Chairman Steve
Full Member
- Joined
- May 9, 2018
- Messages
- 7,102
We regularly used to have this mantra during the Sir Alex days. It was kinda linked to Sir Alex’s exceptional ability to know when a player had peaked and got rid, as well as a statement of defiance we made when our best players wanted to leave. It was mostly correct with Ronaldo being the stand out and undisputed exception.
But in current times, this statement can be applied negatively.
I’ve noticed this trend with us since Sir Alex left... It seems like whoever leaves Utd has never really hit the heights again and just spiralled down the metaphorical quality table.
Our two previous managers have a combined employment duration of 6 months between them in the past 3 years or so, i.e. when Jose joined. That six months being Moyes’ short term contract with West Ham where their fans couldn’t wait until he left.
When Rooney left, he went back to his boyhood Everton but even they quickly got rid within the year. A lot of the Sir Alex old boys have spiralled completely since his retirement. Anderson is in the Turkish second tier, Nanis back at Sporting etc... then we have our buys post Sir Alex who have since left... Schneiderlin can’t get into the Everton squad, Schweinsteiger is chilling out in Chicago, Blind back at Ajax, Zaha at Palace, Memphis at Lyon, Welbeck a periphery at Arsenal, Mkhi not pulling up trees at Arsenal etc.
So while the statement is true still... why did we buy them and have them for as long as we have/did?
Are the likes of Smalling, Jones, Valencia, Rojo or Young going to get currently equal teams if they left in January? If not then isn’t it bad we had them for so long in the first place?
As a tl;dr summary, I guess it’s a criticism of our recruiting structure in that we have players playing for us that no one of our level or higher would want, and in reality they shouldn’t be with us... and that it looks bad on us in current times that no one would touch them anyway. Same for managers too... I don’t see Europe’s elite banging down Moyes’ or LVGs front doors to get them in.
But in current times, this statement can be applied negatively.
I’ve noticed this trend with us since Sir Alex left... It seems like whoever leaves Utd has never really hit the heights again and just spiralled down the metaphorical quality table.
Our two previous managers have a combined employment duration of 6 months between them in the past 3 years or so, i.e. when Jose joined. That six months being Moyes’ short term contract with West Ham where their fans couldn’t wait until he left.
When Rooney left, he went back to his boyhood Everton but even they quickly got rid within the year. A lot of the Sir Alex old boys have spiralled completely since his retirement. Anderson is in the Turkish second tier, Nanis back at Sporting etc... then we have our buys post Sir Alex who have since left... Schneiderlin can’t get into the Everton squad, Schweinsteiger is chilling out in Chicago, Blind back at Ajax, Zaha at Palace, Memphis at Lyon, Welbeck a periphery at Arsenal, Mkhi not pulling up trees at Arsenal etc.
So while the statement is true still... why did we buy them and have them for as long as we have/did?
Are the likes of Smalling, Jones, Valencia, Rojo or Young going to get currently equal teams if they left in January? If not then isn’t it bad we had them for so long in the first place?
As a tl;dr summary, I guess it’s a criticism of our recruiting structure in that we have players playing for us that no one of our level or higher would want, and in reality they shouldn’t be with us... and that it looks bad on us in current times that no one would touch them anyway. Same for managers too... I don’t see Europe’s elite banging down Moyes’ or LVGs front doors to get them in.
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