*Official* English Football Season 2022/23

[Himannv]

Big signing by Wolves.

 

[Uppercut]

I think the price goes up as soon as United are interested anyway. After that, it's down to the club whether they pay up and get their man or move on to other targets. In some cases they have moved on and in other cases they get the player they want.

I'm not sure why Chelsea don't get more flak for the same thing. The Gvardiol deal is much worse than the Antony one - he's not even going to play for them this season and he's costing €90m. Cucurella cost €60m and Fofana is an €80m defender apparently. That's one unusually expensive backline and there's a lot of unproven talent and questionable fits as well.

The Cucurella signing is getting a lot of flak but he looks like a really good player to me. City wanted him and Brighton didn't want to lose him, and they're both very good at player evaluation. Maybe they overpaid, but I don't think they were completely ripped off.

I've seen less of Fofana, and I'm less keen on that one. But I don't hate overpaying a lot for a big, strong, fast, young CB who's already a Premier League regular. I feel like those transfers range from "complete bargain in hindsight" (Ferdinand, Van Dijk) to "got a lot of service out of them even if they arguably didn't quite live up to the fee" (Stones, Cahill). They're always heavily criticised when they happen but I can't think of many that turned out to be disasters.

Koulibaly is the one that looks horrible to me. Paying 30m for a 31 year old CB who's only played in Serie A is a massive oof. He already looks dreadful and at his age you'd expect him to only get worse over the course of his contract.

 

[Niall]

A weird transfer window for United, as others have said got fleeced with the 2 Ajax lads due to not having a proper structure in place, Casimiro may work out but he's also someone who at 30 could go into decline quickly enough. Malacia and Dubravska are sensible signings.

However its a massive gamble in only having Martial, Rashford and Ronaldo as the only strikers at the club. You'd be brave to bet either of those 3 getting 20 goals IMO.

Garner supposedly on his way, not ideal but not many teams want to pay actual money for the squad players so it is what it is.

 

[Uppercut]

Martinez and Malacia look fine I guess. Anthony will probably be useful but was wildly overpriced. Casemiro is a terrible signing. Dubravka, meh.

The process has been absolutely shambolic. I'm starting to worry that we've somehow gotten less operationally competent than we were under Woodward.

EDIT: though we've had a few outgoings, which is nice.

 

[Boy_Blunder]

Outgoings? We've let Henderson, Telles and Bailey go out on loan while paying their wages. We've only sold Pereira, and it looks like we'll be selling Garner for half his value.

I'm very happy with Martinez and Malacia. Together with Varane they have looked very solid at the back, which is something we haven't been able to say about United in quite a while. I like Casemiro too, the only problem I have with him as a player is he's not what Ten Hag wanted to get his system working. He wants someone to take the ball out of the back and dictate play but Casemiro isn't that type of player.

We desperately need depth on the wing. So happy with Anthony despite the price. We've needed an out and out right winger for years.

So in terms of personal in I'm pretty satisfied. It's just the way we've handled this transfer window which has me dispairing. Yet another summer window of gross incompetence. And if we'd won our first two games and/or not have had public interest from Sir Jim in buying - Anthony and Casemiro would not be United players. The transfer budget wasn't big enough for both of them, and we'd probably have Rabiot instead.

 

[Boy_Blunder]

A weird transfer window for United, as others have said got fleeced with the 2 Ajax lads due to not having a proper structure in place, Casimiro may work out but he's also someone who at 30 could go into decline quickly enough. Malacia and Dubravska are sensible signings.

However its a massive gamble in only having Martial, Rashford and Ronaldo as the only strikers at the club. You'd be brave to bet either of those 3 getting 20 goals IMO.

Garner supposedly on his way, not ideal but not many teams want to pay actual money for the squad players so it is what it is.

Ronaldo scored 18 goals in a worse side last year so I don't necessarily agree with that. The biggest problem with those is that we don't get them any service. Hopefully Erikson and Anthony can help out there. I do agree we need another striker though. Martial has already had two separate injuries this season which is a big concern; and Rashford just isn't a striker.

 

[Uppercut]

Ronaldo scored 18 goals in a worse side last year so I don't necessarily agree with that. The biggest problem with those is that we don't get them any service. Hopefully Erikson and Anthony can help out there. I do agree we need another striker though. Martial has already had two separate injuries this season which is a big concern; and Rashford just isn't a striker.

Ronaldo surely won't play as much as he did last year. 18 goals is an alright return and he was much better than that in the CL, but he's still a tactical and interpersonal abomination.

 

[Boy_Blunder]

Ronaldo surely won't play as much as he did last year. 18 goals is an alright return and he was much better than that in the CL, but he's still a tactical and interpersonal abomination.

There's so much **** written about Ronaldo. He's come out and said that 90% of what has been said is not true.

Especially the interpersonal stuff... Look at where that's coming from - it's coming from the toxic leakers in the dressing room who gave up on last season and didn't like it when Ronaldo (a model professional and serial winner who has only gotten as far as he has off the back of hard work) gave them **** for it.

There's actually a large portion of that dressing room who get on really well with Ronaldo - mainly the international players. He's done wonders with the youth, Elanga and Garnacho in particular.

 

[Uppercut]

There's so much **** written about Ronaldo. He's come out and said that 90% of what has been said is not true.

Especially the interpersonal stuff... Look at where that's coming from - it's coming from the toxic leakers in the dressing room who gave up on last season and didn't like it when Ronaldo (a model professional and serial winner who has only gotten as far as he has off the back of hard work) gave them **** for it.

There's actually a large portion of that dressing room who get on really well with Ronaldo - mainly the international players. He's done wonders with the youth, Elanga and Garnacho in particular.

The leaks that are obviously from Ronaldo's camp are the most damning. Duncan Castles's Times article from the weekend was the height of unintentional hilarity.

 

[Boy_Blunder]

Is that the one about telling the manager to drop Maguire?

 

[GIMH]

Speaking of United, no verdict in the Giggs trial.

 

[Uppercut]

Is that the one about telling the manager to drop Maguire?

I can't remember if any of that was in there. This thread has some highlights.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1563800678534979590

 

[Boy_Blunder]

Tbf I have some sympathy with Ronaldo on that first one. Ronaldo and De Gea were the only two players to come out of last season with any dignity.
The rest of the squad could have been sacked on the spot for gross negligence. Ronaldo played the weekend following the death of his child, while Rashford and Lingard came off the bench in the hammering against City and strolled about.

And my understanding is that he was happy to stay and play for United without CL football because United had big plans in the transfer window to support the new manager. He only intimated his desire to leave once it was clear the transfer window was becoming a **** show, and the club's ambitions were all talk.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

happy with Anthony despite the price. We've needed an out and out right winger for years.

Could've signed GIMH for much less.

 

[Furball]

He's so right wing he's in the car park

 

[grecian]

Big signing by Wolves.

Alfie pond isn't that big TBH.

 

[Furball]

Leicester v Villa next week is surely a 'loser gets sacked' game?

 

[Uppercut]

I reckon Leicester are getting relegated. They’re diabolical.

 

[Pothas]

They still have plenty of good players though. Hard to see Rodgers lasting much longer but imagine they will be fine.

Villa are probably worse.

 

[Uppercut]

They still have plenty of good players though. Hard to see Rodgers lasting much longer but imagine they will be fine.

Villa are probably worse.

If Vardy is washed they're in huge trouble. They have a few good-not-great players like Maddison and Tielemans. But a lot of their filler players are Championship at best.

Villa look just as bad but I'd say they have much better players. I think they have more room for improvement if/when Gerrard gets sacked.