Manchester United Banter Archive December 14 2017

14 Dec 2017 23:06:49
B4 start of the season I asked would any1 Take Sterling I got rip to shreds what bout now would u have him?

15 Dec 2017 00:47:13
I've always rated him but this year he's moved to the next level.

15 Dec 2017 01:07:49
I’m surprised by his form he’s Ashley Young in disguise.

15 Dec 2017 01:23:22
Form is temporary but class is permanent!


So . nope!

15 Dec 2017 01:50:40
I'd take him over Mata, Lingard, Miki on the right any day of the week - I wouldn't sign him though. He is like a headless chicken and I'm pretty sure any half decent attacking player could look quality with the movement, intellect and attacking intent of the rest of the players City have. Great acceleration and balance, but no football brain, no final ball (typically), no vision - just hard to pick up because so much movement happens when City attack. He makes runs that very rarely is the ball on to play, it just so happens De Bruyne, Sane, Jesus, Aguero and Silva have something special.

I wouldn't have signed 90% of the players we have actually signed over the past 5 years it's a real hodgepodge of skill-sets that don't work.

15 Dec 2017 06:42:22
He’s improved enormously this year. Is that down to him, Pep, or simply the players around him?

15 Dec 2017 08:33:38
Beast, agree that I wouldn't have signed 90% of the players we've signed this season either. Left back, skilful midfield, wingers, skilful attacker. All these positions needed strengthening but not done.

15 Dec 2017 09:40:40
The fact that he plays for City and he was bought from the Scousers, No Way. Good player, though.

15 Dec 2017 09:58:58
Sterling is made to look good by playing alongside Silva and De Bruyne. They are the intelligent players who make this city side tick. If you watch Sterling closely s of poor runs, but when he does Silva or De Bruyne just don't make the pass. He is a quick player, and a decent finisher. I see no real difference between him and Walcott. So would you want us to sign Walcott?

15 Dec 2017 12:51:31
Sterling is playing very well credit where it's due, far better player than Walcott and having a great season .
Just turned 23 and developing in to a top player .

17 Dec 2017 07:05:24
Pep last year towards the end of the season was clear in saying he could not play his style of football until city got certain players. He pointed out they needed to replace their fullbacks which they did in the summer for 100 mill i think.

We are one window away from Jose probably completing his team. Then we can all blush over who is better and who wins what. the season is long and let's see where the chips fall.

14 Dec 2017 18:02:22
The last two players we have bought from Germany were players of the season I think? Both Kagawa and Mkhitarayn seem like brilliant players, but neither has performed in England as well as we thought. Other players from Germany have gone onto be great players, like Ozil and Draxler. Why have ours seemed to not fit in?

14 Dec 2017 19:23:00
Both were successful in a Dortmund side that play in a very specific way, which is very different in style to the way we have played. Remember Goetze struggled at Bayern so it's not just us who have signed a creative player from Dortmund for them to then go on and struggle to replicate that form.

I also think both haven't fully settled in Manchester.

It's not about signing someone who was player of the year, or for a big fee or even who everyone rates. It's about signing the right player for the role you need.

14 Dec 2017 19:41:24
I think Ozil is undoubtedly a phenomenal talent but hasn’t hit the heights I thought he would at Arsenal. For us I think Miki has shown an unwillingness to fight for the shirt at times, I think he just isn’t suited to the premier league same with Kagawa unfortunately. We have to remember how difficult it is to play at a high level week in week out in the premier league compared to other leagues.

14 Dec 2017 21:12:44
When we sign Ozil we can see if he hits the heights with us.

14 Dec 2017 13:41:11
Hi Ed001&002

If you get chance I would be really interested in your opinion on how Man Utd are being operated in terms of player transfers/ contracts and youth setup and if there any changes happening?

It looks like we are incompetent in terms of transfer business but the youth setup seems to be improved. I would hope player recruitment follow suit.

Ta.

{Ed002's Note - Given the ease that money has been spent I am not sure why you see it as incompetent. In the summer MU had a list of GKs but it was not needed. They did not add a RB as the clear first choice was not available in the summer. They added the CB the manager wanted. MU addred the DM player the manager wanted. And they added the striker that, for reasons unknown to me, decided was the one he wanted. So in the big scheme of things they got most of what they wanted. I am not sure why you see that as a problem. I know little of the youth set up and there is no structured loan system - but that is unrelated to the first team. I am not sure what changes you are thinking about or where. The club wanted one particular person as Director of Football and he was not interested in a move to Manachester. But now he is in discussions with another club. I really don't see any big issue with any of this right now.}

14 Dec 2017 18:51:09
Thanks for the reply Ed.

I have kind built a perspective from your comments and from the outside looking in as the club seem to be signing players who either have no long term use or never good enough or ready and then move them, seems to be a lack of planning when comes to signings (Zlatan/ Depay), the stadium is falling well behind other elite level clubs, youbseaod yourself the training facilities look cheap, we have seemed to struggle get other deals over the line eg Morata (who I was told was first choice) and Perisic deal was a farce.

Overall I think Chelsea and a Man City appear to operated with more strategy in the behaviour coming from the way the operate the club, to signings, to the facilities etc.

{Ed002's Note I am not sure I mentioned the stadium specifically, but the MU owned facilities are not up to the London clubs' facilities. Morata was certainly never first choice for Manchetser United, someone is teasing you. Perisic was about money. Depay was never ready - I explained that at the time. Ibrahimovic was simply a mistake which meant delaying a further year buying another striker. Manchester City spend more money than Manchester United and are right on the edge FFP wise - and certainly if the "elite" European sides get their way will have problems going forward with the amount of "income" that can be charged in respect of FFP. Manchester City have a larger income than most, and whilst working within the rules are making use of some pretty extreme sponsorship that comes via their owner's business interests plus they havce proportional Chinese ownership. So the figures are skewed.

This is seen as an issue by UEFA and the reason there have been efforts over the past three years or so to agree a sponsorship cap. UEFA are happy for those European clubs that meet (now twice a year) to come up with a proposal, but so far they have failed to agree a figure. UEFA are aware that taking the matter to the European Club Association will not help them. Eventually they will come up with a cap themselves and that will be it. A similar issue is being discussed about capping TV and media income for FFP. With a UEFA senior official moved on it might be easier to push something through as the resistance was related to the three clubs that would be most impacted by a change include Manchester City and two clubs that play in the French league.

Effectively the cap would say something like, "regardless of the amount of sponsorship a club obtains, only the first €115M will be allowable for the purposes of the FFP calculation". The same could be done with the media income - obviously that would hit all of the English sides and a few others. It is contraversial but there is a swell of effort from other sides to make it happen. One side who were leading the push pulled out of the group of "elite" sides earlier this year so it will take others to pick up the ball on that one. Chelsea has a fixed business model and the structure in place to be easily self-sufficient and they have a better income than most. Their costs come with changing coaching staff - but that generally means success. They cannot be compared to Manchester United. Manchester United's recent problems stem from the fans forcing out van Gaal and that screwing well understood plans going forward to 2022. Mourinho is there but I have explained the difficulties all along. The desire for a Director of Football ended in failure as I have explained.}

14 Dec 2017 19:18:02
Ed002 i would like to know your opinion about Lukaku. From your comment it seems that you don't rate him or i didn't understand? I never understood the reason for buying this player, i don't rate him at all and i agree with Beast in everything he has said.

{Ed002's Note - I don't "rate" players. Mourinho wanted Lukaku and there was no way he could return to Chelsea which is what Lukaku wanted. He wasn't first choice but he was the first choice available. He will score goals - then the fans will get on his back and Ibrahimovic will be there to add to the disruption and to make life difficult for him. A self-inflicted wound.}

14 Dec 2017 19:44:45
Interesting that you mention the director of football there ed. Sorry but this may be a silly question but what exactly does a DoF do? I’ve never quite understood the position.

{Ed002's Note - Sits between the board and the footballing business. Runs the entire footballing business, first team, youth, scouting etc.. Get involved in buying and selling players etc., etc..}

14 Dec 2017 21:05:00
So an extremely key role. Cheers ed.

{Ed002's Note - Some clubs think so - some don't.}

14 Dec 2017 21:11:07
Thank you for the detailed reply. Always a pleasure to read your insights 002.
Ta.

{Ed002's Note - You are welcome.}

15 Dec 2017 03:24:14
Superb. Thanks Ed.

15 Dec 2017 06:33:42
Ed.

Don't know if you want to answer this, but just to know.

If Morata and Lukaku, both weren't first choice for United, then who was it?

Thanks.

{Ed002's Note - Andrea Belotti.}

15 Dec 2017 12:22:05
Will we back in for Belotti in the summer?

{Ed002's Note - I would doubt it, the club has moved on.}

15 Dec 2017 13:35:31
Sorry again, Ed. I didn't know Belloti was first choice.
What happened? Was Torino asking for too much money? More than what we paid for Lukaku?

{Ed002's Note - Read the posts from the summer.}

15 Dec 2017 14:24:02
Very interesting read that ed cheers.

15 Dec 2017 14:24:02
Very interesting read that ed cheers.

{Ed002's Note - thx.}

14 Dec 2017 08:37:27
{Ed's Note - we have posted a new article entitled, Dominic Solanke - An Initial Assessment