True we really need 1 or 2 good central midfield players. box to box players who can pass as well as pretty much tackle n1. busqouts, alonso, de Rossi, Sissoko type of players. We ve conceded far too many goals in crucial games with teams that attack with pace and the defense is often vulnerable as the protection from midfield goes missing. Remember games with Basel, Man C, Athletic, etc. 1 watch every match and with gud teams there is always a large void between the central midfielders and the defense. It has to be closed down else we ll get screwed next season as wel. Carrick is a gud player but he doesnt show as much aggression with teams attack with pace and close down fast. With nani young valencia we ve gud wingers. 1 more would do us gud though. The forward dept. with Rooney Wellback n hernandez in lead is as gud as ny in europe. In defense a little more maturity from da likes of Smalling, jones n da silvas would be great as wel. My verdict get 1 central midfielder... try best to keep pogba!!! keep anderson for 1 more season and see if he delivers. Kagawa would be a great signing for big games, wen we specially play with 5 across mid. he can be right behind Rooney and defend as wel. Then if Hazard decides to go to City go for James Rodriguez , gaiten r Oscar de Marcos. United for life !!! :)

stretford77:

Brittain 10:

stretford77:

I'd say a more defensive minded and energetic cm is essential someone like Martinez or Strootman type.

We could do with another box to box midfielder if Pogba leaves somone more creative possibly someone like Sidgursson or Allen.

I think a creative AM type player could also be used someone like Kagawa or Hazard.

Would love to see a three man midfield of Martinez, Cleverley, Kagawa.

likewise that'd be my ideal 3 man midfield. I'd probably use a 4-2-3-1 midfield though, with Martinez and Clev the '2' and Valencia, Kagawa and Nani the 3.

The only problem with that mate is Rooney would be up top on his own, I just think he has changed in the type of player that he is and that role wouldn't suit him anymore as he would drop deep leaving little threat. Kagawa I suppose could fill in for him when needed but he is the creator, if we would go 4231 then the front three for me would be Nani/Valencia, Rooney, Kagawa with Welbeck up top.

perhaps but then Kagawa would have to be quite close to Rooney to prevent the midfield of Martinez, Clev and Kagawa becoming too congested anyway, if Rooney was isolated, then it'd mean Kagawa was too far back, meaning there'd be no room for Clev.

As for Rooney's change I think he's proved he's more than capable and comfortable of being the main man. The fact that he's so keen to link up with team mates is a bonus, but as you say for this formation to work Rooney would have to stop dropping deep. IMHO I feel the reason he drops back in the first place is due to a lack of support, do he comes back in order to link up. In my formation he'd be able to focus on goals voting without having to carry the team like he does. Just an idea anyway mate, we both know the likelihood of this actually happening, utd be nice to see mind you, just to see if it did work.

Brittain 10:

stretford77:

I'd say a more defensive minded and energetic cm is essential someone like Martinez or Strootman type.

We could do with another box to box midfielder if Pogba leaves somone more creative possibly someone like Sidgursson or Allen.

I think a creative AM type player could also be used someone like Kagawa or Hazard.

Would love to see a three man midfield of Martinez, Cleverley, Kagawa.

likewise that'd be my ideal 3 man midfield. I'd probably use a 4-2-3-1 midfield though, with Martinez and Clev the '2' and Valencia, Kagawa and Nani the 3.

The only problem with that mate is Rooney would be up top on his own, I just think he has changed in the type of player that he is and that role wouldn't suit him anymore as he would drop deep leaving little threat. Kagawa I suppose could fill in for him when needed but he is the creator, if we would go 4231 then the front three for me would be Nani/Valencia, Rooney, Kagawa with Welbeck up top.

diwan al-haji:

stretford77:

diwan al-haji:

I know it would be great to have a DM and specially him, but 32 million for a DM is waaay too much don't you reckon?

Much more than a DM and worth every penny mate.

he might be worth that value but what I actually meant is that United don't usually spend that much on any player, most of our players cost 20 million or less. I actually like Martinez, he has a lot of potential but he's a little bit clumsy (yesterday he got two yellows against Real Madrid for 2 hand balls and one of them was a penalty, I know you might say that it doesn't matter but some players actually make stupid decisions like that the whole time, so I hope he was just being clumsy and not a stupid player)

The thing is mate prices have inflated since past years, thats a fact. You cannot pay the same amounts that we might of paid a couple of years ago, in the past thorugh we have paid high amounts for young talents Rooney was around 25m, Rio was 30m plus a couple of older players. Martinez is an all round cm and he would work wonders here thats why he is worth it, if we were looking at an out and out dm then i would agree it would be too much but Martinez has much more quality.

I watched him yesterday, he didn't have the best game but still did well, as you say he can be abit reckless but for the right reasons and he is still adapting to that CB position.

stretford77:

I'd say a more defensive minded and energetic cm is essential someone like Martinez or Strootman type.

We could do with another box to box midfielder if Pogba leaves somone more creative possibly someone like Sidgursson or Allen.

I think a creative AM type player could also be used someone like Kagawa or Hazard.

Would love to see a three man midfield of Martinez, Cleverley, Kagawa.

likewise that'd be my ideal 3 man midfield. I'd probably use a 4-2-3-1 midfield though, with Martinez and Clev the '2' and Valencia, Kagawa and Nani the 3.

stretford77:

diwan al-haji:

I know it would be great to have a DM and specially him, but 32 million for a DM is waaay too much don't you reckon?

Much more than a DM and worth every penny mate.

he might be worth that value but what I actually meant is that United don't usually spend that much on any player, most of our players cost 20 million or less. I actually like Martinez, he has a lot of potential but he's a little bit clumsy (yesterday he got two yellows against Real Madrid for 2 hand balls and one of them was a penalty, I know you might say that it doesn't matter but some players actually make stupid decisions like that the whole time, so I hope he was just being clumsy and not a stupid player)

I'd say a more defensive minded and energetic cm is essential someone like Martinez or Strootman type.

We could do with another box to box midfielder if Pogba leaves somone more creative possibly someone like Sidgursson or Allen.

I think a creative AM type player could also be used someone like Kagawa or Hazard.

Would love to see a three man midfield of Martinez, Cleverley, Kagawa.

diwan al-haji:

I know it would be great to have a DM and specially him, but 32 million for a DM is waaay too much don't you reckon?

Much more than a DM and worth every penny mate.

19reds89:

diwan al-haji:

Kagawa and Hazard will do the job and boost our midfield if we get them.. i'd love to have both.. Kagawa is going to be rather cheap, a max of 12 million since he has one year left on his contract and hazard is 35million

For me it has to be one or the other and focus on a Martinez kind of signing. Would be great to boast the two of them sure, but it's not entirely logical. Can't see any of Nani, Young or Valencia leaving us any time soon.

Martinez actually has a buyout clause of 32 million pounds, where everyone thought he'd cost between 20-25.. I know it would be great to have a DM and specially him, but 32 million for a DM is waaay too much don't you reckon?

mancrh:

diwan al-haji:

mancrh:

diwan al-haji:

Kagawa and Hazard will do the job and boost our midfield if we get them.. i'd love to have both.. Kagawa is going to be rather cheap, a max of 12 million since he has one year left on his contract and hazard is 35million

But in order to fit both we either sell a winger or play Rooney as a lone striker. We can't have 5 wingers.

I know the problem is with fitting them, it would certainly be easier with a 4-3-3 formation.. I really don't know how they'd both fit in but we need some BIG players this summer

We indeed need new blood, but you don't buy just for the sake of it. You buy what you need and who you can accomodate without causing problems in the squad. Fair enough if w move to 433 then both will be good, but where would Valencia play? He's certainly not an attacker so not in the front 3.

Valencia can play on the right side of the 3 man midfield since hes player at RB too so he'll be able to fit in, but with the number of players we have i'm pretty sure well have to rotate a lot

mancrh:

19reds89:

mancrh:

but where would Valencia play? He's certainly not an attacker so not in the front 3

What qualities do you think he hasn't got that wouldn't allow him to play on the right hand side of the front 3? He has ability to beat the man, pace, intellegence, a lethal right foot wether shooting or crossing and great link play with both midfield and Strikers. You just seem totally certain it's not a possibility that's all matey.

being a winger isn't a problem, the two wide players in a front 3 don-t have to be strikers. The problem is what kind of wingers. Young and Nani would this system the best suited for their talents, potential targets that would do well in such position are Rodriguez and Hazard. The difference between all of them and Valencia is that they base the majority of their game on cutting inside the box or around it. While Tonio's qualities are beating a defender with pace and power and crossing the ball to the box. He can still cut inside, but mainly because his leftie is a non existent one, it's not effective enough. Such formation has an attacker less than the one we're using at the moment, which means all the remaining 3 need to be a big threat in and around the box. Playing, for example, a front 3 of Valencia Rooney Nani automatically makes it into a 451.

Ok, yeah see what you mean fella. It would be more of a 451. I totally agree that we do have better players already who are better suited for the 433 setup than Toni and also the options we may be looking at in the market are also more capable. With slight tweaks and improvements I think we could put him there if needs be without affecting the system too much, but yeah, may aswell switch it around rather than forcing him out of position. Think I'm just trying to find reason not to demote him to to bench if we were to adopt a new system next year lol. But there are always going to be times when 442 etc is required therefore not making him a "spare part".

His left really does hold him back from being a true world calss player but tbh with what he brings to the club without it makes him a true united great and a real fan favourite so not really essential. Could you imagine him with it though....if I were a LB I reckon I would be touching cloth for pretty much the entire 90!!!!

19reds89:

mancrh:

but where would Valencia play? He's certainly not an attacker so not in the front 3

What qualities do you think he hasn't got that wouldn't allow him to play on the right hand side of the front 3? He has ability to beat the man, pace, intellegence, a lethal right foot wether shooting or crossing and great link play with both midfield and Strikers. You just seem totally certain it's not a possibility that's all matey.

being a winger isn't a problem, the two wide players in a front 3 don-t have to be strikers. The problem is what kind of wingers. Young and Nani would this system the best suited for their talents, potential targets that would do well in such position are Rodriguez and Hazard. The difference between all of them and Valencia is that they base the majority of their game on cutting inside the box or around it. While Tonio's qualities are beating a defender with pace and power and crossing the ball to the box. He can still cut inside, but mainly because his leftie is a non existent one, it's not effective enough. Such formation has an attacker less than the one we're using at the moment, which means all the remaining 3 need to be a big threat in and around the box. Playing, for example, a front 3 of Valencia Rooney Nani automatically makes it into a 451.

Tekkerz:

If we wasnt on the verge of signing kagawa

Has something fresh come about about him mate?

Agree with the cabaye post, he's been a good addition for Newcastle. If we wasnt on the verge of signing kagawa I would have recommended marvin Martin who's also ha a good season, I think well see more of him in the euros but if I was fergy id make either Mvilla or Martinez a priority

Cr4iger:

19reds89:

mancrh:

but where would Valencia play? He's certainly not an attacker so not in the front 3

What qualities do you think he hasn't got that wouldn't allow him to play on the right hand side of the front 3? He has ability to beat the man, pace, intellegence, a lethal right foot wether shooting or crossing and great link play with both midfield and Strikers. You just seem totally certain it's not a possibility that's all matey.

I'm with "mancrh" on this one.... Valencia is not suitable for that position... If you play 4-3-3 the wingers have to really be more like forwards..... Take Barca for example, they play a 4-3-3 formation, do they have a winger like Valencia ? No.. They have players like David Villa.... Do you see what I mean ?

Valencia could play in that formation, but I wouldn't recommend it......

Don't get me wrong fellas I'm not suggesting we should play him there, just interested as to why you think he wouldn't work there, curiosity.

I like AV inside the box he's put together some seriously decent one two moves with the strikers and really needs to have had more goals to his tally this season alone. I can't think of anything which would prevent him playing there tbh his strength may actually benefit him in these positions he is also very agile too. Totally see what you mean about Barca's front line but they play Cuenca there and he is more of a winger than a striker.