30 Aug 2023 18:59:21
I'll be honest, haven't got a clue why we are so cash strapped, offering a loan fee of £2 mil that we pay in installments is a bit embarrassing tbh.
Maybe something to do with takeover?
Maybe all our terrible chickens have finally come home to roost?

I dunno, but it leaves you feeling a bit deflated .

1.) 30 Aug 2023
30 Aug 2023 21:06:03
It's beyond embarrassing, they should be sacked for making such an offer. Rather not buy anyone that embarrass the club with this shambles, it's utterly mind boggling that utd can operate at this level of unbelievable stupidity. I'm utterly embarrassed as a utd supporter of the way these idiots ate running a once proud football club.

2.) 30 Aug 2023
30 Aug 2023 21:10:03
Maybe it’s that we don’t want to commit to a player who may not be the answer we need and would rather wait until next summer to buy the midfielder Ten Haag really wants. Arambat may or may not be the answer we need and if we buy him outright this summer and he doesn’t fit in the team or adapt to the league then we’re stuck with a player in the squad who we won’t be able to move on easily. A loan option is good all things considered. In regards to paying it in instalments I would imagine that’s fairly standard practice when forking out large fees like that. We may consider 2 million to be “not much money” compared to some of the transfer fees we see these days but £2 million is still an enormous amount of money, and the club will have cash flow to consider.

3.) 30 Aug 2023
30 Aug 2023 21:24:22
I have no problem with loan or pay as you play or not even buying, it’s quite clear he thought Mount Cas and Bruno would be midfield, but realised pretty sharpish that’s foolish, so now rushing around for a DM which must mean the complete set up and plan got to change, that’s a worry, but still my main concern is goals, I honestly think that’s a huge problem
Surly if a important position such as DM Ten thought was necessary he would have addressed this early in pre season, probably before Mount, so it’s clearly a after thought, but throws up many problems, be interesting how he finds a solution.

4.) 30 Aug 2023
30 Aug 2023 21:39:51
My thoughts Trafford are that we had much preferred options and they either went elsewhere, were priced out of a move, or just not available for one reason or another. Look at how Liverpool had to patch their midfield up this season with 30 year old Endo, a relative unknown from a relegation threatened Bundesliga team. It’s clear the DM options we wanted this season were not available for one reason or another so we’ve turned to one of our lesser preferred options and hoping to get him to tide us over until next season when we can hopefully sign a DM that Ten Haag really thinks will fit his system. I seriously doubt that after seeing Sabitzer and Fred leave we would leave our midfield so short intentionally without even considering the fact that we hadn’t replaced them. The club and manager will of course have a plan but plans don’t always go to plan, and I think a loan move might be plan b or c until next season.

5.) 30 Aug 2023
30 Aug 2023 22:49:27
Stop talking absolute tosh JE888 i read all your apologetic bs all day on this page. The clubs an absolute shambles. Wake up and smell the coffee for fs.

We don’t make offers for players we don’t want and we sure as hell don’t make embarrassingly stupid offers to try and make it look like we want the player when we don’t.

6.) 30 Aug 2023
30 Aug 2023 23:23:30
Apparently we want Cucurella and Amrabat in cheap as possible as we plan on bringing in a permanent striker. I'm thinking that Brazilian? Leonardo?

7.) 30 Aug 2023
30 Aug 2023 23:29:53
Ahh ok you’re right Fzzz, the club never had a plan, the managers clueless and didn’t realise that not replacing Sabitzer and Fred was necessary, the clubs a shambles and no one knows what they’re doing and they just ring round clubs on the off chance someone might sell us a player. Happy now?

As for not making offers for players we don’t want, we did exactly that with Sabitzer and Weghorst last season. They were stop gaps until we could get the players we did want, now we’ve got Mount and Hojlund, but I suppose you were crying that we didn’t sign anyone last January too and demanding the club bought you the shiny new little toy you wanted, yet Ten Haag and the club were patient and opted for the players that would become available in the summer transfer window. Arambat is not the long term answer to our midfield. He had a decent World Cup but that’s it. I’ve got a feeling that he will be used as a backup/ rotational player for the season until Casemiro likely departs next season and then we opt to refresh the midfield. Grow up pal.

8.) 30 Aug 2023
30 Aug 2023 23:38:04
I don't think we have made an offer and this deal might get done. loan to buy obligation or a straight loan deal but higher loan fee.

9.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 06:42:24
Whether it’s ffp, money or outgoings this amrabat saga has been played out exactly how reliable journos said it would months ago .

10.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 06:53:04
Well if it's a ploy to make us look like a poor club, who can no longer pay out the large fees then bravo ?? but if we really can only offer these pathetic loan fees for the likes of these players then we really are in trouble.

11.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 07:12:15
Well, clubs always lowball us, and they lowball each other all the time, so I quite like this.

12.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 08:14:46
I am over from Oz where the feeling between us expat fans is pretty low and has been for some time. I was in my old local Stockport pub of United die hard fans the other night and the feeling is one of abject despondency. If this is just a sample of the wider audience then the club must be, and clearly are, clinically blind.

Despite yearly optimism it seems the club strives to drain every strain of hope!

Anyway I have a ticket to the Brighton game so I hope I am not disappointed!

13.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 09:05:08
JE888. I don’t care about any new shiny toys, i couldn’t give a monkeys what the name is on the back of the shirt as long as we win.

I didn’t aim any of my criticism at the manager whatsoever and think he is the right man. Its the club i take issue with. Its an absolute clusterfeck to be buying players this close to the end of the window in the manner we are again and again and again.

14.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 09:36:23
Have we though?

If you want to you can find media reports that say just about anything and everything about the club.

They all contradict eachother which just highlights that really only a few know what is going on and they don't tell the media.

Confirmation bias tends to lead us to reports that back up our personal views.

For example if you think the club is run poorly then any report that supports that view is automatically given more weight by you in your mind. While the ones that suggest they have done something well tend to be dismissed or even considered as cronies working for the club.

My feeling is that the club is run poorly, but I don't know it is. All I have is circumstantial evidence. The club haven't matched my ambitions or expectations of where I'd want us to be. Ergo they must being doing a poor job. In reality I have no idea who has made what decisions, the context in which they made the decision or whether it was an objectively good or poor decision.

In truth I'd imagine like any large organisation there are some people doing a great job, some doing average and some people doing a poor job overall. But even those doing a great job will make mistakes, while those doing a poor job will also make some great decisions.

It's too easy to fall into a reductive narrative where we try to fit everything into two polarising categories. Good/ bad, love/ hate, for/ against etc.

That's why I take all things in the media with a large pinch of salt. Mostly they are just written to get some kind of engagement without any real tangible information about what is really happening. While my own opinions and bias will encourage me to believe only the reports that support my preconceived ideas/ feelings. Both of which ultimately mean I get nothing of value from those reports. They are mostly lies and I choose which lies to believe.

I try and take a wait and see approach. Maybe the club is being run badly, but if it is or not makes no real difference to me. There is nothing I can do either way. Obviously I want it to be well run, but if it isn't then it isn't. Getting wound up, frustrated and angry about it just turns something that is supposed to bring joy and happiness into my life into something that is negative.

I try to pick out the positives, young players doing well, generally good results, when we perform well or when something seems to click etc. That way I still get to enjoy supporting the club rather than turning it into something that just weighs me down.

I remember something I was told a few years ago that has stuck with me, it's a little hippie sounding but it's completely true. Happiness is a choice, a choice about where you put your focus and your thoughts. If you thinking negatively, if you focus on the negatives then your mind and feelings will be drawn to those. Conversely if you look for the positives, focus on those then your mind and feelings will be equally positive. You are in control of your mind and you can choose where you focus and what you think. Choose the positive and you are choosing to be happy.

That's enough Woodstock for me I think?.

15.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 10:20:26
Shappy

Great post and no doubt and many united fan feels negative about how the club is ran. Add to that the daily news, shows and podcasters, who have a following with megaphone who rant about everything with a negative.

No target is ever good enough and the best is we are united we should be buying the best as if other clubs just sit there to deliver their best players on a plate to us and have zero ambitions themselves.

It creates a poor environment and doom and gloom sense if you let it get into your head.

A good example is what is going on atm. let's assume we get a bunch of stuff done outgoing and incoming that if you are neutral or positive minded person you can sit back and think we did a lot of what we wanted to do even though not ideal given the time frame but no one knows the details and why it takes time.

On the other side negative fanbase/ podcasters who no matter what will say the management is incompetent and useless because look at how close to the end of the window we got all this stuff done. Reality is all the clubs are doing this.

Look at city KDB got injured weeks ago and it took a player not showing up to training to get a deal done yesterday or today.

Shaw's injury is last week news and its not as simple as clicking a button and buying a replacement. Its normal stuff to go out and ask about players we rate as a short term loan.
Its also normal to get many rejections this late in the window for a quality Left back and not get murdered financially by opportunistic counter parties.

Whilst we are going through the search all you read or hear is the targets are no good/ rejects and how the club and management is incompetent/ a joke for not getting a deal done. The idea that all we are looking for is a player to fill in for 8/ 10 games that makes sense financially is completely lost on people. its a repetitive cycle and a mind set.

Lets hope the next 48 hours are a good outcome from the teams perspective and glad the window will be shut.

16.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 12:59:54
Completely agree Shappy, and that’s the mentality I try to have. Look for the positives and you will find them, if you only ever look for the negatives you will just become miserable. Supporting a football club is supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to be enjoyment not a constant weight around your neck. I think far to many football fans in general these days are far too entitled and I’m not just talking about United fans here. If a club doesn’t win every game or goes through a dip in form the ‘fans’ start slating everyone from the owners to the players and everyone in between. Football is about winning yes, but it’s also about enjoying the game for what it is. Win lose or draw I’ve always tried to look for the positives and support the club, manager and players. Personally I’ve been disgusted at the way some of our fans have treated our own managers and players over the last few years. Maguire for one has had to deal with unwarranted levels of actual abuse. This has gone beyond criticism and turned into actual hatred and abuse. I never thought I’d see the day when one of our players was being booed before a match and a ball was even kicked. Then people wonder why players don’t perform. Put yourself in their shoes just a minute. These are human beings and absolutely nobody performs well if their every single move is being analysed to the nth degree. I guarantee if everyone on here was at work and had their manager and all the other staff watching them and just waiting for them to slip up so they could abuse them not one person would be able to perform under that sort of incredible pressure. Eventually you’d just give up and not care anymore, and that’s what happened to so many of our players over the years thanks to our so called “fans”. Why do people think Sancho had to have time away from the club, why do you think Rashford said the last few season have been horrible for him? Do you think these people would be better at their jobs if they were able to enjoy it? If they knew that they had the unwavering support of the fans even if they made a mistake. People suggest that the players downed tools a few seasons ago, and quite frankly I think it was a natural human reaction to the immense criticism and abuse they came under from our own fans. Again I never thought I’d see the day where one of our club legends in Solksjaer who played a major role in the 99 treble would be getting hounded out of the club and given unwarranted levels of abuse. The man was in tears when interviewed over his departure. Quite frankly sometimes I wish we would be relegated just so we get rid of some of the entitled glory hunting fans in this toxic fanbase who demand success and if they don’t get what they want spit their dummy’s out and hurl abuse at anyone and everyone at the club. Sorry this turned into a bit of a rant but I've been fed up with our fanbase for a long time now and I thought perhaps a little bit of success last season might calm people down but they’re still the same. People today have forgotten what it means to SUPPORT a football team. There’s ups and downs in football and we as a club haven't lived up to the success which we had under Ferguson over the last few years but the reaction to this average period, which by the way has had some success (FA cup, Europa League, League Cup) from our fanbase has been unbelievable and pathetic. Some of this fanbase don’t deserve success. Anyway rant over.

17.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 15:10:53
Je…. If you took opinions away and peoples passion and everyone was nicely nicely and have the attitude it’s the taking part that counts, all sport would become a total waste of time, I appreciate the country in 2023 is trying to head that way, but if it happens to sport…well don’t bare thinking about.

It’s not a primary schools end of season 3 legged race it’s professional sport and with that comes hunger desire winning mentality, please let’s not get in to the clap and pat everyone on the back say you done well when in reality you had a stinker!, that’s not sport at any level far as I’m concerned, I be interested to know how many even on here would want that approach….

18.) 31 Aug 2023
31 Aug 2023 17:03:15
Trafford, whose saying take away the competition?

Or are you suggesting that sport can only be competitive when the people watching it are foaming at the mouth and screaming vitriol at the players?

Do you really believe that by hurling abuse at a player either in the stadium, online or in public spaces does anything to improve that players performance and make the sport more competitive?

It doesn't, all that ever does is reflect who the person is hurling the abuse and does nothing to help the person it is aimed at.

Ask yourself how would you feel if your kids teachers used that approach to try and bring the best out of them. Hurling abuse at them across the classroom, belittling them in front of their classmates, going online to continue the abuse when they leave school at the end of the day.

So don't try and dress it up like it's part of what makes elite sport competitive. It's not. There are literally hundreds of others sports where that doesn't happen and they are just as competitive. So that arguement doesn't stand up in any way.

There is no excuse for getting nasty, personal or just generally abusing footballers. It merely tells everyone all they need to know about them as a person. About their insecurities, their unhappiness, their lack of fulfillment, their lack of morals and ethics.