Our new approach to signings - for or against?

[sideshow_bob]

From the looks of things, we're seemingly changing our mindset on who we target & bring into the club.

AWB, Dan James already done.
Links to Longstaff, Rice, Maddison, Brooks, Maguire, Sancho.

Young, Jones, Shaw & soon Rashford on new contracts. No sign of Smalling or Lingard getting the boot soon either.

(Mostly)
Young, British & Hungry seems to be the new policy.

To me (if this is true), it is a a shocking recruitment policy for a club that's supported all over the world. (I'm not sure what's the right term in English for how I see this - nationalistic? Xenophobic? Exclusive?)

Not to mention I think it makes no financial sense. Sancho? Will cost 100m over. Maguire? 80m. Rice? 60m. Maddison & Brooks will cost lots more than AWB too. I mean 9 game Longstaff is valued in excess of 25m! In general, foreign players from outside epl will cost you less wages-wise & in transfer fees.

Anyway, how do you feel about this new approach. For or against?

Edit: apologies for using the term xenophobia. I meant a disregard for Meritocracy instead

 

[red4ever 79]

I have no problem with Utd buying British, as long as we are investing in the very top level of British talent. You think of Rooney, Rio they were the best out there. If we are buying British then we should go after Kane, Sterling, Sancho.

 

[Sir Scott McToMinay]

If there’s an actual plan in place, and they all fit that plan because of their attitude and how they play football, then I’m all for it.
If it’s just a concept then It’s stupid, and expensive.

 

[duffer]

Buy English, not British.

Don't help the Welsh or Scottish national teams by making their players better.

 

[pacifictheme]

Just buy the right players to win football matches in an entertaining way. If thats what this is then great.

 

[dutchred]

I agree with going for young ambitious players, but from any nationality

 

[OverratedOpinion]

Xenophobic? Really?

Maybe our Norwegian manager feels like there are benefits to having young homegrown players to compliment our Squad which is made up of players from all over the world. This is a thought that the more successful Spanish, Italian and German clubs have shared for a long a time.

Nothing wrong with it as long as the players are good enough. James is a gamble, Wan Bissaka looked excellent last year, as was Maddison. Longstaff I have no idea about.

 

[Lastwolf]

From the looks of things, we're seemingly changing our mindset on who we target & bring into the club.

AWB, Dan James already done.
Links to Longstaff, Rice, Maddison, Brooks, Maguire, Sancho.

Young, Jones, Shaw & soon Rashford on new contracts. No sign of Smalling or Lingard getting the boot soon either.

(Mostly)
Young, British & Hungry seems to be the new policy.

To me (if this is true), it is a a shocking recruitment policy for a club that's supported all over the world. (I'm not sure what's the right term in English for how I see this - nationalistic? Xenophobic? Exclusive?)

Not to mention I think it makes no financial sense. Sancho? Will cost 100m over. Maguire? 80m. Rice? 60m. Maddison & Brooks will cost lots more than AWB too. I mean 9 game Longstaff is valued in excess of 25m! In general, foreign players from outside epl will cost you less wages-wise & in transfer fees.

Anyway, how do you feel about this new approach. For or against?

I don't think it's nessarily xenophobic, it's with a eye on the future, these players in another year or so, depending on how work permits go, could be a helluva lot more expensive.

If you listen to the fan base on who is making the cut at the moment it's a short list and most of our "home grown" talent in on the chopping block, given the fact we are also snapping up alot of 16-17 year olds from across the EU at the moment and rumors are that Butt has been given a budget to go get some more, there is some sort of plan at play. We tried to play the Galatico game, look where that got us, this is clearly a rebuild.

The first phase is on young, players with experience and on the rise, ready to make the step up rather than those on the decline or too expensive to prize away from where they are at.

They have offered for De Ligt and Fernandes, they aren't the most English of names, buddy.

 

[Trophy Room]

It doesn’t matter who we buy if our coaching is not up to task. France and England potentially have a great group of players coming through so I can appreciate the thinking behind wanting to take future advantage of that and getting some local identity back into United.

I don’t buy your xenophobia argument. We have so much support because of what we won and how we won it.

 

[sp_107]

If we wait for few more days, Ed will send an email to staff on this matter and I am sure eventually that will be leaked to media?

 

[Greck]

Hate it. Would have no problem with buying British if I felt it was a talent hotbed. More of an overpriced future squad player hotbed

 

[harms]

It becomes xenophobic if United prefers less talented British players over foreign alternatives that can be gotten for the same price. I'm not sure that it's the case at the moment, although Maguire's signing may prove me wrong.

 

[acnumber9]

Every team should have players from their own nation playing for them. It’s not xenophobic, it’s a necessity.

 

[Shakesy]

Buying young British players makes great business sense. British players generally demand a higher fee when sold (I'm looking at you Jones! Demand a high fee and get sold!)
OK, granted, our British buys haven't been great, but in theory these players' value ought to climb faster than others, because they are worth more to other local clubs.
You know... As I'm writing this I can see the nonsense I'm spouting and I cannot stop it. We never sell players to other EPL clubs for a profit. We buy them for inflated fees.

Why buy them then?

I have no idea. Maybe there is less chance of them making their dream move to Spain?
Maybe other British youngsters are going to start thinking they want to join the young English revolution at United?
Regardless of the reason - I like it (if this is indeed our strategy)

 

[sullydnl]

There are advantages to a player we sign being British (speak fluent English, less likely to have difficulty adjusting to the move, less likely to be inclined to move abroad, etc.) but those aren't enough to make it a high priority factor, I think. A positive, sure, but not as much as having the right talent, age, cost or mentality would be.

 

[Castia]

I’m all for signing top young players.....not sure why we’re hell bent on British talent though. I’d love to be in for De Ligt, Felix and Sancho but it feels like we’re aiming down market and are sniffing out a lower tier of player.....

That could work with a solid scouting network but I don’t trust our lot. There’s nothing more exciting than a top prospect so I respect that, let’s hope we signal out the right players.

 

[sideshow_bob]

I don't think it's nessarily xenophobic, it's with a eye on the future, these players in another year or so, depending on how work permits go, could be a helluva lot more expensive.

If you listen to the fan base on who is making the cut at the moment it's a short list and most of our "home grown" talent in on the chopping block, given the fact we are also snapping up alot of 16-17 year olds from across the EU at the moment and rumors are that Butt has been given a budget to go get some more, there is some sort of plan at play. We tried to play the Galatico game, look where that got us, this is clearly a rebuild.

The first phase is on young, players with experience and on the rise, ready to make the step up rather than those on the decline or too expensive to prize away from where they are at.

They have offered for De Ligt and Fernandes, they aren't the most English of names, buddy.

I disagree.
Who are the galacticos we have been buying?

I think it's only RVP & he was a success.

Sanchez was a gamble which didn't work out sure but no one could have seen that coming. If you define the Ibra, Schweini, Matic signings (at the ages when we got them) as galactico ones then maybe your definition of that word differs from mine.

 

[MisterLupus]

Personally I like it and I'm not English. In fact this club's focus on developing domestic talents and their own youths is part of the reason I stuck with and eventually grew fond of it - and I must admit I've lost some of that enthusiasm towards it these last years as I've increasingly felt it's grown more and more in the direction of "plastic fantastic generic top club #123443456".

Xenophobia? Maybe - if you're being extremely dramatic about it and overly sensitive towards the concept. There are degrees of everything you see - and having a preference towards local talents is not xenophobic as far as I'm concerned. As long as one doesn't devalue or actively discriminate against foreign players I'd say this falls more within "favoritism" than "xenophobia" - the prior being a matter of preference (or even a question of culture / identity) while the latter is something way more hostile and sinister.

 

[BluesJr]

This could be one of the worse threads of all time. Congrats.

 

[DoomSlayer]

It becomes xenophobic if United prefers less talented British players over foreign alternatives that can be gotten for the same price. I'm not sure that it's the case at the moment, although Maguire's signing may prove me wrong.

Seriously? Counting the OP, your comment is the 4th time that I've seen someone outright call or suggest Ole is xenophobic or racist. We are accusing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, on a Manchester United forum nonetheless, that he is some sort of racist?

This is incredibly aggravating and bothersome to me.

 

[Grylte]

I love it. British and players from Northern Europe, don't have the same urge to go to Spain at the first chance they get.
Makes it easier to build a good team for the future. Has nothing to do with racism or xenosomething.

 

[harms]

Seriously? Counting the OP, your comment is the 4th time that I've seen someone outright call or suggest Ole is xenophobic or racist.

Where do I accuse him of being xenophobic?

 

[UnitedObsession99]

Home grown players have to make up 8/25 of your squad or your squad number is reduced. E.g. City only had 21 last year. That said home grown doesn't mean English and 1 star is better than 2 average players, assuming if course the star isn't injury prone like Bale!

 

[DoomSlayer]

Where do I accuse him of being xenophobic?

The fact that you said a hypothetical signing of Maguire would prove you wrong of not believing Ole is xenophobic? The mere idea of any sort of transfer being linked to xenophobia or racism is preposterous.

 

[Neil_Buchanan]

I like it, I'd happily sign all the players mentioned in the opening post.

 

[sideshow_bob]

I have no problem with Utd buying British, as long as we are investing in the very top level of British talent. You think of Rooney, Rio they were the best out there. If we are buying British then we should go after Kane, Sterling, Sancho.

No problems from me too! Especially for those 3 players you mentioned. Absolute quality.

If there’s an actual plan in place, and they all fit that plan because of their attitude and how they play football, then I’m all for it.
If it’s just a concept then It’s stupid, and expensive.

Hmm. So if the plan is to buy young, raw, fast, inexperienced at EPL level, affordable players from a certain region not known for its flair/skill/joga-bonito,
but they play fast & direct, with great attitude & professionalism, giving their all on the pitch,
& place 7th you will be ok with it?

I agree with going for young ambitious players, but from any nationality

Of course. Me too. A lot of folks too I'm sure.
shouldn't this be the default for every club?
Why the heck is our club doing otherwise??

 

[harms]

The fact that you said a hypothetical signing of Maguire would prove you wrong of not believing Ole is xenophobic? The mere idea of any sort of transfer being linked to xenophobia or racism is preposterous.

Yeah... no.

Firstly, I was commenting on the idea of the approach, not on Ole himself (or on United). Secondly, I think that the idea of buying lesser talented English players for more money is absurd (and, in some way, xenophobic). This is not what we're doing though. There's nothing wrong on preferring domestic talent given the choice — or buying the likes of James for peanuts.

 

[BAMSOLA]

I am all for us having a good core of young British players, however it is unlikely that these are the only player we are going for and I for one hope that the profile of players we are going for is simply young and talented.

I would also hope that we are looking at Sander Berge, Florian grillitsch and Sebastien Haller as they are foreign signings who could definitely improve us and could be bought for relatively low fees when compared with more inferior British talents we might be looking at.

 

[DoomSlayer]

Yeah... no.

Firstly, I was commenting on the idea of the approach, not on Ole himself (or on United). Secondly, I think that the idea of buying lesser talented English players for more money is absurd (and, in some way, xenophobic). This is not what we're doing though. There's nothing wrong on preferring domestic talent given the choice — or buying the likes of James for peanuts.

I think that linking any transfer activity to xenophobia is not correlating to reality. And by saying the approach is xenophobic, you indirectly accuse Ole of that because he is the one who decides the targets.

 

[humdinger]

I’m not sure if nationality is what we are focusing on, think it’s more about buying players who will fit in culturally and stylistically and work hard for the team.

We’ve been linked with Ben Yedder, for example.

 

[hobbers]

Depends on the player.

James is a good gamble for such a low fee. Longstaff is similarly raw but for ~£25m would be great business.

Maddison, Brooks, Tierney and Sancho would all be fantastic signings.

Rice is a wildly overhyped Dier 2.0 and would be a massive waste of money. Maguire is so obviously not worth half of what it would take to sign him.

We'll have to wait and see if AWB will ever be worth his fee of course.

 

[dove]

As long as we don't go full brexit, I don't mind it however I think we should go for best prospects/players doesn't matter what nationality they are.

 

[sideshow_bob]

It doesn’t matter who we buy if our coaching is not up to task. France and England potentially have a great group of players coming through so I can appreciate the thinking behind wanting to take future advantage of that and getting some local identity back into United.

I don’t buy your xenophobia argument. We have so much support because of what we won and how we won it.

Quality of coaching is not being discussed on this thread. But yes I agree with your first statement.

You don't buy my xenophobic argument why again?
I'm saying this window's transfer policy of being exclusive to Brits, if true, is shocking to me. Nothing at all to do with what we've won or how we won it. Talk to me about this supposed all-british policy

 

[sideshow_bob]

Hate it. Would have no problem with buying British if I felt it was a talent hotbed. More of an overpriced future squad player hotbed

I feel you bro 100%

 

[Buster15]

From the looks of things, we're seemingly changing our mindset on who we target & bring into the club.

AWB, Dan James already done.
Links to Longstaff, Rice, Maddison, Brooks, Maguire, Sancho.

Young, Jones, Shaw & soon Rashford on new contracts. No sign of Smalling or Lingard getting the boot soon either.

(Mostly)
Young, British & Hungry seems to be the new policy.

To me (if this is true), it is a a shocking recruitment policy for a club that's supported all over the world. (I'm not sure what's the right term in English for how I see this - nationalistic? Xenophobic? Exclusive?)

Not to mention I think it makes no financial sense. Sancho? Will cost 100m over. Maguire? 80m. Rice? 60m. Maddison & Brooks will cost lots more than AWB too. I mean 9 game Longstaff is valued in excess of 25m! In general, foreign players from outside epl will cost you less wages-wise & in transfer fees.

Anyway, how do you feel about this new approach. For or against?

If there is a plan then that will be good because up to now, there has been non. Just signing random players for random reasons.
I doubt very much that we will get anywhere near signing all those players but it makes sense to go for younger hungrier players.
A British core would be good but the priority must be getting the best we can afford whatever the nationality.

 

[sideshow_bob]

It becomes xenophobic if United prefers less talented British players over foreign alternatives that can be gotten for the same price. I'm not sure that it's the case at the moment, although Maguire's signing may prove me wrong.

My friend, you need maguire's signing to prove this to you? Only then?

Jones + Smalling are not good enough examples of less talented British players over foreign alternatives that can be gotten for the same price?

 

[sideshow_bob]

Every team should have players from their own nation playing for them. It’s not xenophobic, it’s a necessity.

Hey man. No one is saying United should have no Brits playing for them.
I'm talking about meritocracy here. (Not xenophobia, sorry for raising that word in the OP. English is not my first language).
Yes, I'm all for not going against the rules of having home grown players. That's a necessity.
Past that all other spots should be based on merit. Irrespective of nationality

 

[Jazz]

I agree with going for young ambitious players, but from any nationality

This. That's common sense.

 

[Sandikan]

From the looks of things, we're seemingly changing our mindset on who we target & bring into the club.

AWB, Dan James already done.
Links to Longstaff, Rice, Maddison, Brooks, Maguire, Sancho.

Young, Jones, Shaw & soon Rashford on new contracts. No sign of Smalling or Lingard getting the boot soon either.

(Mostly)
Young, British & Hungry seems to be the new policy.

To me (if this is true), it is a a shocking recruitment policy for a club that's supported all over the world. (I'm not sure what's the right term in English for how I see this - nationalistic? Xenophobic? Exclusive?)

Not to mention I think it makes no financial sense. Sancho? Will cost 100m over. Maguire? 80m. Rice? 60m. Maddison & Brooks will cost lots more than AWB too. I mean 9 game Longstaff is valued in excess of 25m! In general, foreign players from outside epl will cost you less wages-wise & in transfer fees.

Anyway, how do you feel about this new approach. For or against?

Did you leave out the foreign players we've been heavily linked to, as that ruins your post?

 

[Sandikan]

Seriously? Counting the OP, your comment is the 4th time that I've seen someone outright call or suggest Ole is xenophobic or racist. We are accusing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, on a Manchester United forum nonetheless, that he is some sort of racist?

This is incredibly aggravating and bothersome to me.

He's left out the foreign players we've been linked with as well. As well as the youth team foreign guy that has been signed.