Manchester United

[Gaz]

Confirmed now, two and a half hours after the window closed

[topscorer]

I hope I don't regret saying this but I'm glad this one made it over the line.

I don't think their squad is very well balanced and they've just spunked over £150m in one window.

I hope they do a Leeds, I'll piss myself.

[Pablo]

Hmmm so how did they do?

A couple of impressive big name signing in DiMaria and Falcao, but not in positions they really needed strengthening in, and at a ridiculous cost (especially the wage bill).

Herrera the only specialised midfielder bought. Blind could play DM but it's not his usual role. Still massively weak in CM, especially strength in depth.

Overloaded now at LB. Where will £30m Luke Shaw play? Will Rojo ever get a work visa?

CB - Glaring area of weakness seemingly unaddressed. Rojo can play there but I thought he looked rash and a liability at LB so God only knows what a disaster he could be at CB. Massive worry for them.

Overall I'd say that they have superficially done a good job. At a glance most football fans would say they've had a better window than us given the names, I'm sure of that. But when you analyse it they now have a very unbalanced squad which is still weak down the spine of the team. I'd give them a 6/10.

[dww]

I think they have done a decent job but started in a hole and have only partially remodelled the squad. Getting a manager who was at the World Cup seems to have really squeezed their planning time.

A lot depends on whether van Gaal can create a coherent defense and midfield from a rather strange bunch of players. Signing Blind and Di Maria seems to imply he is doubling down on his 3-5-2 plan too. A very Fergusson approach to go 'defence can wait' get some attackers I can work with in.

They need Rooney to find form and one of van Persie and Falcao to stay fir to have a good season IMO.

[Corndog]

A Niederlandisch friend of mine told me Blind won player of the season playing the majority of games at DM. i think Rojo is also a centre back but both him and Blind played left back for their countries due mainly to a lack of other options...agree with most others that united have not really addressed their problems this window.

[dww]

I think that in some ways they have addressed those issues more than people are making out. Di Maria and Blind are tactically versatile players who will fit well into the centre of midfield and they have adopted a shape that is designed to minimize the issues of average/poor CBs.

[Boogs]

To write them off would be careless. Our defence was ropey to say the least last year but we did have a better balance through the midfield and as strong attack as they have now. We finished second.
The key is how fast the manager can settle all the players he's signed with the current ones. It helps they have 2 weeks to get settled before they have to kick a ball for a league game.
It's certainly going to be an interesting watch.

[Pablo]

I think that in some ways they have addressed those issues more than people are making out. Di Maria and Blind are tactically versatile players who will fit well into the centre of midfield and they have adopted a shape that is designed to minimize the issues of average/poor CBs.

Do you think they have a chance of top 4 this season then? I'd honestly only put them as an outside bet still. I think it will be December/January before they start to gel.

I genuinely think another year outside the top 4, given the money they've spent and increase in wage bill, they will be in danger of a slide into the football wilderness. They longer you are out of it, the harder it is to get back in.

[Corndog]

I think that in some ways they have addressed those issues more than people are making out. Di Maria and Blind are tactically versatile players who will fit well into the centre of midfield and they have adopted a shape that is designed to minimize the issues of average/poor CBs.

I'm not convinced that formation will consistently work. It obviously did for the dutch at the world cup but the defence even with rojo in it at centre back looks weaker than the usual standards of united. I don't think Jones Evans or Smalling are anything special....

[dww]

Do you think they have a chance of top 4 this season then? I'd honestly only put them as an outside bet still. I think it will be December/January before they start to gel.

I genuinely think another year outside the top 4, given the money they've spent and increase in wage bill, they will be in danger of a slide into the football wilderness. They longer you are out of it, the harder it is to get back in.

I think it will be quite tight. I don't see ourselves or Arsenal having the squad to say that with CL football we will definitely be safe in the top 4. If I were to bet I would have the same top 4 as last season but I do think that United have done more to address the glaring issues than is made out - they just didn't do it the way that people were expecting.

In a way I actually think that next season will be when they make the push but van Gaal will, like Rodgers, put a system in place which will allow them to build CL football or not.

I would assume that Falcao is a loan purely with the financial implications of his wages in mind. As we have shown with a big, loyal international fan base and the huge PL TV deal you can muddle through pretty well moneywise even without CL.

[Pablo]

Rojo looks very, very rash to me. He was flying into stupid tackles at the World Cup. He had FIFTEEN yellow cards and FIVE red cards in his last two seasons with Sporting. I think that's more than anyone else in Europe over that period!

He's also not the authoritative leader they needed at the back after losing Vidic and Ferdinand.

If there was one signing they needed this Summer it was that, and they've failed to make it. I think that might really cost them.

[Fredo]

I think they just had to spend that amount of money simply because there would have been unrest if things takes a turn for the worst. Falcao is not someone who seem to be attracted by winning things but certainly is by money. He hasn't played in the CL throughout the last 5 years and he is one of the highest paid players in world football. Clearly a mercenary and I'm highly dubious he has the talent and hunger to play at this level.

[Alex]

I think they just had to spend that amount of money simply because there would have been unrest if things takes a turn for the worst. Falcao is not someone who seem to be attracted by winning things but certainly is by money. He hasn't played in the CL throughout the last 5 years and he is one of the highest paid players in world football. Clearly a mercenary and I'm highly dubious he has the talent and hunger to play at this level.

The first part highlighted is correct, wouldn't have gone to Monaco. But his talent isn't in doubt. Hes scored a ton of goals wherever he played.

Before his injuries he had 4 seasons where he got upwards of 35 goals. Playing for Porto and Athletico.

Now, his ability to adapt to a faster and more aggressive league might be in question. But thats something we wont be able to say either way until he has played a few games.

[kop-al-74]

Utd signing Falcao is little like going out to replace your worn out shoes and coming back with a fur coat!

[dom9]

I think the importance of champions league money is being overestimated. Even the domestic TV money earned by the bottom team this year will dwarf any TV income from the Champions league. It's a nice cherry on the top of the cake these days rather than a financial necessity.