Manchester United Thread 2024/25 - Teamtalk/Transfers/Gossip Mod Note in OP 26.09.24

The only thing I can think of is that they seen this season as a write off. It’s slim pickings at the moment, so line up someone now for when we are in better shape, and shave a year of what you’re gonna pay ETH when he finishes up. I dunno.

I was convinced he was gone in May.

even if you think the season is gonna be a write off - why wouldn't you get a new manager in and give them the season to build rather than let the current manager continue to flounder and THEN ask a new guy to fix it.

betweeen last summer and the coming summer we were/are likely to lose Varane, Lindelof, Maguire, Evans. Leaving us with, from the base, Martinez.

Are you actually arguing that if the club is doing a 4/5 year plan they shouldn't be thinking year 2/3/4 in that plan?
Are you arguing that Yoro is not a good signing in that 'more than just this season' plan?

If they are building towards competing in 3 years, winning in 4/5 then why not consider you will need to sign 2 or 3 CBs over the next two seasons so if one you REALLY want is getting now, then get him?

You have heard of rotation? In 99 we had 4 class forwards, it's what the best clubs do, just look at City.

I was calling for ETH to be sacked after last season irrespective of winning the FA cup but other posters were asking for him to be kept on. To not finish top 4 with the money that has been spend and the talent at his disposal this season would be criminal.

The options were terrible, the demand was high, the choices were limited, that’s a bad combination if you’re in the market for a new manager.

It’s the only logical explanation I can come up with.

So we should only have two quality CBs. Two first choice CBs and then whatever gomers we dredge up?
Are you CERTAIN of Martinez long term? Do you think he has some injury potential? Do you think his performances have been quality this season? Do you think there is no cause for concern over him being long term first choice? Are you CERTAIN of MDL? No concerns over him?

No, i am not changing my tune on the RW, ST, CM. We got a CM (i'd have liked another). We got a ST (Zirkzee). I'd have liked a RW. I would have liked some more signings, I personally would have only bought one cb. But I don't see that as good enough justification to call the Yoro signing crazy when (1) we will need to sign more than 1 CB over last summer and next (possibly 3 in total). I think we are going to need to sign another CB next summer. If not two. (Martinez, MDL, Yoro, 4th choice, 5th choice)

Would I have done differently in the summer? Yep. Would I have signed different players or profiles? Yes. Does that mean I should criticise all the signigns we did make?

I also don't believe not signing Yoro would have resulted in us signing a 2nd striker. I don't think there was a RW the club like after Olise went. I think not signing yoro would have result in his not signing Yoro, and MAYBE McTominay staying. Which is another reason i don't criticise it.

So 2 CBs max is needed? Lmao ok

I’m hoping Yoro becomes a first choice standard. I don’t think you win a league with Martinez, as much as I love a lot about him, he is quite mistake prone. It doesn’t seem to get talked about as much, probably because he’s a fan favourite due to the good things he does and his fighter attitude - which is probably fair enough to a point. Maguire and Martinez are good options to be backup in that scenario.

A lot of the people who would defend the Yoro signing are the same people who say we should only sign players who want to play for us. There was an alternative here. Try and agree a deal with him for a free transfer in January. If he chose someone else, fine. You no longer have your player who wasn’t very interested in the first place and you move onto another target.

For me, £60m on Yoro is the signing you make when you have a strong 11 and you can afford to use your resources on having replacements ready for a few years down the line. Similar to the Højlund signing. I’d prefer adding potential on top of a solid foundation instead of the hybrid mix we have now that is messy in places (especially left back and centre forward) and potential. I thought it was looking better but I don’t know anymore (last night was depressing to watch bar 30 seconds) and as another poster put it, it’s exhausting.

Also on the topic of 5 centre backs and needing to sign 2 more in the summer. There isn’t anything to suggest Maguire will be going is there? Surely there will be someone in the U21’s at centre back to be the 5th option to replace the role Evans has, which should never have been as big as it was last season.

OK Yoro is magnificent value and is our most important signing. There was absolutely no better way that money could have been spent.

I best remember to not question the clubs fantastic transfer business again.

Glad you've finally come round on such a reasonable argument.

Vicario will turn into prime Oliver Kahn as standard, and with the state of our attack/Bruno we'll be lucky to get 1.

You should get onto Arteta to break up the Saliba/Gabriel partnership ASAP.

Cool, we should just tell the players to be great, never injured and that we should go out of the domestic comps early. This squad management stuff is easy, eh.

Amusing coincidence time.

Last year Russo left United on a free to join Arsenal to "compete at the highest level" only to immediately be knocked out in the Champions League Qualifiers.

Now this year Earps leaves on a free to go to PSG to "win more silverware" and shes been knocked out in the CL qualifiers last night.

But say for example if they decide Erik clearly isn’t it, is there much point letting him have the full season to have things probably just get worse like last season? An interim manager isn’t always a guarantee of better but it’s probable that it would be and worth the risk? Even if it’s just a case of having the players play a different way under someone else until the summer. Fresh ideas. Like what happened with Ole. Then take time to have someone in place for next summer. If EtH isn’t the right man, the chances of getting stuck with someone worse by June 2025 are low. I don’t see a world where Xmas 2025 we’re wishing EtH was still around.

So whether that’s RvN or giving Ole another go, strictly until the end of the season, could it go much worse if you have decided that EtH is not the man? I don’t think it would.

Ole was a terrible decision and one they compounded over and over again, why would you want to bring in a manager who is obviously way worse then ten hagg? Makes no sense. His uptick was all on the players who forced Jose out,.we saw the full potential of pogba for 10 games as a fuxk you to jose and it had little to do with ole. Who in the end has a lot of his own problems with players let's not forget. I'm sure rashford wouldn't be happy to see him back.

Ole couldn't beat Van bronhorst to the 4 or 5th beat Turkish team job on the summer. Bayern were at least snififing around ten hagg in the summer and when he leaves he will still be rated high enough to get a decent position, although he may end up regretting not taking the Bayern job.

Whatever about replacing Ten hagg but with a clearly sub par manager who's level is miles below his for a whole season is the height of madness

I suppose it will either be Southgate or Ruud until the end of the season and then take stock.

Tuchel.

But I don't see why allowing someone to continue failing is better than taking a different chance.

Look at when he first came in as an interim which is what I’m referring to. I’m not saying give him 3 years. I’m saying it’s an option for someone, it doesn’t have to be him, to take over from the manager if it’s decided he’s not good enough. It really isn’t that deep.

Tbh I'd try potter on an 18 month contract, or tuchel, if it could be done rather than continuing with ETH which I feel is a waste if everyone's time.

Try get iriola maybe. Check on emry. Does the person have to be unemployed? Ask Zidane. Ask hoeness. Ask Inzaghi. Think about amorim. Is Mckenna still of interest.

The best argument for keeping ETH, even if it was to get a whole lot worse, is the proposed replacements. Southgate has to be trolling by the media. Has to be.

As for RVN, if there is one clear flaw with the team this season, it is missing big chances. RVN is surely the guy working with the forwards on their finishing.

I get the impression that people are so obsessed with sacking ETH they'd rather hire Steven Gerrard as interim manager. Things can get a lot, lot worse.