Modric

[mightyez]

no doubt it would, bayern wouldnt sell those guys.
goetze well maybe but doubt we would pay the sort of money needed to take that deal through.
if dortmund keep developing and hang on to top players rather than lose 1 or 2 a year then he may want to stay there

[bharris]

I too would rather have Strootman (although I have only seen him a couple of times so know very little about him) he seems like a more well rounded midfielder who would add some grit in the centre, Modric is small, nimble, although he's a great player he's aging & doesn't add any steel.

Strootman looks far more solid, he's 6ft & his physical presence would be felt. In my mind now we have the creativeness of Kagawa we should concentrate on adding a different type of midfielder rather than a similar type.

[ginger18legend]

I feel a midfield of Modric, Carrick and Kagawa would hardly ever give the ball away which would negate the need for a 'midfield destroyer' of sorts. If we do need someone of that sort in certain games we can always bring in Fletcher (provided he actually returns to the squad) or move Jones into midfield.
I see Carrick's role in that midfield similar to Busquets' at Barca. Modric and Kaggy could be our Xavi and Iniesta respectively.

[Jayrannasaurus]

I saw a twitter post saying exactly those things ginger, the barca parallels i mean

[ginger18legend]

Jun 8, 2012 17:09:44 GMT Jayrannasaurus said:

I saw a twitter post saying exactly those things ginger, the barca parallels i mean

Hmm. Maybe I should ditch my day job and try football journalism

[Bestie]

Jun 8, 2012 17:03:20 GMT ginger18legend said:

I feel a midfield of Modric, Carrick and Kagawa would hardly ever give the ball away which would negate the need for a 'midfield destroyer' of sorts. If we do need someone of that sort in certain games we can always bring in Fletcher (provided he actually returns to the squad) or move Jones into midfield.
I see Carrick's role in that midfield similar to Busquets' at Barca. Modric and Kaggy could be our Xavi and Iniesta respectively.

Fuck trying to be Barcelona. We're Manchester United for fuck's sake. Let's try to play like them, I hear they used to be quite good once upon a time.

The point of having a player who can break up opposition play is that no team can have 100% possession in a game. We need a player who will go and win a challenge instead of our new standard 'back off to the 18 yard line and hope they kick it back to us' rubbish.

That's why Modric has to be second choice Strootman. Second relevance to a leader in midfield, not a craftsman.

[ginger18legend]

Jun 8, 2012 18:40:49 GMT Bestie said:

Jun 8, 2012 17:03:20 GMT ginger18legend said:

I feel a midfield of Modric, Carrick and Kagawa would hardly ever give the ball away which would negate the need for a 'midfield destroyer' of sorts. If we do need someone of that sort in certain games we can always bring in Fletcher (provided he actually returns to the squad) or move Jones into midfield.
I see Carrick's role in that midfield similar to Busquets' at Barca. Modric and Kaggy could be our Xavi and Iniesta respectively.

Fuck trying to be Barcelona. We're Manchester United for fuck's sake. Let's try to play like them, I hear they used to be quite good once upon a time.

The point of having a player who can break up opposition play is that no team can have 100% possession in a game. We need a player who will go and win a challenge instead of our new standard 'back off to the 18 yard line and hope they kick it back to us' rubbish.

That's why Modric has to be second choice Strootman. Second relevance to a leader in midfield, not a craftsman.

Bestie I know you have a profound dislike for everything to do with Barcelona but some of us actually enjoy watching them play.
Anyway, I wasn't saying we should convert our style of play to Barcelona's. However now that you mention it, wouldn't hurt us to keep the ball like they do. Its something we desperately lack. Its just my opinion though. Doesn't necessarily have to match yours. I like watching both United and Barca play. It doesn't have to be an either/or thing.

[Bestie]

No, it's not that it's Barcelona. This isn't "Bestie doesn't like Barca" schtick.
It's that it's anyone. Like I said, we are Manchester United. We have our own style and our own philosophies that have served us very well over the years. Width and lightening pace on the break, that mixture of warrior and footballing beauty in the centre of the park - often the same player.

Why can't we focus on getting back to doing what we are famous for and have been successful with, no matter what generation? That's what I want to see, not United trying to become the latest fad. Yes, our club has always evolved to maintain with the times but we have always had our identity and unique style. We innovate, we don't follow. Barca (as an example) have a way of playing football that makes them better than us? Then we adapt and improve on our way to make us better than them again. We don't just copy them. You're always going to be 2 steps behind if you try to do that.

To keep the ball the way Barcelona do would require us to move to the bazillion passing method that some people think is somehow entertaining for more than 5 minutes. We would lose something of the borderline reckless abandon that has made the United I have grown up with so fantastic to watch.

[SAF_Legend]

Agree with Bestie that we need a midfield general to win the balls back. We already have Kagawa and Cleverley who can be dynamic on the attack, so I would favor a defensive midfielder or a box-box midfielder than Modric.

Never seen Strootman play, so can't say much about him. And Tiote hasn't made much of an impression on me as I don't usually watch Newcastle. All I can say is... we need a tackle-crunching player (as we've all been saying for ages now).

Although I still maintain the belief that we probably won't sign anymore midfielders if we sign Powell. Unless we offload a few central midfielders.

Re: Barca style - I have to agree with Bestie. I would prefer it very much if we regain our "Manchester United Style". That included us retaining some good possession in midfield and final third as well, making quick-fire offensive plays too. There was a time where everyone hated us and at the same time, wanted to be like us.

[Tatty]

To be honest, Modric would turn is back into the Man Utd Bestie wants to see, only a more refined, version of that, IMO.

In other words, I'd rather have Modric than a DM.

[ginger18legend]

Jun 8, 2012 19:16:32 GMT Bestie said:

No, it's not that it's Barcelona. This isn't "Bestie doesn't like Barca" schtick.
It's that it's anyone. Like I said, we are Manchester United. We have our own style and our own philosophies that have served us very well over the years. Width and lightening pace on the break, that mixture of warrior and footballing beauty in the centre of the park - often the same player.

Why can't we focus on getting back to doing what we are famous for and have been successful with, no matter what generation? That's what I want to see, not United trying to become the latest fad. Yes, our club has always evolved to maintain with the times but we have always had our identity and unique style. We innovate, we don't follow. Barca (as an example) have a way of playing football that makes them better than us? Then we adapt and improve on our way to make us better than them again. We don't just copy them. You're always going to be 2 steps behind if you try to do that.

To keep the ball the way Barcelona do would require us to move to the bazillion passing method that some people think is somehow entertaining for more than 5 minutes. We would lose something of the borderline reckless abandon that has made the United I have grown up with so fantastic to watch.

I'd love it if we could get back to the swashbuckling United style of old. However, if that wasn't to happen I'd also be equally happy if we imbibed Barcelona's possession based style. I, for one, don't think there is anything boring about the way they play their football. It certainly is very pleasing on the eye. And I can definitely watch their entire season review without complaining, let alone 5 minutes.
Football is all about evolution. Sir Alex himself has conceded that their brand of football, at the moment, is superior to all others. It is no coincidence that every football journalist keeps reiterating that they have revolutionized how modern football is played.
We can live with our archaic stubbornness about our style being the best or we can choose to evolve. One thing is for sure, we're certainly not going places playing the kind of football we've played over the past couple of seasons.

[Tatty]

I'm with Bestie, Barca can bore me to tears at times, but they can be exhIilarating at times. But when we're on top form, like we wer're on top form, vs Arsenal, Chelsea & Boltoon, we're irresistible and I wouldn't swap that for the world.

[ginger18legend]

Jun 8, 2012 21:32:29 GMT Tatty said:

I'm with Bestie, Barca can bore me to tears at times, but they can be exhIilarating at times. But when we're on top form, like we wer're on top form, vs Arsenal, Chelsea & Boltoon, we're irresistible and I wouldn't swap that for the world.

I wouldn't either. No one would. What I am saying is that we shouldn't be completely dismissive of other ideologies and tactics if they can improve us.

[reddub]

Jun 8, 2012 14:10:44 GMT karthy said:

Not be a party popper but what peeps are forgetting is that with Modric and Strootman coming in along with kagawa , unless we are actually shipping out Ando and Nani( i hope that he doesn't go).

Two points.

Regarding people wondering why Spurs would sell Modric to us, they won't risk standing in his way again, and the fact we can offer Champions League football puts us in a decent position.

Again, i can't for the life of me understand this obsession that Nani's out the door.

Mainly me and Stewart have been of the opinion that he's going nowhere on this board. We were alluding to the fact that it would make zero sense to get rid of one of your best offensive options, and as Stewart said, who do we bring in to replace him without spending astronomical amounts of money?

[redcase]

I'm with bestie, fuck that Barcelona pass and bore nonsense. If you're trying to be like someone else you lose the essence of what made you in the first place. Just because it worked for them, it won't work for us. We can pass well I think , and with players like Kagawa coming in, that passing will have some meaning to it and will be more incisive. I much rather prefer making 350 passes and win 2-0 than make 600 passes to win 1-0. Fuck that. Having said that, I think someone of Strootman/Tiote's mould takes precedence over Modric, IMO.