A fair question. The other issue is, does Woodward rate either/both of them, or is he likely to veto any deal. I don't know how much Serie A he watches.
ESPN - Mourinho wants to sign Skriniar and Romagnoli in Jan
- Thread starter Tiber
- Start date
A fair question. The other issue is, does Woodward rate either/both of them, or is he likely to veto any deal. I don't know how much Serie A he watches.
One unrelated question. Any idea who exactly negotiates the deals. Because the amount of salaries we give and the fees demanded from United for players seem to be really ridiculous many times. At the same time, we only get paltry amounts for anyone we want to sell.
Makes me feel we have a crap team doing it.
Makes me feel we have a crap team doing it.
Now we will have enough CB's to play a 6x3x1 system 
Doubt it is Jose.
You could buy Baresi and the team would still look shite going forwards. This isn't going to sort out anything. Whilst we're sorting out our defence and still finishing outside top 5, our rivals will be shooting off into the distance whilst we face losing De Gea and Pogba next summer.
It's all done by Matt Judge, United's head of corporate development and right hand man to Ed Woodward.
If it is Jose, then someone fire Ed. He is getting paid for nothing.
Jesus Christ, you’d think we are getting relegated come January. Lots of things can change come 1st of January.
Neither Inter nor Milan will sell anyone in January, they don’t need to and wouldn’t want to as they both want to qualify for champions league.
In any case, speaking of Romangoli in particular, he is very promising but still not great at the moment, he does very stupid mistakes from time to time.
One thing you have yet to understand about Italian defenders is that their prime is actually when they are in their thirties and not before (it’s rather between 30 and 35 than 26-30). So the right time to buy them is exactly when they turn 30.
In any case, speaking of Romangoli in particular, he is very promising but still not great at the moment, he does very stupid mistakes from time to time.
One thing you have yet to understand about Italian defenders is that their prime is actually when they are in their thirties and not before (it’s rather between 30 and 35 than 26-30). So the right time to buy them is exactly when they turn 30.
Sounds like bollocks. They're just grasping at these names because Capello came out and said these were the guys that Jose was after in the summer. And who were they reporting was our number one target in the summer? Toby Alderweireld. A player whom spurs were trying to get us to bid on and we refused.
Thing is I think it goes beyond 'our heroic battle for 4th' or simply Mourinho spending money.
Both are 23 and could potentially be here for a decade, that is a lot longer than just the rest of this season. If they help us to secure CL football great, but they're definitely not just transfer that you buy for a sudden push; they're long term acquisitions.
On that same note even if they are 'Mourinho targets' they're both young excellent centrehalfs that will improve us, they could well easily be a club transfer rather than a Mourinho transfer. Not like say a Matic or Willian, more Martial.
True, I can't see any deals being made in Jan with all the chaos surrounding the club. Not least because players themselves may not be committed to come here. Not just that, a lot of our top players' contract running out and are not yet renewed. Any top.player or prospect will think thrice before coming here unless the circus at the club ends.
What if they don't want to come? What if the club is unwilling to sell? What if the club or players demands are excessive? Not trying is one thing but unfortunately it's not so simple trying to sign highly regarded players.
Indeed. It is as if every top manager has to have a 100% transfer success record. It’s fine if Pep bins Bravo after a year and signs a £50m goalkeeper but if Mourinho decides that defenders he signed aren’t good enough he is supposed to persist with them because he spent £55m on them.
Why would Inter sell Skriniar in January?
Either a) those rumours were true and this story is bollocks. Because we wouldn't waste our time again if he doesn't want to come. Or b) those rumours weren't true.
So no issues either way.
Totally, and I can't see how anyone could disagree with that.
That won't be enough, thankfully.
No thanks.
Wait if we need to spend another 130m on CBs, what the feck has Mourinho actually fixed since he's been here? Our attack is even more dreadful than our defence, and our midfield is completely reliant on Pogba (and will probably need Matic replacing). So what's he actually managed to do with the 300m or so we've already spent?
The problem isn't as simple as it looks.
The easiest solution is to buy the best cb and we're set for 10 years like when we bought ferdinand. But at this current age, we dont have the pull to pull the best in the business, even if we have the money.
Buying q player in real life is not as easy as in football manager sadly. Many things to factor in other than wage and fees. Suitability? Ambition? Playstyle?
Good players are all tied up. Good players that we need, wants to play for us, available for transfer at sane prices, its a different equation
The easiest solution is to buy the best cb and we're set for 10 years like when we bought ferdinand. But at this current age, we dont have the pull to pull the best in the business, even if we have the money.
Buying q player in real life is not as easy as in football manager sadly. Many things to factor in other than wage and fees. Suitability? Ambition? Playstyle?
Good players are all tied up. Good players that we need, wants to play for us, available for transfer at sane prices, its a different equation
Makes you wonder who wanted Bailly and Lindelof, if it was Mourinho then I wouldn't trust him to go to Tesco with a list and bring anything decent back.
Jeez another one. Managers don't get all their signings spot on. Clubs with money make amends.
If Jose is still here come January 1st we are fecked.
Would have to convince Skriniar to leave first. He didnt want to go to Barca in the summer and preferred to stay at Inter. Why would he come here? But obviously would be a great signing and one the board is much more willing to spend on. Spending 60 or 70m on Alderweireld for Mourinho is absolutely a waste of money when hes not close to the title anyway, and it's a short term signing. It's perfectly reasonable for them to be hesitant on big short term signings if it's unlikely we'll win anyway.
❤So has he got the midfield ones right then? Cause Pogba according to most of you needs to go because of his off-field issues (despite being bought for a world record), his 50m midfielder this season can't get into the starting XI over McTominay. And the attack is even worse than than the midfield or defence.
This. For the players those at the club agree upon, that fit the age profile, etc... The money doesn't matter. We're loaded. Anyone half decent will cost similar or a fair chunk of the same at this point either way. Maguire and someone like Skriniar would be ideal. Everyone else CB-wise, bar Smalling, maybe Bailly, and hopefully Tuanzebe could then be fecked off and we'd be in a better place.
They wouldn't sell in January but come summer throw the absolute sink at Inter for Skriniar.
Yes please, he’s been great for Inter
This, Skriniar would be fecking amazing.
O my god, people still want Maguire?
Skriniar is a huge talent and we should do everything we can to get him.
Skriniar is a huge talent and we should do everything we can to get him.
People saying "No thanks " should understand we are not going to get the top targets in January and the young gems would have better options. We are not the attractive club we were !
It’s a well known fact Fergie never made a single signing that didn’t work out.
Two good CBs who are the right age but, I doubt we would be able to sign them in January.
So you don’t think we need another defender?
Not sure that's a great example as I'm not sure we really did replace Veron. Just a couple of cheap punts on Kleberson and Djemba-Djemba wasn't it?
In any case I reckon the similarity between the two situations is extremely superficial. In 2003 Ferguson was building on the back of over a decade of unprecedented success and was committed to United indefinitely at a time when we were financially unmatched.
In 2018 Mourinho is a coach who has brought us modest success at best, hasn't demonstrated any coherent vision for building the team and has a career-long record of being a short-term manager. All this at the time when we are already supporting nearly the biggest wage bill in world football.
Not really comparable.
He’s confirmed Stockholm syndrome, I guess. Sociologists should do case studies on him and cult-like behaviour.
Pogba's off field issues or hairstyles are not in Jose's control.
And regarding Fred, it is his first season and we are just into 8 games in the season. So let us at least wait and see how things work out. And in the world of defenders going for 40M and 50M, it is no surprise that moderate midfielders cost more. So let us not gawk at the 50M tag.
Anyways, the larger point is some signings work out and some signings do not work out. So you either fire the manager or you let him buy the players he wants.