Manchester United's desideratum before the transfer window shutdown

As the transfer window bandwagon grips through the media, fans, supporters, clubs, agents there are mixed reactions from various people encompassing the globe. Some clubs just overpay talents, some just buy established players, others pay hefty amounts to agents to sign players whilst there are some who actively replenish their squad with young talent breeding through their ranks. And certainly Manchester United is a team which thrives on making players rather than purchasing them.

On the other hand, every team will have chinks in the armor and certainly Manchester United are nothing different as demonstrated from the last season knockouts. Hence, every team needs re-inforcements and United’s smart spending process was explicable with the signings they made over this period.

On that account, there are a few substantial questions to ponder about. Let’s try to analyze the answers to a few.

Do we need a Central Midfielder ?

This is the most paramount of all questions and the answer is a ” BIG YES “. New blood has to be a prerequisite here. The most critical area of the team has been found wanting short of efficient armor to tackle the operational play on field and seize control of the game. If we can grab a tenacious, strong battling midfielder it will serve our purpose.

The following situation has been evidently visible. Scholes’s ageing legs are a class apart but it won’t serve us for the future, Giggs is not a midfielder by trade and can’t be relied upon a lot in the big games, Carrick is surely under-rated, Cleverly is yet to establish himself as a regular, Anderson has constantly under-achieved and struggled with injuries, Fletcher’s trouble with illness has hampered his return, and Pogba left for money after Morrison’s attitude behavioral departure. Powell is a good talent, yet cannot be rushed towards first team action straightaway.

The best elucidation can be to sign Sahin. Moreover, because he has already played with Kagawa who is quick, good on the ball, has an eye for goal and has the potential to be an important first team player. When the likes of Modric wants a lucrative to Madrid, Moutinho wanting to re-unite with his former manager at Spurs and Sneijder has been a long long tiresome subject it is best to choose amongst the rest. Thiago Alacantra, Javi Martinez, Strootman can serve alternative options.

Need for the Left back position

The constant speculation about the Baines saga has dropped low since the Moura acquisition mission has began. This has to be on the agenda after the midfield conundrum as we have already loaned out Fabio ( to QPR) and Fryers decided to part ways to Spurs, leaving us short of any specialist back-up in that position. If Evra gets injured or suspended and continues his inconsistent displays like last season and since United no more have a player of the calibre of O’Shea who was capable of adjusting anywhere in the back four, Brady ( a converted left-back from winger) and Tyler Blackett are the only two options seemingly available.

Rumors of the winger/playmaker

United missed out on signing Hazard, but the capture of Lucas Moura (if possible) will serve as a big gamble on an unproven player. The Red Devils have always been related with stories linked to Gaitan, Munian and most recently James Rodriguez. As soon as our “3 lung Park” left OT, rumor mills started working overclock on the Red Devils seemingly being interested in signing wingers. Though Park wasn’t the same player since he came back from injury couple of years ago, he was able to contribute with his immense energy on-field and produced superb displays in big games. L. Cole can surely be a future star but Bebe has been a huge disappointment since his arrival. The Red Devils surely have a solid gauntlet of attacking wingers in the form of Young, Valencia, Nani and Giggs but a signing wouldn’t be surplus but welcomed if affordable as per talent.

Curb the injury stricken squad members

I do think it’s strange how we’ve suffered far more with injuries in the last couple of years. It’s dubious whether it has been due to the intensity of the game or the training or workload. Anderson, in this regard, could be one of Sir Alex’s worst signings. Last season we had Vidic, Owen and Fletcher record long periods on the injury list along-with occasional support from Cleverley, Lindergaard, Jones, Smalling to name a few. A settled United team can be the best solution with occasional rotation and the tinkering of tactics kept to a minimum. I would rather want someone from the reserves to step up this season than sign someone who’s injury prone to serve as a sequel to the Hargreaves fiasco.

Are we in dire straits to sign a striker? ( The RVP situation )

In my opinion, the only logic that explains why SAF bid for RVP was to destabilize and confuse Mancini, he knew the bid wouldn’t be accepted. And obviously United won’t cough up 20 million for an injury-plagued striker. The signing depends on the formation we employ next season, because most certainly there will be a shift to 4-2-3-1 with Kagawa playing in the hole with Rooney upfront. The likely departures of Berbatov and Owen will prove for a lack of options if we decide to play 4-4-2. Though playing 4-1-3-2 can be aggresive and can bring a plethora of goals, this can also leave the defense highly exposed.

I think Welbeck still has a lot of room for improvement and Hernandez can learn more as well. Macheda hasn’t really progressed in the past couple of years and it’s probably the right time to let him go. Will Keane, through the ranks, is an interesting prospect indeed, but then to play in the big games, a marquee signing in the form of Llorente, Cavani, Damiao or someone else can prove major swoop. Dembele also can be an interesting option.

As I conclude, Sir Alex is a master tactician and in him we trust. So let’s wait patiently as the transfer magic unfolds in the next few days. We have always seen United shine and rise after the disappointing fall from grace last season and the new armor can act as the driving force to achieve much more in the times to come by.