Fortitude said:
The players we wanted/needed cost a lot more then the ones we could afford to bring in. At the prices we have paid for midfielders recently you're always taking a risk that the guy can reach any hoped for potential. Until you get to 10m + midfielders are a gamble. unless old and proven. The people we are talking about now Essien, Gattusso etc, are in the catergory of 10m+
The attitude that you always've to spend big to get good players is wrong imo.
Wenger has been keeping his team competitive despite his relatively meagre resources. And they've finished ahead this season despite the mass injuries to midfield although they were without 10m+ backups in the centre.
Wenger got it right with good scouting, why is it beyond Utd to do the same?
Fortitude said:
Dumping a #2 mid season would cause more friction in the camp then keeping him till the Summer. I think that would feck morale right up. I'd think, myself, Fergie would be guilty if he didn't identify and remove any backroom problems over the Summer however.
As an outsider, I can't determine the amount of influence Queiroz has over the side and hence the level of blame he should be assuming over our results.
In a good season, you won't find the bulk of the credit going to the players and the assistant manager with the manager getting nary a mention. Similarly, people'll turn to the manager in a bad season. That's esp since the playing and management personnel've been assembled by him.
I disagree with calls for SAF to be replaced but it's plain that he's made some mistakes and he'll have to address them if the team's to improve.