United's biggest problem - Our spoiled and overly entitled fan base

[Croftona7]

You can't enjoy being on top if you haven't gone through the period of trying to get there.

We're in a cycle which is normal, we've never been always at the very top, we got there, we loved it, it ended and now we're trying to get back there.

It's as simple as that.

Ask your Dad's.

 

[lewwoo]

With the third highest revenues of any club in the world one would expect at least reaching the giddy heights of top four. Not sure it is 'overly entitled' to expect at least some improvements and some of that revenue to be used.

 

[Marrakesh]

The fans base has nothing to do with our problem. Our fan base has more patience than other giant clubs fan base. Now imagine if Real Madrid or Barcelona went on such a bad run in 6 years. If anything, I think our fans are too soft on the club, the manager and the players.

This. If anything we give them an incredibly easy life considering what they have done to our club.

 

[Nytram Shakes]

To be fair, do the fans of 95% of teams have a hope of winning anything, let alone an expectation? It's obvious that United doesn't have the cash to splash compared to some of these newjacks. If the team was spending hundreds of millions of pounds on the wrong players, that's one thing, but we're talking about an ownership group that's getting left in the dust and facing a tough adjustment. The old tactics aren't working, I'm not sure what the solution is here but I don't believe that these guys, Ed, the Glazers, whomever are bad at identifying talent but the purse strings are what they are. I'd rather be frugal if the choice is paying over the top for tertiary talent, but I agree it can't go on like this forever if you want to maintain the "top club" image.

The problem is we arn't been frugal, we have the second or 3rd(depending on who your believe) highest wage bill in world football, we have the second highest net spend in the premier league over the past 5 years.

The whole we are been frugal thing just isn't true. As a fan I don't have any qualms about the amount we are spending, nor do I think what we are spending isn't enough to compete.

My issue is with a net spend of 441 million over the past 5 years and an astronomical wage bill, yet we have a team that seems to be around the 5th or 6th best in the league.

What this all tells me is it very clearly isn't how much we are spending its how well we are spending it.

 

[Gomes]

We're in a cycle which is normal, we've never been always at the very top, we got there, we loved it, it ended and now we're trying to get back there.

Except we aren't. There lies the problem.

 

[shaky]

You can't enjoy being on top if you haven't gone through the period of trying to get there.

We're in a cycle which is normal, we've never been always at the very top, we got there, we loved it, it ended and now we're trying to get back there.

It's as simple as that.

Ask your Dad's.

Ah, so being awful for the past 6 years, and for the foreseeable future, is actually a blessing in disguise?

 

[sammsky1]

The problem is we arn't been frugal, we have the second or 3rd(depending on who your believe) highest wage bill in world football, we have the second highest net spend in the premier league over the past 5 years.

The whole we are been frugal thing just isn't true. As a fan I don't have any qualms about the amount we are spending, nor do I think what we are spending isn't enough to compete.

My issue is with a net spend of 441 million over the past 5 years and an astronomical wage bill, yet we have a team that seems to be around the 5th or 6th best in the league.

What this all tells me is it very clearly isn't how much we are spending its how well we are spending it.

That may be true, but it doesn't stop us being where we are.

Not sure how OGS is meant to achieve anything if he's handicapped by previous regime's mistakes.

 

[Nytram Shakes]

With the third highest revenues of any club in the world one would expect at least reaching the giddy heights of top four. Not sure it is 'overly entitled' to expect at least some improvements and some of that revenue to be used.

The revenue is been used, last year we had an opperting profit of around 44.1 million, it isn;t like we had an extra 200 million to spend.

This year our net transfer spend is likely to be around 70-80 million (compared to the 50 million last year), we don't have any champions league football and we have given a number of players substantial rises. So unless revenues in other areas have dramatically expanded that 44 million profit is likly to have a massive hit.

 

[Chunk of hope]

without any doubt Man utd have the worst social media fan base, some of the comments over the summer and today are embarrassing

What this all tells me is it very clearly isn't how much we are spending its how well we are spending it.

This is why i'm ok with this summers buys all 3 seem to want to play for the club not a wage, i'm glad we didn't splash £60m+ on fernandes or dybala like we would have before,

Defence looks good now, lets give Rashford and Martial the main goalscoring threat and if they dont cut it they follow Rom out, while givng Gomes Greenwood 1st team time,

The way we are now as a club I dont care if we spend £200m+ in a window on 'fantasy players' when i manage to buy a ticket for a match i want to watch players that care.

 

[Nytram Shakes]

That may be true, but it doesn't stop us being where we are.

Not sure how OGS is meant to achieve anything if he's handicapped by previous regime's mistakes.

agreed, but we can't change whats been done about it now.

The simple point is, we have dug ourselves a massive hole, with the spending we have done and the contracts we have handed out. Which simply means its going to take a number of years of good management, good coaching and patience to turn things around.

The problem is we still basically have the same structure in place that dug the hole and squandered all this cash and now we are trusting them to come up with a plan for the future.

 

[Water Melon]

If you wanna express your dissatisfaction with the club policy, stop funding the board, don't fecking boo the players. Boycott the games, don't respond to their media campaigns, stop buying merch. Booing at your own squad is pathetic

Where did I propose booing the players? Read carefully again: I proposed Glazers out chants prior to kick off and at HT. You can protest against the owners and still support the squad. You can belt out different chants at different phases of a match. Now as for buying merchandise, I am not buying any. However, there will still be tons of people buying and it will have no negative on the owners. However, anti Glazer chants prior to kick off and at HT, will not go unnoticed.

 

[AllezLesDiables]

I have never seen so many posts from other clubs supporters as in the last two years. They just love to be here now.

You know why? Because it is the best run footy fan site on the ‘net.

Ironic that this website is the best site for any footy team in the world driving insane amounts of traffic and it is run the way you’d expect the site for the most popular team in the world.

The same cannot be said for the team itself.

Manchester United is being run the same way Electronic Arts runs its business ....

Maximize profits and pull the most egregious shit and then divert the fans attention from that behavior by telling the fans oops sorry we will improve things.

Of course fans are going to be upset. Fans want honest business practices and to be respected not treated as cash machines.

Sure the fans want to win but most fans want to know that the franchise/team is doing their best to put the most competitive team on the field.

 

[devilish]

The revenue is been used, last year we had an opperting profit of around 44.1 million, it isn;t like we had an extra 200 million to spend.

This year our net transfer spend is likely to be around 70-80 million (compared to the 50 million last year), we don't have any champions league football and we have given a number of players substantial rises. So unless revenues in other areas have dramatically expanded that 44 million profit is likly to have a massive hit.

I'd taking this profit stat with a pinch of salt. Surely Glazer's well paid 'services' will be factored in the expenses somewhere same thing regarding Woodward's bonuses. A man got to eat.

 

[AllezLesDiables]

That may be true, but it doesn't stop us being where we are.

Not sure how OGS is meant to achieve anything if he's handicapped by previous regime's mistakes.

He isn’t meant to achieve. He’s a stool pigeon that’s going to get whacked because he’s not going to get the necessary support.

Bringing in people from the an extremely successful era is common ploy that occurs across sports with the intent to sell the fan base on the con that the owners care about the legacy of the club and want to tap into nostalgic feelings in the fan base.

Now there are teams are successful at tapping into old legends but they properly vet the old players to determine if the player is actually capable and they do not set up their old legends to fail.

OGS is being set up to fail, which above all else should infuriate United fans because of the extreme disrespect being shown to someone is a cherished part of United history.

 

[Nytram Shakes]

I'd taking this profit stat with a pinch of salt. Surely Glazer's well paid 'services' will be factored in the expenses somewhere.

Probably but not to the extent where that is the reason we arnt spending want us too.

Look at it this way our turn over last year was 590 million our player wage bill alone was 300 + million.
So when you think we have thousands of support staff, a stadium and state of the art training facility to maintain. Simple running costs transport of the flights we take , taxes share holder payouts...... it all adds up.

Running a premier league football club is expensive. I’m sure the Glazers do get paid handsomely. But we arnt talking hundreds of millions here.

 

[devilish]

Probably but not to the extent where that is the reason we arnt spending want us too.

Look at it this way our turn over last year was 590 million our player wage bill alone was 300 + million.
So when you think we have thousands of support staff, a stadium and state of the art training facility to maintain. Simple running costs transport of the flights we take , taxes share holder payouts...... it all adds up.

Running a premier league football club is expensive. I’m sure the Glazers do get paid handsomely. But we arnt talking hundreds of millions here.

You mean the stadium whose roof was leaking? Also aren't these expenses similar at other clubs as well? So how on earth we are struggling despite our huge turnover while they are not?

Seriously mate, Half of my family are accountants some of whom are excellent in what they do. You'll be amazed how creative they can be in terms of listing things as expenses.

Returning to salaries, why are we giving deadwood long term contracts? Why don't we get rid of them in the first place? Maybe because we're reluctant to replace them?

 

[7even]

Denial - Anger - Bargaining - Depression - Acceptance

Change fan base an things get better

 

[Nitewolf]

This is a very strange post.

Yes, Manchester United falling from the number 1 spot, winning league titles and playing 3 champions league finals between 2008 - 2011 to the dismal state of today, that is not the owners fault, not the boards of directors fault, no let's blame the fans because of their constant moaning about the abysmal state of their club.

Falling from grace was acceptable in the days before we became the highest valuable club in the history of football, falling in this day and age of massive wealth is simply not acceptable, this isn't a disaster time, there is no world war, there is no global economic depression. We are currently the 3rd richest club in all sports worldwide. So no, I'll not accept this failure as (a normal cycle). This is simply lack of leadership, lack of planning, and a failure of management.

Manchester United isn't the top spenders over the last 3 years, the net spending over the last 4 transfer windows (2 summer + 2 winter windows) is less than 100 millions. The squad is extremely imbalanced, we solve one chronic problem only after 3 other problems occur. The club have the 2nd highest wage bill for a group of players who aren't capable of competing with clubs that have almost half of our wage bill! A huge waste in the transfer market simply because there is no clear vision, no clear football project. Is this the fans fault?

I understand that for most people, football is an escape from reality so some don't particularly like the all the doom and gloom atmosphere around the club right now, and would like the fans to tune it down a bit. But in doing so, all what what this post is doing is shifting the blame and allowing the Glazers and the board to get away with murder.

I'll support my club as always, all of us will. However, I'm happy that most of our fans have woken up from the mass delusion that the Glazer family have a football plan in mind, or that football is their priority, good, maybe they will sell the club, or else the pressure will push them to change their way of thinking to adapt to a changing football world.

 

[Sleigh]

I think after years of prolonged success, you guys are feeling the same pain that Liverpool went through. SAF held the club together and you were always entering turbulent waters once you no longer had that Leadership at the club. I always felt it should have gone to someone like Giggs, with an education underneath SAF, so you had a natural transition.

What you’re experiencing now, is what most other club go through. Appointing a “Manager” oppose to a “Head Coach and DOF” , your squad has no real identity or DNA. Each Manager has been back to a degree and you’ve got a mix of playing styles. So whoever comes in, ends up picking up pieces of a different jigsaw and trying to assemble it.

With a DOF, you identify what type of player you want, what playing style you want etc, then you scout and purchase players to match that ideology. It’s then the head coaches job, to make these parts achieve the clubs goal.

Every club blames the Manager, however, sometimes it could be something as simple an inexperienced tactical analysis team. You are Manchester United, you should have the best in the world! However, I always had the feeling when LVG was here, he ran it?? Not sure if that’s the case, however, it just indicates that your placing a large amount of emphasis on a single individual. Arsenal appear to making a similar mistake with Emery.

 

[R'hllor]

Trying to blame fans and negativity among them for the failings of the club is truly special. It reminds of that press conference scene from Straight outta Compton

 

[koop]

Denial - Anger - Bargaining - Depression - Acceptance

Change fan base an things get better

You..You mean..We're not even in depression yet..?

 

[iKeano]

If only our fans weren't spoiled and overly entitled, we'd clearly be top of the league & challenging for the Champions League.

It's your fault readers. Stop being so entitled & you'll see an immediate upturn in our team's performances.

 

[TheReligion]

Alot of the fan base have become a disgrace. Luckily most will move on to support someone else and likely have never visited Old Trafford so won't be missed!

 

[OL29]

Alot of the fan base have become a disgrace. Luckily most will move on to support someone else and likely have never visited Old Trafford so won't be missed!

Does anyone actually do this? Because I’ve never seen someone switch teams, it just seems to be something the top red’s say to people with differing opinions.

 

[TheReligion]

Does anyone actually do this? Because I’ve never seen someone switch teams, it just seems to be something the top red’s say to people with differing opinions.

Yeah they du

 

[JPRouve]

Does anyone actually do this? Because I’ve never seen someone switch teams, it just seems to be something the top red’s say to people with differing opinions.

Let's say that I have City and Chelsea fans pop up out of nowhere in the south of France, grown ass men. Some people do switch teams.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

Twitter fans are horrible but sorry I’m not accepting an outside top 4 finish again.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

Let's say that I have City and Chelsea fans pop up out of nowhere in the south of France, grown ass men. Some people do switch teams.

I’ve seen it in Egypt, as Salah is the star of the country. The fan base switched from Chelsea to Liverpool straight away.

 

[OL29]

Yeah they du

Let's say that I have City and Chelsea fans pop up out of nowhere in the south of France, grown ass men. Some people do switch teams.

Fair enough, can’t say I’ve ever witnessed that from an adult.

 

[SaintMuppet]

You can't enjoy being on top if you haven't gone through the period of trying to get there.

We're in a cycle which is normal, we've never been always at the very top, we got there, we loved it, it ended and now we're trying to get back there.

It's as simple as that.

Ask your Dad's.

As a 50 year old I can only support this.

Long lean years through the 70’s/80’s followed by unprecedented success.

Those fans who have only ever known the good times will ‘suffer’ and probably make up the bulk of the whingers and whiners. It’s all new and it’s not nice I get that.

The older fans whilst still whining and whining will fall back on ‘here we go again’. If you want to enjoy United you really have got to stop thinking we have a right to win everything. We don’t and it may be 5 10 or even 20 years before we win another thing. If you can’t get your heads around this do the rest of us a favor and have your whine but please don’t overdo it, we hear you fine.

 

[stevoc]

Does anyone actually do this? Because I’ve never seen someone switch teams, it just seems to be something the top red’s say to people with differing opinions.

They definitely do i used to see the odd guy in his 30-40's in a Chelsea shirt but post Abramovich that increased a lot, same thing with City shirts post Mansour. Some people really are just glory hunters and develop no real connection to any particular club. Which is fair enough if it keeps them happy but of the few i know i wish they would just be honest about it.

One of my mates was a mad Arsenal fan throughout his childhood and right up to his 20's but once they fell of when Chelsea started winning under Mourinho he lost interest. He started ''following'' Barcelona because he was a massive Henry fan, fast forward to a few years later he was celebrating their 2009 treble like a lifelong Barca supporter and insisting he was always a Barcelona fan and only just liked Arsenal.

 

[SaintMuppet]

Twitter fans are horrible but sorry I’m not accepting an outside top 4 finish again.

It’s not really your choice though is it?

You can not accept it but it will still happen.

 

[Wumminator]

Twitter fans are horrible but sorry I’m not accepting an outside top 4 finish again.

You won’t have to.

 

[RedCoffee]

The forum is a joke this morning. Everybody complaining about lack of spending. Just look at the stats for the last 5 years. We've blown most European clubs out of the water and wasted ridiculous amounts of cash on non performing players, managers and coaches.
It's about time we hit the reset button and took a more sensible approach to team building which is what Ole will try and do.
Stop blaming the Glazers and Woodward and instil some positivity into the current bunch of players we have.
Stop following the anti united media circus that is permanently spinning a negative agenda.

 

[OL29]

They definitely do i used to see the odd guy in his 30-40's in a Chelsea shirt but post Abramovich that increased a lot, same thing with City shirts post Mansour. Some people really are just glory hunters and develop no real connection to any particular club. Which is fair enough if it keeps them happy but of the few i know i wish they would just be honest about it.

One of my mates was a mad Arsenal fan throughout his childhood and right up to his 20's but once they fell of when Chelsea started winning under Mourinho he lost interest. He started ''following'' Barcelona because he was a massive Henry fan, fast forward to a few years later he was celebrating their 2009 treble like a lifelong Barca supporter and insisting he was always a Barcelona fan and only just liked Arsenal.

I’ve never come across people like that so i thought it was just a myth, looks like I was misguided.

That’s terrible I know Arsenal have been through it the last 15 years but still!

 

[montpelier]

It's the Top 4 obsession that grinds me down somehow.

Either you have a good team or you don't - whereupon Top 4 will look after itself. Either the club is moving in the right direction (or succeeding & rolling on) or it isn't. Having said that, there can also be, it seems, be years that don't quite fit that model, where you wonder what is going on - late on with SAF, 2nd place with Mourinho. But I feel we need to be judging according to just how we are doing now, rather than just by results & league position, if you like. Not forever, just for 2-3 years. It doesn't have to mean we don't want to win games, just that it isn't the end of times when we don't happen to win them. Yes, it's a call for patience I suppose.

On the other side, people just don't want to wait of course, we are the 3rd biggest club, blah blah blah.

I don't know really tbh. That's just how I want to support, maybe it doesn't work like that anymore, maybe the success-now people are right. Nothing is happening until the Glazers go, Woodward is obviously a dickhead (I think we ALL know that) - OGS is there to be a face more acceptable to the fanbase for a year or two. I can't believe he is happy with the state of the MF & attack just now, mind. Woodward has to be got away from the football side, I don't quite know what to think of the Glazers.

And now you can call me a loon - but if we stay in the Top 6, because below that IS untenable (have you seen the gap to 7th?) we win a few games, look like we are progressing & play some decent looking football, I can live with not being in the Champions League.

 

[Paxi]

Yep, that’s our problem. Nothing to do with the fact that we haven’t strengthened our midfield and attack.

You sound like David fecking Ike.

 

[passing-wind]

This post would make sense if it was during Sir Alex tenure when many were moaning about the style of football imposed through the coaching but ten years on no league title and a 2nd place finish being the highest domestic achievement, I wonder what fan base will be left after this continues into the foreseeable future.

 

[montpelier]

Yep, that’s our problem. Nothing to do with the fact that we haven’t strengthened our midfield and attack.

You sound like David fecking Ike.

bit harsh - .

for the degree of being divorced from the harsh reality?

I might have changed my tune if it goes how I think it might - but we haven't actually started yet. I don't like the attack & MF much either, unless Sanchez & Pogba have stellar seasons.

 

[Paxi]

bit harsh - .

for the degree of being divorced from the harsh reality?

I might have changed my tune if it goes how I think it might - but we haven't actually started yet. I don't like the attack & MF much either, unless Sanchez & Pogba have stellar seasons.

No, Wummy is an agenda poster of the highest order and he’ll spin shit his way like any conspiracy theorist would. If this was whilst Jose was in charge — he’d be losing his mind. Just look at his threads and posts from last year when Jose was in charge. If he’d make objective, impartial posts then he’d actually be one of the better posters around here imo.