For those obsessed with the 400m number, is it really impossible to think about how it was constructed, and whose fault that really was? Or is that too much to ask? I'm on the fence with ETH because I think whatever experiment he's trying has failed, and he's not changing it, which seems daft. But the amount of sh*t he gets on transfers is ridiculous.
Firstly, and most importantly, he is the manager. None of us are in the rooms, but he is explicitly not the one negotating terms and fees. He is clearly consulted and identifies targets, but it is not his job to get them at the right price. It is also not his job to set or even be able to impact the overall transfer budget. There are plenty of people at United who can, should and have taken the blame for that. And they're largely gone now thankfully.
Secondly, on to the actual situation. In his first summer, he identified that we had no midfield. Fans rejoiced. He identified the need for an energetic number 6 who could dictate play. He suggested FdJ, Barcelona said huzzah money, Frankie said no. Said negotiators tried all summer and failed. In the meantime, he did bring in Eriksen on a free to bolster numbers as short-term solution. He brought in our future player of the season for a similar fee to Arsenal buying Timber. He also brought in a young LB to provide cover. That was it. That's what we entered the season with. After a pretty thorough squad clean out. He also identified the need for a left-footed forward to augment the attack, especially given we'd lost Greenwood. Fast forward to two terrible defeats finally lighting a fire under the upper-management's backsides, and they panic buy. They make a 30 year old Casemiro one of the most expensive transfers in history, and throw all the money at Ajax to get Antony. Those two buys are basically half the money ETH is beaten up for. A player he didn't want, and one we hugely overpaid for - which I maintain was not his job or fault. For me, that was a terrible summer from a terrible management who didn't support ETH properly.
Then he was forced - again because of a good, needed clear-out, to try to find decent players available on loan, because we literally didn't have a CF and backup MF. At the 'biggest club in hte world'. And you know what? You don't get great players on loan.
Second summer I do think is more on ETH. We needed a new keeper, got one in line with fees paid by other clubs for keepers. And after an awful first few months, he's been largely fine. We needed 2 new CFs, ETH got one, again at huge expense because that's what United negotiators do. Look around, great sages of the caf, and give us your CFs purchased last summer that have been incredible successes, that we could have/should have gone for. And we got Mount. I'll be the first to admit I don't get it, but also the first to admit I can't get it because he hasn't been fit to show what his role is.
What I see is that ETH has not come close to being able to replace the pure first-team squad numbers he has removed, and has brought in a very low number of players. Of which, 3 have been injured this entire season. Put another way, all of ETH's defensive signings have not been able to play this season.
All I see from the 400m is about 150m worth of players that our amazing negotiators paid 250m over the odds for. Now maybe you want to beat up ETH for that, but I really don't think that's his fault.
Beat him up for playing a donut formation, for playing Rashford through this 'form' for failing to instill game-management into senior players. But you can't say it's his players that have us in 6th. Outside of the keeper, the most minutes are all played by players here before he arrived.
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