Summer 2025 Priorities

The squad is bad compared to where we want to be. It’s still recovering from years of dreadful planning and poor signings.

That’s not to say we don’t have quality players and a clutch of promising youngsters. However we need strengthening in pretty much every area on the pitch. I could argue central defence is fine and probably could do without any strengthening in the summer. Lindelof and Evans will be on there in the summer but we’ve got plenty of cover.

A proven striker and another central midfielder are my first priorities. Followed closely by a goalkeeper and an attacking RWB. Then I think we need another guy who can effectively play at one of the number 10 roles.
 
I don't think we need to buy more CB's.

CB - Evans and Lindelof will depart this summer when contract expire which leaves us with Maz, Yoro, Maguire, Martinez, De Ligt, Shaw & Heaven to cover the 3 CB positions they could even try to play Dalot as a CB in a back 3. If they sold Maguire (final year of his contract) then they'd need to bring one in but I wouldn't be looking to spend big money here.

GK - Can see all 3 keepers leaving this summer. Heaton's contract is up and the other 2 aren't up to scratch so we probably need to look at bringing in 2 senior keepers and maybe using the lad from the U21's as our 3rd choice. These should be cheap exerpienced signings I don't see the point in dropping big money on a young keeper. Just need someone that can be a safe pair of hands for a year or two and a steady deputy.

RWB - None of the options here are good enough. Amad could maybe be used when he's fit so I'd be looking for at least 1 quality player for that spot. Dalot can be the backup.

LWB - Dorgu and probably Amass cover that position next season.

CM - Eriksen will leave, Casemiro should leave, Collyer is injured to much to rely on. I think Bruno and Mainoo will both play this position regularly next season. So I think in that spot we need two new players who are good enough to be regular starters which is going to cost quite a bit of money this is a real weak area of the the team that just cannot be neglected we are regularly out worked in midfield.

Number 10's - I think we need a quality player in this position. Someone with energy that can play quickly without losing control of the ball.

CF’s - I think we need a new number 9 for next season. Sell Hojlund or get him out on loan as he’s not good enough. Obi can be backup for a season.
 
Did read Vitek is having a very good season and we may consider using him next season.
 
Forest signed their keeper Sels for £6m so I think we can improve a lot without spending huge money.

He was number 1 at Strasbourg before they got him.

Brentford got Flekken for £10m.
 
IDFD said:
Why do we need a #10 or RB?

We have one of if not the best 10 in the league. Yoro, De Ligt, Martinez is a great defensive trio. We have a very good right back in Maz. I don't think we need to focus on a RWB when we won't be playing wing backs in 6 months time.
Click to expand...
Why do you need a #10? Have you seriously asked that? Oh man you are so far gone there’s really no helping you.
 
jsp said:
Forest signed their keeper Sels for £6m so I think we can improve a lot without spending huge money.

He was number 1 at Strasbourg before they got him.

Brentford got Flekken for £10m.
Click to expand...
There is always value in the market but over the last 10 years we’ve not bought smart at all. Hopefully that changes now with the new leadership but we do need to identify guys before other clubs do, so we are not on the stage of having to buy them for £70/80m a few years down the line, when we could have got him for £20m a few years before.
 
SuperRash said:
There is always value in the market but over the last 10 years we’ve not bought smart at all. Hopefully that changes now with the new leadership but we do need to identify guys before other clubs do, so we are not on the stage of having to buy them for £70/80m a few years down the line, when we could have got him for £20m a few years before.
Click to expand...

Think the issue is unless there’s a release clause if Utd are in the price is getting pumped up. We just have to be willing to say no.

I do think we have to cast the net a little wider and look a little harder now as we probably can’t afford the proven product.

We need to get our squad back to a top 8 squad then go again.

As always clearing out the highest earners will be the biggest challenge.

Then recovering enough on the transfer fee that we aren’t taking losses on PSR.
 
RichH2016 said:
Why do you need a #10? Have you seriously asked that? Oh man you are so far gone there’s really no helping you.
Click to expand...
Who are we getting that's better than Bruno? Why do we need to improve the one position we probably have the best player in the league for?

(Remember I've made it clear this stupid system won't carry on for long) Buying a number 10 will be like when we got Mount. A player to sit on the bench behind Bruno.

The idea we need a 10 is ludicrous. It's the last thing we need. As long as you realise this formation won't be carried on long in to next season. Same reason we don't need a RWB.

You said other than Bruno we don't have players thatll get in a top 8 side. But yet Rashford is playing in a Champions League QF. It's you that needs help.

Yes let's buy a #10 as priority to sit behind Bruno. Excellent use of funds and thinking.
 
3-4-2-1 requires 2 number 10s

Bruno’s best games in this system have been as a CM which I think might be where he ends up in quite a lot of games.
 
jsp said:
3-4-2-1 requires 2 number 10s

Bruno’s best games in this system have been as a CM which I think might be where he ends up in quite a lot of games.
Click to expand...
As i said we won't be playing a 3-4-2-1

And can we phrase it correctly please. We currently play a 5-4-1.

This system will be gone by October. It doesn't work in this league. The 3-4-3 may do to a certain extent. Amorims system clearly doesn't.
 
The system changes to suit the circumstances of the game.

I don’t think we’ve ever had a flat 4 in midfield with a back 5.

He wants the wing backs to provide the width and he wants his 2 wide forwards/number 10s to play inside close to the centre forward. He doesn’t want them hugging the touchline. That’s how he played it at sporting so we have to assume that’s what he wants here.

If it’s going to work that front 3 need to be able to move the ball quickly and precisely between them in tight spaces.

I think we’ve seen 2 versions of Amorim so far. I think he tried to play his full version of the system to start which didn’t work. We didn’t have the right players to do it so he’s dialled it back and tried to be more pragmatic in the short term.
 
@IDFD thinks its you that needs realise the board don't listen to you, and they've backed a manager who uses back 3 offensively and 5 defensively. When he gets a budget. So 2 10"s may be used
 
IDFD said:
To be fair I get you've missed many games. We've often played with a flat 7.
Click to expand...

True I rarely see the 90 minutes of the weekend games but I also think you are exaggerating

Of course certain games against the best sides in the league where counter attack suited us we’ve setup in a more defensive shape but some of that is enforced by his options. Ten Hag’s 4-2-3-1 often became 4-5-1 when we were pushed back.

He had to use full backs as wing backs these players will naturally look to sit deeper. He doesn’t have dominant midfielders o rnumber 10s that press so it’s very hard for us to squeeze a team into their own half and keep them there.
 
Mr C said:
@IDFD thinks its you that needs realise the board don't listen to you, and they've backed a manager who uses back 3 offensively and 5 defensively. When he gets a budget. So 2 10"s may be used
Click to expand...
How far have they backed him? He was their third choice. They've realised they've made a mistake. I dont get why you keep defending it.

You made a point when ETH was here no big club would accept this shit. Would any big club accept 6 wins from 21. It's so hypocritical!

The board haven't backed him. They're aware it's shocking. There is a reason he's the third favourite manager to be sacked next.

Everyone knows its a shit show. You just can't concede it's a shit show because of how shit you were to a manager doing worlds better with the same players.

The board wanted Tuchel. Then they wanted Xavi. Then we ended up in this mess.
 
It's like a stuck record, you cannot compare a manager of a terrible side who spent 600m on it, with one who has spent 20m

People on here are trying to comment on what players they think the new manager needs, and your calling them out because they aren't picking the players to suit the formation IDFD wants to see. That hasn't worked at the club for years either let's not forget.

Just give it a break, ETH is no longer here. Move on.
 
I will make one crucial point. You started calling for ETH head way before he'd spent £600m (of which he didn't spend and the signings this summer were fantastic, note i don't claim they were his because I understand the manager doesn't make the signings)

You were hounding him out in October of his second season. Hated him throughout the entire time. You're being hypocritical suggestion I shouldn't say the manager doesn't work.

Also it clearly doesn't. It's not like it's got better or slightly worse. We've won six of twenty one. When you started hounded ETH out we were 5th!

Please stop pretending you have some higher ground. You are the reason we are where we are.

Amorim won't be here come October. Because you will turn after a bad September.

Amorim is currently making ETH look like a miracle worker for what he managed to get out of a poorer squad last season (I'm sure you agree Maz, Yoro and De Ligt improved the team)
 
don't have any higher ground, it's just opinions. Although the board sacking ETH and every pundit and newspaper article was saying the same thing.

ETH was terrible in my view, you loved him, either way it's history. No need to keep bringing it up.

Amorim is here now, doing badly, but has not spent any money. All people are saying is, he needs a chance.

The point I was making was, People are picking players to buy for his system, and you're treating them like idiots because they don't fit the system you want us to play. But we are not playing your system.

Even if, as you say he'll be gone by October, he will still pick the players for his system this summer, so if someone picks two 10's, that's fine.

I've never known a fan to want a manager to fail so quickly like you do. The man has been here 5 mins and spent nothing.

To say ETH didn't sign those players is laughable, by coincidence they mostly are Dutch, or happen to have played for him before. Onana/Antony were definitely on him.
 
ETH had control in the first 2 summer windows but he often didn’t get the players he wanted because we couldn’t get deals done.

He wanted De Jong he got Casemiro
He wanted Kane he got Hojlund.
He wanted Timber he got Martinez

From what was heavily reported these were the ones I recall.

He also doesn’t set the prices that isn’t his responsibility. Those players at those prices are why Murtough was sacked.

Where it fell on ETH is the quality and suitability of those players to perform at high levels in the premier league. That judgement I think we can all agree was lacking.

Last summer ETH’s control was taken away which is why he was given a new contract. So those signings good or bad are not on him.
 
RVN said:
Yoro does.
Click to expand...
I'm yet to see any evidence of that.

Yoro, for me has been nothing more than steady and he certainly hasn't demonstrated any technical class, vision, or outstanding passing ability.

He's young and learning though and doing it in a very hard league.

We can't judge him on potential, only on what we see.
 
jsp said:
Think the issue is unless there’s a release clause if Utd are in the price is getting pumped up. We just have to be willing to say no.

I do think we have to cast the net a little wider and look a little harder now as we probably can’t afford the proven product.

We need to get our squad back to a top 8 squad then go again.

As always clearing out the highest earners will be the biggest challenge.

Then recovering enough on the transfer fee that we aren’t taking losses on PSR.
Click to expand...
I definitely think our recruitment can be a lot savvier, like I said there is value out there but just got to make sure the recruitment team have their fingers on the right buttons.

Guirassy moved to Dortmund for €18m and has proved an absolute steal. Not sure if that was a release clause though or whether his contract was ending soon.

You look at some guys at Brighton, Bournemouth etc and think to yourself why haven’t we been in for some of these players? I feel this is starting to change now and we have focused on youth like Obi, Heaven, Leon, Dorgu etc but next summer is crucial to get us back on the right track.
 
SuperRash said:
You look at some guys at Brighton, Bournemouth etc and think to yourself why haven’t we been in for some of these players? I feel this is starting to change now and we have focused on youth like Obi, Heaven, Leon, Dorgu etc but next summer is crucial to get us back on the right track.
Click to expand...

I think there’s a bit of a good gambler only tells about his winners with some of those clubs. You can get on a good run but Brighton I think are proving their system is one step ahead of the market. They aren’t getting lucky they’re counting cards.

Their issue is Chelsea are copying it with deeper pockets and hoovering up the top young talent especially in South America where Brighton had been strong.

Brighton will have to adapt and look elsewhere and get even smarter.

The key thing is those clubs clearly have a model and they stick to it. Utd certainly look like they’ve shifted away from big names in search of better value.
 
Sometimes I think United's transfer policy is based on the board playing Fooball Manager and editing the stats.
Looking back on our transfers, I feel that maybe only Bruno has lived up to the fee we paid, the rest we were well and truly ripped off.
 
Matt Varnish said:
Sometimes I think United's transfer policy is based on the board playing Fooball Manager and editing the stats.
Looking back on our transfers, I feel that maybe only Bruno has lived up to the fee we paid, the rest we were well and truly ripped off.
Click to expand...
Yep, our transfer business until very recently has been poor. The most recent signings of young talent is a move in the right direction, as long as we can develop the talent and integrate it into the first team squad.

Amorin, the Execs, and the back room teams need a strong summer if this project is going to succeed, that's for sure.
 
jsp said:
ETH had control in the first 2 summer windows but he often didn’t get the players he wanted because we couldn’t get deals done.

He wanted De Jong he got Casemiro
He wanted Kane he got Hojlund.
He wanted Timber he got Martinez

Last summer ETH’s control was taken away which is why he was given a new contract. So those signings good or bad are not on him.
Click to expand...

So you firstly highlighted he didn't have control. Then claimed that he did.

However I would like you to rewatch Ole interview where he said the manager at United doesn't have control of signings they get a veto on players but that is it.

We cannot sign players for this system this summer. It doesn't work. My worry was when we got him he'd set us back 5 years. As I said at the time. Signing players to suit a system we won't be playing in a year's time would be typical of us though.

He's highlighted he isn't a top manager. Because any top manager would find a system to make the players work. Not just be set in stone. He's inept. Makes Ralf look great. It's a massive step up from the Portuguese league to the Premier league and hes failed.
 
IDFD said:
So you firstly highlighted he didn't have control. Then claimed that he did.

However I would like you to rewatch Ole interview where he said the manager at United doesn't have control of signings they get a veto on players but that is it.

We cannot sign players for this system this summer. It doesn't work. My worry was when we got him he'd set us back 5 years. As I said at the time. Signing players to suit a system we won't be playing in a year's time would be typical of us though.

He's highlighted he isn't a top manager. Because any top manager would find a system to make the players work. Not just be set in stone. He's inept. Makes Ralf look great. It's a massive step up from the Portuguese league to the Premier league and hes failed.
Click to expand...
It's been a long time since United managers personally went out and bought players, I'd hazard a guess that Sir Matt was the last.
From what I knew being shareholder, the manager of the day would give the board a "Wish list", based on factors (mainly price) they (the board) would veto some, and produce a "complimentary list", the manager would normally get a veto on players on that list, that is probably what Olé was on about
 
IDFD said:
So you firstly highlighted he didn't have control. Then claimed that he did.

However I would like you to rewatch Ole interview where he said the manager at United doesn't have control of signings they get a veto on players but that is it.

We cannot sign players for this system this summer. It doesn't work. My worry was when we got him he'd set us back 5 years. As I said at the time. Signing players to suit a system we won't be playing in a year's time would be typical of us though.

He's highlighted he isn't a top manager. Because any top manager would find a system to make the players work. Not just be set in stone. He's inept. Makes Ralf look great. It's a massive step up from the Portuguese league to the Premier league and hes failed.
Click to expand...
If we hadn’t have bought in ETH that summer I don’t think we would have been anywhere near Martinez or Antony. So I think in this respect he had a modicum of control.

And Amorim hasn’t failed. Until we ship out some and bring some more in to suit his way of playing then you cannot fully judge. You can judge to a degree yes. Only until next season Will I judge fairly, if come October he is still producing mediocre results than I will be harsher. Until then you’re naive and blinded to think it’s all on the manager and he doesn’t have the ability to improve.
 
ETH defo didn't have any part in bringing in a shed load of players he previously managed, who were Dutch, or played in the Dutch League.

Oh, and the moon landings are false.

My memory isn't 100%, but pretty sur SJR had a barb in his interview about ETH influence on signings and us having so many Dutch players
 
Back to the topic in hand, I reckon if we could get a GK, #10 and a striker in as a minimum we would be so much better.

The three signings are just the sort of guys we could probably get. Albeit would be reliant on some good player sales.

Diogo Costa

Maz - De Ligt - Yoro

Amad - Ugarte - Bruno - Dorgu

Garnacho - Cunha

Osimhen (for example)​

I think Amorim likes Amad at wing back so he could definitely be an option to remain there if we bought in a number 10. I think Bruno will eventually end up as one of the midfield two especially if we don’t have the funds to improve that position. A new striker is probably the number one priority though and I have no doubts Amorim/Wilcox/Berrada etc have the same thought process.
 
SuperRash said:
Back to the topic in hand, I reckon if we could get a GK, #10 and a striker in as a minimum we would be so much better.

The three signings are just the sort of guys we could probably get. Albeit would be reliant on some good player sales.

Diogo Costa

Maz - De Ligt - Yoro

Amad - Ugarte - Bruno - Dorgu

Garnacho - Cunha

Osimhen (for example)​

I think Amorim likes Amad at wing back so he could definitely be an option to remain there if we bought in a number 10. I think Bruno will eventually end up as one of the midfield two especially if we don’t have the funds to improve that position. A new striker is probably the number one priority though and I have no doubts Amorim/Wilcox/Berrada etc have the same thought process.
Click to expand...
Isn't Costa drawing his pension now?
Garnacho will probably be sold, we need a better RCB than Mazraoui
 
Praying on Delap to be the answer instead of a proven striker is total madness. That just has to be the highest priority because we desperately lack goals
 

Login or Register

Forgot your password?
Don't have an account? Register now
or Log in using
Back
Top