Picture this scenario.
It's the end of season 15/16, and we have finished a miserable seventh in the league, the top 4 are Leicester, Spurs, Man City & Arsenal. We limped out of the FA Cup to the first decent side we played after knocking out Shrewsbury and we went out in the Europa to Midgetland.
Van Gaal has been sacked and you are appointed manager of Man Utd.
List the players you'd plan to get rid of
Who would you target to bring in?
What formation and playing style would you adopt?
I'd sell Fellaini, Mata and Jones. I'd loan Januzaj to a PL side where he would have a good chance of regular football, and would look for a similar deal for Pereira to develop also. I'd also sell Rooney if he wasn't happy with a more reduced role within the team and I'd let Carrick's contract run down too, with Blind being his midfield replacement and a new centre back purchased.
I'd be looking at a top centre half who would compliment Smalling. I don't have an ideal candidate that is realsitic in mind, but I would prefer someone in the 24-28 bracket, but would make allowances for Bonucci if A, Juve had a price in mind and B, he was keen to move.
I'd also be looking for at least one central midfielder, one who has great creativity and vision who can help us unlock stubborn defences. Gundogan would probably prefer a CL club but I'd be trying my hardest to sway him, and Renato Sanches would be on my radar too as he is one of the hottest properties around.
We need a goalscorer through the middle and I'd be looking at Icardi. Kane is happy at Spurs and won't want to join us when they have CL and we don't, otherwise Kane would be my no.1 target.
There are some great Portuguese talents around, Bernardo Silva, William Carvalho, Ruben Neves, Renato Sanches and Joao Mario and at least one of these would be potentially be at Utd next season.
4-1-2-3
GK:De Gea/Johnstone/Romero
RB:Valencia/Darmian/Varela
CBS: Smalling/McNair Bonucci/Rojo
LB: Shaw/CBJ
DM: Blind/Schweinsteiger
CM: Gundogan/Herrera Renato Sanches/Schneiderlin
RW: Bernardo Silva/Young/Lingard
LW: Martial/Depay
CF: Icardi/Rooney/Wilson
Less emphasis on possession, risk taking is encouraged and we look to impose ourselves on the opposition.
This management lark is easy!
You're the gaffer.
posted on 19/2/16
My anger has subsided slightly. Most of the players aren't good enough and it is now a LVG side and I blame him mostly although our recruitment policy has been shocking for some time.
We need a plan, a strategy, a playing system to adopt throughout the club.
posted on 19/2/16
Out
Rooney
Fellaini
Mata
Lingard
Carrick
Jones
In
1 CB
2 midfielders
2 wide forwards or 1 wide forward, 1 forward
Go 433
De Gea
Darmian - Smalling - Godin - Shaw/BJ
Schneiderlin/Herrera-Bastian/new signing- Blind
Griezmann - Martial - Wide forward/Memphis
Something like that
posted on 19/2/16
OUT - Almost everyone except De Gea, Martial, Smalling & Shaw
IN - Anyone significantly better than the outs, shouldn't be too hard to find
posted on 19/2/16
Who id get rid of?
Valencia (should of been years ago)
Jones (same)
Young (same)
Lingard (not good enough)
Depay (too lazy, doesn't have the talent to match his attitude either)
Rooney
Fellaini
Rojo don't rate him and always injured
Darnian as well probably.
Lot of work to do.
posted on 19/2/16
Oh and Carrick needs to go as well.
posted on 19/2/16
I'm pretty sure I have done a similar thread beforeC. It's fun so here goes.
Firstly, my message to the squad -
Guys, this is man Utd. I know the last couple of years have been 5hit, but The excuses stop now. I will be giving you licence to express yourselves however I expect results. This is Manchester United for gods sake, we should be looking to wipe the floor with whoever we line up against. If anybody thinks they aren't good enough then let me know and il get you a deal at a smaller club.
ins and outs - firstly DDG is told he isn't going anywhere. He is the best in the world and we need him to help take United back to the top. If it isn't happening in 2 seasons then he can leave with my blessing.
A list of CB's, CM's wingers and CF's is given to Woodward who is told, you want trophies and bigger sponsorship deals, give me 1 of each and you'll get that. Now Go do your job.
Fellaini, Jones, Valencia, Rojo, schweinsteiger, schneiderlin, Herrera, Depay are told, I don't believe you are good enough for United. You have 1 season, prove me wrong. Rooney is told he needs to get goals to stay in the side going forward.
The message is we defend from the front and when we are in possession the ball must go forward. If their isn't a pass on, I will want to know why.
I set up in a 433 with DDG as captain
Darmian Smalling new CB Shaw
Schneiderlin Mata New CM
New winger Rooney Martial
posted on 19/2/16
No change in the goal keeping front. To me to but if an offer comes in for Romero, sold.
We need to buy 2 CBs. One more established and one a bit youngish. Darmian should be given another season. BJ add back up to Shaw. Varela as back up to Darmian.
Blind will move back to midfield but can be used as an emergency cb or LB if need be.
We need a creator in midfield. A right wing-attacker who can cross but also has a few goals in him. A striker, too.
Icardi could be that striker. But not sure about the other two.
I'll let Valencia leave. Fellaini, Jones and Rojo too. I like Mata but in the system I'm going to to play he'd have to play deeper or on the right like before. So if an offer comes in, he goes. I'll keep young too as he is versatile. Lingard stays as back up. Rooney, if the Chinese rumours are true can leave but that means another striker or someone on the left. Depay stays or goes depends on a offer coming in or not. So that's 5-8 players out.
Formation: 4-5-1 ( or 4-1-2-3 or what ever is called now)
GK: De Gea, Johnstone, Romero
RB: Darmian, Verala
CB: Smalling, New CB, New youngish CB, McNair (I'll use him as a CB so he can settle)
LB: Shaw, BJ
DM: Blind, Carrick (he is now the back up, he is old and injury prone to be relied upon)
CM: new CM, MS/Herrera (as his first choice partners), BS, Mata (try to convert him to play deeper, but will need an energetic b2b beside him, hopefully Herrera or MS can play those roles)
RWF: New signing, Mata, Lingard.
LWF: Martial, Young, Depay (if Depay is sold, Perreira comes in)
CF: Icardi, Rooney (if sold, then me striker needed or Martial to fill in and need another on the LWF position ), Wilson.
Adnan, Perreira and other fringes should be sent on loan to other Prem clubs or at least somewhere of a high level for first team football.
We could do with improvements all over but need to have some players settled and not go for a revolution all the time. That's not how you make a team.
Some players mentioned by others already can fill in the new signings such as Larporte as a CB or Griezmann as a RWF. LWF can be Munian. But ideally anyone better than we currently have, who ever they are.
posted on 19/2/16
comment by Reddevilsdouble- il just say it was a joke (U12215)
posted 1 hour, 1 minute ago
I'm pretty sure I have done a similar thread beforeC. It's fun so here goes.
Firstly, my message to the squad -
Guys, this is man Utd. I know the last couple of years have been 5hit, but The excuses stop now. I will be giving you licence to express yourselves however I expect results. This is Manchester United for gods sake, we should be looking to wipe the floor with whoever we line up against. If anybody thinks they aren't good enough then let me know and il get you a deal at a smaller club.
ins and outs - firstly DDG is told he isn't going anywhere. He is the best in the world and we need him to help take United back to the top. If it isn't happening in 2 seasons then he can leave with my blessing.
A list of CB's, CM's wingers and CF's is given to Woodward who is told, you want trophies and bigger sponsorship deals, give me 1 of each and you'll get that. Now Go do your job.
Fellaini, Jones, Valencia, Rojo, schweinsteiger, schneiderlin, Herrera, Depay are told, I don't believe you are good enough for United. You have 1 season, prove me wrong. Rooney is told he needs to get goals to stay in the side going forward.
The message is we defend from the front and when we are in possession the ball must go forward. If their isn't a pass on, I will want to know why.
I set up in a 433 with DDG as captain
Darmian Smalling new CB Shaw
Schneiderlin Mata New CM
New winger Rooney Martial
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I've just had a text from my mate who's dog knows the tea ladies cat at the Aon training complex, and you'll be gone by Monday noon.
posted on 19/2/16
"My mate" What a ridiculous notion 666.
posted on 19/2/16
comment by Reddevilsdouble- il just say it was a joke (U12215)
posted 27 minutes ago
"My mate" What a ridiculous notion 666.
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Oooooh your lack of humour getting the better of you
No more ridiculous than you having a mate who's boss was told by a utd director that LVG would be gone, how long ago was that now?