It is an all too painful (if you are a diehard fan) and familiar story.
Another season, and it looks like another where we have failed to negotiate effectively to strengthen our team to mount any kind of title challenge. With Spurs picking up Bale and Reguilon and Liverpool nabbing Thiago (who would is just the kind of deep lying creative quarterback-style midfielder United have been lacking), Chelsea hugely improving their already impressive squad, even Arsenal improving and nabbing centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes from under our noses, while the Sancho transfer saga has become one of the most painful even in my memory (even more than the chase of Wesley Sneijder) , it is another tale of woe for Woodward, Judge and co as we kick off another season.
That is not to say that our first 11 is not decent. But beyond that we are way off.
The answers to this partly come from the top. No doubt once again United will trot out the 'we are after a director of football' line. No doubt fans will say those criticising the club are disloyal and repetitive. But since Sir Alex left our transfer policy has been woeful and things have to change.
There are plenty of players we are linked with but it is all 'paper' talk and we were not going to get. But we have to accept that there are those players who do not see the club as the big attraction it once was (ie Haaland, despite the fact he was Norwegian and Ole knows him). There are also those we have genuinely sought and ended up failing to land.
The most obvious is the account of Patrice Evra that Sir Alex Ferguson retired at Manchester United after failing to sign Cristiano Ronaldo. He had also been keen to bring in Gareth Bale when he was Spurs only to see him join Ronaldo at Real Madrid.
Man Utd could have signed Cesc Fabregas in 2014. But th Spanish midfielder left Barcelona for Chelsea. He said it was his preferred move.
Toni Kroos has aid that if Man Utd stuck with David Moyes, he would have moved to Old Trafford in 2014. But Moyes went and Kroos went to Real.
Sadio Mane was a big miss. Louis van Gaal poinpointed the forward. Two bids were rejected before Liverpool nabbed him in 2016
There was the long running chase of Thomas Muller who after much toing and froing ended up staying with Bayern Munich.
Griezmann was a long-time target before he ended up signing a new contract with Atletico Madrid.
There was much toing and froing in signing Paulo Dybala last year.. but Woodward was again unsuccessful.
There was the pursuit of Ivan Perisic in 2017... with Mourinho less than pleased that it did not materialise. “It was a dream of mine to play in all the big leagues. But it didn’t happen," said Perisic who ended up going to Bayern on loan.
And the rest?
Another season, and it looks like another where we have failed to negotiate effectively to strengthen our team to mount any kind of title challenge. With Spurs picking up Bale and Reguilon and Liverpool nabbing Thiago (who would is just the kind of deep lying creative quarterback-style midfielder United have been lacking), Chelsea hugely improving their already impressive squad, even Arsenal improving and nabbing centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes from under our noses, while the Sancho transfer saga has become one of the most painful even in my memory (even more than the chase of Wesley Sneijder) , it is another tale of woe for Woodward, Judge and co as we kick off another season.
That is not to say that our first 11 is not decent. But beyond that we are way off.
The answers to this partly come from the top. No doubt once again United will trot out the 'we are after a director of football' line. No doubt fans will say those criticising the club are disloyal and repetitive. But since Sir Alex left our transfer policy has been woeful and things have to change.
There are plenty of players we are linked with but it is all 'paper' talk and we were not going to get. But we have to accept that there are those players who do not see the club as the big attraction it once was (ie Haaland, despite the fact he was Norwegian and Ole knows him). There are also those we have genuinely sought and ended up failing to land.
The most obvious is the account of Patrice Evra that Sir Alex Ferguson retired at Manchester United after failing to sign Cristiano Ronaldo. He had also been keen to bring in Gareth Bale when he was Spurs only to see him join Ronaldo at Real Madrid.
Man Utd could have signed Cesc Fabregas in 2014. But th Spanish midfielder left Barcelona for Chelsea. He said it was his preferred move.
Toni Kroos has aid that if Man Utd stuck with David Moyes, he would have moved to Old Trafford in 2014. But Moyes went and Kroos went to Real.
Sadio Mane was a big miss. Louis van Gaal poinpointed the forward. Two bids were rejected before Liverpool nabbed him in 2016
There was the long running chase of Thomas Muller who after much toing and froing ended up staying with Bayern Munich.
Griezmann was a long-time target before he ended up signing a new contract with Atletico Madrid.
There was much toing and froing in signing Paulo Dybala last year.. but Woodward was again unsuccessful.
There was the pursuit of Ivan Perisic in 2017... with Mourinho less than pleased that it did not materialise. “It was a dream of mine to play in all the big leagues. But it didn’t happen," said Perisic who ended up going to Bayern on loan.
And the rest?
