Man Utd need improvements everywhere. I don’t think anyone’s arguing that.

Midfield, full-backs, centre-backs, depth up front. Honestly, the only area of our team that actually feels strong and settled is attacking midfield.

But here’s the thing. You can’t fix everything in one window. This isn’t Career Mode.

So now it becomes a different question. Not what needs fixing, but what needs fixing first.

And for me, it’s simple.

Holding midfield. No debate.

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We don't actually have a CDM!

By the end of the season, Casemiro is gone. That ship has sailed. He's even stated in a recent interview with The Athletic that "the decision is made and done", so there’s no point trying to revive it.

As for Manuel Ugarte… let me ask you something.

Was he ever really a United player?

Harsh? Maybe. But be honest. He’s barely played, and when he has, it’s not like he’s stood out or anything. Well, stood out for being shite. Half the time it feels like he’s helping the opposition more than us. And now he wants out.

So let’s just call it what it is: United are not replacing a CDM. They’re losing the position entirely.

That’s not depth. That’s not rotation. That’s a missing position.

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This role isn't optional as you can get away with weaknesses in some areas.

A dodgy full-back? You can manage.
No backup striker? You survive.

No CDM?

Good luck.

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What we've also noticed over the years and with Casemiro, is the importance of a proper no 6.

All top clubs have them and we can see what a difference they make to teams whenever they're missing. City without Rodri for example, look like a side who are lost.

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Before Casemiro, United had Nemanja Matic.

Was he as good as the Brazilian? No, but he was still a decent option and we functioned a hell of a lot better with him in the team than without.

The last proper no 6 we had before him was Michael Carrick himself.

I think with the arrival of Casemiro, we saw the first real holding midfielder at Old Trafford in a long time. Given how he performed in that first season and for most of this season, we realized just how important a player like that was.

Here's a video of how difficult it's going to be to replace him.

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But take this role away, and suddenly the defence is exposed, the midfield is chaos, and the attack is dropping deep just to get a touch.

It’s not a coincidence. It’s structure.

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Speaking of replacing the Brazilian, United do have a three-man shortlist for the holding midfield role:

Elliot Anderson

Sandro Tonali

Adam Wharton

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All of them have a lot of attributes that make them more than capable of taking over from Casemiro but only two names really work in that position for me and that is Anderson and Wharton.

I find Tonali to be more of a no 8 who should actually play next to one of the other two.

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But what do Anderson and Wharton do?

They solve the problem.

They sit. They read the game. They take the ball under pressure without panicking like it’s a grenade. They keep things ticking.

Basically, they let everyone else actually play football.

And that calmness? That’s the key.

It’s what made Michael Carrick so good. It’s what you see in players like Declan Rice, Rodri, Joshua Kimmich, Aurelien Tchouameni.

It’s not flashy. But it’s the difference between control and chaos.

And right now… we’re a bit too comfortable with chaos.

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A couple other names that have been mentioned for our midfield is Bruno Guimaraes and Carlos Baleba.

Again good players but I find them to be in a position that is slightly less of a priority than CDM and we do have Kobbie Mainoo that can play as that no 8. So at least there is some cover.

Any of Tonali, Guimaraes or Baleba would be good additions but I think we need to sort out that CDM first as that is of utmost priority.

But if we go and get these players first, it sounds like we’re building a midfield full of guys who all want to do the same job. And nobody doing the one job we actually need.

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This isn’t me saying don’t sign Tonali or Bruno G.

Please do. They're quality and add depth to the squad which is another reason why we need to buy a few players.

But do it in the right order.

Sign an 8 first, and you’ve just got a better version of the same problem.
Sign a 6 first, and suddenly everything clicks.

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Imagine it.

Anderson or Wharton sitting. Tonali next to them. Then you add Mainoo or Bruno G.

Now you’ve got balance. Now it makes sense.

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Tier-List

Alright, if we’re being real about priorities:

1. CDM
This isn’t even a debate. We don’t have one. You could argue we need two. Leaving this until late in the window would be peak United behaviour, which probably means it’s exactly what we’ll do.

2. No 8
Mainoo is quality, but he’s young and he can’t do it alone. He needs competition and support. This is where Tonali or Bruno G comes in.

3. Full-backs
Dalot and Shaw starting every week… yeah, that’s not ideal. Mazraoui is decent but not perfect. Dorgu looks more like a winger half the time. It’s a bit of a mess.

4. Left wing
Do we actually have one? Cunha isn’t really a winger and Dorgu can do a job, but is that the long-term plan or just vibes?

5. Centre-back
Quality is there, availability isn’t. Lisandro Martínez and Matthijs De Ligt aren't as reliable as we'd want them to be, Harry Maguire doesn’t necessarily fit the system, and the young guys like Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven are… young.

6. Backup striker
One recognised no 9 is asking for trouble. We’ve seen this movie before and it doesn’t end well.

7. Backup goalkeeper
Not urgent, but you need someone reliable to rotate in. Especially with more games coming.

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Final Thoughts

There’s a lot to fix. No one’s denying that.

But midfield is the heart of your team. If that doesn’t work, nothing does.

You can upgrade full-backs, sign attackers, bring in depth… it won’t matter if the centre of the park is still a mess.

So for me, CDM isn’t just important.

It’s non-negotiable.

Fix that first, then build everything else on top of it.

Otherwise, we’re just going to be here again next season having the exact same conversation.

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What do you think? Is CDM the clear number one priority? And what would be your tier-list in terms of priority positions?

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Elliot Anderson | Image credit: Getty Images via Goal

Sandro Tonali | Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images via Coming Home Newcastle

Adam Wharton |Image credit: Getty Images via Goal