18 Sep 2020 11:31:55
In all the frustration over lack of signings I think we should all ask ourselves, What was United's plan and if there was a plan, how have we performed with two days to the start of the season?

If there was a plan surely it must have included timing. After the positive finish to the season, surely they should have realised build early and prepare for the new season, arrive at the first game with the players wanted being integrated and settled. Look to make a strong start.

Now here we are and who knows who is coming, the first game a couple of days away and to me the momentum seems to have slowed on the altar of trying to save money. I can understand plan B, but it just looks all confused. If we had a plan, then it should have been costed, budgeted and implemented early. The C.V. situation may affect finances but surely the financial plans would have been formed weeks ago.

Now we just look a bunch of rag tag amateurs, moving from option to option. Next who would be surprised at Douglas Costa, with a spiel about how he was always an option. It also appears we aren't selling so the net sales may not be so good.

Right now it feels like we have gone from the positivity of last season to frustration. There is still time but the kids they bought are years off, if we are lucky and it has the hallmark of not wanting to go too far, which is a missed opportunity. We should have had dynamic plans but look like dithering.

1.) 18 Sep 2020
18 Sep 2020 11:46:45
Funny Red Man how only United have their finances in a twist due to C. V while Chelsea are splashing. I heard Aston Villa have spent more than us. Fans need to chip in with 10 quid each to support our poor owners.

2.) 18 Sep 2020
18 Sep 2020 11:48:33
Red Man - We are linked to every player and probably 99% is rubbish. We were never in for Bale, we were never in for Sergio Reguilon, we never made an approach for Thiago. The amount of crap that the rags publish about Man United is laughable and it is all the sell there paper.
Only Ed and Ole know what targets they want, nobody else. I think they will surprise a few people and still bring in 1 maybe 2 players. I am still convinced that they will get Sancho, if they do i think he will be the last one in due to the expense.

3.) 18 Sep 2020
18 Sep 2020 11:53:50
There seems to be a genuine lack of planning to challenge at the top.
The teams around us are improving their squad and we haven't even improved our starting XI.

It pains to see another manager not being backed.
Hopefully we don't do any panic signings such as Costa. We will then be left with another aging, injury prone player with huge wages.

4.) 18 Sep 2020
18 Sep 2020 13:03:54
Simo

Surely we know the price for players (Ed said we know what is required on Sancho) and if it is over what we would like to pay we have to take into account paying a premium for having them available for the first game.

Sure they know who they want, but if they just keep going until they pay what the other club quoted in the first place, and in the meantime we drop points that’s not planning. How much could 2 points mean if it is the difference between CL and EL?

5.) 18 Sep 2020
18 Sep 2020 13:44:24
Red Man - For me it's Sancho or bust now! Anything else just reeks of panic!

What the decision makers at the Club don't seem to realise is by not dealing with the Sancho situation decisively they have only succeeded in drawing yet more negatively to the Club before a ball has even been kicked. It's yet another summer where Man Utd are the laughing stock of European football.

I think everybody could understand if the Club deemed Sancho too expensive and moved on to other targets however it's the arrogance and stupidity of the negotiators that continue to relentlessly pursue a deal thinking Dortmund will somehow lower their demands that truly blows the mind.

I keep reading in the media that Club officials are frustrated with other Clubs and agents using Utd to generate interest in players but the fact this keeps happening with such regularity only emphasis the chaos behind the scenes. The fact we haven't signed a RW, LB or even CB means Utd can be used in this way. Nobody knows if Utd will eventually pay the money for Sancho. To be honest I don't even think the Club know yet. I get the impression it could be decided with the flip of a coin. The length of time this has now dragged on its no longer a foregone conclusion that Dortmund would even accept an offer should it arrive! Why should they now sell one of their best players without the time to get a replacement and risk sabotaging their own season?!

If Sancho does not arrive the Club will only have succeeded in undermining yet another manager and I feel for Ole moving forward.

Some posters believe Ole is out of his depth but I think we have yet more evidence that any manager would struggle to succeed under the current structure at the Club.

6.) 18 Sep 2020
18 Sep 2020 13:53:42
Red Man - How do you know that they having planned anything? And how do you know we are going to drop points?

7.) 18 Sep 2020
18 Sep 2020 14:04:25
Shan didn't someone informed you about Chelseas ban and the sales they did? Because your example is Chelsea to prove your point. What about the examples of Real Barcelona Liverpool, they haven't their finances in a twist due to CV?
In fact in 2020 we have already gave 100 millions for transfers, i don't think many teams have spend more money net. And we would have gave closer to 250-260 if we could buy Sancho which clearly want, and maybe we will buy him. Money was never a problem in this club, Ed002 said that we are a cash rich club, we can buy players even now with the CV uncertainties.
Red man when we speak about transfers of 150+ millions, players that can come here and be with us for over 5 years like Sancho, you can't be thinking about the 1 or 2 matches they miss at the start of the campaign. Its not working like that. As you say we must throw all the money and not negotiate for what? For having him for one more match. You can't be serious.

8.) 18 Sep 2020
18 Sep 2020 15:21:56
Herrera i also mentioned Aston Villa. Did you deliberately miss reading that? Or are you saying you are happy with the current situation? And what about Sales? Who stopped the current incharge from selling?

If it takes 2 months to negotiate a player, then these people should retire.

9.) 18 Sep 2020
18 Sep 2020 15:19:59
Herrera

We don’t just need a forward

If we pay what we would have had to pay 4 weeks ago for Sancho ( and I am not sure he is worth that much and probably would have looked elsewhere by now) then it would be a waste of 4 weeks or more of integration time. Ed says we know what is needed, if so pay or move on. If Woodward comes out waving a piece of paper saying he has got a big discount fine, but if it is what Dortmund want then it was just a waste of weeks. What about the other positions? I can understand it with a purchase like Sancho, high end but if we need a CB, Holding CM, LB surely there was a plan for it. Remember I have seen us get players on the last day before but that is one, not 3. We may not lose points but if we do they may be vital whilst dithering over the price.

10.) 18 Sep 2020
18 Sep 2020 16:14:51
Red Man maybe we don't drop points and save 20 millions, who knows? . that's the reason its not working like that.
When you are negotiating such a big deal you see the bigger picture, not the 1-2 matches a player can miss in the start of the campaign.
Shan Villa outspend Liverpool too, maybe some others top teams too. Its not a good example saying they outspend us for a transfer window. Its like saying "oh look even Montpelier and Nice outspend Pari this year". I believe that you can understand that means nothing. For different reasons (its not for this topic) a smaller club can throw a lot of money and even outspend bigger clubs for a small amount of time (a transfer window or two) .
When we compare, we must compare teams with common characteristics. Liverpool for example have a fine roster and with less positions to strength than for example Everton or Villa. Or Pari, they have broken the bank the previous years, they have a top roster, you will say that they don't want to spend because for one year maybe Nice will outspend them? Be serious. What about Sevilla or Sosiedad overspending Real Madrid for ONE year? Yet Madrid next year will be able to buy Mpambe and will superpass Sosiedads last 5 years spend. Yet when we will be able to buy the big player (Sancho) we will superpass Aston Villas spending at once.
So we must compare same situations and for a certain amount of time in order to make a good and fair comparison.
Unless you believe that because yesterday i bought a car i outspended Bill Gates. Oh, in fact maybe i did it but it means nothing 😅 It only means that yesterday i bought a car and Bill will buy one at different time and much much more expensive. Sounds familiar with the Aston Villa case?

11.) 18 Sep 2020
18 Sep 2020 16:28:27
Herrera that is a funny comparision.
PSG are Ligue 1 winners and CL finalists. Their squad has genuine world class players. So it's understandable if they don't spend.

On the other hand, We scrapped for third spot. There's a big difference.
We have some glaring deficiencies in the squad and therefore money needs to be spent to address them.

12.) 18 Sep 2020
18 Sep 2020 17:00:04
Its as funny as saying Villa outspend us TRD. The point is simple, the intention is there and if (and when) we can take our primary targets then we will outspend almost everyone. Real Madrid when (rather than if) can buy her primary targets then they will outspend almost everyone.
Big teams have different plans, huge targets. Sometimes they must wait some months or a year to take them. Real can't get Empampe this year doent mean they instead give these money for other players, they will just wait and take who they want, the same goes with Sancho, at least that is what our intentions are. For such huge transfers there can't be a good plan b because none player ticks all boxes for them (with Empampe) and no player ticks all boxes for us (Sancho) . So unless we take our primary targets some teams will outspend us in short term. But as i said that's natural and means nothing. That's the point.

13.) 18 Sep 2020
18 Sep 2020 17:40:56
If only intentions were enough for league titles and champions league trophies. All those teams Herrera have a much better squad so they don't really need strengthening whilst we are playing catch up. Standing still is good but when the teams below you start moving forward you will see that you are actually moving backwards. You say Real Madrid haven't spent, weren't they La Liga champions this year? You realize Real have more CL titles in the last decade than our total trophy haul in the same period.
I didn't say we have to buy Sancho, but we need to strengthen and there are many options but the people incharge need to start moving. In case you didn't know, our season starts tomorrow. So where is the "intention" you speak of?

14.) 18 Sep 2020
18 Sep 2020 19:12:24
I gave you an example of how a smaller team can outspend you short term and how that is normal. And that you can't take this into conversation because means nothing. You don't seem to want to understand this.
But if you don't see the intention from the team that are second spenders the last 10 years, nobody can help you. Not even the facts. There are questions about how effective we are, how good our recruitment team is etc. But you can't question our intentions. The intention is to spend big on one more time as we did over and over again in our history.
One last thing for me. The team had clearly targets, an AM for squad depth and Sancho . One more player that would be plus. that's what the club trying to do.
You would only be satisfied if, the moment Sancho became difficult to take, the team instead went out and bought 2-3 other players which would be out of our plan with the danger of panic buying. The team think that Sancho ticks all boxes, he is the one to take us to the next level and we can't afford to lose him. They want to try all possibilities to buy him. To go out and buy 3 others players instead means that we give up on Sancho and that is exactly what the club don't want to do.
In the same time because except from him we already have bought Bruno for a good sum of money, because we have bought VDB, because we want a left back too and because of C.V. we are trying to reduse the price or (and) to agree some instalments. You seem to be affected too much with which others teams do. We have other targets, in other areas and a completely different plan to others. Because you say that we want a center back or a numper 6 doesn't mean that Ole thinks the same, some of this positions are "ticked" for next seasons . Yet if we will not buy a CB you will moan, even if this was not our plan for this year. So judge the team with certain criteria based on the real targets. Because as i see it you move the goal posts and if we take this path none will be satisfied. that's a big post and i am sorry. Personally taking into account that they wanted an AM and Sancho i will judge then based on that. Do i want to buy players in other positions too? Ofcourse, but i will not moan because with Bruno, DVB and if Sancho comes that means over 250 millions in 2020 and with the C.V. unsertainsy. But then if they lose our first two matches of the season where are the intentions?

15.) 18 Sep 2020
18 Sep 2020 19:54:23
we look like we have played 60 games after 10 games. so we need decent reinforcments because he does not trust who is on the bench. either that or better fitness coaches.