Pass. Rather have Antony.
Antony | Here we go! €100mill, contract until June 2027, option 'til 2028.
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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?
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The main problem here in my opinion is not if we spend 30, 60 or 80. He's probably not even the needed profile for a start as we clearly lack productive players, so we can bin Ronaldo for once and start working as a unit both attacking and defensive wise as non-moronic clubs do.
Seeing our current options Rashford seems to be mentally blocked for a long time so he's unreliable. Sancho has had more managers than goals in the PL. Martial comes from two poor seasons (plus injuries here and there) to fully rely on him. And that's it.
How in this situation we plan to bring someone who can't even produce in the dutch league while playing for Ajax is beyond ridiculous.The 80M price tag "only" means added pressure on his shoulders, making it more difficult than what it is already. The big problem this move reflects is structural.
In the last decade we've allowed managers to mould the squad, but before they were able to reach some balance and homogeneity they were sacked as they lost the group. So the squad is a strange mix of profiles that isn't even worth 30 % of its cost. We wasted our resources, and we continue to operate with the same headless-chicken type of approach that led us to 10 years without a single league fight and being EL regulars.
We "back the manager" by allowing him to bring some players he knows or wants, but in reality we're setting them all to fail. Squad building should be done mainly by the club in the long term based on football metrics, extensive research and analysis, and not because our manager knows the mighty Arnautovic from Utretch and he seems to have self confidence, or now Antony because "he has potential".
Obviously we need a strong football structure to operate in a serious way and not the absolute ghosts we have in there. It's apparent the owners got tired of the pressure about signing a DoF and they dressed some random guy in the building as one, but there's zero interest on improving in that sense so I can expect this "new chapter" being more of the same.
Our only hope is ten Hag being a much better coach than the previous ones so he can get blood out of the stones, keep harmony for more than 3 years so he's earning enough time to ALSO sustain the whole rebuild on his shoulders by being accurate with his transfers. Basically we need our manager to be Superman, as that's the only way to succeed under the Glazers and their outdated formulas and that shouldn't be the case.
Seeing our current options Rashford seems to be mentally blocked for a long time so he's unreliable. Sancho has had more managers than goals in the PL. Martial comes from two poor seasons (plus injuries here and there) to fully rely on him. And that's it.
How in this situation we plan to bring someone who can't even produce in the dutch league while playing for Ajax is beyond ridiculous.The 80M price tag "only" means added pressure on his shoulders, making it more difficult than what it is already. The big problem this move reflects is structural.
In the last decade we've allowed managers to mould the squad, but before they were able to reach some balance and homogeneity they were sacked as they lost the group. So the squad is a strange mix of profiles that isn't even worth 30 % of its cost. We wasted our resources, and we continue to operate with the same headless-chicken type of approach that led us to 10 years without a single league fight and being EL regulars.
We "back the manager" by allowing him to bring some players he knows or wants, but in reality we're setting them all to fail. Squad building should be done mainly by the club in the long term based on football metrics, extensive research and analysis, and not because our manager knows the mighty Arnautovic from Utretch and he seems to have self confidence, or now Antony because "he has potential".
Obviously we need a strong football structure to operate in a serious way and not the absolute ghosts we have in there. It's apparent the owners got tired of the pressure about signing a DoF and they dressed some random guy in the building as one, but there's zero interest on improving in that sense so I can expect this "new chapter" being more of the same.
Our only hope is ten Hag being a much better coach than the previous ones so he can get blood out of the stones, keep harmony for more than 3 years so he's earning enough time to ALSO sustain the whole rebuild on his shoulders by being accurate with his transfers. Basically we need our manager to be Superman, as that's the only way to succeed under the Glazers and their outdated formulas and that shouldn't be the case.
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100m is obviously too much but seeing as we don't know any gems and the alternative is Gapko I'd rather we just get Antony. I don't think spending that much on him would affect signing other players too. I think we are spending the money now. Anyways feck it...Ten Hag is the one manager I've been excited for in a long time and backing him with the best players that suit his system is something I want to see and Antony fits that
Can Ajax really afford to turn down an €80m bid for a player who wants out like it's nothing? That was the valuation they put on the player earlier in the summer and they're arbitrarily tagging on an extra €20m to try and exploit the situation we're in.
If they want a couple of extra million because it's late in the window, fine. But we absolutely shouldn't go as high as €100m.
If they want a couple of extra million because it's late in the window, fine. But we absolutely shouldn't go as high as €100m.
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I think we are all suffering TBH - I don’t know whether any players we get will work out or not or represent good value etc. I just know that this manager is the only one since SAF that I trust and is capable of getting us going again. May be this will not happen - who knows. But for now if he likes a player that fits his plan - I am supportive.
Can't help feeling a bit worried about this since the Eredivise is a league where someone like John Guidetti looked like a star.
Yeah this will happen with a slightly restructuring of the deal.
Is he really worth 100m Euros? Or anything close to that?
Not by a long stretch. But if we want him, that's Ajax' price
Maybe two or three more signings but, heck, I’m just going by what I’m reading in this forum and all the twitters.
There are always rumours but there’s a significant noise about big offers for Felix and Anthony, isn’t there? If not them, a forward of some kind. FDJ still possible and then an RB as a bonus.
Bearing in mind who we’ve already signed, I can’t see it as a bad window at all. And given the rumours, surely most of us will be surprised if we don’t add at least one more by deadline day.
The purse strings seem to have been loosened a bit. If so, we just got the best 4-0 battering in history.
Is the general complaint that Antony is not good enough or not worth the mooted transfer fee? If the concern is regarding value for price paid, who cares aside from the accountants? The only question is can we afford the price and is Antony good enough. Value only matters when there’s a budget you are managing to.
I'm not really an excel sheet guy. Antony is not even consistently good in the Dutch league. Sure, on his day he absolutely tears people to shreds here, but he's had plenty of stinkers. So the eyes may tell you lots of stuff, but do yours consistently watch our league or mostly highlights?
Actually a good example of the relative strength of our league is Steven Bergwijn he is destroying opposition for fun so far and he hardly got a look in at Spurs.
Antony is talented, but nowhere near the finished product.
Also Ajax' CL group last year was EL level opposition and he did nothing against Benfica, who are hardly CL worthy themselves.
Oh, and in case you hadnt noticed, I'm heavily biast against Antony, yes
This should be really sobering for the people that think we should pay 100 million.
It's so much money we could probably get Nkunku or Wirtz with it, even this late in the window.
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a liverpool fan made it up on twitter though
Worth remembering that amazing numbers in the Bundesliga count for jack shit. Probably been a worse shopping place for Prem teams than the Eredivisie.
yes but a bit hypocritcal of some here who are annoyed Ronaldo wants out
This is what I don't get. If we're willing to dish out that kind of money on a single player, why not go for an absolute top, top player that we know he'd deliver? Instead we're going for an unknown commodity that might turn out great but it might turn into a flop.
surprised this hasn't been asked before to be honest
Indications are that we're willing to pay more than 80m and given we're in panic mode it's really not that unreasonable for Ajax to rinse use even more.
Signing him at a price above €60m euros would be worse than signing Arnautovic.
We have limited funds to build a successful squad as Glazers won't put their own money in. We already overspent on Casemiro & yet we need a RB, ST, LW.
I'd rather get all 3 positions filed & wait for Antony on cheaper next 1-2 year like we did with Sancho.
We have limited funds to build a successful squad as Glazers won't put their own money in. We already overspent on Casemiro & yet we need a RB, ST, LW.
I'd rather get all 3 positions filed & wait for Antony on cheaper next 1-2 year like we did with Sancho.
but people here angry Ronaldo wants out... seems a bit two-faced to me
For €100M couldn’t we bag Gakpo and Caicedo? I feel like we would be better off that way, and I like Antony
Keep eye on the alternatives.
Might not be the same people you know?
I’m fine with Antony trying to force an exit, I’m also fine with Ronaldo doing the same if that’s what he does. If so, get rid.
Im still convinced he’s coming
His ability to hold the ball and make that pass the kind of player that we are sorely lacking right now. Had we had this kind of player integrated and with a full pre season behind him, I doubt we’d have lost those two first games.
yes but some here want him hung, draw and quartered. but agree might not be all the same people
all the papers are saying there's more money available than originally imagined (I've read another £200m) but of course that could be bollox
Oh me too but I think that ship sailed many weeks ago, especially for this season.
I was Sancho biggest advocate but there's no doubt he been a massive disappoint so far, not writing him off but not sure we should be relying on him just yet.
While I agree, it’s been clear for a while Antony wants to leave, we tried talking before and they put a silly valuation on him to start with.
Reports said he was angry with this and wanted a fairer valuation to get his move.
He carried on training and playing, then we came back with a bigger offer and they refuse it again?! this is why he’s so annoyed.
I get they don’t HAVE to sell, but just like dortmund this is their clubs MO. they buy and sell for profit then do it again.
They’re proving again today they can win without him, so take the money, sign somebody else to train up and move on.
Literally everybody knows Ajax are taking the piss. we massively over paid for martinez and they’re still trying to bleed us dry?
yet Haller goes for a Fredo and a can of coke
Yes because he scored loads of goals and every club want's a goal scorer. Anthony isn't a goalscorer and didn't score a load of goals so this point doesn't make sense.
Antony for 100m is just mind blowing, honestly. Is he really the best available RW in the world right now for us? Are there no youth prospects anywhere in the world that are worth taking punts on for considerably less?
I would love Antony but 100m... bloody hell. That would make him the most expensive player in our history, right? Or close to it? For someone who isn't even proven yet?
I would love Antony but 100m... bloody hell. That would make him the most expensive player in our history, right? Or close to it? For someone who isn't even proven yet?
He's really surprised me. I didn't expect him to be David Beckham but he has been a disappointment so far - not helped by being in a very poor team right now
It won't be €100m, him agitating for a move this close to the deadline works in our favour.
I would like him to have a good second season before spending that much money on Antony. With that price i dont think a second good season will increase his price anyway. I think Antony is better than Neres but Neres had a good first season and than lost that form. Although i do believe Neres does well in Portugal right now?
Worked out well with Amad and Pellestri.
We need players right now to go straight in and yes he’s probably the best available.
Worried to see that he only played 1 season for ETH?
100 woud be surprising as the ajax fans on social media think thats about 40-50m more than he is worth
So did Frenkie De Jong
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