The Transfer Season

It’s the transfer season once again. That time of the year when there’s minimal football to be seen and transfer gossip goes into overdrive.

A constant feature of this time of the year is the need by fans to know what players their clubs are interested, and then big up that player to the extent that such a player becomes ‘that missing link that the team needed last season’. This is the case whether or not said team succeeded in achieving its objective for the season. The reported target (as tabloids are wont to call such players) is viewed by the fans as the messiah, the man to lead to team to all conquering glory.

The simple truth is that football is a team game and one player cannot on his own lead his team to glory (yes, not even Lionel Messi), he needs a support cast- a team of decent players to ‘carry’ him.

If your team doesn’t get the player you’d like to see brought in, don’t go into a sulk and then predict doom for your team. The manager most probably has other ideas. That’s why he’s paid the amount he’s paid and you are a supporter. Get behind your team and support. That’s what you do.

This is not to say fans shouldn’t talk about the merits or all otherwise of players their clubs are after; but that in the end the manager has the final say and it’s his team to manage.

The Nasri vs. Modric Debate

With rumours and gossip in full flow over the interest of Manchester United in both Luka Modric and Samir Nasri, fans have began to detail the merits of both players and how both players would affect United’s playing style.

Both players are good players in their own right and both would challenge for a first team spot in any team in the world, but to my mind Luka Modric seems to be the player United need more right now.

Nasri is an attacking midfield player that likes to play through the centre of the pack. Even though his time at Arsenal has consisted more of him playing on the wings and he did seem to do excellently on the right in the first half of the season. It’s fair to say that in the second half of the season, his form tailed off. This has been attributed to the fact that came back from injury and that may have affected him. It could also be that the arrival of Theo Walcott which moved him to the left (meaning Arshavin dropped to the bench) means he became ineffective on the left wing. These are conjectures, nothing more.

Luka Modric is predominantly a central midfield player (although he has been used on the left at times), and he can also play as a central attacking midfielder. The important thing here is that he’s a proven central midfielder.

Now to what is needed at United, at this time the team lacks a central midfielder that can seemingly control game and that is where Modric comes in (not Nasri).

If we do get Modric, he’d fit right in- alongside either Michael Carrick or Darren Fletcher (I’d prefer the former if you ask me) leaving Rooney to play as the attacking midfielder/striker he played at the end of last season partnering Javier Hernandez being supported by two wingers.

Alternatively, a natural defensive could partner Modric still in a 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 system. Nothing much changes. Or United could play a 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 formation and still there’d be room for Modric. Whatever formation the coach chooses, Modric fits right into the team.

For Nasri to fit into the team, some changes would have to be made. If he were to join United, one would assume he’d seek reassurances that he’d play centrally. If that does happen, Rooney would have to be pushed forward causing Hernandez to be dropped. That destroys the understanding Rooney and Hernandez have built (statistically, Rooney and Berbatov do seem to have a better understanding, though). If we were indeed to play a 4-4-2 with Nasri in the team, that would mean Hernandez comes in but that leaves us significantly weak in central midfield (this could be helped by deploying a strong enough defensive midfielder).

To my mind, it does like for Nasri to play in his preferred position and for the club to truly improve next season are at odds. Comparing the Modric situation, it would seem much better if we did go and get Luka Modric over Samir Nasri.

That’s what I think anyway.

All these could be a waste of time, though, if Sir Alex doesn’t get any of them and instead decides to promote from within. That surely, would be an even more exciting prospect with some fantastic young talent coming through at the club.