Man Utd Summer '06 Transfer Rumours and Speculation

[Motterman]

Manchester United need a new central midfielder. (or perhaps two)

David Jones' form on his loan stint may be a wild card of sorts, as well as how Darren Fletcher and Alan Smith finish up this season as well.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Ballack! :D

[DutchFootballRulez]

BUY A GOOD MIDFIELDER FFS FERGIE!!!!!!!





That'll cover me till May

[Howard Zinn]

Ballack! :D


Damn, beat me to it. :D

[SirManchester]

JOEY BARTON!!!!!......no, seriously, I wouldn't mind.

[benni...]

Well Said Dutch Football

[prymetyme]

Gattuso and Ballack would be my dream team..

[mhtwins113]

Throw in Robben for Mikel and on top of Gattuso and Ballack, that'd be quite a midfield. Unfortunately, that's only possible in Football Manager. I'd know because I actually made it happen.

[jayro75]

JOEY BARTON!!!!!......no, seriously, I wouldn't mind.

Good idea Smudger and a potential axe murderer in midfield... What are we Blackburn...:cool:

[Kavster]

Screw Joey Barton...not literally...of course. :o Figuratively. I don't think he's what we need, it would seem we are trying to build a team of Judases (Judi anyone?) It wouldn't go down well with either team, and I don't think he would be more than a temporary stop-gap.

[Brunsen]

Manchester United need a new central midfielder. (or perhaps two)

David Jones' form on his loan stint may be a wild card of sorts, as well as how Darren Fletcher and Alan Smith finish up this season as well.



I thought we needed at least two QUALITY mids to challenge the likes of Chelsea?

Only time will tell...

[johno]

Ballack! :D

actually... if we perform well enough from here on out he might be convinced to join us. Madrid hasn't exactly been doing well the last few years and while we haven't either, we're still better off and the solution to our problem is clear. Does anyone, but Ballacks' agent think that he's the answer to all of Madrid's problems? I don't think so.


I watched Bayern's game against gladbach and I was contemplating a Ballack/Rio partnership.

I watched highlights of Nigeria in ACN and then pictured a Mikel/Rio partnership... If Fergie has the balls to make Rio a permanent fixture in the midfield it could make our progress back to where we need to be alot quicker than if we needed to find 2 players in CM.

I guess only time well tell... but a player like Rosicky, Sally's hamsandwhich of Bayern, or Ballack would improve our ability to dismantle the bunker and create more chances from build up and improve our setpieces... if we were to pick up the Keane replacement its unlikely we'd have the wages or cash to move for such a dynamic player to accompany him.

[benni...]

After those two center midfielders we have, we need atleast one winger, either left or right.

[StrikerCW]

After those two center midfielders we have, we need atleast one winger, either left or right.
If Rio does well and maybe Alex moves Rooney back as well, then we may have that covered (although a decent backup would be nice) with Fletcher in there also.

For a winger, I am not so sure. I think Park does well enough for our team especially next year as I think he will be more set in the team and comfortable. Additionally, Cron will hopefully be back on form. This will have us two starters. Maybe Richardson can improve some more and give us a good backup, then we would really just need one more winger to provide rotational service out ther enext season (barring injury). Perhaps Lee Martin is ready? I am not sure but its possible. Don't forget Ole too, for hopefully next season at least.

[johno]

At CM if we keep Rio in the middle then we need a holding player to cover for him... perhaps Smith/Fletcher can cover that... we need an attacking midfielder though... Jones will be cover for that player and perhaps Scholes will be back, but we need at least 1 CM, 2 if Rio isn't kept in the middle...

on the wings, don't forget Giggs...

Park/Ronaldo starting... Giggs, Richardson, Ole in reserve. If we don't keep Ole then we'll need another winger.

[StrikerCW]

Jones is doing well in the Dutch league. Which, granted, isn't the EPL but Ajax and PSV are pretty damn good teams that would stand a chance in the EPL. If he continues doing consistantly well over there, I think he may stand a chance of making the position his own next season (hopefully next to Rio).

One thing about Fletcher that I have wondered this season is you guys say he is close to God when he has the midfield to control himself. That being said since Keano has left he has been playing with Smith, O'Shea, and co. How could he not thusly take control of the midfield which such players that are obviously not controllers of the play? He hasn't really thus far, at least he hasn't been setting it ablaze like they say he does for Scotland.

[benni...]

If Rio does well and maybe Alex moves Rooney back as well, then we may have that covered (although a decent backup would be nice) with Fletcher in there also.

For a winger, I am not so sure. I think Park does well enough for our team especially next year as I think he will be more set in the team and comfortable. Additionally, Cron will hopefully be back on form. This will have us two starters. Maybe Richardson can improve some more and give us a good backup, then we would really just need one more winger to provide rotational service out ther enext season (barring injury). Perhaps Lee Martin is ready? I am not sure but its possible. Don't forget Ole too, for hopefully next season at least.
Nah, we cant do that. Keep Rio and Rooney out of their original positions. Those are just temporary stop gaps. I think this announcement about us having money is turning me into a chelsea fan type moster....

Someone slap me please ....

But honestly, its about depth, and no playing players out of position. We brought Vidic and Evra and now we have quality depth at the back, in most positions.

For the forward striker position, we have decent quality in depth. Its just in midfield we havet he problem. The solution is not taking players and playing them out of position.

Once we get rid of some of our extra baggage (Fortune, Miller) and the likes of Scholes, Ole, and Giggsy retire there will be room for new players on the salary wage bill.

As for our winger solution, Giggs and Ole are done. They cannot be relied upon anymore. As they aged, they became more inconsistant. We cannot do with that much longer. We cannot wait till December before our supposed playmakers hit form. That may be ok for squadies, but thats not what Scholes and Giggs are.

[Vermont Red]

Although I'm a Fletcher supporter, I agree that so far this season Fletcher has not done enough to be thought of as an automatic selection in the starting eleven next season. He has from now until the end of the season to earn that spot.

I think that if we can buy one outstanding CM (I'll call him "Mr. Pink"), then we'll be okay. Mr. Pink, Jones, Fletcher, maybe Scholes and whoever else, including maybe a young CM who could develop, should be adequate. Move Smith back up front, move Rio back, move O'Shea to the left (end of the bench), play Rooney up front.

[StrikerCW]

Your entitled to your opinion, I guess this is just something we are going to have to agree to disagree with. If Rio does well (and by well I mean would be starting in DM had he been a DM) then why not play him that? We wouldn't have to buy another one (which would be helluva expensive compared to a CB) and buy another good young CB.

On Rooney, he is 20 years old, he can't even buy beer in America yet. He could just as easily play an attacking midfield player at this time in his life as striker, he is still young and should be able to mould his game much more so than older players normally are going backwards. Also, he wouldn't be another Smith (I would think) as he would be playing AM not DM as Smith was expected. We still have great depth at forward if Rooney moves back. Ruud, Rossi, Saha, then Campbell and Ebanks-Blake in 2 years time or so.

edit: but I will concede IF we can get a good player to come in the summer to partner Jones/Fletcher/Scholes then that will be great as well

[benni...]

Your entitled to your opinion, I guess this is just something we are going to have to agree to disagree with. If Rio does well (and by well I mean would be starting in DM had he been a DM) then why not play him that? We wouldn't have to buy another one (which would be helluva expensive compared to a CB) and buy another good young CB.


On Rooney, he is 20 years old, he can't even buy beer in America yet. He could just as easily play an attacking midfield player at this time in his life as striker, he is still young and should be able to mould his game much more so than older players normally are going backwards. Also, he wouldn't be another Smith (I would think) as he would be playing AM not DM as Smith was expected. We still have great depth at forward if Rooney moves back. Ruud, Rossi, Saha, then Campbell and Ebanks-Blake in 2 years time or so.

Lets say this.... Wes Brown gets hurt, Alan Smith gets hurt, Louis Saha gets hurt, and then Rooney gets hurt after being burntout.

What will we do then? We are back to having the problems we are having now.