Manchester United

[RedReet]

I think people are underestimating Man Utd here, they got 74 points which got them 2nd, people can argue about our performance due to injuries being the only reason that they finished above us and that's probably true. But that points total is a solid top 4 position any year, they have improved both their team and their squad. We went on from a similar points total one year to 97pts the following season and while we might be quick to say how much better Klopp is than Solskjaer I wouldn't be so quick to write them off.

Our activity in the transfer market in the last couple of seasons hasn't really improved team or our squad significantly, I would say that they are certainly closing the gap on us our players are aging and the squad isn't being refreshed. We really need to be making signings that improve both our team and our squad and that doesn't seem to be happening at the moment (hopefully there will be a couple of good signings before the window closes).

We didn't need to though. We went on to win the league without signing anybody on 19/20. Klopp's ethos has always been to improve what you have and he hasn't a world class group of players to work with.

I also think Jota, Thiago and Konate has I proved our squad, although Gini is obviously a a big loss.

As far as United go, bar Bruno, I'm not sure that their signings have all been that great. AWB and Maguire have been solid enough, but they still aren't great at the back and that money could have been used much more wisely imo. Their transfers last year would have been disastrous if not bailed out by Cavani, but they didn't finish ahead of us because they b
ought better last year. Varane and Sancho might help bridge the gap, or they could be another Sanchez or Van de Beek.

[Exiled_red]

We didn't need to though. We went on to win the league without signing anybody on 19/20. Klopp's ethos has always been to improve what you have and he hasn't a world class group of players to work with.

I also think Jota, Thiago and Konate has I proved our squad, although Gini is obviously a a big loss.

As far as United go, bar Bruno, I'm not sure that their signings have all been that great. AWB and Maguire have been solid enough, but they still aren't great at the back and that money could have been used much more wisely imo. Their transfers last year would have been disastrous if not bailed out by Cavani, but they didn't finish ahead of us because they b
ought better last year. Varane and Sancho might help bridge the gap, or they could be another Sanchez or Van de Beek.

IMO we still have a relatively small squad in terms of strength in depth, we essentially had last season (were everyone fit) the same team that we had 3 years ago ok we won the CL and PL but it does need refreshing every so often and we didn't really build from a position of strength.

The guys that have come in have essentially replaced guys who left Jota and Minamino have come in to replace Sturridge and Ings, Thiago replaced Wijnaldum or Lallana, Konate replaced Lovren. The squad really isn't any bigger. Is it any better? Maybe, IMO Thiago and Wijnaldum are about the same level different players but swapping one for the other probably has little overall change in quality, Jota is an improvement so that is one position that we improved, is Konate better than Lovren, lets hope so, but we won't know until he has played a few games. So far though Thiago aside they have all been squad players, so we haven't improved the first 11, I guess you can make the arguement that maybe we didn't need to but to be honest I'm not convinced by that.

I don't doubt that Man Utd could have spent their money more wisely and that they still have certain weaknesses but if they can go out an regularly buy £70m+ players (or players for £70m+) chances are that they are going to improve. If we aren't refeshing our side or squad we will find ourselves in a position where we have a side consisting of 4 or 5 players who can't do it anymore then we will be in real trouble and need a big overhaul we aren't at that point yet but we might only be a couple of years away from it.

[RedReet]

IMO we still have a relatively small squad in terms of strength in depth, we essentially had last season (were everyone fit) the same team that we had 3 years ago ok we won the CL and PL but it does need refreshing every so often and we didn't really build from a position of strength.

The guys that have come in have essentially replaced guys who left Jota and Minamino have come in to replace Sturridge and Ings, Thiago replaced Wijnaldum or Lallana, Konate replaced Lovren. The squad really isn't any bigger. Is it any better? Maybe, IMO Thiago and Wijnaldum are about the same level different players but swapping one for the other probably has little overall change in quality, Jota is an improvement so that is one position that we improved, is Konate better than Lovren, lets hope so, but we won't know until he has played a few games. So far though Thiago aside they have all been squad players, so we haven't improved the first 11, I guess you can make the arguement that maybe we didn't need to but to be honest I'm not convinced by that.

I don't doubt that Man Utd could have spent their money more wisely and that they still have certain weaknesses but if they can go out an regularly buy £70m+ players (or players for £70m+) chances are that they are going to improve. If we aren't refeshing our side or squad we will find ourselves in a position where we have a side consisting of 4 or 5 players who can't do it anymore then we will be in real trouble and need a big overhaul we aren't at that point yet but we might only be a couple of years away from it.

It just feels like deja-vu to me. From Klopp's first transfer window he got pelters and we must have had at least 6 "worst transfer window ever", yet almost every time we've come up trumps. The one time we fall short, we're in the middle of a worldwide pandemic and have an absolute horror show of a season injury wise (plus bar CB's, our transferred business looked okay last year).


Although I doubt Klopp will let it happen, I'm not too worried what will happen in 2-4 years, right now we still have a group of world class players who should be in their prime age wise, and not past it as so many people want to believe (only Henderson is comfortably over 30 ffs).

Plus Naby is gonna be immense this year.

[Fredo]

I think people are underestimating Man Utd here, they got 74 points which got them 2nd, people can argue about our performance due to injuries being the only reason that they finished above us and that's probably true. But that points total is a solid top 4 position any year, they have improved both their team and their squad. We went on from a similar points total one year to 97pts the following season and while we might be quick to say how much better Klopp is than Solskjaer I wouldn't be so quick to write them off.

Our activity in the transfer market in the last couple of seasons hasn't really improved team or our squad significantly, I would say that they are certainly closing the gap on us our players are aging and the squad isn't being refreshed. We really need to be making signings that improve both our team and our squad and that doesn't seem to be happening at the moment (hopefully there will be a couple of good signings before the window closes).

We've added to the squad every year, barring the year after we won the CL when we blitzed everyone else.

We've added players that we could develop (Minamino, Jota, Tsimikas, Jones, Elliot) and from the basis we had the best front 3 in world football a couple of years back, there was not much we could do to improve it.

We've got strong competition for league places, teams that have more money than us (Chelsea, Utd, City) and we are competing with them year in year out. Similar could be said of Leicester. Both do it slightly differently than throw money at things.

[baitman]

...Plus Naby is gonna be immense this year.

Get ready...

[Exiled_red]

We've added to the squad every year, barring the year after we won the CL when we blitzed everyone else.

We've added players that we could develop (Minamino, Jota, Tsimikas, Jones, Elliot) and from the basis we had the best front 3 in world football a couple of years back, there was not much we could do to improve it.

We've got strong competition for league places, teams that have more money than us (Chelsea, Utd, City) and we are competing with them year in year out. Similar could be said of Leicester. Both do it slightly differently than throw money at things.

Over the last couple of years we have replaced Sturridge, Moreno, Ings, Clyne, Mignolet, Lallana, Lovren and Wijnaldum. With: Adrian, Minamino, Elliott, Tsimikas, Thiago, Jota and Konate, while there may have been slight iterative improvements, I don't feel that there. Aside from Jota and Thiago the rest have thus far been squad players, who are there purely as backup. Jota has added something because he is replacing Sturridge who was ineffective towards the end, we we compare to prime Sturridge (as some seem to like doing then the improvement isn't so marked). Obviously Elliott has huge potential so could be a significant improvement, but that is still unknown.

Obviously it is about getting the right players and it is difficult to improve a side who are top class, but I feel that every year you need to be looking at your side determining where/who the weakest link is and at least look to improve on that. I don't think we have done that in the last 3 seasons, maybe you can argue if Jota displaces one of the front three then that is one in the last three years, hopefully Konate can make that 2.

I agree that on paper we have a good squad with competition for places, but for me midfield is an issue, you have Henderson, Fabinho and Thiago, who presumably are first choice and all likely to miss at least the odd game with a knock or have a period of a few weeks out. Who comes in then Milner has been reliable, but is getting on a bit now and struggles to play 2 games a week, Ox is a good player and different option, but his injury record is terrible, Keita hasn't got close to the form that made us sign him and is again prone to injury. Jones and Elliott are promising but still rather unproven. I fear the injury records of various players in CM mean that a could of injuries and it could be our CB issue of last season

[Buzzo]

For a second I thought Jesse Lingard asked for a Cheeseburger without the burger.

Cheese burger with only cheese. I hope he gets a cheese roll.

[Norbs]

For a second I thought Jesse Lingard asked for a Cheeseburger without the burger.

I thought he was a West Ham player now

[maxwellbaxter]

It's done ....Ronaldo to United

[Liverpool]

green and gold scarves going back in the cupboard for a few months then

[BobTheCharmer]

I reckon they'll win the league. It's short term at It's best but hell, what do they care? The shirt sales will be crazy.

[labourRed]

I hope it all turns to **** for them. He's a big ego and it'll be everyone else's fault if it goes wrong.

[Fivex]

[ame]https://twitter.com/andy_murray/status/1431266550800125952[/ame]

[Shaggy]

Imagine the diving now with him, Fernandes, Martial and Rashford. **** me.

[danperkins]

Whatever way you swing it Sancho, Varane and Ronaldo in one window is serious work. Mancs mates are ecstatic