Jan 04
The January Transfer Window - Possible Targets
Well it’s that time of the year again. And with January comes the transfer market where a lot of big talking goes along but not much actually happens! Anyway, I noticed a lot of talk going on in the past few posts so I decided to make one on that subject. I shall cover all the positions and any places we are weak and also any possible buys, so lets get on with it.
There is a lot of talk going on about strikers but I will start at the other end of the field:
Keepers:
There is no need to talk about Keepers because we have EVDS, PIG and Ben Foster as back up.
Defenders:
We are quite equipped in the centre of our defence with Vidic and Ferdinand, who are solid and probably the best in the Prem at the moment. They hardly ever get injured. Anyway, we have Pique as back up with Brown also able to move inside. On the right we have Neville, Brown and Simpson, however, we are slightly short on the left with Evra and no decent cover in case of injury or suspension. A couple of names have come up, including Gareth Barry, but my choice would definitely have to be Lahm; he is relatively young and would cost us around 8-12 mills.
Midfielders:
In the middle of the field I think we are very strong with a lot of competition in there, apart from on the right, where we have the boy Ronaldo! On the left we have Giggs and Nani and, in the centre, SAF is spoilt for choice with OH, Carrick, Anderson and Scholes. Oh yeah, there is Fletcher as well. So I see no need for any improvement in that area of the field.
Strikers:
There has been a lot of talk here. Tevez and Rooney are our only decent strikers with Saha not impressing and Dong not United quality. Many, manynames have come up — Anelka and Berba more that any other. Names like Huntelaar and Agbonlahor have also cropped up. Although I am a big admirer of Agbonlahor and Huntelaar, I doubt we will be making any moves for these two. Anelka and Berba are more likely with both wanting moves away and United admitting an interest in both. However, Chelsea have also shown an interest in both; something which they always seem to do when United are also interested. Anelka has said that talks have been held with Chelsea.
So they might snap him up before we have a chance, Anelka is a good player but has an attitude problem and I wouldn’t like him in the team, I doubt he would like bench warming for long either. I would prefer Berba as he is big, strong, agile and (most importantly) good in the air. He wouldn’t come cheap but United have the money. I think he would work well with Rooney and would battle for a place with Tevez therefore rising making them rise their game.
So who would you guys recommend?
- Manchester United vs Sporting Lisbon: point to prove for Fergie
- Transfer Talk: Lahm and Benzema | Evra’s Contract
- Dream on…
- Fergie Happy to Take Second Bite
- Why United Should Hold On To Smith
Tags: Discussions · Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours
January 4th, 2008 at 10:53
We have Park for competition with Ronaldo on the right midfield. O’Shea can play the left back, and I think Saha is the best 3rd striker, any club could ask for. If we bought someone like Berbatov (whose workrate is practically nonexistent), we’d have 3 players expecting to start every game, and it could lead to trouble. Saha is fine with his role as supersub, and he does it quite well. Yes his injury record isn’t the best, but his fragile physique might last with the current number of games he has. And don’t forget that we have already bough Manucho, so he should be given a chance.
My point is that unless someone is leaving, we don’t need to bring in anyone in January. We should save the money for downpayment on the loan and buy a few good young (22-24 yo) prospects next summer. Someone like Lahm perhaps, even though I don’t see him getting much action with Evra on the left, who’s a much better player. Fact is that we have so many players perfect as backup players, because they accept their roles in the squad, and that’s why the team is so harmonic.
January 4th, 2008 at 10:54
David Villa not an option upfront? He’s being touted for a move to the prem.
January 4th, 2008 at 11:07
tomas is right.
January 4th, 2008 at 11:11
saha is useless we need another striker, brown is most likely leaving now(we didnt buy him, might as well make a profit and sell him) therefore we need a we need a right-back(because pique cant cover 1 position while playing in another) o’shea may be able to play left back but who would you rather want, o’shea or lahm. transfers needed:
a Right back, preferably hutton
left back, shorey/lahm
a loaned striker, who we can be made permanent in the summer if needed, if manucho is any good then we only use the loaned striker as a last reesource back-up, if manucho isnt quite there yet then the loaned striker will be 4th/3rd choice.
January 4th, 2008 at 11:28
I really have a problem with buying players just because there is a transfer window.
I dont agree with Lahm’s choice for left back. I dont think the German international will be happy being “cover” for Evra. Or vice versa. Remember how Heinze couldnt take it and left.
We need to get a younger player (18-19) who’s got a lot of potential to be blooded in. Like how we have Danny simpson covering in for Brown.
The only position we need cover for is the striker position. All top league teams have 4 strikers, with 2 main strikers, 1 sub and 1 back up in case of injury. We need the back up, and i dont think Dong can play that role yet. Anybody got a look at Manucho?
January 4th, 2008 at 11:36
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/7171301.stm
to me this is strange, i rate evans much higher than simpsons, but its a good signing for the REAL no.16
January 4th, 2008 at 11:41
I really hope we don’t get tempted for Berbatov, as good a player he is, we wouldn’t have space for Rooney, Tevez and Berb. And whoever drops to the bench wont be happy, I reckon we should see how this new guy Manucho performs and then decide if a back-up striker is needed in the summer. But whoever it is has to be happy being back-up as I see it.
January 4th, 2008 at 12:03
Well Dan, there are quite a few players I’d rather have in stead of O’Shea, but as I wrote, it’s also a matter of not disrupting the harmony of the squad.
About Brown. I really think it would be a terrible mistake to offload him in January. Unless SAF is absolutely certain of Neville’s fitness, it would be a major risk letting Brown go. And to me, we really can’t trust Neville to come back. If we sell Brown and Neville gets injured again, we’ll be in a position with no right back except Simpson (who still has a lot to learn) and O’Shea. Neither of them are good enough to be first choice, and so we would jeopardize the entire season. We should keep Brown and let him go on a free come summer, if he is adamant on going. Money wise and trophy wise that would be the best decision imo.
I could go along with the loaning of a striker, all though I don’t think we should make it a habit going down that road. We buy, we don’t loan. But if it’s needed, it would be ok, since it’s difficult to buy real quality in January. But who could and should we loan? I just can’t see it. Oh, and I disagree immensely on your comments about Saha… he’s a brilliant striker.
January 4th, 2008 at 12:16
I think we’re fine as we are til the summer. Brown wont go in Jan and I think up front were fine for numbers. Saha if he stays fit is a fantastic striker and Ronaldo can cover there if needed. At left back we have O’Shea as cover and dont forget Hargreaves can play either full back aswell if short.
January 4th, 2008 at 12:18
I dont see SAF making a move for a striker on a permanent basis. Their prices are too inflated. Though , i think, he might go for a full back like Hutton or Lahm so that our defensive problems dont crop up like last year. But if he doesnt get either of these two then i think he will wait till summer.
Personally i would rather a defender come so that a Milan like situation doesnt happen again where we dont have good covers when our defence is out. Cheers!!
January 4th, 2008 at 12:43
I agree with the remarks regarding the midfield, but disagree with the rest. I’ll try to prove my point:
Keepers: With Edwin constantly getting injured (and older) the next season will be Ben Fosters big chance to break into the first XI. Tomas “KitKat” is not oozing confidence, and this is showing across the back four. In my opinion, it’s totally unacceptable to have a keeper that can’t use his feet. In this modern game, we need keepers with extreme qualities, and in United we’ve been blessed with some of the best around; Schmeichel being the all-time great, followed by World Cup winner Barthez and now Edwin; all very good with the ball at their feet. Edwins career is nearing a close, and Tomas should be dropped. Ben Foster should be given a proper go when he’s back from injury, and when Edwin retires the time will be ripe to reassess the situation.
Defence: Our problem is not at left back, it’s at our right back! I can’t understand peoples obsession regarding this issue. With Evra being the first choice (and the best in the Premiership, in my opinion) we have plenty of backup in both O’Shea and Silvestre when he’s back. All capable of performing to Premier League standard, and both able centrebacks as well. On the right however; Neville is our natural first choice, but as he is getting older and more injury prone his successor will have to show himself soon. Brown is not a natural right back, and as his chances for first team football is limited at centre back, he’ll cut the cord and leave soon. He’s rejected United last contract offer, and will be looking to establish himself as a dominating force in a mid-table club like Phil Neville and Nicky Butt. That leaves us with Simpson as backup. And that’s simply not enough. We’ve got several young lads within the club, but not a single one who can match opposing wingers in talent. Imagine Neville injured, and fielding Simpson or Kieron Lee against european superpowers like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter or AC Milan? It’s beyond me how people just ignore this fact. This should be our MAIN FOCUS in the transfer window. Phillip Lahm is a quality player and can play on both sides, but my main target would be Micah Richards. He’s about to make the England right back his own, and is the most natural successor to Neville in every sense. He’s huge, athletic, skilled and a natural defender. And more importantly; seems to have the psychological side of the game nailed down as well.
Midfield: Our central midfield is usually top notch. Scholes, Anderson, Hargreaves and Carrick give us plenty of different pairing options, with O’Shea and Fletcher (along with a couple of academy-players) as backup. Our main four central midfielders are all of very high quality, and even though some are injured or out of form we should have enough quality available. On our wings, Ronaldo and Giggs are still the first choices. When Giggsy steps back, Nani seems to be the most likely candidate for that position. Remember that both of our Portugese wonderkids can play on either side, enabling even more options with Park, Fletcher, Eagles or even Anderson on the wing. We are stacked with different options here, only forcing Ferguson to pick the right man for each match. (Don’t get me started with the Carrick selection against Birmingham..) And just to spice things up a bit; Rooney could also be suited as an attacking midfielder. But if we have money to burn, after buying a RIGHT back and a additional striker, we could be on the lookout for a left sided winger.
Strikers: Currently, we have Rooney, Tevez, Saha, Dong and a couple of youth-players on loan. Along with Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez are absolutely world class. However, because of their height and playing-style we sometimes lack another dimension in our play. Enter Saha. His aerial presence, and ability to turn players when receiving the ball with his back to goal is a real asset. We should not underestimate Saha’s impact in matches, because we all know what he is capable of when in form. Constant injury problems and lack of form have tainted his last seasons at United, but now he’s finally picking up pace and goals, gathering important confidence in the process. I would not recommend selling Saha, simply because when fit; he’s up there with the best of them. And he is the only player (except Ronaldo and our centre backs) who can give us an aerial threat. Dong’s had a difficult start to his english career, struggling to get used to the pace of the english game. However, the reserve team staff are now reporting that he is starting to find his feet. I’ve not given up on Dong, but he’ll never be anything more than a backup striker in my opinion. In addition we’ve signed Manucho; a big angolan lad. Strong, pacey and probably in the Saha mould. He’ll probably need a season or two to settle. So, as a second item on the shopping list we could do with another striker. If Saha gets injured again (as Tevez already is…) we only have Rooney left, with Dong as backup. It’s not an ideal situation to play the same stiker pair throughout the season. We would be risking wearing out our only stikers. Ronaldo can deputize as another stiker, but I’d rather have a natural one. That striker would have to accept limited playing time, and high quality strikers seldom do. Our problem is luring a proven marksman to Old Trafford, and him accepting the fact that he’ll always play second-fiddle to Wazza and Tevez. When it comes to who, it all comes down to the type of player. We have the pace, skill and power, but lack the genuine instinct for scoring goals. A sympathetic “mini-Ruud” if you will… I think Klass-Jan Huntelaar would be awesome at United. A smart, proven goalscorer; driven by instinct and schooled by the very best at Ajax and Herenveen. And more importantly; the right attitude.
We’ve been linked with heaps of players, and in the end it’s still not up to us. Let’s just hope Ferguson makes the right choice.
January 4th, 2008 at 12:59
when do you think we’ll atchully sign a player?
January 4th, 2008 at 13:04
ive got it!!!, javier saviola! real want to sell him he’s cheap, his flaw is that he’s short.
January 4th, 2008 at 14:04
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_3021870,00.html
we saw this coming.
January 4th, 2008 at 14:05
No Dan his flaw is that he’s not a great finisher, has a poor attitude, and doesn’t have any great positional sense. I used to like him but he’s really never been that good. I don’t think we’ll sign anyone big in the January transfer window, and if we do I think my favourite would be Lahm, just because he provides cover for Evra and our best option at right back. I really wouldn’t want Huntelaar in my team, not that I’m doubtung his ability, just that I’d prefer someone else, I don’t agree with the idea that we need a goalscorer, it may help slightly, but Arsenal don’t have one and they’re doing fine.
January 4th, 2008 at 14:06
http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={B4CEE8FA-9A47-47BC-B069-3F7A2F35DB70}&newsid=520803
spoke to soon
January 4th, 2008 at 14:07
conor, edurdo and adebayor are both goalscorers.
January 4th, 2008 at 14:11
@Conor:
Arsenal has a goalscorer in Eduardo, he just hasn’t settled yet.
Check out his stats, or a few videos on YouTube, and you’ll see that he’s got it all.
Arsenal’s got a diamond in the rough in him. Just you wait and see.
January 4th, 2008 at 14:20
Lahm would be perfect as he can play on the left or the right… Though I think he’d be pretty expensive.
Hutton would also certainly be a quality signing for 8m… He already turned down Spurs.
January 4th, 2008 at 14:23
Saha, is a white glove player plus he get himself down too much. I agree, Anelka has bad attitude and he’s a drifter. I think we should go after Lahm and Berba.
January 4th, 2008 at 14:24
I’m happy with the striker situation. Although with Rooney and Tevez fit we’ve been playing with two strikers, if we have an injury situation we would be fine with a single striker and pushing ronaldo and giggs/nani further up for support.
But if we could find a 5M or so player who could play target man it would add to the team.
Defence does worry me because good as Evans, Simpson, Pique are I would not want them on our team in a big European match. Even more experienced players like O’Shea fall quite far short of our best four (Neville, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra).
The problem is finding someone who is not cup-tied for Europe but has a lot of experience who is avaliable for sale. I’m not sure if Lahm is cup-tied (playing UEFA, he might not be) but he would be a good signing, although I’m not sure Bayern would want to sell another player to us.
January 4th, 2008 at 14:26
Eidur Gudjohnson from Barcelona should be considered as an alternative. He shouldn’t be too expensive and has everything we need in as a 3. striker. But our main objective should be to get Brown to sign a new contract.
January 4th, 2008 at 14:37
Matthew: Youtube videos and stats, truly the ways to properly assess a player. You don’t have his FM stats to hand as well do you
January 4th, 2008 at 14:50
Well they’re top of the league without a goalscorer, Adebayor is as much of a goalscorer as Ronaldo is, and Eduardos only played in a few games for them, so I’m not counting him yet, although I already knew that he could score goals. The point I’m making is you don’t need an out and out goalscorer to win things, it helps, but isn’t necessary.
January 4th, 2008 at 15:05
Mathew,i feel your being far too picky when it comes down to your point on keepers PIG is a capable cover for EVDS and we will have Ben Foster aswell what more could you want. We can’t just go and get any world class keeper that we want as their is nobody on the market and if we do get another keeper surely he wont be much better than PIG who could get a first team place in most Prem teams.
In deffence there is a lot of cover for RB and Brown has been doing a great job, O’shea can play RB with Fletcher also taking that position in the past and if it comes to it, correct me if i’m wrong, but can’t OH play there? I personally don’t like Silly and feel quite nervous when he is in the team.
With your comment on looking for a left winger,i’m not going into much detail so just the one word… Nani
Upfront Saha hasn’t played well at all this season and has been giving a lot of chances to play he simply isn’t a impact sub and i wouldn’t start him ahead of Rooney and Tevez, as for his heading ability yes i agree he is good in the air but it’s not like he is a world class headerer (if there is such a thing!) Ronaldo is far better. He is big and strong but Tevez and Rooney are also extreamly strong but unlike those two gives the ball away too easily/often and is extreamly lazy compared to Rooney and Tevez who often chase defenders endlessly and run back to help out the defence.
January 4th, 2008 at 15:32
Why dont we get bale ? He’s very young and can stll learn a lot. once evra retires bale will become the left back and we will have a new david beckham!!
January 4th, 2008 at 15:41
Why is rooney considered so untouchable, in regards to his starting spot? Personally I rate Tevez more.
January 4th, 2008 at 15:59
guys i have to say i am extremely worried. Now that brown is destined to leave and most likely in the january transfer window i think we are quite short in central defence. If brown leaves i believe we only have pique left to deputise for an injury to rio or vida.oshea can slot in there too but that is far from enough. Also evans has been sent out on loan too so i think its essential we dont sell brown
January 4th, 2008 at 16:18
JB: Thank you for such a constructive comment.. You obviously know a lot better. I was merely pointing out that Eduardo has a well deserved reputation for being a goalscorer. By the start of the 2007/08 season Eduardo had scored 7 goals in 12 international games, and 73 goals in 104 games for Dinamo Zagreb. You might not think this is worth considering when assessing a player, but I would raise my eyebrows when discovering a player with such statistics. When it comes to YouTube, everyone knows that player compilations are just a collection of the great moments. They still give you insight in the players movement and handling of the ball, and usually tell you a whole lot more than any paper would. I don’t play FM; I can’t find FC United of Manchester anywhere…
Conor: I absolutely agree when you put it that way. I read too much into your comment assuming you ment that Arsenal didn’t have any goalscorers. My bad. United are living proof that you don’t need outright goalscorers to win things. We still don’t have one, and we won the Premiership last year. As long as all the attacking players pitch in with 10-15 goals each, we’ll be good. Ronaldo is already on his way…
Ollie Y: You might have read a bit too much into my ‘rant’.. Tomasz Kuszczak (PIG? please explain..) is capable of covering for Edwin, but I would not consider him as a solution for the future. In the “meaningless game” against Chelsea at the end of last season, he was absolutely horrible. Flapping at crosses, and running around in the area like a headless chicken. Now, in the latest games he’s been slagging off the defence for playing the ball back to his feet. The man can’t handle the ball with his feet, and his work in the area is dubious to say the least. That’s a major problem, and not fitting for a “future” first teamer.
When it comes to wingback issue, Brown HAS performed admirably. But still, I’d rather have a natural wingback and not an out of place centreback. His crossing isn’t the best, and he’s not the quickest player around either. I love Wes, don’t get me wrong.. ..but as a backup for the centre back position. Fletcher and Hargreaves at right back? Are you serious? Would you actually consider this option, instead of buying a natural right back? What if Wes leaves now in January? Is Simpson our main man until Neville gets fit enough? When we now the opposition we’re facing in the Champions League, that would be lunacy.
Left wing: I DID describe Nani as a wonderkid, AND I like the type of player, but his form is unstable and his movement off the ball compared to his teammates if often “out of sync”. He is “raw” at best, and has a few southern behavioural patterns that needs time to change. He is however able to turn a game on his own. An additional left winger is a luxury, and should not be a priority.
When it comes to Saha, you’re of course entitled to your own opinion. Mine is that Saha is a class player on his way back, and he should be kept for the sake of his natural abilities. I’ve never said he’s a “world class header”, but he IS good. Another reason for keeping him. There’s very few players in the Premiership who can match Rooney and Tevez when it comes to strength and workrate. Saha isn’t even close to any of them. The reason he’s giving the ball away more often, is because he has to fight for every aerial ball, and doesn’t receive balls along the ground to the same extent as Rooney or Tevez. This is simply down to player style, movement pattern etc. Saha isn’t lazy, but might seem like it. Especially if you use games against West Ham and Birmingham as a base for comparison towards Rooney and Tevez (who are extreme when it comes to workrate…).
But hey, that’s just my opinion.
January 4th, 2008 at 16:36
Am agreeing to the goalkeeping and central midfeilders department, but totaly disagreewith other departments easpecialy the defence and the attacking. I also disagree with the version of siging players only in the summer and that you wont get quality players in the january window. I also dont agree in the concept that players will be costing more in the Jan. window than the summer.For prooving that ican give lot of examples. take Berbatov who was carrying a price tag of 12 to 17 million in the last summer is priced at 30 to 35 million today. L. mordic who was carrying a price of 8million is priced at 18 million, M. Benzema who was priced at 8million is priced at 15 to 18 million now. These prices are not going to come down untill they are performing.If we are looking for quality players who are performers we will have to pay more as the all over the world are catching up the leaders. Hence if Man. Untd has to stay in the top they have to go for QUALITY PERFORMERS in the ground. MAN.UNTD are very weak both in their D as well as in the opponents D. We have seen them strugling with the teams who are defencively strong to score goals and wilting under preassure in their own D against set peices.
Man. Untd’s bench strength is also not come up to the expected level (Simpson, Lee, Evans,Fletcher and more importantly Carrick for the ammount spend to bring him in). Due to the hectic schedule of matches injuries are more prone to the defenders and forwards.Hence sufficiant quality bench srength is needed for steady performance and results.
SAF has to be active in the transfer market and try to bring in some quality players like P.Lahm and N. Shorey for left back,B. Ivanovic as a Central defender, D.Alves or D.Mucconi and A .Hutton as right back, L. Mordic as a Midfielder, Berbatov,S. Etto and G. Albenlabhour as forwards. Yes it will cost some money, but you have to look into the future as we dont know what is going to happen to Ronaldo. Am sure he will go in the summer.SAF should release him imediately if he wants to. Same way sell off people like Silvestre, Brown, Fletcher, Carrick, Saha etc. induce new blood to make a team of 11 players in the ground as ARSENEL and not to depend on one or two specific players, which is presently the problem of MAN. UNTD.
January 4th, 2008 at 17:02
We don’t need anyone as such, Lahm won’t sit on the bench, neither will Berbatov, if Brown leaves then i’d be worried about the pressure on young Simpson but other than that we’re set.
The only other thing I can think of is a young, powerful or nippy backup striker who would accept being backup to better players, like Lita at Reading (for example, i’m not saying buy him)
Personally I don’t see us buying anyone, especially not some of the names thrown around.
January 4th, 2008 at 17:08
i partly agree with matthew on saha seeming to lose the ball because of the aerial challenges and so on, i have always been a big admirer of saha but lately i have been noticing a lack of effort, this may be down to a lack of confidence. I can not remember seeing Saha sprint to reach a ball in recent times even though he is probably one of the fastest players on the pitch when he plays
January 4th, 2008 at 17:09
U guys have a quality side and should not always think of buying cos there’s a transfer window. Technical playas ermain a good criteria when buying in the first place. Players you can convert and expect to slot into differnt positions easily. I thot wenger was mad when he said he wouldn’t be buying in January but i understand better now. Over 5 players are available to cover for Toure while he’s gone and Janaury fixtures are also favorable. I think you are short at the back and your scouts should work on getting a player technical enough to play across the back line so you dont think of buying someone new for every injury.
Happy New Year to u guys
January 4th, 2008 at 17:10
does anyone think saha may have lost some of his pace, he does seem to have bulked up a bit, would that have affected him
January 4th, 2008 at 17:18
It’s hard to tell really, considering he’s not chasing any balls at full pelt like Rooney and Tevez…
January 4th, 2008 at 17:33
wat about the brzilian twins? Anybody knows how gud are they?.. they seem to have score a lot of goals for their coutries playing as fullbacks..
January 4th, 2008 at 17:39
They were just attending the Under-17 championship in August, so they’re still not first team material. …if you judge them by the age that is..
January 4th, 2008 at 17:55
I very much doubt he’s lost any pace, since he’s still the ideal age for his style of play. If anything, I just think he may have lost some enthusiasm, lthough he never really tried overly hard anyways. Rooney and Tevez just make him look lazier than he is. Berbatov is even more lazy, but thats not really what I would describe as a weakness. I’m still really grateful we have a 3rd choice striker as good as Saha but I understand why people disagree. And Matthew Kuscazck is called pig because he’s ‘Polish In Goal’ althoguh I would think it makes more sense to make it ‘Pole In Goal’ then at least it rhymes, but no-one seems to call him that. Plus it’s easier than trying to remember how to spell his name. I still rate Foster much much more highly than him and believe he can be our first choice keeper, good reflexes, brilliant goal kicks, composed, and a good cross-catcher, we’ll find out if he’s good enough next year I would think.
January 4th, 2008 at 19:54
i think the only area that needs to be adressed in january is right fullback, were we can no longer rely on the fitness of Gary Neville and Wes Brown is not a natural. Hutton would be a decent and more likely target in January, Boswinga at 22 million euros is overpriced and if Fergie was prepared to spend that sort of money, both Lahm or Alves would be revelations at OT, although the latter two are more likekly to be summer movers.
We are sorted in the wide and central midfield positions as has been pointed out the numerous comments above,so that only leaves up front as a possible position that could be added to. I definately think that we are striker short, but the two stikers most likely to sign in January {Berbatov and Anelka} come with questionable temperaments and price tags that would be better spent on a young and hungry Huntelaar or Benzema in the summer.
So as I stated at the start, a right fullback is a must and maybe a striker, although a summer raid for Lahm or Alves and Huntelaar or Benzema would be the best for the long term. The question of short term fix or long term improvement is a tricky one.
January 4th, 2008 at 21:06
Its become clear that for the moment we have quite sufficient depth in the squad to cope with the regular rigors of football. O’Shea provides cover for some injuries and in case of a crisis I’m sure Sir Fergie will manage as he did last year.
However I think some additions could strengthen the squad in the short and long term to make us more robust. P. Lahm would be ideal. While he provides cover for Evra and Neville he is a starter in his own right and a sufficient replacement for the aging Neville. If acquired in January he can have to necessary time to gel with the squad as well as provide valuable support particularly with the Brown situation being so iffy. A striker would be a luxury. I would like one but I don’t see it as priority. Rooney, Tevez and Saha are sufficient and we had adequate support from Ronaldo, Giggs, Park and Nani should it become a contingent to field bodies in the event of a major injury crisis.
At the very least we can be confident the the core midfield is strong and will provide adequate support for the rest of the park should any frailties be exposed.
P.S. I’m not gonna proof read so I apologize for any mistakes or misunderstands that may occur.
January 4th, 2008 at 21:07
Erm, I dont want to spoil anyones fun here, but I saw an interview on SkySportsNews at lunchtime today when SAF announced Evans’ loan move and the rejection of an approach from Newcastle United for Wes Brown. He also said that MUFC would not be making ANY signings in this January Transfer Window. (Except Manucho obviously)
So all this talk is fun but completely pointless, realistically.
January 4th, 2008 at 21:09
When EVDS retires or gets injured, my first chice keeper would be Foster! He is a great keeper, and if it wasnt for his injury, he would have been England nr 1. I dont think any player will be bought by Fergie in January, BUT if buying a player I would have bought Bale and Micah Richards. Maybe expensive, but great assets for the future. Bale is the new Beckham and Micah Richards is one player outside United that I really rate high. After what I have heard Richards has a buy-out clouse that is 20 mill. I would pay 30 mill for him if I was the manager. Strong, fast, reads the game well,good in the air and can be used as a center back. Plus, he is English. Great player! Okey, I know I am talking really highly about a City player, but I think all United fans would dream of having him in the team.
In the last four weeks, I have heard a long list of players that people want United to buy. I am going to right every name that I remember, so u just look for the player u want us to buy, and tell me why! Okey? Here is the list: GK:Casillas(RM), DEF: Hutton(RNGS), Lahm(Bayern), Richards(City), Alves(Sevilla), Bale(Spurs), Bosingwa(FCP)! MID: Veloso(Sporting), Beckham(LAG), Quaremsa(FCP), Ben Arfa(Lyon), Barry(Villa), CF: Huntelaar(Ajax), Villa(Valencia), Anelka(Bolton), Berbatov(Spurs), Podolski(Bayern), Alan Smith(!)(Newcastle), Benzema(Lyon), Adebayor(Arse), Agbonlahor(Villa), Robinho(RM), Etoo(Barca), Ronaldinho(also Barca), Larsson(Helsingborg), Anichebe(Everton), Owen(Newcastle), Jones(Keanos Sun), Pedersen(Rovers), Ashton(Hammers), Diego(Bremen), Van der Vaart(HSV), Alves(Herenfeen), Souzo(Inter), Nuno Gomes(Benfica) and in the end: Giuseppe Rossi! The player we let Villareal take from us in early August.
Enough about him, lets move on to Bale! Great free kick taker, offensive, fast, can play as a winger and shoots like a horse. I love his left foot. I really admire it. That must sound really wierd, but I have followed him since he was at Soton, since he was 16, and 8 out of 10 free kicks hits the target. 4 out 10 turns into goals! A rate like that hasnt been since Becks time. maybe about 15 milloin, but hey, what do I know!
If u want to add someone, just write it down!
January 4th, 2008 at 21:10
http://www.skysports.com/football/competition/0,19734,11660,00.html
Its available to view on the website.
January 4th, 2008 at 21:12
RedDevil said …
“and in the end: Giuseppe Rossi! The player we let Villareal take from us in early August.”
I do believe we have a buy-back price arranged in the sale of Rossi. I have no idea what that figure is but it is an option should SAF require it further down the road.
January 4th, 2008 at 21:13
Looks like Neville will be playing in next Wednesday’s Reserves game against Everton. I hope that Manucho will make an appearance. It’d be nice to see what he can do.
January 4th, 2008 at 21:25
did you now rossi has scored 7 times in 11 appearences for villareal why o why did we let him go someone please tell
January 4th, 2008 at 21:30
If Fergie decides to use that buy-back price in his contranct, I would call it more of a loan on undecided time. I wonder if that thing in his contract still is there if he gets sold to another club. I didnt write the possibilities, I just wrote the players that have been linked to United on Red Rants and other websites were u can comment about United!
January 4th, 2008 at 22:15
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12876_3022132,00.html
looks like we wont be see anyone
January 4th, 2008 at 22:35
1 word for you all. rotation, this is in terms of on the pitch ronlado, rooney, tevez, giggs, anderson, nani, park can all be moved around numerous times while playing, so we are not short in midfield unless that boy ronaldo decides to leave for 75mill acording to a certain newspaper(jus rumour lol) i agree however that lahm would be perfect choice he is one of the best left/right bks in the world however he would cost aroung 15-20mill not any less due to the fact he is a established player at bayern. I say we stop talking about jan transfers because sir alex already ruled anyone being brought in. In the summer however lahm definiely should be considered, and dont care what no1 says berbatov would be fantastic aswell, competition is always gd, som1 i do actualy want to leave would have to be dong ive sin him in reserves and some matches that he’ played in including roma, he needs to leave to a champioship club as he is not premeiership material maybe loaned or signed out. apart from that on the pitch we have the squad in depth to win the treble, ofcourse just tht bit of luck is needed to win them.
January 4th, 2008 at 22:50
Mathew, PIG stands for Polish in goal. And i agree he won’t be our first choice in the future Foster will be so for now he will do. I didn’t say that we should play Fletcher or OH in RB but as you said if we have injuries then they would be able to fill in there is no need to rush to the transfer market. As for Saha you have your opinions, I have mine lets just agree to disagree.
January 4th, 2008 at 23:37
Meddleuk/RedDevil: My understanding of the Rossi situation is that there is no set buy out clause but we do have first refusal in the event Villareal decide to sell him.
January 5th, 2008 at 1:07
Ollie; that’s just grand.
January 5th, 2008 at 3:57
Fergie said the same thing before signing Henrik Larsson, so we will just have to wait and see.
January 5th, 2008 at 4:29
I say sign Diego Forlan in the summer: he’ll cost less then the other available options and has really proven himself in Spain. Although he had a bad stint at United the first time, he has definitely shown that he is world class and capable of performing in Europe. And to add to all of this, he has stated his desire to play for United. I think he would be happy to come from the bench. Good in the air too.
January 5th, 2008 at 8:47
Man Utd snub Newcastle Brown bid
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7171748.stm
Wayne Rooney Q&A
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/7140527.stm
Just a nice article read it
and yes as always transfer gossip s the best remedy to any websites popularity look at the amount of replues hahaha
i think we just need a cover for evra although oshea can play there (Hell he can play anywhere )
and i really wanna see this manucho in action soon
January 5th, 2008 at 12:43
i doubt nobody will be coming in.
January 6th, 2008 at 0:17
I think we will have several additions to the squad for the new year. some names that i can see arriving to OT in the immediate future: G. Neville, P. Scholes, M Silvestre, Park J.S., B. Foster. I’d wager that the quality of players we have returning from injury will match for talent any other side’s January transfers.
If we were to buy i’d fancy Lahm the most. several people are saying that he wouldn’t be content to sit on the bench, and i agree, but i don’t think he’d be doing much bench-warming. Lahm would step straight into the first team as right back. This would allow us to sell Wes instead of letting him go for free. When Neville returns we’d face the mouth watering prospect of selecting at fullback two out of Nev, Evra and Lahm. the best part: we’d never have to see silvestre again.
January 6th, 2008 at 1:00
OK I think we won’t see any signings so this is purely hypothetical. But we do as always seem a striker short especailly as Saha is yet to recapture his form
Lucarelli apparentely is available on a six month loan now Shakthar are out of the Champions League. i’ve seen him play a bit and while he is obviously cup tied, he’d give us some cover domestically and has the build for the premiership.
Amauri would be interesting. He has an EU passport and would give us an interesting option especially with Saha off the boil
January 6th, 2008 at 8:17
I doubt Sir Alex will buy anyone. As he said, there is no use in buying a cup tied player! So if he was to purchase anyone this window it has to be someone who is not cup tied. duh. So that means Berbatov and Anelka fit that bill..because we do need a striker! its our 1st priority as solskeajr retired, which i think sir alex did not see comming..it wud of been best if we stuck to rossi becuase i rather see him on the pitch than dong..but if sir alex does not buy a striker this windo he should and most prob would in the summer and in that case anyone can come because we got cash! Well manucho did sign but I don’t think he will get a work permit so we might have to do a dong and send him away for few seasons..if i were to guess who is possibly going to come in january i would guess berbatov or anelka and huntelaar (but i think he is cup tied because he did play in quailifers for ajax) and dats it realli..if in the summer then I would expect people like eto’o, villa, huntelaar, podolski, and someone who plays extremely well in euro 08 to be linked with united.
As for our midfield, its perfect! no need to buy but we actually have to sell. I would want to see fletcher leave and carrick as back up/rotation to play in games which are not so hard and to come when injuries come. My first choices would be OH, anderson and scholes. In the summer we might buy a attacking centre mid to replace aging scholes because i think anderson is his own player, not here to replace anyone. He is world class in the making
Umm defence is awsome but wes brown mite leave and gary neville is ageing so priortiy is a right back. Left back not so much because evra is excellent, o’shea can play there and when silvestre comes back we will be okay. In the summer I would like man untied to buy a world class keeper to replace van der sar who is ageing. I read reports of man untied talking to casillas. Dat wud be amazing if he were to come to united! I dono but i feel foster nd PIG are perfect 2nd choice keepers not 1st.
January 6th, 2008 at 13:06
I’ve watch lahm played quite a few times this season and he has been quite fantastic. I really believe he is the solution to the full-back situation since now it seems brown is on his way out. He can play on either full-back position which makes him even more valuable. Other than that i don’t see anyone coming in really. It will be a defender if Sir Alex decides to sign anyone this transfer windows.
January 6th, 2008 at 14:17
I think Nicky Shorey is a great, inexpensive option at left back. And Gudjohnsen would be a fantastic signing.
January 6th, 2008 at 17:00
why oh why oh why did we sell rossi,
he was young didnt have a big ego and look at him now he’s one of the top scorers in la liga,
why??????????
January 6th, 2008 at 19:53
Because he wanted to leave, he would never have played as many games for us as he has for Villareal, everyone knew Rossi was a brilliant player when we let him leave, so stop moaning about it now. He won’t ever come back to us unless he feels he can be a regular starter for us. If you think he’s better than any of our three strikers then you’re delusional, he’s a great finisher and is different to any of our strikers, but he wanted to leave, we didn’t want to sell him.
January 7th, 2008 at 1:11
I say sign Diego Forlan in the summer: he’ll cost less then the other available options and has really proven himself in Spain. Although he had a bad stint at United the first time, he has definitely shown that he is world class and capable of performing in Europe. And to add to all of this, he has stated his desire to play for United. I think he would be happy to come from the bench. Good in the air too.
January 7th, 2008 at 2:13
“he has stated his desire to play for United”… I doubt it. he had enough chancs to prove himself for us, he won’t be coming back. He has been great in Spain, but that just blatantly proves he is better suited to that league. Its not that I don’t want him, its thats he just doesn’t fit. Plus we’d be a making a huge loss if we bought him back, and we could get Afons Alves for the same price, not that i’m saying he’s be a good signing, but just pointing out there are other, better, options.
January 11th, 2008 at 11:07
Berbatov or Huntelaar.
January 13th, 2008 at 21:05
I think they should put park on the trasfer list for a bit sell him to top clubs that might want him .do they need barton?
January 17th, 2008 at 20:26
Team should be:
VDS
Lahm Ferdinand Vidic Evra
Ronaldo Scholes Anderson Giggs
Tevez Rooney
Subs=Foster Neville Carrick Nani Benzema
In=Lahm(Bayern), Benzema(Lyon)
Out=maybe Brown