Yes. They thought hiring a ”good” coach would solve everything.
Of course, that was a much-posted opinion on these pages. “We are an awfully coached team”. Too bad people had to argue that the players were fine to “prove” that the coaching was bad.
A good coach is important but we’ve actually had several of those and I’m not sure the best coach in the world could do anything here without overhauling the squad.
We spent billions on players so it’s not the amount of money that is the problem. It is the lack of support on critical player issues at critical times (file under interference from inept board and owners) and the lack of genuine expertise between the board and the coach - that’s what has got us here.
We also spend money stupidly, unnecessarily and have never really strengthened where we needed to.
2013 - Moyes needed a replacement for our most important player (Scholsey), a DM to solidfy us when Kagawa played and wingbacks. A long term replacement for centreback was also vital.
We signed Fellaini and then went and got Mata in January. Moyes was quickly sacked.
2014 - Van Gaal needed a left back, a playmaker, a lively winger and playmaker defenders.
We got all necessary targets - surprisingly efficient window
2015 - needed a striker, right back, winger to replace Di Maria and a DM capable of passing from the back. While every position was arguably filled, we didn't get the necessary quality. Still, not bad.
- It is at this point it all falls apart, because every single player we have bought needs to be replaced to fit the new Manager -
2016 - Mourinho, new style, new players. Physically strong players on the agenda- needed a new backline, aerially dominant DM, physcially dominant striker and stronger midfielders. Signed players who fit more with Van Gaal's style + Bailly and Ibra.
2017 - Half the team was too physically slight and lacked the physicality for the style of football Mourinho wanted - New striker, DM, two centrebacks, defensive fullbacks, hard working wingers and stronger midfielders all needed.
We signed 3 that he needed (Lukaku, Lindelof and Matic) + Sanchez for crazy money.
2018 - needed a hard working midfielder, stronger fullbacks, physically dominant centrnebacks and still needed hard working wingers.
Got Fred, so technically 1 out of 5/6 players.
-Mourinho experiment ends while he is still 5-6 players away from having a team that fits his style -
2019 - Ole. Pogba clearly needs to be replaced, a striker is desperately needed, hardworking winger still needed. Ole enthuses about a more posession based style of football.
We sign the players Mourinho needed the previous season in Maguire (physically dominant CB), Wan Bissaka (defensive fullback), and Dan James (hard working and quick winger).
Players who did not fit what the manager said publicly. Bruno was probably the only one close to it.
2020 - Don't know what the hell happened here. Needed midfielders, striker and wingers, as Ile went in for a more direct style - wound up with prospects and Donny. Seem to be part of the new and badly executed "data driven approach".
2021 - a window that initially made a lot of sense with the exception of Cristiano. Pogba's meltdown was complete and the man management was so bad that everything collapsed.
- As Ole's experiment ends, we sit there with players mostly incapable of playing a posession style, and a team close to being decent at more direct style that Mourinho worked towards -
Today - New style, again, means that we need new players in virtually every position aside from a handful of players who can play the requisite style of football.
We, so far, get three signings in the door at a point where we need 6 to solidify the spine of the team and have something to build on.
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Completely rebuilding a team in the opposite direction every 3 years is expensive, especially when the willingness to do so properly just isn't there.
