Manchester United Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2017

caviardreams

Pickford is an interesting one alright - he has had an awful defence in front of him and has still done well. £20m might get him? Hard to think we would get much for Adnan - he showed so much promise at one point. Weird one.

Wouldn't be keen on Dier as I imagine Spurs would take us to the cleaners.

stesaurus

I think Sam Johnstone deserves a chance above Butland or Pickford.
Ideally though I'd go abroad and take Leno, Oblak or Donnarumma who would be a very similar profile to De Gea when he signed.

zerks

zerks wrote: »

We might not get our fix of AFTV to cheer us up tonight due to Spurs fans being twats.

https://twitter.com/SportDictatorHQ/status/858745965574057985

Disgusting. There are worse clips on Twitter.
Scumbags racially abusing him also.
I'd say if the cops were not around he was in big trouble.
Agree with Kew. Comes across a genuine guy.

Schwiiing

Demarai Gray at Leicester.
Tom Davies at Everton.
Jermaine Defoe could do a year.
James Ward Prowse and Ryan Bertrand at Southampton.
Michael Keane.

GSPfan

People keep mentioning Jermaine Defoe. Are you all high on something?

Michael Keane will be a target if we let a centre half go.
Eric Dier will be a target I believe.
I can't see where he fits in but Ross Barkley is an option too.

That's the 3 most likely homegrown targets in my view.

Quandary

Tom Davies looks like a very bright prospect alright. Still very early days with him but he has no fear of the big stage for someone so young. Really like the look of him. Only 18 years old and he would cost a fortune so he would be a gamble.

I'd say he'll be snapped up by a big club soon if he continues playing to such a high standard.

Quandary

GSPfan wrote: »

People keep mentioning Jermaine Defoe. Are you all high on something?

Michael Keane will be a target if we let a centre half go.
Eric Dier will be a target I believe.
I can't see where he fits in but Ross Barkley is an option too.

That's the 3 most likely homegrown targets in my view.

Agree completely on Michael Keane.

I think we will be very hard pressed to sign anyone form Spurs considering how solid and on the up they look, unless of course Pochettino leaves which may cause uncertainty.

As for Ross Barkley, I'm not sold on him at all for the money he is likely to cost. I think he goes missing a little too often In games.

Jayop

I'd rather gamble on Davies than go for Barkley.

deaddonkey15

I've been impressed with Pickford anytime I've seen him. I've always thought Forster looks fairly solid as well. I don't think Barkley is good or consistent enough.

LiamoSail

Quandary wrote: »

Agree completely on Michael Keane.

I think we will be very hard pressed to sign anyone form Spurs considering how solid and on the up they look, unless of course Pochettino leaves which may cause uncertainty.

As for Ross Barkley, I'm not sold on him at all for the money he is likely to cost. I think he goes missing a little too often In games.

United should make him leave. Throw money at him, they're one of the only clubs in the world that could probably do it.

He'd be a great appointment while significantly weakening a rival and increasing the likelihood of attracting some of Spurs better players.

Lord TSC

LiamoSail wrote: »

United should make him leave. Throw money at him, they're one of the only clubs in the world that could probably do it.

He'd be a great appointment while significantly weakening a rival and increasing the likelihood of attracting some of Spurs better players.

We already have a manager though

Korat

I thought Liverpool were the only ones dumb enough to try have two managers.

Liam O

By the time Mourinho was Pochettino's age he had 5 league titles, a Uefa cup and a CL amongst others. Pochettino has one 3rd place finish in the PL with a 2nd place on the way. Mourinho has proven in the last 3 years that he is capable of winning the league. Pochettino has not.

Rayne Wooney

The drama is getting a bit much, we haven't really heard a peep from the managers ahead of us in the league this season and Jose seems to be having a go at a different player every week.

There is either a huge mentality issue at the club or Jose is deflecting blame.

The problem with the latter is he didn't do it at Chelsea when things were going to shít, I don't remember him coming out and blaming players

Leroy42

I get the point of not blaming the payers in public, but really it is all down to players. 3 managers, countless signings, people have been shipped out, and still they are way down on the level we should expect, or indeed what they are paid to deliver.

Jose likes the spine of his teams to be manned by warriors, those guys that will be there all the time. Obviously he feels, rightly or wrongly, that the likes of Smalling and Jones and Shaw are too happy to do just enough. To simply accept the position they are in (injury wise) and just let time take it course. Maybe they should be putting in the extra gym work and aren't. IDK.

But I am right behind Jose on this. Either get on board or gtfo. MU have accepted mediocrity for the last few years and they need a root up the ass. I can accept the draws, the problem is the lack of fight. We should be battering these teams the last 10 minutes. So to the likes of Jones & Smalling I say, thinks but you've had you're shot and you aren't good enough. how much time do they need? Is that fair, probably not, but this is elite level sport not a Sunday fete. They will be fine, they will become top players in mid/lower level teams like O'Shea and Evans. But not good enough or consistent enough or a combination of the two to be taking up space in at Utd

As soon as Swansea scored yesterday, they should have felt like they had poked a tiger. Wave after wave of attack. What do we get? A few shots, a couple of crosses. No urgency, no desire to make sure that the ball is got to, that they don't even think of going up the field for fear or what we will do when we get the ball. There is none of that. Teams now that most of the players are only going through the motions, happy with just doing enough

Richard Hillman

deaddonkey15 wrote: »

I've been impressed with Pickford anytime I've seen him. I've always thought Forster looks fairly solid as well. I don't think Barkley is good or consistent enough.

Forster has been very poor since he came back from injury. And I'm not talking the odd dropped ball or flapped cross, his general technique and footwork has been of Claudio Bravo proportion.

pjohnson

GSPfan wrote: »

People keep mentioning Jermaine Defoe. Are you all high on something?

Michael Keane will be a target if we let a centre half go.
Eric Dier will be a target I believe.
I can't see where he fits in but Ross Barkley is an option too.

That's the 3 most likely homegrown targets in my view.

Defoe will cost nothing. Wont expect galactico wages. Given his slight frame and rapid pace hes a natural tutor to Rashford. He ticks a "homegrown" slot. Hes not gunna be 1st or 2nd choice but an asset for sure, akin to what Claudio Pizzaro was at Chelsea when Jose signed him.


Wouldnt touch Barkley. Ben Gibson from Boro is a beast.

Quandary

Rayne Wooney wrote: »

There is either a huge mentality issue at the club or Jose is deflecting blame

I genuinely think the mentality or culture at the club has seriously wavered since Fergie left. The longer we go on finishing outside the top 4 or failing to compete at the top of the league, the more deeply engrained that culture of accepting mediocrity becomes. I'm not saying Jose is without fault but I think he should be allowed to get rid of whoever he deems doesn't have what it takes to get Utd back to the top, whether that means their lack of ability, hunger, attitude, whatever.

It was always going to take an incredibly strong character to whip the club back into shape. I'm glad Jose is the at the helm and I think this time next year we could be in a far better place. Hopefully I won't be eating these words :pac:

pjohnson

Richard Hillman wrote: »

Forster has been very poor since he came back from injury. And I'm not talking the odd dropped ball or flapped cross, his general technique and footwork has been of Claudio Bravo proportion.

The lack of Virgil Van Dijk has really exposed him. Would have liked VVD but looks like we're gunna be forced into HG market unfortunately.

Lord TSC

Quandary wrote: »

I genuinely think the mentality or culture at the club has seriously wavered since Fergie left.

Moyes always seems content with being pessimistic, publicly calling on expectations to be lowered (and then still missing that incredibly low bar he sets himself).

LVG did similar last year as well, when he (iirc) said fans need to get use to the idea that fighting for top 4 was as good as it was going to get.

Meanwhile, an attitude seemed to develop that top 4 was good enough amoung the dressing room, particularly (it feels) among the English players.

So if Jose is mouthing off publicly because he feels ambitions aren't being matched by players, then that makes me very, very happy. I'm thrilled to have a manager who is vocal about players who are chronically underpreforming and aren't all that bothered about fighting back to where we should be aiming for.

I wish he had succeeded Fergie and kept that winning mentality going, rather than letting the "good enough" mentality fester for three years...

Richard Hillman

Korat wrote: »

I used to believe it was best to keep criticism behind closed doors. But footballers are very different now. They're mollycoddled from an early age and surround themselves with people who tell them they're great and the manager is wrong if they get criticised or dropped. Doing it publicly at means they can't ignore it and if they down tools in a huff everyone will know the real reason why. It seems to have worked on a couple of Utd players this season.

The academy system has a lot to answer for. There is far too much emphasis on personal growth, confidence and "belief" that players are not hardened winners. The whole system has turned 180 degrees in that results used to be everything at Underage football to playing some "nice" football and looking a bit silky.

The emphasis on winning still needs to be the primary objective, with personal development also a key issue. You want guys coming through the academies as hardened winners, not guys that care more about their stats and their YouTube highlights.

sky88

Something to cheer us up after another disappointing weekend. What a man.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTiau3Oh9DE/

GSPfan

Sky have us heavily linked with Schmeichel. I like him and it's cool to think another Schmeichel would be in the United team. If he qualifies as a homegrown player it makes sense that he would be a target.

GSPfan

pjohnson wrote: »

Defoe will cost nothing. Wont expect galactico wages. Given his slight frame and rapid pace hes a natural tutor to Rashford. He ticks a "homegrown" slot. Hes not gunna be 1st or 2nd choice but an asset for sure, akin to what Claudio Pizzaro was at Chelsea when Jose signed him.


Wouldnt touch Barkley. Ben Gibson from Boro is a beast.

Defoe wouldn't get any game time. He is well past his best, and not at all what we need. And this constant suggestion that Rashford can learn from other strikers is mental. Rashford needs to play games and learn through experience, not by sitting on a bench watching others.

pjohnson

GSPfan wrote: »

Defoe wouldn't get any game time. He is well past his best, and not at all what we need. And this constant suggestion that Rashford can learn from other strikers is mental. Rashford needs to play games and learn through experience, not by sitting on a bench watching others.

Erm have you heard of training? Rashford can still learn by experience in competitive matches but his still misstimes his runs, Defoe would help in that respect on the Training pitch. Defoe wouldn't be ahead of Rashford anyway. And Defoe probably wouldnt get much game time true but when it comes to our inevitable injury crisis he'd have a use. His biggest value certainly is his nationality.

People will certainly go on about the galactico options of Griezmann/Morata/Benzema but none of those address the amount of English players leaving (Jones/Smalling/Shaw/Carrick/Rooney/Young). Defoe is one of few English players who wont command a 30m transfer fee. And it does appear we will need English players.

GSPfan

If United could sell De Gea for about £60 million it would probably fund a replacement keeper (Schmeichel), a centre half (Michael Keane), and a decent priced full back.

That deal alone could fund a good bit of business without touching our usual £150 million we need to buy Griezmann and two midfielders.

DM_7

pjohnson wrote: »

Erm have you heard of training? Rashford can still learn by experience in competitive matches but his still misstimes his runs, Defoe would help in that respect on the Training pitch. Defoe wouldn't be ahead of Rashford anyway. And Defoe probably wouldnt get much game time true but when it comes to our inevitable injury crisis he'd have a use. His biggest value certainly is his nationality.

People will certainly go on about the galactico options of Griezmann/Morata/Benzema but none of those address the amount of English players leaving (Jones/Smalling/Shaw/Carrick/Rooney/Young). Defoe is one of few English players who wont command a 30m transfer fee. And it does appear we will need English players.

Jones, Smalling, Shaw, Carrick, Rooney and Young wont all leave together.

Rooney is the only one sure to go.

People keep going on about the number of changes needed, United had enough changes the past few years. Its time to slow that down and make additions.

pjohnson

DM_7 wrote: »

Jones, Smalling, Shaw, Carrick, Rooney and Young wont all leave together.

Rooney is the only one sure to go.

People keep going on about the number of changes needed, United had enough changes the past few years. Its time to slow that down and make additions.

Is Carrick not all but confirmed to be retiring?

GSPfan

I think Jose would be mad to reduce the squad numbers further. He needs to buy two midfielders just to get the squad numbers up without anyone leaving.

I think Jones and Smalling could be gone in the Summer as both have a horrendous injury record. But that means buying two replacements. Id sell both of them for Michael Keane and another really solid older defender. *Not John Terry.

Players like Blind and Darmian have been life savers for Jose so I'd keep both of them if possible.

v3ttel

Not sure why people are mentioning the need for English players. Just look at Chelsea, City, etc. We are not in bad shape. There is not going to be the exodus that some people think. We have Rashford, Lingard, Johnson, Young, Rooney, Jones, Smalling, Shaw, Carrick, Borthwick-Jackson.

I would think Carrick will do another year and that Smalling, Young & Shaw will stay. I think the tactics with Shaw have just been a kick up the arse and that he'll get his act together. Even if we were to sell, it would be for a ridiculous loss and will undoubtedly come back to bite us. Young seems happy with a bit-part role. There is no doubt Lingard & Rashford will stay too. The only ones I can see leaving are Rooney (no longer good enough and won't be guaranteed any minutes) & Jones (he seemed to be behind Smalling in the pecking order and is the most injury prone of our CBs).

I don't understand the rumors of Schmeichel, Michael Keane, etc. I really like Schmeichel but De Gea is clearly one of the best keepers in the world. That would be a serious downgrade and he is 4 years older. If it allows us to strengthen overall, then I would trust Mourinho's judgement on it, but the rumors worry me without knowing who we are actually going for to make us stronger overall. Would Keane offer more than any of our current CB options - I'm not convinced right now. Defoe - are you high? Barkley is an excellent player, but he is essentially another number 10 and wouldn't fit what we need. James would be totally unsuited to the Premier League IMHO and again, his best position is as a number 10.

Jayop

Yeah I agree that we need to be looking to make the squad bigger rather than cutting a huge amount of players. All well and good saying we need to get rid of 6 players, but when those players have to be replaced and add another 2/3 just to give us enough numbers to cope with another busy season either in the EL or in the CL we're relying heavily on a very high transfer success rate.

On average how many transfers properly work out for a club like United? 50% maybe? Having to buy 8 players in one summer is just too much a risk, it's another season of transition then. Keep pretty much what we have, add a few players for key positions and try to improve our league position as a first priority.

Jayop

Also looks like Mata isn't far away going by that video posted a few hours ago. He would be a great addition for the run in.

Hococop

Jayop wrote: »

Also looks like Mata isn't far away going by that video posted a few hours ago. He would be a great addition for the run in.

Crazy how the man had surgery a few weeks back and is pretty much ready compared to jones

Jayop

Yeah, I suppose in fairness to Jones, Mata hasn't had a history of constant injuries so he's going to be more open to rushing himself hack than a guy who's only had one full season since he came to United.

Love the fight from Mata though. For such a nice guy and one who seems so chill he's super competitive and takes his career as seriously as he should be doing. Since Jose came to United Mata has been trying to do every single thing he can to stay in the good books and fight for his place. This battle to get back before the season is over when the easiest thing in the world would be to take the recovery easy over the summer will really stand to him when Jose is planning for next year.

pjohnson

I think my earlier post caused confusion I certainly wasnt saying that exodus SHOULD happen but was thinking it will. Rooney is highly unlikely to stay IMO. Theres been no word of an extension for Carrick and hes getting a testimonial, retirement wouldn't be out of the blue IMO. Ashley nearly left in January but stayed (thankfully) honestly cant blame him if he wants to move and play regularly for his last few years. Jose himself seems far from impressed with Jones/Smalling/Shaw but maybe they'll all kiss and make up. Not even mentioning the unextended contract of the now badly injured Zlatan.

I wasnt saying they should all go but being honest it wouldnt be astounding if they all left. I would like Carrick/Young/Shaw to stay.

Jayop

I think anyone who plays at full back will be kept, that's including Young. He's played 23 games this season and looks a cert to play pretty much all of the rest of the fixtures we have now. I'd absolutely hate to lose him given his versatility. The cover he can provide is invaluable. Shaw would be the only one who could possibly be sold. I just don't see it this summer though unless he gets the hump and pushes for it himself.

I do think either Smalling, Jones or both will be moved on. We just can't rely on them to stay fit for any length of time and them sitting on the treatment table is as much use as a chocolate teapot regardless of what you think of them talent wise. Rojo, Bailly and Blind are all safe imo.

Carrick is the most likely of the midfield players to get moved on although I wouldn't be surprised to see him getting a year extension. There's very few links to the winning sides of a few years ago left so keeping a few around is no harm. Fellaini seems to be popular with Jose so he'll stay. Herrera should be club captain and Pogba is safe.

The wingers/No10's are all staying around too I think. Mata has done enough and Mkhi is a Jose signing. Lingard seems to play a lot of the big games too and he's another who seems to be more content to not have an automatic starting place.

Up front will see changes. I can't see us giving Zlatan a contract and Rooney looks sure to go. That leaves us with just Martial and Rashford as strikers so we need 2 more in. I can see one big signing in the prime and maybe another older experienced player on the cheap for cover.

thelad95

I'm really delighted that Mata has had a massive part to play this season up until his injury and it looks like he is 100% in Mourinho's future plans.

Given that he couldn't see Mata in his plans at Chelsea despite him being the clubs player of the season two years running had me really worried for him last summer.

Cantona's Collars

Kyle Walker wants to leave Spurs,he'll be in Manchester next season but in the blue corner. Pep is gonna get a harsh lesson in transfer dealing when negotiating with Levy.


I know I'd hate the moment De Gea leaves but we haven't been as reliant on him as before when he was pretty much our motm every game.Jose can organise a defence and as a result keepers aren't called upon as much.

caviardreams

It's disappointing that Borthwick Jackson didn't seem to get on well at Wolves - may not have been a good fit for him for whatever reason, but would have expected him to kick on and come back next season to stake a claim for the first team squad.

sReq | uTeK

Can everyone just cool the beans. Liverpool will crumble tonight to a Deaney hat trick.


And the result will be even more disgusting

sky88

With the goalkeeper getting linked so far I don't think there as good as Romero. I'd stick with Romero and buy a young keeper or give one of the young lads at the club a chance as the 2nd keeper.

Jayop

sReq | uTeK wrote: »

Can everyone just cool the beans. Liverpool will crumble tonight to a Deaney hat trick.


And the result will be even more disgusting

Liverpool will win 23 nil tonight.

*reverse that jinx

Jayop

Jayop wrote: »

Liverpool will win 23 nil tonight.

*reverse that jinx

This is a huge chance for them to cement Top 4 tonight, it wouldn't have been that but for both Manchester teams sh*tting the bed yesterday. They will win tonight and 4th will be left to United and City to 'fail less than the other' for.




#ProperReverse

GSPfan

If we weren't playing Arsenal and Spurs in two of our last 4 games I'd be still looking at a top 4 finish as something attainable but the fact is we can easily lose both those games or realistically we will probably draw them so the league route is over for me.

Sand

Lord TSC wrote: »

Moyes always seems content with being pessimistic, publicly calling on expectations to be lowered (and then still missing that incredibly low bar he sets himself).

LVG did similar last year as well, when he (iirc) said fans need to get use to the idea that fighting for top 4 was as good as it was going to get.

Meanwhile, an attitude seemed to develop that top 4 was good enough amoung the dressing room, particularly (it feels) among the English players.

So if Jose is mouthing off publicly because he feels ambitions aren't being matched by players, then that makes me very, very happy. I'm thrilled to have a manager who is vocal about players who are chronically underpreforming and aren't all that bothered about fighting back to where we should be aiming for.

I wish he had succeeded Fergie and kept that winning mentality going, rather than letting the "good enough" mentality fester for three years...

Moyes and LVG did get stick for managing down expectations, but Mourinho did the same thing in his interview with Gary Lineker before the Chelsea game. 'The hard part (of managing United) is the expectation...The relation between our true potential, and the expectations we create...there is a gap...and that gap is the most difficult thing'.

That's managing down expectations too, so nothing has changed on that front.

The problem with bashing the players in the media is that its just playing to gallery. Its Mourinho and the fans vs. the players, as if Mourinho has no responsibility. He's building a siege mentality alright but seemingly against the players not with the players against the rest. If Mourinho wants to tear strips of the players and demand more from them, I am delighted too. But that should be done behind closed doors. Not as showboating for the fans and the media. It erodes trust between the players and the manager. Its negative. I expected this sort of behaviour from Mourinho by the second season, but I didn't expect it in the first.

At this point though we are locked in so might as well enjoy the ride.

Cantona's Collars

sReq | uTeK wrote: »

Can everyone just cool the beans. Liverpool will crumble tonight to a Deaney hat trick.


And the result will be even more disgusting

TC23 to rip them apart with his pinpoint sideways passes.

RobertKK

We have money from January sales, lets say £40 million.
Then £60 million or so for De Gea if he leaves as most expect.
Plus other sales...
Lets say total sales of around £140 million.

United should have their biggest ever transfer budget this summer.

Lord TSC

Wages too. Ibrahimovic, most likely. Rooney, Bastian. All on high wages.

wanderer100

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/05/01/jose-mourinho-ponders-fielding-manchester-united-under-23-side/

Jose pondering playing the under 23 side against Crystal Palace for last game of the season if we get to the final of the Europa. I am totally up for that if top 4 is done and dusted by then which hopefully it is.

Lithium93_

wanderer100 wrote: »

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/05/01/jose-mourinho-ponders-fielding-manchester-united-under-23-side/

Jose pondering playing the under 23 side against Crystal Palace for last game of the season if we get to the final of the Europa. I am totally up for that if top 4 is done and dusted by then which hopefully it is.

Wouldn't be such a bad idea, give the younger lads a chance to make a mark/make their way into José's thinking for next season.