Mario Mandzukic

Sideshow Bob

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For €10-15m it’s a no brainer. He maybe 33 I think but losing Lukaku we need someone up there who can offer something different. It’s not pretty but sometimes you need that direct route. Would be a smart move from the manager.
 
He can be difficult in the dressing room has always been a guy who’s not happy when he isn’t playing.

However, if he’s happy to come and be that support role then great BUT if Sanchez isn’t going then can we really bring another player in?

The only thing I’d say is Mandzukic would give us a threat in the air we currently don’t have if Lukaku goes.
 
He can be difficult in the dressing room has always been a guy who’s not happy when he isn’t playing.

However, if he’s happy to come and be that support role then great BUT if Sanchez isn’t going then can we really bring another player in?

The only thing I’d say is Mandzukic would give us a threat in the air we currently don’t have if Lukaku goes.

We don't have a threat in the air with Lukaku being here anyway.
 
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Juventus are close to selling Cancelo so that might generate some cash which they might be able to put with Mandzukic plus another player I heard Matuidi's name mentioned but that is just making it even more complicated.

I think if Lukaku goes this one could happen as we will need some senior presence in the attack I do think we are going very young at the moment.
 
Juventus are close to selling Cancelo so that might generate some cash which they might be able to put with Mandzukic plus another player I heard Matuidi's name mentioned but that is just making it even more complicated.

I think if Lukaku goes this one could happen as we will need some senior presence in the attack I do think we are going very young at the moment.

At this point I'd take Matuidi or Khederia and Mandzukic plus cash.
 
At this point I'd take Matuidi or Khederia and Mandzukic plus cash.

I'd take Matuidi and Mandzukic plus cash not sure I'd go for Khedira think he's slowed down a lot and he was put out with a heart issue last season.
 
I'd take Matuidi and Mandzukic plus cash not sure I'd go for Khedira think he's slowed down a lot and he was put out with a heart issue last season.

Ah ok well I don't really follow Italian football so I'll take your steer on that one.
 
I’d take Bentacur, Mandzukic and a few million. Wouldn’t waste my time with Khedira or Matiudi - Bentacur would be the only midfielder I would take.
 
I’d take Bentacur, Mandzukic and a few million. Wouldn’t waste my time with Khedira or Matiudi - Bentacur would be the only midfielder I would take.

Yes but there's no way they're going to sell him as he's a starter for them.

We're trying to dump Lukaku on them so it's a deadwood for deadwood type deal.
 
We are happy to get rid of him but we aren't dumping him on them. They want him

This is the bit I still can't work out.

What do they see in him that makes them want him?

Feels like they're buying him just so Inter can't have him more than anything else.
 
You could be right. We wanted him. I think Chelsea wanted him and probably would again if the were allowed
 
Yeah I really don’t know why Lukaku is so lobbied for, sure he does score goals and he does know where the goal is but seriously his general play for a £75m striker is poor. I think clubs still look at his record for Belgium and think wow. I don’t dislike him at all but for how we want to play going forward he definitely isn’t the right guy and never was really.
 
Yeah that’s what I mean his link up play is ok, he doesn’t work particularly hard off the ball to win it back, he doesn’t make runs in behind or drop deep to create he’s basically a penalty box striker BUT he scores goals.

Goals are the strikers currency and there’s not many with a better goals to game ratio than Lukaku.

My issue with him was he scores all the easy ones but doesn’t score enough of the difficult ones that make you go he’s unbelievable and is worth the premium.

If Juventus think he’s going to do Ronaldo’s running in a front 2 they’ve got another thing coming.

As for Mandzukic my only worry is the Zlatan problem in that he won’t really provide us with much movement when he does play the others will need to move around him and I’m not convinced he’d be happy being a squad player he’s always been a sulker when he’s not playing much like Lukaku.
 
A few places reporting this deal is in place but it’s international week so clickbait to fill gaps is rife.

Juve obviously want him off the books and he’d fit a short term solution for what Utd need which is something different off the bench and if Utd can get him to come and be here in that role it makes some sense for 18 months. 2nd choice this season 3rd choice next season etc but I would be worried that at his age he’d only really help us off the bench as if he started games our whole plan of attack changes.

Is something better than nothing?
 
no, bad idea for me, might as well have kept Lukaku

Why?

Lukaku was a £75m striker on £250k a week who was not prepared to be a number 2 striker and was not keeping himself fit.

Mandzukic would probably be on a good wage but his transfer fee would be pretty low and he'd provide the depth to the squad we are lacking and give us an alternative when plan A isn't working. Utd do need a centre forward who can be a penalty box predator, personally I'd suggest they test Chelsea for Giroud who's a bit younger and would fit straight into the prem but similarly he's likely to want to go to a team where he will be the number 1 choice.

I think both of these make sense as short term solutions which I think the current playing squad needs to get in place so we can get back to being a regular CL team.

In the summer if Martial hasn't delivered the 20+ goals we need from an attacker then Utd need to be looking at buying a new centre forward as we can't just assume Martial will get better we need to see evidence that he is getting better and can handle the demands.
 
The last I saw Mandzukic was in the WC, he looked slow and a has been. Why should we waste money on him when we are meant to be starting a new Man Utd targetting young hungry players.

Getting in players like him is just going backwards, take the pain and use Greenwood. In the summer look at a more mobile useful player to get.
 
It’s very well buying young players but you can’t go hell for leather in that philosophy, you still need to buy experience and something different. Mandzukic would give us a top finisher for 12-18 months. The fee would be low so for me it’s a no brainer.

I rate Greenwood so highly but he’s still a young and naive lad.
 
I think maybe if this was 2,3 years ago. You think he's going to put up with the pace of the PL. It would a stupid signing, and we wants 200 grand a week.
He looked way off the pace in the world cup. I just think it would be a complete waste, he's not even played this season has he?
There must be better options out there.

We should have bought Vardy in the summer, or Pukki. Hindsight is a great thing.

I just hope Martial will come back soon, stays fit and we can put this off until the summer and target the correct player rather than buy the wrong player in desperation.
 
Young players have to be played when they are good enough you don't drop to their standard you ask them to rise to your standards they go in when they're ready not because we have to.

Greenwood is 17 from what we have seen so far I think he's showing signs of being very close to being ready but currently he looks a better wide forward than central forward physically the centre forward needs to be visable enough.

It's always f*cking hope we hope that Greenwood becomes world class, we hope Martial stays fit we should expect this Martial's fitness is a bg problem he needs to be able to play 50 plus games a season if he wants to be the number 9 and so far his record with injury means it looks like he can't. Players who start off being injury prone as young players normally continue to be injury prone during their careers it's not something you shake off and Utd have had to many of these players for to long.

Not every decision you make has to be long term getting Utd back on top will probably take 3 years even if it goes exactly to plan. To do it in 3 years you will need to be playing CL next season because if we miss out again then the budget for buying in the summer will be reduced so sometimes you have to make a short term solution which is what people are talking about.

Mandzukic would be your plan B off the bench that hopefully helps turn some of these annoying 1-1 draws into 2-1 wins I don't think he'd be a game changing signing but he might be the short term patch that's needed before we properly address the problem in the summer.

He's the gaffer tape solution to a broken bumper hold it in place until you can replace the broken bit properly.
 
:)
I've written top off this season. I'm thinkig top 10 would be good!

Regardless, everything about the Mandzukic deal to me shouts error, huge error. If we do need someone, I'd be amazed if a 33/34 year old slow player who's never played in a league with the pace of the PL and hasn't played all year is our answer.
 
:)
I've written top off this season. I'm thinkig top 10 would be good!

Regardless, everything about the Mandzukic deal to me shouts error, huge error. If we do need someone, I'd be amazed if a 33/34 year old slow player who's never played in a league with the pace of the PL and hasn't played all year is our answer.

I still think it's to early to do that if in January we are within 10 points of top 4 I think we have to make a short term play to go for it as being in the CL helps in so many ways obviously it raises revenue that in theory can be spent on players but it might also help retain the players we have. Not sure how many of them actually have the chance of playing at the very best clubs.

Well he's played in Spain, Germany & Italy so I don't think the PL would be a massive problem for him he'd basically be your Felliani replacement chuck him on for 10-15 minutes at the end of the games so you've got someone who can get on the end of crosses and be a finisher.

I agree he's not the end solution to our problem but when the alternative to Martial is Rashford then if he gets injured it's Lingard up top even a 34 year old veteran is better than no one.
 

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