saying about not signing the defender & midfielder we need but do people think than LVG would let Woodward just buy whoever he wants just to appease the fans. Hw would only sanction the Di Maria deal with the knowledge that the CM & CB positions would also be addressed......surely!

Mantis Toboggan

I'd agree with you Larry to a certain extent.

Very worried about the direction the club is taking. Seems to be just spend, spend spend.

Well sometimes spending big isn't always the answer. Very few of our most expensive players have worked out. We seem to be paying over the odds for every player we sign.

Would love to know what Fergie and Gill think about the situation.

redbaron_99

Vinz Mesrine wrote: »

Yeah, you said that last night too.

Yeah and you're in here repeating the same bile as last night.

Vinz Mesrine

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Have not got a clue tbh.

It makes the most sense in my head, LVG isn't a stupid man. I really don't think he will sign Di Maria and be forced into changing his system.

Vinz Mesrine

redbaron_99 wrote: »

Yeah and you're in here repeating the same bile as last night.

Feel free to discuss my posts instead of just complaining that Liverpool fans are in "your" thread and finding it so hysterical.

Larry Wildman

Larry Wildman wrote: »

"Larry Wildman is a troll. His views are outrageous."

I said that Rojo could be trouble and was pilloried for it. Well Rojo is allegedly facing criminal charges for bottling his neighbour.

I've been critical of Juan Mata and have been lampooned for it. The consensus on Sunday Supplement is that "Mata has gone backwards at United".

Trolling indeed. Not living in a fantasy world where everything's great and our players are all wonderful more like it.

The whole club was in a full on reverse last season. Singling out Mata is unfair imo.

J. Marston

Nearly forgot that United are playing today with all this Di Maria hullabaloo. Sunderland 4-1 United.

Next week though.......next week, we strike.

redbaron_99

Vinz Mesrine wrote: »

It makes the most sense in my head, LVG isn't a stupid man. I really don't think he will sign Di Maria and be forced into changing his system.

What system is that?

adox

Larry Wildman wrote: »

"Larry Wildman is a troll. His views are outrageous."

I said that Rojo could be trouble and was pilloried for it. Well Rojo is allegedly facing criminal charges for bottling his neighbour.

That's not what you said. You made a very tasteless remark about signing any Argentinians because of your view on them based on Veron, Heinze and Tevez.

Tom.D.BJJ

Zico wrote: »

I'm hoping this Di Maria story is bull**** and we're actually going to fix the spine of the team before doing any cosmetic work.

Creating and scoring goals is not cosmetic work.

Mantis Toboggan

Never favoured a director of football role, but it could be time for one at United, just to get Edward out of the negotiation stage.

sydthebeat

Sarai Brief Thriller wrote: »

The whole club was in a full on reverse last season. Singling out Mata is unfair imo.

De gea, januzai

Spazdarn

He's a world class player, our rivals around us have quite a few players of his level. So getting him will definitely benefit the team. I look forward to formations that incorporate both Di Maria and Januzaj raiding down either wing.

Obviously he's not an immediate need to the squad but he's a player that definitely comes in and betters what we already have, especially if he's played in a midfield 3.

A defensive minded midfielder, and CB are still a must. But I'm sure LVG knows this.

Vinz Mesrine

redbaron_99 wrote: »

What system is that?

3-5-2 is his formation, has been for a long time. If he is signing Di Maria it is to play him as a left wing back which makes no sense as Shaw was already signed for that position or else as a central midfielder.

Now, that wasn't so hard was it? But go ahead and tell me all about how it isn't actually his favoured formation and I am clueless about LVG and his management style despite the fact I have probably been watching his teams since before you were a twinkle in your father's eye.

TheDoc

J. Marston wrote: »

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/sport/football/Premiership/article1450275.ece

Nice to see even with what appears the solid stuff...papers still have plenty off bull****.


The reliables are saying that City were offered Di maria and declined interest.

adox

Also to go back to the Sunday supplement, these are the same guys that were questioning Utds starting 11 last week and the quality of it, based on how many were starters for their countries, and mentioned Mata and De Gea!!!

Just to give a bit of perspective.

Zico

Tom.D.BJJ wrote: »

Creating and scoring goals is not cosmetic work.

It is if you're 2-0 up already.

redbaron_99

Vinz Mesrine wrote: »

3-5-2 is his formation, has been for a long time. If he is signing Di Maria it is to play him as a left wing back which makes no sense as Shaw was already signed for that position or else as a central midfielder.

Now, that wasn't so hard was it? But go ahead and tell me all about how it isn't actually his favoured formation and I am clueless about LVG and his management style despite the fact I have probably been watching his teams since before you were a twinkle in your father's eye.

I'm 36. Have been watching and playing football me whole life. So give over with your condescending posts. It's rather immature.

And LVG also plays a 4-3-3 when he the players to suit that system. He hasn't bought Di Maria to play at left wing back ahead of Luke Shaw. If you think that, you need your head examined.

DM_7

adox wrote: »

Also to go back to the Sunday supplement, these are the same guys that were questioning Utds starting 11 last week and the quality of it, based on how many were starters for their countries, and mentioned Mata and De Gea!!!

Just to give a bit of perspective.

No perspective needed tbh, whatever about a serious discussion that came after Scholes spoke about signing players I don't see any reason to care what 4 random Journalists (well 3 and the normal host) think about United.