I hate the Glazers and our board. For so many years, they just messed up and took so much money out of the club. And still we have no proper football setup in place
Wot, no transfers? It's all happening now!
- Thread starter Sassy Colin
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
This is an issue I have brought up in different spheres in this forum and elsewhere pretty much every season and got castigated for it. It goes back to when Moyes arrived and we were scrabbling around and get Fellaini. The fact is those at the top know our transfer dealings are a shambles. That is why every years we seem to announced that we will get a director of football. It never happens.
Today it seems to me even the most loyal, mild-mannered fan is going crazy over our transfer dealings. Our only deal for this season is Ighalo on loan from Asia. That is the replacement striker for Lukaku. Not good enough.
Once again, more players going than coming in. Sanchez... gone. Smalling will be gone, although right now, with Maguire in the state he is in, we might have to rethink.
The signs of this farce have been there from when Sir Alex left. But even in the last year, with the Bruno signing, where we quibbled over a few million, and delayed and delayed and could easily have lost him. Previously we did the same with Perisic. And then there was the farce of the Herrera signing. And for a club of our size, any size, quibbling over a few millions is crazy. Amateurish.
Even if you remotely think that we are doing the right thing, ask yourself, where is our ambition? We have no ambition to challenge for the top. This pathetic quibbling over Sancho over a few million in what is a £100m deal is proof of the pudding.
And then you look at what we have done, signed up the likes of 30-something Matic and Mata on ridiculously extended contracts whose best days are well behind them on cracking salaries to sit on the bench. Are they good bench players? Would they make the Chelsea bench? Then there is McTominay and Pereira. They are not good enough even for our bench. Daniel James, who was moaning about the number of games he was playing for our club. What?! No wonder he has gone backwards since he came. We are filling our squad with ok players or some would say very average players.
This first 11 may be good enough to challenge for top 4 but as with this season, it is not a given. And the likes of Chelsea are getting their deals done early and there is none of the faffing around that we get every single season.
And where does the fault lie? The Glazers and their appointed disciple at Old Trafford - Ed Woodward.
Today it seems to me even the most loyal, mild-mannered fan is going crazy over our transfer dealings. Our only deal for this season is Ighalo on loan from Asia. That is the replacement striker for Lukaku. Not good enough.
Once again, more players going than coming in. Sanchez... gone. Smalling will be gone, although right now, with Maguire in the state he is in, we might have to rethink.
The signs of this farce have been there from when Sir Alex left. But even in the last year, with the Bruno signing, where we quibbled over a few million, and delayed and delayed and could easily have lost him. Previously we did the same with Perisic. And then there was the farce of the Herrera signing. And for a club of our size, any size, quibbling over a few millions is crazy. Amateurish.
Even if you remotely think that we are doing the right thing, ask yourself, where is our ambition? We have no ambition to challenge for the top. This pathetic quibbling over Sancho over a few million in what is a £100m deal is proof of the pudding.
And then you look at what we have done, signed up the likes of 30-something Matic and Mata on ridiculously extended contracts whose best days are well behind them on cracking salaries to sit on the bench. Are they good bench players? Would they make the Chelsea bench? Then there is McTominay and Pereira. They are not good enough even for our bench. Daniel James, who was moaning about the number of games he was playing for our club. What?! No wonder he has gone backwards since he came. We are filling our squad with ok players or some would say very average players.
This first 11 may be good enough to challenge for top 4 but as with this season, it is not a given. And the likes of Chelsea are getting their deals done early and there is none of the faffing around that we get every single season.
And where does the fault lie? The Glazers and their appointed disciple at Old Trafford - Ed Woodward.
So we genuinely believed that we were going to get Sancho for peanuts? Seriously?
If that was the case then we should have planned the summer transfer accordingly. Our targets should have been something along these lines
LB: Jamal Lewis/Telles
CB: Sarr/Gabriel/Godfrey
LW (then move James on the right): Boga/Fraser or RW: Brooks/Willian
STK: Wilson/King/Pukki/Milik/Depay
We could then sell/get rid of the likes of Lingard, Sanchez, Mata, Dalot, Jones and Smalling to free some salary and recoup some of the money back.
The Messi rumours have really started to worry me. With Thiago going to Liverpool there is the potential that two teams miles ahead of us sign two top bracket players.
Chelsea looked to have signed 5 top players. I would have taken any of them at United.
Everton are linked to Doucoure, James and Allan. I’ve always like Allan especially. Whilst they are ‘risky’ signings for a club like United they are still bridging the gap between us and Everton.
I’m genuinely worried now. Yes Sancho is expensive but surely you move on and try to get someone in, even if it’s to improve the bench. Our lack of options will be a problem yet again. Ole has stuck with the same team during lockdown. You just know one of our front 5 will get injured in the first game. Failure to prepare, prepare to fail.
Chelsea looked to have signed 5 top players. I would have taken any of them at United.
Everton are linked to Doucoure, James and Allan. I’ve always like Allan especially. Whilst they are ‘risky’ signings for a club like United they are still bridging the gap between us and Everton.
I’m genuinely worried now. Yes Sancho is expensive but surely you move on and try to get someone in, even if it’s to improve the bench. Our lack of options will be a problem yet again. Ole has stuck with the same team during lockdown. You just know one of our front 5 will get injured in the first game. Failure to prepare, prepare to fail.
It will be fine if City get Messi. We will get David Brooks and save a few more million for new tampa bay players and glazer dividends.
We have become arsenal. A club with top 4 ambitions, make money for the owners and thats it. Once we get top 4 stop backing the manager. When we fall out of the top 4 back the manager.
It is not about signing Sancho or Messi. It is about showing some ambition and progress. We could have bought 3 young, hungry and talented players for our midfield, RW and defense, and people would be happy. As they see we address our issues and have a game plan. But again to just be so passive shows that we won't improve at all
How long till we're at absolute panic stations?
Ed didn't say Covid will stop us spending on one big signing. Just because it hasn't already happened doesn't mean it won't happen though. Transfer window closes in October, our season starts in 3 weeks, while Dortmund season starts in 4 weeks. Plenty of times are remaining to secure the transfer, plenty of times to sell players to boost the transfer budget & big transfer signing require time in our cases.
The Sancho's saga is too similar to our previous transfers Maguire & Bruno. You can find the same multiple sources with similar article in the three (Bruno, Maguire & Sancho) cases.
15th Jan:
Manchester United and Sporting far apart in Bruno Fernandes valuation,
16th Jan:
Bruno Fernandes agrees personal terms with Manchester United
18th Jan:
Bruno Fernandes: Man Utd will not pay Sporting Lisbon's 80m euro asking price
23rd Jan:
Glazers call off Man Utd’s Bruno Fernandes deal
24th Jan:
Bruno Fernandes puts blame on Man Utd over botched transfer
25th Jan:
Manchester United only £10 million away from matching Bruno Fernandes' asking price
26th Jan:
United make fresh Bruno Fernandes bid as talks with Sporting resume
29th Jan:
Bruno Fernandes on the brink of Manchester United move
Genuinely believe now we will 100% pick up Brooks and that's it. No big names
We are used to it. So it will be business as usual for most fans
Getting there tbh. I know things are difficult but if these lot has any ambition, they would stretch themselves because they know how important this summer is.
For us.. September 11th, just before the season is about to start and all the clubs are turning up with their new shiny expensive toys and we turn up with a dreidel.
For Man Utd.. October 5th at 3pm. Although even then, PL Clubs are allowed to sign players from the English Championship until October 16th. So they might find some bargains then, like Brooks.
We have got rid Sanchez to boost the salary budget for Sancho. While Smalling, Dalot & Pereira are linked away from United exit and we could get around 50m-60m pounds from the three of them. That's already enough covering half of Sancho's transfer fee.
Remember, the board were initially thought they could get Sancho for so much cheaper than the asking price which is why we thought we could land Sancho and another potential signing (Gabriel). The fact that we are in talk with Gabriel's agent means we had him as one of our list to sign this summer, and it's not coincidence how we decided to walk away as soon as the news about Dortmund wasn't willing to budge off from their asking price as we might need to focus on securing the priority big signing first over the others.
We must sign our marquee player this week... Whoever it is, if there is one, he must have at least a week to bond with the team. The bonus if it is Sancho is that he already knows a bunch of the players.
Next week/Monday of GW1. How on fecking earth could we be headed into September 1st with not even a clue of whom may be signed, let alone an actual confirmed signing. Next Monday means 11 days still the season kicks off. Any new signing will take time to meld into our squad, may have to clear a quarantine, likely starting from the bench for 1-2-3 games. That is unacceptable when it was obvious that our best and seemingly only target was Sancho and we have no clue what is happening with that.
We do not need Brooks as a "deadline day" signing. It goes against everything Ole said about transfers recently. He'd be nothing more than a rotation player that we panic buy to save the embarassment of signing no one. Then when everyone else has significantly improved around us, we will be battling 6th-8th and the fecking board will start dropping hints about Poch being interested in the managerial job. If we don't have concrete signings almost completed by GW1 I cannot watch one of our club legends give it everything to get us to Top 4 and then our board decide "here is some random Bournemouth winger" for 40-50 million.
Ole may not be the next coming of SAF, he may have shortcomings that lead to eventual demise, but fecking hell he deserves to be backed on his targets and supported by the board. If we do nothing for an entire window, sell no one, and just up the contracts again, i cannot watch it. I cannot watch a club that is satisfied with Top 4 and commercial deals only to then start leaking "Oh Poch would like the MUFC job" as Chelsea humiliate us off the park and we languish in 7-8th again.
I'm not getting that vibe this summer, I was there last summer in that camp. But it feels crucial to improve right now and with the business others are doing, that is only going to crank up tensions.
I feel like there's a storm brewing right now.
Totally agree with this. The board are a joke they have champions league spot now they have the Adidas money. It's all about getting that money nothing else. They are a disgrace and need to get out of the club.
So I have been reading that we shouldn't expect much spending because of Covid and all about how we as United fans need to come to reality.
Well the reality is that Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea, Everton, City are all spending money because Covid only effects the biggest, financially stable club in the world. Heck Leeds are looking to spend money this summer too.
Arsenal and Spurs both wanted to make cuts during covid.
There is only one thing here.. Ambition. Manutd lack ambition.
Well the reality is that Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea, Everton, City are all spending money because Covid only effects the biggest, financially stable club in the world. Heck Leeds are looking to spend money this summer too.
Arsenal and Spurs both wanted to make cuts during covid.
There is only one thing here.. Ambition. Manutd lack ambition.
It's looking like the board will fail to back Ole properly this transfer window. When that happens, and he then gets sacked while Woodward keeps his job, that's when I will have given up on United. I support a football club, not a business franchise.
Honestly, even if they get Sancho now, we're still short 3-4 players to have squad to stand to the rigours of the coming season.
I have no doubt we'd be reading opinion pieces of how Ole should be doing better with what he has when it all goes south in the coming month. And some United fans will continually fall for it. There'll be people citing Covid, or the need to preserve our cash reserves, or how we can't stand up to Messi and Man City etc etc but these people will forget to blame the one constant that has been here the past 7 years, Glazers and their pet Ed fecking Woodward.
feck you Ed Woodward.
In terms of? That we will buy like 3 players in the 2 weeks? I don't see it... it was all big words I guess, like always
Yeah i agree, just can't see it right now. Any signing from abroad needs to be made this week or they're not going to be able to play the first game due to quarantine rules, if I'm not mistaken or getting my dates mixed up.
I think the club would want to avoid that, so if we don't see anything this next week then it's clear that things aren't going to plan.
I'm with you (although I do like Brooks as a rotation player!). There will be no excuses from Woodward if that happens, you can't blame Covid whilst other teams spend decent money, because that means that we aren't being run well compared to them, which looks bad on Woodward. Or alternatively there is some truth in us being satisfied with top 4 and want to try to recoup money rather than spend.
If things don't happen this window then there is no way out for Woodward. I also see Ole not lasting the season. The fixture list is gruelling and we have seen first hand how badly equipped/managed our squad is. Coupled with the short break, there's no way we get through next season with a positive outcome, as we stand right now.
Jewish kid at Christmas etc.
But hey, we should be fine without transfers, too. After all, this time we'll have Pogba and Bruno for the entire season - hopefully -, Greenwood is another year older... so we should improve on last season's 66 points. We won't challenge for anything but we were never going to because we just never make the right signings for that, even when we do make signings.
See, it's not all bad! We might get top 4 again, we might even get as high as 75 points!
No in terms of us "being used to it". I think it's different this summer, it's clearly crucial for us to invest. I don't think supporters will let it go this time.
I feel like things are aligning against us and it's going to result in meltdown from our fans. Chelsea improving vastly, teams all around us navigating the market well whilst we cry poverty. There's going to be no excuse for Woodward because any excuse would point to a failing on his behalf. If something doesn't happen soon, our supporters are going to kick off massively, especially when the sh*t hits the fan and we start to stutter next season, which we will.
If nothing significant happens from a transfer perspective this year with Chelsea, City, Liverpool (if and when they sign Thiago) all making positive moves then I don’t know how we’re going to make progress, Surely the Glazers have to respond.
They won't respond to shite. They'll sign some inferior players on the cheap, leak some briefs about us being interested in changing the structure etc. You'll then have the top reds, who are so desperate to convince themselves we aren't washed up that it's good business, you'll have the negative nancys who will be distraught then you'll have the fans such as myself who have now become desensitized, who will let out a small giggle.
Only for us to repeat all of this again next summer. (Unless we miss out on top 4, if that's the case, expect some spending)
Say we left it till deadline day to get Sancho. Great, we get sancho. That is FIVE games into a season, then he has to quarantine for 2 weeks. SEVEN games into the season. No training, not match sharp. Likely plays from the bench for 2-3 weeks. A sancho deadline day signing is basically Sancho not starting a full game till GW 9 or GW 10. How? How can we allow this to happen?
When I say Next week / GW1 before the freak out, that's me basing it on MUFC still getting Sancho. If we are signing Brooks and nothing else, i'm starting my freak out this weekend
and likely refusing to watch poor Ole get thrown under the bus.Bellingham ?My question is, has there ever been more inept GM/DoF/Sporting director than Edward Woodward?
All of the missed transfers, all of the overpaid contracts, overpaid deals and plain old stupid deals
Thiago, Cesc, Kroos, Bale, Hummels, Mane, Ramos, Müller, Griezmann, Dybala, Haaland, Bellingham and Neymar
overpaid and stupid Rojo, Di Maria, Fellaini, Alexis, Jones, Mourinho, Mata, Falcao, Schneiderlin, Fred, Maguire, Darmian and Lee effing Grant
those are just off the top of my head
We need to respond to the big clubs who have brought in top transfers or we will fall further behind. We need at least 3 top players in this window, as well as adding to squad with young players.
We are a big business, spending is not recommended by big business int he current economic climate.
The clubs you are referring to are big football clubs with ambition.
Just a reminder of the last 24 hours: Henry Winter tweets out that Dean Henderson returning from a loan is the equivalent of a new signing, Havertz is off to Chelsea, and Messi is trying to join Man City off a free.
<insert gun to head meme>
<insert gun to head meme>
Correct, but at least he is getting all that money and more.
Yeah, We have gone down in the pecking order.
We hardly ever sign 3 top players in a single window. We've got one of the best squads we've had for ages no way are we getting 3 top players now.
The club will see things in line with Fergie transfer seasons where we usually made one big signing.
If we don't make a meaningful signing I'd say United to finish outside top 4 is nailed on. 2/1 right now but I'm sure it will drop if no major signings are made.
The failures of this window will go down as a huge turning point at United. We have the smallest glimpse of momentum for the first time in 7 years and yet again the manager is being failed. Despite their record I'm genuinely shocked that this window is being wasted, we truly do seem only 3-4 players including just good squad players, from being a competitive club again.
Fail this window and we will nose dive dramatically
Fail this window and we will nose dive dramatically
Then we will just fall further behind. We have a good first 11 but we don't have a great squad. We need game changers on the bench also. We don't have this. Fergie always had game changers on the bench and a big squad, but still added 1 player at least every season. We had 4 CFs in the 1999 season when we won the treble.
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Didn't we have four. Dwight/Andy then Ole/Teddy.
we had four
Your right, My mistake. Corrected.