Breaking the Habit - A Man United rebuild

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@CO88LER5 wrote:
Good set of results - even pushing City close. Fancy getting Coventry in the FA Cup - what a coincidence.
Third place, within touching distance of the top, is good, but I get the feeling this is the limit at the moment - another level required to win the title?
Jonathan David doesn't seem to be doing much...

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Coventry - yeah that was a coincidence, haha. I also considered mentioning it specifically about having just beat them in the 2024 semi finals or something, but I didn't want to jinx anything and left it unsaid 😉

Title win is possible, but I also feel that will be something for another season. Top 4 is the aim here, anything more will just be a bonus. But with Conference League football last season and the Europa League in this one, it's certainly time to return to the Champions League.

Jonathan David struggles for game time with Højlund and Toney being my preferred number 9s. Both are also the classic big and strong type of a number 9, whilst David appears shorter and adds less in terms of playing with his back against the opposition's goal. He's more versatile though, so when I do play him, he's covered in several positions and not only the central one.

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@CO88LER5 wrote:
Rasmus Hojlund - the Manchester United 1-man team!!!
Seriously, though, you seem to be getting the best out of him.
Doing well in the league - if only a couple of the draws had become wins. Still, fairly well clear of Spurs at the moment, which is not bad.

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Yes, good player indeed. Of course scoring 5 in 1 game also helps bringing his number up, making him appear even more crucial than he's been.

Cause really, I do rotate quite a lot between him and Toney as the front man. 

Dear board members! @CO88LER5 @Danimal5981 @thurlow885 @Stlducks4 @sonofthepitch 

We would like to know your opinion on the following matter. We are looking for an English midfielder, who will be tasked with playing as a deep playmaker for us. We have identified two targets and need your help to decide which one to sign.

Any thoughts or feedback is most welcome.

When I had Gomez in the past, he was forever pestering me to play him - even when I did.

I'd probably go for Gallagher.

On other things, Miretti is a good signing.  I've got him in my Plymouth career and he's very good.

@JustinCase0110did you look at patino, hackney, or wharton? i know you've narrowed it down to gallagher and gomes, though, so it's your call. if playmaking is the profile, then i'd say gomes, but if a more defensive-minded player is the aim, then gallagher.

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@CO88LER5 wrote:

When I had Gomez in the past, he was forever pestering me to play him - even when I did.

I'd probably go for Gallagher.

On other things, Miretti is a good signing.  I've got him in my Plymouth career and he's very good.

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Thanks mate! I also started approaching Gallagher, and I thought it made sense following the Mount and ESR signings.

But then I got a notification that Angel Gomes was leaving Lille for another club, and I thought it was something I needed to consider. Can't sign them both though.

Miretti, yes I know. I actually had another Italian in mind, Simone Pafundi, who was loaned out to Lausanne - another INEOS club - but the timing wasn't right. Miretti was a better fit for now.

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@sonofthepitch wrote:

did you look at patino, hackney, or wharton? i know you've narrowed it down to gallagher and gomes, though, so it's your call. if playmaking is the profile, then i'd say gomes, but if a more defensive-minded player is the aim, then gallagher.

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No, I didn't look at any of those. But they all seem like great young prospects for the number 6 role.

Having just signed Miretti and Iling-Junior, this time I'm interested in a more experienced player though. But I do appreciate the suggestions, thanks.

Playmaker or defensive-minded? A bit of both, I suppose. I wanted to move Mainoo a bit forward, seeing him as a Seedorf-type. So I kind of pictured someone like Pirlo to dictate the play from the deep (using prime Milan as the metaphor). However, I also need the defensive abilities to be good enough as the anchor behind Mainoo and ESR (possible first 11).

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@sonofthepitch wrote:
i hear ya. the only other one i can think of would be ward-prowse, perhaps

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Thanks, yeah I've signed him before, actually, in a similar "rebuild" save. So I'll try something else this time. Thanks for weighing in here, it's fun to include the community from time to time...

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@CO88LER5 wrote:
Potentially good signing, especially compared with Gomez.
Lunin is a good piece of business.
Just wish the real United could make this kind of progress.
Yet another big upheaval this summer, I think.

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Not gonna lie, the current abysmal state of the club is also what draws me to do yet another Man United save at the moment.

If things were just fine and dandy at Man United IRL, I'm sure I would spend my FIFA-hours differently.

@JustinCase0110
Good start to the PL, especially nicking a win against Arsenal.
Interesting that the Champions League have pitted United against Copenhagen again, after this season's disaster against them in real life...I wonder if you'll be up against Lautaro Martinez at Inter?  If so, you'll have to be sharp, defensively.
Nice to see Gallagher doing well; a better choice than Gomez would have been I reckon.