Of course. Naturally we would all like to have Messi in each position or let's say Sancho, but you have to be realistic about your options and still find players that improve you.
Apparently we’re now in the market for not even making the signing so not knowing whether they would succeed or fail.
Well I can't comment on his personal attributes when dealing with the board. Obviously he can't show much authority considering he is an unproven manager.
Fair point, we can’t comment on his relationship with the board with any authority but going by his words, which are all we can judge him by.
The idea that for Ole to be considered a puppet it’s because he hasn’t thrown a Jose tantrum is what needs to stop.
Still doesn't mean that managers sign players just for the sake of signing someone, maybe Redknapp is the exception.
Still doesn't mean that managers sign players just for the sake of signing someone, maybe Redknapp is the exception.
We identified a set of players that we wanted to sign, got 3 of them while we missed out on the rest, as with every top club there are plenty of agents in contact about the availability of their clients, the decision was made that none of those alternatives were what we were looking for. When Liverpool initially missed out on VVD, they didn't just jump on a random cb that was available even though they clearly needed one, it was more important to get the player they actually wanted. Same with us and Hargreaves, even though that turned out to be a disaster.
Then again, your track record is pretty fecking shit, you even argued that you preferred the signing of Sanchez over Hazard, and that we were nailed on to win the league with Sanchez, Lukaku and the addition of a dm
Yeah that's what I wrote more or less - or what I meant at least. I have no clue where the fault lays but I think we agree on that being a stupid and somewhat inexcusable move.
There's no such thing as 100%, but this is about improving the first 11 so you identify the players you want and stick to it.I think you are missing the point. It was the 100% I was implying, not just signing players for the sake of it.
Sanchez was indeed someone I could see working for us - it didn't. Pep also thought he would be a good signing for City, maybe his track record is also fecking shit
I'm not sure I've ever said we were nailed to win the league at any point tbh.
I remember those days. You never knew who these players were and still just assumed they would end up incredible for us.Bebe, Dong, Tosic, Buttner, christ
While the rest of us were worried about the outcome of any investigation into the signings of Bebe and Manucho, especially Bebe given his suddent change of agents prior to being a surprise signing.I remember those days. You never knew who these players were and still just assumed they would end up incredible for us.
Ignorance is still bliss mate
He’s trying to take the Klopp/Liverpool approach. But fails to realise that to get the player you want in 6 months or 1 year time your team has to remain competitive.
That is true for most clubs... We are - however - Manchester United. Even in a hole like this we're still hard to reject.
Yeah indeed. Just for the record it’s not always the manager 100% for me either. No one should be the sole responsible of how the club is ran on the footballing side.
With Sanchez you could see his grit and determination, whilst also having the cutting edge.
Yeah. Who would the 18 year old Ronaldo today be more tempted by us or City.
Absolutely this.
Yeah I got carried away with the start as well. But I did always feel it showed closer to the full potential of this group of they played to their strengths and with the freedom they wanted.
Couldn't agree more. It was clear those were going to be the first names gone as far back as May or April even. And you will recall Ole talking about planning for next season, looking at new players as if he were going to be manager. Then he gets the appointment and a full summer + advance time to decide who to replace with. I'd be sympathetic if he didn't have an interim period to see what the squad was like. Him or the coaching staff.
2 bits from his interview, 1 is taking responsibility instead of blaming everyone else and the second part (the bold one) says everything about him. It's always the club. We made mistake not signing the player but any replacement will do is sort of thinking that landed us in the mess.
Before anyone gets triggered, no I'm not saying Solskjaer is good enough coach.
He did realise it. He tried to sign midfielders and strikers but couldn't get the right ones. I was probably one of the most vocal people on the forum this summer about the need to sign 2 midfielders. I felt even with everybody fit we didn't have enough. One injury to McTomminay or Pogba was going to destroy us. Losing both Martial and Pogba was a disaster because that meant both midfield and attack was badly damaged with really poor replacements.
We arent where we used to be -- being able to just go out an buy any player we wish. Clubs in the league have a lot more money nowadays. Plus we just dont have the pulling power we used to have under one particular manager. Who would want to come to a club that could change its manager in 24-36 months? Or even 10?
Changing managers have not stopped playing going to clubs. Look at Real too.
Real and Barca are bad examples. They are so loaded with players -- any decent manager can get a tune out of them in a league where they dominate or have very little threat to their dominance. So in that sense, hiring managers for Barca or Real are much lower risks too. In the EPL, and as competitive as it is, a bad hire and a top six or eight club will fall off that group.
We signed Matic.Yeah indeed. Just for the record it’s not always the manager 100% for me either. No one should be the sole responsible of how the club is ran on the footballing side.
With Sanchez you could see his grit and determination, whilst also having the cutting edge.
To me he looked awesome at Arsenal at his heyday and thought we were getting another van Persie that can fire us forward.
Why he walloped to such a miserable self is beyond me.
On the “bright side” we didn’t get a DM so...
The point is United has the funds to afford to get those kind of players. It's not that we are skint. We can get top class managers too. If we have top class managers top class players will come.
Funnily enough sold out tours in Thailand aren't the top of the list when players are deciding where to play, its winning trophies, and money, we got a shed load of that, but if its to finish mid table players will go to other rich clubs who have more of hope of being successful on the pitch and not just economically.
Ok I should go one step further then and say he seems to have an eye for temperament and what fits the club. With a club the size of United of course we have vast dossiers on most players out there and its unlikely Ole will pluck a name out of the air that no one has heard of and who turns out to be world class. But each previous manager had the same dossiers and still managed to sign all that deadwood that we're now trying to move on. Champions League winning managers (and Moyes) who thought Schweinsteiger or Sanchez were the right signings to bring United forward.
Never claimed it was - I merely stated that we're still a supernova as far as popularity is concerned and that this in itself makes us attractive. But hey free feel to argue points never made while ignoring the real plot entirely - whatever makes you happy.
The prospect of instant success is of course enticing to many a player no doubt - but it's quite the leap into absurdity claiming this to be universal. There are almost as many motivators as there are people in this world.
As to what we saw this summer? We snatched two of the best defenders this league has to offer - both from teams who've had better openings to this season than us - plus Dybala was willing to join us from Juventus as well if we'd just been willing to throw enough money his way. I'm pretty sure we could easilly have attracted a few more signings too if we'd just made more of an effort identifying potential prospects prior to and during the window - all of equal standard to the ones we got and from top sides as well. So yes I'm clearly in denial - we're really suffering immensly from our ruined reputation - it's our broken honor that's the problem for sure I see it so clearly now. I was too focused on the actual pudding - I should have looked inside your skull instead as that's where the proof lays hidden
For now - maybe but if we continue being shit for another 5 years and it looks like we will, it will change very quickly. New generation of players will dream of playing for City instead, not 6th best team.
Good. We all hope so.
