Ole's Recruitment whilst at the wheel at United

[Sparky Rhiwabon]

OK, he may not be a top manager tactically but the one thing that Ole is regularly praised for is his recruitment.

So, in an attempt to bring some positivity, how would you rate his senior signings so far?

Bruno
Maguire
AWB
Cavani
Sancho
Van de Beek
James
Telles
Ronaldo
Varane

 

[Infra-red]

 

[Loony BoB]

I'll count 5 or lower as "a mistake".

Bruno 10
Maguire 8
AWB 8
Cavani 8
Sancho 7 (too early to really judge, though)
Van de Beek 6 (not a mistake to buy him, but a mistake to not play him more often)
James 7 (he worked hard and for a moment he scored good goals, but we were right to sell him, too)
Telles 7 (only rated well because of his impact on Shaw)
Ronaldo 7-8 (too early to really judge, though)
Varane 9 (too early to really judge, though)

Generally his recruitment has been excellent, especially compared with the past decade.

 

[Sparky Rhiwabon]

What?

 

[pocco]

I'll count 5 or lower as "a mistake".

Bruno 10
Maguire 8
AWB 8
Cavani 8
Sancho 7 (too early to really judge, though)
Van de Beek 6 (not a mistake to buy him, but a mistake to not play him more often)
James 7 (he worked hard and for a moment he scored good goals, but we were right to sell him, too)
Telles 7 (only rated well because of his impact on Shaw)
Ronaldo 7-8 (too early to really judge, though)
Varane 9 (too early to really judge, though)

Generally his recruitment has been excellent, especially compared with the past decade.

Christ.

 

[Sparky Rhiwabon]

I'll count 5 or lower as "a mistake".

Bruno 10
Maguire 8
AWB 8
Cavani 8
Sancho 7 (too early to really judge, though)
Van de Beek 6 (not a mistake to buy him, but a mistake to not play him more often)
James 7 (he worked hard and for a moment he scored good goals, but we were right to sell him, too)
Telles 7 (only rated well because of his impact on Shaw)
Ronaldo 7-8 (too early to really judge, though)
Varane 9 (too early to really judge, though)

Generally his recruitment has been excellent, especially compared with the past decade.

Maguire and AWB as 8/10s considering the price? Seems generous

 

[UnofficialDevil]

Anybody can sign established world class or very well known expensive players, that's easy when we are spending so much. Which players did Ole actually discover that have turned into good players though. No one.

 

[Skills]

Bruno -10/10
Maguire - 4/10 (this is the most expensive defender of all time and I'm not sure if he should be in our starting XI)
AWB - 4/10 (top clubs have no use for him)
Cavani - 7/10 (delivered what's on the package - great Woodward signing saved our season)
Sancho - Pass
Van de Beek - Pass
James - 5/10 (didn't offer much but we didn't lose much)
Telles - Pass
Ronaldo - Pass
Varane - Pass

 

[FatTails]

Agreed. All the players he brought in are useful, ranging from good squad options to proper world class.

We overpaid for the likes of AWB and Maguire, especially the latter, but I have no idea what the inner workings of our transfers are like and most likely Ole has nothing to do with that bit.

The other issue is that we’ve unbalanced the squad a bit (we’re top heavy), but I think that was also a function of us being opportunistic in the market at times. It can be remedied over the next window or two.

 

[pocco]

Anybody can sign established world class or very well known expensive players, that's easy when we are spending so much. Which players did Ole actually discover that have turned into good players though. No one.

Dan James
Amad Diallo
Pellistri

....Oh, wait...

 

[Infra-red]

Generally his recruitment has been excellent, especially compared with the past decade

He's had two hits. Bruno and Cavani. Both were signed in a panic months after they were previously rejected for not being good enough. Unless Sancho comes good and Maguire turns things around, this period will come to be seen as a continuation of our post-2009 transfer shambles.

 

[Loony BoB]

Maguire and AWB as 8/10s considering the price? Seems generous

Perhaps, but this season aside I think they've been worthy of first team places. Put a good midfield in front of them and get reliable backup for AWB. And for the love of God or money, better defence coaches.

 

[altodevil]

OK, he may not be a top manager tactically but the one thing that Ole is regularly praised for is his recruitment.

So, in an attempt to bring some positivity, how would you rate his senior signings so far?

Bruno - 10
Maguire - 6
AWB - 6
Cavani - 7
Sancho - 4 (Too early)
Van de Beek - 1
James - 5
Telles - 5
Ronaldo - 7 (Too early)
Varane - 7 (Too early)

Disregarding cost

 

[Skills]

He's had two hits. Bruno and Cavani. Both were signed in a panic months after they were previously rejected for not being good enough. Unless Sancho comes good and Maguire turns things around, this period will come to be seen as a continuation of our post-2009 transfer shambles.

Cavani was one of those Woodward signings as well - well according Ole Inners it was. One of the players Woodward occasionally signs for commercial appeal as Ole would never have signed someone of that age/profile if it was down to him.

 

[Loony BoB]

Oh, yeah, probably worth saying I'm not really factoring in cost when I consider their ratings. I am rating them based on their pitch value, not their economic value.

 

[pocco]

Agreed. All the players he brought in are useful, ranging from good squad options to proper world class.

We overpaid for the likes of AWB and Maguire, especially the latter, but I have no idea what the inner workings of our transfers are like and most likely Ole has nothing to do with that bit.

AWB and Maguire, not only overpaid but also didn't fit with a style of play he seemingly wanted to adopt, ie attacking fullbacks and high line.
Ronaldo & Sancho made no sense as we just end up shifting Greenwood back to the right, where he was playing last season when we apparently 'needed a new RW' and Sancho to the bench. All whilst missing out on a CM or two. So whilst they individually aren't disappointing, when you look at the wider picture of what Ole has done, it doesn't make sense at all.

 

[Spoony]

Anybody can sign established world class or very well known expensive players thats easy when we are spending so much. Which players did Ole discover that have turned into good players though. No one.

Ole's blooded Greenwood but he needs to play as a number 9 .Yeah he's not been good at polishing potential. Sancho could be a great player for us but he needs to play on the right. He's no Koeman that's for sure

 

[Siorac]

Most of his signings are good to great players on paper, with the exception of Dan James. But in terms of tactical balance, they're all over the place.

Maguire is OK - if you don't ask him to play in a high line (and don't play him when he's unfit).
AWB is decent - if you don't ask him to play in a team that aims to play the ball out of the back.
Sancho is great - if you play him in a team with lots of movement and interchanges, where he has plenty of passing options.
Bruno is wonderful - but he's not really compatible with Pogba and a lot of the time he plays as a second striker which adds a tactical headache that Solskjaer doesn't seem remotely capable of solving.
Van de Beek might be a good player, we'll never know.
Ronaldo at 36 requires very careful consideration as opposed to just chucking him into a dysfunctional team and expecting him to thrive.

 

[pocco]

Oh, yeah, probably worth saying I'm not really factoring in cost when I consider their ratings. I am rating them based on their pitch value, not their economic value.

So how has James got a 7? That's just for a start. I take it you're an Ole Inner.

 

[matsdf]

Bruno -10/10
Maguire - 4/10 (this is the most expensive defender of all time and I'm not sure if he should be in our starting XI)
AWB - 4/10 (top clubs have no use for him)
Cavani - 7/10 (delivered what's on the package - great Woodward signing saved our season)
Sancho - Pass
Van de Beek - Pass
James - 5/10 (didn't offer much but we didn't lose much)
Telles - Pass
Ronaldo - Pass
Varane - Pass

Didn't lose much? So easy to spot your agenda... We gained £10m for feck sake.

 

[2cents]

OK, he may not be a top manager tactically but the one thing that Ole is regularly praised for is his recruitment.

So, in an attempt to bring some positivity, how would you rate his senior signings so far?

Bruno - good
Maguire - bad
AWB - bad
Cavani - good
Sancho - too soon
Van de Beek - bad
James - meh
Telles - meh
Ronaldo - too soon
Varane - good

 

[King Azaz the Unabridged]

Fernandes is obviously a 10/10 buy. Varane, Ronaldo and Sancho aren't far behind, Cavani was a top addition too.

Maguire and Wan-Bissaka are both decent players, but it was worth arguing in 2019 and still is now whether we could have gotten better players for (much) less money.

Van de Beek is a waste of money, James and Telles are both harmless enough, I won't count Amad for now.

Overall, quite good.

 

[Skills]

Didn't lose much? So easy to spot your agenda... We gained £10m for feck sake.

Nice, you can bump him up to a 6 then. Almost pays for Ole's compensation tbh - should be one of the few good things he's done over the last 3 years.

 

[Robbie Boy]

130m on Maguire and AWB who could feasibly be cast aside by a new manager...

They have generally been ok, but ridiculously overrated on here.

 

[JB7]

Dan James gets a lot of hate for a player that was signed on the cheap, was on the pitch for most of our better performances during his time at the club and was sold for a £10m profit when it became apparent he wasn’t going to step up a level.

 

[RUCK4444]

I guess they are all rubbish eh? So why are people expecting us to challenge or sack him?

They are good players, recruitment has been improved under Ole, stop pretending it’s been terrible.

Take a glance at Moyes, LVG and Mourinho for comparison as a reference.

Imagine Ole overpaid for Fellaini or signed semi retired players like Schweinsteiger because he coached him once upon a time, or bought the likes of Dalot and Bailly.

We get it, it’s time for a new man to take us forward, what’s the point just trying to erode any positivity from his time here. It’s what kept him in a job.

 

[Skills]

130m on Maguire and AWB who could feasibly be cast aside by a new manager...

They have generally been ok, but ridiculously overrated on here.

AWB will be. He really has no use for a top club.

The thing is, naturally as the team gets older we need to solve other positions. I.e. midfield next summer (DM + Pogba Replacement), and the striker position will need a solution as well. These 'long term' signings Ole was making were meant to lock down positions for us years. Now there's a good chance a new manager will want a striker, 2 midfielders and also want to replace Ole's two long term marquee signings of his first summer. It's wild.

 

[RUCK4444]

Dan James gets a lot of hate for a player that was signed on the cheap, was on the pitch for most of our better performances during his time at the club and was sold for a £10m profit when it became apparent he wasn’t going to step up a level.

This. Dan James signing would have been hailed as ‘clever recruitment’ and great business if the likes of Chelsea had done the same and turned a £10m profit.

 

[Loony BoB]

James got a 7? That's just for a start. I take it you're an Ole Inner.

He was good at the time we bought him, he gave a lot of needed energy and worked hard for the team. Over time he was put to the wayside, and rightly sold. I guess I could call him a 6-7 rather than a straight 7. I don't think he was a mistake, he offered us something and it brought us some good success until James was found out by other teams.

I'm not really an "inner" or an "outer", I don't think he should be sacked but that doesn't mean I think that everything is fine, either. I just think that Ole needs to get better coaches and a very good DM (that has legs, sorry Matic, you're not the player you were). Ole himself as a manager, I'm fine with, and I don't want us to change unless there is an option I'm convinced will do better. Sometimes I wish we could have two managers instead of one, but that's what you have a coaching staff for and we need a better group of coaches. Yes, you can hire your ex-players to give them some learning, but they shouldn't be the ones leading the coaching like Carrick and McKenna are.

I just am not inclined to throw out the manager every time things go wrong. I'm a bit more particular, I suppose.

 

[UnofficialDevil]

Ole's blooded Greenwood but he needs to play as a number 9 .Yeah he's not been good at polishing potential. Sancho could be a great player for us but he needs to play on the right. He's no Koeman that's for sure

Again buying the most expensive winger in Europe though, anybody can do that when the club is willing to spend 70m on a winger after a covid season, there is no special recruiting talent needed to do that. What players has Ole recruited found or scouted that weren't already well known, very expensive players that have turned into something great? No one. Anybody can just go out and buy the best if they have the backing, no talent there.
Plus he has no idea how to properly use his expensive toys.

 

[Ixion]

Bruno and Cavani you can't argue with. The rest have yet to prove themselves in any meaningful way.

I also don't see a DM on that list so as many forwards as he's brought in he hasn't focused on squad balance which is why the next coach is going to have to bench like 4 of the attackers.

 

[JJ12]

Maguire is a 6/7. Anyone who thinks he should be replaced by Lindelof is having a laugh.

Maguire was thrown in unfit and as a result has been poor in recent weeks.

 

[Abraxas]

Pretty good, by and large.

However I wouldn't say there's been much thinking outside the box. They were relatively straight forward acquisitions in terms of scouting. That's not necessarily a criticism but the point is you couldn't really say our scouting has added value to players by getting somebody slightly off radar. Which in turn means we have paid an absolute fortune to get what we need.

The ones that are less certain haven't really made an impact yet in terms of the youngsters.

But overall it's hard to argue that most of them haven't improved the squad.

 

[Loony BoB]

So you're an inner. It's easy to see through you guys.

I guess if you're looking at it in black and white, sure, I'm happy to say I'm an "inner". I think if you look at everything in black and white you end up in a worse place in the long run.

 

[Rusholme Ruffian]

Sometimes I wish we could have two managers instead of one

Seriously? Just so we can cling on to a guy that has been hopelessly out of his depth ever since the day he walked in as manager? In all of the desperate clutching at straws for ways of not apportioning any blame to the manager this one stands out as something really quite special

 

[Shane88]

Bruno - Excellent. Has saved his job a dozen times over.

Maguire - Disastrous. One of the worst transfers in football history.

AWB - Good. Very solid right back, will get better going forward. He's only 23/24, relax.

Cavani - Good.

Sancho - Looking like another Kagawa, Schweinsteiger, Mkhitaryan Bundesliga bust. Hopefully a new coach unlocks him.

Van de Beek - A complete and utter shambles. Never given a proper chance. The guy has essentially wasted two years of his career here.

James - I liked James. His decision-making always lets him down but his work-rate was excellent and very important.

Telles - Shite. Nice goal against Villarreal though.

Ronaldo - I just don't think we can operate in the league with someone who ambles around up front. I was heart-eyed when we signed him. Post-nut clarity is saying this signing was a huge mistake and Cavani would've been a better option.

Varane - Too early to judge but we didn't look any more solid when he started games. Hoping a new coach tightens things up.

 

[Berbasbullet]

So you're an inner. It's easy to see through you guys.

Burn him! Burn the inner!

 

[SmallCaine]

I guess they are all rubbish eh? So why are people expecting us to challenge or sack him?

They are good players, recruitment has been improved under Ole, stop pretending it’s been terrible.

Take a glance at Moyes, LVG and Mourinho for comparison as a reference.

Imagine Ole overpaid for Fellaini or signed semi retired players like Schweinsteiger because he coached him once upon a time, or bought the likes of Dalot and Bailly.

We get it, it’s time for a new man to take us forward, what’s the point just trying to erode any positivity from his time here. It’s what kept him in a job.

Most are decent players on an individual level as a team though their skills aren't really complementary. Ole was supposed to build a team not just play fifa.

Maguire is a good defender but can't play a highline and ole has been unable to improve his positioning to cover for his lack of pace. Awb is a brilliant 1v1 defender but is unsuited to any form of possession based football and less said about his attacking contributions the better.

Sancho and vdb are again good players but ole doesn't seem to have a clue how to use them. Ronaldo requires a team that can compensate for his lack of workrate or defend the way Mourinho's teams did in their own half, we try to press while half the team seems unable to.

 

[Oldyella]

Oh, yeah, probably worth saying I'm not really factoring in cost when I consider their ratings. I am rating them based on their pitch value, not their economic value.

So we should disregard Maguire being the world's most expensive defender when judging him?

 

[pocco]

He was good at the time we bought him, he gave a lot of needed energy and worked hard for the team. Over time he was put to the wayside, and rightly sold. I guess I could call him a 6-7 rather than a straight 7. I don't think he was a mistake, he offered us something and it brought us some good success until James was found out by other teams.

I'm not really an "inner" or an "outer", I don't think he should be sacked but that doesn't mean I think that everything is fine, either. I just think that Ole needs to get better coaches and a very good DM (that has legs, sorry Matic, you're not the player you were). Ole himself as a manager, I'm fine with, and I don't want us to change unless there is an option I'm convinced will do better. Sometimes I wish we could have two managers instead of one, but that's what you have a coaching staff for and we need a better group of coaches. Yes, you can hire your ex-players to give them some learning, but they shouldn't be the ones leading the coaching like Carrick and McKenna are.

I just am not inclined to throw out the manager every time things go wrong. I'm a bit more particular, I suppose.

So you don't think there is an option that will do better?

I'm quite particular too. I want the very best because I think that's exactly what we should have, not ex Molde and Cardiff level managers.