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Summer 2014 Transfer Thread

Where does van Gaal fit RVP, Rooney, Mata, DiMaria, Herrera and Falcao? If he sticks with his 3-5-2, that's 6 of the front 7.
 
And then Danny Blind in the holding midfield role and you're set. RVP and Falcao up front, Rooney and DiMaria on the wings, Mata, Herrera and Blind in the center. I honestly can't see a single way that could be trouble. Nope, not one.
 
As usual, Rooney is the problem. He's still one of their most productive players and still half impossible to slot correctly into a workable formation. He's not a good enough partner to use as a second pure forward and really better up the middle than out wide ... but he's never shown the ability to defend that you need if you slide him all the way back into midfield. Oh, and Mata pretty much has to play out wide to avoid completely wasting yet another player's true effectiveness.
 
----------------------- Falcao ---------------------

DiMaria ----------------------------------- RVP

----------- Rooney - Blind - Herrera -----------

Shaw ---------- Rojo ----- Jones ----- Smalling


Mata sits in the big games for me. At home you can drop Blind back into D, sit either Shaw or Rojo and put Mata back in as one of a 3 behind Falcao.
 
----------------------- Falcao ---------------------

DiMaria ----------------------------------- RVP

----------- Rooney - Blind - Herrera -----------

Shaw ---------- Rojo ----- Jones ----- Smalling


Mata sits in the big games for me. At home you can drop Blind back into D, sit either Shaw or Rojo and put Mata back in as one of a 3 behind Falcao.

That means a tactical change from his 3-5-2. With the formation you laid out, if he drops Blind back, it could be the 4-1-4-1 that Loew deployed in the WC final against Argentina.
 
And again ... I don't like Rooney in that role as a pure midfielder, and I don't think Rooney likes it either. He never seems to muster much when used like that.
 
I think he has to go back to a flat back 4, the English players seem totally lost in it and they don't have an experienced head around to talk them through it.

Also if they stick with a 5 then who players Right Wing back? Rafael? Valencia? You are then forced to sit 1 of your best players to make room for a so-so player.

If you switch to 4 at the back he can do umpteen things in front of that.

The 4-1-4-1 you suggested, a normal 4-4-2, a 4-4-2 with a diamond, a 4-3-3, a 4-2-3-1 and on and on.
 
And again ... I don't like Rooney in that role as a pure midfielder, and I don't think Rooney likes it either. He never seems to muster much when used like that.

I agree. If LVG switches to a back 4 and goes with a 4-2-3-1, he could put Rooney directly behind Falcao with DiMaria and RVP on the wings. Rooney either has to play up top or in a withdrawn position in the center. I don't think anything else works with him.
 
I agree. If LVG switches to a back 4 and goes with a 4-2-3-1, he could put Rooney directly behind Falcao with DiMaria and RVP on the wings. Rooney either has to play up top or in a withdrawn position in the center. I don't think anything else works with him.

Problem with that being that RVP tends to check out mentally when he's used out wide. Honestly ... I like their talent level but there's a lot about their mix that still causes concerns.
 
The least interesting Transfer Deadline day in history (well we didn't even bother starting a thread) drifts towards a close.

The big deals of the days so far are

Andre Schurrle to Wolfsburg for about £22mill

and

Robert Huth to Leicester on Loan.


Thrilling.
 
C'mon man ... Villa got Scott Sinclair on loan.


OK ... I get your point. Really nothing much happening in this window since a lot of the big money clubs either are set with what they've got or restricted by other issues ... ahem, Barca.
 
There have been a few other deals through the month but other than Bony & Paulista nothing realy major.

I do like the Jack Cork deal for Swansea though

Jack Cork [Southampton - Swansea] Undisclosed
Scott Sinclair [Manchester City - Aston Villa] Loan
Callum McManaman [Wigan - West Brom] around £4.75m
Gabriel Paulista [Villarreal - Arsenal] £11.2m
Kyle Naughton [Tottenham - Swansea City] £5m
Jermain Defoe [Toronto - Sunderland] Undisclosed
Andrej Kramaric [FC Rijeka - Leicester] £9m
Wilfried Bony [Swansea - Manchester City] £28m
Victor Valdes [Unattached - Manchester United] Free
 
Had to figure this was probably coming considering Mike Ashley's links with Newcastle and Rangers

From the BBC
Rangers are hopeful of concluding loan deals for four Newcastle players before the midnight transfer deadline in Scotland. Gael Bigirimana, Haris Vuckic, Kevin Mbabu and Remie Streete are the players involved.
 
Ricky Lambert reportedly turned down a move to Villa that would have netted Liverpool a £1 million profit. Hard to see him getting much time at Anfield with Sturridge back.
 
In other news, Celtic managed their annual pillage of other Scottish clubs by landing two players from Dundee United. Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong join a fairly crowded Celtic midfield and completely under-cut Dundee's chances in the upcoming Cup final against the Hoops. Mackay-Steven is probably seen as an eventual replacement for an aging Chris Commons, but they've already got about 5 guys who share time doing what Armstrong does.

Typical, classic SPL moves. The stronger clubs use the weaker ones as feeders to augment their own development programs. It's part of the MANY structural problems plaguing Scottish football in this era.
 
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