André Onana | signed for United | On a flight to NYC

[Teja]

Maguire was a Mourinho target signed for Ole.

Moyes was promised Bale, Herrera among others and got Fellaini.

LVG gave Woodward a list and got none of them.

Rangnick recommended players in January and got none of them.

Ten Hag is the first manager that has been allowed his vision, very much in the same vein as the power Guardiola has at City.

Both Mou, Ole got a fair few targets. Ralf was an interim manager with everything going wrong, he was never going to get his way.

Mou got Zlatan, Pogba, Bailly, Matic (remember the hype when everyone pointed to Mou's record in signing CBs?). I feel like Lukaku and Sanchez were his signings too, but can't be sure. I think Sanchez was because Mou didn't really trust Martial. Rashford was still on the RW those days if memory serves.

Ole got Bruno, AwB. I think he was happy with the Maguire signing too. There was a lot made of fixing the defence, building on a strong defence etc. during his first window. He made him the captain, so there's something there.

EtH is also not going to get everyone he wants - it's always a collaboration between the DoF and the manager.

 

[AFC NimbleThumb]

Onana transfer has been a bit of a chore, for me at least. Will transform our team play but I just can’t seem to get excited about it.

The nagging feeling we are still a fair distance off the best teams, still owned by the bloody Glazers and still relatively hit and miss (mostly miss) when it comes to buying and selling just numbs my excitement about the new season and the club in general.

My inner muppet needs therapy.

It’s not a nagging feeling it’s common sense. I’m genuinely surprised by how naive people are being about us, EtH is on a good course but this longing for immediate success needs to end. Rome wasn’t built in a day etc. This iteration of a team being a ‘fair distance’ off is simply part of the journey.

 

[alexthelion]

The Beach Boys are not The Who

Very true.

 

[Reapersoul20]

I hope he starts well. An early feck-up could really ruin the confidence. DDG was shite at the beginning actually - he did well to have the career he ended up having.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

I hope he starts well. An early feck-up could really ruin the confidence. DDG was shite at the beginning actually - he did well to have the career he ended up having.

He’s a fecking badass mate. Made for OT imo.

I do hope that Martinez and Varane are both fit for the first few months of Onana’s tenure, just to keep things tidy and organised.

But in terms of mentality, Onana’s a fecking monster.

That said, he will make mistakes and his style of play is high risk high reward, but I believe (and hope) he’s cut out for the pressure cooker of Utd and the PL.

Failing that, you could always drag him along to a Toastmaster meet up to build his confidence.

 

[moodyred]

Just glad to have De Gea off the wage bill. Don't think he is worth that 300k+ a week wage at all and it limits our ability to sign players. Wonder how much Onana is getting paid.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

Just glad to have De Gea off the wage bill. Don't think he is worth that 300k+ a week wage at all and it limits our ability to sign players. Wonder how much Onana is getting paid.

Probably around 200k I’d guess.

 

[Howl]

Both Mou, Ole got a fair few targets. Ralf was an interim manager with everything going wrong, he was never going to get his way.

Mou got Zlatan, Pogba, Bailly, Matic (remember the hype when everyone pointed to Mou's record in signing CBs?). I feel like Lukaku and Sanchez were his signings too, but can't be sure. I think Sanchez was because Mou didn't really trust Martial. Rashford was still on the RW those days if memory serves.

Ole got Bruno, AwB. I think he was happy with the Maguire signing too. There was a lot made of fixing the defence, building on a strong defence etc. during his first window. He made him the captain, so there's something there.

EtH is also not going to get everyone he wants - it's always a collaboration between the DoF and the manager.

We have already seen that as well. We pivoted from Timber to Martinez, and from FDJ to Casemiro. Just lucky that in both cases its probably worked out better so far.

 

[MadDogg]

And Rangnick, who we by all accounts wanted to use as our main advisor going forward, said GK was one of the few positions that didn't need replacing.

To be fair he specifically said De Gea was fine for him but going forward it would depend on how the next manager wanted to play. Pointed out that City and Liverpool came in and went after goalkeepers suited to the expected playstyle.

 

[Devil You Know]

Both Mou, Ole got a fair few targets. Ralf was an interim manager with everything going wrong, he was never going to get his way.

Mou got Zlatan, Pogba, Bailly, Matic (remember the hype when everyone pointed to Mou's record in signing CBs?). I feel like Lukaku and Sanchez were his signings too, but can't be sure. I think Sanchez was because Mou didn't really trust Martial. Rashford was still on the RW those days if memory serves.

Ole got Bruno, AwB. I think he was happy with the Maguire signing too. There was a lot made of fixing the defence, building on a strong defence etc. during his first window. He made him the captain, so there's something there.

EtH is also not going to get everyone he wants - it's always a collaboration between the DoF and the manager.

AwB was a club signing. If you recall, he was picked by the scouts out of 500 rightbacks using their version of data science.

 

[criticalanalysis]

It’s not a nagging feeling it’s common sense. I’m genuinely surprised by how naive people are being about us, EtH is on a good course but this longing for immediate success needs to end. Rome wasn’t built in a day etc. This iteration of a team being a ‘fair distance’ off is simply part of the journey.

https://www.redcafe.net/threads/expectations-for-season-2023-2024.478081/page-6

Based on this thread and a lot comments we see here and there, I think most people are 'realistic' though. Unless you mean, people hoping on consolidating being a top 2/3/4 team is unrealistic and calling for 'immediate success'?

Obviously words can be interpreted in many ways but when people say they are excited by Onana and that he can be potentially 'transformative' to our game, I don't think people expect us to start dominating most teams 70% possession every game and make us a strong contender for the title. I've used my Casemiro and Martinez example in this thread a few times, so I'll repeat it again. Both players pretty much delivered everything you could have asked of them on an individual level and were pretty 'transformative' but it didn't stop us getting thrashed or that we were able to suffocate teams through sheer class i.e it was still a lot of hard work and grafting to get the results we did. I think the hope and expectation is similar in that Onana can bring his individual quality, which then raises the bottom level of the squad as we've had a year of growth and transfers under ETH now.

 

[Golden Nugget]

We have already seen that as well. We pivoted from Timber to Martinez, and from FDJ to Casemiro. Just lucky that in both cases its probably worked out better so far.

You missed the caf favourite

from Gakpo to Weghorst

 

[Howl]

You missed the caf favourite

from Gakpo to Weghorst

How did I ever forget that one

 

[Revaulx]

AwB was a club signing.

Probably. He was a product of the “Young British Core” policy (Phelan’s influence?) that lasted about five minutes.

If you recall, he was picked by the scouts out of 500 rightbacks using their version of data science.

Who could forget it? It sounded completely made up to me; data science being a trendy buzzword used to justify a fee that raised plenty of eyebrows.

 

[Howl]

Probably. He was a product of the “Young British Core” policy (Phelan’s influence?) that lasted about five minutes.


Who could forget it? It sounded completely made up to me; data science being a trendy buzzword used to justify a fee that raised plenty of eyebrows.

There is absolutely no way they scouted 500 right backs and decided on AWB. While he has improved this season, he in no way fits the profile of right back needed for the style of play Ole was talking about at the time.

 

[Devil You Know]

There is absolutely no way they scouted 500 right backs and decided on AWB. While he has improved this season, he in no way fits the profile of right back needed for the style of play Ole was talking about at the time.

I don't think the club cared about the way Ole wanted to play.

Woodward fancied himself as a Sporting Director and got the scouts to pick the best player in Europe for successful tackles at right back. Say what you want about AWB, but he's definitely going to come out top on a number of metrics if you pick them a particular way.

 

[Devil You Know]

Probably. He was a product of the “Young British Core” policy (Phelan’s influence?) that lasted about five minutes.


Who could forget it? It sounded completely made up to me; data science being a trendy buzzword used to justify a fee that raised plenty of eyebrows.

I think it was just coincidence.

Maguire was a long time target thanks to Mourinho's influence and AWB was a data science pick thanks to his godly tackling stats. Dan James was a just a cheap punt who was never supposed to be a part of any core.

Also, it's not like we wanted a Uruguayan core when we brought in Pellistri and Cavani in the same window. Or a Dutch core when we targetted De Jong, Gakpo, Timber and Malacia last season.

The whole Brexit FC thing was a load of rubbish. People putting 2+2 together to get 5. The idea of British transfer policy never came from the horse's mouth and yet seems to have become accepted wisdom

 

[Quagmire Maguire]

It does make sense.

I'm worried about the singing but if we was always going to sign Onana, why not sign him last season on a free? Would have potentially settled in by now.

It doesn't!

Onana agreed to join Inter in the January when we had Rangnick as our manager...

 

[Murder on Zidane's Floor]

I think it was just coincidence.

Maguire was a long time target thanks to Mourinho's influence and AWB was a data science pick thanks to his godly tackling stats. Dan James was a just a cheap punt who was never supposed to be a part of any core.

Also, it's not like we wanted a Uruguayan core when we brought in Pellistri and Cavani in the same window. Or a Dutch core when we targetted De Jong, Gakpo, Timber and Malacia last season.

The whole Brexit FC thing was a load of rubbish. People putting 2+2 together to get 5. The idea of British transfer policy never came from the horse's mouth and yet seems to have become accepted wisdom

Wasn't it more British players are already adapted to league football?

 

[Reapersoul20]

He’s a fecking badass mate. Made for OT imo.

I do hope that Martinez and Varane are both fit for the first few months of Onana’s tenure, just to keep things tidy and organised.

But in terms of mentality, Onana’s a fecking monster.

That said, he will make mistakes and his style of play is high risk high reward, but I believe (and hope) he’s cut out for the pressure cooker of Utd and the PL.

Failing that, you could always drag him along to a Toastmaster meet up to build his confidence.

he wouldn't stand that high pressure environment, not with sixteen year olds judging his opinions on niche Dragonball z characters so harshly.

I hope you're right, plenty of players have had their confidence gelded with the pressure of OT. Especially high risk high reward players

 

[CantonaManc]

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[Ajaxsuarez]

for me this was his most memorable save at Ajax. As in the one I most remember feeling impressed by

 

[Revaulx]

I think it was just coincidence.

Maguire was a long time target thanks to Mourinho's influence and AWB was a data science pick thanks to his godly tackling stats. Dan James was a just a cheap punt who was never supposed to be a part of any core.

Also, it's not like we wanted a Uruguayan core when we brought in Pellistri and Cavani in the same window. Or a Dutch core when we targetted De Jong, Gakpo, Timber and Malacia last season.

The whole Brexit FC thing was a load of rubbish. People putting 2+2 together to get 5. The idea of British transfer policy never came from the horse's mouth and yet seems to have become accepted wisdom

Are you absolutely sure about that? I’d swear the term Young British Core was reported in the press amid all the talk of a Cultural Reset and a return to the United Way. I’ll do some digging later.

The signing of Bruno a few months later put a stop to it anyway.

 

[WPMUFC]

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PREPARE THE FLIGHT TRACKERS

 

[Revaulx]

There is absolutely no way they scouted 500 right backs and decided on AWB. While he has improved this season, he in no way fits the profile of right back needed for the style of play Ole was talking about at the time.

Indeed. I’ve always liked AWB, but it did seem an odd signing.

I don't think the club cared about the way Ole wanted to play.

Woodward fancied himself as a Sporting Director and got the scouts to pick the best player in Europe for successful tackles at right back. Say what you want about AWB, but he's definitely going to come out top on a number of metrics if you pick them a particular way.

Re. the bolded: absolutely this, and that’s why all our Woodward-era managers were doomed, whatever one might think of them as individuals.

 

[Tom Van Persie]

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[Berbaclass]

Brilliant. I’m so excited to watch him play for us

 

[horsechoker]

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Flight trackers go!

 

[Tom Van Persie]

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[Real Name]

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Commence the flight trackers!!!

 

[KM]

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Has the potential to be one of the most transformational signings we've made in a while. That's a very good price too.

Shaw/Rashford - new contracts
Mount and Onana - done.

Good summer so far, now a proper number nine and some departures.

 

[CantonaManc]

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[Real Name]

I just love comunicado oficial.

 

[Syphon Wallet]

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#getonanatotheplane

 

[top1whoisman]

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[Alemar]

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What stops them to make an announcement if everything is signed?

 

[podurban2]

What stops them to make an announcement if everything is signed?

Photos of him in a United shirt in Manchester?

 

[Big Andy]

What stops them to make an announcement if everything is signed?

Will be the pictures and the video/interview, etc. and the medical, which is likely to have not happened yet. They'll want all that sorted before they announce it fully.

 

[top1whoisman]

What stops them to make an announcement if everything is signed?

They could and they have with some transfers, but rather than posting a 100-word update about signing him subject to medical and international clearance, of course they want to milk it as much as they can with photos and interview ready to be released.

 

[LawCharltonBest]

Commence the flight trackers!!!

I thought I had found it. Left Milan and was headed to Manchester, but then it diverted and went to AFCON for 2 months