** Summer Transfer Window 2011/12 Season Rumours/Signings **
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Soldato
Ever feel like not being totally predictable for once?
If JE had progressed from his first season / 18 months with the 1st team squad, he would be invaluable - unfortunately he has seemingly gone backwards drastically, so Im with you.
Wouldnt be so much of a problem if Rio was available occasionally - but he must have nearly missed 2 out of the last 3 seasons with various injuries (mainly his back) - certainly seems close to that anyway.
Im all for buying another centre half - but the Rio situation makes it difficult if not impossible unless its a real youngster (who else is willing to come if they are only going to be 3rd choice at best, 4th in the unlikely event Rio is fit - unless they are young/ inexperienced). Brown will leave in the summer anyway I would guess - end of his contract I believe and unless we are really desperate doesnt get a game anyway (until recently he hadnt had a game in 4 months or something). Any decent academy /u18 players centre-halfs worth promoting to the squad?
Some reports tonight are indicated SAF has had his last straw with Carrick after the player told the media he doesnt look forward to playing in defence if it becomes necessary due to the injury situation. Personally think this is a journo fishing expedition, depending on the exact wording and how it was meant it could easily be something of nothing or a major disaster - but so soon after signing the new contract (unless it just gave SAF a reason to do what he planned anyway) I dont think its anything at all
edit - Keep on seeing the link to Utd and Hulk - I sincerely hope thats an early April Fool's joke
Caporegime
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omg a german version of DM
Soldato
Not quite, that guy didn't write a load of ****.
More Utd links to Gary Cahill and Thiago Silva this morning due to the Rio injury "crisis". Cahill would be too expensive (but I would love him to come), I havent seen Silva play too much but as 1st reserve for Vidic & Smalling he would be ok.
I was about right (unless the Telegraph is wrong of course) - Rio has missed 58 EPL games since the beginning of the 08/09 season upto this weekend, so if SAF is correct and he is out until next season, it will be 67 - not to mention the other (FA, CL especially) games he's also missed, must be approaching 100, and Utd are paying him £120k a week or so
I was about right (unless the Telegraph is wrong of course) - Rio has missed 58 EPL games since the beginning of the 08/09 season upto this weekend, so if SAF is correct and he is out until next season, it will be 67 - not to mention the other (FA, CL especially) games he's also missed, must be approaching 100, and Utd are paying him £120k a week or so
Soldato
Thiago Silva as first reserve. He would walk into our first team with Rio out, no competition.
He would walk into our first team with Rio out, no competition.Thiago Silva as first reserve.
would you throw away the quite frankly excellent playing relationship Vidic and Smalling have already built up (and will probably do so even more before the end of the season)?
That is why Im not so sure
irrelevant then, as Utd wont pay £25m+ (which is reportedly what Cahill will cost) for a centre half
I stand by my conviction though, Smalling has impressed so much this season, it would be a little silly to take apart the understanding he and Vidic have had so far, which is only likely to improve.
Plus - given that the gk isnt going to be home-grown, I think Utd need to be careful to not have too many none h/g players in their squad (esp with Giggs/Scholes and Neville ALL likely to disappear off the list in the next season or so) - ie with those 3 going, having a h/g player moved out of the 1st XI is the last thing Utd need
Would hate Utd to start playing regularly with no British players at all
Soldato
Smalling is still young let's not forget that, Evans once looked as good as Smalling is at the moment so who's to say at some point Smalling won't hit a similiar dip in form? Not saying Evans can't get over his current lack of form nor would Smalling if it happened to him but I wouldn't put all my eggs in that Smalling shaped basket tbh
Someone like Cahill would be ideal IMO. We definitely need someone with some experience to cover us when Rio is injured without having to rely on young players like Evans and Smalling
Someone like Cahill would be ideal IMO. We definitely need someone with some experience to cover us when Rio is injured without having to rely on young players like Evans and Smalling
He would be ideal - if he wasnt going to cost so much lol
Very true about Smalling / Evans, there is also 2nd season syndrome to consider also. I just dont get the feeling Smalling will be daunted so much in the coming years (could easily be wrong though)
you are right in that we need to be aware of staying english with our squad though. We don't necessarily need world class as long as we have highly competent alongside vidic/ferdinand/smalling. You'd need to let someone go though, I'd be tempted to keep Brown for one more season and let Evans go on loan to try and sort his head.
If they drop much further they might (given that they are effectively 4th , and two poiints above Spurs) - admittedly if both clubs win the game in hand
I thought Brown was out of contract this summer? Wouldnt be worth signing him for another 3 or more years I would have thought (given his age, Im not sure the club would even offer that long an extension)
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Its not his head that needs sorting, he has basically been found out, stick a man on him and he goes to pieces and you have a route straight through the United defence.
He needs his entire game sorting from scratch.
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