Renato Sanches joins Bayern

There was a poster who predicted that Bayern or another big club will come and snap him up, can't find the post but its spot on!
 
Just for the "feck Woodward" lovers. Woodward's signings and their prestige at the time;

2014/15:

- Luke Shaw - 18 years old and one of the league's best LBs.
- Angel Di Maria - no comment needed.
- Falcao - no comment needed.
- Herrera - dynamic midfielder we were crying out for.
- Rojo - Argentina's first choice LB at the WC.
- Blind - great versatile player, amazing passer.
- Valdes - injury prone but great free gamble.

2015/16:

- Schneiderlin - rated best CDM in the league.
- Schweinsteger - Germany's captain.
- Darmian - Italy's first choice RB.
- Romero - eh?
- Martial - future potential (and look at what happened next).

Yet you all think he's doing a rubbish job and dithers too much on transfers? I doubt we were even in for Sanches - we get used in the media every year by players/agents/clubs to drive up prices and push deals through. Get used to it.

Good points.

But in the interest of fairness, let's list all United's mistakes and embarrassments since Woodward took over:

1. Pursuing Fabregas when there was no evidence he wanted to leave Barca.
2. Being gazumped by Bayern for Thiago.
3. Claiming to be returning home from Australia 'on urgent transfer business' and then not doing any business at all.
4. The Ander Herrera fiasco on deadline day 2013.
5. Buying Fellaini for £4m more than his buyout clause (and about £27m more than he was worth).
6. Getting absolutely rinsed by Chelsea for Mata.
7. Pursuing Sergio Ramos when it was clear he was using United to get a new contract.
8. The De Gea fiasco.

I agree that we've bought some useful players over the last couple of years but we've been absolutely fleeced for all of them and we never had to outmuscle or outwit another club to get them. I'm sure most of the selling clubs were delighted we came in for them to be honest.

As has been said on this board innumerable times, Woodward is brilliant at bringing in money but terrible at spending it. Hope the Berta rumours are true and we can sort ourselves out in the transfer market.
 
You're completely right, but again, why is that? We should be at least as competitive as Bayern internationally (and we were as competitive as them until Ferguson retired).

Over the last three years Bayern have remained strong while we've fallen off a cliff, due to a series of catastrophic decisions regarding the management and playing staff of the club.
Yes, you've answered your own question really. The last 3yrs at United isn't the sign of a big club. Our dithering over the last 4 months especially is incredible. Can you imagine any "top" club where LVG would still be in the job?

We are doing everything on and off the pitch to tell the world we aren't a top club except when Woody bas to talk big for the market.
That's only very recently become the case.

You can see a real philosophy going into their team building, regardless of who is head coach. Douglas, Coman, Sanches - that's going to be a hell of a midfield.

Meanwhile, our 'philosophy'...

They are a wonderfully run club.
 
Yes, you've answered your own question really. The last 3yrs at United isn't the sign of a big club. Our dithering over the last 4 months especially is incredible. Can you imagine any "top" club where LVG would still be in the job?

We are doing everything on and off the pitch to tell the world we aren't a top club except when Woody bas to talk big for the market.


They are a wonderfully run club.
No, I can't. He would have been gone months ago.

As you say, when it comes to the commercial side we're ruthless and arrogant; when it comes to the pitch we're suddenly meek and indecisive. That's the most galling aspect for me.
 
Looks like the fee was €35M + €45M in add-ons(from the Benfica statement). :eek:
 
This clearly shows how out of depth Woody really is. It's not even the fact that he went to Bayern. They've paid just 28-35m for him. It's not only we have been targeting poor, ordinary players or the ones that are way past it like Bastian, we hugely overpaid for them in almost every case. Whether it's transfer fee or salary. I'm sure that Sanches will be on 50k a week if that.
Our transfer management needs an urgent upgrade and soon.
 
Good points.

But in the interest of fairness, let's list all United's mistakes and embarrassments since Woodward took over:

1. Pursuing Fabregas when there was no evidence he wanted to leave Barca.
2. Being gazumped by Bayern for Thiago.
3. Claiming to be returning home from Australia 'on urgent transfer business' and then not doing any business at all.
4. The Ander Herrera fiasco on deadline day 2013.
5. Buying Fellaini for £4m more than his buyout clause (and about £27m more than he was worth).
6. Getting absolutely rinsed by Chelsea for Mata.
7. Pursuing Sergio Ramos when it was clear he was using United to get a new contract.
8. The De Gea fiasco.
4 we left it too late and moyes sanctioned it far too late
5 Was moyes being a dithering dildo
6 is what happens when we were shit and desperate for players
8 was all Reals fault as we stood firm til they met our evaluation.
 
No, I can't. He would have been gone months ago.

As you say, when it comes to the commercial side we're ruthless and arrogant; when it comes to the pitch we're suddenly meek and indecisive. That's the most galling aspect for me.
Bayern made it clear to hackneyes he was going when Pep became available. City did the same with Pellegrini who led them to titles and had them top of the table again.

We have been struggling the entire year and let alone sacking him, he might still be the manager next season.

Talking big and being big are very different things, our club's in a mess in terms of football administration.
 
This clearly shows how out of depth Woody really is. It's not even the fact that he went to Bayern. They've paid just 28-35m for him. It's not only we have been targeting poor, ordinary players or the ones that are way past it like Bastian, we hugely overpaid for them in almost every case. Whether it's transfer fee or salary. I'm sure that Sanches will be on 50k a week if that.
Our transfer management needs an urgent upgrade and soon.

They've paid 35m euros plus another 45m in potential bonuses according to Benfica which is pretty much the same amount we were getting linked to him with
 
Didn't want him anyway. He's shit.
 
Can't say I'm too bothered about missing out on him, time will tell how good he actually is. Price is absolutely mad. Though if Bayern spent that much then I feel like I trust that there is a better chance of him being quality then if it was just us spunking that amount on him.... so am a little disappointed to miss out just because they got him?

Hopefully we sign joao Mario. We need a midfielder, though a creative and talented one more then a Renato type anyway.
 
Can't say I'm too bothered about missing out on him, time will tell how good he actually is. Price is absolutely mad. Though if Bayern spent that much then I feel like I trust that there is a better chance of him being quality then if it was just us spunking that amount on him.... so am a little disappointed to miss out just because they got him?

Hopefully we sign joao Mario. We need a midfielder, though a creative and talented one more then a Renato type anyway.
Looks bang average to me.
 
If Bayern wanted him he was never coming here. When you can't guarantee CL and you're not winning titles, you're down the pecking order.
 
IMO there are clearly problems with having an accountant as the main decision maker.
The last tweet takes the cake
 
Well at least this happened before the window opened, but again it seems we never learn. We dither, and feck around so much it will obviously send off signals that we are unsure to the player himself.
 
Delighted. Do not need and not as much potential as being talked about on here. Dodged a bullet.
 
I thought Bayern don't do business with Mendes? At least I thought I've read something from @Balu or @Blackwidow that they never sign his clients.
Because the other thread is closed, I'll take it here:
We've never signed one of his clients before if I'm not mistaken. We've tried a few times to sign some of his clients though (Coentrao for example). I don't think we have a rule that says 'no deals with Mendes'. I don't think that's possible anymore actually considering that he isn't really the agent of many of these players but just acts as a superagent overseeing transfers/making connections between clubs and player agents. It's a worrying trend that he's that influential, but as long as we aren't held ransom or start making totally nonsensical signings to please him and allow real transfers to go through, I don't mind. Well I mind a bit, but what can you do. I wouldn't want him to have a lot of influence at the club though and I can't see that happening.
 
Hummels and Sanches on the same day. This from a club with an outgoing manager and before a big summer competition. Don't want to stereotype, but that's proper efficient.
 
If Bayern wanted him he was never coming here. When you can't guarantee CL and you're not winning titles, you're down the pecking order.
Bayern have entered this in the last minute it seems, so why we didn't close this quickly if we wanted him I'll never know?
 
Bayern gets all this love but signing a player after 2 scouting reports seems reckless rather than efficient.
How many of their recent signings have been total success'?
Costa tailed off after a fantastic few months. Gotze? Thiago who Sanches will probably replace? Benatia?
Anyway this is all being used to bash United. Ducker claiming on twitter that United not being able to tell targets who their manager will be..like City (!!) and Bayern shows how badly run we are.
The same Ducker who has written that Mourinho has agreed to replace LVG ffs.
 
Once Bayern want a player, nothing he can do unless the player has a personal affiliation for us. Ditto with Real or Barca.
But why are we content with that?

We have the finances to match them, but are sadly miles behind them on the football side. Players might be more mecernary nowadays, but finances alone arent enough.

Bayern werent always this attractive either(The years they were losing league titles to Stuttgart and Wolfsburg for example).

We are a great financial institution, but not a very good football one to be honest.
 
Wow Bayern doesn't mess around. Not even "O Jogo" or any portuguese news outlet knew anything about this. I'm having lunch break and looking at the TV at the restaurant and in Sic Notícias it says 35 million euros with objectives rising up to 80 million euros. No one expected this. Pure german efficiency
 
IMO there are clearly problems with having an accountant as the main decision maker.
The last tweet takes the cake
@Adisa , I have to give it to you, you fought a good fight in the pro Sanches corner and it's sad that you were let down by our club.

On the other hand, I guess this teaches us that we can't trust our club to get things right!
 
1. Pursuing Fabregas when there was no evidence he wanted to leave Barca.
Fàbregas was primarily a David Moyes target. Woodward could do whatever he wanted for the player, but it wasn't going to happen unless Barcelona wanted to sell him. And he was deemed surplus to demand only after Luis Enrique's appointment.
2. Being gazumped by Bayern for Thiago.
Once Pep got involved in the saga, there was no way Thiago would overlook his mentor in favor of David Moyes. Additionally, Thiago's agent Pere Guardiola is Pep's brother. The U-21 European Championship didn't help our cause because the player didn't want to be sidetracked by wild speculation.
3. Claiming to be returning home from Australia 'on urgent transfer business' and then not doing any business at all.
Woodward never said he was on urgent business. It was probably briefed by someone from within the club:

4. The Ander Herrera fiasco on deadline day 2013.
It was clear that Moyes liked Herrera but very specifically said that to make such a huge financial outlay -- his first stellar signing as United manager -- he'd wanted to have much more personal time invested in assessing the player.
Nothing Woodward could do about the deal, unless you want the CEO to meddle with the an area of expertise for the new manager...
5. Buying Fellaini for £4m more than his buyout clause (and about £27m more than he was worth).
Again, David Moyes was Everton's manager, and he was well aware of the clause. That he wanted Baines + Fellaini delayed the deal.
6. Getting absolutely rinsed by Chelsea for Mata.
Rinsed in what sense? David wanted a player to uplift the team. Concerning Mata, there were a couple distinct choices:
1. Sign him at the prince Chelsea wanted = Get rinsed.
2. Don't sign him at the price Chelsea wanted = Woodward is incompetent, can't even sign a want-away player.

So in a sense, it was a lose-lose scenario at a critical time for the club where a good signing + better form could've gotten us in the Top 4.
7. Pursuing Sergio Ramos when it was clear he was using United to get a new contract.
It wouldn't be in United's interest to rule out any potential transfer because the player might not sign (at first, or even eventually). David Beckham is a good example to illustrate how Madrid kept coming back for the man (only to be thwarted by Fergie + Kenyon) before ultimately signing him in 2003. There's no shame in trying to sign top players from other clubs.
8. The De Gea fiasco.
Our best player ended up staying. That's all that matters.