Well I agree that calling it a waste is a bit of a stretch but I subjectively thought it was a waste of time. Martinez was done pretty early, bringing in Eriksen as a free-agent or Malacia as a cheap punt from Netherlands wasn't what most people were waiting for. Maybe it is coincidence in this case but to me it was obvious from the start, that FDJ wasn't willing to come so I consider it a waste of time chasing him all summer and getting involved with that ridiculous theatrics of the Barcelona lever society. Mostly because FDJs price would have taken a big chunk of the supposed transfer budget. Again, not putting the blame solely on ETH. But I guess if he would have said "if option A isn't there by date X, go for option B so we make sure to have options available during the season". The late arrivals messed a bit with the pre-season as well.
I get your point but it is from a perspective that is set on Antony as the only available option for RW. If that would have been true, I'd have an easier time understanding things but at the end of the day we obviously overpayed for a player who would have suprised almost everybody if he had set the league on fire from the start. If you need an RW but the budget isn't enough for option A, go for Option B. Also I am not sure about the transfer budget having been increased after the first two games. As I said, I read that the outlay from Antony came from supposedly transfer budgets of winter and following summer. We will see, how it turns out.
Yes.
Wouldn't call it impossible. Not like nobody knew United before ETH joined so I am sure there would have been a chance to gain a good amount of information before spending too much time. Didn't he decline the offer to talk to Rangnick to learn his evaluations on the players? To be sure, not a stick to beat ETH, he obviously is free to choose how to spend his time but indicating that he simply didn't knew feels a bit shallow. Plus a few acquisitions or targets could have been identified no matter what ETH thought of the players available.
I see your point but I wouldn't agree with it. We see how Bruno is played from the right, we have seen KDB played more or less on the right as well. So I wouldn't let me get boxed into "better overpay than nothing". I agree, there aren't many great options around and I admit, it shouldn't be on ETH to come up with options who would fit the bill. But to be completely honest - I have hoped that right after ETH was announced that the club would start buzzing preparing scouting reports, create lists and options and so on - to avoid one situation: be unprepared when the window starts and waste time. Time that would have been needed for a preparation on the training pitch in pre-season. We brought in a CB pretty early, were in contacts with Eriksen and bought Malacia. But everybody was waiting for midfielder and RW. If those two positions were identified as most important priorities, I think it doesn't shine a good light on everybody involved seeing it dragged out. I admit: thats criticism on a high level. But especially because ETH was expected to have quite a task modernizing our team, we should have moved heaven and earth to get the squad together as early as possible.
I agree with you. And I don't expect a 100% rate of transfer success. I expect to avoid big mistakes. And paying around double of the price for not-too-great reputation wise Brazilian right-wing from with moderate numbers in the Dutch league (seemingly including risking future transfers with it) has a huge risk of becoming a big mistake. Early days and hopefully Antony turns it around. I still expect the club to not repeat such mistakes. Our track record for big fees is as bad as it gets. For such numbers I expect to buy players who are ready to contribute from day 1 on. As you say - the challenge ahead for ETH, considering the mess the current squad has been created in, was always going to need a lot of new personal. For the 85million we could have gotten two players. None of them the best of the world probably. But sure better that what we had AND closer to the PL average.
I agree 100%. But I think that ETH could have instilled a bit of urgency if he had wanted to. I don't know if I am right but seeing how the rest of the transfer team acted on his targets, I guess they would have changed targets if he wanted them to.#
Lets conclude it like that: I don't consider last years transfers as big failure. Neither as big success. For sure the way things were handled shouldn't be a blueprint for the future. If this can be established, I'd be over the moon.
I don't know how you rate Bruno on the right, but for me he's meh if he's to station on the right. He can create chance, put in some cross, but he doesn't hold, protect the ball well, let alone dribble and stretch play. Bruno look to make effort but his defensive game is wildly flaw. He tried to nick the ball, instead of tracking, and follow through the attacker. It works in higher position, but for tracking players deep into our own half, it doesn't work. The infamous giving up attitude after a failed tackle against Liverpool is the example of what I talk about. Or a poor foul giving a soft penalty to Barcelona defending as RW. Bruno overall influence would decline if he doesn't allow the free to roam from the central position. Occasionally it's Okay. A whole season, it would have been much worse.
KDB on the right despite still being productive didn't impress. Pep used to rotate between David Silva, Sterling, Sane for that right wing because KDB didn't fulfill the right wing attacker criteria in the fullest. Pep had better option and yet he felt he had to get Sane, who first season at City was also inconsistent.
You can read the old tweet from the
@Adnan post above. It's clear that the club only provided some more fund after the panic button was pressed after first 2 PL defeats. Antony is not a must buy, but RW was a must buy. We just left everything too late and paid the price for it literally. I doubt the club would have provided an alternative to Antony then. It's up to ETH again to find a RW from his own experience which likely land us Ziyech, Neres, Gakpo (out of position), or someone worse from Dutch league, while still paying the late fee for leaving so late in the window.
I consider last summer somehow a failure or a more suitable term is incomplete. That CF position should have been another must do. Ronaldo was the most reliable scorer and it was always when he leave, not whether he leave. That means we have no reliable scorer without the hindsight of Rashford this season. I believe Martial is the most talented CF, ETH has ever coached. He probably got wowed at what Martial's potential, to think that with time he can do something with him. In reality, he doesn't. Someone from the club with all the fitness data, and performance analysis data should have take responsibility and brief ETH, to push to at least get a better back up CF in, regardless of Ronaldo situation.
ETH did not get everything right, but I believe he did as much as his could with how irresponsible the people around are. I hope thing has changed, but looks like there is no improvement. So I won't hold my breath.
