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06 Sep 2023 09:58:53
Couple of journos saying Utd have been contacted by un named Saudi clubs interested in taking Sancho this month. Quite possibly clickbait nonsense but if true what would you do if you were the club?

Given his form for past 30 months, his wages (around 300k + per week) and the ETH situation I would snap their hands off for 40mill and just admit its another one we got wrong.

{Ed077's Note - get him out. Not had a single great game since joining. He should work his socks off to earn his spot in the starting XI instead of crying like a baby. Not the kind of attitude to persevere with

1.) 06 Sep 2023 11:46:51
I'd take just about any offer that at least takes his wages off our books. Otherwise, along with Antony, it's very much looking like we're going to have two highly paid big money transfers added to our long list of failures. Whatever the club can do to mitigate its losses it should do.

2.) 06 Sep 2023 11:53:50
45/ 50 mill I would kiss their hand. Shore up with a proper CB in Jan and another striker on loan or permanent basis and we have all the pieces for the second half of the season when it really counts. Playing Fifa manager on fantasy football lol.

3.) 06 Sep 2023 12:26:29
Sell him, cut your losses on his wages and the amount they bought him for. Give Garnacho all of his game time he would have gotten along with Pellestri coming in for Antony and then Diallo when he's fit and ready again.

4.) 06 Sep 2023 12:38:22
Time to cut ties if possible. It's one thing to have a player who isn't performing, but when that player starts causing trouble and being disruptive there is literally no reason to keep him.

Sell him and give Pellistri and Amad more chances this season. If we have to we can look at adding someone in January.

5.) 06 Sep 2023 13:49:33
he can't run in rainy manchester what chance does he have in 40 degree heat. goodbye good riddance.

6.) 06 Sep 2023 15:50:56
He’s been garbage. Take anything above £20m and get him out. Much better than being stuck with a player who can’t be arsed and causes disruption for the next 3 years whilst earning ridiculous wages.

7.) 06 Sep 2023 16:14:51
The Man utd sunk cost fallacy continues.
Sell Sancho and Anthony asap.
Both tripe
Amad, pellestri and Garnacho, the latter should be starting every game from Brighton onwards. He is ready.

8.) 06 Sep 2023 16:15:03
Bite their hand of if it’s true, but it’s probably not! whilst I don’t agree with what Ten done (should deal with problems in house instead of just getting people on his side) I not rated Sancho since day one and said at the time he was a complete waste of time and about his attitude problems, I was told did not know what I was talking about he needs to settle and he is a great footballer who will get better and better! That really turned out well ain’t it! No loss whatsoever could not care less if Antony goes the same way, that’s 3 misfits that will be gone!

9.) 06 Sep 2023 16:24:52
2 misfits Trafford, 2.
The other is a world class talent who is coming back once the snowflakes have melted away ?.

10.) 06 Sep 2023 16:59:26
Guess we'll know within a day whether he goes or not.
We'll then have gone from having 6-7 winger types and offloading the flotsam to end up with only a few genuine wingers, or left/ right sided attackers as they've become :D
I first began following Utd as I was a fan of the Danish team and we had a chap Jesper Olsen. Strachan on the other flank. A few years later along came the likes of Lee Sharpe, Ryan Giggs, and the fastest thing I've seen on two legs Andrei Kanchelskis.
These are the types of players who'd get me off my seat back in the day. We have two genuine wingers, Garnacho and Antony. Rashford is a more modern type.
I guess we'd be in the market come January if Sancho does move on. Who knows, god help us who knows what could be going on with Antony by then.
A couple of terrific players in the Prem who could do a job. Mitoma, Eze, Olise, Diaby et al.

11.) 06 Sep 2023 17:47:39
Accept any offer, get him gone.

It’s 1 less player from the Ole era stinking the place out with their poor attitude, and a ridiculous salary gone too.

12.) 06 Sep 2023 17:53:00
Should also have added… Pellestri has been nothing not positive so far. He’s not made a squeak to the media, and always looks to beat his man. He may or may not be good enough, but I’d rather give him Sancho’s minutes to find out, rather than let cabbage brain wear the short again.

13.) 06 Sep 2023 17:59:34
Mitoma seems like an excellent player but doesn't he play on the left? We already have Rashford and Garnacho there, so he's highly unlikely. If Sancho fails to be sold or measure up (most likely scenario because he clearly doesn't have the talent or the cojones and who wants an overpaid whiner) and then we lose Antony (a dead cert if he's charged by either British or Brazilian prosecuters), we will probably end up with either Diallo, Pellistri or one of Mount/ Bruno providing width from that side. With a decent CF, reinforcements in MF, and defenders eventually coming back into fitness, I don't think any of those options will be a significant downgrade, and maybe the opposite. It's not as though either Sancho or Antony has been lighting up the EPL, although at least Antony puts a proper shift in.

14.) 06 Sep 2023 19:33:10
I honestly don’t think you would miss either of them, in fact least if Bruno or mount plays there crosses will come in…. I don’t think Ten fancies Pellestri in the slightest which is another mystery in my book.
I be shocked if Antony not suspended before they come back, the messages are not too savoury and he not even denying those! The excuse of a volatile relationship from Antony, makes you laugh, he is like a spoilt petulant child on the pitch if he tackled, what shocks me most though is Ten must have known his temperament from Ajax! Let he still chose to buy him, that’s another mystery!
We seem to stumble from one mess to another, it’s like a bad soap opera!

What would be nice imo is if new owners come in and made sweeping changes from top to bottom, the whole lot gone all paid off, no one stays start again, get all departments all working with the same game plan, I’m not sure it’s anything like that at the moment and certainly not for last 10 years, even all board need to go, you had some of them plotting against Jose back then so guess probably same now. It’s a shambles as much as anyone tries to make excuses it’s just not normal for it to be like this!

15.) 06 Sep 2023 19:53:58
Don’t bank on that jimbo, I don’t think he ever recovers from it, not only a tarnished reputation, there are too many against it, for it to happen.
I agree one of the best talents we had for a long time, but that in no way overcomes the despicable behaviour and attitude he got.
Don’t give me all that no charges so innocent stuff either we all know how that come about.
Must be because lucky number 11 shirt cases get dropped!

16.) 06 Sep 2023 20:12:36
Aye Shawthing he does play on the left. Just chucking winger names out there. Sancho for his sins does seem a bit more diverse in where he can be played. Personally feel he's got more potential as a 10. Jack of all trades, master of none.

17.) 07 Sep 2023 10:13:16
Spenno

He is physically weak and hates a tackle or physicality. He just does not have the toughness for this league.

He needs to play in a league where you are afforded time on the ball and more space and open play. Playing in a league where you have 20 players in 1/ 3 of the pitch most of the time and fast and physical not his thing.

I would get him out as soon as possible which is Jan at best, We will take a major financial loss on this guy, which does not help us one bit and the club is stuck and in a very very difficult place with what's going on with guys like him and Antony, Maguire, DVB.

IF anything it is quite evident the club needs to put their foot down and force some discipline with an iron fist by simply asking people who are earning massive wages behave like professional on the pitch and off the pitch.

Reserve football till Jan if it was me and I realize it will not help his valuation in terms of moving him but we are already going to take a bath on it so a bit more is of no consequence if we finally want to make a point.

Its a circus for a manager atm.

18.) 07 Sep 2023 11:18:17
Take their hands off for that sort of money- go in january for another striker and also ship varane with him tbh and get a young cb- we have cover up front and hopefully players coming back by then.

19.) 07 Sep 2023 19:40:19
Not banking on anything Trafford.
But there is nothing to lose from my side.

In seriousness though, the club, which is the most important part in all of this, needs to learn.
The latter years or Fergie have led to the current demise, of that I have no doubt, but that is a separate issue. However, I'm pretty confident in saying, under Fergie's watch, this event 1. Would likely not have happened under his watch, or 2. If it did, it would have been killed off immediately, such is the talent of MG.

I said very early on, MG needed a team of people to guide him through life to ensure he focused on banging screamers in the top bin instead of his girlfriends chin. That would have happened under Fergie, the question is, has all that kind of support been removed from the club, the evidence suggests so, as we have a continual flow of issues coming out of the club, be that abusive C***s, overpaid tripe who are stealing a living or mentally unfit personnel who are not fit to lick the dog rubbish of Keano's loafers after taking his dogs for a walk.

The signs appear to be there that we are in a transition towards better times, but these type of distractions need to go away, fast.
We need to create a ship that sails plainly through the seas, unnoticed by the media, until we reach our final destination, atop the premier league ladder and lifting champions league trophies.

20.) 07 Sep 2023 20:26:25
We need to go back to basics with transfers. We seem to now go for the finished article and pay big bucks. Imo go get the guys that deal with brightons transfers, offer them the big wages and sort this mess out. Over the past 6 years we've brought pogba, lukaku, sancho, maguire and Anthony for big money, big money mistakes. For the price of one of these players we could have got all of these players. ferguson, mitoma, caicedo, mcalliser and estupinion. All of whom would have improved this team massively. We like shiney toys with big names but none have delivered. Massive wages and fees.

21.) 08 Sep 2023 11:06:31
Dannyc

I agree completely. We seem to spend big chunks of money on players who everyone has heard about and get a lot of media coverage. We are generally competing for their signature with other clubs in most cases and selling clubs end up getting a premium over what we should be paying.

Our academy is strange as it produces either worldly attacking players and the rest are so average and no CB or mids coming though at all. Mainoo is the exception and remains to be seen if he is going to make it.

I know people might disagree but Rashford in world class for me, Greenwood before his suspension was even ahead of rash for me and higher level and was ranked with likes mbappe as top 3 young strikers in the world.

Garnacho is another one, Who could be something special and yes he will have bad games, they all do.

Show me a PL team who has produced 3 players of this caliber from their academy in the last 6 years.

What's missing is, we should be off buying 18/ 19 olds for reasonable fees 10-15 mill range, who might be ready even if we don't think so and at worst even if one or two seasons, loan them out to other European or championship teams, That's the one piece we don't do well at all.



I finally have MU TV and been watching some of the youth games. There a few players that are interesting and have potential but still ways to go.

22.) 08 Sep 2023 12:08:23
AHMED…. Your seriously putting Rashford and Ganarcho and Greenwood in the same class as Mbappe, well that confirms it, your totally deranged!

That’s not red tinted glass’s that's totally bordering on lunacy!

23.) 09 Sep 2023 06:53:11
Wow, calling people deranged, I honestly don't understand how eds let this slip.

Also, he didn't compare all of them to Mbappe, only Greenwood (which I agree), you should really read more closely.

24.) 10 Sep 2023 07:49:43
Must make it right then if you agree Trololo……. How on earth can even Greenwood be on same level as Mbappe, not kicked a ball in 18 months, previous to that not even a regular, got chucked home from England squad, won nothing, yet you say he on same level as Mbappe, not mind boggles.

Then a snide remark…sums up the post!

25.) 11 Sep 2023 07:37:18
Everyone has an opinion, but I really do not care much what you will say, as I've seen your posts and I can't take your opinion very seriously. I don't even want to go to any debate, be it about Greenwood, Ten Hag, or anything, I'd rather just ignore your posts from now on.

26 Jun 2022 20:03:04
Fulham in advanced talks ofr ANDREAS PERRIRA around 10 mill quid . plus add ons. v good business for us if true. good luck to him.

1.) 26 Jun 2022 20:31:31
Just heard this. Great news for us and Pereira. £10m - that could be the money we have been haggling with Barcelona for De Jong over the last six eons.

2.) 26 Jun 2022 23:06:51
Who’s doing the transfers at Fulham, Ed Woodward?

3.) 27 Jun 2022 06:31:34
GDS, I don't care, but if they are prepared to pay 10m for Pereira then maybe we should show them around our training ground of misfits and freaks and see if we can shift them a few more players.

4.) 27 Jun 2022 09:45:20
Haha I agree, £40m for Eric Bailly would transform their defence.

5.) 27 Jun 2022 10:35:15
Pure class GDS. Let’s hope the remaining players unlikely to feature under Ten Hag will be moved on swiftly too. Suspect Pereira by far the easiest to shift though!

6.) 27 Jun 2022 10:59:37
Halesini, I agree. While Pereira isn't a great player, he isn't on ridiculous wages and is fit more often than not.

The ones we will struggle to shift are those on high wages and/ or spend more time on the physios table than on grass.

7.) 27 Jun 2022 11:27:03
We’ve got a number of squad players who either through form or injury record just aren’t good enough to hack it in the premier league. Bailly has looked great at times albeit often rash in the challenge but, like Jones and Tuanzebe, seems to be made of glass. Maybe the like of Palace, Everton, Southampton they could stake a claim at first team football but their injury records suggest they wouldn’t play all the time. Their wages just won’t justify the investment.

Phil Jones is on £110k a week
Eric Bailly is on £87k a week

Highly unlikely someone else is going to pick up that kind of tab.

8.) 27 Jun 2022 15:46:31
But who'll win the player of pre-season, now?

9.) 27 Jun 2022 17:14:09
We might keep him for a couple of games of the tour and then let him go after that Nou. Let him hit a 40 yard volley.

10.) 28 Jun 2022 13:37:37
Personally I'd rather sell Fred and keep pereira but we all know that won't happen.

21 Oct 2020 07:38:00
Eric Bailly out for 3-4 weeks with muscle injury confirmed . Feel sorry for the lad but its a business and might be wise to think about cashing in if he can't stay fit, obviously more to it than plain bad luck he might just be one of those injury prone players his whole career.

1.) 21 Oct 2020 08:42:09
I said this over the summer, while I think Bailly is one of our better centre backs, the lad just can't stay fit.

2.) 21 Oct 2020 09:28:21
I don’t even think he’s that good. Bailly, Rojo and Jones all need to be shipped out and replaced. Promote Tuanzebe and one other, and buy another CB.

Tuanzebe last night was incredible. Now if he can stay fit!

3.) 21 Oct 2020 10:04:59
If Tuanzebe can stay fit then he can become a great option for us. Mengi also looks a super talent. Add that to Maguire and Lindelof (who aren't half as bad as most people seem to think) . Then we have some decent players to work with, if we play three at the back then Shaw looks well suited to the LCB role, maybe look to bring in another left footed CB to complete with him and add some balance to our defensive options.

4.) 21 Oct 2020 12:07:50
I’m with you Eric, I don’t see what Bailly has to offer us. It probably says more about the quality of our other CBs that Bailly is highly thought of.

5.) 21 Oct 2020 15:55:17
Really like Tuanzebe. But most importantly, we looked much more in control and focused. Lindelof looks much more assured when not playing with Maguire.

Maguire's positional sense is a nightmare which gives those around him more work to do. But when lindelof plays with a more competent centre half, like Tuanzebe last night, it just seems to work better.

But I'm sure Maguire will walk back in unfortunately.

And shappy, mengi, he is the one. Honestly, really excited to see him when he makes the step up. We shouldn't need to buy another CB with him around.

6.) 21 Oct 2020 17:12:13
Angel, Mengi looks potentially like a top level talent. However, that jump from academy to professional football is vast, and many highly talented players have fallen by the wayside.

To be honest if looking at our central options when playing with three at the back we have Lindelof, Maguire and Shaw as first choice and I think they work well together. Tuanzebe and Mengi coming through to challenge those in the first 11. What we really need is another left footed (or at least left sided) centre back to challenge Shaw.

When playing three at the back the RCB and the LCB need to be comfortable moving wider into areas more traditionally covered by the full back. Which is why ideally you want a left footed LCB.

There are some very good options out there who could be available. David Alaba, if he can't sort out a new deal with Bayern would excel in the role. While players like Pau Torres, Zagadou, Bastoni, Badiashile and Ndicka could all offer solid options as well, all being left footed.

While Mengi has played on the left of the centre back partnership and at LB on occasion, so while being right footed he could easily enough cover there.

7.) 21 Oct 2020 17:51:14
I'm still not convinced with Lindelof angel.
He has not improved over time.
He still gets bullied and struggles in one vs one situations.

I'd like us to go for a top class CB like Giminez or Upamecano, to compete with Maguire, Lindelof and Tuanzebe.

8.) 21 Oct 2020 23:37:53
Angel,

You say unfortunately our captain will walk straight back in but I thought he had a very good game against Newcastle, he won absolutely everything and looked so assured after he got his goal.

9.) 22 Oct 2020 09:40:11
I think a back three with quick players either side of Maguire suits him. It allows him to step forward into midfield with the ball with adequate protection either side of him.

While I think Lindelof has better defensive instincts than Maguire, Harry is far more physical and certainly stronger in the air.

While we played excellently against PSG one thing I did note was PSG never tried the aerial route. Which suited us as Shaw and Lindelof are okay at best in the air and Tuanzebe is untested at the highest level.

In the EPL Maguire might be the better option. In Europe Lindelof might be the better option.

10.) 22 Oct 2020 12:33:46
I don’t get this obsession with needing a left footed CB. Especially as most wingers are now inverted and cut inside, moving on to the defenders right foot. It seems mythical to me.

11.) 22 Oct 2020 23:41:45
Wazza, it's about balance and shape. I would agree in a back four a left footed CB is less important. However, when you play a back three the LCB will have to move out to cover the LB area of the pitch. Which is why being left footed in that situation is preferable.

While the current fashion for higher pressing means that centre backs need to play passes quicker while maintaining accuracy. If you are right footed playing on the left, your options for a quick pass are limited to those players playing on your left, either LB or LW. Whereas a left footed player has a wider area of the pitch to play passes quickly.

If you're right footed and you are pressed then you will have to turn so your left hand side is shielding the ball. If you do that on the left hand side of the pitch you are turning inward towards your goal and then your passing option is limited to your CB partner or maybe a longer more dangerous pass across your box to your RB. If they are marked then you are screwed.

The advantage of a right footed player on the right and a left footed player on the left. Is that the players can play passes more quickly off their stronger foot. While if they are pressed they will naturally, instinctively turn their body in such a way that they will play away from goal and away from the danger area.

That is why Pep has signed Lapotre and Ake, while Arteta has signed Gabriel, David Luis and Pablo Mari.

Tactical managers looking for the best "ideal" solution. It is why left footed CB's are highly prized.

It's why Bayern Munich paid €80m for Lucas Hernandez. While they also play Alaba at LCB often if Hernandez isn't available.

While it's perfectly possible to play a right footed player on the left, you statically get better results from playing a left footer.

12.) 23 Oct 2020 13:24:59
The players you list don't exactly pour glory over your argument Shappy. With the exception of Laporte, of course, but the rule of averages says one of them will be good.

Look where it got LVG, he's history and we've ended up with Rojo.

Think where we'd be if had just signed Koulibaly or Varane rather than try to over complicate things.

I can't remember any time in following football where a CB pairing has been successfully because one of the pair is left footed, and that's when wingers were proper wingers. In fact most to the best pairings have both been right footed.

It's a load of old bolloxolgy if you ask me.

13.) 23 Oct 2020 15:54:18
GDS, not convinced he deserves the spot to be honest given how he has been playing. And it's unfortunate that he will walk straight back into the team.

14.) 23 Oct 2020 15:54:52
TRD, I'm still much more convinced by Lindelof than I am Maguire.

15.) 24 Oct 2020 00:52:16
We’ve got a LCB. His name is Rojo. Argentina international. Didn’t work out. Injured a lot. Very rash. To be fair he would have been decent in a back 3 a few years back. Never really tried it.

16.) 24 Oct 2020 02:12:36
Eric,

He played there for the under 23s tonight who played a 3-4-3 formation. Williams played right wing back and Pellestri also played. A last minute penalty winner in a 2-1 win, impressive performance considering how young this team is.

17.) 24 Oct 2020 08:05:11
Is Rojo even in the Premier league squad?

{Ed047's Note - yes but not the Champions league squad

05 Oct 2020 13:50:52
Anyone know if Mike Smalling can play the piano? Fully expecting him to be unveiled at 7pm tonight in a fog of dry ice "like a new signing" a la stars in their eyes.

1.) 05 Oct 2020 14:29:25
Isn't that the standard line they trott when someone comes back from a long-term injury, it like a new signing, and we still want more for Mike than we just paid for Telles.

19 Aug 2020 16:46:53
Dont know if anyone listened to the Manchester is Red podcast today -I listen via MEN as I live outside UK . Samuel Luckhurst was very pessimistic about signings -he thought maximum of 2 -I don't know how highly he is regarded in UK - Ed W. came in for a bit of stick again for his "one deal at a time" strategy for incomings and out goings - as mentioned today "transfer window is 10 weeks .3 weeks gone already and seems to be all in for Sancho" Brooks at Bournemouth is someone Ole is keen on.

1.) 19 Aug 2020 18:05:07
As per most summer windows a player will suddenly come out of nowhere that we sign when everyone is looking at a different player and then it will be totally forgotten and talked about that we only do one deal at a time. So I’d imagine we might sign 1 or 2 players that haven’t been mentioned as well as a major signing.

boyfromburrenway's banter posts with other poster's replies to boyfromburrenway's banter posts

27 Apr 2024 22:30:35
Cannot beleive for a minute SJR has put money into the club to sit and watch that turgid dross - If he is anywhere close to being this pro active clever businessman he is supposed to be from any angle he looks at the club ETH is toast.

1.) 27 Apr 2024 23:42:56
What you on about…we are one of the most exciting and dynamic teams in the league! ?‍♂️??‍♂️.

2.) 28 Apr 2024 07:15:52
ETH is seriously losing it or smoking that Dutch stuff too much!

To say openly that we will be lucky to finish top 3 is not exactly motivational, nor good business when we will struggle as it is to attract players.

To say we are one of the most dynamic teams. WHAT THE?

Sorry clog stomper but I’m now officially on the get you out bus.

3.) 28 Apr 2024 07:44:48
Remember when RR gave that speech about open heart surgery and needing 8-10 players.

A year later everyone said oh look RR was right after all.

Let's be honest EtH is right. With a fully fit squad we would be in a fight for the top 4. We are so far from competing with City, Arsenal and Liverpool.

4.) 28 Apr 2024 08:15:00
Clog stomper Keefy, really? ?‍♂️
Honestly the casual racism that gets through on this site not a good look. This is the third time in the past couple of months I’ve read something like this.

5.) 28 Apr 2024 08:34:39
Agreed Mad Hatter.

The manager tells the truth at a press conference and he's put to the sword. In 12 months time under when we are no better off under Southgate people will look back and say EtH was right.

6.) 28 Apr 2024 09:09:20
No Man Utd manager should say that out loud Mad Hatter ever ever ?.

7.) 28 Apr 2024 09:21:46
He might be right…infact we know he is. That doesn’t mean he isn’t part of the problem also. Tactics? In game management, player decisions, recruitment all things he’s in control of and they’ve been poor. His style might work in Holland where Ajax are the big boys and the opposition doesn’t punish you, but in the premier league he’s been found out. The players are poor so that exacerbates the tactical flaws even more. We’ve seen the same thing happen all season but still things stay the same, that’s very telling for me.

8.) 28 Apr 2024 09:29:29
Whoa you can’t be slinging around such offensive terms as clog stomper and accusing people of drug use just because they’re Dutch, angry and clueless.

9.) 28 Apr 2024 10:22:29
Wow. Calm down. It’s legal in Holland.

You just called them Dutch, angry and clueless! ?

FYI one of my best mates is Dutch. We met when I lived in Holland. He often says he is a cloggie or clog s*****r when asked where he is from.

He calls me a dirty Manc, a Pom and a pasty ginger but I don’t get offended.

10.) 28 Apr 2024 11:02:34
ETH has puzzled me with his comments and some decisions but I think I'm just frustrated the team is not doing well, but I want ETH to stay. He has started from zero and had a lot to contend with. I don't want someone new come in and start again from zero. I think he's a smart man and will have success with time. I think the players he has at the minute are mostly poor in quality and maybe only has 3 or 4 players ready to play for Man Utd along with some young players with potential.

11.) 28 Apr 2024 11:49:58
But he’s not trying anything new. Him and his coaching team persist with the same tactics that clearly don’t work, and same training methods that are resulting in multiple injuries.

Now there is an argument that they were so unfit, that his regime is taking its toll as they adjust. We saw Liverpool under Klopp go through the same as they adapted to high energy and high press football. So confused on how to judge his work at the club. All I know is, Southgate cannot be the answer.

12.) 28 Apr 2024 12:02:42
Keefy if that’s how you and your mate speak to one another privately that’s your prerogative but a public forum isn’t the place.

In roughly 14 years of contributing to these pages under this username and one or two lost logins, I haven’t seen the levels of casual racism been accepted as has been recently. Each time I’ve called it out and my post has received several likes, so it’s not just me.

I get that many people are frustrated and want the manager out. That’s fine. But it doesn’t need to get personal, and casual racism should never be accepted.

13.) 28 Apr 2024 12:49:30
Completely agree Eric79. That's where I am with it.
I sway from keeping him to getting rid.
I do think tuchel would be the best appointment, Southgate would be another mistake.
The pros to keeping ten hag unfortunately are out weighed by the cons.
He hasn't got the best out of any player. His purchases have all been woeful, I don't think I'd keep one. 2 seasons in there's no patterns of play, no defined style.
The question I ask myself is, can ten hag get us closer to the top teams. I don't think he can.

14.) 28 Apr 2024 13:45:03
Tuchel, the pound shop Klopp :D
I'm sure this place is going to be a mess of everyone stating/ restating their stance on EtH for the rest of the season, if not after every game. Looks like it's all ramped up again today, fueled by some admittedly bizarre comments in his post-match conference.
Still hangs in the balance for me although with each dropped point or concentration-blip leading to a goal it swings away from him. No manager has implemented an enjoyable style post-Fergie, and few if any have covered themselves in glory with their signings. It hasn't 'clicked' for any of them.
And I think that's why they'll keep him, at least through the summer window. SJR said at the very start that if the same thing keeps happening to different managers, they're not the problem - it needs to be dealt with above them. They've literally only just started doing that, and arguably barely at all as two of the people they want can't even sit at their desks.

15.) 28 Apr 2024 15:05:40
Hatter. I think most of us agreed with Rangnick when he said that we needed 8-10 signings straight away, not one year later. The problem is, here we are two years on from him saying that having brought in 16 new players (10 permanent), yet we’re still an absolute mess with no recognizable style of play.

We needed open heart surgery, but trusted somebody who was and still is woefully under qualified to carry it out.

16.) 28 Apr 2024 15:13:57
Let's be honest, the club replacing the manager has been an open secret for months.

They haven't come out an said they are backing EtH for next season, and with all the speculation that is running around that silence is as good as an admission that they will look to replace him.

They have been exploring potential managerial options, gathering information and according to rumours (almost certainly true ones) even speaking to a few agents to gauge interest.

The media know that the manager will be replaced, people within football know it, the fans know it, the players know it, while the manager will know it too.

EtH has been a dead man walking for months, nothing more than a placeholder until the club can replace him as smoothly as possible.

Absolutely no doubt that it has impacted the final third of our season. The players performances look like players going through the motions full in the knowledge that the man leading them won't be managing them next season.

When the going is easy everything is fine, but the moment they have to dig in or find some resilience there is nothing there. They are struggling for motivation to fight for a lost cause.

There is no chance of UCL football next season, there is no chance that performances could save the manager, while many of them are probably aware that their own time at the club is coming to a close and they will likely be moved on in the summer. I'd imagine most have been told as much through their agent who will have been told by the club that they should look for a new club for their client. That sort of thin takes time, and can't be held back until after the end of the season.

So exactly what do the players have to play for other than maybe a little professional pride? They can't get UCL, they can't save the manager, and they can't save their own United career.

This is now an impossible situation akin to Rangnick's final few months when it was clear he wasn't going to be staying in any authoritative capacity. Nothing to play for, but games to just get through.

For context look over at Liverpool and their collapse this season under one of the best managers around. Players know the manager won't be there next season, we've seen Klopp and Salah fall out the other day, 100% that wouldn't have happened if Salah knew Klopp was going to be there next season. They had a few injuries and dropped out of the cups, fell behind in the league and the players know they don't really have anything to play for left. Several probably realise that the new manager will make changes and that their time at the club is probably soon ending.

It's not as bad as it is at United, but players motivation and drive does naturally drop a little when they know the person they are playing for is leaving.

Probably United's worst season under SAF was the year he said he'd be retiring early on in the season. He then went back on it and our performances started to pick up. That was SAF, arguably our greatest ever manager seeing his side's form drop once they knew he was leaving.

Th reality is at the top of the game even a 5% drop in effort will see a massive drop off in performance.

The only way our season had any real chance of turning around would have been for the club to offer EtH a new deal when SJR took over. Even if it was a deal with a clause or something. Just a show of faith to make everyone believe EtH was going to be the manager next season.

When that didn't come it quickly became apparent that EtH was a dead man walking, that filters down to the players and we get these limp performances we are seeing. We've seen it happen to some of the very best managers, there really is very little any manager can do once his players know he's a goner.

17.) 28 Apr 2024 15:32:11
Why is tuchel a pound shop klopp?

18.) 28 Apr 2024 15:32:37
Is ten hag a pound shop van gaal?

19.) 28 Apr 2024 15:42:59
Mad hatter RR laid into United and their dysfunctional operations in an interview a few years before he came to United, he continued to do it when he was at the club, many fans thought he was right at the time and regret he wasnt given a position upstairs - once again the suits got it wrong.

When ETH leaves what will he actually be remembered for? very little I would say - and the fact that the last 6 weeks he is soumding more and more like Potter in his last days at Chelsea and Ole in his last days with us is very worrying but an indicator of him knowing the jig is up.

20.) 28 Apr 2024 16:00:29
No, it doesn’t flow as well Tom!

21.) 28 Apr 2024 16:06:08
I hadn’t seen it as a secret for 6 months he’d be leaving at all Shappy. Really wouldn’t surprise me if they give him another shot backing him properly. But maybe you’re right, I’m obviously out of touch. Can’t say any mooted replacements other than Nagelsmann fill me with joy. Trouble is (like Southgate) he has obligations. There’d be no preseason again, and how often is a poor preseason used as an excuse for a poor following campaign.
On the plus side, maybe Poch or Wilder will be available!

22.) 28 Apr 2024 17:17:51
ETH utterings are also helping him out the door. Throwing 19-year-olds under the bus, the entertaining comment and then we won’t win the league next year. That is all whilst senior top level football people, best in class, are trying to persuade players to sign and the manager they might play for is waving the white flag. I would be amazed if the new senior management didn’t think that was not helpful. Maybe it is true but should never be said like that.

10 Jan 2024 21:12:47
Marcel van der kraan is it, the dutch journo from talksport? Switched on this morning and he was asked about Antony he said he didn't think he would be a success in the PL due to his attitude as much as anything - easily wound up so he loses composure very easily.

Anyway that wasn't the interesting thing for me, The journo said ETH told him directly not only was Antony NOT his first choice, but he didn't get ANY of his first picks that he asked for. strange as I think he was all in for Licha. had the journo not said ETH told him all this directly, I wouldn't be repeating it here. Unfortunately he didn't say who his first picks were.

1.) 10 Jan 2024 22:09:26
I think it’s becoming clear ETH will be gone in the summer.

Sancho will be hoping so for sure - go to Hermany for 6 months, play some football, and come back to a new coach.

2.) 10 Jan 2024 22:12:27
Wasn’t Timber his first choice CB over Martinez? Obviously he wanted FdJ and ended up with Casemiro.

It would be interesting to know exactly what input the manager has in relation to transfer fees etc.

I would assume that when the bidding approached £80m someone spoke to EtH, asked him if he was sure about the player at that amount and explained how such a huge outlay would impact future windows? This all seems like common sense, open dialogue and communication between manager and senior decision makers/ negotiators but at Manchester Utd sense isn’t a word in the vocabulary!

3.) 10 Jan 2024 23:19:24
The club is responsible for buying Antony for that ridiculous amount of money, as they were for buying Sancho the previous season. In both cases they should have put their foot down, but had clearly not done any homework. A properly functioning club would never have been suckered into two such awful deals, whatever the manager's wishes.

4.) 11 Jan 2024 04:21:52
Sancho can do one. don't care if EtH is here or not. Waste of space.

5.) 11 Jan 2024 06:28:51
Talksport should just change its name to Talksh~t along with most sports journalism.

6.) 11 Jan 2024 06:47:09
I agree dodgy that’s why I want to stick with the manager so all these frauds get shown the door! I don’t want a new manager who gives the same old tripe a fresh start! Sancho martial mctom maguire lindelof awb Dalot, average at best who’ve let us down time and time again! There’s more I know!

7.) 11 Jan 2024 08:53:16
I wouldn’t believe a word that comes out of Marcel’s mouth

He stated years back that Van Persie would 100% not join Man Utd as he was close friends with him.

8.) 11 Jan 2024 11:04:57
All managers since SAF, even SAF since the Glazers haven't been getting their first choice players. That's the penny pinching. Van Gaal and Solskjaer have both clarified this. Poor negotiating, then panic buying 2nd or 3rd options at inflated prices has been United for sometime now.

9.) 11 Jan 2024 12:17:00
Timber was first choice (although Martinez has been exceptional barring injuries and I’m very happy we got him) .

10.) 11 Jan 2024 21:08:49
It's not penny pinching, it's incompetence. We've spent huge amounts, just spent it badly.

11.) 12 Jan 2024 10:27:39
We definitely tried to sign Timber before we signed Licha. So it's probably safe to say Timber was the first choice option.

We have a tendency to pin signings to a manager, but the reality is that we have a massive scouting department, and many other people who are part of the process in signing players.

The manager apparently has a right to veto any signing he doesn't want, which is for the best. As if the manager really doesn't want the player then it's unlikely they will play him and it would just be a waste of money.

While in someways it would be ideal that the manager gets his first choice that isn't really isn't a great indicator of whether that player will be a success.

If the player is scouted well, suits the requirements, and can settle into the group and new work and living environment then they will likely be successful.

There are many cases of managers not getting their first choice but the 2nd or 3rd choice has been very successful.

It's about the entire set up and not just one man's opinion.

12.) 12 Jan 2024 11:36:49
Indeed Shappy. Best example is Salah at Liverpool. Wasn’t Klopp’s first choice, but he’s been the best 1-2
Players for years in the league.

01 Jan 2024 11:22:39
Happy New Year fellow posters and the Eds. Watched Andreas Perera again yesterday for Fulham, the lad is having a great season and should be an example to the likes of / Sancho/ Maguire/ Martial/ MCT-even Lingard If its not working out for you have faith in yourself and go and get a good career elsewhere. You will always earn a big wage and all the trappings

P. s -How good is Paulinho? a DM that gives no less that 8/ 10 performances week after week.

1.) 01 Jan 2024 15:16:38
The problem is we give these guys such high wages that they wouldn't even get paid half as much elsewhere. While I suspect being a Manchester United player probably opens up more chances to make money through endorsements and sponsorships etc.

The sad reality is that the one's who do bite the bullet and take the financial hit to leave and play regular football are actually probably the better ones to keep around as at least they want to play football and have a desire to get on the pitch. The one's we get stuck with are not only not good enough, but also lacking in ambition, fight and desire to actually play football.

2.) 02 Jan 2024 06:48:47
Shappy

Over the years United, Real Madrid and Barcelona have been the highest payers when it comes to wages. The difference has been both United and Barcelona have done a very poor job of identifying the right players to justify the transfer fees and wages.

Dembele, Countinho are a few that come to mind. In our case we have done so many poor short sighted stuff and paying the price for it. Madrid seem to get it right a lot of the time and don't have stinkers. Our most expensive buys have turned out to be our biggest stinkers with no exception.


Was watching the Liverpool game and they brought Jota, Gravenburch and Gakpo off the bench to change the game early in the second half. All three were in the 40 mill mark.

We have people like mc, Hanibal and Pellistri as our options to change the game. Such a massive gap in quality. The Liverpool bunch can all pass, all compete physically without doing crazy/ stupid stuff and all have incredible work rates.

I reckon we would bite somebodies hand off if they offered 30 mill for any of the above 3 and that's a speaks volumes for quality of the squad.

Its not just the high wagers that's a challenge but even the second string is way below the required quality imo.

3.) 02 Jan 2024 14:54:00
Real Madrid have had a level of consistency and stability that has allowed them to plan long term. As such most of their targets have worked out. They've been aided by obliging clubs paying big fees for their aging stars in Ronaldo and Casemiro which has allowed them to bring in players like Tchoumeni and Bellingham.

Barcelona have been hamstrung by a combination of "having to play a certain way", Messi being bigger than the club, as well as financial issues off the pitch and a couple of poor presidents who thought that it was better to borrow money to try and spend their way out of trouble rather than making the hard and unpopular decisions that needed to be made. Terrified over losing their support and their jobs, which led to them making decisions with their personal best interests at heart rather than the best interests of the club.

They have been in a very different kind of mess to us, which highlights that fan ownership isn't necessarily better and isn't without its own pitfalls and drawbacks.

We've just had a lack of leadership and direction from the top down, owners who don't want to dirty their hands with the day to day running, but won't let anything happen without their blessing (despite them recognising that they don't know the difference between apples and oranges when it comes to football) . We suffered from a power vacuum created when Sir Alex and David Gill both left at the same time. People not suited or qualified got hold of powers and positions that they didn't have the knowledge or understanding to wield. That led to a disjointed and disorganised approach to running the club, with decisions made with short term thinking as people drown under the weight of responsibility and expectations they weren't up to handling. That saw people involved in marketing making suggestions on the kind of players we should sign to increase brand awareness and attract sponsors. As well as people with no understanding of football deciding who would be the most suitable manager for the squad of players we have and the club as a whole. With the approach ultimately becoming a shopping trip of perusing the aisles for which managers are available and picking out the most recognisable one.

Hopefully that stops now and we start to see people with subject specific knowledge and experience moving into the key roles and a restructuring and renewed focus on running the football activities at the club in a manner to best suit playing football that can challenge on all fronts.

01 Nov 2023 08:57:22
Not a popular opinion I know but I still say Ralf R. leaving and not going upstairs was a loss to the club.

He should never have been manager it was like a headmaster from a top private school being asked to cover the Biology teachers maternity leave -not his forte but he spoke sense and had a great vision for the future of the club top to bottom.

1.) 01 Nov 2023 09:31:23
I think Ten Hag should probably doing that role now.

2.) 01 Nov 2023 09:58:32
I agree that he should have been given the DoF job or similar. He was a good manager but not a great one during his career, but he really excelled when working as the overarching guy bringing everything together.

I don't think there was a problem with him being the interim manager, ultimately we were never going to get a top class manager to take up the role for 6 months. The problem was how it was implemented in my opinion. He was tasked with bringing the squad into line but totally undermined. If the squad knew he was coming in to manage them for 6 months then he'd be going upstairs and would have their futures in his hands then I suspect the players would have stepped in line and followed his instructions. Certainly the ones who wanted to have a future at the club would have.

He'd have been able to really get a look at the players, work out who needed to go and who could stay, then stepped back with all that knowledge and start running the football side of things properly.

But that would have been the sensible thing to do, that would have been common sense. Unfortunately those are things the current people pulling the strings cannot abide. So it was never going to actually happen that way.

The biggest issue I think the club has is that we have too many people in many undefined roles, or roles that aren't clearly defined. When Sir Alex and David Gill left there was a power vacuum and there are too many people with their fingers in the pie, unqualified or ill-suited to the role they have.

Look at Darren Fletcher for example, he spent nearly 18 months at the club without a clearly defined job title until they made one up for him. He was everywhere, full access to the coaching set up, the boardroom, the offices. If I didn't know better I'd say he was just there to spy on everyone, gather information and feed it back to someone. Or maybe it was just a job for one of the boys. A little bit of cronyism.

I like Fletcher, he was a great servant to the club during his playing career and he seems like a nice guy. Has had his health challenges and worked to overcome them. I'm sure he's a stand up guy, but I'm not sure what his role was or how he could possibly be qualified to do, whatever it was he was doing.

I mean was his voice one that influenced signings, staff changes, structural changes? Who knows. He seemed to be everywhere doing nothing.

He's just the most high profile example of people behind the scenes with undefined roles that seem to overlap with others.

The whole thing needs clearing out. I wouldn't be surprised to see a much more streamlined structure once SJR gets a hold of it. With many people being let go and hopefully a few better suited people being brought in.

3.) 01 Nov 2023 12:01:25
But that was the plan Shappy, he was announced as the interim manager and told he would be staying on as a consultant for a further 2 years. The players still didn't give a toss.

These players just aren't worth the money and wages being paid to them. We still reward players with high wages on long contracts for having a purple patch. Behind the scenes we are an absolute shambles.

I lauded praise on Ten Hag last year as I thought he deserved it, this season between his signings and his decision making, he is slowly drowning. We talk about players not being able to cope with the pressure of Old Trafford but I think the manager is feeling it now.

We desperately need a proper DOF. Someone who can identify quality players and also someone who can challenge the manager so he doesn't continue to make bizarre decisions in the transfer market.

Rangniak oversaw some of the worst performances iv ever seen. I know he was coming in talking about open heart surgery for the club (which of course he is right) I doubt anyone around the club liked that. He was too honest and even if Ten Hag would have accepted him as DOF, I don't think the club would have hired him.

As for where we are now, we're yoyoing like we always do. If it was my decision I'd keep Ten Hag over any players, simply because I don't think any manager could turn these lads around long term, but he will be sacked soon if he can't right this ship.

1 goal from our forward line so far. We had 4 or 5 breakaway chances against City and made the wrong decision every time. We're a team of overpaid pretenders.

It's weird now as a fan, I'm obviously upset after results like Sunday but I'm really starting not to care. As long as we have owners who not care, players who don't care, next up is the fans.

4.) 01 Nov 2023 12:32:35
He's not slowly drowning. The players and the media are going after him. They want a sacking and fans are too blind to see that backing him and seeing this through is the best cause for the club.

Players who don't fit the system have to leave. Players who don't play are going to be unhappy, that is why you remove them quickly. The club is chaos above EtH and they should be strongly backing him.

Arteta, Pep, Klopp all got rid of players that were popular when they came in to build a team that they wanted. Back the guy and stop giving power to these players.

5.) 01 Nov 2023 12:39:02
I think that was ETH’s biggest mistake. He should’ve seen what the alternatives were before vetoing the decision, if indeed that is what happened as was widely reported.

6.) 01 Nov 2023 12:50:19
Dodgy, I'm a huge fan of Ten Hag but he's making some very peculiar decisions lately. His marquee signing of Mount can't find his way into the team. His reluctance to drop underperformering players like Rashford or play players out of position like Bruno is having a severely negative impact on the team.

Playing Evans over Varane as a tactical decision against City is ludicrous. 10 games into the season and you're playing McTominay and Maguire, two players he was trying to shift because they weren't good enough is ludicrous.

Playing Hannibal for two games, praising him and then dropping him doesn't send the right message.

As I said, I'd keep the manager and start getting rid of everyone, but he's not doing himself any favours with some of the things he does.

Playing Lindelof LB against City was a necessity due to injuries. But our plan to play it short to Onana from a goal kick and then straight to Lindelof was suicide. We did it the entire match and we couldn't get out once.

In game management is also an issue. We finish games formationally disjointed and out of balance. I just think the cool methodical Ten Hag of last year isn't around this year hence why he may be drowning a bit.

7.) 01 Nov 2023 13:39:42
Mumbles, the consultant role was a typical half-assed approach from the club. It wasn't a real role or position with any sort of power or influence.

Basically told he'd be paid a retainer fee for the club to ask his opinion on things then ignore it because they don't like it.

That's not a real role or position. It's not even a half measure.

The players are a shambles, most of them need slinging out the door. If it was down to me their feet wouldn't touch the floor.

EtH in my opinion has had to manage a number of frankly ridiculous number of issues, none of them of his own making. For that reason I think he is the right man for the job, I just think he doesn't have the support to hold it all together and the freedom to do what is required to move the club forward.

I think he wants to build a team for the long term, most of his signings and the players he has pursued are 24 or younger. He's clearly trying to build something that can last.

The club on the other hand seem to be thinking far more short term, looking at players who they can signed to have an immediate impact and get the club into the top four.

Casemiro is the most obvious example. He is not even close to a similar player to FdJ who the manager wanted. He is also 6 years older than the Dutchman. He was a player the club were offered and they took up the option. Apparently the player EtH considered as an alternative to FdJ was Rabiot. Now while we might have some concerns over his attitude or his disruptive mother, he is a much more similar player to FdJ than Casemiro and is 4 years younger than the Brazilian. He'd have also been significantly cheaper than the Brazilian and would have left more funds available to potentially strengthen in other areas. Maybe signing Rabiot would have meant that when Ronaldo threw his toys out the pram that there was budget enough to get a better replacement than Weghorst on loan. Who knows.

The issue though is that the money spent on a short term option like Casemiro has tied up 70m in transfer fees and 72m in wages over his 4 year deal. That's 150m tied up in one player who is now showing signs of decline. These sort of deals are restricting the managers ability to build a team for the future. They restrict the ability to bring in players further down the line. We've signed 4 players on loan last season and 2 on loan this season. That's 6 loan signings in 12 months. Sir Alex made something like 5 loan signings in 26 years. We've also signed two players on free transfers not because they were premium options available on a Bosman, but because the clubs hands were tied and they were the best value options available to the club.

These are the restrictions the manager is having to work with, restrictions placed on him because the club values getting top four as more important than building a league winning side.

The only signing I think was entirely down to EtH and was a mistake and needed challenging was Antony. I said a the time that we were paying 85m for a 40m player. There were better players available for much less. Players like Yeremi Pino, Moussa Diaby, Nico Williams or even Jarrod Bowen would have been cheaper options that are also more talented. That's a situation where our poor structure and bad reputation for scouting/ signing players probably lead to signing a player that the manager wanted rather than have a clear plan/ structure for recruitment.

However the real issue is that we don't have any sort of consistency in our recruitment. You need to have one of two approaches to transfers to have any chance of building a cohesive side. You either have a club strategy, where you have a set criteria for signings, an age profile, a type of player, players who have proven themselves in a similar style to how your team plays etc. You then hire managers to fit the club vision and he will be able to work with the signings as there is a shared view in how a side should play and the types of players needed to do so. This is the better way of doing it. The other is to completely back your manager, get the signings he wants, the positions, the players etc. Everything. This way can work, but you probably get a few more misses. It also leaves you in a situation of having a squad moulded to a specific manager and style when it comes times to part ways with the manager. The other issue is most managers are concerned with the here and now. They don't care about having a player who'll peak and be a club great after that manager leaves the club. They want players that will help them win right now.

Both ways can work, both have potential drawbacks. The key is consistency though, you commit to one way and you stick to it.

At United the problem is that there is no consistency to our transfer policy, sometimes we buy a player for a manager, sometimes we buy a player the club wants, be that for brand appeal and marketing, or because they are focused on a player to get us UCL or whether its a player for the future (This happened with Martial, LvG came out and said it was a signing for the next manager and not him) . Either way its a scattergun approach with no clear idea about what sort of squad you are creating. This has been further compounded by regularly sacking managers and still having no clear approach to recruitment either player or manager. Hiring managers who have vastly different ideas and approaches to football, then allowing that manager to dictate some signings changing the shape of the squad.

This has lead to a squad that bar a few probably all need moving on and totally rebuilding. There is no cohesion, no rhyme or reason to our squad, players who actually play very different styles of football, a lopsided age profile. Just a real life interpretation of Frankenstein's monster, made up of parts from vastly different bodies.

We can see this in that no manager has been able to fully impart how they want to get the side to play. While any style gets thrown out the window when key players get injured or are unavailable as the players stepping in just cannot play the same way.

The closest we have come to a coherent style has been when we have played by defending deep in numbers and hit teams on the counter. This is because it is the most simplistic way of playing and most players can play this way to varying degrees. It masks players with lower technical ability because teammates are closer and less demands are placed on individuals. Attacking is simple, play it over the top for someone to chase. Defending is easier with more teammates closer together, less space to cover and less likely to get isolated.

Most managers despite their preferred style or ideologies have ended up playing this way as its the only way to eek out a result with a incoherent squad. Then we hit some poor form and the manager is sacked and the cycle starts again.

We need to break that cycle. The only way to do that is to have a consistent recruitment strategy and stick to it. Bring in players who suit a specific way of playing, and keep going. Give the manager the freedom to finish mid-table until the squad is coherent and capable of playing the preferred style consistently. Stop putting demands to finish in the top four on the manager. That demand forces them to change tact and fall into the same trap as their predecessors. It forces the club to step in and make inconsistent transfers to try and focus on a short term aim. Become performance focused rather than results focused. Good performances will always lead to good results if you can keep improving. Focusing on results means to compromise everything else in chasing a short term aim.

This sort of vision/ planning needs to come from a competent DoF who understands football, someone who measures success in performances and trophies and not on how healthy the spreadsheet looks.

Ultimately a team that succeeds in their football aims will earn money, one that fails with its football aims will eventually struggle to make money.

People want to see good football, they want success. That leads to sponsors wanting to be connected to your club and have access to that market. The more successful you are on the pitch the more coverage you get and the bigger a market you offer to sponsors. While success on the pitch means you are in more competitions for longer, more prize money, more TV money.

It doesn't even make financial sense to focus on short term aims such as UCL qualification over building a successful team.

8.) 01 Nov 2023 14:27:07
RR was gone before Ten Hag was going before ten hag was interviewed. He slated the club seniors and they didn't like it. don't believe he didn't want him.

9.) 01 Nov 2023 14:57:29
RR staying and going had nothing to do with ETH. He does not make those decision. ETH job does not involve picking DOF. RR and murtagh was never going to work. No other club has that structure. leave it to us to screw up the simplest stuff.

10.) 01 Nov 2023 15:22:20
Although I don't think it will have been as personal as 'I don't want to work with RR' I would be surprised if the focus of many of ten Hag's interviews didn't circulate around his preference not to work with someone in that capacity, ie insisting he had control over specific things. Which makes you wonder how he'll interact with the new one, should Sir Jim bring one in.

11.) 01 Nov 2023 15:48:31
Spenno, I'd expect SJR to slimline the structure and make sure roles are clearly defined.

I'd imagine if he brings someone in to oversee the day to day running of the club it would be at Murtagh's expense. Whether they have another role for Murtagh or he leaves entirely who knows.

The rumours are that Paul Mitchell has been lined up to become the DoF. What that means for EtH is that instead of working with Murtagh he'd be working with Mitchell. Another name that's been bounded about is Dan Ashworth, who would be a phenomenal appointment as well. Although those rumours seem far more speculative.

That will have both benefits and drawbacks from EtH's perspective. It might mean he has less autonomy over some things I'd expect, although he might gain more in other ways. He'd also get to work with someone who has a proven track record and is considered a top candidate in that role.

It all depends how things shake out. However, he is currently working with Murtagh and he previously worked with Overmars. So it's not like he doesn't have experience of working with others or that he is some kind of dictator who needs total control over everything.

I'd imagine like most of us he will know when he's working with someone who is great at their job or not. Just like the rest of us, he's probably less keen to rely on those he knows aren't up to scratch.

I'd be very sceptical for example of the potential options the club come up with as possible transfer targets. Purely based on their shocking record.
Would you trust the opinion of the guy who scouted 804 RB's and came up with AWB as the best available? Or the guy who suggested Maguire? Or Fred?

The club need to start recruiting the best in class both on and off the pitch. Poor employees produce poor work, average employees produce average work, great employees produce great work. It's that simple.

12.) 01 Nov 2023 16:51:18
The entire scouting operation needs looking at. I have no idea how many scouts the club has across multiple continents - a few, dozens? - but it says a lot if the manager isn't happy with any of their recommendations (and there will be numerous players of all ages/ valuations being looked at) and insists on (largely) players he's had direct experience with. I see the benefits of that, he'll know their characters as well as their abilities. But overall I feel he's been given too much control in this area, and very little of it has paid off so far.

13.) 01 Nov 2023 17:49:05
Spenno, I tend to agree, I think he has had too much control. But I can also totally understand why he has been sceptical of trusting the people who have built this god awful squad. Especially as he knows it'll be his head on the chopping block.

I don't know about you, but I'd rather be sacked because a player I signed didn't work out than be sacked because I'm taking the blame for a player someone else has signed hasn't worked out.

I do think with a better recruitment structure in place with a clear and unified recruitment plan in place that we would be far more successful. I think it'll actually be beneficial for the manager to have such a structure in place. It'll provide them with better players more consistently, as well as freeing up more time for them to spend on other duties at the club.

Like during his first summer in charge, a better structure and plan to recruitment wouldn't have spent the entire summer chasing FdJ when it was clear he didn't want to leave. Would have identified a better alternative than Casemiro, probably for significantly less money. They would have found a better and much cheaper alternative to Antony and with the money saved would have probably brought in either a CB, CM, RB or ST to add more quality in depth across the squad.

14.) 01 Nov 2023 18:39:28
Mumbles - not read your take on the current situation, EtH meltdown, since the Derby defeat (or maybe I’ve just missed it) but always an insightful read, agree with almost every word about from the not caring! We all still care pal but I know where your coming from!

15.) 01 Nov 2023 19:45:33
Shappy, it took me long enough to read your reply and I have to agree with most of it. Always a good read!

DLIB, I havnt been posting too much. I still care obviously and will be tuning in in 30 minutes to watch us hopefully get a result. When I say I'm stopping caring, just means it takes me less time to get over a bad result.

We're normally on the same wavelength with things pal, i think we'll turn the corner anyways, hopefully sooner rather than later.

16.) 01 Nov 2023 19:47:14
Eth meltdown dlib? What meltdown?

27 Sep 2023 16:21:38
Amrabat really lifted that team last night- apart from his footballing skills how could you play in the same 11 and not be motivated to put a shift in alongside him ?

Others played their part too of course but I thought he was a breath of fresh air last night.

1.) 27 Sep 2023 19:22:39
Amarabat Mount garnacho and Hannibal,

For me when you have a few players working there balls off it’s infectious and rubs off on the other players

It was good to see

All be it was against a palace side with changes

But it was a good performance now we need that in the next 3 Leauge games against palace Brentford and Sheffield United.

Then the real test against city.

2.) 27 Sep 2023 19:55:56
Presses per 90 minutes across all PL teams:
1st: Hannibal
2nd: Hojlund

With Casemiro and Amrabat behind, and amount’s workrate, it’s looking like ETH’s signings are slowly starting to click.

Add to that Bruno who works his socks off, I can see is becoming quite hard to play against.

3.) 28 Sep 2023 07:44:32
Watching the interview with Amrabat his English is very good indeed. A good plus point to get ideas from the manager.

4.) 28 Sep 2023 08:43:18
Redman, a lot of non-English players speak better English than many English lads if we are being honest. I thought the same thing about Hojlund too.

5.) 28 Sep 2023 08:47:33
I love the optimism, but this was 1 game against a weakened Palace team.

boyfromburrenway's rumour replies

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22 Apr 2024 17:48:19
He shouldn't even be on the shortlist to replace Fred the Red. Dead man walking.

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05 Apr 2024 21:52:46
Potters post match talks often reminded me of the dark days of Moyes and partially of OLes last days- that beaten, defeated rabbit in the headlights look that just screams I really don't want to be here the job is too much for me.

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18 Nov 2023 10:24:59
Very possibly Nagelsman -short term contract with Germany - was the flavour of the month there a short time ago, according to the media don't miss out on this guy everybody loved him.

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03 Sep 2023 09:18:27
Last year i caught the tail end of a radio chat about money in sport particularly football and they referenced one of the richest men in USA who was the owner of a sports team but can't remember who - the Dallas Squirrels or Florida pancakes or some such team and the interviewer said he was surprised that there were now so many American owners in PL but not this guy why not? He said because what they are doing is risky you don't know your income and costs each year - now, if you stopped this relegation nonsense, if you played a few games abroad each season to grow the popularity, if you knew before each season you were guaranteed to be in the Champions league not the Europa league or not even in Europe at all then yes count me in then you can really grow the clubs worldwide and know your costs before each season starts to allow you to get the best commercial deals. that's the future right there and possibly why they think it wil be worth 8 mill in future if changes are made to the set up to "Ameicanise " it.

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27 Aug 2023 11:02:21
couple other reports say 20 + add ons plus sell on clause which would be smart.

boyfromburrenway's banter replies

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28 Apr 2024 15:42:59
Mad hatter RR laid into United and their dysfunctional operations in an interview a few years before he came to United, he continued to do it when he was at the club, many fans thought he was right at the time and regret he wasnt given a position upstairs - once again the suits got it wrong.

When ETH leaves what will he actually be remembered for? very little I would say - and the fact that the last 6 weeks he is soumding more and more like Potter in his last days at Chelsea and Ole in his last days with us is very worrying but an indicator of him knowing the jig is up.

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27 Apr 2024 22:25:08
i certainly never said he was good - i posted here when we were in for him that i'd never seen him catch a ball - all the clips of him on youtube showed him stop the ball with every part of his body except his hands - nope, not for me - never has been.

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22 Apr 2024 17:57:21
Anthony is one of the worst players I've seen in last 25 years-and seems to be a bit of a moron - but if he wants to cup his ear to the fans that were booing and shouting insults at him as oppostion fans tend to do then no problem.

Little has been made of the Coventry keeper also mouthing off at each United player as they were getting ready to take a penalty. just got to be proffessional enough to rise above it.

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19 Apr 2024 20:27:38
terrible decision -also not all players are household names on 300k a week of course - why should a long serving player from e.g woking, tranmere or peterborough be denied the chance to play at Old Trafford/ Anfield Arsenal etc once in their career?

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09 Apr 2024 15:32:43
i see a bit of chat about the lad Tosin at Fulham out of contract in summer, don't know about him but tabloiads say Spurs and Lpoll keenon him as a highly rated centre half.