What would we have to do to become a top 4/5 team?

It isn't realistically going to happen, but lets say we wanted to become a top 4/5 team. What would we have to do?

In my opinion, these are our existing players who could currently settle into a top 4/5 team:

Harper - A very solid goalkeeper who commands the defence brilliantly. I cannot count the amount of times he's saved our arse this season.
Colo - Becoming a real top class defender
Enrique - Already one of the best left backs in the EPL
Tiote - One of the best defensive midfielders
Barton - One of the best creative midfielders
Ben Arfa - Could well be a superb attacking midfielder
Ireland - A superb creative midfielder when he's on form

That's 7. A great amount. However, it's the remaining players who let us down. A lot of them are actually good players, but to look at it from the perspective of gaining top 4/5 status, they would have to be improved:

Jonas - A good player who can play well. However, the end product isn't good enough. The assists are limited, the crosses are limited and the goals are non-existent. You just have to look at some of the wingers of the top 4/5 teams to see the difference: Bale, Nani, Nasri, Walcott, Silva and Johnson, to name a few.

Nolan - He scores goals, yes. However, he isn't there to score goals, he's there to play a midfield role. As far as that goes, he's good, but not great. I honestly think he's the weak link in our midfield, but it's a shame that we do actually rely on him for team spirit and goals. If only he could do these things AND be a great midfielder in the traditional sense. That's what most of the top 4/5 teams have already.

Ranger - MIGHT be good enough in a year or two with some experience, but not right now.

Best - A fairly good run of form, but nothing to get excited about. He can't really create many chances for himself, and without his head, he would be nothing compared to the likes of Barbatov, Hernandez, Torres (on form), Van Persie, Drogba (on form) and so on.

Lovenkrands - ****e.

Ameobi - I like him, but lets be honest, compared to the strikers in the top 4/5 teams, he's ****e as well.

Simpson - Quite a darn good defender, but not great. You just have to look at the likes of Hutton, Rafael, Sagna, Bosingwa, Ivanovic and so on to realise that Simpson is below par for top 4/5.

Williamson - Another good mid-table defender, but Terry, Luiz, Toure, Vidic, Dawson and so on utterly eclipse him when it comes to defensive duties.

In my opinion, if those seven players were replaced with players who are on-par with the 'good enough' players I mentioned earlier, we would have a top 4/5 team (with the right management and tactics, of course). However, when you look at the type of quality we would need in seven new players, you can begin to see the kind of monumental task it would be. That doesn't even take into account that we would also need to find a few more above-par players to use as substitutes and create some depth.

So, that's what we would need to do. The requirements? HEAVY spending, or some of the most clever and most efficient buying in EPL history. Pards, get it done.

 

A **** load more money and a better manager to be a top 4/5 team.

 

Would still need a lot more players to have a squad good enough for top 5

 

THIS!

There's plenty of players in the prem who would shine in top 4/5 teams and theres plenty of players in top 4/5 teams who would fade in lesser teams...The fact is you need a combination of things to be a top team these days, a big squad is one of the most important!

 

It does make me wonder how well Man U, Citeh, Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea would do if Pards was in charge.

Just how well could he do with such quality players at his disposal?

 

We do have good players but out squad is a long way from being strong enough and isn't big enough

 

Quality in depth is needed, we dont have that. Like you said we only have 7 top players.

A lot of heavy investment would be needed. The £35m needs to be spent this summer and if it is I dont see why next year we shouldnt be aiming for Europe* after the way this season has gone.



*as long as Europe means 7th

 

Get an oil rich multi billionaire to take over the club.

 

this

 

Good that's 7 players down, only 18 more to go!

 

Money will mean **** with these fair play rules though in an ideal world...

 

Simpson is young and can only get better but you cant compare him to bosingwa who is very experienced. Give him time and he will be brilliant

 

Agree with this, Simpson has been one of our under-rated stars this season. Most wrote him off before he'd kicked a ball, he's comeback well from a BIG injury and really impressed and made the RB spot his own! Saturday against Everton proved how badly we were missing him in RB role.

 

Question: What would we have to do to become a top 4/5 team?

Answer: Take on an extortionate amount of debt in transfer fees and player wages, just like the the current top 4/5...

 

Easy, be better than at least 15 other teams in the PL next season

 

There's always one!

 

Off I go.....

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This ^

Even compared to the Spuds we're short 10 quality players in comparison.

 

£250m

A new owner

A new manager

 

Get Ashley to pull out all stops and sell to Quatar group. Tell them they have got the wrong United and its us they need to buy.