Man Utd set to appoint Director of Football (when hell freezes over)

[Revan]

On a real. Why should this squad miss out on CL football? Comments like this are the real problem. We still have the second best team in the league rardless of a failed transfer.

Big fallout means not reaching UCL, I guess. Otherwise it ain't that big.

I think that Liverpool now have a better team (or at least a better coached team), but we should still reach UCL without much problems IMO. Not sure how much Jorginho and Kovacic will improve Chelsea, they still lack a top Cf, and Kepa ain't Courtuis. Spurs are weaker than us, and so are Arsenal. I think that we'll finish third and be in fight for second.

Unless of course Mourinho finds a way of unleashing Pogba, Sanchez and Martial. And does not think that you need to defend with 10 men against any semi-decent team. If that happens, then we can give City a run for its money.

 

[Enigma_87]

Of course it does. Chelsea change a manager on average every 2 years and have been doing so since Roman bought them. Didn't seem to stop them did it?

Did the hire Moyes? That alone pegs the club back an year or two. LvG was also a strange choice and Jose was supposed to fix a 3 years old mess that included us finishing 7th.

In Premiership you have to spend to be competitive. Chelsea spent a lot last year despite being champions. Before Jose won it he spent a lot getting key players in.

 

[Burrow]

Maybe.

But if Real have a poor season(like a trophy-less season), they'll likely splash out in 2019 and inflate the market even more.

Maybe, they've changed their transfer policy the last few years so it's hard to tell. It seems as though the 'big' clubs are more or less in agreement that the market has been insane for the last few windows though, which is maybe why we've seen so few big signings going around. Hopefully this is a part of some sort of agreement between the bigger clubs in Europe, which will see fees slowly normalizing rather than spiralling to a beyond insane level.

 

[Vanya]

People don't have a clue who does what and why. Yet they're quick to blame Ed as soon as something goes against their subjectively imagined plan. Falcao, Di Maria, Pogba?

Apparently, a DoF will fix all our problems. I'm not so sure a manager would like to have one.

Well things have gone against the imagined plan of Mourinho and that's bad enough.

If poeple are quick to judge Woodward, maybet you're quick to abslove him? There's precedence when it comes to Woodward messing up in the transfer market. So how is this any different. Not getting deals done for the designated target and then bidding for every CB out there in the last few hrs of the window is just one hint that the entire transfer window was badly planned and executed.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

Big fallout means not reaching UCL, I guess. Otherwise it ain't that big.

I think that Liverpool now have a better team (or at least a better coached team), but we should still reach UCL without much problems IMO. Not sure how much Jorginho and Kovacic will improve Chelsea, they still lack a top Cf, and Kepa ain't Courtuis. Spurs are weaker than us, and so are Arsenal. I think that we'll finish third and be in fight for second.

Unless of course Mourinho finds a way of unleashing Pogba, Sanchez and Martial. And does not think that you need to defend with 10 men against any semi-decent team. If that happens, then we can give City a run for its money.

Jose did elude to wanting to change his tactics in that presser today, but wasn't able to implement it in pre-season because of players missing.

I don't buy it, but I'd love to be proven wrong.

 

[spiriticon]

Did the hire Moyes? That alone pegs the club back an year or two. LvG was also a strange choice and Jose was supposed to fix a 3 years old mess that included us finishing 7th.

In Premiership you have to spend to be competitive. Chelsea spent a lot last year despite being champions. Before Jose won it he spent a lot getting key players in.

Jose has been here for 2 years, each previous year spent getting key players in.

We could almost field a team entirely made of his signings...

The team now is HIS.

 

[Mainoldo]

I think this idea of only buying younger players because they have a resale value is absolute nonsense.
If they are performing well we wouldn’t sell them anyway and if they were playing badly then there resale value would tumble anyway.
The key is having players that can get us the title back and get us seriously competing for champs lge again and if that takes experienced internationals then so be it surely we can afford them because if I had a £ for every time I read that we are the biggest club in the world I could buy the players myself !

Because unlike you and Mourinho we have always been a club built on having s young core who help sustain success not a team that chop and change 6 players a summer like Inter Milan and wonder why there is never no longevity of success. It went pretty tits up after Mourinho left didn’t it. Which also happens to be the club where he got the most backing.

 

[ti vu]

On a real. Why should this squad miss out on CL football? Comments like this are the real problem. We still have the second best team in the league rardless of a failed transfer.

Not sure you followed the conversation?

The other poster suggested Woodward prefer anticipating for Mourinho meltdown as it's better for club finance than paying to sack him now.

Squad quality means nothing if management is in chaos. Chelsea won the league between their worst season where they failed to qualify for CL. Their squad clearly are capable to win or at least making top 4, no? Dortmund was comfortable to make top 4, yet in Klopp final season there, something went wrong in management and they couldn't make CL for the following season.

 

[Kemizee]

So the man who makes the signings should go against all the managers wishes? If thats the case then the problem is clearly the manager.

If he can go against his wishes by not buying him Perisic, Maguire, Toby, Willain etc, why can't he also go against his wishes regarding allowing the perpetuating of mediocrity and the awarding of unwarranted contract extensions to useless players on our payroll?

Both of them ( Ed and Mou) are simply not up to scratch in my opinions as far as our outgoing and incoming transfers are concerned.

 

[Mainoldo]

Jose did elude to wanting to change his tactics in that presser today, but wasn't able to implement it in pre-season because of players missing.

I don't buy it, but I'd love to be proven wrong.

He did but what’s wrong with implementing it to the squad anyway. They will still have to play that way if required upon. You think Pep waited for his first team to get back to start coaching.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

He did but what’s wrong with implementing it to the squad anyway. They will still have to play that way if required upon. You think Pep waited for his first team to get back to start coaching.

Exactly why I'm not buying it. It was a poor excuse.

If Jose was trying out different things tactically in pre-season, it failed spectacularly with how our play went(don't care about results).

 

[Mainoldo]

Not sure you followed the conversation?

The other poster suggested Woodward prefer anticipating for Mourinho meltdown as it's better for club finance than paying to sack him now.

Squad quality means nothing if management is in chaos. Chelsea won the league between their worst season where they failed to qualify for CL. Their squad clearly are capable to win or at least making top 4, no? Dortmund was comfortable to make top 4, yet in Klopp final season there, something went wrong in management and they couldn't make CL for the following season.

If he doesn’t win the league or CL anyway he’s getting sacked.

 

[Revan]

Jose did elude to wanting to change his tactics in that presser today, but wasn't able to implement it in pre-season because of players missing.

I don't buy it, but I'd love to be proven wrong.

Changing the tactics and getting the best out of our top players is more important IMO then the potential signings of Alder and Willian.

Although to be fair, Alder might have helped us a lot on changing tactics. Mourinho now should give a run to Lindeloff considering that there are similarities between them.

 

[endless_wheelies]

 

[MadMike]

Did the hire Moyes? That alone pegs the club back an year or two. LvG was also a strange choice and Jose was supposed to fix a 3 years old mess that included us finishing 7th.

In Premiership you have to spend to be competitive. Chelsea spent a lot last year despite being champions. Before Jose won it he spent a lot getting key players in.

You're quite literally, talking shit now. Moyes only brought one player in for 30m. A player that both his consequent managers loved, might I add. However terrible the team was during that year, his short reign had feck all long term impact.

Your second sentence is the antithesis of what you said before. You said that spending doesn't matter because 2 managers changed after spending 2 seasons here each. Then you proceed to tell me that Chelsea spent big and that's why they are good. Which is exactly what we did too, well more than Chelsea. And we both changed managers with the same frequency.

So you're basically debunking your own point and applying 0 logic. Congrats.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

Changing the tactics and getting the best out of our top players is more important IMO then the potential signings of Alder and Willian.

Although to be fair, Alder might have helped us a lot on changing tactics. Mourinho now should give a run to Lindeloff considering that there are similarities between them.

I agree.

Jose needs to get way more out of our current squad.

 

[Enigma_87]

Jose has been here for 2 years, each previous year spent getting key players in.

We could almost field a team entirely made of his signings...

The team now is HIS.

Jose had to fill the striker position since we had zero strikers with Persie slowing down. Then he had to address the midfield as it was frankly embarrassing. He also addressed one CB last season and bought another young one as a backup (Lindelof).

All in all he brought in Zlatan as a short term option and Lukaku as long term one. Matic and Pogba in CM, Micky and Alexis out wide.

In the meantime Young, Valencia grew older and Smalling and Jones even more incompetent/injured.

You can't revamp the whole team in 2 windows neither you can address every position or have 100% successful transfer record.

Jose has his faults but can't pin this transfer window mishaps on him.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

If he doesn’t win the league or CL anyway he’s getting sacked.

I'll be shocked if we sack him for failing to do that(if he finishes top 4).

I probably would, but I don't know if Woodward will.

I think the most likely scenario is Jose walking at the end of the season after failing to contend for the Prem.

 

[Mainoldo]

A meltdown from Mourinho, and bad season looks better from the outside? If anything, it further the image of incompetence in planning since Ed was given the prominent role. United is becoming new L'pool image. No direction going forward...

If you think of pulling the plug, do it swiftly now. It's unheard of any concept in business about preferring a whole year crash over momentum loss paying severance fee however high it is (Moyes and LVG tenure were already that)

We say no direction but then moan when the club don’t want to spend big money on 29 year olds. I don’t know about you but that sounds like a thought out plan of direction lol

 

[Mainoldo]

Jose had to fill the striker position since we had zero strikers with Persie slowing down. Then he had to address the midfield as it was frankly embarrassing. He also addressed one CB last season and bought another young one as a backup (Lindelof).

All in all he brought in Zlatan as a short term option and Lukaku as long term one. Matic and Pogba in CM, Micky and Alexis out wide.

In the meantime Young, Valencia grew older and Smalling and Jones even more incompetent/injured.

You can't revamp the whole team in 2 windows neither you can address every position or have 100% successful transfer record.

Jose has his faults but can't pin this transfer window mishaps on him.

Why is this any different to Pep?

 

[Giant Midget]

You're quite literally, talking shit now. Moyes only brought one player in for 30m. A player that both his consequent managers loved, might I add. However terrible the team was during that year, his short reign had feck all long term impact.

Your second sentence is the antithesis of what you said before. You said that spending doesn't matter because 2 managers changed after spending 2 seasons here each. Then you proceed to tell me that Chelsea spent big and that's why they are good. Which is exactly what we did too, well more than Chelsea. And we both changed managers with the same frequency.

So you're basically debunking your own point and applying 0 logic. Congrats.

Two. He bought Mata as well.

 

[Enigma_87]

You're quite literally, talking shit now. Moyes only brought one player in for 30m. A player that both his consequent managers loved, might I add. However terrible the team was during that year, his short reign had feck all long term impact.

Your second sentence is the antithesis of what you said before. You said that spending doesn't matter because 2 managers changed after spending 2 seasons here each. Then you proceed to tell me that Chelsea spent big and that's why they are good. Which is exactly what we did too, well more than Chelsea. And we both changed managers with the same frequency.

So you're basically debunking your own point and applying 0 logic. Congrats.

Moyes turned a PL winning side into side that finished outside EL position and without European football football next year. Don't know who is talking shit mate?

When you bring in new manager you have to spend big to bring his players in that fit his style. When you hire 2 clowns (one more than the other) effectively you write off those seasons.

Chelsea hired Mourinho (serial winner) and Conte - several Seria A winner for consecutive years. We hired Moyes and LvG whose last experience at club level was being sacked at Bayern 3 years ago.

 

[spiriticon]

Jose had to fill the striker position since we had zero strikers with Persie slowing down. Then he had to address the midfield as it was frankly embarrassing. He also addressed one CB last season and bought another young one as a backup (Lindelof).

All in all he brought in Zlatan as a short term option and Lukaku as long term one. Matic and Pogba in CM, Micky and Alexis out wide.

In the meantime Young, Valencia grew older and Smalling and Jones even more incompetent/injured.

You can't revamp the whole team in 2 windows neither you can address every position or have 100% successful transfer record.

Jose has his faults but can't pin this transfer window mishaps on him.

Not pinning any transfer mishaps on him at all, but he has to get the maximum out of all the players that HE has already bought. I'd be more sympathetic with Jose if he were say in Poch's situation, where the squad is already playing at near 100% and yet no reinforcements are brought in.

And frankly, if Jose is allowed to make mistakes, so should Ed Woodward.

 

[ravi2]

Everton, Chelsea, Liverpool and City have all outspent us these two seasons.

We're the most profitable football club in the world.

If you want United to win the league consistently if at all, we have the wrong CEO and certainly the wrong owners.

I can't believe how many on here have their heads in the sand.

It's been a tough 5 years, these next 5 years will be worse. Mark my words.

As long as Ed and the Glazers are in control United will not progress.

When we fail to win anything this season, possibly fail to make it to the Champions League and DDG and Pogba decide they have had enough, where will we be then?

You cannot blame world class players for leaving because they want an real shot of winning things, our club is headed completely in the wrong direction and I dont see anything getting better anytime soon.

 

[Enigma_87]

Why is this any different to Pep?

Pep already inherited a world class team and spend big to take it to next level. Remove Pogba, Lukaku, Sanchez and Ibra, who Jose brought and the only world class player we had prior to his appointment is De Gea.

 

[Enigma_87]

Not pinning any transfer mishaps on him at all, but he has to get the maximum out of all the players that HE has already bought. I'd be more sympathetic with Jose if he were say in Poch's situation, where the squad is already playing at near 100% and yet no reinforcements are brought in.

And frankly, if Jose is allowed to make mistakes, so should Ed Woodward.

Well depends on what your expectations of Jose are mate. He finished 2nd last year - highest we've been since Fergie. Won EL, LC and reached FA cup final.

Poch isn't really expected to win anything but mount a top four challenge. I doubt Jose would need further strengthening to finish top four, but surely we should be aiming at winning the league not CL qualification?

 

[ti vu]

We say no direction but then moan when the club don’t want to spend big money on 29 year olds. I don’t know about you but that sounds like a thought out plan of direction lol

What does it even mean?

Putting words in people mouth bringing up about 29 years old.

Even so, plan doesn't only mean not looking at the very next step but only looking at the next year. There is needed short term plan along medium term and long term plan. You don't work to sweat before actually exercising.

If he doesn’t win the league or CL anyway he’s getting sacked.

Proof?

If anything Ed showed he was Okay with top 4 and CL football for next season. He didn't pull trigger when it's mathematically still possible to qualify for CL. LVG, Moyes Mourinho same.

And it doesn't counter/ answer to any points made by me.

 

[spiriticon]

Well depends on what your expectations of Jose are mate. He finished 2nd last year - highest we've been since Fergie. Won EL, LC and reached FA cup final.

Poch isn't really expected to win anything but mount a top four challenge. I doubt Jose would need further strengthening to finish top four, but surely we should be aiming at winning the league not CL qualification?

But no trophies last year and no league or CL trophies since he joined. Sorry to say but I will have to judge Jose by the same harsh yardstick he seems to judge Ed with.

No mistakes allowed, no grey area, 100% results, do or die.

 

[Greck]

Sorry but some of the gloomiest proclamations in this thread can be best described as throwing toys out the pram. I'm glad we didn't give Chelsea 70mil or Martial for Willian. That amount could easily have bought a Mahrez or maybe Pullisic. Alderweireld is a bummer but it's not what I'd call a sackable offense as Levy is a cretin to deal with. I hope we one day find out who the 5 players on the list were.

 

[Mainoldo]

Pep already inherited a world class team and spend big to take it to next level. Remove Pogba, Lukaku, Sanchez and Ibra, who Jose brought and the only world class player we had prior to his appointment is De Gea.

Okay let’s break down this myth lol. So they both took over at the same time. Mourinho gets Pogba, Bailly, Mhiki and Zlatan. Basically builds his spin. Pep signs Bravo, Stones, Nacho, Sane and Jesus for January.

Would you not say we are now 1up? Was we not feeling abit confident? City hadn’t won the title for 2 years. There world class team was basically David Silva, Kompany and a very talents KDB.

Anyway it should as they struggled to get 4th and we really only failed to take it from them because we decided to take our foot off the gas. How costly that was looking back.

So we went into the second season realistically even... they brought the famous two fullbacks which only one of them played the full season lol and a well needed goalkeeper; oh and I forgot a attacker who was a bench player. Meanwhile over at our disfunctional gaf. We got a top striker and partner to realise Pogba and another defender to upgrade against the chuckle brothers.

So looking back yet again I would say we were on a level playing field. It’s not then the boards fault that Pep managed to progress KDB, Sane and Sterling whilst getting them to play free flowing football whilst José fails to progress Martial, Rashford and Shaw. Whilst not being able to get a tune out of Pogba, Sanchez and Lindelöf.

So no I don’t really see a difference except Pep showing he was a better manager.

 

[Enigma_87]

But no trophies last year and no league or CL trophies since he joined. Sorry to say but I will have to judge Jose by the same harsh yardstick he seems to judge Ed with.

No mistakes allowed, no grey area, 100% results, do or die.

City outspend us ever since he was brought in having already a better squad - hence no title last year.

Barca spent 350m EUR or something last season. 120M EUR in Jose's first year and still couldn't win CL with a team with Messi in it.

Jose has faults, but you can't win Formula One with a Sauber..

 

[CA1]

As long as Ed and the Glazers are in control United will not progress.

When we fail to win anything this season, possibly fail to make it to the Champions League and DDG and Pogba decide they have had enough, where will we be then?

You cannot blame world class players for leaving because they want an real shot of winning things, our club is headed completely in the wrong direction and I dont see anything getting better anytime soon.

Worst thing is that people on here think it will get better and that the owners are doing a good service to us.

These 5 years we've had were well in the pipeline even when Sir Alex Ferguson was here. We could all see it on the horizon under these owners when Fergie wasn't here to hold the club together. Fergie ran everything, the day-to day, the transfers, he kep the club up to high standards in all areas. Now Woodward is charged with doing it alongside "insert short term manager who the fans will want sacked after 2 years here"

When people start to realise, we will be even further under the cloud. This season no United fan thinks we will win the league. That is damning. I really believe this will now become the norm. The owners will get away scot free.

It saddens me.

 

[Jed I. Knight]

As long as Ed and the Glazers are in control United will not progress.

When we fail to win anything this season, possibly fail to make it to the Champions League and DDG and Pogba decide they have had enough, where will we be then?

You cannot blame world class players for leaving because they want an real shot of winning things, our club is headed completely in the wrong direction and I dont see anything getting better anytime soon.

Yeah it’s a miracle we’ve been able to hold on to De Gea, in all honesty. Pogba will inevitably kick up a fuss, though, because no way whatsoever Raiola will tolerate him spending the bulk of his prime not competing for honours at the highest level.

It’s clear that the problems go further than who is in the manager’s chair, and unfortunately I think you’re right that we’re in for a prolonged lean spell.

 

[spiriticon]

City outspend us ever since he was brought in having already a better squad - hence no title last year.

Barca spent 350m EUR or something last season. 120M EUR in Jose's first year and still couldn't win CL with a team with Messi in it.

Jose has faults, but you can't win Formula One with a Sauber..

We can search for excuses all night, but no titles. Zero titulos, in the words of the man himself.

Similarly, I could also find plenty of excuses why Ed couldn't sign more players this window. The World Cup and the early English deadline being the most obvious ones.

The lesson here is: There is a grey area to everything. I'm happy to accept Jose isn't perfect, but let's extend that to Ed Woodward and the Glazers.

 

[el3mel]

We can search for excuses all night, but no titles. Zero titulos, in the words of the man himself.

Similarly, I could also find plenty of excuses why Ed couldn't sign more players this window. The World Cup and the early English deadline being the most obvious ones.

The lesson here is: There is a grey area to everything. I'm happy to accept Jose isn't perfect, but let's extend that to Ed Woodward and the Glazers.

Tell me why are we the only top English club who struggled with this then ? Seems like Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and City did what they went from the market and weren't affected.

 

[Enigma_87]

Okay let’s break down this myth lol. So they both took over at the same time. Mourinho gets Pogba, Bailly, Mhiki and Zlatan. Basically builds his spin. Pep signs Bravo, Stones, Nacho, Sane and Jesus for January.

Would you not say we are now 1up? Was we not feeling abit confident? City hadn’t won the title for 2 years. There world class team was basically David Silva, Kompany and a very talents KDB.

Anyway it should as they struggled to get 4th and we really only failed to take it from them because we decided to take our foot off the gas. How costly that was looking back.

So we went into the second season realistically even... they brought the famous two fullbacks which only one of them played the full season lol and a well needed goalkeeper; oh and I forgot a attacker who was a bench player. Meanwhile over at our disfunctional gaf. We got a top striker and partner to realise Pogba and another defender to upgrade against the chuckle brothers.

So looking back yet again I would say we were on a level playing field. It’s not then the boards fault that Pep managed to progress KDB, Sane and Sterling whilst getting them to play free flowing football whilst José fails to progress Martial, Rashford and Shaw. Whilst not being able to get a tune out of Pogba, Sanchez and Lindelöf.

So no I don’t really see a difference except Pep showing he was a better manager.

The fact you missed City having Aguero who scored 124 goals in the last 4 seasons in all comps for them, never missing a season scoring less than 20 goals in the league and 29 in all comps is telling

Pep inherited a team that finished before us. Played in CL SF the season before. Had the best striker in the league(Aguero), the best playmaker in the league (Silva), the most exciting young player in the league (de Bruyne), alongside Kompany, 30m Ottamendi, 34m Fernandinho, 50m Sterling, alongside some pretty solid rotational players like Sagna, Clichy, Zabaleta, Kolarov and Toure - all of them previous title winners.

Jose inherited the following team: Old Rooney, old Schweinsteiger, exciting youngsters in Martial and Rashford but without much experience, old Carrick, old Valencia and world class De Gea.

If you can't really see the difference I doubt you will have objective view on the situation mate.

 

[spiriticon]

Tell me why are we the only top English club who struggled with this then ? Seems like Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and City did what they went from the market and weren't affected.

Arsenal have signed practically no one of note, okay maybe Sokratis.. City have signed one major player. Chelsea have signed 2 major players.

We have signed 1 major player.

Only Liverpool managed an absolute stonker of a transfer window.

 

[Enigma_87]

We can search for excuses all night, but no titles. Zero titulos, in the words of the man himself.

Similarly, I could also find plenty of excuses why Ed couldn't sign more players this window. The World Cup and the early English deadline being the most obvious ones.

The lesson here is: There is a grey area to everything. I'm happy to accept Jose isn't perfect, but let's extend that to Ed Woodward and the Glazers.

Like?

Sandro being transfer listed? Willian also being available at the right(for Chelsea) price? Not being able to sign one CB from gazillion options?

Let's not forget his track record - unable to trigger a release clause and ending up paying over the odds in the course of less than 30 days? Unable to finish a loan at time? Failing to trigger another release clause after bidding 5m short before that?

 

[LJJT]

I really cannot understand all the slagging off of Woodward and the Glazers or club as a whole. Any one who thinks we haven’t spent mega bucks in the last 5 years isn’t realistic. We’ve spent fortunes.

I’d have liked another signing or two, but we’ve bought a circa £50m midfielder who should start most weeks and address our unbalanced insufficient midfield that struggles to link defence and attack. We’ve got a collection of forward players/attacking mids that are a good enough combo for any top team. Got best GK that everyone wants. 5 centre backs all bought for big money that surely to God 2 of them can stay fit for a full season, good steady Eddie at right back and a £30mill English full back everyone wanted a few years ago that if he gets his game together could be top drawer. Plus various squad players who should be more than capable to fill in . I don’t blame the board for not getting ripped off any more. We always pay too much and this year it’s even worse. If Jose can’t get this squad of players challenging and sort out the various combinations that work it’s his fault, not the board who must be naffed off pouring ridiculous amounts of money in to players who for one reason or another are injured or under perform.

 

[Dumbat12]

Pep already inherited a world class team and spend big to take it to next level. Remove Pogba, Lukaku, Sanchez and Ibra, who Jose brought and the only world class player we had prior to his appointment is De Gea.

This.

Is it really Mourinho's fault that we hired a clown to succeed Fergie and then hired a manager that was way past his glory days? As many here said, compare what Mourinho inherited - a shit team with that had 1 world class player and what Pep inherited - a team that had numerous world class players that fought for the title prior to Pep going there while we finished outside top 4.

I'm fecking sick of the anti-Mourinho brigade. They hate Mourinho more than they love the club. So much that they fail too look rationally at the situation.