We have some rotten luck

[jem]

Why does the OP think Sancho market value is still upwards of 100m in the pandemic?. Dortmund just did not want to sell and its hurting them pretty badly, it'll be a peak time for income if/when they do not make the Champions League money.

Also we only made big name signings during Mourinho and it didn't work out well for us, ADM, Bastian, Lukaku.. All came and went. Fact is Maguire and Bissaka offer excellent value for money because they do their job and do it well. They get exposed because of their team mates letting them and the whole side down. We need players who will fit into the team instead of going out for the media popular names..

Two of those were bought before José, and I don’t know you can argue the price paid for Maguire was good value.

 

[Wilt]

Ironically I feel we've ridden our luck massively this season

We had so much luck last season it was almost impressive.

 

[Teja]

I generally agree that the squad would've been in a better shape had it not been for COVID. Just ignore the usual I hate the board / I hate Ole posters - they just have agendas and no reason / data.

The real question is if a changed squad + Ole would've gone on a title run this year and I think the answer is no. Presumably whatever modifications we'd have made last summer, we'll make this summer, so our transfers have effectively been moved by a year. Do you think we'll be any closer to the title next year? If anything, I think Pool will be firing again and City will be up there so the best we can hope for is 3rd.

 

[Fluctuation0161]

We've been two or three players away every year since 2013. In 2025 we'll still be two or three players away. It's not bad luck - our model is one of perpetual, but financially lucrative, mediocrity. Top 4 finishes and a quiet life - that's all that's required.

After LVG we were much more than 2-3 players away!

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

You make your own luck. Our owners are the Glazers, our chairman is Ed Woodward & our manager is OGS. It’s not bad luck, we have the wrong people in charge of every area of our club. Covid happened to everyone not just us.

 

[Gazza]

I generally agree that the squad would've been in a better shape had it not been for COVID. Just ignore the usual I hate the board / I hate Ole posters - they just have agendas and no reason / data.

The real question is if a changed squad + Ole would've gone on a title run this year and I think the answer is no. Presumably whatever modifications we'd have made last summer, we'll make this summer, so our transfers have effectively been moved by a year. Do you think we'll be any closer to the title next year? If anything, I think Pool will be firing again and City will be up there so the best we can hope for is 3rd.

I must say, that's impressive reasoning and comprehensive data you have shown there, clearly singling you out as a cut above the rest of those agenda posters.

 

[Crashoutcassius]

It's true that it's a tough time to rebuild and better time to be established

 

[Teja]

I must say, that's impressive reasoning and comprehensive data you have shown there, clearly singling you out as a cut above the rest of those agenda posters.

I have many posts elsewhere - feel free to argue there (or here, upto you). My overall points are:

- Glazer ownership has overall been bad because of debt payments + dividend payments which could've been used to improve the club / squad.

- Transfers have been shit because key execs (Gill and co) + SAF left and took a lot of expertise out of the club.

- Woody and co have stumbled around a bit ("one Neymar a season", Falcao, AdM, DDG contract etc.) and have made some really shit transfers but have gotten a lot better and have learned some tough lessons. Removing them and getting new guys in (either just Woody or Woody + entire top leadership at the club) is not going to solve anything and is only going to set us back. Confusing current club leadership w/ Glazer ownership is, I think a common mistake and anger about these issues needs to be appropriately directed.

- Ole is a decent manager, but we have a sufficiently large sample size to say he can get us ~2 points a game on average with the current squad. If we let him continue to rebuild I think the most we can hope for is a slight improvement on that but we won't contend with Pep / Klopp. However getting us top four reliably while moving the squad in the right direction is an underrated ability and I think Ole is a good coach to have for this season.

And yes, I do believe my opinions are more nuanced than just the people who yell Ole out at every opportunity and run an agenda against the club / manager.

 

[VidaRed]

Don't behave like scousers.

 

[always_hoping]

Wouldn't be using covid as an excuse as I don't believe any of those transfers would be done if things was normal.

The only rotten luck is to have leeches for owners. If United had owners with ambition to win trophies they certainly wouldn't have someone as incompetent as Woodward over the transfers and players contracts.

 

[SirMarcusRashford]

It's easy to see things in hindsight. Thing is though, Jose/Falcao/Di Maria/Van Gaal/Lukaku/Schweinsteiger all looked good signings for us (at the time), all turned out to be a disaster.

Wost thing United did (post Fergie) was appoint Moyes, that was probably the appointment that put us back a few years and not signing Haaland, £20m he was available for, should have bent over backwards to get him here for that price.

 

[Andycoleno9]

Is Sancho really worth 120 mil? If no covid situation; 150mil? Maybe we saved money there. Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows?
We nearly signed Dembele. (To play PS with Jones while they are both injured)
We nearly signed Longstaff (no Bruno?)
We nearly signed King (no Cavani)
We nearly sold Pogba (which would be a huge mistake).
We nearly signed Brooks


It goes in both ways....

 

[Hughie77]

It's been the same for every team every sport with The Pandemic, I'm glad we didn't fork out £100 million for Sancho, we could get him for a fraction this summer, hope so, and another CB with Quality. Hopefully fans can get back into grounds by start of Next season at least get some Cash in then go for transfers again in Jan. Or just borrow which they could and will do anyway, and buy all what's needed in the summer as prices will be lower. Then our luck would have changed ?