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shawthing's rumours posts with other poster's replies to shawthing's rumours posts
15 Dec 2022 17:24:24
"Asked for an update on the sale of United, he (Glazer) told the outlet, "It's not necessarily a sale, it's a process and we're going forward with the process, so we'll see what happens. "
When he was pushed for further updates about how many interested parties had made themselves known already, he added: "I'm here to really watch the World Cup but I appreciate your interest. That's the update, it's the process and the process is proceeding. "
Loose lips sink ships, eh? Or, no offers yet?
1.) 15 Dec 2022 19:03:26
Shawthing,
The cynic in me think he’s was over there in business. He doesn’t give a damn about football, he wouldn’t be able to tell you the United players left.
2.) 15 Dec 2022 20:31:51
The Glazers have been to something like 6 United games in 17 years. No chance he was in Qatar to watch the world cup. He was there on business.
3.) 18 Dec 2022 08:37:42
They were there to watch Man Utd in the Soccerball World Cup Superbowl Finals.
29 Jan 2019 22:38:42
Frustrating game in many ways, which could have been so different had Rashford scored as he should have done in the first 10 minutes. He did not have a great game and nor did Pereira who looked completely out of his depth against a very aggressive midfield. I really don't think he's good enough for United, or indeed the type of player who will do very well in the EPL.
In this new system Sanchez looks like he could contribute significantly. A forward line of Rashford, Martial and Sanchez seems like it ought to pay dividends.
1.) 30 Jan 2019 05:23:42
Agreed, the interplay of Lukaku near the penalty box is not fluid as between Rash, Martial and Lingard.
2.) 30 Jan 2019 09:31:55
I was sat in the East end at OT. We should have had another penalty.
3.) 30 Jan 2019 14:28:00
To be honest I think Pereira didn't have his best game ever, but Jones throw him a brick, and then he got completely confused in the one-one defending.
I believe Pereira could be better but in an attacking position and no asan "herreras" replacement.
This is the first Ole´s game we start losing and that does not goes as planned, but the squad show commitment and desire. If Rashford scores that 10m goal the game would have been completely different with space and time for counters but rubbish happens. Let's focus on the next games and let's hope we have a great february.
i think it is better for Ole and the team to have lost the winning streak now and no in a game against PSG or Chelsea.
GGMU.
26 Dec 2018 22:43:47
Very good to see United score 8 goals in 2 games even if it was against teams near the bottom against whom we've been having all sorts of trouble. The tempo and the pressing seem to be what's needed. Perhaps Sanchez and Lukaku will benefit from it when they come back into the reckoning. But suffice it to say we have now scored 37 goals this season. If we can double it in the second half it will be our best haul since SAF's last year. If we're going to come 6th then the United way is surely that it's more entertaining to do it with 75 goals for and 55 goals against than with 50 goals for and 30 goals against.
I must say I've been unimpressed by Dalot defensively. He doesn't look like he has the pace and his positioning appears very suspect. I know he's young and there's an adjustment time - Evra didn't settle immediately - but nevertheless he's going to have to improve dramatically to cement that right back position. The other new player who doesn't they seem to have what it takes is Fred. It's hard to believe we were persuaded to spend £52m for him - or perhaps not, given some of our purchases recently. We would have done better spending it on a top center half. Many United fans criticized Liverpool for spending so much on Van Dijk but he seems like a bargain at this juncture.
1.) 26 Dec 2018 23:26:42
Shawthing, speed can be deceptive. Dalot was clocked as being the fastest player on the pitch today. But if the timing of that speed is not right it can be wasted.
He is a raw talent no doubt. We don’t have great options right now.
2.) 26 Dec 2018 23:44:01
Give the young lad Dalot a break. A couple of weeks ago against Fulham he couldn't get enough praise. That he was the answer to our right wing back problem for the next 10 years. Then a weaker game today and you're not sure is he going to make it. Inconsistency is a given for a teenager. Support your own.
3.) 27 Dec 2018 07:15:15
In fairness, that was one of Huddersfield’s tactics, mbenza is very quick, and Anytine they could they tried releasing him. Dalot was on the back foot very quickly after an attack broke down. Great lesson for the Lad.
4.) 27 Dec 2018 07:29:16
Dalot is young, 19 years old and playing only his third game in the EPL. His last performance won him man of the match so I see no reason to be worried about him. He is young and he will be inconsistent, he will make mistakes that is all part of learning. He has the qualities to become a world class full back, we need to give him the time and the chances for him to fulfill that potential.
5.) 27 Dec 2018 10:20:15
Dalot is certainly my Pick over an aging TonyV and Young (who is doing ok too) .
He is our future at right back, so let him play I say.
6.) 27 Dec 2018 11:25:22
He looks more like a future winger to me. He doesn't seem interested in defending.
7.) 27 Dec 2018 15:25:05
We've been defending whole season and still conceding goals. I don't even care whether Dalot comes back to defend or not. It was just nice to see our right back in the opposition box getting a cross from our striker and almost scoring a goal.
8.) 27 Dec 2018 18:07:46
Centre back and we are sorted Imo. we have options everywhere else. I'm really excited by dalot him, Shaw and lindelof could be together for a while along time and build a good understanding.
9.) 27 Dec 2018 19:03:50
Also how he plays will depend a lot on who is managing him. He did well defensively in Mourinho's defensive set up.
Ole has said publicly he wants our full backs to push up high and overlap our wingers. So if that is what is being asked of Dalot then it's good to see him following the managers commands.
02 Dec 2018 17:46:30
Assuming the rumours are true, if you believe your £90m transfer is playing with inadequate effort and/ or a poor mentality, a dressing down in the changing room in front of team mates is perfectly reasonable. I bet every one of us who have played sports have at some time or other have heard it from a coach or a colleague. Grow up and knuckle down. Most of the kids who watch you would kill for a chance at 1/ 10th of the benefits your innate talent has brought you.
The fact is Pogba is a disappointment. While he covers a fair amount of ground within a team that consistently covers the least in the EPL, he rarely sprints, neither in offence or defence. This characteristic was visible when he first stepped on the field in a United jersey before he went to Juventus. He looks lackadaisical, and it's probably one of the reasons why Ferguson was not inclined to fight to keep him. The problem is that, while he has talent, he is way to into himself to be a true leader, and that's the key role we need him to fill. A player who leads by example.
We are 5 years into the post-Fergie era and we are worse than ever. We do have some good players to build a team around but it's hard to see anything positive coming from them in the current climate. Given the amount of money we've spent, the only conclusion we can draw is that we are infected by a virus. Whether the source is Pogba, Mourinho or the general club mentality itself is a matter of conjecture. My own sense is that Woodward, Mourinho and Pogba are all symptoms of a deeper problem.
1.) 02 Dec 2018 21:07:06
All 3 of them should go at the end of the season.
We should say thanks Jose but uts not worked ta-ra. Says Pogba but you want to go to Spain so here's the asking price. And Woodward should have the decency to say "it was my decision to appoint Jose so I'll step down. "
2.) 03 Dec 2018 06:49:20
Fergie did want to keep Pogba, it was out of his hands. and while you might think Pogba has been disappointing his season, so has Lukaku, Rashford, Martial (most of the time), Bailly, Fred, Matic. who hasn't been disappointing? People might point to Shaw, but he hasn't gotten back to the 2-way beast he was looking like before his injury either.
I think when that many players aren't performing you have to look at the manager. And it's not like Mourinho's faults have been hard to see. Bizarre team selections and subs, consistently embarrassing behaviour, publicly sledging players all the time and bemoaning a lack of signings.
He's got to go. He's not one of us and he never will be.
13 Jan 2018 13:49:56
Sanchez has a bit of the Tevez about him. Very emotional. He obviously has all the skills, and when he's motivated his intensity and purpose adds a dimension to his game that any team would covet. So what is it that motivates him.
Clearly it's the thought of winning honours, and conversely looking at he seems to be demotivated by his team's mediocrity. So my guess is that:
1) he would only come to United if he thought he would win the EPL and/ or the Champions League in the next couple of years, and
2) if he did come, and it looked like those objectives were not going to be fulfilled, then it would be a disastrous transfer because his negative emotionality would end up leeching into and upsetting the dressing room.
Like for most supporters winning is ultimately more important than style. Arsenal play with style but they don't win the important trophies any more, which doesn't please their supporters and is clearly a demotivation to top players.
1.) 13 Jan 2018 15:39:18
Agreed for sure!
Lucas Moura maybe?
On another note, I mentioned a defender Jorge Mere who was at Espanyol and now at Koln and NOW Barça are after him!
We should have got this guy! Well disappointed!
2.) 13 Jan 2018 16:06:08
Well Ronnie don't mean to be rude but you might have named atleast 200 players by now. It might be difficult for United hierarchy to properly understand which one you want.
3.) 13 Jan 2018 16:34:44
I deserved that! 😂.
4.) 13 Jan 2018 21:09:56
For Sanchez's supposed attitude you can see the same thing happening at Spurs in the next 18 months if they win nothing -Ali, Erikson etc have no real affinity to Spurs as many players don't to their clubs. Sanchez probably looks around and sees nothing there but the odd FA CUp. maybe views us the same . time will tell.
shawthing's banter posts with other poster's replies to shawthing's banter posts
08 Sep 2024 03:11:17
When was the last time we saw a free kick as good as the one by Rooney for the legends? Man's put a bit of weight on, mind.
1.) 08 Sep 2024 11:58:35
I bet you’ve put on some weight since your prime years.
2.) 08 Sep 2024 12:48:41
Rooney does not look a day over 80 yrs old.
3.) 08 Sep 2024 13:20:53
Not anywhere near that amount, but then I never had a prime.
31 Aug 2024 16:57:02
Including Kone, average age of 6 new signings is 22. Apparently we completed a sale, loan, or transfer every 3.6 days over the 77 available days of the window. Sad that we had to let Scott go. He was a great squad asset. Had we not spent so much on Antony and Mount perhaps it would not have been necessary. That's not down to the new management team, which has to be applauded for an incredible job given the PSR restrictions and the number of ineffective players on our books on salaries that are way more than they ought to be. We still have a number of them, but that's for next summer now most likely.
In retaining ETH the club have given him the opportunity he deserved, having won 2 trophies in his first two years amidst all sorts of issues. We've gone a long way to plugging some gaps and adding depth. He will now be required to prove he is worthy of their support.
1.) 31 Aug 2024 18:02:30
Totally agree! ??.
2.) 31 Aug 2024 18:47:47
Did I miss the Kone signing? Who he?
3.) 31 Aug 2024 20:05:44
Spenno
Kone is an 18 year old Mali player (just 18) the club scouted in Under 17 championships. Defensive midfield player who has been likened to Yaya Toure.
4.) 31 Aug 2024 20:17:54
18 year old from mali. Midfielder.
5.) 01 Sep 2024 09:41:23
Deserving something is in the eye of the beholder i guess. He deserves nothing imo. A cup win and 8th place with all the money he has spent is laughable when people say he deserves another season.
6.) 01 Sep 2024 12:33:18
Normally I'd agree but the injury list last season was utterly ridiculous. remember the Burnley away match when something like 13 were missing. Scousers lose van Disney and it's all over for them. however, I fear for him if we lose today badly and the next month is dodgy. he's get something today simply has too.
30 Aug 2024 15:26:45
Well, sad to say for all parties, Sancho looks like he's staying. No other team considered him worth the price. With that reality now upon him, perhaps he will buckle down and actually become an asset on the field. He's done very well in Europe so maybe that's where he will be used most often. If he has half a mind to work as hard as he did last year he will see plenty game time and enjoy some success. If he can accomplish that, with his book value down to around £15m, a good deal for him can surely be reached next summer.
I can see why United were disinclined to move him on if they were left having to cover 1/ 2 or more of his annual cost of £25m or thereabouts, and his departure would have required a replacement that cost more. All parties may now be in the frame of mind to make this relationship work. I'm sure ETH will have been instructed to give it an honest whirl. Let's hope so.
1.) 30 Aug 2024 16:03:08
Ornstein seems pretty confident that he’s Chelsea bound, but I suspect it will just be a loan with no obligation. If that’s the case, I’d rather we keep him for another season, as it’s too late in the day to bring in a replacement and knowing our luck he’d excel at Chelsea and end up making us look like mugs again. Then again, I suppose you could argue that paying him hundreds of thousands of pounds a week to not turn up makes us look even more foolish, so with Juve out of the picture, it’s a lose-lose situation for us.
2.) 30 Aug 2024 16:25:24
Sorry to say, but we all know forced truces just don’t work. It’s obvious with his body language and everything else, that Jadon still has an issue with ETH. I’d get rid at any reasonable cost tbh. His sulky demeanour could derail the whole season if we aren’t careful.
3.) 30 Aug 2024 17:00:24
Ed002 told us before we signed him that he wanted to go to Chelsea, he’s managed to act so badly and play so badly in the time he’s been with us that he’s made himself a perfect Chelsea signing. Good riddance.
4.) 30 Aug 2024 17:01:47
Why do we need a Sancho replacement? He doesn't look likely to be involved so we don't need to sign a player to replace a guy who isn't going to make the squad.
5.) 30 Aug 2024 17:17:17
I think it's a case of eth has a problem with sancho.
It's personal I don't have any doubt about that.
He needs to move for his own sake and get away from eth and united.
Chelsea is a good option for him.
6.) 30 Aug 2024 18:16:50
Sancho doesn't need replacing.
Last season he played 115 minutes for us across four sub appearances.
In the three years he has been a United player he has scored 11 goals and got 6 assists.
He got 3 goals and 3 assists in his first season across 37 appearances.
In his second season he managed 7 goals and 3 assists across 38 appearances.
And zero goals and assists last season across 4 appearances.
At his best he's been distinctly average, at his worst he has brought the club into disrepute.
What is there to replace? Amad has more starts and goals than Sancho last season after 2 games this season. I wouldn't be surprised to see him comfortably beat Sancho's season best 10 goals and assists for United across all competitions.
7.) 30 Aug 2024 18:29:06
My heart brleeds for him. The least we can expect is he outs in a shift, the fact he has never done that bin a United shirt is shameful.
8.) 30 Aug 2024 20:47:22
We have four senior wingers at the club who only contributed 16 league goals and 9 assists between them last season. Antony and Ahmad got one goal and one assist each, and they’re our only options on the right once Sancho leaves.
A reminder that we finished the season in eighth and with a negative goal difference. We absolutely need to replace Sancho and Greenwood, just as we needed to replace them last season.
This “we were bad last season so it’s okay if we’re bad again this season” logic is pretty strange even for you, Shappy.
9.) 30 Aug 2024 21:12:21
redseven
Amad was out first half of the season, antony was out for a while with his personal issues.
We were disjoined and wrecked with injuries and never got a settled first 17 forget about first 11, your assessment of our wingers is just pure rubbish and just a strange how low you hold so many players.
10.) 31 Aug 2024 01:23:51
I’m merely pointing out that for whatever reason, the four senior wingers were going to be relying on for goal contributions this season provided very few between them in this season just gone. Injuries and personal issues are going to happen in football (this season looks to be a case of more of the same on that front), so shipping out a player who could have helped lighten the load without replacing them seems somewhat foolish, especially when doing so strengthens a team that we may be competing for top four with (I say “may” because I think Chelsea will probably end the season closer to City and Arsenal than us) .
As for the way I talk about our players, last time I checked, Sancho was (and technically still is) one of our players. Dgmw, I think shipping him out is the right decision, but going into another season relying on players like Rashford and Antony to deliver is a risky strategy, especially when you consider that players like Palmer, Foden, and Salah got more goal contributions in the league last season than all of our wide players combined.
11.) 31 Aug 2024 10:46:07
Redseven, you are perfectly correct.
They have a lot to prove and improve upon.
Ignore the double standards.
Last time I checked casimero was not heavily complemented by ahmad nor was sancho or Anthony they are or were our players.
We have scored very few goals as a team over the last couple of seasons. Minus goal difference last year. We have not scored enough goals zirkzee is the man eth had chosen to solve that and amad as they were not there at all or much last season.
Garnacho is the only one of our 4 wide men that I have any faith in and the only consistent one but he still has a lot to improve.
Maybe zirkzee is the missing piece that's what eth thinks so I hope he is right.
12.) 31 Aug 2024 16:50:39
Redseven, it's a little unfair to fully judge them on last season. The whole team was wrecked by injuries and devoid of any sort of consistency.
Forward players need the defence and the midfield behind them to play well to give them the platform and ammunition to score goals.
Our options are:
Rashford, a player who has proven when he is in form he can score 20-30 goals a season.
Antony I agree doesn't look up for it in the EPL, but has a respectable goal return in other leagues.
Garnacho had a breakout season last year, he is definitely capable of scoring 10-15 goals this season.
The same for Amad, he showed can be a regular goalscorer getting 14 goals for Sunderland in the last injury free season he played.
We also have Højlund, a player who had one of the best conversion rates in Europe last season, but was starved of chances. If we can create 3-4 decent chances a game for him then he should be able to get 20-30 goals a season.
Zirkzee has joined and while not a prolific goalscorer, he does create great chances for his teammates while often scoring important goals.
Bruno is often forgotten about, yet we know he is capable of scoring 15-20 goals a season.
Mount is one of 4 midfielders currently playing in the EPL who has managed double figures in both goals and assists. While he joins Bruno and KDB as the only three to do so in back to back seasons.
Mainoo has also shown himself to be pretty deadly when he gets forward as well.
If we add those up:
Rashford 15-25
Antony 5
Amad 10-15
Garnacho 10-15
Højlund 18-25
Zirkzee 10-15
Bruno 10-15
Mount 10-15
Mainoo 5-10
If all of them manage the minimum number that's 93 goals, if they all manage the higher number that's 140 goals.
The reality is that not all of them will get near the higher estimates, yet all of them individually are capable of scoring that number of goals.
Add a few goals from defenders and other players (MdL, Casemiro, Dalot, Maguire, Eriksen have all been known to grab a few goals each a season) .
I firmly believe there are goals in this team, personally I'm less convinced by our ability to keep clean sheets then I am by our ability to score goals.
We need our forwards to find form, and to do that they need the team to play well around them to give them the quality chances they need to score.
29 Aug 2024 15:10:39
As the transfer season winds to a close I have to check out of MEN daily, not because I expect anything of value, but out of obsessive interest.
Today's headline:-
"Sancho next sale, £30m bid expected - Man Utd next transfer verdict after Manuel Ugarte deal
Manchester United transfer news as Erik ten Hag's summer plan wraps up with last deals all decided by the Manchester Evening News"
Am I reading this wrong. MEN is now deciding who we buy and sell? Do they have anyone that can actually write a coherent sentence?
1.) 29 Aug 2024 19:16:48
INEOS new strategy!
2.) 29 Aug 2024 20:42:31
Either that, or only men are trusted with the decision, women are sent to work out of temporary changing rooms.
27 Aug 2024 12:35:17
Assuming McT and Sancho deals are completed, that would be 10 sales, 6 contracts expired and 2 loans, with just 5 sr players coming in, all of whom addressed a specific need. It makes a big change from signing Fellaini on the last day of the window for more than we could have got him in the first. No one acquired over 26. (What no Ronaldo return to OT? ) Plus a few young players promoted and a few high potential youngsters to replace those not considered to be likely to be good enough. There's sell on clauses and buy back arrangements in there too.
We can't say exactly what all these transactions will do to our expenses. We've removed some big salary obligations, particularly if a deal for Sancho can be done, but we have brought in 5 new players for £180m and amortization alone will add £36m a year. I suspect, overall, there will be a decline in expenses, putting the club back on the road to profitability. I expect us to be profitable in 2024/ 5.
The new management team has hit the ground running. It's now up to Ten Hag to prove his worth. By Xmas there will have to be clear signs of overall improvement or I suspect the ruthless streak already exhibited by this highly professional team will be exhibited again. This season the least he will be expected to ensure is European football, more points than last year, and another trophy. No excuses.
1.) 27 Aug 2024 13:00:50
Do you think we need a striker to come in or are Hojlund and Zirkzee enough to carry us through the season? Are we missing a chance not going for someone like Toney?
2.) 27 Aug 2024 13:38:32
He doesn't even pick 1 from the 2 we have do you want a3rd for the bench too.
3.) 27 Aug 2024 14:43:13
The longer Toney sat in limbo as we approach friday the more I thought a loan for the season might transpire.
But he's not the right player, I doubt he's even the player Chlesea want but the Osimhen numbers are fantasy in a changed football landscape.
Neither do I think Hojlund or Zirkzee are the answer, promising and raw yes, but we need a authoritive clinical more experienced player in there that makes a difference IMO.
4.) 27 Aug 2024 15:08:11
Yes spenno but the manager is not setting his team up that way.
5.) 27 Aug 2024 15:17:22
God I hope not. Not sure why anybody would want Tony to come to us unless they sort Liverpool or City.
6.) 27 Aug 2024 15:58:20
We certainly need some players who know how to a) stay onside, b) dribble past a defender every now and again, and c) convert a greater % of the chances we create. Shaw's fitness is critical. I still regard him as the best LB to play with Rashford. He overlaps well, and has a decent final ball. If Shaw was fit and Rashford found some form I think we could do just fine with Hojlund and Zirkzee as alternative strikers. If we can't complete a final ball we won't succeed even if we have 10 top class strikers on our books. We have had some good ones, the problem for at least 10 years has been that they have been underserved.
7.) 27 Aug 2024 17:20:29
Spenno we already have an experienced, clinical striker on the bench. Get RVN back on the pitch scoring goals.
21 Aug 2024 18:09:51
I suppose sitting around on the bench for the next 2 years while making £15m a year could be appealing, but having already made more money in the last 3 years than most will make in a lifetime, I for one would be more than delighted to renegotiate my pay package for an opportunity to play regularly. IF BD were prepared to pay half of his transfer cost wouldn't that leave a small book profit?
15 Aug 2024 01:35:03
Doesn't add up Shappy. Casemiro costs United c. £30m a year in wages + depreciation. And if his departure means we have to buy 2 CDMs then surely we have to buy 1 anyway. So you can only compare costs between Casemiro and whoever replaces him. The second CDM will have to be funded by the sale of, say, McTominay and/ or Erickson.
Where are you getting the £20m loss from? Apparently we paid £60m for him on a 4 year contract. He's been with us for 2 so his residual value should be around £30m. Ed suggested we might get £20m for him. I'm sure United will be weighing the extent of the loss compared to the savings. If we can only get £10m for him then my guess is he'll stay, but they are not going to base the decision on the illogical proposition that we'll have to buy 2 people to replace him. If we keep Casemiro and get Ugarte, the bottom line cost for Ugarte is not £45m in year one, it's £9m amortization + his wages. Even if you assume a loss of £20m by selling Casemiro, you have to offset the £30m of annual cost you have avoided.
14 Aug 2024 18:31:02
Assume we're amortizing his transfer cost at £15m pa and he costs us another £15m pa in wages, and his written down book value is £30m, selling him for £20m improves the bottom line by £20m in the coming fiscal year. That cost has to be reduced by the annual costs of his replacement. A 5 year contract for Ugarte at say £45m plus a wage of £5m year, for a total of £14m a year, still yields a better financial outcome.
These are all complete estimates based on info on the internet but, suffice it to say, if the Saudis are prepared to give us £20m+ for him we should take it and move on. We cannot be building teams around players at the end of their careers. Surely that's got to be the #1 lesson of the last 12 years or more.
11 Aug 2024 20:58:57
Didn't the club choose to exercise an option for an extra year? Had they not AWB could have left on a free. He's entitled to require United to compensate him for any loss of earnings as a result of the transfer. Since he was out of contract and his transfer fee to United written down to O the sale price will presumably all be profit.
08 Aug 2024 12:15:31
Presumably Dalot will play be first choice RB if Shaw's fit. Priority has to be CB and a defensive midfielder.
09 Sep 2024 15:49:01
I'm voting yes on the basis that, for the first time in more than a decade, I see a plan which, I'm hopeful, will yield success. There are 3 things missing: goalscoring, calmness in defense at the end of games, closing down in midfield. A start has been made towards repairing all three deficiencies.
08 Sep 2024 13:20:53
Not anywhere near that amount, but then I never had a prime.
07 Sep 2024 13:47:18
ETH has never said 2 cups was good enough, but it is at least better than the 0 cups that Arsenal have won.
ETH consistently says that he goes out to win every game.
One thing that is extremely important at United, for financial reasons if nothing else, is participation in one of th top 2 European trophies. If we're not going to get into the top 4 in the league then winning the FA Cup gets us into the Europa, and winning the Europa gets us into the ECL. The further we progress in each competition brings a financial reward.
The goals for the club are not set by ETH but by club management. ETH is there to fulfill their aspirations. SJR was clear that there was a lot to do, that we're hampered by PSR, and it would take more than one abbreviated summer window to fix the problems at the club. There is a clear path that they're following to give the manager the best chance of getting back to the top, but they surely know that 12 years+ of inept transfer and retention policy is still a hindrance to the club achieving the level of consistency required too challenge for the league.
We all agree that ETH has made some big mistakes, but we do not know the extent to which the previous management team was complicit. They should never have endorsed the purchases of Antony and Mount. Who even came up with the latter? . These were very big risks. But, on other side, we have to take into account the unattractiveness of Man Utd as a destination for top players given our poor recent history and the disrespect our management and ownership had justly earned for themselves.
ETH will not be given an indefinite amount of time. Performances will have to show a clear arc of improvement. Notwithstanding the negative results this season, there have been signs of improvement. There are 3 areas that I'm sure will be receiving intense work. 1. Conversion rate. 2. Closing out games 3. DM. Whatever good work we have been doing has been undone far too frequently by collapses in these areas. I still believe that the key to fixing all of these areas is a psychological.
04 Sep 2024 21:26:02
I don't for a moment think it's a communication problem, Ed. I just don't believe we have a clear defensive game plan to cope with our tendency to give the ball away very quickly. This is why I also believe that while Bruno does boast great statistics for chances created etc there's a down side which is that he's always looking for the quick killer ball. So everyone streams up field, we give the ball away cheaply and quickly and they're stranded. There's a thin line between what Bruno describes a being "brave" and being rash.
Secondly, as was the case on Sunday. He's very impatient. With Bruno further upfield we end up being outmatched in the middle 2 v 3. What Ten Hag is trying to do will only work if our execution becomes far better. Unfortunately our players have yet to demonstrate the skills in terms of first touch, their own movement and understanding of team mate's movement, and seem to be jinxed in front of goal. I couldn't believe how any times I was thinking "come to the ball" in the early part of the game on Sunday. It was like watching a kid's game. Okay, so some of them are still very young, and some are still bedding in.
We're undergoing a major strategic refocus leaving most of our highest paid players on the sidelines. It's not going to happen overnight, but I have to believe things will start to improve after the international break. Clearly there will be a limit to what the new executive team will tolerate. And once we are into the next financial year after 30/ 9/ 24, there may be a bit more room for taking some financial hits for early contract terminations.
04 Sep 2024 12:38:19
The loss would be highly significant. Assuming we paid £75m for him and he's really paid £18m a year, United are on the hook for about £37.5m in unamortized transfer cost and 2 years of wages, i.e £73.5m which would need to be recognized in the y/ e 30/ 9/ 24 accounts. Wouldn't that play havoc with PSR requirements? Oh for the days of McFred! We could have kept them both, brought on Mainoo and then Ugarte.
Seriously though. I wonder how a midfield of Casemiro, Ugarte and Mainoo would have faired on Sunday. Maybe Casemiro provides a decent option for the rest of the season or until he can be sold without such a dire impact on our accounts. He will cost us £37m a year +/ - and may have to be replaced anyway. At least with Woodward gone we won't likely be extending his contract to protect his value.