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Soldato
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Remember that is after they wanted 120m for Sancho the year before. Bellingham is likely north of that figure because he has longer on his contract. Sancho was lower because it was clear he wasn't going to sign a new deal and only had two years left.

Ai but they were coming off the back of a 200mil loss in two years. Even with the Sancho sale they are expecting a 20 mil loss this year.


Haaland will leave but not for the money they need. I dont think Bellingham will cost as much as people think.
 

fez

fez

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Ai but they were coming off the back of a 200mil loss in two years. Even with the Sancho sale they are expecting a 20 mil loss this year.


Haaland will leave but not for the money they need. I dont think Bellingham will cost as much as people think.

Nah Bellingham will cost ~£100m if anyone wants to pry him away. Hes not coming to United anyway. He would have to be mad. I reckon he will end up at Liverpool or City in the next few years. Or he make take the well trodden path of going to Bayern for far too little money.
 
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I think we should forget about 'big name' signings for now. We need a complete review of every player at the club, and a new way of thinking is needed...

Imagine that.
 
Soldato
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I think we should forget about 'big name' signings for now. We need a complete review of every player at the club, and a new way of thinking is needed...

Imagine that.
Isn't that why Ragnick is there? You were all cheering the appointment 6/7 weeks ago and now half of the Man U fans here want him gone, bonkers.
 
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Isn't that why Ragnick is there? You were all cheering the appointment 6/7 weeks ago and now half of the Man U fans here want him gone, bonkers.

No they don't? :confused: The vast majority of fans are behind him and don't like the players.

Rangnick is a great appointment from a director of football perspective, there was no obvious interim appointment that would have done much better, so to get Rangnick who can then advise at a higher level is ideal.

That being said, if the club won't listen to his advice, then it's all futile.
 

fez

fez

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I think we should forget about 'big name' signings for now. We need a complete review of every player at the club, and a new way of thinking is needed...

Imagine that.

In theory Rangnick is that but I have little faith that it will work out. It feels like when a narcissist asks for someones honest opinion but doesn't like actually hearing it and just ignores it as a result. I think Rangnick is realising the scale of the task, the cultural issues we have and the awful structure the club has in place when it comes to the football side of things.

My personal feelings on our squad are:

DDG - great keeper but needs to be coached to have better distribution
Shaw - I think he would be good in a team that plays attacking football with their WBs overlapping.
Maguire - Think hes fine for the most part. Suffers for lack of speed but also a complete lack of protection from midfield.
Varane - Seems good but perhaps a little injury prone
AWB - Just get rid. There are too many areas of his game that are sub-par. Only area he excels is one on one defending which is a tiny part of the game for top teams.
McT - Keep but shouldn't be a starter
Matic - Too old and slow
Mata - Too old and slow, has been too slow for about 8 years.
Fred - There is a good player in there somewhere but i'm not sure if he will ever suit how we want to play
Martial - Get rid. Another Pogba. Too injured, too erratic. Too little work ethic.
Pogba - Just let him leave on a free. Too injured and too erratic and another example of a player who has been indulged much more than his performances merit.
VDB - No idea. Ole didn't use him and Rangnick hasn't used him. Either he doesn't work in the current squad or hes not up to snuff.
Bruno - Love the guy but we need to figure out how to use him best
Rashford - No idea, fallen off a cliff over the past year or so, heart doesn't seem in it. Overpaid and doesn't seem to want to be there most of the time. Needs to work harder.
Greenwood - Needs to change parts of his game to be more of a team player. Another symptom of a team that massively rewards individualism over the team.
Sancho - Just needs a team around him that plays pass and move football. At City or Liverpool he would thrive.
Ronaldo - Just **** off now. Arrogant, overpaid and over the hill. Only way he works is if you have a highly functioning team that can accommodate him. We don't.
Cavani - Guys work ethic is top notch and I get the impression he does exactly what you ask of him. Team player but getting on now.

A new RB, 2 new midfielders and probably a striker would be great. That being said, the bigger issue is the culture in the team. Ronaldo clearly hasn't helped and we have spent years giving bumper contracts to players that aren't putting in the work on the pitch because we are so scared of losing them.

Getting rid of Ronaldo, Pogba, Martial, Lingard, Mata, Matic and AWB (probably VDB as well). Bring in the above and light a fire under these players arses. Show them that all the Billy big ******** in the team are gone and everyone else is going to have to work for their spot. Get their fitness up to PL levels and get the team united and working for each other. A winning team is a happy team and if this team actually started working for each other and the manager they would win some games convincingly which hasn't happened for a very long time.
 
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Can't disagree with any of that, I posted my thoughts on the squad in post #2120. I personally think it would be nice if we could accommodate Ronaldo, but as you say, this team is going to struggle to do that effectively.

I think Rangnick has pointed out a few home truths which have been met with resistance not only from the squad but the board too.

If we want top 4 we need at least one new centre mid in this month. Haidara/Zakaria would do.

No idea what's going to happen, we'll just hope for the best, but expect the worst :p
 
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I think Rangnick has pointed out a few home truths which have been met with resistance not only from the squad but the board too.

It really is worrying/strange that of 'top 4' or whatever it now is, Man Utd can never seem to get rid of the 'dead wood' so to speak. Definitely something at the top or maybe something in the contracts? Dunno.

Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool (especially when Klopp took over) and even Arteta with Arsenal have quickly resolved the obvious issues with players.
 
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It really is worrying/strange that of 'top 4' or whatever it now is, Man Utd can never seem to get rid of the 'dead wood' so to speak. Definitely something at the top or maybe something in the contracts? Dunno.

Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool (especially when Klopp took over) and even Arteta with Arsenal have quickly resolved the obvious issues with players.

At the beginning of the season we had a squad to challenge for the title. Everyone believed it and most pundits expected an easy top 4 finish. A lot of players have fallen off a cliff or failed to get started at all in Sancho's case.

Maybe it does require a clear out to refocus the minds but there is a lot of quality in that team that isn't functioning but that's what the manager gets paid to sort.
 
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At the beginning of the season we had a squad to challenge for the title. Everyone believed it and most pundits expected an easy top 4 finish. A lot of players have fallen off a cliff or failed to get started at all in Sancho's case.

Maybe it does require a clear out to refocus the minds but there is a lot of quality in that team that isn't functioning but that's what the manager gets paid to sort.

I am not a die hard Man Utd fan but it is really clear to see your MF is shocking compared to Chelsea/City/Liverpool...perhaps a challenge but not a strong one. The MF has been an issue for such a long time now.

Definitely a lot of quality but too many players that require a high work rate around them.
 

fez

fez

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At the beginning of the season we had a squad to challenge for the title. Everyone believed it and most pundits expected an easy top 4 finish. A lot of players have fallen off a cliff or failed to get started at all in Sancho's case.

Maybe it does require a clear out to refocus the minds but there is a lot of quality in that team that isn't functioning but that's what the manager gets paid to sort.

Most people who have watched us the past 3 years didn't think we would get anywhere near a title challenge but yes, top 4 should have been relatively safe. I thought bringing Ronaldo back was a really bad idea although I didn't think it would be as bad as it is. 2nd last season massively flattered us and I would have been amazed if we weren't 4th if Chelsea and Liverpool didn't have such issues.

Some people said Ole should be competing for the title because of the time hes had and the money hes spent. Not many truly believed we would though.
 

fez

fez

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Who scores the goals for Utd if you take Ronaldo out that 14 goals, Greenwood been playing 22 games and only got 5?

Everyone else.... Its a bizarre sort of logic that thinks removing a player from the team would remove their goals and they wouldn't be replaced. If that player who has scored most of your goals is also the reason the team isn't working as well as it could be then chances are good that you will score more without them. One player might not replace his goals but if the whole forward line chips in more goals then you are better off.
 
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Who scores the goals for Utd if you take Ronaldo out that 14 goals, Greenwood been playing 22 games and only got 5?

19/20 season Martial/Rashford/Greenwood basically got 20 a piece between them.

Cavani/Bruno/Rashford got 70+ between them last season.

Scoring goals was never our problem. (Although it is now!)

We just leaked them like a sieve.

Offensively last season we were capable of challenging. We threw away so many wins last season due to stupid defensive mistakes.
 
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Soldato
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But would Martial, Rashford, Greenwood kick start again if Ronaldo was suddenly to go Id have to question that?

Last season

Greenwood 7 goals in 31
Martial 4 goals in 22
Rashford 11 goals in 37

Sancho hasnt set the world on fire either and will even Martial play again?

Sure Ronaldo can be replaced but not sure the current crop got what it takes anymore.
 
Soldato
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The issue is how many players we're going to need to replace in one summer, we haven't signed that many players since Van Gaal and that was a dreadful window.

I honestly think the best case scenario is we miss out on Europe this year and let a number of players go (Martial, Pogba, Cavani, Lingard, Matic, Mata, Henderson, Jones, Bailly at least) and look to bring in 3 starters (RB, DM, ST) with the kids filling in any gaps. There’s no point having a massive squad to challenge on all fronts if it’s useless, and we have so many pointless players.
 
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