Writings on the Ball

In the second blog post of my series on Manchester United's ideal summer transfer targets, I focused on a central defensive midfielder and the impact that signing a player in that position would have on the side's style of play, going forward into a crucial year. In this post, I intend to focus on another such integral position; one which has been scrutinized and debated for many years: the centre back (CB). Manchester United have been a club blessed with some of the best centre backs to ever play the game, with fans still singing the praises of the formidable partnership formed by Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand. Rio and Vidic formed an indelible partnership, the likes of which will go down in footballing history as one of the most resolute defensive partnerships at the back. However, in the post- Sir Alex Ferguson era, it is an area of the pitch that has been neglected and filled with subpar and mediocre talent. It was the legendary Ferguson who once observed " Attack w...

In a blog post last week , I focused on right winger Jadon Sancho, and why capturing his signature is of vital importance to Manchester United going into this 2021-2022 season. However, the executives at United would do well to note that if they are to position the club in a manner to be genuinely competitive on all fronts ( including in Europe ) from a silverware perspective, there are a few more additions required to be made on the personnel front. In this post, I intend to focus on the central-defensive midfielder (colloquially, CDM). A lot of United fans believe that a centre-back, or a backup right-back, or a striker, are all more important than signing a CDM. However, while there is no disputing the fact that adding quality in those positions will indeed make us a more formidable team, a central defensive midfielder is a crucial necessity, and one which could shore up the backbone of United's defensive structure, and offensive organization.   A moniker which has always held t...

The 2020-21 domestic footballing season is officially concluded, and all eyes are now moving towards Euro 2020. In this context, a date that all football clubs around the world would have marked out on their calendars is fast approaching: June 09, 2021. For the uninitiated, June 09, 2021 marks the beginning of two and a half months of drama, rumours, incessant analysis, and clubs running from pillar to post to either bid for, or clarify stories surrounding their players / potential acquisitions. Yes, the Summer Transfer Window is upon us. Transfer market activity is a must for United With the 2021-22 English Premier League scheduled to kick-off on August 14, 2021 and the Euros scheduled to wrap up on July 12, like all other clubs around the world, Manchester United will be keen to wrap up key transfer business which will shape their squad going into a crucial year for the club's development. There is, indeed, a lot at stake. With a solid 2nd place finish in the Premier League to bu...