Frenkie de Jong | The last muppeting lap

[RedMilo]

Guys this is looking bad, Ive always found Dermot Corrigan to be one of the first journalists to come up with genuine Utd related news. Most of you have clung on to the hope that it's bullshit from the Barca media but this is different.

He doesn't want to come, never has, Utd are obviously aware of situation through the agent, and have tried to be 'opportunistic' which why wouldn't they, he is a fantastic player, but they have let it go on for far too long.

If there is no Plan B, then they need to think of one quick - amazed if he comes now..

 

[Shakesy]

Guys this is looking bad, Ive always found Dermot Corrigan to be one of the first journalists to come up with genuine Utd related news. Most of you have clung on to the hope that it's bullshit from the Barca media but this is different.

He doesn't want to come, never has, Utd are obviously aware of situation through the agent, and have tried to be 'opportunistic' which why wouldn't they, he is a fantastic player, but they have let it go on for far too long.

If there is no Plan B, then they need to think of one quick - amazed if he comes now..

Amazed if there is no plan B

 

[croadyman]

If the athletic are saying it’s off, It is most likely off.

The important Utd guys from that aren't saying it yet, when they do then will finally admit defeat on this but not until then.

 

[BlueHaze]

So the 2 most reliable journos according to everyone in here (Ornstein & Romano) Have since 10 days ago confirmed the 2 clubs have an agreement for an €85m package.

Yet De Jong made it clear he doesn't want to come. Why do people even want him here then? I don't buy those speculations about owed money and all this rubbish I think fact is he just doesn't want to leave Barcelona.

 

[Berbaclass]

Positive day

 

[croadyman]

Hasn't been backed up by Ornstein or Whitwell yet. If those + Ducker/Stone start saying the same, then i'd agree. Until then. It's on AF.

Totally agree

 

[Sunny Jim]

Gary Neville reported to the German courts by Barcelona fans regarding his tweet about Barcelona bullying De Jong.

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— Twitter API (@user) date

There's no way it'll drag on until deadline day. La Liga starts Aug 12 and Barca will have to field Lewa, Raphinha etc. or the fans will riot.

My belief is that FdJ truly only cares about the deferred wages from the last two years and not the total value of his contract going forward. He made a sacrifice for the sake of the club and he's getting rewarded by being backstabbed. I agree that they will find a middle ground somewhere.



FdJ just has to sit tight until it gets close to the La Liga start date and the pressure on Barca will mount.

That is unreal. What a sorry bunch of cnuts

 

[Berbasbullet]

Hasn't been backed up by Ornstein or Whitwell yet. If those + Ducker/Stone start saying the same, then i'd agree. Until then. It's on AF.

If Mitten or Whitwell confirm this then I think we're done.

 

[Volumiza]

What is it with our owners and being involved in crimes against humanity. Boehly out! What in the actual feck is this? I'm disgusted.

 

[AjaxNL]

I don’t know if EtH and Frenkie were best mates, but EtH propelled Frenkie to super stardom and had him playing the best footie of his life, so that has to count for something

 

[croadyman]

Guys this is looking bad, Ive always found Dermot Corrigan to be one of the first journalists to come up with genuine Utd related news. Most of you have clung on to the hope that it's bullshit from the Barca media but this is different.

He doesn't want to come, never has, Utd are obviously aware of situation through the agent, and have tried to be 'opportunistic' which why wouldn't they, he is a fantastic player, but they have let it go on for far too long.

If there is no Plan B, then they need to think of one quick - amazed if he comes now..

Bye then

 

[Volumiza]

Amazed if there is no plan B

Everything we’ve learned about ETH so far leads me to believe it would be almost unthinkable for him not to have a plan b, and c, and maybe even a d.

 

[GaryLifo]

There doesn’t need to be a special relationship for a player to sign for a club. All he needs to believe is that Ten Hag is a top coach who can get the best out of him.

I’m not arguing here that de Jong is interested in moving to United, just that this special relationship thing is a straw man bit of journalism built upon a previous assumption in the media that they must have had some incredible bond due to their having worked together in that great cup run season.

I’m at the point where I hope he stays and drags the whole club down with him by refusing to take any pay cuts and draining them dry while not playing. If he stays then I suspect they will end up simply not registering him in favour of registering the shiny new signings. Then Chelsea will offer 100 million euros up front and he’ll end up there.

 

[Berbaclass]

Amazed if there is no plan B

All we need is plan Frenkie

 

[Brownie85]

If Mitten or Whitwell confirm this then I think we're done.

Pretty sure as of now, no-one else has confirmed anything. People are just melting down because its from the Athletic. It's as if everything the Athletic print is absolute truth

 

[A-man]

Is the same report from this morning no?

Yes this referred to something I wrote a couple of days ago. I raised this issue that many take for granted that de Jong would be attracted to United because of ETH. I don’t see why going back to his old coach must be such a dream for de Jong.

 

[croadyman]

Everything we’ve learned about ETH so far leads me to believe it would be almost unthinkable for him not to have a plan b, and c, and maybe even a d.

Yeah but worryingly it sounds like not signing anyone is the plan B, shouldn't try and make an existing player into De Jong.

 

[Shakesy]

Everything we’ve learned about ETH so far leads me to believe it would be almost unthinkable for him not to have a plan b, and c, and maybe even a d.

Exactly!

 

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

Gary Neville reported to the German courts by Barcelona fans regarding his tweet about Barcelona bullying De Jong.

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— Twitter API (@user) date

How is that "a German court of law"?

It's just a Twitter dept looking at it and going "I'll allow it"?

 

[Shakesy]

All we need is plan Frenkie

F only

 

[noodlehair]

I'm afraid your pissing in the wind, with this one.

It should have been dealt with by now.

I am not sure I actually want this player anyway . I am not sure about his attitude and level of fortitude. He has not been that spectacular.

Any he and his agent have been taken for mugs, by that club. So I say them to it and find someone else.

If the situation with De Jong and his wages is true (which we know it is because we've had direct quotes from his manager about the "economic situation") then there's no way this was or is ever getting sorted out until either deadline day or whenever Barcelona have to get their finances in order by.

I don't think that's difficult to understand as neither party is just going to give up millions of pounds for no reason. Especially De Jong who hasn't got anything to risk by sitting tight.

I'm not saying we'll sign him because there's little certain indication of that, but press noise is meaningless because it doesn't change the situation. If its not from a direct source or one of the reliable journos it's not even worth reading.

 

[Volumiza]

Yeah but worryingly it sounds like not signing anyone is the plan B, shouldn't try and make an existing player into De Jong.

But if waiting to see how things develop between Barca and FDJ is his plan b then that’s that. Far better that than the scattergun spending bullsh*t we’ve been fed the last few years. A man with a plan!

 

[Acole9]

It seems I’m no longer the only one who questions whether ETH is this major attraction for de Jong.

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— Twitter API (@user) date

It's over, he's not coming here. I'm not normally one to treat what journalists say as gospel but The Athletic are normally spot on.

 

[Volumiza]

Exactly!

Innit.

 

[noodlehair]

How is that "a German court of law"?

It's just a Twitter dept looking at it and going "I'll allow it"?

I've reported this post to the German Court of Law

 

[hellhunter]

I've reported this post to the German Court of Law

Verdict: guilty. Sorry.

 

[lex talionis]

We are all aware that United are NOT Frenkie's first choice club. In Frenkie's perfect world, he'd remain in Barcelona on the wages that Barcelona agreed to pay him. End of discussion.

But we all know these are not the circumstances that Frenkie finds himself in. Barcelona clearly are desperate to sell Frenkie and are prepared to humiliate him if he does not agree to a sale.

Keep the faith.

 

[Shakesy]

I'm 35. I work in what everyone classifies as "IT" despite not working in IT, but my job is so unbelievably boring that it's not worth explaining to folk. I have four kids which means that TV time consists of Moana on repeat and outdoor time involves standing around in a park watching someone go down a slide three million fecking times.

I have to spend most of my day nodding and maintaining a minimal level of attentiveness whenever my missus talks about some mundane shite she had an argument with someone about, and watch drab horror and sci-fi movies just to ensure I can get my hole three times a week and not be forced to sleep on the couch with the dog.

If my life was a colour it would be the most tepid grey you've ever seen. Muppet Transfer Season is all some of us have. Don't be evil. Don't take it away from us.

WTF does that mean!?

 

[Barthez]

We have wasted months on this non-starter. Heads need to roll, we are run by utter amateurs.

 

[RedMilo]

Amazed if there is no plan B

There should have been a Plan B, even if we have cast iron assurance from the player, otherwise Mr Murtough's first window, is looking a bit shambolic.

Recruitment in midfield was key this summer above all else, as it was clearly our weakest area of the squad, and also where we most players have departed, and yet we have only signed Eriksen on a free transfer.

The new manager should have had every opportunity to work with his most of his squad in pre-season, yet to we have this saga, where the media are having pot shots at us from various countries, never mind our own media, plus CR7 thinking he can do whatever he likes with the club, turn up, not turn up - it's farcical.

 

[RedMilo]

Bye then

Some response youth that is, bravo

 

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

I've reported this post to the German Court of Law

Scheiße

 

[Brownie85]

We have wasted months on this non-starter. Heads need to roll, we are run by utter amateurs.

Ummm it's not actually off?
Just because one report comes out stating what we already knew and added a bit of dubious info doesn't mean it's dead.

If its off, United will brief so or our tier 1s will tell us were walking away.

 

[noodlehair]

It's over, he's not coming here. I'm not one to treat what journalists say as gospel but The Athletic are normally spot on.

No they're not. Especially not with rubbish like this which unless De Jong got bored and thought he'd phone them to tell them himself, isn't exactly reliable anyway.

How often do you see actual reliable journalists publishing she said he said nonsense? It's tabloid level drivel.

 

[Volumiza]

We have wasted months on this non-starter. Heads need to roll, we are run by utter amateurs.

Steady on chap, are we really at the heads rolling stage? We’ve had a good window so far. Fecking over dramatic nonsense.

 

[mu4c_20le]

Neville's tweet actually went viral, fair play. Looks like we're not the only ones fed up with their behavior.

 

[Dancal]

I feel your pain. I do the dishes for fun

I wish I had dishes. I use paper plates

 

[Gandalf]

Yes this referred to something I wrote a couple of days ago. I raised this issue that many take for granted that de Jong would be attracted to United because of ETH. I don’t see why going back to his old coach must be such a dream for de Jong.

It is based on the fact that he became a regular first team player under ETH and looked like one of the best midfielders on the planet. In 3 years away from Erik he has under a variety of coaches looked decent but nothing special and the fact is even without any of the salary issues that are driving this he would not be in the starting line up this season and most of the fans there wouldn't give a stuff if he left. The desire to go back to ETH is based on the not unreasonable assumption that being played in his preferred role, in a team built around him under a coach who knows how to get the best out of him would allow him to achieve his full potential. Nobody know for sure what drives Frenkie, if it is money, nice weather and tapas then perhaps he does feel like being a utility squad player at Barca is living his best life but if he is ambitious to get the most out of his career then maybe making a decision for football reasons and not lifestyle ones will lead him to the logical assumption that he is better off at Old Trafford. He will be a long time retired and will have decades to lay on the beach in Spain when that happens.

 

[Shakesy]

There should have been a Plan B, even if we have cast iron assurance from the player, otherwise Mr Murtough's first window, is looking a bit shambolic.

Recruitment in midfield was key this summer above all else, as it was clearly our weakest area of the squad, and also where we most players have departed, and yet we have only signed Eriksen on a free transfer.

The new manager should have had every opportunity to work with his most of his squad in pre-season, yet to we have this saga, where the media are having pot shots at us from various countries, never mind our own media, plus CR7 thinking he can do whatever he likes with the club, turn up, not turn up - it's farcical.

I'm under no illusion that this window has been... Well... I could say underwhelming. I could. I could use other words, of course. Descriptive words. But for now, I'll insist that Manchester fecking United has a plan B. I refuse to believe otherwise.

 

[Cypriot]

People getting all doom and gloom over the Athletics’ only reporter who no one’s ever heard of. C’mon guys it’s on until the window closes or this dude comes out and speaks. Until then let the politicians at Barca play their game and we will see. No point stressing yourselves either way.

I’d take more notice from Ornstein or Whitwell if they ever weigh in.