Manchester United Banter Archive September 30 2018

 

Use our rumours form to send us manchester united transfer rumours.


30 Sep 2018 22:57:38
I've been one I'd the first to defend Jose, as I was one if the first to defend lvg.
I totally agree with Gary Neville that the hierarchy have failed the club absolutely.

However I must say Jose has kind of lost the plot in a way aswell.
Some of the team selections baffle me.
Mctominay in a back 3, young starting on the right. Lindelof getting the run he has.

Why was Dalot not starting. Kid is ready, give him a chance, it can't get any worse.

If he's going to play a back 3 why not try throwing in bailly alongside lindelof and smalling instead of mctominay, I mean does that not make more sense.

Matic has done nothing all season. Fellaini is brought in to so a job that Matic should be doing anyways, get a slated for it in the process too but Matic gets off Scott free. They are too similar, too slow, we cannot afford to play both.

On that note, why is Ander Hererra not playing. I would like to see a cm of Fellaini Hererra and Pogba for a few games perhaps. Has to be better than the slow crap we see currently.
Or hell why not Hererra, Pereirra Pogba.
It's plainly simple that Matic Fellaini and Pogba is not working.

I'd play a 3 at the back, play a high line, and squeeze Sanchez and rashers right up alongside Lukaku, have them rotating and playing off each other.
Seems simple. Wish it was.

Bailly smalling lindelof

Dalot Shaw
Herrera Fellaini Pogba

Sanchez lukakau rashford.

Believable1 Unbelievable6

{Ed002's Note - No goalkeeper might be a risky way forward.}

01 Oct 2018 07:52:08
Leave it to the pros to pick the term I say šŸ˜†.

Agree2 Disagree0

01 Oct 2018 08:36:40
Lol luckily gk is the only position in the team that picks itself every week Ed002. Thought it was a bit of a given.

Lol pros picking the team hasn't exactly worked out in the recent past has it.

Agree0 Disagree0

{Ed002's Note - So you think it would be OK for Manchester United to play with 12 players then}

01 Oct 2018 09:40:48
Rosspique, you seemed to have picked a 3-5-3 system šŸ¤”.

Agree2 Disagree0

01 Oct 2018 09:15:53
002 strikes againšŸ˜.

Agree0 Disagree0

01 Oct 2018 11:23:02
Seems quite obvious to me lads, give Ross a break. Clearly he has Smalling in goal, with Shaw and Dalot either side of Bailly and Lindeloff. Its actually 442.
Looks good to me!

Agree2 Disagree0

01 Oct 2018 12:23:52
I think Ross might be well and truly back in his box now.

Agree0 Disagree1

01 Oct 2018 21:13:40
Ed002

Playing with 12 players, we'd still lose.

Agree0 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 21:47:55
Question for ed 002, is there any plan for the club moving forward with the current situation ie. the manager's excuses for poor performances and the players not trying in games? We are been portrayed in a very bad light all over the soccer world, with constant media reports of internal fighting, surely the board are not happy with the bad publicity and poor football.

Believable0 Unbelievable0

{Ed002's Note - The club are not going to have a plan that adapts to what happens during individual games nor any statements made to the press, nor any ā€œrumoursā€ circulating amongst fans. If results deteriorate than it should be a matter for the club to consider how they can help improve matters.}

30 Sep 2018 21:32:10
If we don't back Mourinho and instead take sides with Pogba then we'll consistently be Pogba's and thus Raiolas play thing.

We need to move forward properly, Pogba needs to go because he's acting like a combined version of Balotelli and Joey Barton. I'd bite your hand off for Ā£50 Million in January.

Whether Mourinho goes now or in the summer it can't be as a consequence of this rubbish.

Personally I think Pogba is slowly turning The dressing room against Mourinho hence why Lukaku is 'distancing' himself from pogba. As he gets on well with Mourinho.

If Mourinho goes based on performance then so be it and that's different argument but if he goes because of pogba then we know who the most influential Man at the club is.

We've already got a spineless board and hierarchy. Imagine how easily pogba and mino will manipulate them into getting whatever he wants at Pogba FC

Oh and my 2 cents on Mou - I still think he's the right man for the job, things are tough right now but he'll get it sorted and quite frankly the only manager I trust more left the game in 2013.

Believable8 Unbelievable14

30 Sep 2018 21:41:40
Jose' failure is due to far more than his issues with Pogba.

Agree8 Disagree2

{Ed025's Note - i think so too daniel..

30 Sep 2018 21:53:53
Moonrinho I agree with you about pogba but you're deluded mate if you think. he can turn this round he is done we need to get rid of him asap this season isn't done yet but if we wait any longer it will be too late.
We need a manager with a modern football philosophy because we've got a good enough squad to be very good.

Agree1 Disagree3

30 Sep 2018 22:18:55
Moorinho, are you having a laugh. Do you honestly think Mourinho is the right man? Explain to us if you can, why do you think he's capable of dping that?
Rashford- gone backwards
Martial - gone backwards
Bailly - gone backwards
Hererra- gone backwards
Jones rojo lindlehof - were crap and gone even further backwards
Mkhitaryan- bought and sold in 8 months
Pigba - brilliant for France, can't play at United!
Matic - bought and i said at the time, he'll be a liability, gone backwards
Chong, gomez, Tunazebe, not trusted to break into the team.
Mctominay, an average midfielder with very limited skill, continuously gets picked and then played into central defence.
Sanchez - regressing at Arsenal, bought and given a record breaking contract and achieved nothing to date.
The only players playing well are Fellaini, Shaw and Lingard (though lingard has been terrible this season) .
So have all these players suddenly become bad players? I don't think so. Its the manager, the training, the tactics, the poor man management, the poor transfer policy that have turned us into a rubbish team and Mourinho is solely to blame.

Agree4 Disagree2

30 Sep 2018 22:25:16
The Pogba ā€œissueā€ is just one of a string of problems Mourinho has. Iā€™ll give it until December.

Agree2 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 23:04:56
I think Jose will be here until we are out of the CL.

Agree1 Disagree0

01 Oct 2018 09:00:22
Moon mate, I agree that giving in to player power is a dangerous path to go down. However, I would say the club are already halfway down that path. How many times have the club given players new contracts after a public stand off? Keane, Rooney ect.

As for Jose, I think he is a spent force at the very pinnacle of the game. He has always looked better at clubs just below the very top bracket. He was great at Porto, at Chelsea first time round, at Inter. However, he struggled at Madrid bar one great season. At Chelsea second time around once they were established as a top side and with us.

His style of management and football suits a team that doesn't see itself as a true top side. They can buy into the cynical underdog mentality which established top sides struggle to accept.

Mourinho has always been a reactive coach rather than a proactive one. What can we do to limit the opposition rather than what can we do to hurt them.

I still think Mourinho is excellent at what he does. But I don't know which top teams would seriously consider him for their next manager.
Bayern certainly wouldn't, Juventus wouldn't, Barcelona and Real Madrid wouldn't. Man City wouldn't, I doubt even Chelsea would go back for a third bite of the apple. Maybe PSG. But then many wouldn't consider them truly in the top bracket yet after struggling to make waves in the UCL.

Jose will only get jobs at clubs that next bracket down now. Which maybe highlights that his star is waning.

Truly top sides expect more than just winning, they expect to do so with a certain sense of style, this is something Jose just cannot do.

I think his future is now in international management. Where cynical teams often prevail over flamboyant teams.

Jose was a great manager, yet he is now on the decline. Football has moved on, and he has stood still. He truly is now the underdog he had proclaimed himself to be all throughout his career.

Agree4 Disagree1

30 Sep 2018 21:17:32
One for the Ed's, do you think Jose will see the season out?

Believable0 Unbelievable0

{Ed025's Note - myself no welsh..

30 Sep 2018 21:44:09
Nor me Ed, who would you think would come in to replace?

Agree0 Disagree0

{Ed025's Note - thats a tough one welsh...if it were me i would break the bank for pochettino myself, plays good football and knows the league but it wont be easy to get him mate..

30 Sep 2018 22:01:10
I like Poch, I think heā€™s the right fit, if Jose leaves in the season then itā€™ll be hard to get a permanent manager in, whoā€™d be in temp control?

Agree0 Disagree0

01 Oct 2018 09:06:10
If Jose doesn't see out the season which is looking increasingly likely then the club need to be sensible. I would have McKenna and Carrick manage the club until the end of the season while the club looks properly with due diligence for our next manager. We can't afford to just keep lerching from one inappropriate candidate to another.

The worst move we could make would be to sack Jose and hire Zidane.

If it was me the three names near the top of my list would be Pochettino, Howe and Jardim. Younger managers with a more progressive style football. Manager unafraid to play youth players and give them a chance. In short managers who's philosophy is more in line with what our club should be about.

Agree5 Disagree0

01 Oct 2018 09:48:35
Pochettino has never won anything as a manager, Howe doing a decent job at a much smaller club, Jardim will be getting the bullet shortly at Monaco with the way theyā€™re playing but yeah Zidane would be a terrible choice.

Agree0 Disagree2

30 Sep 2018 20:54:44
Maybe Rui Faria leaving was a bigger deal than we thought?

Believable6 Unbelievable3

30 Sep 2018 21:07:28
Had no bearing, Jose falls out with people simple as that.

Agree1 Disagree1

30 Sep 2018 22:16:45
So youā€™re saying his assistant had no influence whatsoever? Why are they there then? Since Faria left our Defence has deteriorated and our football is even worse. Must be a coincidence.

Agree2 Disagree1

01 Oct 2018 09:08:44
Not sure I said that or do you struggle with reading?

Agree1 Disagree2

01 Oct 2018 09:11:42
Jose has a habit of eventually self destructing, especially in his third season at a club.

However, the loss of his assistant, a man who has been with him practically his entire career will obviously have been a blow to him. Faria was Jose's closest confident. His sounding board. The man to bridge the gap between the manager and the players. With him gone and replaced by Carrick, a man who for obvious reasons will be far closer attached to the players than the manager, that will obviously loosen Jose's grip on the dressing room.

Which in my opinion has probably hastened the creation of the rift between the manager and a section of the players.

Agree2 Disagree1

30 Sep 2018 19:58:14
For everyone demanding shiny new players or talking about how our players arenā€™t good enough, take a look at the Ryder Cup. On paper the Americans were miles ahead. More majors, better world rankings by a mile, more wins this season, but they got battered. Team spirit, inspirational leadership, people playing to their potential, all ingredients that helped Europe win. There was probably complacency on the part of the USA but my key points are relevant. Time and again, a weaker team on paper rouses itself and slays the mightier beast. Itā€™s about the team, the culture, application, desire, motivation. Many of those things are currently lacking in our team. Many will disagree with me, but we have better players than we are currently witnessing.

Believable5 Unbelievable0

{Ed025's Note - your right AJH...thomas bjorn for manager anyone?..

30 Sep 2018 20:13:03
We should grow out the Old Trafford flanks to thick rough because that's where teams are out playing us at home. A lake somewhere might help out too.

Agree3 Disagree0

{Ed025's Note - love it nat..

30 Sep 2018 20:40:43
Would do better if Jose didnā€™t insist that we play from the bunker all the time.

Agree1 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 21:56:09
You lot shouldn't ashamed of yourself making any comparisons to Golf.
Our club is in turmoil, we are currently way below par, and just got beat by the irons. Quite frankly, it's a balls up. And I am tee'd off with it.

Agree4 Disagree1

{Ed025's Note - love it betty, but there is a fair-way to go this season yet and he might give some fringe players a go even though some of them are a bit green, i know its a radical approach but i dont think it will handicap the team and you will just have to putt up with it mate..well thats my spin on it..

30 Sep 2018 22:27:40
I could chip in with a few more Ed, but I think we should probably call it a day now before it drives everyone else round the twist.

Agree1 Disagree0

{Ed025's Note - great stuff betty..

30 Sep 2018 23:52:34
Take a bow ed025 that was brilliant.

Agree1 Disagree0

{Ed025's Note - cheers JS..

30 Sep 2018 17:53:59
Iā€™ll put my head above the pulpit. Now is absolutely not the time to sack Jose. Now is the time for United hierarchy to go full out support of him. To sack him caves in to player power, and I canā€™t see one single player who Iā€™d keep ahead of Jose. The guy is a serial winner and deserves the chance to win this battle. Iā€™m not even considering the alternatives as sacking Jose immediately puts every replacement at a severe disadvantage - if Pogba doesnā€™t like them it begins again. Slowly at first.

Yes Jose an egomaniac ( you have to be to manage United), yes his style is at odds with our values. Nevertheless can you imagine the faces and the egos of certain members of the squad if it happens. Sir Matt would be turning in his grave and Sir Alex will be furious.

Pogba must be sent packing first in January. He is the toxic one. Remember. He is an employee, nothing more. He certainly isnā€™t a world class footballer. The atmosphere will change immediately and the correct notion of the manager demanding respect and pivotal status is preserved. It sends a message to the squad for Jose and the next manager.

Next we need January investment under the longer term vision of an appropriate DOF. Then, and only then, can any thought of Jose leaving be given countenance.

This is more than just next season at stakes. Itā€™s far more. Prestige. History. Values. United. Jose for what itā€™s worth has my full support.

Believable5 Unbelievable7

{Ed033's Note - Maybe you need Trump to make Manchester United great again :)

30 Sep 2018 19:03:06
Prestige, history, values. And you want to keep Jose, do you not see the irony?

Agree6 Disagree3

30 Sep 2018 19:15:13
What decent team in world football has won anything with 3 slow cumbersome donkeys in midfield.

Agree4 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 19:44:44
Dynasties are built and then fall, only to be built again.

I see no problem, with languishing on the periphery in order to rebuild.

I think as fans of our great club, we have become entitled, as a Liverpool fan posted earlier, we are now Liverpool fans, living in the past and complaining we aren't achieving the same high levels.

Yes I want my club to win everything every season, but I also see the need for evolution and as a club we have to adapt to the new environment.

We just haven't.

And we get frustrated that we aren't winning everything, or indeed, winning full stop.

I don't think Jose is the right man for the job, I never truly believed he would stay for more than 3 years anyway.

We need to be patient, invest in youth, get a DoF like other clubs have done, you can see how City have evolved and adapted, as Liverpool are also now doing.

We seem to want the shiniest brightest new megastar and then we want 5 more, regardless if they can play well together, PSG are a good example of this.

Teams should be built, not bought.

Agree3 Disagree1

{Ed025's Note - great ethos jonny but in these days of the microwave supporters instant success is paramount, slowly slowly does not catch you a monkey any more mate and rome had to be built in under a day, and unfortunately patience is not a virtue any more.. :)

30 Sep 2018 19:48:06
I am with Timbobon this. While Iā€™m not the biggest Jose cheerleader in the world, you cannot allow player power cancer to set foot within the club. Personally I donā€™t believe Jose is even in the majority of the fault with these performances of late as he isnā€™t kicking a ball on the pitch.

1. The midfield is too slow in transition, Matic should be dropped and go with Fred and Andreas.

2. The board failed Jose in the summer, Iā€™m not against him proving a point.

3. Iā€™m sorry, but Pogba is over-hyped. Did he have a good WC? Yes, but that team around him allowed him to focus on one thing and thatā€™s it. The world beaters should be able to have a rounded out game about them, especially those in the midfield.

4. We cannot let the inmates run the asylum, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that if we sack Jose, it will all happen again in a couple of years.

Agree1 Disagree4

{Ed025's Note - maybe you and tim could start a fan club USS, your members could all meet in a phone box.. :)

30 Sep 2018 19:48:57
Timbo, Iā€™ve been fully behind Jose for a lot of the points you express even tho we are the complete opposite of how I want my club to be in terms of the words Tony lays out above and Iā€™ve been behind jose because I hate the sacking culture BUT itā€™s got to a point now that I do not see where we are going, I donā€™t see us challenging and in actual fact we seem to be regressing. I donā€™t know the ins and outs of whatā€™s going on in the hierarchy as Iā€™m sure thereā€™s more to it and some part of me feels a bit sorry for him but I think Iā€™ve seen enough to know itā€™s not working with Jose Unfortunately.

Agree1 Disagree2

30 Sep 2018 19:55:38
Unfortunately, whether we like it or not, it's the players that have the power, now. That's not changing any time soon, so we need a manager who's able to work with that new reality.

Agree2 Disagree3

30 Sep 2018 19:56:37
Timbo I'm sorry but I disagree completely with what you're saying. So pogba is the biggest problem? Is he the reason that not one player played well Saturday then? You are just looking for a scapegoat by there. If it was a couple of players underperforming then fair enough but the players are playing like they've never met before. I wouldn't be happy playing in that team with that style of play and that's probably why we had a poor summer in terms of transfers. It's Mourinho's job to get the players motivated and playing for each other but he just isn't doing it. I fully expect Valencia to beat us on Tuesday! We as fans are more surprised when we win now as when we lose its no big shock! In Mourinho's interview after the game he seemed like a man who had no clue what to do next.

Agree4 Disagree1

30 Sep 2018 20:09:09
ED025

I know. and it's such a shame.


I suppose that means I am showing my age. I am now, officially, a grumpy old man.

But City did take a while to get where they are today, it wasn't instant success, and Liverpool have taken a generation too.

The Klopp project has taken a few years, but they turned it around as did City.

Feeling nostalgic and remembering the good old days, when everything wasn't just about money. and football was fun.

Agree1 Disagree0

{Ed025's Note - i remember those days as well jonny, sadly mate this is the world of today and its certainly not for the better..

30 Sep 2018 20:53:23
I have not previously called for Jose to be sacked, however I feel the only way forward is for him to leave.

It looks like he has lost the dressing room, partially if not totally.

There is usually no way back once that happens but maybe I am wrong.

The Jose and Pogba soap opera is embarrassing and making the club a laughing stock. Not quite at the level of his fallout at Chelsea but heading in that direction.

We donā€™t have a team as strong as City or Liverpool but with the players we have we should be competing against everyone else and capable of beating most.

We are massively underperforming with what players we have. I an 100% convinced that another coach could improve our results and style of play with the players that we currently have.

For those reasons Jose must now go and I have no issue if Pogba leaves aswell.

Agree0 Disagree1

30 Sep 2018 20:21:22
Yes AJH. I can. But to my credit I also see the second big picture. Sack Jose to appease Pogba and the next manager should be called, "Pogba Assistant".

Agree2 Disagree2

30 Sep 2018 21:10:21
Timbo,

Get rid of both.

Seems a good compromise, no?

Agree0 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 15:10:26
Ok

1. Mourinho picked McTominay in a back 3 benching Bailly for a mistake made over a month ago. Just to take a piss at the club for not buying him a shiny new Aldeweireld


2. Picking a team without balance and transition from defense to attack and people are surprised.


3. Still employing zonal positioning both offensively and defensively. Constraining players support and making the whole team disjointed. At a point Pogba was surrounded by 3 West Ham players with no teammate in support. He luckily got a foul and was livid screaming at his teammates for not supporting for a pass yet he's the bad one.


4. Obviously, most of of the players aren't playing for the coach any longer.


5. Losing the game 2-0, what does Mourinho do? He takes off Pogba and Martial leaving McTominay, Young, Fellaini and Matic still on the pitch. Were we trying to defend the scoreline or equalize?


6. We practically played with 7 at the back yet were trailing 2-0 down at HT.


7. I'm not going to talk about lack of chemistry, telepathy or choreographed movements as that's a unicorn level wish.


8. Just like Bailly, he benched Alexis just to say ā€œtold you soā€ and justify playing Alexis week-in-week-out.


9. And for those of you slating Pogba for speaking out about playing defensively, what did Mourinho do after the game? Publicly slated Martial. Don't forget that Lukaku, Matic and Young were the worst players on the pitch but he says nothing because they're his loyal boys.



10. Yet if Martial says anything about need to attack, you guys will be the first to chide him forgetting that's what you all want and that's what is screamed down from Stretford End.


Many of the fans think they love the club more than the players. Well that's true but not for all players. Some of these players came through the system and live and breathe the club though may end up leaving but it doesn't make them less of fans.


Even as footballers, they want to succeed, to win to write history so they have more at stake and want to win it more than us.


In that vein, why wouldn't they want to go to a place they believe they can win, where they can play beautifully and be a success? Do you think Van Persie would have come to United if we were playing the way we are now with such a poisonous manager?


And don't give me the argument of effort, it's BS football is not a power sport. A player doesn't need to rub at 100mph. That's why Spanish teams trounces us every time. Liverpool and City have shown that and Sarri will establish it soon enough.


When the system is flexible and accommodates the strengths and weaknesses of its individual components, it consolidates everything and becomes strong. But when a system is rigid and expects all the components to work against their strengths while ignoring their weaknesses then its doomed to fail.

Go figure.

Believable8 Unbelievable11

30 Sep 2018 16:16:10
I agree with every point Yaz. Especially about players speaking out against Mourinho. Anyone who thinks that a player is in the wrong saying Manchester United need to play on the front foot is insane. The first person to publically disrespect the club was Jose after all following the sevilla defeat. Fans and players should have turned on him then. If Woodward had any balls he would have sacked the prick that night.

Agree2 Disagree1

30 Sep 2018 16:31:53
Who's fault is it players can't make a 5 yard pass?

Jose needs to go but most of this squad needs to follow him. Personally i'd play the u21s from now till the new year.

Agree1 Disagree2

30 Sep 2018 17:44:24
Yaz, best post I've read in years. Absolutely nailed it. I feel worried at the three people who have disagreed with you. Because, by disagreeing, they're basically saying that Mourinho is in the right. And he most definitely is not.
I don't like Pogba's love of social media, but i will have him in our team any day.
Mort, the reason players can't pass the ball 5 yards is because the system is wrong, and the training and mentality of our manager is wrong. He's the one who shpuld be setting them out to find space for our players to pass to, however, he chooses to play a defensive formation where the players are static and hence the man in possession doesn't have options. This is not rocket science, Barcelona have been doing it for 15years. Fergie's teams did it for 20 years. City, liverpool, spurs are doing it now. It needs training, fitness, hard work, and tactics. Non of these are evident in pur manager's thinking and our team.

Agree4 Disagree2

30 Sep 2018 19:03:49
Itā€™s both, but we have seen how Chelsea, and even Arsenal respond to new Managers. It doesnā€™t have to be either or, it can be both.

Agree1 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 11:34:24
My love affair with our club started in August 1968 and reflecting on the 50 years that have passed, three things stand out. First we have never truly nailed down a footballing philosophy identity like Barcelona have. Football played by Matt Busby and encouraging our youth is the nearest we have come to it. Second we have never seemed to have a strategy or plan. Lastly, the ownership of the club has never been firmly settled and have always seemed to lack the ambition to be the worlds top club.

We have benefitted from having two of the greatest ever managers but beyond that the club has got itself in a mess so many times.

I have written this a few times on here down the years but there needs to be a defined strategy, a plan, an identity, a philosophy and whilst the full details don't need to be shared there should be communication to the fans about it. However, the communication from our present owners and Woodward is shameful in its absence.

The club are in this mess because they seem to have no strategy, no plan, no philosophy, it looks like for 50 years they have wallowed around and relied on a genius for 26 years. Like having a genius in the team carries the team higher, a genius in the managers chair had the same effect. Many champion David Gill yet where was the strategy, the plan to deal with SAFs retirement?

Now, in Woodward we have a frontman for owners who do not appear to be ambitious for football success but target the brand value. It cascades down, Woodward doesn't appear to be football savvy but a good money generator and that likely matches whatever strategy the owners do have.

Gary Neville has alluded to the issues but points at the start being the sacking of Moyes, however, this mess is dating back long before that, it is a lack of identity and planning going back through my 50 years. The lack of stable ownership, from the Edwards family who tried selling the club to Knighton, the Plc who were caught between success and making profit to the latest mob who have added debt to the club.

Now we are in a corner, sacking the present manager means the players causing issues think they have won. They will play for a new manager but only until he does something they don't like and we change the manager again, that's what they get at Chelsea. If the club appoint Zidane it is yet another confirmation of a lack of strategy and planning, what on Earth is the direction of the club then? Another manager appointed with fingers crossed it will work whilst ignoring the players causing these issues and we can't sack them, until at least January.

This is a first class mess and the owners plus Woodward are the cause and unless there is a change of ownership and CEO this mess is likely to happen every couple of years,

Believable12 Unbelievable1

30 Sep 2018 12:17:04
RedMan, as you know, i too have been supporting for all that period. Even the side that got relegated played with more endeavour and spirit than this lot of mercenaries.
I hate the philosophy that Mourinho has brought, defend deep, don't lose, don't attack, don't risk. But i also hate the way the players have dpwned tools and given 20% effort. Lack of skill is acceptable, lack of effort and spirit is totally unacceptable.
So if Mourinho is sacked, then the next manager will have to come in and control those irresponsible, horrible bunch of players that we've got. Apart from a few of them, the rest are only here for the money. Patrice Evra understood the United way, but non of the current overpaid, useless persons who wear our shirt are fit enough to lace his boots.
Brings me back to a manager's job, i watch klopp, Pep and Simione in action, and the players seem to have respect for them, these managers have a real connection with the players. Mourinho's man management has been utterly pathetic.
We have reached the point of no return with him. This season is a write off, i can't see us finishing in top 6. So get rid, let Carrick and McKenna take over and the owners have to appoint a dof and manager with the right philosophy to run our club. We need to get rid of a lot of the overpaid persons we have, darmuan, jones, lindlehof, rojo, young and promote/ buy a decent defence. Until we have a solid base, we cannot compete.
Out of the managers out there, i think Pochittino, Zidane and Simione can be considered. They all have their good and bad points. But i do like the way Simione teams run through brick walls for the cause. I also like Pochittino's team tactics. I think it's a choice between these two.

Agree3 Disagree1

30 Sep 2018 12:17:39
Wonderful post Red Man.

Whilst I can see your point regarding the players and the manager I'm not sure I entirely agree.

Maybe we have to become a Club like Chelsea in order to succeed.

Managers rarely last longer than a few years anymore. Even the successful ones seek new challenges or suffer from burnout such is the pressure to deliver instant and continued success.

Maybe our thinking about giving managers time and craving stability is flawed? I honestly don't know, it's certainly something worth considering.

Otherwise I agree with your brilliantly written post mate. Throughout our history have we ever really committed to being the very best?

We all know what Real, Barcelona and Bayern stand for I'm not sure the same can be said for Utd!

Even City are developing a footballing philosophy, Club identity and commitment to excellence. I have no doubt that their owners are more committed to seeing success on the field rather than increasing their revenue opportunities off it.

Like your little history lesson has taught us, once SAF retired was this really going to end up going any other way?

Agree0 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 12:54:34
This Jose / Pogba mess does remind me of a spat between Remi Moses and Jesper Olsen when it is alleged they came to blows in training. Ron Atkinson was asked about it and he denied anything had happened. Pictures were shown in the tabloids and Ron was then labelled a liar and didn't last much longer. Jose is saying everything's ok between Player and Manager but we all know that's not true and so do the press. I still think Jose is the one to get us out of this mess . We have to be UNITED through this šŸ˜†šŸ˜†.

Agree3 Disagree2

30 Sep 2018 13:27:36
Fantastic posts red man and AAA. Canā€™t argue with any of that.

Agree0 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 14:37:27
I agree Park.

Sadly I can't argue with anything AAA has written. It's hard for me to say that because I honestly believed Mourinho was the man. I think other factors have played there part but I can't argue that his time at Utd is not coming to an end.

As his career has progressed he has become increasingly egotistical and narcissistic. There was a time when he'd do anything to deflect the attention away from his players. He would blame himself, the officials, the pitch, the weather anything to alleviate and divert the pressure away from his players. This invoked fierce loyalty and respect. His players would literally run through brick walls, they loved him. Sadly this is a notion he seems to have forgotten. Now he blames the CEO, his players, the fans, the club doctor everybody and anybody but himself. He now defends himself and reels of his list of previous achievements like a roll call. He hasn't learned from his mistakes at Madrid or Chelsea, he hasn't learnt that conflict and division don't inspire success, he has forgotten the fundamental principles that brought him success.

As Albert Einstein once remarked the definition of insanity is making the same mistakes over and over whilst expecting different results. Maybe somebody should politely remind Mourinho of this fact and give him his P45 at the same time!

Agree1 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 14:51:34
Ps - I regret posting the last comment about his P45. It was harsh and I wouldn't wish the sack on anybody. Anyone who I've said more than enough I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Agree0 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 15:52:59
You echo my thoughts exactly DLIB. I thought this would work out but it is clear it is a marriage of convenience. Unfortunately, I cannot see our dithering and incompetent board being ruthless enough to axing Jose in the immediate future. As usual we will be ill prepared and wait too long before the damage is even more severe and the season is totally lost. Already our season is hanging by a thread and we are scrambling for top 4, itā€™s only September. For once can we act quickly and efficiently when it comes to a footballing decision.

Agree0 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 16:48:01
Well DLIB, Einstein didnā€™t actually say that. It comes from a book by Rita Mae Brown.

So I guess this means everything you said is discredited. Give Jose a new contract now, and tell him that heā€™s doing great.

Agree0 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 17:30:48
Amazing post Redman.

Agree0 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 17:50:35
Well Danny please forgive my ignorance and consider myself reprimanded. No need to discredit me pal I've never professed to posting anything remotely credible anyway šŸ˜‚.

Agree0 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 17:30:48
Amazing post Redman.

Agree0 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 23:37:30
Excellent post Redman. Totally agree. We are back to wallowing with Woodward in charge. Things have just been heading ever downhill since he took over, but he's the Glazers' man since he organised their takeover of the club.

Agree0 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 09:26:06
The Manchester United and Jose marriage of convenience has never felt comfortable and there has always been a feeling of when, not if, it would all go horribly wrong.

Members of the club and many fans have from day one had doubts about Joseā€™s suitability. It was hoped over time heā€™d get the United way, change his character, play the football craved by the fans. Maybe Jose will feel he has never been given 100% support in terms of players signed and money spent.

Certainly the club needs to change and modernise. The board need to invest in a stronger management structure which includes a director of football and then they need to give the new dof everything they need to be successful.

The board also need to invest in facilities for the players, the decor of the club and the area in and around Old Trafford.

Believable0 Unbelievable2

30 Sep 2018 09:53:30
Apologies I pressed send too soon.

As I was saying the board need to invest in the facilities and area in and around Old Trafford. Ed02 has told us for a long time that the club is drab and uninspiring with a feel of a 1980ā€™s motorway hotel about it. That added to Joseā€™s negative demeanour must make playing for the club almost impossible. Yes the players should be doing more, and Iā€™m not defending them, but thereā€™s so much wrong before we even get to the playing staff.

Our recent transfer policy has been laughable at best, with an emphasis on martekability and media appeal instead of buying players that make a team. We have an individual in charge of a team of individuals with no apparent unity or cohesion and it shows in our displays.

Jose must go. He looks completely devoid of ideas and fight and has lost the dressing room. Some players need to go. They donā€™t have the fight and desire to drag the club forward. But thereā€™s so many things wrong and no quick fixes available.

Iā€™d love the board to make a statement, sack Jose, get rid of all the players that donā€™t take pride in the shirt but more importantly hold their hands up and say theyā€™ve got too much wrong. Until thatā€™s all done, whoever is the manger and whichever players we buy it wonā€™t make any difference.

Agree2 Disagree1

30 Sep 2018 12:55:24
Send for Big Sam.

Agree3 Disagree1

30 Sep 2018 12:57:36
Big Sam has a degree in Town planning and an honours in Interior design šŸ˜†šŸ˜†.

Agree1 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 21:02:03
Buy a few plants and scatter cushions - youā€™ll soon see results improving.

Agree0 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 08:25:55
Is Mourinho getting sacked or will it take more defeats?

Believable1 Unbelievable0

30 Sep 2018 08:47:18
Speak to the Welsh FA, see if we can borrow Giggs for the interim and see how things go?

Agree1 Disagree4

30 Sep 2018 09:50:38
Theyā€™ll let him leave as soon as we start fighting to stay in the league rather than Championship!

For now just enjoy the amount of defeats will get till then!

Agree0 Disagree0

Chelsea vs Liverpool  29 September 2018 - How I saw it

30 Sep 2018 08:18:51
{Ed's Note - Seano_ has posted a new article entitled, Chelsea vs Liverpool 29 September 2018 - How I saw it

Believable1 Unbelievable0

Cardiff City vs Burnley - 30 September 2018

30 Sep 2018 08:09:06
{Ed's Note - Reid the Red has posted a new article entitled, Cardiff City vs Burnley - 30 September 2018

Believable0 Unbelievable0

Review Of The Day 30th September 2018

30 Sep 2018 07:29:01
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Review Of The Day 30th September 2018

Believable0 Unbelievable0

30 Sep 2018 06:34:38
Good morning Utd, hope you are all well?

I think it's obvious if things carry on the way they're going for Utd, Mourinho will be out the door very soon. Question is, who would you like to see replace him?

Believable0 Unbelievable0

30 Sep 2018 08:04:47
Big Sam is the man to take this club forward. Fits in perfectly with the club ideology.

Agree1 Disagree1

{Ed025's Note - dont even joke about that sailor..

30 Sep 2018 08:17:56
Genuinely have no idea!

Agree0 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 08:22:28
My heart wants to see a manager like nuno, i love the way he has wolves playing plus the players look like they love playing for him, they look a real team unit however the question is is he ready to step up and i seriously doubt he would move now. if jose was to leave now our options are limited, big risk but i would leave mckenna and Carrick in charge while we took our time finding the right dof and manager, realistically though i can't see jose going anytime soon.

Agree5 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 08:33:11
I'm sure there's quite a few managers who could really sort Utd out but the main one in my opinion would be Bielsa, could you imagine him with a Utd team? even the thought of him been at Utd is concerning, fingers crossed that doesn't happen lol because I think he'd work wonders.

I think as a Liverpool fan it's easy to say 'keep Mourinho in for as long as possible' we of course love it but you deserve better than him, he's dragging you down far too much and if I was a utd fan I'd be saying enough is enough, change is needed.

Apart from Bielsa though, I have to agree with sailor, I think Big Sam would be absolutely fantastic for Utd, he'd get me vote that's for sure ;) .

Take care all.

Agree3 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 09:04:31
That's the thing. Given that Poch, Klopp, Simeone and Pep are taken, where do you go after Jose?
He was supposed to be the messiah.

But we had the same issue, picking up the likes of Hodgson and Dalglish until eventually Klopp became available.

I expect United will also have to bide their time with 'hopefuls' (like Rodgers) until a top manager becomes available.

Agree1 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 09:06:34
Bielsa would be too volatile in the current set up. Jardim / Nagelsmann, but it's more likely to be another big name if it comes to it.

Agree1 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 09:44:02
For me we need to get someone in with modern ideas who can mould the team for the future. However until a DOF is appointed I worry we won't get a joined up approach.
Whatever happens we need to take enough time to reflect, let Mckenna and Carrick steady the ship and get the players back engaged whilst long term plan is made. Who knows they may prove themselves.
For me I don't want Zidane, I should with what he has achieved but for no obvious reason I don't rate him just a feeling. Jardim, Nagelsman would seem ideal. Pochatino for me is the one, yes still to convert to trophies but at each club has quickly got them playing attractive high energy football. If we have to wait to the end of the season to appoint the right manager for the future so be it.

Agree1 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 09:50:41
Nagelsmann should be the next manager of Utd but would require a DoF to be in place for sure. If Jose goes soon then Blanc till end of season. Give them time to sort out the structure and bring in Nagelsmann.

Agree0 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 10:36:45
Nagelsmann has agreed a four year deal with RB Leipzig, starting next season .

Agree0 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 10:38:30
Nagelsmann to RB Leipzig for the 2019/ 20 season is already a done deal.

Agree0 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 06:07:17
So, the red tops are saying the board are in talks with 'zizi', and the question arose what of the man himself, bearing in mind IF jose is snipered whoever comes in will have to turn the changing room into 1 unit, not factions vying against each other, so did a few chats with some madrid fans who obviously loved the silverware he brought them, but said he could be a bit blinkered when dealing with players (i. e. ronaldo always got special treatment even on a few occasions when he was having a bit of a lean patch, amongst others etc, etc-which i guess you could say shows loyalty), he also would have a pop at the press over criticism (again, depending how you look at it), but on the other hand he would ignore a player he deemed not good enough to be in the starting line-up and wouldn't even bother communicating with them, and one told me when 'zizi' left madrid he did a farewell message on whatsapp to which virtually all the players replied except those he ignored, the most interesting being gareth bale, who has always struck me as being more down to earth than most players.
So the question is who else could come in (if they pull the pin), i thought wenger but that's a marmite option, so what about glen of the hoddle, get gary neville in and that's not a bad combo in my humble opinion, but will any of this happen bearing in mind if the board frizby off jose, will his great 'Supporter-woodward'fall on his sword as well?

Believable0 Unbelievable4

30 Sep 2018 10:40:07
Wow, Ronaldo got special treatment . What kind of manager does that?
Youā€™d never have seen that with Fergie .

Agree0 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 11:20:45
And apparently he kept a happy dressing room, god knows what thatā€™s like?

Agree0 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 11:46:38
I really want a young manager in, no more of the same big name managers please. Sack Jose like right now, sell Pogba in January and any other clown that think they are bigger than the club and let Carrick and co to take care until the end of the season. Appoint a DoF and from there we plan for the future. I have this feeling that Howe will bring us back to the glorious days in 2,3 years but i think i am the only one in this site who think that way. Anyways in the current situation that we are in right now, i don't think there is a quick fix.

Agree0 Disagree2

{Ed002's Note - You have a very naive view about the business.}

30 Sep 2018 00:01:46
Our club was a leader but it failed to keep up with the changes. The first major change was the internationalization of the players, (in 1999 we had no player, other than Yorke, who was from outside northern Europe), and the second was the internationalization of the managers and tactics. The best comparison is with England of the post war years. There was an arrogance about the FA with regard to English football: we invented the game, we were the best and we needed no advice or input from a load of foreigners. First we lost to the USA in the 1950 world cup and then we were shown up by Hungary who beat us 6-3 at Wembley, revealing just how tactically and technically inferior we were. Have we ever really recovered?

As good a manger as SAF was his teams disappointed in Europe. Only 2 trophies in how many attempts? Even then one could hardly say we won those finals playing spectacular football against Europe's best. In the first we eked out a United type win after having been completely outplayed for 89 minutes. In the second we pipped a fellow English team on pks. SAF was a manger built for English football and the dour working class roots upon which it was based. He was also a man of strong opinions and habits and like most people of that type they were both his strength and his weakness. His weakness because one way or another he failed to modernize the team allowing one great player after another to depart or pass his sell by date without replacing him with an equal. Whether this was because he a) was restricted by the club's limited budget as a result of debt service, b) unprepared to deal with the rise of the agents (preferring to deal with his son? ), or c) he just simply did not have the tactical nous, is a matter for speculation. But let's face it Chelsea under Mourinho generally had the upper hand against us.

I am not a fan of the Glazers. I believe the LBO and the consequent debt service did irreparable damage to the team. In Fergie's last years top player after top player went somewhere else. Why? And why is that we still seem unable to buy young talent and develop them, instead paying absolutely top whack for everyone, and then watching them disappoint, and then find ourselves unable to unload them because they are overpaid and not as good as they were hyped up to be. On top of that we have hired managers well past their best while other teams have looked to the future. Some wish to blame the current situation on the toxic fans, but I still think that's a cop out. The process started well before LVG, and has carried on since. The buck stops with the people who run the club. They are responsible for the hires and their timing and the transfers, and if they're confident in their decision making, they should stick with the plan even in the face of whatever toxic mix the fans throw their way. The problem is that they don't know how to run a football club.

Believable5 Unbelievable6

30 Sep 2018 00:22:27
Good post Shaw, you make some interesting points which I enjoyed reading mate.

Agree0 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 01:09:39
I agree with some of what you say here but no one can rule forever. Yes we belong at the top but do you honestly blame fergie for our current mess?! that's like saying englands current nightmare is churchills fault!

Agree4 Disagree2

30 Sep 2018 06:10:44
Shaw, thatā€™s a harsh overall view of SAF. Firstly, he won 3 European trophies, not 2 and in 1999 we rampaged through Europe. The final was a big disappointment but we were missing 2 of our best players and finals can be strange. The football we played through SAFā€™s time was often breathtaking, we brought a bunch of our own through and also bought and developed some real gems. Look at our overall performances in Europe and you will find some big wins and stunning performances. My personal favourite was the Roma 7-1 game.

I agree we should have won more in Europe, losing to mid ranking teams in Semi finals was hard to swallow. In 2004, Porto beat Monaco having got past us due to a very poor refereeing decision and a last minute goal. Where would Jose be now if our second goal had not been disallowed?

Where I do agree is that SAF sometimes got his tactics horrible wrong. The Barcelona finals are testament to that. And in his later years he did not buy well. jones and Smalling were the future but they now appear to have been poor buys. Iā€™m not saying they are not ā€˜goodā€™ players, but they are not Bruce, Pallister, Stam, Rio, or Vidic. He often referred to ā€˜no value in the marketā€™ and that has to have been driven by the owners, I just canā€™t see that SAF would have worried about fees, he was a winner and wanted the best.

in terms of where we are now, since Woody we seem to have become star struck but it is clear that signing good players isnā€™t as simple as it might seem. We have signed some big names who havenā€™t worked out, and we have also made some poor short term decisions. David Gill was a huge loss and we have to yet adequately replaced him, if Jose does go I think we will continue to struggle until we have signed someone to replace Gill.

Agree6 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 08:09:29
Good rebuke AJH, whilst I enjoyed reading Shaw's post I agree he was harsh on SAF as you have so eloquently pointed out. Having said that I do remember the searing disappointment when we got knocked out of Europe. At times it felt like the season was over even though we often had the premier league wrapped up. Oh how spoilt we were!

Ed001 pointed me in the direction of a fascinating Twitter thread a few days ago regarding Utd's finances. They make for fascinating reading if you can find the thread. What immediately struck me was that in 2009 over 40% of turnover went on financing the debt which stood at over Ā£100m per year. Around that time we sold Ronaldo who was never adequately replaced. It was around this time we also heard the immortal words "no value in the market". The debt obviously had a massive impact on transfers and its testimony to SAF genius that he kept us so competitive during this time. If it hadn't been for his genius the Glazer take over would have been an unmitigated disaster and had the Clubs performances and results dropped to the levels we have witnessed in recent years possibly put the Club at significant risk of bankruptcy. I often wondered why SAF toed the party line and didn't challenge the owners regarding spending as Mourinho has. Maybe he knew the Club was in grave danger who knows but servicing debt of over Ā£100m a year was a colossus weight on the Clubs shoulders. The debt has now been reduced to 3% of turnover and interest payments are around Ā£18m a year but it's still a significant amount of money taken from the Club just to service debt which was leveraged on the Club as a result of their takeover.

It is obvious that the owners have no footballing strategy for the business. They have been unable to fill the huge void left by SAF. There interest in Utd is financially motivated and they have no need or desire to see the Club succeed. The only time we have seen them panic or forced into any kind of action is when we have failed to qualify for the Champions League. They think in terms of revenue not results. Mourinho will not be fired in my opinion. They will be reluctant to pay off his contract and gamble on the fact that he can still finish in the top 4. Results in the next few weeks may dictate otherwise and force them into action but if Mourinho can steady the ship they'll wait and if he can finish 4th the season will be considered a success. If not they'll hit the panic button again.

The owners are a cancer at our Club which is slowly sucking the life out of us. They should never have been allowed to purchase the Club using a leveraged buy out and until they leave I fear we'll never find peace. Three well respected, highly decorated managers have all spectacularly failed perhaps we're missing the bigger picture.

Agree2 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 08:15:58
Very important point you make there AJH - the loss of David Gill. More significant than a lot on here realise, probably because they are too young to remember (I don't mean that in a sarcastic way, but there are a lot of young posters on here now) . Despite being a 'suit', Gill was also a football man and had a very good relationship with Fergie.
It was a huge loss to lose them at the same time.
People rightly point out that these days we are paying silly money for older players, but we shouldn't worry about the money etc and just spend what is needed.
But when SAF and Gill we at the club, I seem to remember we had a policy of not signing players over the age of 28 which meant there was always some longevity in any signing. The only significant signing that I can remember that broke that policy was what I saw as Fergie's leaving present - Robin van Persie.

Agree2 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 08:40:06
Was that policy forced upon them though Betty?

Juventus strike me as a sensible and well run Club, in recent years anyway yet they have just invested over Ā£100m on a 33 year old?

You should never back yourself into stupid policies, having an overriding principle is fine but each transfer is unique and should be considered on its own terms.

People have short memories we were up in arms regarding transfers between 2009 - 2013. Back then it was about trying to topple Barcelona who had just humiliated us in two Champs League finals. We spent nothing, we were constantly told there was no value in the market. Maybe the financial results illustrate why. None of us could understand this bizarre argument but you can always find the answer if you look hard enough. Investment in the squad during this time boarded on the neglectful. The squad was allowed to age, SAF retired they appointed the wrong man in Moyes, they didn't back him either and the rest is history.

Agree1 Disagree2

30 Sep 2018 08:59:41
DLIB, I agree in principle regarding the owners. But are they really to blame for the current situation? Ultimately, you are right about them being interested in money rather than results.
But the reality is that money has been spent, and huge amounts of it. Irrespective of what we all think of the Glazers, funds have been made available and we have invested heavily in players - and managers for that matter. By all accounts, they have not interfered with footballing decisions, name have allowed the 'management' tomtake care of things.
Unfortunately, the huge amounts of money spent have, in the main, been spent badly. We have a Mish mash of players put together by four different managers, each of whom had their own plans and ideas. We have consistently spent huge sums on 'names', and overpaid massively for most of them.
We are now in a situation where we are stuck with some of these flops because nobody else will pay them the same.

I honesty don't think that the owners biggest mistakes are a lack of investment - it's more a case of who they have entrusted to oversee that investment.
Woodward should not be anywhere near the football decisions synthetic club. It's mistake after mistake and the sooner a DoF comes in the better.

And I just want to make clear this does not mean I am defending, nor approve of the Glazers as owners. Nor does it mean that I am deflecting any blame away from Mourinho because I know everything is his fault :)

Agree1 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 09:16:49
That policy worked well for United for many years DLIB - and I think I am right in saying long before the Glazers took over.
Some of the signings we have made minor recent years have been nothing short of bonkers - Zlatan and Scweinsteiger in particular. I believe both were on wages of over 300 grand a week and for what? Remember bringing in new players is no longer just about transfer fees, but also has implications on over all wage budgets.
And we as fans may not like terms like ' no value in the market's or ' no sell on value's but there surely are, and should be relevant. It seems that all the other top teams are able, and happy to recruit younger players and develop them. Even sell them on at a profit. What do we do? Massively over pay for players and then have to vitally give them away to get rid of them.
To be fair, that is not entirely a new thing, it's just that the sums involved now are so much higher.

Agree1 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 09:37:45
You make an good argument Betty and perhaps you have a more balanced view than myself.

My point is investment was neglected during the latter stages of SAF career which in my opinion was directly related to the mind boggling debt saddled on the Club during this time. SAF worked miracles with his limited budget but City were always destined to take over if things continued in the same way. The squad aged, SAF retired and we had absolutely no contingency plan.

I can't argue that investment hasn't been made in the squad in recent years. In my opinion this has just compensated for the years of under investment. It has been spent in a reactionary way as a result of us falling out of the top 4 with no clear strategy.

In my cynical opinion the owners have little interest in delivering us titles or having a clear commitment and ambition to making us the very best. Their sole motivation is to increase the asset value of the Club and make themselves stinking rich on the back of a leveraged buy out which has disadvantaged the Club for over a decade. Winning is seen as the icing on the cake. Of course money will be invested but only to safeguard the brand and protect revenue streams and sponsorship opportunities not to win trophies. Our owners are shrewd business men and even they understand that a certain level of performance on the pitch must be maintained. Anyone who buys a Club using a leveraged buy out does my have the best interest of the Club at heart.

Maybe we should pay closer attention to what's happened to their American sporting franchises for a glimpse into our own future. I fear this will make things frightening clear. I sincerely hope I've got this so wrong!

Agree0 Disagree0

30 Sep 2018 11:25:37
I certainly don't disagree that we failed to invest in SAF's later years. My point was more about rectuitment policy rather hen investment policy - though of course the two are very closely linked.
It seems a long time ago now that United were ' top dogs', but there was a great deal of complacency, even arragance in the way he club was being run. It was almost a case of them working on he basis that United would remain at the top just because we are United.
Since that was very quickly proved not to be the case, we have tried to throw money at the problem minutes a bid for short term success. Like you say - reactive rather than proactive.

The ironic thing is, the fans who made making the most noise about our current plight are the very ones who demand the instant success, the quick fixes.
Quick fixes are not going to solve this. The whole club needs a rethink and a restructure. We all know a DoF is wanted, and needed. A new manager is inevitable, and that in itself virtually guarantees the need for further, significant investment in new players as any new manager will have his own ideas and requirements.
Rightly, everyone is pointing to City and Liverpool as the new benchmark. But success hasn't come to them overnight either. Time and patience will be needed, and an acceptance from the fans that it will take time. Our biggest problem now is that a rebuilding job that started when SAF retired should have been completed by now. Instead, we will be on to our fourth attempted rebuild when Jose does go.
We will be coming from a worse starting point, and 7 wasted years later. Not to mention the hundreds of millions of wasted investment.
It really is one hell of a mess now.

Agree0 Disagree0