It's Round and It's White
I have been recently giving thought as to where I believe we should be making changes to the club in the Summer. Here are a few of of them.
Personally I would like to see Berbatov move to Newcastle (his boyhood club) and try and bring in Cisse. I would also like to see us make a move for cover at fullback and a decent centre midfielder. According to today’s L’equipe Hazard prefers a move to the Premier League with a straight out choice between us and City.
Would love to see him as a marquee summer signing. Kagawa from Dortmund seems to be open to a move to the club. I would also more than welcome a move for Leighton Baines from Everton. The problem with Baines being that Everton are a club he has supported all his life, and maybe reluctant to move on. Sound familiar?
Outgoings: I think the time has come to move Park, Owen, Macheda, and Berbatov on. Owen is a permanent sick note, even though he is dangerous when fit, but is a drain on the wage bill. It’s clear Berbatov doesn’t fit into any future plans and Macheda just doesn’t look up to the job.
I think I’d be raising questions about his attitude as well following the short lived loan move to QPR. Park also seems to be a lost cause. He gives 110% to the club whenever he plays but the majority of the time there is no end product. Despite his commercial value in Asia he just seems to have peaked and there is no further room for improvement with him.
I also feel that Evra is becoming more and more of a liabilty at left back and if we receive a decent offer we should let him move on providing we have a decent replacement already lined up. It looks like Fabio will be moving out on loan next season. Given time to progress and build himself up I think he will be a decent player for us, but just not at this moment in time.
I also personally feel that moving Sir Alex on would be criminal. Admittedly his teams and tactics were questionable against City, but we can’t suddenly have a knee jerk reaction of getting rid of somebody who has arguably done more for the club than anybody else in its history.
Going back mere weeks ago the club sat eight points clear at the top of the league and fans were singing his praises (not for the first time I might add). The fickleness of some supporters beggars belief at times. Even if Sir Alex was to be moved on who do we bring in? Mourinho?
Mourinho does not do long term which is something a club the size of our needs. Guardiola? He managed a team containing Messi, Xavi, and Iniesta. Anybody with those three players in their in team would pick up trophies. Alsom the man does not appear to handle pressure well. Moyes? He has done wonders at Everton, but during the course of his time at the club how many times has his team realistically looked like troubling the very top sides in the league?
In the long term I would love to see Ole back at the club. Maybe bed him in as Ferguson’s right hand man and then when the time does come for Fergie to hang up his stop watch and his chewing gum he can step into the role. Extremely loyal and also has close affinity with the club and it’s fans.
The club is not due massive overhaul. We are at present joint top of the league and only seperated by goal difference. The likes of De Gea, Smalling, Rafael, Evans, Jones, Valencia, Young, Petrucci. the Keane twins, and Welbeck will all progress with time and we just need to show a certain degree of patience.
Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be enough of that in football these days.
Berbatov to Newcastle is entirely plausible, especially given Obertan’s move and his past history, but also accounting for the potential move of Ba. Cisse’s arrival may have replaced him as the star man for the Toon, but it’s probable he’d like a move out of the North-East.
Kagawa is a good shout for a signing, very talented creative mid and the right kind of skilled dribbling United lack in central midfield, but he’s been hassled about the move and might be irritated to the point of turning down the move. Alternatively, or rather I’d hope as well, Gaitan would be up for the move to United. People like Strootman have been hinted at, but he’s rather unproven at this level. Could be a risk.
Baines in at LB is also unlikely. On form, but late 20s and Everton will not want to part with him. To do so would take a lot of cash. Instead United could sign Alba from Valencia or Cissokho from Lyon. The latter too likes United as a destination. Either of those with a season under Evra would then succeed him. Fabio back from a year’s loan would be a lot more competent/reliable… all would be well.
Park will go, Berbatov going, Owen will probably leave but I’d like him as player/coach, Anderson should go, Macheda should go… all this means yet more replacements. Last summer’s signings have done well. The summer before was Smalling and Hernandez. United need to hit the nail on the head and once and for all sign a top star and the LB to rival Evra.
For the most part I’m happy with United’s squad. Plenty of potential and under Fergie the team unity is very much apparant. He has, with age, made mistakes in selections but he has also gotten a very average United team to joint top of the league competing with a side with many more marquee stars.
To succeed him… I’d like Mourinho. I think he has the power to attract those superstars to United and remind people of the club’s stature. I also think Solskjaer will be a future United manager, and I’d like to see someone like Giggs or Keane as his number 2.