Confirmed transfers 2016/17

[Stevencc]

Pogba is an absolutely sensational footballer. He can basically do a bit of everything. He's more of an attacking midfieler than a defensive midfielder, which for some reason most seem to believe to be the other way round.

Renegade's post was spot on earlier. His success will depend how he's used. Sit him in a double pivot like Deschamps did and he'll look no bettter than your average midfielder.

Get him up the pitch, central, right, left, runs in the box and he'll be phenominal. And at 23, in 4-5 years as inflation rises, he'll look like a bargain.

He will almost certainly be played as part of a midfield two from the start and I don't think he will look average at all. He should be deployed as part of a midfield three or possibly even as a ten but with Rooney stinking up the place he won't get a chance to do that just yet. I'm sure he'll be given the freedom to drive forward from midfield.

 

[sl1k]

Yeah, probably will be paired with Carrick/Schneiderlin/Blind (holding) with the license to bomb forward. Which is exactly how I'd prefer him to play, proper box to box all action.

 

[JimJams]

Utd should have gone for Kante and played both Frenchies in a 2 man mid.

 

[G-Dragon]

Pogba - 100 million - 0 goals 0 assist so far...FLOP!

 

[Nath]

Utd should have gone for Kante and played both Frenchies in a 2 man mid.

If we didn't sign Schneiderlin we would have.

Ecstatic we got Pogba. Superb footballer who could soon be challenging for the Ballon d'Or. A lot of people seem to be basing their judgements on his Euro's performances, in which he was basically played out of position and in a system which did not suit him. License to roam in a midfield three is the only way to use him.

 

[Stevencc]

If we didn't sign Schneiderlin we would have.

Ecstatic we got Pogba. Superb footballer who could soon be challenging for the Ballon d'Or. A lot of people seem to be basing their judgements on his Euro's performances, in which he was basically played out of position and in a system which did not suit him. License to roam in a midfield three is the only way to use him.

We'll be using him as one part of the midfield two in a 4-2-3-1!

 

[Mustard]

I think that will be a mistake. Can see Rooney dropped before too long. Pogba isn't that great defensively, he's definitely more of an attacking box-to-box. Have to remember that at Juventus he had possibly the best defense in the world plus Marchisio/Khedira/Pirlo/Vidal sitting alongside or behind him. Rooney here seems like the odd one out.

 

[Stevencc]

I think that will be a mistake. Can see Rooney dropped before too long. Pogba isn't that great defensively, he's definitely more of an attacking box-to-box. Have to remember that at Juventus he had possibly the best defense in the world plus Marchisio/Khedira/Pirlo/Vidal sitting alongside or behind him. Rooney here seems like the odd one out.

Agreed - I can't see Rooney improving so hopefully Mourinho doesn't take too long to drop Rooney.

 

[Pagnell]

Rooney is paid £300k a week. Short of him being injured he plays, even United won't pay that and keep him on the bench. And selling him isn't an option unless they subsidise his wage, there isn't a team in the world who would pay him half what he currently earns and there is no way in hell he'll move whilst he can earn over a million a month staying where he is, regardless whether he plays.

 

[Christian Slater]

Can't believe people still believe that myth of Rooney being on £300k

 

[Stevencc]

Why is it that you can't believe United are paying Rooney £450k per week?

 

[Pagnell]

Can't believe people still believe that myth of Rooney being on £300k [emoji38]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/26287482

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...eds-desire-to-remain-worlds-biggest-club.html

Is it exactly £300k a week? Possibly not. But it's approximately that amount, no one knows for certain exactly what it is. Except you it would seem. Regardless, he earns too much to sit on the bench.

 

[Stevencc]

There is a balance to this, though.

He earns a hell of a lot of money (regardless of the exact number) but it's of no benefit to the club to play him at the expense of players like Pogba, Ibra, Mkhitaryan, Mata or the team in general. His massive wage doesn't give him a free pass to play like a c*** and I hope that Jose drops him before too long (assuming he doesn't improve).

 

[Pagnell]

Logically, that can't be argued with. But we're not discussing black and white logic here. I simply can't see Rooney being left on the bench. As a United player if he has been fit, he has played. And I don't believe that will change for the foreseeable future, even with Mourinho now in charge.

I guess we will see, but I don't expect Rooney to play less than 30 league games this season short of injury.

 

[Nilsson]

Benteke cost Liverpool £32.5m (at the time there 2nd most expensive transfer ever) but Klopp didn't fancy him so he got frozen out.

If Mourinho doesn't think Rooney's up to it he's not going to risk his own reputation by playing him.

 

[Nilsson]

I guess we will see, but I don't expect Rooney to play less than 30 league games this season short of injury.

You thought winning the FA Cup would be enough for van Gaal to keep his job, you think Mourinho will feel obliged to play Rooney even if he thinks it's to the detriment to the team. Starting to think your opinions on United are based purely on what you want to happen.

 

[Stevencc]

Logically, that can't be argued with. But we're not discussing black and white logic here. I simply can't see Rooney being left on the bench. As a United player if he has been fit, he has played. And I don't believe that will change for the foreseeable future, even with Mourinho now in charge.

I guess we will see, but I don't expect Rooney to play less than 30 league games this season short of injury.

You are right there but things have possibly (hopefully) changed with the acquisition of quality players in Pogba, Ibra, Mkhitaryan etc. He can't even reasonably begin to claim that he is the main man or the best player at the moment - I know he is the captain but that's a symbolic gesture, I think. I guess we will see how big Jose's grapefruits are if Rooney continues to play as poorly as he has done in recent times - does he drop him for the sake of the team or pander to him as others have done?

 

[Nilsson]

With the new signings and the Mourinho factor, for the first time in a long time, we're no longer commercially beholden to Rooney. I think this'll be the year he'll find himself on the sidelines.

 

[Stevencc]

I like to think Jose laid the groundwork with those "he is not a 6 or even an 8, for me he is a number 9 or 10" comments. If he's shit he's benched rather than pushed deeper as has been the trend in recent times.

 

[Pagnell]

You thought winning the FA Cup would be enough for van Gaal to keep his job, you think Mourinho will feel obliged to play Rooney even if he thinks it's to the detriment to the team. Starting to think your opinions on United are based purely on what you want to happen.

With Van Gaal I don't recall stating he would keep his job after winning the FA Cup but I'd have certainly hoped so. As such you're actually correct with that one. As for Rooney, I'm pretty much ambiguous. Would him playing have a positive or negative effect on United's quality this coming season? I'm not sure one way or another with any certainty so with that one you're wrong, I simply don't believe he won't play.

United in general I always try to be honest about and keep bias out of it. Not always easy of course for a scouser.

 

[sl1k]

With Van Gaal I don't recall stating he would keep his job after winning the FA Cup but I'd have certainly hoped so. As such you're actually correct with that one. As for Rooney, I'm pretty much ambiguous. Would him playing have a positive or negative effect on United's quality this coming season? I'm not sure one way or another with any certainty so with that one you're wrong, I simply don't believe he won't play.

United in general I always try to be honest about and keep bias out of it. Not always easy of course for a scouser.

The problem with Rooney is that hes been pretty much the face of England and Manchester united. He is a brand, sells shirts. A declining Rooney is no good for the financial machine behind him, so management are reluctant to drop him cos of the politics involved with it.

Now, there's a manager only interested in the prosperity of Manchester united. The club. We have a new face, the most expensive player in the world and hopefully future balon d'or winner if he maintains his current trajectory of progression. Rooney's leverage is finished. Gone.

For these reasons, I'm optimistic that we will finally drop Rooney when required for the benefit to the team.

 

[Pagnell]

The problem with Rooney is that hes been pretty much the face of England and Manchester united. He is a brand, sells shirts. A declining Rooney is no good for the financial machine behind him, so management are reluctant to drop him cos of the politics involved with it.

Now, there's a manager only interested in the prosperity of Manchester united. The club. We have a new face, the most expensive player in the world and hopefully future balon d'or winner if he maintains his current trajectory of progression. Rooney's leverage is finished. Gone.

For these reasons, I'm optimistic that we will finally drop Rooney when required for the benefit to the team.

Like most good managers, Mourinho's interest is, and always has been, almost entirely about himself. Fortunately for the clubs he manages, this involves doing a good job which then bolsters his reputation. But don't kid yourself he gives too much of a shit about Manchester United beyond the potential they have to make him look good.

The United fans here have made some good points though, and perhaps I'm putting too much faith in United's past views on Rooney, coupled with their reliance on him. We will see, but I'm still not convinced he will be relegated to a bit part role.

 

[SALTIRE]

With the new signings and the Mourinho factor, for the first time in a long time, we're no longer commercially beholden to Rooney. I think this'll be the year he'll find himself on the sidelines.

You're commercially beholden to Adidas and Chevrolet though and are panicking about losing a wedge due to you in sponsorship revenue which is why you are making these vanity signings. No longer a football club, but a factory.

 

[Stevencc]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...-Mourinho-completes-100m-Paul-Pogba-deal.html

Keep towing the company line, Salty.

 

[Nilsson]

You're commercially beholden to Adidas and Chevrolet though and are panicking about losing a wedge due to you in sponsorship revenue which is why you are making these vanity signings. No longer a football club, but a factory.

Signing great players = vanity signings?

 

[SALTIRE]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...-Mourinho-completes-100m-Paul-Pogba-deal.html

Keep towing the company line, Salty.

I found it on the Echo that one. Using a Mail link though, for shame Stevie for shame.

 

[Stevencc]

Hey, I'm just quoting your sources mate.

 

[SALTIRE]

Signing great players = vanity signings?

Did you need to sign Ibra when you have Martial there? No, now the poor lads development will be stunted for a year (at least) in favour of shirt sales. And the Pogba move now makes the brand think you are on the level of Bayern, Barca or Real Madrid.

 

[Nilsson]

Did you need to sign Ibra when you have Martial there? No, now the poor lads development will be stunted for a year (at least) in favour of shirt sales. And the Pogba move now makes the brand think you are on the level of Bayern, Barca or Real Madrid.

Oh sorry, I forgot that you were a moron.

 

[SALTIRE]

Oh sorry, I forgot that you were a moron.

Resorting to insults when you've no comeback, oh dear.