Manchester United has suffered a December horribilis, with Sir Alex Ferguson’s side dumped out of the Champions League, Nemanja Vidić ruled out for nine months after a shocking triple knee ligament injury, and now Darren Fletcher laid-low with a serious long-term bowel disease. While the European loss robs United of glory, and revenue, player absentees ensure Ferguson’s side is weaker for the Premier League season.
Fletcher’s absence means that Ferguson is down to just two fit senior central midfielders, with wingers, defenders and strikers expected to fill the void before Anderson and Tom Cleverley return at some point in 2012. Meanwhile, the loss of captain Vidić leaves United’s manager with Rio Ferdinand as his only experienced central defender. But should the United manager enter the transfer market in the coming window?
[poll id=”71″]
value ?
out of CL ! will glazers spend now ?
recently Gaffer said he has no one in his mind.
else believe in carrick ,post x-mas cleverley,make shift jones.
i think its obvious that we should. ferguson probably won’t though, unless its to buy a 17 year old wing back who will spend the rest of the season in the reserves.
If he (Fergie) does this, then of course, he will talk him up furiously: `youth is the future, unbelievable potential, we are looking at future captain of England/France/North Korea/Botswana (delete where not applicable) national team’.
And he (Fergie) will beat to death any journalist who points out that this 17 year old star of the future only has one leg …or three.
If you are referring to Jones you are a bit of a pillock. Or perhaps Roy Keane in disguise.
Jones (the “future England captain”) has two legs, and they are both in stunning form.
No you idiot — I like Jones — but he hardly fits the bill of what was suggested in the previous posting (by Kramer) : a 17 year old wingback to play in the reserves (check it). If we had 2 Joneses we could play one at CB and the other in CMF — vastly improving the spine of the team — primarily but not exclusively on strength.
I am thinking of some of the other young players we squanderd money on — and were talked up. I presume you remember Bebe?
Let’s not do the whole Ferguson’s bad signings v good signings thing. Only one winner there mate.
And you used the phrase ‘amazing potential / future [England] captain’. As far as I’m aware only Jones has been given that praise. Praise which has been echoed by almost every pundit and fan of football.
I agree about signing young players though. We have enough of them and we need a midfielder who is ready made to go into the first team.
Ironically a new left back wouldn’t go amiss. Evra has looked pants for over 12 months and his comments recently actually angered me. Needs to look at himself.
Fergie needs a cm badly..defender I say no cause if we buy a mid then jones will be shifted to cb again and he will have smalling free once the da silva twins get back..so I think Ferdinand Evans jones an smalling can cover for 4-5 months cm we have no nobody after Fletchers injury considering once ando and carrick along with cleverly sme r bound to get injured…giggs can shift to left wing cover for young
We need a midfielder for sure, and I reckon Gibson may be sold in January which will give Fergie the perfect ‘excuse’ to say “oh well now Gibson has gone things have changed, and we’ve decided to bring in [enter decent CM]”.
I think you need 2 quality and consistent central midfielders in a squad, as well 3 more who can do a job. In Cleverley we have one, in Carrick, Anderson, Jones and Giggs we have the back ups, we just need one top class signing.
Sneijder would be nice, but I don’t think he’s worth the wages + fee. Maybe being in an underperforming Inter side will give us some leverage in a new contract talk?
It’s Ok saying there is no-value in the market: but how do you know you are getting value unless you actually spend?
Compare these 2 scenarios: nothing is spent, so 60-70 million euros is saved. Carrick gets injured and our patched up CMF just can’t cope– we win nothing this season. This coupled with success across the road throws United fans into depression and anger (with bad effects on the economy of the city of Manchester).
Scenario 2 : we buy 2 key world-class players for around 70 million. City stumble in the league and suddenly we are in a position to capitalize. Some pundits think that City deserved to win the league and they were the sentimental choice and its boring that we won it again — but, hey we did it again, thanks to the fantastic contribution of our 2 new players. We also appeared in the Cup Final but lost to Tottenham in a 5-4 game which critics call `the greatest FA Cup final of all time’. We are a bit sad about this — but know we contributed to a brilliant game — and gave Spurs back-to-back hidings in the league. Pundits are saying how Fergie’s inspired signings have galvanuzed the team and club and set us up for a serious challenge in the CL next season. The United fans are pictures of contentment — they can actually go to work (no outrageous pretexts for sick leave in order to avoid City supporting colleagues, no marriages collapsing because fans too depressed to keep up their conjugal duties etc etc). And Fergie, sort of happy, because he did win the league — but with a good team — not, as in previous years, with a team seriously deficient, which would get people to say, this seriously lacking United team only won the league because of their utter, unrivalled brilliance of their manager. That would have really delighted him once again.
The problem is that (with this year being an exception) we always do well in the CL, domestic trophies and league. Our attendances are brilliant and income is massive. So in a way, being successful isn’t top priority, in an economic sense. Maybe this season’s CL exit will make them rethink this, as they will have lost 15-20MIL on CL coverage. Still, 20MIL is less than the 30MIL you are suggesting the Glazers spend. Not good business sense for them.
You should also remember that United did try to sign Sneijder and others. And although we didn’t meet his wage demands, we must have offered a pretty generous amount. Sneijder is one of the highest paid players in the world. And if we do sign him, I struggle to think of many players of his status and calibre that United have ever signed before. Some fans mistakenly believe it’s United’s style to buy Galacticos. But this wold be one of the – if not the only – example of this.
We need at least one central midfielder, two if we get rid of Gibson, which I hope we do. Even though Ando and Clev are due back fairly soon – neither player’s long-term fitness can be relied upon – and the same goes for Giggs.
All footballing logic points towards a central midfield signing, but Fergie’s decision making in that area of the field has not followed any sane logic – so you can’t be sure. I really really don’t want to be watching Park in central midfield in February.
I say put in a £12-15M bid for Spurs’ Sandro, Rennes’ M’Vila or Anderlecht’s Biglia. We should be able to get one of them. Then break the bank for Goetze (or Eriksen if we can’t get him) in the summer.
I think we can get by in defence – provided we have sufficient midfield cover to stop playing Jones in the middle. I think Fryers’ development and introduction on Saturday (unless I missed an Evra injury) would suggest that Fergie is “happy” with the squad depth defensively.
I just cant understand what more does Fryers need to do to start instead of Evra??..the manager has really lost his ruthless streak..
Look at Wenger – when we HUMILIATED them a few months ago he goes and buys Arteta and Benayoun. While they aren’t young, they are top quality – and even if Arsenal get just a couple of good years out of them it will have been a good bit of business.
I think Fergie should do something similar although obviously on a similarly small budget.
What is it about Benayoun’s performances this season that make you think he’s been a good signing?
Agreed, though he was a top player for Liverpool. Bit like Park but with more technical ability. Arteta has been solid but is no Fabregas. He is a stop gap for Ramsey and Wilshere to mature/recover. This is what SAF has been trying to avoid, but has now become unavoidable IMO.
We need an Ashley Young type signing for the midfield. Ie: experienced in a top league, mid 20s with room to improve. Scott Parker might have been a good signing.
I think it’s more likely to be a signing like Vidic/Evra, i.e. someone to come in as a squad player for this season, get used to OT etc. and are then ready to go from next season.
Vidic and Evra both struggled in their first six months but were excellent in their first full season.
Do you mean a top class player? Because I just don’t see that happening in January. That’s what SAF is complaining about. Though perhaps being knocked out of CL will mean he isn’t bothered about CL-tied players…? What would be the point anyway? We have Morrison, Pogba and potentially Tunniclffe if we want an untested squad player. We need an instant hit in January not a slow burner.
Look pal, I never said Yossi had been playing well!! I just think an experienced head would be wise to bring in CMas we’ve lost so many lately,
I think Fergie has been pushed into this situation now – he pretty much has to bring in someone. Having said that if Cleverley is anywhere near fitness then I think he might not bother…
I don’t think we need more central defenders. We know that neither Smalling nor Jones will let us down, especially playing alongside a player of Rio’s experience.
Midfield is where we need to sign someone.
Javi Martinez and Muniain please from Bilbao…. sell Gibson Owen Berba Diouf also Subotic from Dortmund or Amat from Epanyol
I’m convinced that Jones, Ferdinand, Evans and Smalling is sufficient cover for Vidic…
the problem has been goals… sneijder and torres?????
All dreaming aside… we need an experienced midfielder that can control the play and a striker upfront that can take the pressure off rooney…
cant bear to see Jones and Rooney in midfield…you just know that they are not comfortable playing those positions..
What a question … Sure we need to buy at least two quality players, on creative midfielder, full-back and a goalscorer. Sell Chicha=20$, Rooney=45$, linked with Real Madrid. Berbatov=30$ linked with Russian squads.
I agree we need top quality now, but I don’t see it arriving.
I think we’ll get a modestly priced player about 24/25 who is CL class and has high potential – just like Evra and Vidic did when they arrived.
Tiote is going for a song and what we need an excellent ball winner with the ability to play a bit.
Would be a good stop gap un till the summer and available for under 6 million. I suspect we will go for a creative midfielder in the summer and United looked at Nicolas Gaitan from Benfica. I’m still feel we will see a half dozen appearances out of Pogba this season. The lad is excellent and isn’t far away at all.
Goetze will be out of our price range in all likely hood. Eriksen is one for the future but I don’t see it happening in January.
of course we should spend on a midfielder!
we’ve been saying this for a long time now (years?!), not just beacuse our options are so depleted we stuggle to play an actual center midfielder in center midfiled!
it was true at the start of the season, and the start of the season before. its even more true now ffs!
Fletcher’s semi-retirement gets Fergie out of a hole in regards to his recent comments about not signing anybody in Jan
We’re on the bones of our arse. We will spend
Why is Tiote available on the cheap?
but why spend when he can do what he always does and spend a couple of million on a crap signing and then laugh at all the others clubs because making big january signings is apparently a smalltime thing to do
we’ll sign a leftback, or maybe gary cahill so he can keep jones in midfield
What??
Haven’t seen much of him, but liked what I did see, so when I heard Cheatski were sniffing around him, I thought, “why not United?” A physical, ball-winning DM could be very useful – just as long as he turns out to be more of a Patrick Viera than a Djemba-Djemba.
Forget where I heard it but apparently Tiote had a clause in his contract stating he could leave if a bigger club came in for him, working off Newcastle’s recent sales Enrique went for under £7 million you won’t be paying much more for Tiote.
Javi Martinez would be my choice for a defensive midfielder in January. He’s 6ft 3in and can also fill-in in defense.
No value at da market unless Ronnie wants back.
Wee Cleverley man is like a new signing.
Don’t need anybodae, and Fletch deffo back soon, like a new signing too.
oh ffs
I feel you bruv.
I heard Torres is gonna be available soon… he could play Centre Back
Whose let this mong out of the halfway house FFs
bebongo on posts rant
Fergie please go snap up Torres for 20M.
He’s going on cheap now!!!
I think Fergie will buy a CM this January, but I predict it will be a relatively cheap early 20s squad player than none of us have ever heard of. Fergie will tell us that the new guy is destined to be one of Europe’s leading midfielders for the next decade. The new kid will be ok but like Carrick, Anderson and Fletcher (love him as I might) he will do a job but will not be capable of bossing the midfield and grabbing a game by the scruff of the neck. By the time we realise that we have a decent but not outstanding player on our hands, (a) Cleverley will be back and (b) we will be out of the FA Cup and looking on track to finish 2nd or 3rd in the Premier League. (And nobody cares about the Europa League, apart from Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison who will be our Europa League CMs.)
I’ll bet you do
Can I lend £20 ?
Thinking about it – if Cleverley is anywhere near fitness then I don’t think Fergie will be buying anyone…
Three players make sense – all for different reasons:
First, Daniele De Rossi of ASRoma; he’s 28, immensely experienced – the youngest player on Italy’s WC-wining team in 2006 – really, really nasty, tough, great shot, and in the prime of his career. Played in central defence last week due to an “emergency” and was stellar. No sell-on value but he currently makes around 60,000 Euros/week so doubling his wages wouldn’t bend the salary-structure out of shape. Plus, he’s eligible for a Bosman in the summer so the transfer-fee would be fairly low for a player of his status/ability AND KikoTheKid could be used as a pot-sweetener. He’s my first choice and has been for several years.
Second, Jack Rodwell of Everton. Big, strong, and experienced in the EPL (for three years). In most regards he is a “Phil Jones lite” – probably not as high an up-side but has the looks of a long-time professional. Comes from the north-west so there won’t be any “homesickness”.
Third, Javi Martinez of Athletic Bilbao. Big kid – 23 and 6′ 3” – with an impressive start to his career as both a defensive midfielder and central defender. Plays the ball well with his feet, too. I haven’t seen much of this guy so he’s an outsider but well worth the risk of bringing in another young Spaniard with great credentials.
Any one of those three would be a great investment, providing an immediate infusion of talent and years of top-level service in the engine-room. Better to spend an extra ten million quid on one of these guys than throwing money at Bolton’s Gary Cahill.
fergus will be feeling the heat – the owners will be on his, phelan’s and gill’s arse for failing to get us into the UCL. we will deffo spend some cash in Jan.
Fergus will try to show loyalty to Fletcher and not buy in Jan, however in the long term Martinez and Rodwell must be seriously considered. Both can play dm, cm or cb, are young and look like they can step up to the next level. Attacking wise Shaqiri and Eriksen should also get serious consideration, especially the former after his performance vs united for Basel.
if our medics get their hands on him poor fletcher will be out for the season
Rodwell? are you nuts?
A future team of
— De Gea —
da silva – Smalling – Jones – Fryers
— Carrick – Rodwell–
Nani ———– Young
Rooney Welbeck
will win us what? If United are aspiring to win the UCL/PL then we have to be a stronger team than Spain to beat Real/Barca etc.
If England convincingly wins the world cup, then it makes sense but otherwise it makes sense not to have a English 11. Have a nice mix of continental quality too. No clue how Martinez is but fuck buy anyone Spanish.
Rodwell is the midfield version of Smalling, has all the tools physically and psychologically to step up a level. He is 20 and almost played 100 1st team games for Everton. It could be him or Martinez. You can forget any player who will want 150 k wages or cost 30 mill. Get used to it! Fergus is collecting the best young Euro talent, the former two plus Eriksen and Shaqiri fit the bill. Jones, De Gea and Smalling all starred in the Euro u21 champs in the summer, as did those listed above. Rod and Cleverley would have played more if Pearce knew what a technically good player looked like.
Rodwell is the midfield version of Smalling, has all the tools physically and psychologically to step up a level. He is 20 and almost played 100 1st team games for Everton. It could be him or Martinez. You can forget any player who will want 150 k wages or cost 30 mill. Get used to it! Fergus is collecting the best young Euro talent, the former two plus Eriksen and Shaqiri fit the bill. Jones, De Gea and Smalling all starred in the Euro u21 champs in the summer, Rodwell and cleverly were there too.
Rodwell is the midfield version of Smalling, has all the tools physically and psychologically to step up a level. He is 20 and almost played 100 1st team games for Everton. It could be him or Martinez. You can forget any player who will want 150 k wages or cost 30 mill. Get used to it! Fergus is collecting the best young Euro talent, the former two plus Eriksen and Shaqiri fit the bill. Jones, De Gea and Smalling all starred in the Euro u21 champs.
Rodwell is overpriced and over rated, has 100 games for Everton and hasn’t been good in more then 20 of them.
Yep, like anderson – good athelete but hasn’t really developed.
Apparently us, together with Chelsea are sniffing around the Newcastle midfielder Tioti or whatever.
I often wonder how much fatter Anderson will get once he’s retired?
Ferguson insists he will not buy “unless someone appears we have always been interested in”…asked if he would bolster his squad in the new year, Ferguson said: “Not necessarily. I don’t know why people keep going on about it.”
FFS- It must be all show… he knows more than us normal folk lark!!
Well Ferguson pretty much ruled out any January signings. Most worrying in the presser today he pushed Park and Gibson as central midfield options. FFS
WTF!! seriously? I’m not joking but I’m better than Park as a footballer. Serious.
Hes 20, Anderson is 23, plus he’s a completely different type of player. It could be an option between him and Martinez.
Ed, there is a limit to how stubborn one can be. Seriously, this is insane. A player which until a few months ago we were prepared to sell to Sunderland but only wages were an issue and all of a sudden he is now part the central midfield plans because – as it would appear – Fergie and the medics insisted on playing Fletcher – until his illness almost literally made him wither into nothing.
Is this not desparation of the highest order?
Was that the same press conference where he talked about Fletcher… and the deliberate lie they concocted about Fletcher’s socalled virus – and how they only admitted the truth about his illness once people started “delving”?
He admitted he is bullshitter in that interview. He creates narratives to send journos down dead ends.
If he has any sense, he will bring in a midfielder in Jan. But he won’t come out and say that to yous lot in the press.
that is true to be fair. in some respects it is a good strat because we know we are always gonna get mugged in the market and as soon as we latch onto a target Chavs or Citeh will outgun us or rather Fergal and Gill will shit their pants.
now that you have said this I do think we will get someone in Jan but he will keep on spinning the bullshit. even i’m arguing against myself now. he’s a cunt he’s confused me.
And you’re still BOTH wrong!! lolololol cunt.