Five years to return back to the top: what would be your priorities?

[AneRu]

I don't think you need to wait five years to be successful especially if we start doing things right.

1. Get the new manager in, revise the recruitment strategy by not focusing on £80m signings but on lower rated players with the required attributes for their position. For example, Kalvin Phillips, injuries notwithstanding, could be a better signing for Ten Hag than Declan Rice.

Ensure that you have players that fit the new direction in positions in which we are short and supplement with youth. Say we get Tchoumeni for midfield, we could maybe try and goom Garner for the deep playmaker role. We could also get a technically good RB even he doesn't have a high ceiling but can do the basic stuff right and is a tool in the build up. Basically the first season should be about improving our build up play from deep.

2. With the new manager's style imprinted and the side functional with regard to the main ethos of his principle we then start on the attack. I am thinking next season we might not have enough money to sign a DM, striker, RB, RW and CM so we maybe sign the DM, RB and Right Forward because CR7 will stay for his last big contract and the chance to be the transitionary leader we need.

Young strikers with potential are always emerging so the 23-24 season should be about getting that 30 goal striker and maybe improving on Shaw at LB if his inconsistencies continue like they are likely to. Another exciting factor could be that players like Amad, Garner, Galbraith etc start to become genuine first team options.

3. Challenge for the title, partly by improving on the functional signings we'd have made this summer at RB and DM and possibly upgrading on Maguire.

What we should avoid is the temptation to solve everything in one summer or our past tendency of blowing the defense budget of a small island on one player. Next season we should be the ones discovering the next Rafinha, a cheapish signing that proves his worth in this league. We should be supplementing our needs with youth.

 

[MrSingh2002]

Team of Rangnik and Ten Hag to take charge of all transfers in and out.

 

[Amarsdd]

Honestly, it shouldn't need 5 years. We just need a manager who can get a tune out of this set of players (people don't want to admit it but still there's a lot of quality in our team) and 3-4 smart signings that directly improves the first eleven.

 

[AneRu]

Honestly, it shouldn't need 5 years. We just need a manager who can get a tune out of this set of players (people don't want to admit it but still there's a lot of quality in our team) and 3-4 smart signings that directly improves the first eleven.

It definitely shouldn't, look even at our weakest this season we are still in with a shout for top four. That in itself shows that we don't have as bad a team as we make it out to be.

I think the biggest challenge for us is the technical and physical deficiencies in our back six. The Right Back and the pivot midfielders are just terrible footballers. This affects how quick we can move the ball and also contributes to us losing easy balls in midfield and not being able to recover. Replace those three and the defensive woes could solve themselves whilst the attack could improve immensely from more efficient distribution of the ball in midfield.

This can be rectified in one window in my view.

 

[wolvored]

move towards a player payment system that includes a healthy/heavy element of performance-related pay. Lingard, Jones, Bailly Mata and co have been laughing for years.

This. I have said this a lot on here.
Have band structures for basic wage with the top band being £200k the highest to bring a player in and rising to a max of 300k after 5 years or renewal for example. Everyone on the amount of time here and experience/age would have roughly the same basic wage and no massive discrepanciy which can cause problems.
Then have team incentives. Wins would be the biggest. Goals scored over 3, over 4 etc and clean sheets the next. Smaller personal incentives could be added. x amount of games played could be one.
I would also cap the top transfer spend for a player to £70 mill for example. Make the scouts earn their pay by finding players that aint the obvious like Rice, Kane for example who would cost over £100 mill apiece.
Every 5 years lets say, these bands and spends would have to slightly rise as fees and contracts naturally go up, but we wouldnt be overloaded with expensive players on grotesque wages, who would be hard to shift like we have now. Players on the highest bands would be successes anyway if we have kept them.

 

[Crashoutcassius]

I'm hoping it's the opposite summer to usual.
Instead of huge joy at the names we've signed and unrealistic expectations, we instead sign players either no-one has heard of, or sound really underwhelming...but they fit our new system perfectly.

Haha true. I agree in a way and in a way I don't. If these are players ETH wants then how do we get continuity when he leaves or fails, which is quite likely. They need to be players the hierarchy at the club has identified... In that same vein, we need the hierarchy go dictate to some extend the style of play to ETH or any coach to ensure continuity... That's totally unrealistic and our only play is to put all our eggs in ETH basket sadly, that is just a measure of how far behind the top structures we are

 

[TrustInJanuzaj]

I thought Mourinho's 2 years drive was the best. Europa 1st year, 2nd 2nd year, then....

I wasn't expecting winning EPL on the 3rd year, but at least a neck-2-neck with the winner right until May, like City V Liverpool this season.

If you expected anything in that third season you were mental. Mourinho was a busted flush, had us playing crap football and it was clear to anyone that Liverpool were miles better than us in the second half of the season and would batter us the season after. One of our biggest mistakes was sticking with Jose over that summer. Has we sacked him after that 2nd place we might actually have gone somewhere. In a way I’m glad we didn’t though because then the Mourinho fanboys would have thrown their toys out the pram.

 

[Sandikan]

If you expected anything in that third season you were mental. Mourinho was a busted flush, had us playing crap football and it was clear to anyone that Liverpool were miles better than us in the second half of the season and would batter us the season after. One of our biggest mistakes was sticking with Jose over that summer. Has we sacked him after that 2nd place we might actually have gone somewhere. In a way I’m glad we didn’t though because then the Mourinho fanboys would have thrown their toys out the pram.

We needed to back him or bin him, and did neither.

 

[Yorke to Cole]

Some players will not have 5 years if you are trying to convince them to join! Ten Hag probably will not be given 5 years. You are going to have to come up with a better project or argument than that to persuade the club you are the right choice of coach.

 

[cyril C]

If you expected anything in that third season you were mental. Mourinho was a busted flush, had us playing crap football and it was clear to anyone that Liverpool were miles better than us in the second half of the season and would batter us the season after. One of our biggest mistakes was sticking with Jose over that summer. Has we sacked him after that 2nd place we might actually have gone somewhere. In a way I’m glad we didn’t though because then the Mourinho fanboys would have thrown their toys out the pram.

We got 81 pts in the 17-18 season, could we improve on that in the following season? Not by much so high 80s and at most 90 pts. if 90 Pts can only get us 3rd, as in the 18-19 season, so be it, but I don't think any fans would be disappointed.

I am talking about momentum, which we lost after every 1.5 seasons, regardless of who was the managers. Chelsea on the other hand, can get instant re-start after 1 flop season (in fact, half under Lampard).

 

[amolbhatia50k]

5 years is too much , liverpool were in dire straits when klopp got there in 2015 and they were in an ucl final 3 years later , won it 4 years later and almost won the title as well. Taking too long to rebuild will be counter productive.

Even if we hire the right manager a lot of things have to go right to win the league. If Klopp signed his pick instead of Salah and if they couldn't get thr VVD deal over the line, it may not have worked out how it did. Plus that's with Klopp obviously being a top top manager. We are the stage where it's not just about the quality of players we have but also years of playing a very different style of footy. I'd argue that ETH and Ole are miles apart in stylenwhereas Klopp and Rodgers (see 13/14) are much closer.

Not saying it should take 5 years or shouldn't but right now i think the focus has to be to build a tactically modern and attacking team first. That would be the first milestone after which things can be guaged.

 

[Red the Bear]

Even if we hire the right manager a lot of things have to go right to win the league. If Klopp signed his pick instead of Salah and if they couldn't get thr VVD deal over the line, it may not have worked out how it did. Plus that's with Klopp obviously being a top top manager. We are the stage where it's not just about the quality of players we have but also years of playing a very different style of footy. I'd argue that ETH and Ole are miles apart in stylenwhereas Klopp and Rodgers (see 13/14) are much closer.

Not saying it should take 5 years or shouldn't but right now i think the focus has to be to build a tactically modern and attacking team first. That would be the first milestone after which things can be guaged.

You make valid points but again taking too long to rebuild might end up making that rebuild redundant and needing another rebuild etc etc(players might suddenly decline, new styles might emerge and so on).
The game is moving too fast and we can't risk staying behind like we'vedone since Fergie's retirement.
We definitely should aim for trophies, the faster that happens the better.

 

[jesperjaap]

You make valid points but again taking too long to rebuild might end up making that rebuild redundant and needing another rebuild etc etc(players might suddenly decline, new styles might emerge and so on).
The game is moving too fast and we can't risk staying behind like we'vedone since Fergie's retirement.
We definitely should aim for trophies, the faster that happens the better.

It already has happened with the last three managers. No manager gets five years in the modern game, only if significant progress is being made, we still have a mish mash of players from what all three maangers wanted as we are poor at movign players on.

 

[frostbite]

The problem with a 5-year plan is that in the first 4.5 years everyone will be just farting around.

 

[My only Eric]

I would start from the midfield. Why?

Midfield is where the league is won and lost. Freak results happen in cup ties, but over a league season, the team with the better midfield win the title or at least compete for it. Strikers and defenders can always be bought but top quality midfielders are rare.

Think about it, Pep has always endeavored to have the best midfield in the league at every club he's coached.
Madrid lost ronaldo but their midfield keeps dominating opponents and creating chances, so he's not really missed.
Barcelona rebuilt their midfield and are now playing good football.
Kloop first got a midfield that plays the way he wants before adding defense and world class attackers.


So to rebuild United, I'll get midfielders that

1) can retain possession when under pressure
2) are hardworking
3) can pass the ball accurately through opponent's defense structure (vision)
4) under 24 years old (I'm building for the long term)
5) good injury record

Two transfer windows to build the midfield


After rebuilding the midfield, I'll focus on clinical attackers that will score the chances created by the midfielders.

Then defense comes next.

Stay tuned for more

 

[Hughie77]

Where a club that doesn't get instant success it takes time, look back through the managers, some have won cups and there's only 2 who have from 50s to 2013 won league.
So patience is needed with new guy. I'm looking at first an improvement maybe a go at a cup.
Next 3 windows are crucial in recruiting. Then we go from there, I'm hoping we be challenging by 2025 for a title.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

My priorities

1. Instill a cohesive and attacking brand of football where the team is obsessively coached to carry out the said gameplan to near perfection. The team will make mistakes but they must get passed that pain barrier to "git gud".
2. Buy players of the required standard who suit the above style having both skill and work ethic. Our team lacks technical quality in some areas and physical robustness in others. Priority areas would be 1. Midfield 2. One key attacker 3. Fullback 4. CB and GK
3. Correct the wage and transfer policy. Stop keeping duds on the books. Make conserted efforts to lower the wage bill and ensure players are not paid for the players they may one day become. Same with transfer fees. We must look for cheap deals to get out of the United will overpay as its what they do cycle. RM are rich but stingy. It can be done.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

You make valid points but again taking too long to rebuild might end up making that rebuild redundant and needing another rebuild etc etc(players might suddenly decline, new styles might emerge and so on).
The game is moving too fast and we can't risk staying behind like we'vedone since Fergie's retirement.
We definitely should aim for trophies, the faster that happens the better.

You make a fair point. But I see the shift from a cultural, systemic and tactical point of view, as something that will benefit us long term. Of course the manager of Manchester United must always win trophies and I think message should be clear. At the same time I really do believe the shift in moving from generic footy to a proper modern system , whenever it happens, along with sensible transfers, will be something that will lay genuine foundations for success.

See Chelsea, looked listless under Lampard. Now they haven't reached City or Liverpools level of course but with a coach coming in with a clear vision and training that into his players brilliantly they managed to get a trophy City would trade a few of Peps league titles for.

 

[iammemphis]

Agree with the post above about concentrating on midfield, but as much as anything we really need to do our homework on the mentality of the players. Im tired of sulkers leaking our problems to the press, and half-arsing around when trying to defend attacks. We need players willing to bleed for the shirt, in terms of pressing and making the challenge, busting a gut to tracking an attackers run. I barely see it in any of them. Arguably McTominay has it in droves, but who else? Maguire too who has his heart in the right place but both of them mentioned are lacking in actual ability, or the least consistency.

So a core of intelligent and hard working midfielders with the perfect mix of attitude and ability. Add a Haaland style striker and a couple of full backs in the Cancelo/Trent mould and Robertson, to replace Shaw and Bissaka long term. Add a commanding goalkeeper whose has world class distribution too while we're at it.

 

[Red the Bear]

It already has happened with the last three managers. No manager gets five years in the modern game, only if significant progress is being made, we still have a mish mash of players from what all three maangers wanted as we are poor at movign players on.

We get to see the new hierarchy in action very soon so hopefully it's an actual attempt at improving things and not the same old thing with new faces plastered over.

 

[Red the Bear]

My priorities

1. Instill a cohesive and attacking brand of football where the team is obsessively coached to carry out the said gameplan to near perfection. The team will make mistakes but they must get passed that pain barrier to "git gud".
2. Buy players of the required standard who suit the above style having both skill and work ethic. Our team lacks technical quality in some areas and physical robustness in others. Priority areas would be 1. Midfield 2. One key attacker 3. Fullback 4. CB and GK
3. Correct the wage and transfer policy. Stop keeping duds on the books. Make conserted efforts to lower the wage bill and ensure players are not paid for the players they may one day become. Same with transfer fees. We must look for cheap deals to get out of the United will overpay as its what they do cycle. RM are rich but stingy. It can be done.

I agree wholeheartedly, though it's a lot harder to gauge these things considering most of it is off the pitch proceedings that we will have a hard time finding out of.

You make a fair point. But I see the shift from a cultural, systemic and tactical point of view, as something that will benefit us long term. Of course the manager of Manchester United must always win trophies and I think message should be clear. At the same time I really do believe the shift in moving from generic footy to a proper modern system , whenever it happens, along with sensible transfers, will be something that will lay genuine foundations for success.

See Chelsea, looked listless under Lampard. Now they haven't reached City or Liverpools level of course but with a coach coming in with a clear vision and training that into his players brilliantly they managed to get a trophy City would trade a few of Peps league titles for.

I agree about the shift and the points you make here i just don't think a lot of it is out of ten hags reach as we have simply moved on from the times were Fergie did everything and his hand on approach.

A lot of that identity comes from the youth set up and how we teach the youngsters and frankly I feel our output has been trash especially compared to the likes of barca and Chelsea. We seem to have a hard time instilling a certain footballing ideology to our youth while clubs like City, Chelsea and others who lack our historical pedigree have moved on rapidly to improve their set ups while we lagged behind.

I don't know what will ten hag's inputs be in this regard but hope he'll have a positive impact in moulding a cohesive and identifiable brand of football.

But again all of these are way above the scope of a 5 year rebuilding plan so I feel ten hag's priority must remain on on field success even if he must resort to pragmatic means.

 

[croadyman]

I would start from the midfield. Why?

Midfield is where the league is won and lost. Freak results happen in cup ties, but over a league season, the team with the better midfield win the title or at least compete for it. Strikers and defenders can always be bought but top quality midfielders are rare.

Think about it, Pep has always endeavored to have the best midfield in the league at every club he's coached.
Madrid lost ronaldo but their midfield keeps dominating opponents and creating chances, so he's not really missed.
Barcelona rebuilt their midfield and are now playing good football.
Kloop first got a midfield that plays the way he wants before adding defense and world class attackers.


So to rebuild United, I'll get midfielders that

1) can retain possession when under pressure
2) are hardworking
3) can pass the ball accurately through opponent's defense structure (vision)
4) under 24 years old (I'm building for the long term)
5) good injury record

Two transfer windows to build the midfield


After rebuilding the midfield, I'll focus on clinical attackers that will score the chances created by the midfielders.

Then defense comes next.

Stay tuned for more

Give this guy the Deputy DOF role

 

[sunama]

The issue we have is that almost every single player in our squad has a poor attitude.
While we have players with poor attitudes to losing, unfortunately, we won't be winning any league titles.
Will it take 5 years to remove the bad apples in our current squad? I would say longer.
It's been 5 years since we won a trophy and I expect that drought to continue for another 3-5 years. Add another 3-5 years to win the league, so roughly 6-10 years to win the league title.