07 Dec 2020 14:06:43
Getting away from results and performances on the pitch I want to discuss something that has irked me for a while and that is recruitment.

On the surface recently we have improved, but scratch beneath the surface and we have just as many problems as ever. Since Ole signed as our recruitment has been considered to have improved. I would actually disagree and would argue that of the 9 players (James, AWB, Maguire, Bruno, DvdB, Telles, Cavani, Pellistri and Diallo) we have signed for transfer fees of around £280m without agent's fees and singing on fees.
Yet how many represent a long-term view and cohesive vision or plan.

Dan James started well but lacks consistency and end product. He might develop into a solid squad player, but not without playing time which is something he isn't going to get much of in the foreseeable future unless we suffer several injuries. A 32-year-old Mata has jumped ahead of him in the pecking order now.

AWB is the right back we signed after scouting 806 right backs according to Ed Woodward. That is the problem when you boast about something you know little about. The reality is our scouts did not watch 806 RB's. The club used a scouting database that has 806 RB's on it, they used that database to narrow down the selection to a few names. They then scouted those players and decided who to pursue. However, this way using a database can be a flawed method. The answers you get back from the data are only as good as the questions you ask. You could put parameters such as nationality, age, number of appearances, or on performance related statistics such as goals scored, tackles made etc. However, what none of that takes into consideration are the tactics and style of the team that player plays in, or the level of competition they play in. Take AWB for example, he would have scored highly for defensive actions per game. However, that doesn't take into account that he was playing for Palace set up by the uber conservative and overly cautious Roy Hodgeson. Since he moved to United while he has showed excellent, even world class, ability in 1v1 situations, he is severely lacking in attacking intent and ability, plus playing in a more open side has highlighted that his positioning and reading of the game isn't at the level required. This doesn't mean that AWB isn't or at least won't be a good player. Just that his current style and level isn't really what you would expect of a top-level full back at a top club. His signing stands out as the club signing a player who doesn't fit into an overall style or vision. For the club to get the most out of him they either need to sign more players to cover his weaknesses, or completely change how we play. You should be signing players to fit into your team, not signing players then look to change how you set up to fit them in.

Harry Maguire is a player who splits opinion. Is he a leader? Is he our best defender? Is he an example again of the club signing a player not to fit in with an overall plan. If we want to play a higher defensive line, then how does Maguire fit in to that?

Bruno looks like the one success, just a world class player. Yet it could still be argued that the team had to adjust to fit him rather than him fitting into the team.
DvdB is a player I have admired for a few years, yet can anyone really explain why he was signed or how he fits into the team?

Alex Telles looks decent going forward, but a little light weight in defence. Neymar ran off him for PSG's first goal. While I'm struggling to see any improvement in him from Luke Shaw.

Cavani while looking like a decent signing was clearly a panic buy, there was no plan with signing him other than bringing in a big-name player to take the No.7 shirt. He might be good for a year or two but doesn't have the longevity to be considered a great signing.

While we missed out on Sancho so we signed TWO 18 year olds to play on the RW. I'm still not sure on the logic of that. Young players need to play to develop, signing one might have made sense, but two young players for the same position both moving to a new country and will take time to adapt. Neither solve the immediate issue, while long term they may get in each other's way. Just downright poor planning. It kind of feels like they went for both as an insurance policy in case one deal fell through at the last minute.

So, looking over those 9 transfers, the only ones I feel could be good long-term options are Bruno and Donny (if we can settle on where he plays) . Maguire might be a long-term option by default as we certainly won't be able to shift him and it will be difficult for any manager to have an 85m player on the bench most weeks, as well as probably stripping him of the captaincy. While AWB I'm still on the fence about, he has ability, but his best talents don't traditionally lend themselves to a top team that will look to have the majority of possession and look to play a more expansive style of play.

Bottom line, until we get a Director of Football and we have some sort of plan or vision to work to, we will continue to buy an odd assortment of players and have a very hit and miss (mainly miss) approach to recruitment.

{Ed001's Note - Shappy I need to point out that you are wrong about AWB's positioning, it is excellent, perfect for a full-back who plays in a Hodgson-style formation. The problem is that no one has shown him how to play any other way, so he is still positioning himself on the cover and expecting a winger to be protecting the wider areas. That is the fault of your coaching staff, who have done nothing with him to teach him the differences in positioning he needs to know about. You have to remember he has never played full-back until late in his development, so he has no experience other than what he gained in the first team. So he needs to be treated as a rookie and worked with by coaching staff on a personal basis to develop an understanding of how to play the position based on the tactical system he is now playing in. I know you hate to admit it, but Ole is the one to blame for any deficiencies there.}

1.) 07 Dec 2020
07 Dec 2020 15:13:20
Ed001, That's probably fair to be honest. While clearly Ole isn't a top draw manager I don't think his coaching staff help, Carrick has hardly coached at all at any level, McKenna has only coached at youth level, while Phelan was probably Sir Alex's worst No.2, and certainly doesn't have a modern progressive coaching mantra.

My point is more that while AWB could become a top player if coached, he has been bought and thrown in with no real idea what to do with him. The bull about "scouting" 806 RB's was just embarrassing, and plainly untrue.

It's more a case of signing players who don't fit a simple narrative or stylistic approach. Looking over at Liverpool they have a clear idea about how they want to play and they scout and sign players who fit that vision. While we sign players from teams playing vastly different styles and have a squad that lacks cohesion because of that.

{Ed001's Note - I am not arguing with that, just find it annoying when people criticise AWB's defending when he is doing exactly what he was taught at Palace. Since joining Man Utd he has just been thrown in the team and told to do what he does, in essence. He gets a lot of stick for not being attacking enough, but he is following the Hodgson plan. Until someone works with him and explains how to play as a modern day wing-back, he is always going to look out of place. I feel sorry for him because he is trying so hard to follow the only instructions he has ever been given and he just needs some help from the coaching staff. You bought potentially the best right-back in the world, no other full-back has his ability to defend one-on-one and stop the cross coming in, and then just threw him in the team and said that'll do. It is such a shame for a young lad who was pretty much set to end up in the lower leagues until that piece of good fortune (for him anyway) that saw Palace without a right-back for training with. It must be overwhelming to be playing for a club the size of United and all he needs is a bit of input to take him on to the next level.}

2.) 07 Dec 2020
07 Dec 2020 15:29:02
So you're telling me shappy that the club just used data to sign AWB and these were inflated because of the defensive style of hodgson.

More likely is the scouts just used their eyes to see that AWB's defensive skillset is quite remarkable, his ability to tackle, make recovery runs and defend 1 vs 1 are really impressive, that is why we signed him and he has been a really good signing in my opinion.

On his attacking skillset, they would have seen that it is pretty much non existent as well but the club would have backed themselves to coach improvements into that aspect of his game. Whether they can actually do that is another thing, but it is not outside the realms of possibility for a player to be coached to a better level. Robertson, Henderson, Alexander Arnold, Chamberlain, Mane, Salah, Firmino at Liverpool for example. Kane, Alli, walker, Rose, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Dembele and Son at spurs for example.

Maguire is simply on Ole, that's his man and he will live or die by how well he plays, he knew he had the mobility of refridgerator when he signed but wanted his physical and aerial ability over anything else.

Recruitment gets a lot of stick at the club but they aren't half hindered by the lack of a style of play from Ole, i still can't work out what type of team we are trying to be. All i see is sit back, counter attack hope for the best football with occasional moments of individual brilliance.

3.) 07 Dec 2020
07 Dec 2020 16:39:42
The only thing you need to know about how good wan-bissaka I'd defensively is that psg played mbappe on the right and neymar more centrally in the 2nd game this year so they weren't attacking down his side. You also have to remember he actually has no right sided forward in front of him helping him 1 defend or 2 attack even with then most our problems come down the left and he's moving more centrally to cover the team moving across this is when he's "caught out of position". He's not, he's on his own without help covering the space which would usually be more threatening in a space that should have 2 defenders (especially in a team using 2 sitting midfielders)

{Ed047's Note - I’d find it hard to believe that anyone doesn’t think how good AWB is, it’s just as Tris said, how good he could be.

4.) 07 Dec 2020
07 Dec 2020 16:52:41
Ed001 is absolutely right. It all comes down to coaching players in the proper manner to get the best out of them.

James, Bissaka and Maguire came from teams that are well drilled to a particular system of play and are used to that and it's the responsibility of the coaching staff at United to train them in skills that they lack or are not used to.
The same goes for both DVB and Telles coming in from top teams in different leagues.

Cavani was probably the one that no one saw coming but looks like a great short term solution and an upgrade on the quality forward options off the bench. Bruno is the only exception of the lot as he has settled in straight away and doing amazing since coming in.

Both Diallo and Pellistri are clearly ones for the future and brought in looking at their potential and probably it was the right time to exploit the market and get them without much competition.

Although it would had been great if we could have got our primary targets, we have much better quality options in the squad than we ever had and it's up to Ole and the coaching staff to better utilize these players and get the best out of them.

5.) 07 Dec 2020
07 Dec 2020 17:19:41
It's not about how good AWB could be, but more that he was bought to play in a way that doesn't suit his current skillset and with no coaching to adapt his play.

Signing the best defensive full back in the world isn't a bad move as such. The situation at the club is we have no natural right winger, so as a club we needed a RB who could offer a threat on the overlap, yet we sign AWB. A great defensive full back, but not good going forward. That now means as a club we have built a team that has no threat down the right hand side. All of our attacks either come down the left or through the middle making is far easier for teams to defend against us. This was compounded a year later when we failed to sign Sancho or in fact any RW player ready to play week in week out on the right hand side.

The clubs strategy to fix the lack of attacking impetus down our right flank (which has been an issue for the best part of 10 years) has amounted in us signing Dalot, AWB, Pellistri and Diallo in five years. One defensive RB, one promising attacking fullback, Dan James (whose best position is on the left) and two kids not ready for this level yet and one of them not even signing until January.

The last quality player we had on the RW was Ronaldo, the last player we signed who was good enough to slot into that position was Di Maria (we all know how that ended) . This is just plain negligence compounded by incompetence.

6.) 07 Dec 2020
07 Dec 2020 19:04:08
The Ed spells it out, AWB has not been coached to improve. Dan James has gone backwards, Dalot one of the most highly thought of young full backs stagnated and we have Diallo arriving in January. Perhaps the club should be really worried about the impact of poor coaching on the very expensive investments in youth they have made.

{Ed001's Note - that is the most worrying thing for me, with regards to United. It was always the club's strength to bring through its own players and improve them. In fact, more than that, it is part of the club's identity imo.}

7.) 07 Dec 2020
07 Dec 2020 19:32:03
And rubbish coaching.

8.) 08 Dec 2020
07 Dec 2020 23:55:02
does not matter what players we bring in. ole and the three stooges will simply make them look like none league players.