[Iron_Maiden]

Because Manucho is on loan and Saha is injured we have a problem!

Benzema could be as well our solution as many other really good strikers!

It remains to be seen if we will sign him or not,as he showed enough of what was he capable in his match against us !

[GocartMozart]

so let me understand this. because saha is playing part time, and manucho is possibly out for next season, that's the reason to buy a long term young striker?

it makes more sense to me, to stay the course, considering you have youth players, you have rooney and tevez and saha part time, and you have too many midfielders who would desperately love to play 4-5-1. how about we take stock and realize there are better choices. Fabiano makes more sense than dropping 30 mil on a frenchman. he's french afterall!

[Iron_Maiden]

GocartMozart:so let me understand this. because saha is playing part time, and manucho is possibly out for next season, that's the reason to buy a long term young striker?

it makes more sense to me, to stay the course, considering you have youth players, you have rooney and tevez and saha part time, and you have too many midfielders who would desperately love to play 4-5-1. how about we take stock and realize there are better choices. Fabiano makes more sense than dropping 30 mil on a frenchman. he's french afterall!

1.I think you are right to say that midfielders are desperate to play a 4-5-1 formation!

2.But Fabiano would not be a long term striker and his character is tough!

3.As you said he would be a long term young striker!young!

4.There could be problems up front,but you may be right because of the potential and skill we have in the midfield,as Ronaldo and Giggs could as well play as strikers!

5.Saha is also a Frenchman[french afterall]If a player is good,we don t need to sort them by their nationality!Football is the king of sports!

P.S. I think my explanations are reasonable.

[Mark]

although GocartMozart's french explanation is sweet, Evra's also french...
I have only one thing to add - Giggs and Ronaldo are very disappointing as strikers, I would prefer to see Brandy or some junior instead of them up there

[Torque]

Originally Posted by Iron_Maiden

because saha is playing part time, and manucho is possibly out for next season, that's the reason to buy a long term young striker?

You've got it wrong mate. He meant to say that we shouldn't "buy a long term young striker", just because "saha is playing part time, and manucho is possibly out for next season"

[GocartMozart]

I was obviously being facetious

I just was taking issue with the logical argument that you formed. It doesn't make sense to me to buy such an expense striker we'll have forever, when all we need is a short term solution until Manucho joins us.

Now if you're saying to remove Saha from the equation, and use Manucho as a backup (he's unproven afterall) and your frontline is strictly Rooney, Tevez and Benzema, then I can understand that, but you have to also say that that's a lot of expense considering one will always be on the bench and it won't be Rooney.

[Iron_Maiden]

Originally Posted by Mark

:
I have only one thing to add - Giggs and Ronaldo are very disappointing as strikers, I would prefer to see Brandy or some junior instead of them up there

You know what,i am a big fan of Brandy and i think he would do well!

Originally Posted by GocartMozart

I was obviously being facetious


Now if you're saying to remove Saha from the equation, and use Manucho as a backup (he's unproven afterall) and your frontline is strictly Rooney, Tevez and Benzema, then I can understand that, but you have to also say that that's a lot of expense considering one will always be on the bench and it won't be Rooney.

I was not removing Saha,but he has not played much and lets think about the future,what will happen if Rooney or Tevez get injured for a long period?
Afterall,all the expense takes the team by winning or loosing!
Benzema would be the third best striker in our squad,every team would love to snatch such a player!



"short term solution"...?
plz tell me whom do you see as a new signing in the united squad as a short term solution?

[Dirtycheat]

i wouldnt say that we need a short term solution only. Fergie, for the most part has always looked to build for the future and get the best out the player for a long period of time.

saha is 29 and always injured, thats not going to suddenly stop in the near future. Manucho is a prospect and united havent had the best of experiences when it comes to buying prospects from africa. He is a good player but i wouldnt say no to a world class striker because we have manucho. I also wouldnt say no because we have saha because all he will ever be is a part time player, as he gets older, his recovery times will get longer and tevez and rooney cant play every match.

So if the argument is whether or not we need a long term striker, i think we do because you cant count on 2 players to carry you through the majority of 60 games+.

if you buy a young player you often get your money back by selling them or just not having to replace them for the next 10 years. ie rooney.

Im not sure whether benzema would perfect, ive only seen him 2 or 3 times but i have a couple of french friends who constantly rave about him. He is quick, he is strong but imo he can fit in at united without too much disruption. Look how tevez fits in now after all the doubts everyone had.

If fergie is even as interested in this player as the media suggests, then this player must be a great talent.


edit: doesnt seem that he wants us anyway

Benzema delivers United blow

Lyon striker Karim Benzema insists he will stay in France next season, despite speculation linking him with a summer move to Manchester United or Barcelona.

The highly-rated French international has hit 26 goals for Lyon this season, including the Ligue 1 side's goal in their UEFA Champions League last 16 first-leg clash with United last week.

Benzema's form is thought to have caught the eye of United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard, but the 20-year-old is adamant he will stay with Lyon for at least another season.

"I have a contract with Lyon until 2012," he told StarAfric.com. "I signed an extension last June.

Future


"There will be plenty of time for me to think about other clubs in the future.

"I don't know when I will take a decision, but one thing that is certain is that it will not be at the end of this season.

"I will still be playing for Lyon next year. I am just 20-years-old, and I have my future in front of me."

And Benzema has delivered an additional blow to Ferguson as he has revealed he would favour a move to Spain or Italy over England if he was to leave Lyon.

Barca interest


"My style of play would fit in best with the game in Spain, then Italy, and then England - in that order," added Benzema.

"I feel honoured that clubs such as Barcelona are interested in me. But I just concentrate on playing football, and I follow the advice of those close to me.

"I haven't discussed anything with the Lyon president, Jean-Michel Aulas. My agent does that for me - my only job is out on the pitch."

[dtunam]

well call me a muppet or whatever. I would like to say Benzema is exactly what we are looking for. Like already mentioned he is strong (I mean strong, Vidic was bouncing off him a couple of times in the lyon game). We also saw him lead the line in a not so strong lyon team (compared to lyon teams in the past), he was the lone striker but didn't seem to have any problems.

Think of him as an upgrade to Saha, he is good with both feet. I mean he is righty essentially but look at the goal he scored against us (left foot strike) i mean reminded me of some of the lefties who would score something like that for example Hitzelsperger or Peter Lovenkrands.

The point has already been made by Mo, that to win trophies and fight on all fronts we will need to have 3 world class strikers and a back up (Manucho). However with Manucho we are not even sure if he is gonna arrive next season. I mean the guy is fantastic and i would love to have him in the squad now but he hasn't even recieved a green card in Greece hence hasn't played a single game for Panathanikaos. And Saha as good of a forward he is, his legs are going and lets face it, he isn't getting any younger.

Another point i would like to raise is French strikers in our and english football have had a a rather succesfull spell, Cantona, Saha (good player when fit), Dubbery, Cunt Henry Some strikers from french league, Adebayor and Drogba (Africans but played a majority of their career in France).

I for one would love to get Karim Benzema. And don't go by what the lads says. A month an English reporter asked him whats his team of choice he said Manchester United. Than an Italian reporter asked him the same question and he said Ac Milan and now a Catalan Reporter asks him and he is saying Barcelona. Don't we all remember Ribery saying atleast 10 times i will go anywhere but Germany, guess where he is at right now. A right offer for both benzema and lyon and he will be in manchester giving his medical. And please don't even say man city, because city's trophyless years are even more than benzema's living years

[dylangranville]

id personally take benzema over berbatov. if we have to unload saha as part of the deal then so be it.

although rooney, tevez, benzema and saha would make for some great options up front.