Mourinho expects '2 or 3' summer signings, rules out January window activity, says he's been backed

[RedTillI'mDead]

I think some of the rationale people are buying into is nonsense. Some others have hinted at it, but looking at improvement from this season, replacing Carrick and Ibra with anyone is a big improvement.

Fellaini would be a loss, especially as no fee, but he does have limitations and is 30 so we could improve by replacing him too!

The problem is less about replacements and more about priorities. We have already replaced Ibra, so money would be better spent on creative talented wingers. Similarly Matic covers Carrick, but we are lacking depth. Herrera has done a Mata and gone from player of the season to an obvious target for a Mourinho sale. He is too limited and doesn't really have a speciality. E. G. Isn't a CDM of the control of Matic/ Carrick or does he have the creativity of Pogba/Mata.

I think the depth in Midfield is more about options rather than numbers. As others have said there are some players that need recycling to get more balance. But I doubt Herrera will go, as I think his versatility is a blessing if we can't get two specialists.

 

[redspoony]

No real surprise. I could be wrong but I don't remember Jose often doing business in January.

I'm sure if the right deal came up he'd look at it, but we're liable to get our pants pulled down over a transfer fee in January.

 

[redspoony]

The response of the board after Mourinho claims we are not spending enough. They are not gonna spend more on his approaches. Normally the manager asks for more support then board will respond well and fully support to help the manager get the job done after. But board just ignore Mourinho request this time.

Nonsense. Pure conjecture based on nothing.

 

[Infra-red]

We need more than 3 signings to compete against City imo.

Of course. What Mourinho is saying here is, forget about competing with City for a while.

United is a small/mid-sized business seeking to compete with nation states in City and PSG. Ultimately that's only going to end one way.

 

[RedStrudel76]

In the OP's tweet picture iWoody patting Mourinho on the back like a good boy for toeing the PR club party line

Next he will be saying there's "no value" in the market ala Fergie.

I miss the maverick Mourinho, taking on the establishment like he did Roman at Chelsea.. changing the way we do things and turning the whole club around.

No January signings!? so underwhelming when the atmosphere at Old Trafford is toxic as feck. Sometimes you have to sign a player or two to lift the whole place for a strong finish to the season.

 

[AndyJ1985]

Don't care. We mostly make poor signings anyway so maybe we're better off spending nothing for a while.

 

[RedStrudel76]

Don't care. We mostly make poor signings anyway so maybe we're better off spending nothing for a while.

I'm more disappointed Mourinho is mellowing. At Chelsea he would come out fighting in his next conference.. sticking to his guns. Obvious the club and Glazier's have had a word in his eye to tone it down and he's letting them control him.

 

[Nick7]

We were never signing anyone in January. This happens every year, some fans get themselves in a tizzy expecting us to sign a superstar in January, only for February to roll around with no additions.

 

[whatwha]

Anyone who thinks we can challenge for the title if we add just 2-3 players, e.g. LB, #10 and RW is deluding themselves imo.

If the Glazers are only willing to put up the money for 2-3 signings, that shows they're happy with us finishing top 4 rather than actually trying to win the PL/CL.

We need 5 players. Including at least one quality CM. Going into next season with only Pogba, Matic, Herrera, (McTominay), (Pereira) would be a mistake. We've seen what happens when Pogba is out, our play falls apart. Herrera could use replacing too.

Valencia can't keep going for much longer, and Darmian will hopefully be sold, so we need a RB too.

 

[MikeUpNorth]

Anyone who thinks we can challenge for the title if we add just 2-3 players, e.g. LB, #10 and RW is deluding themselves imo.

If it had been De Bruyne missing 3 months instead of Pogba, we'd probably be challenging right now. Improving 3 first team players should give us a real shot, but it's not easy to find those players.

 

[RedStrudel76]

Anyone who thinks we can challenge for the title if we add just 2-3 players, e.g. LB, #10 and RW is deluding themselves imo.

If the Glazers are only willing to put up the money for 2-3 signings, that shows they're happy with us finishing top 4 rather than actually trying to win the PL/CL.

We need 5 players. Including at least one quality CM. Going into next season with only Pogba, Matic, Herrera, (McTominay), (Pereira) would be a mistake.

Valencia can't keep going for much longer, and Darmian will hopefully be sold, so we need a RB too.

Let's throw another £600M at it.. over a billion pounds !!

There will still be people saying we don't have enough to win the league ! anything to defend and protect Mourinho...

Real Madrid's whole team probably cost less.

Time for the excuses to stop, and Mourinho to get more out of these players. Pep is working with some dross too !

 

[sincher]

If it had been De Bruyne missing 3 months instead of Pogba, we'd probably be challenging right now.

Oh I really don't think so. KDB is excellent but City have high quality cover for him.

It is true that 2-3 players can make a big difference though if accompanied by improved team performances. I mean City were third last year and really it is only Ederson and Walker they have added who have made a significant contribution this term. Mendy very probably will too.

 

[Peanut Butter]

There was already booing in the last game. The Caf is full of matchgoers and many of them are anti-Mourinho. The mood could go very sour, even this season. If we finish 3rd-4th and Cupless then I can see the crowd turning and the board panicking.

Nonsense!

 

[Bratt]

No real surprise. I could be wrong but I don't remember Jose often doing business in January.

I'm sure if the right deal came up he'd look at it, but we're liable to get our pants pulled down over a transfer fee in January.

2015:
Juan Cuadrado

2014:
Kurt Zouma
Nemaja Matic
Mohamed Salah

2013:
Diego Lopez

2012:

2011:
Emmanuel Adebayor

2010:
Mcdonald Mariga

Couldn’t be bothered going further back, but it seems like he’s been doing business most january windows.

 

[MikeUpNorth]

Oh I really don't think so. KDB is excellent but City have high quality cover for him.

I think it's reasonable to think we'd be 4 or 5 points better off, and City a similar amount worse off. Would still be trailing them, but probably would be within 6 points and challenging.

 

[whatwha]

Let's throw another £600M at it.. over a billion pounds !!

There will still be people saying we don't have enough to win the league ! anything to defend and protect Mourinho...

Real Madrid's whole team probably cost less.

Time for the excuses to stop, and Mourinho to get more out of these players. Pep is working with some dross too !

What's your point, exactly? "Paying for good players won't help us win the league, so we should just stick with what we've got"?

Yes loads of money has been spent post-SAF, most of it wastefully. That doesn't mean we shouldn't try again. Or would you have us try to win the league without spending any more money? Good luck with that. Or just settle for mediocrity?

 

[Womp]

Let's throw another £600M at it.. over a billion pounds !!

There will still be people saying we don't have enough to win the league ! anything to defend and protect Mourinho...

Real Madrid's whole team probably cost less.

Time for the excuses to stop, and Mourinho to get more out of these players. Pep is working with some dross too !

Ridiculous. How much money we spent compared to other teams is hardly an indicator of the strength of those squads. We've spent a lot of money, most of it being used poorly. We've also needed to invest heavily as the squad was neglected and basically needed a complete overhaul. Not to add players are more expensive nowadays then when Madrid bought the bulk of their current squad. The list goes on as to why your logic is terrible, but that's enough.

You can spend a trillion pounds, when you're buying shite with no vision and proper planning, you're going to continue being shite.

 

[whatwha]

2015:
Juan Cuadrado

2014:
Kurt Zouma
Nemaja Matic
Mohamed Salah

2013:
Diego Lopez

2012:

2011:
Emmanuel Adebayor

2010:
Mcdonald Mariga

Couldn’t be bothered going further back, but it seems like he’s been doing business most january windows.

Oh wow, never realized it was Mourinho who brought Adebayor to Real Madrid. What an inspired signing

 

[AndyJ1985]

What's your point, exactly? "Paying for good players won't help us win the league, so we should just stick with what we've got"?

Yes loads of money has been spent post-SAF, most of it wastefully. That doesn't mean we shouldn't try again. Or would you have us try to win the league without spending any more money? Good luck with that. Or just settle for mediocrity?

We should try again, but with a proper long-term plan in place regarding team building. If we're going to hand Jose hundreds of millions more just to buy some decent players in their late 20's to hoof the ball to Lukaku, we shouldn't bother.

 

[RooneyLegend]

This is what worries me. How do we compete without having our own rich oil barons? Do we just accept we can't and in that case we are in for a long period of fighting for top 4 with possibly the odd title every few years until the city owners sell up. That future seems bleak.

Deary me, how did we compete with Chelsea.

 

[MikeUpNorth]

It is true that 2-3 players can make a big difference though if accompanied by improved team performances. I mean City were third last year and really it is only Ederson and Walker they have added who have made a significant contribution this term. Mendy very probably will too.

Absolutely. In the summer of 2006 we hadn't won the league for 3 years, and our only signing was Michael Carrick (arguably plus Vidic and Evra from the previous January). We won the next three titles.

If we bring in three top quality players who strengthen the first 11, and Martial realises his potential, we'll be challenging.

 

[red thru&thru]

United aren’t trying to compete with the likes of PSG and City. Please, forget that we even should be. They are on a FM cheat mode. Our competitors are the likes of Real and Barca. Both clubs who themselves need big revamps.

Jose is right to say we shouldn’t expect a dramatic overhaul in our players. If he says we do, what do you think that does to the mentality to our current players?

Has Jose got his current players playing better? That is truly subjective. I personally think a couple of players have improved.

 

[Moonred]

2-3 correct signings are enough. There are other things to improve beyond just signing players.

 

[whatwha]

Absolutely. In the summer of 2006 we hadn't won the league for 3 years, and our only signing was Michael Carrick (arguably plus Vidic and Evra from the previous January). We won the next three titles.

If we bring in three top quality players who strengthen the first 11, and Martial realises his potential, we'll be challenging.

You're forgetting we had great players in most positions at the time, so we didn't need many new players. We had Scholes, Giggs, Ronaldo becoming the world's best player, peak Rooney, Rio, etc. That's not exactly the case now.

 

[desmondisback]

Bullshit. Both the board and Mourinho know we have to patient with the rebuild.

Oh come on. Don't you see the problem here?? Unless Mourinho commits to a long term plan (eg at least 5 years +) then I don't think he should get the investment. Why should he? We've had three managers now all with their own ideas all bringing in their own players and then leaving their squad for someone else to rebuild (again) later. It's a mess that needs sorting quickly.

Have we learnt nothing from the SAF success years?

1) Get a manager who is thinking really long term not short term (and will commit)
2) Get a guy you REALLY believe in and understands the way United want to play , the fans , the history
3) Stick by him through thick and thin until he gets it right.
4) Expect long term loyalty from the manager and show him loyalty back.
5) Give him the money he needs to do the job.
6) Do something with your youth academy system to at least try to replicate the class of 92 thing

This is what happened with Fergie was it not?

Yes SAF was a one off manager. But was the model and philosophy that brought success rocket science? NO.

Jose is a sticky plaster on a problem bigger than him. It's not his fault , but he should still go. How can we rebuild without a long term vision? No more sticky plasters please!!!!

 

[An Irish Red]

2-3 correct signings are enough.

I really don't think it is. At a bare minimum we need a new left back, two central midfielders, an attacking midfielder and an elite wide player. And that's before sales which could see us needing even more.

If we are as restricted as implied then we really need to be smart here and pick up some free transfers to ease the outlay (Ozil and Goretzka for example). Big summer coming up.

 

[diplomat]

If we don't buy a RW in January, I will go ballistic! We are desperate for some fresh faces at the front, especially if Mikhi is not going to be relied on.

Someone like Mahrez would be totally attainable, proven in the PL, has the precise skills we are missing in attack and wouldn't cost a small fortune.

 

[Paxi]

Video here for those who want to watch it with the proper context -

Well, there is nothing new in there. We can not compete with City and that's reality of things.

 

[diplomat]

Well, there is nothing new in there. We can not compete with City and that's reality of things.

Nobody was sharing such an opinion at the start of the season, when most people were raving about a title challenge and how we finally might be back.

Whatever fits the narrative and the current agenda, I suppose.

 

[Paxi]

Mourinho also said "I'm sure, next year, my club are also going to pay a lot of money for one player."

This means club record for a transfer fee will be broken. Hmm...wonder who will it be on ?

Er, thats not what it means.

 

[lewwoo]

Deary me, how did we compete with Chelsea.

Alex Ferguson

 

[Paxi]

Nobody was sharing such an opinion at the start of the season, when most people were raving about a title challenge and how we finally might be back.

Whatever fits the narrative and the current agenda, I suppose.

Well, the narrative changed after they signed about 3/4 defenders, well for me anyway. And are also looking to add more. I mean which Normal club does that?

 

[Hed Zitin]

I said in another thread, as long as we are in the CL positions the board won't spend in January.

I'd be very surprised if Darmian, Mhki, Zlatan and Carrick are here next season. I hope it doesn't happen but Fellaini is probably off also. Herrera hasn't signed another deal, not that he deserves one this season either. Young who absolutely deserves a new contract is on his last year too.

That is a lot of players gone.

 

[11101]

It's inflating for everyone though. Like city we will also get more for our players. And like the fees our revenue is growing big time. And as of now we tend to spend as much as them or thereabouts in recent times.

For now. At some point the TV revenues will top out and sponsors will reach their limits but City/PSG can keep on inflating prices forever.

 

[Sylar]

So you would think
Carrick zlatan would or should retire.
We possibly may lose fellaini
We should sell darmian
With that gone I still think for balance we need

Rb
Cm
Rw
Cf

And 2 cm if we do lose fellaini
Getting half of what we need is not great in terms of winning the title
We will challenge but stop gaps only get you so far

 

[Moonred]

I really don't think it is. At a bare minimum we need a new left back, two central midfielders, an attacking midfielder and an elite wide player. And that's before sales which could see us needing even more.

If we are as restricted as implied then we really need to be smart here and pick up some free transfers to ease the outlay (Ozil and Goretzka for example). Big summer coming up.

It’s going to be impossible to get that many players. Unless you want to bank on some unknowns. I hope Mourinho has a vision and buys specific players suited to his system. And I hope the system is an effective and a clear one.

AM, RW and a CM is what I think we will go for. Things will look less grim once we get back to winning more games and the idea of overhauling the squad yet again will not look as necessary.

More importantly, we need to improve our existing players and I think it’s possible.

 

[Damien]

Also, amazing how none of the media have mentioned how Jose said the club HAVE backed him! Not really that surprised.

Isn't even mentioned in the title of this thread and we've got all these armchair psychologists saying he's unhappy about the club paying £75M+ on one player in each of the last couple of windows. I've added four words to the title - not that it'll make any difference... to quote GrandOldTeam, there've been a lot of "bed wetters" in this thread.

The level of mental gymnastics on display in here is hilarious.

Indeed. Some think we're signing a £75M+ player each year against his will. Mourinho's said himself he makes a list of targets, gives it to the board and goes on holiday. We've got 7 of the 8 names he wanted.

There's also a matter of squad limits (contract figures are probably out of date as it is an old image). We're at our limit. There are five players fairly sure to go with McTominay and Pereira being needed to be registered before we even do any business. There's no guarantee we'll even be able to sell the likes of Mkhitaryan, Blind and Darmian. That is something Jose has to keep in mind.

 

[fellaini's barber]

You're right, I think this summer we should get rid of Carrick, Zlatan, Fellaini, Herrera, Shaw, Rojo, Mikhitaryian. Upgrade on Mata, Rashford, Lingard, Valencia, Jones and Smalling. Once we have gotten in replacements for those 13 players we might finally have a bit of progress.

You were too anxious to get your sarcastic reply in you probably didn't even read the post, or you did read it but chose to be dense about it

 

[Bobski]

Oh I really don't think so. KDB is excellent but City have high quality cover for him.

It is true that 2-3 players can make a big difference though if accompanied by improved team performances. I mean City were third last year and really it is only Ederson and Walker they have added who have made a significant contribution this term. Mendy very probably will too.

Yes, which should make the point that ripping up the squad and trying to sign 8-10 players in the summer is not necessarily needed. 2 or 3 key signings could make a significant difference. Look at Utd in 06/07, only signed Carrick and they were competing against a Chelsea who had immense financial backing. Ended up being one of our best title wins, playing some of the best football of Fergie's reign.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

The full quotes are perfectly fine. I'm just not convinced about the bit on City's spending.......

So you don't see the huge difference in City being able to make 16 signings in two summers and United only making 8? Since both Pep and Mourinho arrived?