If we suffered a transfer ban on account of, what was it, 65 rule breaches I hope we'd blame ourselves and not try and moralise about the conduct of other clubs.
Antoine Griezmann| Signs a new contract till 2022
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) and Jamie (@Vault Dweller) are here to talk about United's dreadful home defeat at the hands of Big Ange's Tottenham Hotspur. Should this have been the end of Ten Hag? How long does he actually have left? And does Nik finally want ETH out?!
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Jose and Ed would only want players that want to play for Manchester United. To go through all that just for him to pull the transfer would've been a bitter pill to swallow.
He's not super young so there's a limit to his shelf life so unless AM is selling him on the cheap next season because "we helped them out", it'd make less financial sense. And most likely, there'll be other targets needing our money next year.
Also, to buy him next year means we leave his role unfilled this year and I don't see Jose doing that. He will be desperate to get a title winning team this year.
It's their fans who'll suffer the most, not the club. CAS already inflicted their punishment. Should United then further compound their punishment for our own selfish purposes? I think that would heartless and beneath us a club and we represent.
Can we close this thread already
The lad has said a move would be "dirty". So until something extra comes along... this race is run.
For now!
The lad has said a move would be "dirty". So until something extra comes along... this race is run.
For now!
Nowhere did he ever say, to my knowledge, that he didn't want to play for United. He basically said he felt the need to be loyal to Athletico during this trying period for that club. I'm almost positive Jose and Ed can easily understand that, and respect that. I don't think they'll hold anything against the lad at all. Sure, it might cause us some headaches, but it's certainly not a bitter pill. As to whether we'll still be interested because he'll be older, we'll just have to wait and see.
What? 'Heartless' to attempt to sign one of their players?
If you read my previous posts, yes, taking their best player now, when they have no chance to sign any replacements until January would be a heartless act on our part. It's essentially piling onto their transfer ban punishment making next season even more difficult for Athletico to remain competitive. My opinion is that United shouldn't further compound their woes by taking their best player. It's beneath us as a club. It would ultimately be a further punishment to their fans, and their hopes for next season.What? 'Heartless' to attempt to sign one of their players?
Interesting opinion to have. Maybe I'm in the minority, but I honestly could not care less.
wtf. i hope no one at our board level shares this sentimental and, imo nonsensical, view of football. we would truly be doomed if so...
wow
Griezmann is such a naive lad, I do not personally care about Atleti's transfer ban, their issue not ours. For him to turn down a move just for the sentimental feeling is plain stupid, he can stay there as much as he wants.
Players should feel privileged that the biggest club in the world is interested in signing them. To turn down Manchester United for a "recently re-surged" club like Atletico Madrid is an insult to us.
There are plenty of players we can get for such an enormous fee, so let him rot in Atletico.
Players should feel privileged that the biggest club in the world is interested in signing them. To turn down Manchester United for a "recently re-surged" club like Atletico Madrid is an insult to us.
There are plenty of players we can get for such an enormous fee, so let him rot in Atletico.
Disagree. My opinion is this is exactly the long term adult thinking our board has. And football is nothing, if not sentimental. Anyone watch that brilliant testimonial yesterday?
Im sure we'll be ahead of the queue next season, much like when we waited for RVN.
Wow.
Whoa everyone, please calm down! I got a special alert from the admins/mods after logging in to browse. Didn't realise it was causing so much grief in here. It's only JUNE!
Yeah, but unfortunately none of the good ones seem to want to come!
Shouldn't this thread be locked?
Mate, the board doesn't give a feck either. If reports are true, Mou/the board respects Griezmann's wishes, but they're moving on. If Griezmann didn't pull the plug, he'd be a United player. Football (and life in general) isn't that kind. It's cutthroat.
what's the hunch based on? Pure gut feeling or their little signs you think add up?
Sire the sport appeals to our emotions as fans but those are set aside, or at least should, when it comes to business. Why the feck would United care about Atletico remaining competitive? wth? we want to be the best, we need the best players. The crux is not on United to find solutions for Atletico's problems and I find it wild that United would take in consideration Atletico's situation and the feeling of their fans when conducting our business, that's just crazy, and the type of stuff that's bound to have us free falling down the table for years.
Outside of a tragedy, we owe them no sympathy my guy.
I don't get your point, any issues?
Totally different from Van Nisteroy.
Mate, there is no tragedy happened to Atletico. It's their own doing. They tried to cheat the system and got caught. Why should we have sympathy for cheater?
If we meet them in the Champions League I hope we let them win*
*Not taking the piss, just having a wee joke.
If we try again next summer, then surely it's for less than his release clause?
It's fine just where it is. There may be a performance thread in the footy forum once then next season starts.
I certainly only have my assumptions about how our board and management work, and you apparently have yours. I've said this in the past many times, relationships do matter between both clubs and the players, just as they do in business. I'm not sure why people view transfers like some new level of cutthroat dealings totally disconnected from human interactions and concerns. I deal with massive multinational companies, and in our dealings symbiotic long term relationship building is a key, if not the most important key, component of business success. Screwing someone over in business gets you a reputation and burns bridges. I truly worry about people whose perception of the world is to fetishize a culture of ruthlessness. We'll just have to agree to disagree.
We owe them no sympathy, but we have a unique opportunity to build a stronger relationship for the future. That's how a real businessman would like it. Kick a man when he's down and you've lost a customer for life, help someone out where both sides can prosper in the future, and everyone wins.
Completely agree there.
This is absolutely mental
It's not heartless at all, this entire thing is atleticos fault for the practice of under age recruiting. I have zero sympathy.
Sounds like Grieze is making excuses... but imo it's probably more a loss for our marketing department than anything else.
He's a very good player, but I never thought he was that mentally strong and we need players with huge confidence to handle the pressure at United.
Good luck to the lad but I suspect he wasn't 100% sure about coming, and in the end preferred to stay in his 'comfort' zone. The only thing that's pissed me off is all that flirting with us and the time wasted by Ed and co working to get him signed. Totally unnecessary. He should have kept his mouth shut if he thought there was any possibility he would pull out - whether because of the ban or some other reason.
Anyway, we move on.
He's a very good player, but I never thought he was that mentally strong and we need players with huge confidence to handle the pressure at United.
Good luck to the lad but I suspect he wasn't 100% sure about coming, and in the end preferred to stay in his 'comfort' zone. The only thing that's pissed me off is all that flirting with us and the time wasted by Ed and co working to get him signed. Totally unnecessary. He should have kept his mouth shut if he thought there was any possibility he would pull out - whether because of the ban or some other reason.
Anyway, we move on.
In hindsight we should have gone all out for Silva but city beat us to that one.
There's being sympathetic and understanding their situation versus being sympathetic to the ban or the club in general. I'm taking a sympathetic, and opportunistic, approach to the situation. Let me break down my position one last time:This is absolutely mental
It's not heartless at all, this entire thing is atleticos fault for the practice of under age recruiting. I have zero sympathy.
We have 2 alternatives:
Option 1
1) We try to force the transfer through
2) Regardless of whether it succeeds, we've made an enemy of Athletico Madrid for the foreseeable future
3) All of world football would have the perception of Man Utd as a ruthless football club who will a kick club when they're down, and exercise a buyout on their best player right after they got slapped with a transfer ban.
Option 2
1) We agree to hold off for this window, so they can be as competitive as possible until they get their legs back under them and can recruit again in a future window
2) We've strengthened our relationship with Athletico far beyond Griezmann
3) Our club retains the respect and dignity it rightfully deserves
It's not mental because we know that:
1) As soon as the man came down, both United and Griezmann were in contact and made a statement or briefing. Therefore, the ban was the key issue.
What is mental are people peddling that:
1) Assuming United really did go cold on Griezmann at the last minute after all the groundwork was laid. This is the annual playground for morons who repeatedly assume our club is run by idiots, despite all evidence to the contrary.
2) Assuming possibly the 3rd best player on the planet suddenly lost his nerve, is mentally weak, etc. minutes after the ban came down. Ockham's razor. His club is in a bind, he felt obliged not to be a total bastard and bail on them. That should respected, not derided, folks.
3) Everyone should have known the ban was coming, so they're all idiots. Again, this is the reality of folks who think the real world is like a video game. Barca got a delay and one more window to stock up before the ban hit. Most likely, Athletico and United anticipated the same, however, our plan if the ban didn't get delayed was to postpone the transfer, make Griezmann look good by deciding to stay, and not force the issue and not act like the Donald Trump of world football.
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if we dont sign this window let him pass, there is no point signing a 27 year old with world record fees.
except United and Atletico aren't your regular corner store. At this level of you don't hold grudges in business. If we had triggered griezmann's clause and he came to us and then in the future we decided to deal with Atletico again, i'm sure that if it made financial sense for them they would deal and not reply saying "oh yeah, but you guys took antoine when we were banned".
and that's without even questioning the benefits of a supposed "stronger relationship", you don't exactly get "discounts" at this level, certainly not United.
Clubs aren't out here following a samurai code of honor, hell, Atletico is evidence that some don't even follow the rules.
We're never going to agree, because we have completely different viewpoints on how business is conducted in football.
Greizeman, you are a stupid baboons ballsack.
I think what Griezmann has chosen to do is actually a compassionate thing. He's chosen to give back to the fans that have given so much to him, isn't that what we would like all footballers to do? He's chosen to stay with the club and the fans during a difficult time in which they can't make recruitment's. Anyone saying he's stupid or naive are lacking in compassion a bit I think. Fair play to him, if he want's to come when the ban is lifted I'm sure all those berating him would welcome him with open arms.
We cooled our interest right before he decided he didnt want to come anyway . So have that Greizmann 
Careful mate. It's a viper's den in here, trust me.
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