Did these factors lead to this summers recruitment?

[dinostar77]

We are having an excellent transfer window, probably one of if not the best ever windows for Utd. I am wondering if the following factors influenced our spending in this window.

1. Chelsea's CL win, which was based on a huge spending spree in the previous summer. Sets a example to follow.

2. The Tampa Bay Bucs winning the super bowl with tom brady. Maybe glazers were sold on Ronaldo being our tom brady and getting Utd to win a major trophy. Or the feel good factor from tampa bay's SB win.

3. The failure of the ESL. All the big club owners wanted the ESL to line thier pockets. It fell apart to huge criticism. Maybe that was a wakeup call that you have to invest in the squad and the stadium (£25mil spent on the latter this summer). That you have to have a competitive squad to win trophies to generate the revenues you want / had under fergie.

OR that you can't rely on the ESL to raise the value of the club to a level where you are happy to sell and have to improve via the sqaud itself before you can sell.

4. Appointments at the right places in the infrastructure i.e. murtough and fletcher thats allowing us to react quicker and more decisively in the market.

5. A leaving present from woodward. Attempting to repair the damage of his mistakes in the past and leave Utd with a very strong squad. So when he goes he can say "..look at the squad i left you with..."

I maybe missing a few more factors, but the improvement this summer has been impressive from where we were.

 

[Roane]

If Pogba signs a deal I think he will have been a factor too.

I've consistently said that his wanting to leave was based on where we are as a club and where he is interms of his career.

Amae going on loan shows we weren't prioritizing the first team. Despite coming in second place our points total is a more accurate measure of where we were imo.

Hopefully this is a statement of intent by us and we can move forward

 

[Macern]

Some really good points there. Sancho and Varane aren’t extraordinarily expensive signings or anything, they are just (seemingly) really great signings. Your points are related to spending a lot of money, but in transfer fees we’ve spent more in quite a few other windows haven’t we. The only exception is probably CR7, that is an expensive one in terms of wages, and that might have been the Glazers trying to repair the relationship with the fans (or some of your other points).

 

[altodevil]

The comparison to Brady needs to stop

 

[elnorte]

Still not impressed

 

[dinostar77]

The comparison to Brady needs to stop

Why? Brady is one of the GOATS in his position. Ronaldo is one of the GOTAS in his position. Glazers own Tampa Bay and own Utd. Why can't we make comparisions?

 

[altodevil]

Why? Brady is one of the GOATS in his position. Ronaldo is one of the GOTAS i his position. Glazers own Tampa Bay and own Utd. Why can't we make comparisions?

Brady is closer to Colin Cameron than Ronaldo.

 

[lsd]

The comparison to Brady needs to stop

No it's very apt and I'm sure it swayed the Glazers into going for Ronaldo.

I love American Football never a Brady fan but I know how big a winner he is and the impact he had on Tampa Bay speaks for itself.

I am absolutely certain the Glazers feel signing Ronaldo is the same as signing Brady

 

[Tom Cato]

The comparison to Brady needs to stop

GOATs at the zenith of their careers brought in to bring the cup to the team.

Not sure what's so wrong about that comparison, it's excactly what everyone wants to happen.

 

[Pickle85]

I think it's mostly to try to placate fans after some of the most significant protests their tenure has seen.

 

[Lentwood]

I don't think there's a big mystery to it, we've just slowly but surely improved our recruitment over the last three/four years and that is starting to pay dividends.

I've been as critical about the damage the Glazers have done as anybody, but I'll reiterate the point that post SAF, funds have consistently been made available but too often, we've wasted them

 

[DepaysCowboyHat]

I think the most crucial factor is when the fans stormed Old Trafford last season and put pressure on them to atleast act like they care about success on the pitch and not just making alot of money.

 

[Bertie Wooster]

I don't think there's a big mystery to it, we've just slowly but surely improved our recruitment over the last three/four years and that is starting to pay dividends.

I've been as critical about the damage the Glazers have done as anybody, but I'll reiterate the point that post SAF, funds have consistently been made available but too often, we've wasted them

Yeah, I agree. The only signing that's surprised me, and wasn't part of the slow and solid rebuild, was Ronaldo.

Covid has slowed the process down but, since Ole came in as manager, we've been slowly but surely doing the right things and getting everything in place. We haven't suddenly started to spend. We've been spending all along. The trouble was the decisions made and the lack of a clear plan. That's changed for the last couple of years, and we've been slowly heading in this direction.

And it felt, yet again, we'd got two more blocks in place in Varane and Sancho and were leaving the next two targets - DM and #9 - for next summer. The only part of the plan that's changed this summer is the seemingly spontaneous move for Ronaldo. And, going off reports, that was initially led more by the likes of SAF, Ole, Rio following the links to City, rather than the owners.

 

[Amadaeus]

I don't think there's a big mystery to it, we've just slowly but surely improved our recruitment over the last three/four years and that is starting to pay dividends.

I've been as critical about the damage the Glazers have done as anybody, but I'll reiterate the point that post SAF, funds have consistently been made available but too often, we've wasted them

Exactly, We have always spent a lot of money and funds has always been made available. This summer, better players was more attainable and we were able to recruit them.

None of those were a factor. I m just surprised that we didn’t break the record for the largest individual purchase for a single player like we have done some of the last few seasons. I feel that the stars just aligned for us towards getting these players. I can see the stars aligning next season or the season after that to get a world class striker depending on how long Ronaldo keep performing at a top level.

As Woodward stated we are the Disneyland of football club

 

[Big Ben Foster]

When the Bucs won the Super Bowl with Brady I had a strange feeling we'd be in for Ronaldo in the summer. So I definitely think there's something to that.

 

[K Stand Knut]

The only factor in the activity this summer is the Glazers appeasing the fans.

Which they seem to have done. Pretty easily.

 

[OverratedOpinion]

I think it was a mixture of 3 things.

1. Covid market meaning prices were reduced and us being one of the few teams that could actually spend money (our net spend is not much higher than usual)
2. Fan protests requiring appeasement.
3. Sancho being basically set in stone for 12 months.

 

[edcunited1878]

Why? Brady is one of the GOATS in his position. Ronaldo is one of the GOTAS in his position. Glazers own Tampa Bay and own Utd. Why can't we make comparisions?

Tampa was a good team leading up to his free agency year and Tom chose Tampa because they had cap space and most importantly, it was a very good fit for a team who needed a QB and had a good chance at a playoff run.

Ronaldo was not a necessary purchase for United and was not the primary need. Even before Ronaldo was available, United prioritized right forward/wing (Sancho), CB (Varane), CM (TBD), and RB (long rumors about Trippier).

Using Tampa Bay as an example is just lazy and totally misunderstood.

 

[Bertie Wooster]

I think the most crucial factor is when the fans stormed Old Trafford last season and put pressure on them to atleast act like they care about success on the pitch and not just making alot of money.

The only factor in the activity this summer is the Glazers appeasing the fans.

Which they seem to have done. Pretty easily.

Nah, don't agree.

We chased Sancho all last summer and were prepared to pay what we've done this summer - the difference is Dortmund held out for an unrealistic post-Covid fee. Everyone knew we'd go back for him this summer, long before the protests, and we've got him for a sensible fee. That was good, long term business sense from the club - not reactionary to any protests.

And having paid £80m for Maguire and £50m for AWB long before the protests, everyone knew we'd be going in for a first choice CB partner for Maguire this summer. And we've managed to find a top quality one for a smaller fee than those so, again, good dealing from the club.

Strengthening those two positions this summer was always part of this latest stage of rebuilding. The only unplanned part was Ronaldo, and that was spontaneously triggered in the last few days by the CIty link rather than any carefully planned attempts to placate fans who protested months ago.

 

[choccy77]

The reason we signed Ronaldo, was the £250m raised in less than an hour on the stock exchange. Huge Business for the Glazers

 

[NewGlory]

We are having an excellent transfer window, probably one of if not the best ever windows for Utd. I am wondering if the following factors influenced our spending in this window.

1. Chelsea's CL win, which was based on a huge spending spree in the previous summer. Sets a example to follow.

2. The Tampa Bay Bucs winning the super bowl with tom brady. Maybe glazers were sold on Ronaldo being our tom brady and getting Utd to win a major trophy. Or the feel good factor from tampa bay's SB win.

3. The failure of the ESL. All the big club owners wanted the ESL to line thier pockets. It fell apart to huge criticism. Maybe that was a wakeup call that you have to invest in the squad and the stadium (£25mil spent on the latter this summer). That you have to have a competitive squad to win trophies to generate the revenues you want / had under fergie.

OR that you can't rely on the ESL to raise the value of the club to a level where you are happy to sell and have to improve via the sqaud itself before you can sell.

4. Appointments at the right places in the infrastructure i.e. murtough and fletcher thats allowing us to react quicker and more decisively in the market.

5. A leaving present from woodward. Attempting to repair the damage of his mistakes in the past and leave Utd with a very strong squad. So when he goes he can say "..look at the squad i left you with..."

I maybe missing a few more factors, but the improvement this summer has been impressive from where we were.

Agree with your points 3, 4 and 5, but not 2.

Ronaldo purchase was not planned so had nothing to do with Tom Brady and Bucs. Ronaldo decision was made in a matter of 12 hours when it was rumored that he may join City. United couldn't have that happen, price was right and the upside financially was huge. United already made hundreds of millions of dollars when stock went up 8% after the announcement, but it was purely seizing an opportunity thing and not planned in any way, by Glazers or anybody else. Varane and Sancho were planned, Ronaldo - no. It doesn't make Ronaldo coming back any less SPECTACULAR, however. I feel like I am still dreaming

 

[Ole's screen]

Tampa was a good team leading up to his free agency year and Tom chose Tampa because they had cap space and most importantly, it was a very good fit for a team who needed a QB and had a good chance at a playoff run.

Ronaldo was not a necessary purchase for United and was not the primary need. Even before Ronaldo was available, United prioritized right forward/wing (Sancho), CB (Varane), CM (TBD), and RB (long rumors about Trippier).

Using Tampa Bay as an example is just lazy and totally misunderstood.

You can make the same argument here though that this United team has been well built over the last couple of years to compete without Ronaldo. Adding Ronaldo could be the little bit that brings it all together though. We're effectively massively upgrading our first choice striker from Martial to Ronaldo. I know a first choice striker is not as influential is a QB is, but it is analogous in some ways.

 

[edcunited1878]

You can make the same argument here though that this United team has been well built over the last couple of years to compete without Ronaldo. Adding Ronaldo could be the little bit that brings it all together though. We're effectively massively upgrading our first choice striker from Martial to Ronaldo. I know a first choice striker is not as influential is a QB is, but it is analogous in some ways.

I don’t disagree that a player of Ronaldo's stature and performance level adds to the squad immensely. But Cavani was first choice even if we couldn't start every match. To that, United have a Greenwood, Sancho, and Marcus to come back.

Tampa Bay had Jameis Winston at QB. He was a turnover machine. United didn't go, right see the other club the Glazers own, they did X, Y, Z. United should do that too! United have been gradually building under Ole (as have any other sporting team) and this was well before Brady hit free agency or United knew that there was a chance at Varane.

If Ronaldo is offered to you and you have a chance to sign him, you take note. The fact that City had a legit chance at signing Ronaldo was what "forced" United's hand. That would have been devastating for so many reasons if United didn't at least check City's interest.

Timing has a lot to do with things and this is the case as well.

 

[K Stand Knut]

Nah, don't agree.

We chased Sancho all last summer and were prepared to pay what we've done this summer - the difference is Dortmund held out for an unrealistic post-Covid fee. Everyone knew we'd go back for him this summer, long before the protests, and we've got him for a sensible fee. That was good, long term business sense from the club - not reactionary to any protests.

And having paid £80m for Maguire and £50m for AWB long before the protests, everyone knew we'd be going in for a first choice CB partner for Maguire this summer. And we've managed to find a top quality one for a smaller fee than those so, again, good dealing from the club.

Strengthening those two positions this summer was always part of this latest stage of rebuilding. The only unplanned part was Ronaldo, and that was spontaneously triggered in the last few days by the CIty link rather than any carefully planned attempts to placate fans who protested months ago.

You’ve misunderstood my post as me saying we haven’t conducted good business so far. We have. Excellent in fact. And not much more we can do to improve it further bar a CM that can play on his own.

However, our actual expenditure is not particularly high and it doesn’t show a particularly big investment from the Glazers or anything more than the norm.

Ronaldo in particular is one to get the fans on board. He will end up costing practically nothing

 

[Bertie Wooster]

You’ve misunderstood my post as me saying we haven’t conducted good business so far. We have. Excellent in fact. And not much more we can do to improve it further bar a CM that can play on his own.

However, our actual expenditure is not particularly high and it doesn’t show a particularly big investment from the Glazers or anything more than the norm.

Ronaldo in particular is one to get the fans on board. He will end up costing practically nothing

I'm surprised if I 'misunderstood' your post. I didn't think you were denying we'd done good business - I thought you were saying we'd only done it to (quote) 'appease the fans'; as if the protests had forced the recruitment, as one or two others have stated.

I got that from your response to the OP asking 'did these factors lead to this summers recruitment?' when you said: "The only factor in the activity this summer is the Glazers appeasing the fans."

That suggested you were attributing the protests and fan displeasure as the reason we'd signed Sancho, Varane and Ronaldo - which I disagreed with for the reasons I gave. I agree with you that our investment isn't really 'anything more than the norm' and that's why I see it (certainly Sancho and Varane) as much more of a case of the planned continuation of our slow and steady rebuild and continual improvement in the transfer market rather than just a reactionary response to 'appease the fans' or 'get them on board'.

 

[dinostar77]

Tampa was a good team leading up to his free agency year and Tom chose Tampa because they had cap space and most importantly, it was a very good fit for a team who needed a QB and had a good chance at a playoff run.

Ronaldo was not a necessary purchase for United and was not the primary need. Even before Ronaldo was available, United prioritized right forward/wing (Sancho), CB (Varane), CM (TBD), and RB (long rumors about Trippier).

Using Tampa Bay as an example is just lazy and totally misunderstood.

You were saying....

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