What would the '99 transfer window have looked like if we'd lost the final?

AFIABM

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After finally winning the European Cup again in 99, and picking up the treble along the way, it was exciting to think how we were going to cement our position as the top team in Europe that summer.

Instead it was an extremely underwhelming window - GK replacements, a young Silvestre and a squad player in Fortune.

But what would have happened instead if we'd lost the final (as nearly happened) and Fergie found himself still pursuing his first CL trophy?

Would he have shown his ruthless streak and looked to upgrade ASAP on some established first team players instead? If so, which positions/players would have been under threat?
 
There was no such thing as transfer windows in 99/00

Can’t remember when they started, maybe 2 or 3 years later?
 
Fergie put in his resignation the summer before, because he felt disrespected by the board. If he lost that final, there's a good chance he'd have walked. Winning the Champions League was an obsession for him. Winning it cemented him, and his goal was to win it again with United. But I truly dont know if we'd have lost that final if Edwards and Ferguson would have lasted the week. To Fergie, Edwards thinking he could say anything to him was like if one of us tried to tell him what to do. He fecked hated him.
 
I'm not sure much would have changed in terms of the squad. I actually wonder how much money we had to play with in the summer of 99'. We spent quite a bit (for us) the previous summer when we've only actually budgeted for Stam and Blomqvist, and were able to get Yorke by signing him late and using next year's budget.

That's might explain why we've spent almost no money that summer, getting Bosnich for free and Fortune for peanuts, then going late for Taibi when Bosnich was injured and Silvestre as both Johnsen and Brown were fecked.
 
We should've strengthened the defence those next two summers. Top class CB partner for Stam, given Johnsen's injuries. Barthez the only addition of note the following summer too, IIRC.
 
Win or lose the 99 Final they still needed to shore up a few spots, namely in defense with the likes of Berg, Johnsen, and May consistently missing time with injuries. And the keeper search - SAF had stated Edwards went for Bosnich whereas he had a handful targeted all of which would have cost some quid. As stated above, they may have blown a significant portion of the 1999 kitty on Yorke in August 1998, such was life under board+shareholders wanting their share of profit payouts.

Bosnich was the lone "true" summer signing, on a free transfer of course, the rest were late panic buys before and after the window closed. The latter three were injury-forced signings: Fortune for Blomqvist; Silvestre for Brown, Johnsen and May; and Taibi for Bosnich. The one late panic buy that should have went through was Naybet but was put off over his passport/work permit problem and supposed medical staff concerns. That led to signing Silvestre a couple weeks later. Naybet-Stam would have been solid and possibly got United back to a CL final or two, surely his permit issues would have been resolved in short time.

The following year they signed Barthez in May and a couple youth players from other clubs, spending peanuts compared to other clubs. Of course they had signed Ruud for 18.5m in the spring for a summer window move but was later cancelled after his injury and Sheringham was resigned for one year. But they probably should have spent a little more to shore up areas of concern, like in defense following a horrendous CL exit in the QFs and more injury bugs.
 
It was definitely at CB that was the weak point…..saying that we still won 2 more league titles. Sol Campbell was linked and next to Stam would have been mental. Probably underrated because he’s a bit cringe now.

Other than that, wings with Giggs/Beckham as starters were never getting replaced but someone that could cover both would have been another one
 
From memory, win or lose, it was really only the goalkeeper that needed most attention with Schmeichel leaving. Bosnich wasn’t too bad as a signing but he wasn’t wowing.

Centre back partner for Stam I’d agree with too. Johnsen was decent enough but was surrounded by far more talented players and probably protected him from being too exposed, especially with your partner is Stam, Schmeichel is behind you and Keane is in front of you and there’s an attacking unit that scored for fun.

I wished we went for Ginola especially when in hindsight Blomqvist was completely fecked. Ginola was just an all round good player who would have provided competition to a then somewhat inconsistent Giggs who was transitioning from left winger to left midfielder.
 
Reditus said:
There was no such thing as transfer windows in 99/00

Can’t remember when they started, maybe 2 or 3 years later?
Click to expand...
I was born in 1999 so too young to remember, but I’m pretty sure it started sometime around about that.

We need to bring that back.
 
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