06 Apr 2021 12:56:15
Looking at something Ed002 has said about the clubs priorities on the Rumours page has got me thinking.

The fact that the club have signing a back up RB annoys me more than I can fully explain.

Firstly, except for the GK position I don't think the club should ever buy a player they don't think is good enough to be first choice. With keepers its a little different as you just don't rotate your keeper and most first choice keepers play 99% of the games anyway.

I don't see the logic in spending money on a player to sit on the bench, especially when our first 11 has numerous positions that need strengthening.

Surely the best way to improve your squad is to sign players better than your current first 11, then the player currently in your first 11 becomes the back up. Rather than signing a player who is a downgrade on your current first 11 player.

Secondly, I find signing a RB frankly ridiculous in itself. In the past 4 years we have spent 20m on Dalot and 50m on AWB both primarily RB's. We also have Williams who is naturally a RB and Ethan Laird who is doing very well on loan.

Why spend money on a RB who isn't better than AWB when we have Dalot, Williams and Laird already at the club who fulfil that role?

I just think its madness and further proof of how poorly run we are as a club. This is the sort of thing that will stop us from being a truly top team that can challenge for major honours.

1.) 06 Apr 2021
06 Apr 2021 14:12:56
Ole clearly doesn't fancy dalot, will probably be sold in summer.

Laird most likely will go back out on loan again.

Williams most likely not deemed good enough to play right back, so will be sold/ loaned out.

Considering how much signing telles has helped aid shaws improvement this season, hardly outside the realms of possibility that signing an experienced right back could do the same to AWB.

A signing like Trippier for a similar deal as telles would be shrewd business imo.

Hardly a so called 'madness' as you describe.

2.) 06 Apr 2021
06 Apr 2021 14:15:40
I agree Shappy. It's great having strength in depth all over the squad, however, we don't currently have a first 11 which is good enough to challenge for top honours. That's where the money should be going.

Players like Fred, Lindelof and Martial can be squad players once we sign someone better than them to play CM, CB and CF. Signing a right back when we have a clear first choice and several others who can play there makes little sense. It made sense to sign Telles considering Shaw's form has been up and down for 6 years and his fitness has never been consistent. I'd be fine with Williams or Laird as understudy to AWB, I think we should sell Dalot personally.

3.) 06 Apr 2021
06 Apr 2021 14:16:43
Dalot was Oles go to man when he first joined. He brought him on on numerous occasions to play further forward when we were chasing a goal. PSG game comes to mind.

Then Dalot was binned and behind the pecking order to Fosu-Mensa. A player who has never shown he was good enough to be a United player and has since left the club for free.

Dalot now on loan at Milan and will probably leave for pittance. He should have been given more time and opportunities.

Same with Williams. Played very well and was man of the match on many an occasion. Simply neglected now and not good enough to deputise as cover for our full backs.

Ole has his favourites but he also turns his back on some players very quickly. Romero comes to mind, we've done him dirty.

If the management and club are looking at bringing in a RB as cover, then hopefully it will be same fee as we get for Dalot and Williams goes out on loan.

4.) 06 Apr 2021
06 Apr 2021 14:25:07
Shappy, why do you assume looking for a back-up means signing a new RB, could it not mean also looking for a backup from within; among the players you mentioned?

5.) 06 Apr 2021
06 Apr 2021 14:46:06
Honestly don't understand what your saying Shappy.

Dalot hasn't been good enough to earn a place at Utd or Milan.

Laird is a prospect who's had a number of injuries and has been playing well as a RWB in League 1 for a few months.

Do you really think they're good enough to challenge for the title or UCL? We need two options for each position, since Ole has come in on the whole I think business has been good. We've all been banging on about the structure above the manager, now we have something in place why not reserve judgement?

A player like Trippier would provide quality rotation, experience and difference to AwB while allowing players like Laird go out on loan and prove their abilities. Laird is at least another season away imo.

Based on what I've seen I'm not sure Williams is quite good enough.

Aarons his a highly regarded young player and would provide quality competition.

I've no issue with linked players but would be happy if we can get quality options across the team.

6.) 06 Apr 2021
06 Apr 2021 15:10:39
Personally I think the Telles signing was different, we all felt at the time that Telles was being signed to replace Shaw in the starting 11. Truth be told had Shaw carried on with his form from before this season that probably would have happened. Yet he picked up his form and is now one of our top performers, kudos to him.

What I don't get though is signing a player to clearly be second choice. AWB was signed by Ole, he's Ole's man and he plays pretty much every game.

If we are looking for a rotation option or someone to play in the early rounds of the domestic cups then surely Williams is sufficient.

What doesn't make sense to me is a club saying we will have to be sensible in the transfer window and we can't afford to sign all the players we need to strengthen the first 11, then go and spend 20m or so on a player to sit on the bench.

If you haven't got money to spend on improving your first 11 then you haven't got money to spend on padding out an already pack squad of player who aren't good enough for the first 11.

Most people agree that we need a CB, a CDM, a RW and probably a ST. All good enough to go into the first team.

So would you be happy if we have Maguire and Lindelof as our starting CB's next season but we have a better back up RB on the bench?

Or we have McFred as our midfield, or Martial starting as our ST so we can have a better RB to play 10 games a season when AWB is rested?

7.) 06 Apr 2021
06 Apr 2021 15:42:39
For me we have a few areas to improve and it's about pivoting to where there are gettable solutions as simple as that.

Theres no quick fix.

For me we need a RB, CB, CDM, RW and possibly a CF.

There's no way we get all this in one window so it's about finding the right players and the right price whilst allowing youth to try and stake a claim in the intervening period.

8.) 06 Apr 2021
06 Apr 2021 16:16:18
Utd Road, Trippier won't come to sit on the bench. Plus I think considering his ban for breaking gambling restrictions he would come with baggage.

So if we were to sign Trippier it would be to play probably as first choice, pushing AWB to the bench and restricting his development.

If we are to give some of the kids a chance then Williams at RB in a squad role is perfect. Laird could also stake a claim, he was ahead of Williams prior to Williams getting his debut. Which he only got due to Laird being injured at the time.

I see RB as far down the pecking order of positions that need strengthening, we have a clear first choice RB, one with massive potential and who is performing well.

We need a top class CB in the first 11.

We need a top class CDM so we don't HAVE to play two CDM's in every game.

We need more creativity from the RW so we don't have to rely on Bruno for all our creativity and goals.

We need a top class striker who can lead the line, score consistently and link play to enable us to score and create more goal scoring chances.

All 4 of those players should be bought to go straight into the first 11.

A reserve RB is far down the list, I think we could survive a season with Williams as back up to AWB. We could loan Laird out for another season and he might come back for the 2022/ 23 season ready to challenge for the RB spot. Failing that Marc Juardo was signed to the academy from Barcelona last summer. He'll be 18 and possibly close to pushing for the first team by then as well.

I don't see the point when the budget will be tight and stretched to be spending anything on a position where we have recently spent 50m on a 23 year old who has performed well and has huge potential.

If we are to close the gap between us and the top of the league we won't do it by signing players who'll haven minimal impact on the first 11.

Trippier sitting on the bench for us this season wouldn't have us any closer to City in the league.

Kounde or Varane at CB would, as would Sancho or Rice.

9.) 06 Apr 2021
06 Apr 2021 17:30:56
What ban?

{Ed077's Note - Trippier was banned for breach of betting rules recently, with regards to his transfer to AM.}

10.) 06 Apr 2021
06 Apr 2021 17:40:27
On trippier, his ban was pretty odd circumstances, he gets a move to madrid and his mates ask him what he's packing for, what's he meant to do, lie to them and say he's going on holiday or has fallen out with his Mrs.

I don't understand how he was held accountable for the actions of his friends, surely those types of markets shouldn't be allowed as there is clearly a time lag where someone can access important insider information ahead of the market and make 'risk-free' profit.

On stunting AWB's developemt, the guys been here two years and played at the highest level and has been generally solid but there are parts of his game he should be developing more (attacking and positioning from crosses) . I don't see anything wrong with signing someone who can play in his position if he is not going to improve in those areas.

Also what happens if he gets injured?, thankfully he hasn't so far because Ole doesn't rate anyone else in the squad to play there.

11.) 06 Apr 2021
06 Apr 2021 17:48:49
So what Shappy says is that the manager have a cdm as a priority but the team no.
I said it before. Our manager don't seem to have a problem with double pivot. I think the opposite. Of he wanted in all costs to play attacking progressive football he would have bought a top CDM the previous summer at all cost. But his priorities were elsewhere, he and the team wanted "cover for Bruno" and one more upfront.

12.) 06 Apr 2021
06 Apr 2021 18:40:48
There's obviously going to be priorities but if a good value RB can come in and push AWB as Telles has for Shaw, what's the issue?

No player signs to be on the bench, do you think Telles did?

The point is we need multiple positions that need reinforcing.

Do you think Ole will be satisfied with Williams when he played TFM above him? Management is about planning for different circumstances and if we lost AWB without adequate cover we would be in a bit of hole.

Williams not good enough and Laird being a year or two way and not yet shown he's good enough. I rate Laird but he's needs a consistent run of games to harden up and prove himself reliable fitness wise.

13.) 06 Apr 2021
06 Apr 2021 20:35:29
I have a nice wardrobe but there are items I would like to add too it. I'm in the market for a pair of tobacco suede loafers, a rust corduroy sports jacket, some light grey linen trousers, a black bomber jacket and a pair of oxblood brogues.

The problem is I can't just find these items in exactly the style I want, with the quality I insist on and at a price I am prepared to pay. Even if I manage all that, they still need to fit me.

If I keep looking then maybe next year I will find one of the pairs of shoes I am looking for but by then some of my t shirts might have worn out and I will need to replace them. I might also decide that one of my shirts is a bit tighter than I would like.

14.) 06 Apr 2021
06 Apr 2021 21:01:55
MancMan, sounds like you have far more serious problems than our club does🤣 #fashionpolice.

15.) 07 Apr 2021
06 Apr 2021 21:43:24
Ed077 are you sure he has been banned?

{Ed077's Note - had been banned for 10 weeks I think.

16.) 07 Apr 2021
07 Apr 2021 00:55:54
Maybe a right fullback who can consistently provide crosses for our forwards is not such a bad idea. Bit like Liverpools fbs.

AWB is the best purely defensive fb in the league but he still lacks going forward.

{Ed077's Note - then why was AW-B signed? Surely we knew his strengths in defensive work and weakness in attack.

17.) 07 Apr 2021
07 Apr 2021 06:36:03
Shappy

I agree with your original post and made a wider point about the decisions that have been made by our great leader. I said moons ago that AWB was a strange signing given his lack of prowess going forward. When we signed Dalot he was very highly regarded and seen as one of the best young attacking right backs, yet we then sign AWB. You would think having a defensive RB and an attacking RB would give us options however if it seems we don’t want that. What is the aim of the Great Leader now he wants another RB? Another defensive one or someone who can attack. A defensive one signals dull boring continuation, an attacking one asks why pay £50m for AWB and why not give Dalot an extended run. I thought Dalot looked pretty decent when I saw him, gave us the option to go 352 but no that would mean tactical movement. It’s just one example of muddled thinking from our great leader.

18.) 07 Apr 2021
07 Apr 2021 07:49:02
Not sure what Brandon Williams has ever done wrong tbh, always played well when I've seen him, would be more than happy to have him ahead of him as understudy to AwB, save that dollar for where its actually needed.
As alluded to above, players like Fred, James, Martial, Lindelof are squad players at best for a club like ours so let's get some players in for to start week in and out for us at CB, CM, RW and F and armour a manager or this club, preferably not Ole, with the squad to actually challenge and win things.

19.) 07 Apr 2021
07 Apr 2021 09:28:21
If I remember correctly when we signed AWB Woodward came out and said we scouted something stupid like 900 RB's before deciding AWB was the best one.

Which means either he was lying when he said that, or we are looking to sign a RB we previously thought inferior to AWB.

Either way what does that say about how our club is run?

20.) 07 Apr 2021
07 Apr 2021 09:02:21
Ed077 that ban didn't take place. Its easy enough to Google rather than guess.

{Ed077's Note - maybe you should Google.

21.) 07 Apr 2021
07 Apr 2021 10:22:50
He does not appear to be serving a ban you speak of.

{Ed077's Note - he served hi ban at the turn of the year. His first game after the ban was the Madrid derby.}

22.) 07 Apr 2021
07 Apr 2021 10:48:14
Tks ed.