How much do we need to spend?

[ErranMorad]

Not too much.

Need a central defender, a back-up left back, a controlling central midfielder with mobility and decent passing range & a versatile attacker who can play on the right or through the middle.

About £200m-£225m I am guessing. Some of the cost can be recovered by getting rid of Rojo, Jones, Fellaini, Matic, Mata (wages) & Young.

Koulibaly/Skriniar/De Ligt/Romagnoli - £60m-£80m
Tierney - £20m-£25m
Zaha or Fekir - £60m (Depending on what we are looking for)
Frankie De Jong/ Neves - £50m

Don't think we need wholesale changes. 4 or 5 top signings combined with getting the better of the players already available should do the trick.

 

[Eric's Seagull]

They weren't midtable prices when we bought them. It wasn't until City started £50m on a defenders that Bailly and Lindelof looked cheap. Both were purchased just before City's rampage on sorting their defence. Both were bought as potential as well.

Fairly sure Matic was £40m for a 29 year old that Chelsea had just replaced, hardly the bargain of the century.



Does anyone even know who our scouts are? I know Phil Neville was under Moyes, probably explains a lot that season.

Some of our scouts are mentioned here: https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/manchester-united/mitarbeiter/verein/985

 

[sp_107]

If you leave Martial / Pogba / Shaw / DDG and think about current players in other 7 positions, That explains everything

We need atleast 3 or 4 great signings to compliment current players

 

[sp_107]

Chelsea, Arsenal. City, Liverpool they all got better after boarding their current managers

This tells more than players, a good manager is a must

May not be the best example, Look at Steve Mcclaren who is good at championship level turning below par QPR into a good side with same players

Look at Eddie Howe how he is getting best out of Bournemouth players consistently and keeping them in the league by playing good football

So there is lot depended on style and mentality of a manager and if they kid with decent players they will get results

 

[sunama]

We need changing from top to bottom. A DOF first, who choses candidates that suit the way the club wants to go, get the right manager and then the pair of them start recruiting players. It seems simple, but this club could even cock that up.

This club would absolutely cock that up.
Personally, I just don't see Woodward wanting to give up control to a DoF. In his head, he'll feel that he has worked hard to get to where he is at and with that in mind, why should he relinquish control?
He has the final say on all transfers and decides which player is suitable and which isn't. Unless something drastic happens, I doubt we will be seeing a real DoF (who makes the final decision on player transfers, managerial appointments and playing style), anytime soon.

 

[Damien]

It's not about how much, but about how well its spent. That's where we have severely got it wrong. Many hundreds of millions have been spent assembling this squad, and they're the second highest paid in the world. Without exaggeration we have the worst squad in the history of football in terms of value for money. Honestly we shouldn't spend a single penny more until a dof is hired, Jose is sacked, and we have a long term plan.

This. It is getting to how it was under Van Gaal - the caf looking forward to signings, spending lots of money then them ending up either underwhelming or being frozen out by the manager for whatever reason.

How many players have we signed since Fergie retired that we can say have been a success? Really not many. Since we hired Mourinho, the money we've been spending per player signed has gone up but we can't point to any and say they've been an unmitigated success. Zlatan is probably the closest but he was only here for a season, really.

If we can't make more out of the players signed already, then how can we really expect any more signings to be a success? If we had signed Alderweireld and Willian we'd probably still end up hoofing it to Fellaini and not be that much better placed than where we are right now.

 

[Eric's Seagull]

This club would absolutely cock that up.
Personally, I just don't see Woodward wanting to give up control to a DoF. In his head, he'll feel that he has worked hard to get to where he is at and with that in mind, why should he relinquish control?
He has the final say on all transfers and decides which player is suitable and which isn't. Unless something drastic happens, I doubt we will be seeing a real DoF (who makes the final decision on player transfers, managerial appointments and playing style), anytime soon.

Agree fully with this, well said. Although I am hoping Ed gives control to a proper football director.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

This club would absolutely cock that up.
Personally, I just don't see Woodward wanting to give up control to a DoF. In his head, he'll feel that he has worked hard to get to where he is at and with that in mind, why should he relinquish control?
He has the final say on all transfers and decides which player is suitable and which isn't. Unless something drastic happens, I doubt we will be seeing a real DoF (who makes the final decision on player transfers, managerial appointments and playing style), anytime soon.

Well Ed will have to get the next manager absolutely right and listen to what he wants, not go all football manager on him. If he doesn't then he will get all the criticism he deserves. I just don't trust him on any count.

 

[Eric's Seagull]

Well Ed will have to get the next manager absolutely right and listen to what he wants, not go all football manager on him. If he doesn't then he will get all the criticism he deserves. I just don't trust him on any count.

Neither do I and I hope he learns from his mistakes instead of a similar situation occurring when Ed still wants to be the main man.

 

[Craig Ward]

Its not so much how much we need to spend that concerns me, its the amount of players who need shipping out. Lots of players have been here a long time and are jus cruising and not worth keeping.

The issue is - splashing the cash wont be the answer.

We need a manager/coaches/style of play to get this bunch playing together in a system that suits them, than add elite level additions to improve us gradually.

This is why Jose has failed. He has not improved 1 player, majority of his signings have failed and our squad is still littered with deadwood from the fergie days.

Over 2 seasons, I'd say we need to invest about 250million and ensure at least 6-7 players are gone. I wouldn't trust Jose with another penny

 

[fellaini's barber]

Well yes, but we do need to spend, but we also need to get rid of some players. We can't seem to do either that well.

Yes we do, our inability to know when to move on players annoys me more than incoming transfers. We could have replaced the likes of Young, Valencia, sold Darmian and Rojo, Jones and even Mata years ago but we just keep giving them new contracts. Rojo's contract ran out this year and we could have easily sold or let go but we gave him an improved contract knowing he's crap and will never play, it really pisses me off

 

[Ekeke]

Depends on if we continue our poor recruitment of the past several years where we spend big money on the wrong players. If we continue that no amount of money will take us to the top.

 

[VeevaVee]

We need


RB - look how good cancelo was last night having at least one attacking fullback is vital to modern football.

CB - a trusted and experienced player, somebody that can partner Smalling.

DM - Matic is complete shit, need somebody faster and better on the ball.

CM - a box to box type player, Fred could do this yet he doesn’t get played for some reason.

RW - not had a proper one for years absolutely no threat from that side and teams know it.

2 ST (main and back up) - Lukaku is shit.


We need to sell loads first though but it’ll be hard getting rid of players.

Agree with this. And if it's not done very quickly we'll probably need to add more because of players leaving that we don't want to.

We're looking at a massive spend, but it's what you get for neglecting it and pissing about so much.

We could just play Dalot and see how that goes. He looks like what we need. So that's one less (for now).
Same with Fred maybe. Again for now, see how it goes.

I'd like a quality CB, DM, RW in January, not that I expect it to happen. It'd propel us in one window.
Summer - can look at the others.

 

[Kag]

To play attacking football and score more goals? Nothing. Literally nothing whatsoever.

We have ample talent at the club already to be in a position in line with our domestic rivals. Coaching prevents that from happening.

Can we improve? Yes. We desperately need a proper right winger with end product (Mourinho has refused to address this) and I think a viable centre half option that isn’t ludicrously priced (see Harry Maguire for £75 million) would be brilliant for us. Cover for Shaw wouldn’t go amiss either.

The OP is typical dramatic rhetoric. Six or seven players? Jesus. I read that years back.

Liverpool play great football with James Milner and Gini Wijnaldum in midfield. Arsenal have improved and barely bought anybody. Chelsea look better specifically due to the coaching that occurs.

We’ve bought a new right back. The lad has barely played (and he’s the same age as Alexander-Arnold, for what it’s worth).

We bought a new midfielder. He’s called Fred apparently.

We’ve got a £70 million striker. Still on track to score less than his last season at Everton.

We’ve got Paul bloody Pogba. That should be enough.

Convince yourself we need lots of new players. Keep banging that head against the wall.

 

[friendlytramp]

SELL
Pogba
Alexis
Jones
Rojo
Smalling
Darmian
Fred
Mata
Herrera

BUY
De Ligt
De Jong
Dier
Alderweireld

Net £100million

————————De Gea(c)
——Lindelof——Alderweireld—-De Ligt
Dalot———————————————-Shaw
—————--Dier-———De Jong
———-Chong———————-Martial
————————Lukaku

Pereira, Tuanzebe, TFM, Fellaini, Pereira, Rashford, Lingard, Greenwood, Gomes etc.

 

[WensleyMU]

It's like this, from 2013/14, and the squad we were left with at the end of the Moyes season we needed a complete rebuild. We didn't really have a core to the team like some sides we are competing with so we were starting from scratch.

A lot is made of the money we have spent, but it's less than many of our rivals have spent. This with our already ageing and deteriorating squad of a few years back means we needed more investment.

The Juve side last night since Mourinho became United manager has spent £500million. That's on top of a 4 time consecutive league winning side. Man City have spent over £500million in that same period, to a side which contained Aguero, De Bruyne and others. Barcelona are another who have spent over £500million in the last 2 and a bit seasons.

Right now we have a decent squad but it is lacking in key areas. Defensive needs improvement. We need some additions in attack, namely a right winger. Some might like to see a new striker but I think other positions are more important right now.

It doesn't matter who the manager is at all, whoever they are they will want these squad issues addressing. People can pretend as much as they like that a new manager means immediate success but unless we address the remaining issues in the squad, in an era where the top sides have world class talent start and on the bench, then we will see a similar pattern repeatedly.

 

[WensleyMU]

How much have we spent since Mourinho took over? You can get rid of each and every one of them and arguments can be made that we'd be better off with the money to find replacements. Meanwhile you have other clubs who know what they need and realize you dont need £100m signings in every position to succeed.

What we need is more the question. Also what we need for what goals we want to achieve. To be up there with the very best, we need a center back, a holding mid, a right winger, a striker (and a new coach). If we just want to address the current glaring issues, then obviously a centerback and right winger to start with in terms of signings. And then move on to the other points but also develop players. All would be irrelevant if Mourinho is still our coach though.

£386million.

For comparison, City have spent £542million, Liverpool £386million, Juventus £546million, Chelsea £477million, Spurs £180million, Arsenal £280million.

The magical £400million figure banded about by some looks a bit limp compared with some of those figures.

I hope someone can explain how £386 million to rebuild the side compared with £540million to add players to an already good squad means we should be dominant.

 

[el3mel]

£386million.

For comparison, City have spent £542million, Liverpool £386million, Juventus £546million, Chelsea £477million, Spurs £180million, Arsenal £280million.

The magical £400million figure banded about by some looks a bit limp compared with some of those figures.

No one gets the spending point imo.

No one says the board didn't spend. They spend for sure. We're saying that we have spent the minimum that can keep the team relevant around the other top 4 teams and that's it. Regarding the state of the squad left by Moyes, with loads of old players retiring and leaving and loads of deadwood that needed chopping, What we had spent under LVG and Mourinho was the minimum to keep the team at top 4 spot. Moyes left us in a pretty bad shape, what were people expecting?

 

[AndyJ1985]

No one gets the spending point imo.

No one says the board didn't spend. They spend for sure. We're saying that we have spent the minimum that can keep the team relevant around the other top 4 teams and that's it. Regarding the state of the squad left by Moyes, with loads of old players retiring and leaving and loads of deadwood that needed chopping, What we had spent under LVG and Mourinho was the minimum to keep the team at top 4 spot. Moyes left us in a pretty bad shape, what were people expecting?

Actually what we've spent should have been enough to get us challenging for the league. But the money has been wasted and we're still left needing significant investment to replace a lot of the dross in the team. Mourinho, van gaal and Moyes have completely ruined our squad. Our best player is by far is one of Ferguson's signing. Almost everyone else we've signed since he left has been mediocre and overpriced at best, and completely shite at worst. How much we've spent isn't the problem. The useless bastards who spent it are the problem.

 

[WensleyMU]

No one gets the spending point imo.

No one says the board didn't spend. They spend for sure. We're saying that we have spent the minimum that can keep the team relevant around the other top 4 teams and that's it. Regarding the state of the squad left by Moyes, with loads of old players retiring and leaving and loads of deadwood that needed chopping, What we had spent under LVG and Mourinho was the minimum to keep the team at top 4 spot. Moyes left us in a pretty bad shape, what were people expecting?

The squad post Moyes and van Gaals first summer saw Rio, Vidic, Nani, Kagawa, Chicarito, Fletcher, Zaha and Welbeck leave. While some were getting on, many of these we big characters and rocks of the last great United side.

We've had an enormous task since and as you have said, we have only done the bare minimum to replace these players and the others who left/retired before and since.

 

[WensleyMU]

Actually what we've spent should have been enough to get us challenging for the league. But the money has been wasted and we're still left needing significant investment to replace a lot of the dross in the team. Mourinho, van gaal and Moyes have completely ruined our squad. Our best player is by far is one of Ferguson's signing. Almost everyone else we've signed since he left has been mediocre and overpriced at best, and completely shite at worst. How much we've spent isn't the problem. The useless bastards who spent it are the problem.

It's not though, is it? See what we have lost, compare that to what we have spent to replace them, and then compare those who have been more successful than us and what they have spent.

 

[RooneyLegend]

It's not though, is it? See what we have lost, compare that to what we have spent to replace them, and then compare those who have been more successful than us and what they have spent.

Juve have a significantly smaller wage bill than us and also sell to buy quite a fair bit. We throw money around aimlessly and have a manager who seemingly cant get a tune pit of anyone.

 

[MackRobinson]

£386million.

For comparison, City have spent £542million, Liverpool £386million, Juventus £546million, Chelsea £477million, Spurs £180million, Arsenal £280million.

The magical £400million figure banded about by some looks a bit limp compared with some of those figures.

I hope someone can explain how £386 million to rebuild the side compared with £540million to add players to an already good squad means we should be dominant.

Sometimes I do wonder if some of the posts are genuine.

Since Mourinho has taken over, what key players have they lost and how much did they make? (not worth it to mention Arsenal and Tottenham, we already know how cheap their owners are)

Juve:
Paul Pogba, Higuain, Pereyra, Bonucci, Coman, Morata, etc
£375 million transfer income

Liverpool:
Coutinho, Emre Can (for nothing), Sakho, Allen, Benteke etc
£303 million transfer income

Chelsea:
Oscar, Salah, Cuadrado, Diego Costa, Matic, Courtois
£362 million transfer income

City:
Dzeko, Iheanacho, Jovetic, Kolarov
£144 million transfer income

United:
Depay, Schneiderlin, Januzaj, Ibra, Blind
£82 million transfer income

The majority of the teams you listing were actually funding their transfers through sales while losing really good players (look at Juve and Chelsea)

Comparing United to City seems like a backhanded way of saying you want a moneybags owner. The only teams who invested more transfers than United over that period are City and PSG. Unless you expect to have a ownership group such as that there is really nothing to complain about on the spending front.

 

[WensleyMU]

Sometimes I do wonder if some of the posts are genuine.

Since Mourinho has taken over, what key players have they lost and how much did they make? (not worth it to mention Arsenal and Tottenham, we already know how cheap their owners are)

Juve:
Paul Pogba, Higuain, Pereyra, Bonucci, Coman, Morata, etc
£375 million transfer income

Liverpool:
Coutinho, Emre Can (for nothing), Sakho, Allen, Benteke etc
£303 million transfer income

Chelsea:
Oscar, Salah, Cuadrado, Diego Costa, Matic, Courtois
£362 million transfer income

City:
Dzeko, Iheanacho, Jovetic, Kolarov
£144 million transfer income

United:
Depay, Schneiderlin, Januzaj, Ibra, Blind
£82 million transfer income

The majority of the teams you listing were actually funding their transfers through sales while losing really good players (look at Juve and Chelsea)

Comparing United to City seems like a backhanded way of saying you want a moneybags owner. The only teams who invested more transfers than United over that period are City and PSG. Unless you expect to have a ownership group such as that there is really nothing to complain about on the spending front.

Hmm, interesting but ultimately nonsense.

You have decided that only transfer income should be considered when looking at a teams spending. Some clubs, for whatever reason decide on a policy of selling to buy, others source revenue from other streams.

Net spend is a term created by clubs who have failed. It's a new term, possibly from the Scouse fans when Rafa was in charge and did naff all after the CL win despite spending loads.

United fans using it is just sad, ridiculously sad. Though some are so drsperdes to trash the club, anything goes.

 

[Jojo <3 Mou]

For me, it's not a question of spending $600M. Its more about spending on the right players and addressing the issues that our squad has. We can't keep buying left wingers when we have no right winger and an teenage RB. No backup striker and essentially a one man midfield without whom we are crap.

The manager must have an input on the buys and having a DoF/CEO with football knowledge should ensure better buying.

I'm not sure what the reason behind the bizarre spending is, but it's not been good enough. We don't seem to have a plan or any direction. The failure to invest this summer was self-sabotage. WTH is this board doing? Do we want to like win stuff?

 

[MackRobinson]

Hmm, interesting but ultimately nonsense.

First of all, you have forgotten Di Maria. Second you have also decided that only transfer income should be considered when looking at a teams spending. Some clubs, for whatever reason decide on a policy of selling to buy, others source revenue from other streams.

1) Di Maria was sold the previous summer under van Gaal.
2) Most, if not all large companies have budgets for the cost of labor. Do you honestly think player sales have NO impact on a football clubs budget for signing players? lol

Net spend is a term created by clubs who have failed. It's a new term, possibly from the Scouse fans when Rafa was in charge and did naff all after the CL win despite spending loads.

United fans using it is just sad, ridiculously sad. Though some are so drsperdes to trash the club, anything goes.

The bolded is a nothing comment and at best your opinion. Not sure what point you're trying to make with that.

There is this thing call net income and there are these things called balance sheets. I hope you aren't trying to tell me a billion pound company as large as Manchester United doesn't set budgets...

Regardless, look at the players they have sold. In most cases, these are quality players so it's obvious they needed to be replaced (that's why I posted the players lost and not just how much they made since people love to argue ad nauseam about net spend). The point is in many cases they were replacing a squad, not just adding to an existing team.

 

[fellaini's barber]

You are wrongly assuming each player was a)his preferred choice and b) had no influence from Woodward.

Considering LVG was saying players were coming in which were not his choices you're on shaky ground.

The only LVG transfers that are not total failures are the ones suspected to be club signings. Martial, Herrera and Shaw. Pretty much all his signings failed. Next you lot will be telling us we forced Depay, Blind and Schweini on him

 

[Slik]

We don’t need even a single player to compete on equal footing with Juventus. What we needs is a coach to actually coach the players, give them confidence and instil some form of idea about how we play which is not just hoofing it up to lukaku.

 

[MikeKing]

Yeah, no we need to spend. I think we should get a bunch of players and spend big allover. Its the only way our current strategy will ever work, if we throw enough shit at the wall then some of it is bound to stick.

We should be getting more out of this squad undoubtably, but it is also true that we have had a lack of quality and balance throughout our squad to begin with, after SAF left. He didn't bother because he was leaving, or failed to leave behind a balanced team. It is a tough starting point as we have had to play catchup. Considering we have bought the wrong players a lot because of the lack of a plan, just means it'll take more time. Time that is wasted because while we have fixed a few problems, and try to solve a few with what we have, naturally by the time the next window arrives we'll not only have the old positions to fix, but new ones too as we learn through the season that certain players we gambled on couldn't hack it, and other players are getting too old. The balance of quality by experience, star power and talent is off. Only way to fix that is to buy a shitload of players at once and start over with a more balanced starting point. We have to be more ruthless.

I know people give Lukaku shit right now and rightly so, but imagine if we didn't buy him and couldn't get anyone else. Then look at our team, we wouldn't have 1 striker, let alone a half decent one. We could have played Martial, but no left wing. Rashford, then no backup. No right wing etc. That is not a top 4 team necessarily even without a striker on form. Which is what we have right now with Lukaku on current form. We need to bring back the competition for a place in the team.

 

[Slik]

I have seen far weaker teams than United play better against Juventus. I have watched some of Juventus’ matches this season and we were no doubt the shittiest team they have played becuase of the lack of fight we put up. And no one will tell me it’s becuase we have inferior players. Does Genoa have better players than us? And our problem shouldn’t be because we lost, even with our 2008 squad we could play this Juve and win or lose. But the problem is how we played or rather (we not playing at all) and that is 100% down to tactics. Completely 100%. It only magnifies the weaknesses of our players. We don’t play to their strengths. Mourinho is just stuck up in his ideas which have failed for 2 years and counting or 3 years + if you add Chelsea .

 

[ash_86]

We need 2 new CB's and a DM and a pure winger that can hold width and deliver a good cross. We might as well get a good coach while we're at it.

 

[Bastian]

This. It is getting to how it was under Van Gaal - the caf looking forward to signings, spending lots of money then them ending up either underwhelming or being frozen out by the manager for whatever reason.

How many players have we signed since Fergie retired that we can say have been a success? Really not many. Since we hired Mourinho, the money we've been spending per player signed has gone up but we can't point to any and say they've been an unmitigated success. Zlatan is probably the closest but he was only here for a season, really.

If we can't make more out of the players signed already, then how can we really expect any more signings to be a success? If we had signed Alderweireld and Willian we'd probably still end up hoofing it to Fellaini and not be that much better placed than where we are right now.

That's mainly to do with the change in the market. Pogba aside. I don't see Fred going for similar money we paid now 3-4 years ago. Not to say that we do any sort of good deals in the market, I think we're pretty bad financially in making transfers (and contracts), reckless even.

 

[shahzy]

Spend whatever it takes to fire the miserable one and get a guy in that actually coach's the player to get better

 

[Fosu-Mens]

Not to say that we do any sort of good deals in the market, I think we're pretty bad financially in making transfers (and contracts), reckless even.

The only thing that matters is the 10K report delivered for the stock exchange, thus the timeframe we are planning in is for the next 10k report to be delivered. In general short term thinking. The same problem can be seen in other businesses where short term profits outweight the long term larger profits and sustainability. This "small minded" way of thinking and governing an organization is often the case when the organization is governed and managed by people with financial education. When the owners wants immediate profits from their business/corporation they employ a financial educated person as CEO, and when the owners wants to develope/improve/expand(in general anything other then short term big pay outs) they employ someone who is experienced and educated within the field the business operate in...

 

[Hazard Warning]

Before you spend anymore money, how about sorting the club out from top to bottom?

Instead of asking for a new CF, CM, CB, RW etc. You need to be asking for a new CEO, DOF, Manager and leave Ed to do what he does best, the commercial side of the business as he knows little about football.

People are quick to dismiss actual COACHING to improve the players you already have. There is very little wrong with most of the players you have, it just seems like you lack a cohesion and strategy both on the pitch tactically and in the transfer market.

It’s all well and good saying “X was available for X why didn’t we sign him, he’d improve us” but in reality football doesn’t work like that.

As much as I hate the Scoucers and it pains me to say it, look at how they do stuff and learn from it. Klopp has gotten the absolute maximum from some players you guys wouldn’t have thought twice about, generated good will and trust from the board then asked for a particular CB that he felt he had to have. Was £75m a lot of money to spend on a CB? Yes. Is it better to spend £75m on your number 1 choice and wait for that player rather than signing 2 CBS for £30-£40m each and still be where you were with 0 improvement? Yes.

 

[trafford1980]

£386million.

For comparison, City have spent £542million, Liverpool £386million, Juventus £546million, Chelsea £477million, Spurs £180million, Arsenal £280million.

The magical £400million figure banded about by some looks a bit limp compared with some of those figures.

I hope someone can explain how £386 million to rebuild the side compared with £540million to add players to an already good squad means we should be dominant.

Are these figures accurate?

I was under the assumption that only City and PSG had outspent us over the last three years.

Have Chelsea really spent almost a hundred mil more than us in this period?

And Juventus have outspent City?

 

[Rake]

Stop with the damn spending and replace Mourinho.

 

[redtony]

Stop with the damn spending and replace Mourinho.

Exactly! I don't think we know if any of our players are good or not because they don't look like they've been told what to do!

Every game they look like they've never played with each other before

 

[Fujiland]

Hmm, interesting but ultimately nonsense.

You have decided that only transfer income should be considered when looking at a teams spending. Some clubs, for whatever reason decide on a policy of selling to buy, others source revenue from other streams.

Net spend is a term created by clubs who have failed. It's a new term, possibly from the Scouse fans when Rafa was in charge and did naff all after the CL win despite spending loads.

United fans using it is just sad, ridiculously sad. Though some are so drsperdes to trash the club, anything goes.

Wow, I can't believe someone actually write this. I would like to know the company you work for.

It's not selling to buy, it is called spend responsiblely, an attribute every successful business applys.

 

[Fracture90]

Seen lots of people talking about mammoth task Mourinho has had clearing LVG's transfer mess...what about the mess Mourinho has made with his own signings?