May
31
2007
How can Manchester United improve this summer?
As part of our 2006/2007 Premiership season-end review, here’s a look at how Manchester United’s season went. Read up, then offer your own advice on how Manchester United can improve this summer.
- Pre-season expectations: Critics and armchair pundits expected Mancheser United to struggle for a Champions League spot, and there was little hope for Europe as well. However, Manchester United had the players (and the manager) to mount a serious challenge to Chelsea’s dominance.
- Season evaluation: A successful season in all terms, winning the Premiership, reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League and the final of the FA Cup. People point to the Chelsea and Milan losses (as well as the Arsenal double) as evidence that United lack that edge to beat the top teams. United proved however that they are still one of the best clubs in Europe and that with more experience (and a couple of new players) they could easily continue their dominance of the Premiership and make a real crack at the Champions League in the future.
- The Big Negative: United lacked experience at times in the big games and perhaps a little tactical application.
- The Big Positive: The team spirit and self-belief, especially in Europe.
- Summer Priority: United already have 3 deals in place to bring in Hargreaves, Nani and Anderson, so all that’s left is to ensure that all players are fit for the pre-season. Some sales are also required to make space for the young kids, especially Pique, Evans and Rossi.
Manchester United emphatically proved their critics wrong and now they will go into the next season aiming for at least a top 2 finish and another last 4 Champions League finish.
Now it’s your turn: How do you think Manchester United can improve this summer?
Also see:
- The complete list for the Premiership 2006/2007 season reviews.
- Do you have what it takes to be a football manager?
All the latest football headlines.
I still think we need an attacking partner for Rooney. Sure, we’ve spend huge money on three world class players, but I still believe we need to have a real goalscorer in our squad. This season we were lucky to have C.Ronaldo in spectacular form, scoring 17 goals. Rooney scored 14. But we need a striker like Samuel Eto’o who garantees 22-25 goals per season. If we could get him I would be overjoyed. Without doubt the best team in the world. If we buy a striker we should buy someone with great pace. This united-teams greatest ability is the pace when we are attacking and not many players are faster than Eto’o;D
Well, most of the hard work has been done by purchasing a player to finally replace keane (OH), one for giggs (nani) and one that seems to be class in anderson. Finally, we have real strength in depth and these players will also be key players in a few years time.
A lot depends now on whether sir alex sells players like heinze and saha. Personally, if he were to sell both of them we need to look for backups to our first team in those positions - more so at LB as the thought of EIH playing there sends shivers…. perhaps baines? 6m? thats a fair deal although id rather keep heinze.
if saha does go (which would leave us very short in terms of height up front) , i think we need a real out and out striker. OGS is not anywhere near what he was, smith is a decent backup at best and rossi is no doubt class but even so, not an out and out striker and we cant expect too much from him so early.
tbh, I cant wait for the new season. Hell! I cant wait for pre season to see the new players in a red shirt even if it is against Urawa reds….
Why not go for Crouch?
2006/7 was an excellent season all round - not only did we win the Premiership but we did so playing really fluent attacking football for the most part. Giggs and Scholes rolled back the years and were incredibly influential, and Ronaldo had a stellar season. Rooney struggled a little before Christmas (thanks to being rushed back for the World Cup and then banned by a grateful FA for being sent off in an innocuous pre-season friendly). Saha did really well before Christmas and showed us how a mobile centre-forward could be the focal point of team attacking play as opposed to being purely a finisher a la Ruud.
The interesting thing for me was the formation and performance against Roma at home - two holding midfielders (Carrick & Fletcher) and an incredibly fluid attacking quartet interchanging at will. That is the way I would like to see United play next year and that is why Hargreaves is such an excellent buy. With him and Carrick anchoring the midfield that gives licence to whichever of Ronaldo, Rooney, Giggs, Nani, Anderson, Rossi, Smith etc get the nod.
I would like to see another forward brought in as Saha is so fragile - I would far rather see Benni McCarthy or Etoo than Berbatov who for me is like a really skilfull Ruud - does not really link the play and is not quick enough. Fergie has said many times that pace is the real key and that is a major factor in United’s style, so a front man who slows the play down is not going to add anything no matter how skilfull he is.
In defence, Gabby should go - he fought back in the second half of the season but his distribution was not good enough and he has lost some of his pace just as Stam did after his serious injury. I thought Evra was excellent and with Silvestre and O’Shea in reserve I think we are OK at the back with the exception of cover for Gary Nev - Micah Richards would be nice!!.
Pique and Evans should return along with Rossi and if we can add one more striker I think we will have the best balanced and most exciting squad in the Premiership with tons of pace and skill.
Should be a great 2007/8
manchester will have a new good season
ik like the transfers allot
anderson is verry talented and nani is good midfielder but he also can be used as a striker with his power thats verry good
anderson will not play so much i think because with the arrival of hargreaves they have a good midfield:
scholes,giggs,ronaldo,carrick,hargreaves,anderson
anderson will be the sub of giggs i think
but he’s verry nice
All Hail Manunited
I would like to see us being more adventurous away from home in Europe. There seems to be an obsession with playing 451 and being negative instead of playing the style of football that served us so well in the premiership. I think we show some of our Champions League oponents too much respect.
I think Utd might use 4-3-3 more with this line-up:
VDS/BF/TK -
Neville (Brown/Simpson/Bardsley), Vidic (Evans), Ferdinand (Pique), Evra (Silvestre) -
Hargreaves (O’Shea) -
Scholes (Anderson/Rossi), Carrick (Fletcher) -
Ronaldo (Park), Giggs (Nani)
Rooney (Saha/Smith)
Reserves: Lee, Eagles, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer/Fangzhuo
But on the other hand, who am I to be right, last year I said we’ll sign Senna and we’d go far in the Champions League with that, LOL!
I think Utd might use 4-3-3 more with this line-up:
VDS/BF/TK -
Neville (Brown/Simpson/Bardsley), Vidic (Evans), Ferdinand (Pique), Evra (Silvestre) -
Hargreaves (O’Shea) -
Scholes (Anderson/Rossi), Carrick (Fletcher) -
Ronaldo (Park), Giggs (Nani/Richardson)
Rooney (Saha/Smith)
Reserves: Lee, Eagles, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer/Fangzhuo
But on the other hand, who am I to be right, last year I said we’ll sign Senna and we’d go far in the Champions League with that, LOL!
in response to fred -why not go for crouch? because he is not good enough to lace rooney’s boots let alone play alongside him
What’s wrong with you people? You actually want Silvestre instead of Heinze? Are you nuts? All these years I (and the majority of Utd fans) have been waiting to see the back of him and now when there is a chance people want him to stay?!? Are you sure you want good to Man Yoo? Do something, Ahmed!(you wrote yesterday:”Heinze is not leaving (more on this tomorrow)”) on the thread “A quick update on Manchester United, Nani and Anderson”. Shed some light, man!
We have found replacements for Keane,giggs and scholes this summer and i think that we could go about finding one for RvN now,should get rid of Silvestre,Saha and maybe Fletch even though this will never happen as he seems to be SAF’s favourite player,he had a decent season but it doesn’t make up for three or four bad ones with Nani and Anderson coming in Richardson is unneeded as well
Obviously I’d prefer Heinze over Silvestre, but I don’t see that happening, maybe you’re (ttts) right. Maybe what Heinze is looking for is some fans craving him to stay, maybe he wants somebody to pull his shirt and hold onto it and show that he’s important, just a 1/10 of what we showed Ronaldo when he was leaving, and if that’s enough, I’d show him that, I’m not sure if other fans are “reading” the acts of Heinze in the same way, but that might be it! If a part of the Utd-fans just hold on to his shirt and pull him towards us and not Real Madrid just giving up on him, he might stay! So if a few fans gets heard he might stay, maybe the fans aren’t showing enough commitment towards him!
crouch?? no F|_|(|
I reckon a new striker would be on the way soon, but i kindda got the feeling that either Saha or Smith will be leaving.
i would say,man utd must buy samuel eto’o . as i belive no body could do like he do im very interested on him from 2004-2007 his all games causes a goal he is so actractive if its possible for man utd exchange saha with eto and add money for barcelona .
worldclass signings: nani, anderson, and hargraves. personally i agree we should sell: smith, saha, richardson, and definatly silvestre. we also need to make sure we hang onto pique, evans, and rossi. all 3 off which should be loaned out, because they are potential superstars.
With all those talented Kids ,we don’t have a decent goal scorer ,I think we have over paid for Owen , i am not sure about the other two. so fergi will look for cheaper striker and a good one and this could be Beni mecarty from Rover’s ,he is talented striker and he loves to play in man united and don’t forget that he is second best goal scorer of the season.
What United need is a reliable goalscorer alongside Rooney. We haven’t really replaced Ruud. If Huntelaar doesn’t arrive I think it would be a good move to have Rossi regularly available. Here in Italy (Parma) he’s done really well against what are arguably the best defences in Europe.
Eto’o to United - NEVER GONNA HAPPEN and doesnt need to happen! People talk like United are starved of goals, they outscored everyone in the league! United play as a team, at pace with goals coming from everyone (only Heinze and Neville of all outfield first team didnt score). When we had Ruud, the team revolved around him, and we struggled. Fergie is trying to follow Milans blue print, 2 holding midfielders, 3 attacking midfielders and a forward, exactly how we played against Roma in the 7-1 game, Fletcher and Carrick sitting in front of the back 4, with Giggs, Rooney and Ronaldo supporting Smith. Having 2 holding midfielders allowed one of them (carrick to venture forward and sit between the half way line and the oppostion 18yard box and collect any balls that come deep and have a pop, resulting in 2 goals.
I dont think fergie’s going to buy some cheap striker just for the sake of it. Recent transfer policy seems to be to buy quality young players- which come at a premium. Better to part with big money for quality than pay small sums for players that are only going to be squad players at best- ala benitez!
What about the 2 brazilian twin we were meant to hav signed. Does anyone know what’s happened to them ???
For those that have this belief that we will or even capable to buy Eto’o are completely INSANE. The chances of that happening are equal to the probability of Watford winning the EPL next year - which means there’s no chance, as Watford aren’t in the EPL next season.
Be realistic - acknowledging the quality of a player is fair enough - but this ain’t Football Manager or some other game where you can almost transfer any player at will. We certainly don’t have 30m+ to spend after our whirlwind signings recently.
People are coming on speaking about how Benni is a cheap option. Thats ridiculous. Benni WAS a cheap option last season but after some stellar performances (highlighted by the fact that he was the second top scorer this year in the EPL, if I’m not mistaken) and considering that Blackburn don’t want to sell, he will command a fee of at least 12-15m. Considering his age, that is just not an option. We might as well look elsewhere and buy a player who will provide a more long term option. A name thats continuously cropped up is KJH. Again, people are saying that 12m is the price. Thats even more INSANE. This for a player thats scored something like 60 goals in 70 matches for Ajax and is still relatively young. We paid 19-20m for Ruud. This guy will cost that much if not more. Secondly, do we need a player like him anyway. Im not doubting his quality as a goalscorer. The records speak for themselves but my point is that with the system we are likely to play, our central striker needs to be very mobile with excellent movement and athletisism. Much like Saha, but less injury-prone.
If we are looking for a ‘cheaper’ option as a striker, without doubt that choice should be Darren Bent. One I’ve been going on about millions of timest. a) He is pretty young (24?) b) proven goalscorer in the EPL with Charlton, c) Charlton are relegated and in all likelihood a player of his ability will not be wanting to waste his talents in the Championship, d) he is an athletic, pacey striker much the same as the man he should replace (Saha) but not as ‘glassman’ like as the Frenchman.
EVDS
Neville Ferdinand Vidic Evra
Hargreaves Carrick
Ronaldo Scholes Giggs
Rooney
Thats how I see us starting the season, with Anderson for Scholes and Nani for Giggs as the season goes on. Bloody good substituions to make late in a game against tired legs too! I expect Kuszack to go out on loan and Foster to start seriously challenging EVDS too.
Those who actually follow Utd, know that it seems Ben Foster won’t be available for a while, so sending Kuszczak out on loan would be quite stupid!
why shudnt we go for henry!!!…after all arsenal will sell him for a gud amt of money!!!
I think manu can improve by gettin in a class striker like Davld Villa 2 play alongside Rooney.They should also play Ole more often as he still has quite alot left in him an is very deadly towards the end of the game.Manu could also do with a good winger like Ricado Quaresma to take Giggs place coz if there is 1 winger who can compete wit Ryan at the monent it’s Quresma.Defencively Manu r great an don’t really need any1.
If these changes do take place Manu then they will b unbeatable:-)
Anelka for MU! the new cantona!
i think utd have most of the answers to the questions thrown by critics now……(who’d replace scholes,giggs..etc) in the form of anderson nd nani. id love to see ferguson doing what he does best-attack,attack and more attack!!! especially in europe.id go for a 4 2 3 1 formation for utd this season with the 2 being hargreaves nd carrick, the 3 being nani scholes anderson behind rooney. well, as far as a striker is concerned….i guess eto may be out f our budget….but id love to see huntlaar at OT!!
GO UNITED!!!!
Why everyone keep talking in MU getting a new striker? It would be just a waste of money for nothing. With Carrick/Hargreaves Giggs(Nani)/Schools(Anderson)/C.Ronaldo Rooney, who would be getting out of the team so that the fantastic striker could come in. Not to mention that finding a striker that could play with the team without disrupting the style is hard. It has to be very mobile and able to fall towards both wings. And even if they got such a striker, don’t expect him to score a lot of goals, he would score between 15-20 a season. The striker would be more playing towards the team than to himself, and would most of the time trying to opening spaces so that the other 3 attacking members get a chance to goal that actually trying to make a goal. In fact, that wouldn’t be a striker but a fake striker, and that is what Rooney does in the team, making the acquisition of a striker a big waste of money.
What MU really needs is a right defender, since its the weakest link at the moment. Or if they would going for another striker, then they should first start working on a three man defense line, but that is not a easy thing to do. Hard to get the right defenders, they already have Ferdinand, just needed two more… and then probably MU would buy Yannick Djalo, since it appears that MU has an obsession for Sporting players…
I think that the arrival of Hargreaves alone will make a huge difference to United next season. I know it might sound strange, but as talented and exciting as Anderson and Nani are, im more excited about seeing the difference Hargreaves will make. I think because this season with the likes of Giggs, Ronaldo, Rooney, Scholes, Saha, etc. i always felt like we had an attack to match anyone. It was defensively at times that my nerves were shot to pieces. So this coming season, with the prospect of Hargreaves protecting the back four added to last seasons performances it can only mean more posession and more attacking. Throw into that Nani, another winger to match Ronaldo’s pace and the picture keeps getting brighter. I certainly think Giggs and Scholesy played too many games last season, Giggs especially, his legs were gone by the end. Lets see the likes Rossi, Pique maybe even Evans get a chance, although i think Evans will probably go back out on loan. I think Foster has a good case for the number one jersey next year too. Fergie needs to give him time, and if he drops a clanger, so be it. Its time we faced up to the fact that we will NEVER replace Sir Peter of Schmeichel.
So surley all boads well. I for one will be hoping for another league title and hopefully another good run at the CL. I dont think thats too much to ask.
Is it?
I really hope Heinze will stay on in this team, then we will be more prepared if something terrible would happen in our defense!
Manu should sell long time injured Saha,and a “not star” Alan Smith…
They should also buy 1 long term striker and loan a short-term expereienced striker like Larrson, that was a good choice.
As for defence, a right-back is needed…Michael Richards is a good sub for Neville but Daniel Alves will be a better one. Van Der Saar is too old,(37), so Manu should start finding a new experienced star goalkeeper!
Well… I really dont think we need another striker, cos Saha whe he is fit and the so call “not a star” Alan Smith would be more then enough cover for Ronney in a 4-2-3-1 system. Saha is a mobile centre-forward could be the focal point of team attacking play when he is fit and Alan smith is more then capable as playing as a target man hold in the ball or doing flik on linking play for the Attack mid. Futhermore we have Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (a matcher sub- some of u may not agree) and Fangzhuo (as mobile and fast as Saha just need to important his skill and gain more exp as he is still very young)
With Giggs(Nani)/Schools(Anderson)/C.Ronaldo(ronney if he not playing a forward) sitting behind whichever sticker ferg decied to use… you be looking at lot of goal.
Suraj - did you forget about Ronaldo in the past week??
I’d probably prefer Ronaldo to be one of the 3 behind Rooney
VDS
Neville - Rio - Vida - Evra
Hargo - Carrick
Ronaldo - Scholes - GIggs
Rooney
This will be SAF’s preferred lineup at the beginning of the season. It might change along the season, and I think Anderson is the most likely to break into the formation, since it looks perfect for him.
A thing not a lot of people seem to remember is the fact that SAF will probably still play 4-4-2 quite a lot in must-win games (which are quite a few):
VDS
Neville - Rio - Vida - Evra
Ronaldo - Hargo/Carr/Scho/Giggs/Ander (any 2) - Giggs/Nani
ROoney - Saha
But what great options the 3 new signings provide us with. Can’t wait till July.
manu definetely needs a striker …we have a wonderful midfield hence a striker would definetely be that final requirement..which will give us the edge over others…even if it is anelka or saviola who is 25 and for free is a quality investment…smith and saha has not been great….hence a quality striker is the need….if it is eto,alves or huntelaar(which looks impossible) would be great..but even otherwise somebody is required.rooney is not a out and out striker..hence to back him we mneed a quality finisher…
manu till death
waiting for a quadruple.
im afraid that anderson will be performed same like the Brazilian’s Klaberson.huh..
Last Season united played 442 which was down as GKP VDS, DR G NEVILLE, DC FERD & DC VIDIC with EVRA DL, MIDFIELD was MR Ronaldo, MC Carrick, MC Scholes, ML Giggs and Rooney Saha as SC. every game before we played came up with this formation on TV if these players were available.
What actually happened as we played though was Ronaldo went upfront, carrick came over and filled his space, giggs came in midfield and held the ball for Evra to go up the left wing.
This was to preserve our left wing attacking as giggs struggles to keep going up there now.
so with a strike force of ronaldo, saha, & rooney do we need another striker as we have back up in smith and ogs and rossi & anderson next season.
Jonesy - absolutely correct analysis of how our players move around the pitch. With Nani we should have a future threat on the left wing, which will make our attacking game even harder to read…and even faster. But I guess it’s going to take some time for Nani to have that impact, which is why the timing of the signings is so great.
Giggs will last longer next season when not playing internationals anymore, so there’s plenty of time for Nani to learn.
The same goes for Anderson. But with him in the line-up, there’s no way we’ll play a regular 4-4-2…he couldn’t possibly be good enough in terms of work-rate…or could he?
I think there’s a good chance of us playing something like 4-1-3-1-1:
VDS
Nev - Rio - Vida - Evra
Hargreaves
Ronaldo - Carrick - Giggs/Nani
Scholes/Anderson/Rooney
Rooney/Saha
And by that pushing Carrick a bit forward, since we now have a DM that can hold his own protecting the defense.
In tougher games Carrick will move backwards a bit, which is not a problem at all, since we have surplus of speed in the attack now (Saha, Rooney, Nani, Ronaldo and Anderson - Giggs is still pretty fast with the ball, but not like the other 5).
It’s going to be really interesting to see how SAF doses Nani’s and Anderson’s playtime.
As far as Andersons work rate in concerned, from what ive read about him he is renowned for getting stuck in and is not averse to tracking back and tackling. His experience at left back means he will be now stranger to the physical part of the game, i.e. tackling. A real energetic player.
So im sure we will still employ 4-4-2 next season. But now we have the personell to chop and change tactics in game, and with the players we’ve added we now have the players to effectively play 4-2-3-1 (which will play more like 4-2-1-3(or 4-1-2-3 in attack) when we have the ball. I hope we bin the 4-5-1 though. Never seen it work well for us. Way too negative.
vds
nev rio vidic evra
ronaldo hargreaves carrick nani
anderson
rooney