Anyone out there needing games?

Why not loan someone till the Summer

comment by merrysupersteve (U1132)
posted 2 minutes ago
There is the risk that we could go out and improve the midfield now by overpaying for someone and still miss out on the top 4. Signing a midfielder or left back won't guarantee top 4, though obviously it would improve our chances.

I am sitting on the fence a bit here. I would dearly like us to sign a CM (well 2 actually) and a left back but we should only be lookign for players who will tangibly improve us both in the short and long term. No point in splashing out on an average player just for the sake of it, we have enough of them already!
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Coentrao would be a good signing in that he can play LB and CM. A loan deal for him would be perfect, then go after the prime targets in the summer. Any news on whether Real are still going after that LB that they were supposed to be interested in?

I think the purchase of Mata does ensure we'll be going 4-2-3-1

My personal opinion is that if we go 4231 it reduces the urgency that we need a CM to some extent. All we'd need Carrick. Fellaini, Fletcher and Clevs to do is get the ball the the 3 ahead of them or the overlapping wingbacks. They wouldn't really need to get forwards too much and the ability of the front 4 (presuming we can get them fit) would ensure we had more possession and take some pressure of the defence and CMs.
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We play 4-2-3-1 as well and that was my thinking too that all the 2 in midfield had to do was release the ball. Seems pretty simple on paper but for us, problems started because the 3 in front of the 2 didnt trackback much and there'd be a massive gap left in the middle of the park then meaning the 2 in midfield were unable to copy. The 3 have to be able to defend too for this to work imo. We've had to replace our midfield because Mikel and Lamps were not good enough.

comment by RVP's Left Foot - The Chosen 'Juan' (U11781)
posted 5 seconds ago
I think the purchase of Mata does ensure we'll be going 4-2-3-1
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I hope so as our wingers have been awful and I think that the formation is better suited to our squad.

In fact, I'd be interested to see a 4-3-1-2

De Gea
Rafael Smalling Vidic Evra
Jones Carrick Cleverley
Mata
RVP Rooney

comment by Mr (U3579)
posted 46 seconds ago

My personal opinion is that if we go 4231 it reduces the urgency that we need a CM to some extent. All we'd need Carrick. Fellaini, Fletcher and Clevs to do is get the ball the the 3 ahead of them or the overlapping wingbacks. They wouldn't really need to get forwards too much and the ability of the front 4 (presuming we can get them fit) would ensure we had more possession and take some pressure of the defence and CMs.
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We play 4-2-3-1 as well and that was my thinking too that all the 2 in midfield had to do was release the ball. Seems pretty simple on paper but for us, problems started because the 3 in front of the 2 didnt trackback much and there'd be a massive gap left in the middle of the park then meaning the 2 in midfield were unable to copy. The 3 have to be able to defend too for this to work imo. We've had to replace our midfield because Mikel and Lamps were not good enough.
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Rooney, Adnan and from what I have seen Mata all track back. As would Valencia is Moyes decided to play him there, although I wouldn't be surprised to see him playing at RB more frequently. The only two in the squad that I would worry about that might be deployed in that role are Kagawa and Nani.

comment by RVP's Left Foot - The Chosen 'Juan' (U11781)
posted 1 minute ago
In fact, I'd be interested to see a 4-3-1-2

De Gea
Rafael Smalling Vidic Evra
Jones Carrick Cleverley
Mata
RVP Rooney
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I'd rather have 3 attacking players in behind the striker and give Adnan and Kagawa more game time.

Fair enough Elvis

De Gea
Rafael Smalling Vidic Evra
Jones Cleverley
Adnan Rooney Mata
RVP

Two good ball playing CMs would help.
We have Matic now and I think we're going for Kroos?
Cant just have any old 2 in the midfield

comment by Mr (U3579)
posted 1 minute ago
Two good ball playing CMs would help.
We have Matic now and I think we're going for Kroos?
Cant just have any old 2 in the midfield
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Yeh I agree and it is an area that needs strengthening. I just think that the signing of Mata, presuming we go 4231, takes some of the urgency away from us needing a CM.

If we have Fletcher alongside Carrick helping him out, I am confident that they can get the ball to the attacking players. They'll do for now.

I think Fletch is stil decent
From what I saw of him
He plays the ball forward and quickly.
Im not sure if he can get around the pitch quick enough though. Havent seen that much of him yet.

we need 2 CM signings IMO, 1 now and 1 in the summer, and then we'll need another next summer

i know this should not happen, but... .
De Gea
Rafael Smalling Vidic Evra
Jones Rooney
Adnan Kagawa Mata
RVP

comment by Mr (U3579)
posted 3 minutes ago
I think Fletch is stil decent
From what I saw of him
He plays the ball forward and quickly.
Im not sure if he can get around the pitch quick enough though. Havent seen that much of him yet.
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He has looked ok so far. He still needs to do some work to get back to the fitness/level that he was at, but I have been surprised at the level he is already at. I have to admit that I had written him off and didn't believe that he'd ever really contributed to the team again. Glad to say that I was wrong. He has been one of out better performers since he returned.

Jones is not a midfielder nor a fullback and never fill be.

Mr Chelsea

Quite a few reports of us potentially going for Fernando before Friday which I think would be a very good decision although nothing really reliable, yet.

He's 26 so at or near at his peak. He's big, quick, very strong, reads the game really well, is an excellent tackler and he's a decent passer although don't expect him to be creating an awful lot but our midfielders aren't creative anyway.

Less than 6 months left on his current contract so he'd be pretty cheap when you consider how good a defensive midfielder he is.

Would be a perfect addition if Moyes plans to play more of a 4-2-3-1 formation and would also enable Jones to play more at CB which I'm all for.

Davo

comment by Postman Van Persie. Only a Mata of time (U1664)
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Are you the long lost Daveunited?

comment by The Red Side™ (U11275) posted 3 minutes ago
Quite a few reports of us potentially going for Fernando before Friday which I think would be a very good decision although nothing really reliable, yet.

He's 26 so at or near at his peak. He's big, quick, very strong, reads the game really well, is an excellent tackler and he's a decent passer
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Sounds perfect

Let's just hope Roo likes him too '

Regarding 4-2-3-1 demanding relatively little of the CMs, I agree to an extent. We had a fairly functional midfield often of Fletcher + Carrick in 2008-9 (which was something close to a 4-2-3-1) and a very balanced side. However, the Fletcher and Carrick of then was superior to that of today, and we did have the nuclear weapon of Ronaldo in that team.

4-2-3-1 requires defensive discipline from CMs and efficient recycling of the ball. But it doesn't mean that putting a world class player in there who can pass like an angel as well as tackle like Satan wouldn't improve us. We don't simply want to mask the limitations of our midfield. We want the midfield to have strengths that further raise our standards. We want the opponent to think 'oh fúck, he's got the ball, what's he going to do with it?'

...not that anyone here is arguing to the contrary.

Let's just hope Roo likes him too

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Ha!

The advertising agencies should sign Wayne up as the new 'Man from Del Monte'.

comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 45 minutes ago
Regarding 4-2-3-1 demanding relatively little of the CMs, I agree to an extent. We had a fairly functional midfield often of Fletcher + Carrick in 2008-9 (which was something close to a 4-2-3-1) and a very balanced side. However, the Fletcher and Carrick of then was superior to that of today, and we did have the nuclear weapon of Ronaldo in that team.

4-2-3-1 requires defensive discipline from CMs and efficient recycling of the ball. But it doesn't mean that putting a world class player in there who can pass like an angel as well as tackle like Satan wouldn't improve us. We don't simply want to mask the limitations of our midfield. We want the midfield to have strengths that further raise our standards. We want the opponent to think 'oh fúck, he's got the ball, what's he going to do with it?'

...not that anyone here is arguing to the contrary.
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I agree with all of that. My point was that the arrival of Mata/playing 4231 makes getting a top CM LESS urgent than it was previously. We still need one, but can probably wait until summer now thanks to the signing.

Agree, Elvis.

My only concern would be that for 4-2-3-1 to work effectively, it would be good to have greater strength at full back, especially when Rafael is on the physio's table.