This is simply not true though, expcept for Mata, and even then if you look at his best season for Chelsea he played off the RW as a floating playmaker just like Silva did for City for years.
Lingard is an AM/#10 and has said so over and over, Mkhitaryan's best season at Dortmund came playing on the RW and Martial's best games for Monaco were with him playing off the left, a position he thrived in for us as well under LvG.
That's the thing though, a floating playmaker isn't really a wide role given that the player basically goes where the ball & space takes them which is anywhere really, usually into the same sort of areas as a No. 10. Even though he may have been down on the team sheet as being a RW, in reality he probably spent about as much time there as he did centrally. Very similar story with Mkhi at Dortmund as the trio of Mkhitaryan, Kagawa & Reus playing behind Aubameyang frequently were deployed in different positions & often changed/alternated within games. I think even for Dortmund he was definitely a lot more of a playmaking 10 than a wide player.
Lingard as a 10 is where he has shone this year, but he is competent at playing on the flank for the simple fact that he'll run with & without the ball both inside & outside. I can't speak on Martial's games for Monaco because I only ever watch Ligue 1 highlights which used to be on Eurosport, now on BT/ESPN I believe & he was never a player that I can recall vividly sticking out at the time. I do know however he's spoken a couple of times stating he's a striker, he prefers to play through the middle, but is content to play out wide to aid both club & country when asked. I do think though, that competent fullbacks giving him support though could make it a Rooney type situation with Martial in the sense that LW
(or even RW) might not be his ideal position, but he can get the job done.
When I think of a wide player/role, I think of a normal winger or an inside winger/forward type player. While I do feel there is a place for wide roaming playmakers, for that to work you really need to have a very complete wingback to fill the hole on that flank.
The reason all of these attackers struggle is down to Mourinho's complete lack of attacking nous, he has no idea what to do when we are the team that is supposed to be the dominant one, it's why we've dropped points to sides like Newcastle, Brighton, West Brom, Huddersfield and Stoke while winning the bigger games, his only two methods of attack are counter and long ball, he's a ****ing dinosaur and THAT is why these players struggle and why our attack is so bad.
I agree with this statement 99.9%, it was a problem that existed when LvG was in charge as well, that when a team played ultra defensive against us, we had no answers as to how to break the them down.
I think the most glaringly obvious problem is the complete lack of width. Everybody wants to play inside, Sanchez, Martial, Rashford, Mata & even Young all look to cut back inside which when you are playing a team that's ultra defensive, it suits them down to the ground given that they're all so compact & congested in the middle.
I'd let Fellaini go and sell Darmian, Young, Shaw, Jones and Blind. I'd bring in Sandro, Odriozola and Alderweireld, I'm scared of who we'd bring in for midfield to be honest when I see what we are linked with but we will buy someone which terrifies me. I'd not buy an attacker, he shouldn't be allowed to sell any of the ones we have bar Mata and he shouldn't be allowed to buy one as it will be ****ing Willian or some other workhorse.
No objection to all of those leaving, Felliani, Darmian & Young in particular. Bar maybe Shaw, we still need a LB, but given his age I'd like to see him remain for the time being, even if it's to be a rotation option.. although we would in theory still have Rojo assuming he can get himself fit who's competent at LB.
I'd be completely fine with Sandro & Alderweireld should we be able to nab both of them, can't see Spurs being compliant though. I'm not extensively familiar with Odriozola other than what I'm reading now, would you not fancy Fosu-Mensah coming back as either a starter or as someones deputy at RB? He seems to have had a very positive season on loan at Palace, anytime I watched them & he played he looked like he had a well rounded game for a 20 year old.
Midfield's an odd one as we've been connected with all shapes & sizes, what do you think of that boy from Lazio Milinkovic-Savic? I'd seen his name pop up a few times in connection with United. I've seen a him on the Serie A highlights & I think he looks quite well rounded & promising should we actually be interested. Not to mention he looks like Mourinho's wet dream & blueprint for a CM ie he's a big physical lad, but he seems good with his feet & quite agile for his size from what I've seen.
We need a RW this summer even if we have the ideal summer & get a top quality RB as well, at this juncture I am not against Willian, Mahrez or whoever as long as they can competently play RW. Also don't mind the look of that Brazilian Malcom from Bordeaux that United, Arsenal & Spurs were all connected with in January, looks like a real live wire on the ball.
D), realistically which players do you want to see moved on this summer & is there anyone in particular you'd like brought in?
