08 Aug 2019 17:41:12
I may he wrong but I could have sworn we were runners up in 2018. Lastvyeara was a car crash for food variety of reasons but which year properly represents us?

On the plus side we have addressed 2 problem positions with quality players and we are (hopefully) bringing our most talented youngsters through. James, Greenwood, Gomes, Chong, and to a lesser degree Garner all look very talented.

McTominay pooks like he is co tinuing to develop, hopefully DDG signs a new deal, Rashford has signed up, all. of which is very positive.

The jury is out on Ole as a Manager, and Fred as player so we shall see.

The negatives are the continuing uncertainty over PP, the enigma that is Pogba, and the likely lack of midfield options.

But if we think back to Ole's start and the quality we have added, why can't we compete? Everyone says he had an easy start but it included away wins at Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, and PSG. The team can play when they choose to. We don't know if it was fitness, attitude, or something else but we have a fresh start, with some fresh faces, and a great pre season.

We didn't sign a CM, it is what it is. Onwards and upwards, top 3 for me.

1.) 08 Aug 2019
08 Aug 2019 17:57:10
The bit ‘car crash for food’

My immediate thought was, a game show for poor dreamt up by Boris Johnson.

2.) 08 Aug 2019
08 Aug 2019 18:06:48
Fot fungers.

3.) 08 Aug 2019
08 Aug 2019 18:08:30
Ajh. Easy away wins?
Psg battered us. Sours battered us. Sure we win but easy?
I too think we can be 15 pints better off than last season but let's not kid ourselves.
Awb less than 50 epl games
Lindelof less than 50 epl games
Mc tom less than 50 epl games
James none
Neither martial or rash have played 50 games as a cf
Periera less than 10 epl games
Fred less than 20


Ole has a tough task. We have a decent 1st 11.
Take pogs out who will create?
1 injury up front and we are into teenagers.
I really hope ole's faith in some of the players he is trusting pays off.

Now suddenly finishing 2nd is heralded. Remember how we played to get there? The club have finished outside the top 4 four times in 6 years. That tells you 2nd was a miracle and last year was more like the norm for last 6 years.
Huge challenge for ole. He has his plan we have to back it. let's hope he can get them playing well let's hope he has luck let's hope we get no injuries.
Im looking forward to seeing how ole rises to the challenge. I can't wait to see how he goes about it.
Jose did get them 2nd one of his greatest achievements as a manager according to himself.
On our day we have a team that can beat anybody. But sadly in a league there are 38 not just 1.

4.) 08 Aug 2019
08 Aug 2019 18:18:29
Based on our last games and the areas we fail to address, I guess top 5 for me.
Hope to be wrong, but City, Liverpool, Spurs and even Arsenal (who's at least regular in their position 4th in the last decade) are in a better position.

Upfront Rashford and Martial need 10 chances to score a goal.
Lets see.

5.) 08 Aug 2019
08 Aug 2019 18:25:17
Ken I said others said he had an easy run, those away games were tough, but we won them all.

I don't think last year was the norm, we shall see.

I do know we will be fitter, work harder, and hopefully give youth its head. If we start poorly it will be interesting to see if Ole holds his nerve this time.

6.) 08 Aug 2019
08 Aug 2019 18:27:37
Ken, too much realism in there mate.

I hope hope hope our young lads can step up big time because that was a rubbish show of a window. Weve been rebuilding for years now.

Yes we finished second in 2018 but we are miles away from that at present.

What this window shows us is that Oles words were merely hot hair and we have an incompetent transfer team.

I am very worried about the season ahead.

7.) 08 Aug 2019
08 Aug 2019 19:26:16
Angel we have made 3 good signings. I have to say i'm really positive about that. Our defence has a more solid look about it i think tuanzebe and dalot will also make a big difference.
Shaw and young are decent options on the left.
Awb and maguire will make a huge difference over the duration of the season.
James has pace that can expose the best of defenders and he will be a very ppsitive option and looks like he will improve game by game.

This is my take on things.

So 2 key areas addressed and a high potential "wildcard" at a cost of 150m
So that's the fairly substantial summer budget gone.

Ddg no big money offered and a renewal is on the cards. Big tick from me.

Then the club have a choice.

2 top players want out.
Do they sell and rebuild with the income?
Add rojo darmian and jones to those 2 pogba and lukaku and get a combined 200m. Essentially that would have been enough to secure a rw and 2 by cm of the highest calibre. Be that potential or a top player. Yes we have no cl but with that budget we could have blown all competion away financially.

But ole wanted pogba to stay so with the way the market is we couldn't adress positions after a spend of 130m on maguire and awb that they probably budgeted about 80to90m for.
So that over spend and the tardy negotiations for lukaku left no money in the pot.
Plans were made for the exit of pogba. I know that from what i was told. Ed002 has also said as much but the club asked stupid money and priced him out of a deal.
If we had lukaku out last week a new cm player would have come in.
So that is the only player ole wanted but didn't get.

So the window went nearly as planned from ole's point of view just missing out on a midfielder.

But you are right. The club have jerked around with their peers with players and agents. Not been professional and have garnered a bad reputation which will only be shifted when woodward steps aside. A string of broken promises and payments made to agents for deals that never happened. You can only compare the recruitment side of the company with a cb pairing of jones and Rojo and that is hopeless.

But ole and the club made their choice. They have backed the slower route which may well be the prudent thing to do in the long term. It won't suit everybody but in the current market a slow rebuild is best at 50 or 60m a pop you can't afford too many mistakes.
The slow route can be accelerated if we finish top4 and win a cup. Tjats the best we can hope for.

Its never black or white mate. Its disappointing not to have got tje midfielder but the lukaku thing dragged on.
Other than that ole will be delighted i'd say.
Best of luck to him. let's hope the golden child delivers and the new boys settle in.
Lets hope those that need to improve improve enough.
Really looking forward to seeing how ole pulls it all together.
A hot start is essential and possible.