Would no money spent in January indicate Poch in the summer?

[TheReligion]

Plenty of talk about why United haven't spent any money given the injuries and clear need for reinforcements in the midfield. That, along with the fact we are still in all cup competitions, doesn't bode well for the seasons finish.

The above, along with the rumours around Poch, to me indicate the reluctance to spend now may well lead to a change in management at the end of the season. It was similar with Mourinho.

The frustration here is a DoF would have made the above mute as it gives continued stability irrespective of changes in leadership. That said we are where we are so would you accept no meaningful business this window if it points towards the rebuild continuing and Ole departing for Poch in the summer?

 

[Raw]

I can see that possibility. Why buy players for Solskjaer when you can just save money for Poch in the summer to get who he wants? I feel like we'd hear a bit more about it though.

Though honestly I think it indicates more that those in charge are being useless as always.

 

[TheReligion]

I can see that possibility. Why buy players for Solskjaer when you can just save money for Poch in the summer to get who he wants? I feel like we'd hear a bit more about it though.

Though honestly I think it indicates more that those in charge are being useless as always.

I've read a bit about Poch wanting to come in the summer recently and making certain requests regarding control etc. There's also murmers of discontent again with Ole's future and when you take all these things together I feel they start to add up.

If the Glazers have intervened with the Bruno transfer as reported it would add more fuel to the fire. That said I wouldn't be surprised if Ole was due to go in the summer anyway with the plan never to spend in January for this reason. The injuries have perhaps made Ole want to spend but the board may be holding firm to the plan.

 

[Negative Red]

Wasn't Fernandes a Poch target for Tottenham though? If he's a player that Poch fancies, it's a win-win scenario to bring him in at least. Getting rid of the dead wood and not replacing it is just strange. It's pretty much writing off the season if they're happy to stick with what they have until the Summer. Crazyness.

 

[thesheriffjw]

Id be more worried about who ole is trying to get on loan.

Oghalo and slimani!!!

How the mighty have fallen

 

[Pexbo]

I know I keep repeating this but I think no money spent in January is an indication that we have learnt from previous mistakes and are sticking to our targets.

Logic suggests that in 1 or 2 years time, we will be much better off if we stick to our guns and purchase a player we have identified as the right player for us rather than panic buying and being stuck with a squad player on high wages.

 

[Negative Red]

I know I keep repeating this but I think no money spent in January is an indication that we have learnt from previous mistakes and are sticking to our targets.

Logic suggests that in 1 or 2 years time, we will be much better off if we stick to our guns and purchase a player we have identified as the right player for us rather than panic buying and being stuck with a squad player on high wages.

I suppose that would be fair enough if that was the case and maybe you're right. But Solskjaer has said that the squad is stretched and that they are looking at bringing a couple of players in (for the right price).

 

[always_hoping]

No money spent proves how incompetent Woodward and the Glazers remain. Let's be honest Poch would need to be fairly desperate to join this mess next summer.

 

[The_Midfielder]

No money means we are crap.. we dont hwve money.. Why don't you buy a player that stays for years then..

 

[matys]

Could be one of the reasons, another one might be that people in charge of buying new players are fecking useless at their job and we don't know who we want to sign. The only player we really seem to be after is this Fernandes guy and it doesn't look like we're getting closer to bringing him in. I doubt Ed and co are working wonders behind the scenes and they'll shock everybody with unexpected signing.

 

[iKeano]

No. It indicates owners that dont care about anything other than profit.
It indicates the dire straits our club is in.
It indicates another phase of 'waiting' & hoping things get better, sticking with an out-of-depth manager just because.

If the club had ambition, they'd get Poch now & buy his players now. This idea of waiting is a joke, we've been waiting for 6 years.

 

[VeevaVee]

Who knows? But if it was gonna happen surely they could ask him who he likes out of the current targets?

 

[Nou_Camp99]

It may very well mean that, yes. However the optimist in me is hoping it's because they are looking to sell up. No doubt I will be disappointed again.

 

[Pexbo]

I suppose that would be fair enough if that was the case and maybe you're right. But Solskjaer has said that the squad is stretched and that they are looking at bringing a couple of players in (for the right price).

He’s also said that they have their targets and are prepared to wait until summer.

The club clearly don’t want to bloat the squad with just anyone. When you think of the moaning we’ve had about our dead wood players on big contracts you’d think people would understand us trying not to get back to the same state.

 

[Withnail]

It'll indicate the Glazers don't give a flying feck what happens in the league.

They'll reduce the transfer kitty in the Summer and take their 20m anyway.

 

[Negative Red]

The club clearly don’t want to bloat the squad with just anyone. When you think of the moaning we’ve had about our dead wood players on big contracts you’d think people would understand us trying not to get back to the same state.

I appreciate that totally and that's the last thing I'd want. It seems lowering the wage bill was high on the agenda when hiring Solskjaer, as fans will give him more patience. To be fair he's done a decent job in that regard so far.

I'd like to think then that our list of targets would be players that wouldn't demand such a high wage. So picking a couple of players from that list (whether they're right at the top of the list or not) is pretty much essential right now.

 

[do.ob]

The club seemed more than happy to commit to Haaland and B. Fernandes.

Top 4 is still within reach, given that the team actually does relatively well against bigger opposition there is reason to be a bit optimistic in the EL. So there's plenty to play for still.

I don't think you can just write off the season like that. And if Poch is truely locked in for next summer, what's stopping the club from asking his opinion on potential signings?

He’s also said that they have their targets and are prepared to wait until summer.

The club clearly don’t want to bloat the squad with just anyone. When you think of the moaning we’ve had about our dead wood players on big contracts you’d think people would understand us trying not to get back to the same state.

Haaland, Olmo, Odriozola, Palacios, Weigl, Lobotka, Demme, Minamino, Todibo, Reinier, Kulusevski, Tousart and perhaps Can, Younes, Lazaro, Christensen and Costa to follow. I'm not saying every one of those players would have been a viable target for United, but there is a ton of business at reasonable prices (about to) being done this window and when you have such gaping holes in your squad as United you can even afford those signings to end up as squad players.

 

[norm87cro]

It really doesn't matter who the manager is by the summer. The club's mentality should be competing for the best possible players in the market not wait for a manager to impose his ideas while our season goes to shite. For example buying Bruno, Madison and prehaps a striker is certainly not going to discourage a potential new manager even if he doesn't see some of those names as first team choices. We didn't improve our squad in the summer and the Lukaku money was used for Maguire

 

[hobbers]

Don't know about Poch but it certainly indicates a total lack of faith in Ole.

 

[Van Piorsing]

United's board and CEO are probably jaded after Sanchez deal and perhaps even think we can't find quality in January. Every excuse not to address the glaring issues can buy Ole, Ed and Glazers lot more time. This can go many places and there's possibility Poch is not in this equation in the slightest.

Once again we dispose the squad of players, this time is Young and will demand from inexperienced ones like Williams and Dalot more than we should.

At some point I think it's the club's habit to be slow and lazy on the market, letting Herrera go for nothing is a textbook sign of not even looking in player's contract and analysing his value in money and work on the pitch.

If Poch is about to become our new manager he can be in for a rude awakening when it comes to fluidity of building any good football team whatsoever.

 

[Pexbo]

The club seemed more than happy to commit to Haaland and B. Fernandes.

Top 4 is still within reach, given that the team actually does relatively well against bigger opposition there is reason to be a bit optimistic in the EL. So there's plenty to play for still.

I don't think you can just write off the season like that. And if Poch is truely locked in for next summer, what's stopping the club from asking his opinion on potential signings?




Haaland, Olmo, Odriozola, Palacios, Weigl, Lobotka, Demme, Minamino, Todibo, Reinier, Kulusevski, Tousart and perhaps Can, Younes, Lazaro, Christensen and Costa to follow. There is a ton of business at reasonable prices (about to) being done this window and when you have such gaping holes in your squad as United you can even afford those signings to end up as squad players.

The club tried to get Haaland but were beaten to his signature by Dortmund.

The club is quite clearly not happy to commit to Fernandes as anything other than a squad player for squad player price.
Listing a bunch of players who in your opinion would be good business is completely pointless and most of them are completely average players who would quickly go the same way as the likes of Darmian or Rojo into squad depth obscurity.


It's precisely the point. We're not interested in bringing in numbers for numbers sake. We want to use our money to increase the quality of our squad considerably. Fernandes might give us a little bit of an edge on our fellow midtable sides but he's not going to elevate us into the Top 4 and beyond.

Why spend £60m+ on Fernandes when we can wait til summer, put £20m+ on top of it and be fishing in a completely different pond.

 

[Ødegaard]

No. It would indicate that the owners didn't want to spend money.

 

[noodlehair]

Can we just ban people from constantly going on about Pochettino in the United forum?

It's making this place completely tedious and somehow miles more idiotic than it usually is.

 

[Alabaster Codify7]

I can see why some might think this, but I think the most realistic situation is that it indicates the board are hoping Ole makes 4th with no money in this window. If he fails, they'll fire him to boost the club's profile and get some positivity when a new manager comes in. The new boss will then get a warchest.

The warchest = selling Pogba for £120m and giving the new boss £70-80m of that to sign 1 x biggish name and 2 x kids.

 

[GiddyUp]

No money spent proves how incompetent Woodward and the Glazers remain. Let's be honest Poch would need to be fairly desperate to join this mess next summer.

Not desperate. This would be a natural step up for him in terms of club. He's probably learned a lot from dealing with Levy and will use that to make demands on United so he can do his thing. I like Ole, was very excited when he signed but its rolling off a cliff right now and no fecking way is he the guy to roll us back up the hill.

 

[AshRK]

It would indicate our board is inept in doing their job and are just successfully fooling us fans.

 

[GiddyUp]

The club tried to get Haaland but were beaten to his signature by Dortmund.

The club is quite clearly not happy to commit to Fernandes as anything other than a squad player for squad player price.
Listing a bunch of players who in your opinion would be good business is completely pointless and most of them are completely average players who would quickly go the same way as the likes of Darmian or Rojo into squad depth obscurity.


It's precisely the point. We're not interested in bringing in numbers for numbers sake. We want to use our money to increase the quality of our squad considerably. Fernandes might give us a little bit of an edge on our fellow midtable sides but he's not going to elevate us into the Top 4 and beyond.

Why spend £60m+ on Fernandes when we can wait til summer, put £20m+ on top of it and be fishing in a completely different pond.

I think he would be perfect for us right now. If Joao Felix was putting up numbers like that Woodward would be spunking Coutinho money on him. We need options and the price tag was very manageable.

 

[Adisa]

Doesn't indicate anything

 

[Tom Cato]

Plenty of talk about why United haven't spent any money given the injuries and clear need for reinforcements in the midfield. That, along with the fact we are still in all cup competitions, doesn't bode well for the seasons finish.

The above, along with the rumours around Poch, to me indicate the reluctance to spend now may well lead to a change in management at the end of the season. It was similar with Mourinho.

The frustration here is a DoF would have made the above mute as it gives continued stability irrespective of changes in leadership. That said we are where we are so would you accept no meaningful business this window if it points towards the rebuild continuing and Ole departing for Poch in the summer?

Considering that we have made 2 concrete bids for players this transfer window and tried our very darndest to sign a third (Haaland), my opinion of this is: No.

 

[DBT85]

No.

It would indicate ineptitude.

 

[SlimDizzle075]

Plenty of talk about why United haven't spent any money given the injuries and clear need for reinforcements in the midfield. That, along with the fact we are still in all cup competitions, doesn't bode well for the seasons finish.

The above, along with the rumours around Poch, to me indicate the reluctance to spend now may well lead to a change in management at the end of the season. It was similar with Mourinho.

The frustration here is a DoF would have made the above mute as it gives continued stability irrespective of changes in leadership. That said we are where we are so would you accept no meaningful business this window if it points towards the rebuild continuing and Ole departing for Poch in the summer?

no it would indicate that we have a completely aloof board who has given up on the possibility of us making top 4

 

[Pexbo]

I think he would be perfect for us right now. If Joao Felix was putting up numbers like that Woodward would be spunking Coutinho money on him. We need options and the price tag was very manageable.

They want £70m for him. How is that a manageable price tag for a player we clearly do not rate as a first choice midfielder long term?

 

[do.ob]

The club tried to get Haaland but were beaten to his signature by Dortmund.

The club is quite clearly not happy to commit to Fernandes as anything other than a squad player for squad player price.
Listing a bunch of players who in your opinion would be good business is completely pointless and most of them are completely average players who would quickly go the same way as the likes of Darmian or Rojo into squad depth obscurity.


It's precisely the point. We're not interested in bringing in numbers for numbers sake. We want to use our money to increase the quality of our squad considerably. Fernandes might give us a little bit of an edge on our fellow midtable sides but he's not going to elevate us into the Top 4 and beyond.

Why spend £60m+ on Fernandes when we can wait til summer, put £20m+ on top of it and be fishing in a completely different pond.

I clarified after you took the quote: I don't think each of those players is a viable signing for United, but there are clearly a lot of capable players out there and it seems silly to me to turn up your nose at the players who are available, just to end up watching more of e.g. Pereira and Mata, with Lingard as an impact sub.
And it's not like refusing to sign anyone is that financially prudent either. Sure, you don't run the risk of aquiring dead wood, but missing the CL doesn't exactly come for free either.

 

[Andersonson]

Doesnt make sense. Poch is free now, if we were in for him we wouldnt wait to sack Ole.

If Ole turns it around gets top 4 and wins a cup you couldnt sack him and Poch doesnt sit around waiting for United maybe sacking him.

Its either now while he's out of job or it wont happen

 

[Pexbo]

I clarified after you took the quote: I don't think each of those players is a viable signing for United, but there are clearly a lot of capable players out there and it seems silly to me to turn up your nose at the players who are available, just to end up watching more of e.g. Pereira and Mata, with Lingard as an impact sub.
And it's not like refusing to sign anyone is that financially prudent either. Sure, you don't run the risk of aquiring dead wood, but missing the CL doesn't exactly come for free either.

The point is that the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Settling for a player because he's the best available until the summer is pointless if that player takes 3 months to settle into the team and adjust to the league.

If we are signing a player now then it has to reflect our expectations of him. If we can sign Fernandes for under £50m then we can justify that as being as paying a January tax on a player who will be a squad player long term, upgrading the likes of Periera and Lingard. Paying £70m for him is just daft and will cause us problems long term.

Similarly, if one of our first choice targets were available now, then I'm sure we would consider paying £15m+ over the valuation to bring them in now because in 2 or 3 years time we still expect them to be first choice.


Bringing in any old player for £20m-£40m because they're on the market is a terrible idea full stop. I'd much rather see us use kids like Garner.

 

[Champagne Football]

I think the simple truth is that even the board have no idea yet if they'll stick with Ole or go with Poch in the summer.

Ole is overseeing a large rebuild, and in terms of who gets the boot and who gets developed, he's got it spot on so far, apart from keeping Pogba who should have been sold last summer.

The major worry is - 1. Are the players getting coached correctly? Mike Phelan's experience would suggest yes, but it's a case of just not having enough quality.

2. Do we run the risk of missing out on targets who won't fancy playing under a coach with no track record of improving teams? That's a real worry. Would Jadon Sancho say no to Ole but yes to Poch? It's very possible.

Theres no value in the January market, and Bruno is not worth what Sporting are demanding. High stats in Portugal means feck all these days. Ole needs to start praying that Pogba gets back soon to save his bacon, as Ole needs a miracle now to convince the fans and board that he's worth keeping beyond the summer.

 

[Massive Spanner]

I know I keep repeating this but I think no money spent in January is an indication that we have learnt from previous mistakes and are sticking to our targets.

Logic suggests that in 1 or 2 years time, we will be much better off if we stick to our guns and purchase a player we have identified as the right player for us rather than panic buying and being stuck with a squad player on high wages.

Yeah this is what I'd hope. We need to stop impulse buying in January when times are tough, it never works out well for us.

Ole is a dead man walking at this stage, there's no point giving him more money now, we're not getting top four or a trophy regardless.

 

[romufc]

Would Jadon Sancho say no to Ole but yes to Poch? It's very possible

Lets be honest at this point, it is not the manager who will get us players.

When you look at United and past 7 years, they have had big names without success.

He is possibly going to Chelsea, so why would he say yes to Lampard over Ole?

It will purely come down to the project and money.

 

[GiddyUp]

They want £70m for him. How is that a manageable price tag for a player we clearly do not rate as a first choice midfielder long term?

So the same amount on Maddison or Grealish is acceptable? What have these players done that Bruno hasn't to justify a massive spend? Being young and English doesn't guarantee success.
Pogba is probably gone this summer and if we don't get a new manager two of Mata/Lingard/Pereira will still be here so it would be prudent to get something done now. Its twice the price of a fat Luke Shaw, more then manageable for this club. Maybe it's because he puts some of the best numbers in Europe in the Portugese league and not scoring a half dozen goals for fecking Villa.

 

[do.ob]

The point is that the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Settling for a player because he's the best available until the summer is pointless if that player takes 3 months to settle into the team and adjust to the league.

If we are signing a player now then it has to reflect our expectations of him. If we can sign Fernandes for under £50m then we can justify that as being as paying a January tax on a player who will be a squad player long term, upgrading the likes of Periera and Lingard. Paying £70m for him is just daft and will cause us problems long term.

Similarly, if one of our first choice targets were available now, then I'm sure we would consider paying £15m+ over the valuation to bring them in now because in 2 or 3 years time we still expect them to be first choice.


Bringing in any old player for £20m-£40m because they're on the market is a terrible idea full stop. I'd much rather see us use kids like Garner.

I'm not saying the club should sign players for the sake of it. My point is that the squad is in such a dire shape in certain areas that I can't imagine that there aren't some useful signings out there.