22 Oct 2017 09:27:26
Our world is not at an end because we lost a game in October. Nearly every team has a bad patch and our level dropped after the international break, however it is how you react to it that matters and maybe it will bring the focus back, it is going to be needed in the coming games.

There are injuries to contend with but the players available are definitely good enough to beat Huddersfield, there are no excuses for their lack of focus yesterday. Remember, all is not lost, it is October and a team that puts a run together post Christmas has every chance, even though I expect us to finish top 3, possibly second, rather than win it.

Everything is not rosy, mind you. There are continuing concerns for me on what the club aims and goals are, especially compared to that other mob in Stockport. Jose made it very clear he wanted a wide attacking player, yet the club didn't deliver one, Woodward is accountable for that. I suspect Jose may have wanted a full back as well given our situation. We needed goals and threat from the right side, yet why was this not secured, why was our manager not supported?

I think the answer may be in the aims and goals for the club. Compare and contrast with City; they seem to have an aim to be the best in Europe, facilities, team, youth everything. I look at my beloved club and see corporate goals, turnover, increase the value of the brand, make money, make more money, asset value, share value. An Accountant runs the club, it seems our goal is to ensure the owners maximise their asset. Where is our ambition to be the best? I think that is rankling with Jose, he has to send a team out with players who wouldn't get in City, Chelsea or Spurs teams, yet the Accountants will be happy and that my friends is where we have a big problem.


1.) 22 Oct 2017
22 Oct 2017 10:05:17
Agree with a lot of that Red Man - but Jose has been more than backed. He has spent a fortune on players, over-paid for many and frankly our U23's would give Huddersfield a good game (if Jose wasn't managing them) .

Jose is like a kid at Xmas who is annoyed with his parents because he got an XBox, PS5, Iphone, but they forgot to buy him a remote control car it was the worst Xmas ever for that kid, as he bitches and moans to his best friend who happens to have been given a lump of coal. There is a reason he leaves clubs after a few years, he is an ingrate and will always look to insure himself by making claims he wasn't full supported - just like LVG did and many others. For the money he is on he should be delivering with 0 in the transfer budget.


2.) 22 Oct 2017
22 Oct 2017 10:24:04
Hard to blame the owners redman we have spent well over half a billion since fergie left which is more than Madrid or Barcelona or Munich . We don't have bad players but we have very few great ones . The money spent would equate to more than 50 million for every position and when u consider de gea smalling Jones and Valencia were already there and rashford and lindgard didn't cost anything then it indicates we haven't done great business compared to others . Left back and right side attack are still needing to be addressed and the midfield drops a few levels without pogba. De gea and pogba are our class acts, Bailly Valencia and matic are good players, rash martial and lukaku lots of potential but how many others would people be gutted if they were sold or replaced. The others aren't bad players but I'd question top draw.


3.) 22 Oct 2017
22 Oct 2017 11:02:44
If I'm honest you have one great player in de gea, a few good ones but in reality bar him who else would get into city/ Real Madrid/ Barca team? Don't take this as a slating I'm offering legitimate debate, united teams of old have always had more than one great players, the arguement wasn't 'who'd get in city's team' it was 'who would get into the united team'. At the minute I could safely say Coutinho/ mane/ salah maybe firmino and can would make it into the united team, if lindelof gets a game I'd say lovren too 😂. You have followed what Liverpool did for so long, throw money at the squad to compete but ended out over paying for poorer players. Since fergie left how many signings have really been quality? I appreciate not every signing can be a success but whether it's a scouting issue or what I don't know, maybe throwing tonnes of money at young fellas makes them lose their drive but either way when ibra is back your three best players are your goalie, a young lad in rashford and a 30 odd year old fella in ibra. Top 4 is still wide open I think we'll beat spurs today (we seem to be their bogey team) but I'd say city will win the league comfortably, for the chasing teams it's a case of secure CL football and try buy the final piece again next year. That seems to be the case far too often of late.


4.) 22 Oct 2017
22 Oct 2017 11:18:33
John Barnes,

If you had been posting all season when we had been doing well I would respect posts a lot more than someone coming on telling us how bad we are because we lost one game while missing some very important players. We are missing Bailly and Pogba massively.


5.) 22 Oct 2017
22 Oct 2017 11:45:11
Firmino, Can and Lovren would get into our team you say. Give over don't be silly.
We under performed massively yesterday obviously. Could well be the kick up the backside we needed. Add to that the return of Pogba and our form will again improve.
Then again you will disappear to whatever hole you came from.

{Ed025's Note - im with you will, them 3 have been poor this season although can has potential i suppose..


6.) 22 Oct 2017
22 Oct 2017 13:15:15
RedMan. Exactly what I've been saying. Problem is we're stuck with the owners and Woodward and their systems. The club has improved financially under their stewardship but they have held us back massively on the footballing side.
It really rankles on me when people say we've spent half a billion quid in five years. But they don't say, we've recouped £300 million in player sales. They don't say the club has earned over £1.5 billion from tv and commercial rights during this period.
So the nett amount of money spent is pitiful in comparison to what the club has earned.


7.) 22 Oct 2017
22 Oct 2017 13:19:24
I haven't posted much for a long while.
Can't understand a lot of what's been posted, and abysmal live chat. Team needed support not lambasting.
Get real, yesterday was a matter of two (very unfortunate ) mistakes, not meltdown. Stuff happens - get over it.


8.) 22 Oct 2017
22 Oct 2017 13:22:04
Guys, I think we're being a bit sensitive here. JBLP is a decent poster, who I've always found to be pretty fair-minded for a Scouse fan. Don't think his post deserves that sort of response. Save your opprobrium for idiots like Mighty Reds.


9.) 22 Oct 2017
22 Oct 2017 13:56:24
Shmid if I bought a house for half a billion quid I'd want it to be a good one, it duznt matter what I sold or what my income is . Same as a football team if u spend half a billion it's irrelevant what u recouped or what yr income is, half a billion is way more than clubs round Europe who have a way better teams than we do have spent . Lack of buying the right players I get but lack of investment in the team I don't get. If I give u money for a Chinese takeaway don't blame me if u don't like what u order. Owners don't pick the players they provide the money and they have provided more than most .


10.) 22 Oct 2017
22 Oct 2017 16:04:42
Slate

Take a look what the owners have done before defending them, have a look at the debt and how much has gone out of the club. There was a chronic lack of serious investment for years, SAF relied upon players on board prior to the arrival of the owners and towards the end didn’t spend what was needed to ensure a smooth handover. When Ronaldo was sold the money ensured we didn’t make a loss. Recently it has been panic because reality hit them, yet this last summer the manager clearly wanted a player and they did nothing, it is indefensible.

What have they spent on the ground? Whilst our rivals have improved built new grounds we sat still. There seems no desire to make us the best on the pitch but the best priced asset.


11.) 22 Oct 2017
22 Oct 2017 17:05:34
I don't defend them as owners redman buying the club on debt was a disgrace, I don't argue one bit no stadium upgrades have been made and I'm no lover of theirs, but my point was massive investment in the actual team has been made in recent years and we should have a better team than we do for the sums we have spent . I doubt they had any involvement in what players we bought . Only Chelsea and city in the world have been on a level playing field with us in recent years for transfer investment with Paris now joining this group recently . there are a fair few sides in Europe better than us with way less investment, maybe we could have spent even more on players but that duznt change the fact we haven't spent as well as others . I have no clue how we actually value players or if the manager has any input into what he feels is to expensive and not worth the fee involved.