And yet Di Maria looked excellent in the world cup until injured.

People forget that Jose brought in many average players in his previous spell. For every drogba there was an offsetting del horno.

 

He's absolutely got a bit of a chequered past when it comes to signings, as does almost every manager and Falcao could well flop.

 

But there's also the possibility of him regaining a semblance of his past form and the problem is that it's impossible to know for certain without giving him a go.

 

The injury is no longer one that is impossible to recover from (as I've explained many times previously) and that United team last season was a possession-based team when he thrived under a counter-attacking system at Atletico no? That's why I've got more hope than others and am prepared to give him a chance.

 

Let's face it, if everyone's fit then Diego is starting isn't he? That's how it differs from the Torres situation.

I agree Blue Daze.  Some of Jose's signings have left me concerned on a few occasions, but then again the players bought in to play every minute as a first option have been bleddy awesome (Costa, Courtois, Matic, Fabregas).  Falcao will be our 2nd striker, and I'm not sure that with anything except regular football he will be a consistent goal scorer, but we'll see - does he play on the wing or AM at all? 

He's not got the pace to play wide.

He is a striker and nothing else.

Falcao hasn't played well for over a year now I think he's done. Thinking he's gonna recapture some old form consistently is exactly how we felt about Sheva and Torres and they never did. We're he younger I'd agree there was hope but he isn't he's pushing 30.

Edited June 11, 201511 yr by Bobbywoodhogan

I agree Blue Daze.  Some of Jose's signings have left me concerned on a few occasions, but then again the players bought in to play every minute as a first option have been bleddy awesome (Costa, Courtois, Matic, Fabregas).  Falcao will be our 2nd striker, and I'm not sure that with anything except regular football he will be a consistent goal scorer, but we'll see - does he play on the wing or AM at all? 

 

At Atletico when they had Costa and Falcao I think it was Costa who played wide. Can't see that happening now but it's certainly an option. We have Remy who can play that wide-right option.

 

4 goals in 26 league games at the age of 29 is bad.

 

BUT

 

There was a 31 year old striker who scored 5 league goals in 24 league games one season who just left this club. Remember some people writing him off too.

Edited June 11, 201511 yr by Blue Daze

Falcao hasn't played well for over a year now I think he's done. Thinking he's gonna recapture some old form consistently is exactly how we felt about Sheva and Torres and they never did. We're he younger I'd agree there was hope but he isn't he's pushing 30.

Exactly.

Everything points to this being a bad move for us and a great move for Falcao (He does seem to rate £ more than ambition remember).

I can't think of another footballer who suffered a bad knee injury and at 29 came back to being one of the best.

Probably because it just doesn't happen.

His pace and power were some of his biggest assets when at Atletico, those look to be gone if you watched his last 6 months with Monaco and the past 12 with United.

Remy is a better option and costs far less than this guy would, mind you we do LOVE a washed up striker living off past glories for some reason....

Jose is talking an awful lot about Falcao, not something he usually does, which makes me suspicious of the transfer. Jose and Falcao share the same agent. Is Jose not just doing his mate a favour by talking up his client in the hope someone else will try and sign him. Thats basically what im hanging on to at the moment 

for f**k sake...this is like sitting in the dentist waiting room to have your wisdom teeth pulled out

Exactly.

Everything points to this being a bad move for us and a great move for Falcao (He does seem to rate £ more than ambition remember).

I can't think of another footballer who suffered a bad knee injury and at 29 came back to being one of the best.

Probably because it just doesn't happen.

His pace and power were some of his biggest assets when at Atletico, those look to be gone if you watched his last 6 months with Monaco and the past 12 with United.

Remy is a better option and costs far less than this guy would, mind you we do LOVE a washed up striker living off past glories for some reason....

Exactly, he's clearly shown like Torres that he doesn't have the footballing brain to adapt his game like say Shearer did. It's why a player like Rio Ferdinand got to a certain age and couldn't do it anymore cause he relied on things like pace and why a guy like JT is still doing it at his age cause he adapted his game.

If we go into the new season with Costa, Remy and Falcao then fair enough even though I don't see Falcao doing it anymore (would love to be proven wrong) but if Remy leaves cause he's coming in then I won't be happy.

I am excited by this one. Its a gamble sure (but only a one year try out... not a 5 year Torres jail term), we are due some more luck after Torres.

He will bang them in after a few games.

Lets not write him off yet. Forget last season and thinking positively :)

Edited June 11, 201511 yr by Zola

Boro fan in my office just made a good point, is Jose signing him to show he can do better than LVG perhaps?

If Jose is just trying to prove a point to LVG then we're doomed!!!

 

I say f**k it, just keep Costa and Remy, bring in Solanke and/or Bamford!

 

What about Benzema though?  I've always thought he was pretty good.  I'm even starting to come around to the idea of getting Benteke...!

I am excited by this one. Its a gamble sure (but only a one year try out... not a 5 year Torres jail term), we are due some more luck after Torres.

He will bang them in after a few games.

Lets not write him off yet. Forget last season and thinking positively :)

I do admire your optimism Zola

optimism has caused us a fair amount of crap tbh. 

 

we need to maintain our devastating transfer policy, not sign up utd rejects on big wages who come with a big sick note because he has a tiny chance of re gaining some form, which even then was plied mainly in the la liga

 

hopefully all smoke and mirrors

 

70/30 against now. loads of players out there, we just won a double as well.

Edited June 11, 201511 yr by Bigthrobberus

I'm just struggling to wrap my head around why Falcao? 

 

Based on last season he's pretty far behind the levels that made him arguably Europe's deadliest striker. He's not going to exactly be cheap with regards to wages or transfer fee. He's 29 so it's not like he has time on his side either. 

 

We're the league champions, we've got the new TV money and the Yokohomo sponsorship money going into this season so I don't think we need to be penny pinching. 

 

Remy's goals to minutes ratio is extremely impressive for a 2nd choice striker.

 

I'm just struggling with why? 

I'm just struggling to wrap my head around why Falcao?

Based on last season he's pretty far behind the levels that made him arguably Europe's deadliest striker. He's not going to exactly be cheap with regards to wages or transfer fee. He's 29 so it's not like he has time on his side either.

We're the league champions, we've got the new TV money and the Yokohomo sponsorship money going into this season so I don't think we need to be penny pinching.

Remy's goals to minutes ratio is extremely impressive for a 2nd choice striker.

I'm just struggling with why?

Only thing I can think of is Jose and Mendes doing each other a favour.

We have the funds and ability to go out there and sign the very best, why we are trying to bring in a struggling player who has failed in the past 16 months is very strange.

^ I find this odd too, why not go out and get a proven striker - I know, easier said than done - but to buy literally one of the WORST strikers at the moment is sitting a little bit strange with me.

 

Who else prolific is Mendes the agent of?

Only thing I can think of is Jose and Mendes doing each other a favour.

We have the funds and ability to go out there and sign the very best, why we are trying to bring in a struggling player who has failed in the past 16 months is very strange.

 

Maybe naive on my part but a manager as successful as Jose doesn't really strike me as someone who would sign a player a favour. 

 

We've got two good strikers on the books right now, I don't see the need to essentially gamble which this deal seems like it is. 

 

Mendes involved means that it's being taken pretty seriously and makes me think there is going to be some pretty serious money involved. 

 

Only thing I can think is that with regards to the defender and midfielder Mourinho wants to sign the club must have someone pretty significant lined up they're bringing in. 

 

I refuse to believe to after a successful title winning season Mourinho and Chelsea wouldn't look to sign at least one player who is going to go into the first team next season and not signed just to add depth. 

^ I find this odd too, why not go out and get a proven striker - I know, easier said than done - but to buy literally one of the WORST strikers at the moment is sitting a little bit strange with me.

 

Who else prolific is Mendes the agent of?

 

I think Jose sees him as an undervalued resource (despite his wages which could be renegotiated) which is actually what our transfer model was based on with great success until recently. Acquiring players when their prices had the potential to appreciate was how we managed to make such great profits on the likes of De Bruyne, Lukaku, Mata etc.

 

There's a lot of rubbish that's been posted, but also some points with merit. His knee injury was serious but modern medicine and proper rehab can see sportsmen not only recover but actually have their best seasons ever.

 

His form was bad but you can look at him being in a period of rehabilitation or simply examine the tactics Van Gaal used. In my opinion, they didn't play to his strengths whereas we're arguably a better fit than United ever were.

 

He's also coming into a settled team, rather than a United team who were struggling to come to terms with Van Gaal's radical tactics. 

 

At the end of the day though we're looking to replace a striker who scored 4 league goals last season and Falcao can fit that bill. That's the bear minimum being asked of him. If he exceeds that then that's only going to be good news for us. 

 

And if Jose gets to prove once again why he's the best around then so be it.

I actually feel a bit for Remy if this does come off.. Whenever he has played he hasn't let us down and has a great goals to game ratio, Falcao like others have said just seems to be Sheva all over again.

No, I agree LVG didn't play to his strengths, plus also they had umpteen strikers so that's another thing against him.

 

I don't know, it would be great for loads of reasons if he can come here and score 10+ goals, that is what would want from a 2nd striker.

 

What did he do to his knee, ACL tear?

favour.

Maybe naive on my part but a manager as successful as Jose doesn't really strike me as someone who would sign a player a

We've got two good strikers on the books right now, I don't see the need to essentially gamble which this deal seems like it is.

Mendes involved means that it's being taken pretty seriously and makes me think there is going to be some pretty serious money involved.

Only thing I can think is that with regards to the defender and midfielder Mourinho wants to sign the club must have someone pretty significant lined up they're bringing in.

I refuse to believe to after a successful title winning season Mourinho and Chelsea wouldn't look to sign at least one player who is going to go into the first team next season and not signed just to add depth.

I don't think so either but I'm struggling to work out why this is being done given the position we are in today and off the back of a great successful season.

Jose should know well that striker who once performed at the very top can just go 'off the boil' as he did have Torres for a year and he must have seen how far he declined from his earlier days.

I hope you are right about two big signings but I'm not sure given the lack of names available. If Falcao is our biggest signing then that's worrying.

I actually feel a bit for Remy if this does come off.. Whenever he has played he hasn't let us down and has a great goals to game ratio, Falcao like others have said just seems to be Sheva all over again.

Yeah.

I'll be really disappointed if he is forced out to make room for Falcao.

We know Remy scores whenever he plays...we also know Falcao struggles big time to score in our league.

No, I agree LVG didn't play to his strengths, plus also they had umpteen strikers so that's another thing against him.

 

I don't know, it would be great for loads of reasons if he can come here and score 10+ goals, that is what would want from a 2nd striker.

 

What did he do to his knee, ACL tear?

 

Yeah, left knee. Had a fast recovery with no complications and with no real history of injuries there's a lot to be optimistic about on that front.

 

The thing with this specific injury is that it's very much the second-year that you get back to your very best.