I'm talking from reading opinions of the Dutch who are saying this. It was Michels who laid the foundation for the Ajax team which benefitted Kovacs. The concept was the same with the goalkeeper used like a ball playing CB. You can't compare Michels' concept at Ajax, which evolved over time and is still witnessed at Man City etc now, to what is happening at United under Ole.
Manchester United name John Murtough as Football Director and Darren Fletcher as Technical Director
- Thread starter Tom Van Persie
- Start date
You must be joking. City has nothing much like Ajax under Michels. LVG's Ajax is much more similar to Michels than City or Barca under Pep. Or for that matter under Cruijff.
I'm not sure what you're finding hard to grasp. City play a style that evolved from the team/concept that was put into motion by Michels.
LVGs Ajax also had a play style that evolved from Michels' team.
"We're not here to take part. We're here to take over."
- John Murtough, 2021
- John Murtough, 2021
Maybe you picked it up somewhere along the way due to being much more involved in following the game.
For me, @dinostar77 outright stating/providing the information that Murtough is a data scientist explained many things.
A few months back when the appointment was made we saw a lot of people worrying/posting that he was just another Woodward. I think if someone had made his background known back then, we'd have seen the conversation branch out in that direction and it would have been good for the forum.
The conversation branched into a direction which sadly was not in my control at the time.
Has this video been posted before?
Imagine we get £73m Sancho and £26m Camavinga, what a bargain for two top young talented players. This could be a massive improvement in our transfer strategy.
IN : Sancho / Carmavinga / Varane / Trippier / Remero
OUT: Lindelof / Baily / Martial / Dalot / Matic / Jesse / Perrera / Williams / Jones
Can we consider this as a good summer
OUT: Lindelof / Baily / Martial / Dalot / Matic / Jesse / Perrera / Williams / Jones
Can we consider this as a good summer
who is Remero?
Sancho wrapped up before the end of June. Working on deals for Varane and Camavinga - at the same time! Why do we look weirdly competent all of a sudden? Is this Fletcher’s doing?
We appear to be more focused. We don't known the dynamic at play but I always found some posters aversion to a DoF weird.
Why would you want to lose all your centre backs? Even if you get Romero and Varane. If you lose Lindelof and Bailly what happens if Maguire and one other is injured? Tuanzebe and ......? Lindelof is severely underated on this forum.
Also I don't get why you would ant to spend so much on Trippier. I think the club seem to have this absolutely right, if you can get him for 15-20M then it's good buy, but if you have to pay the 40M Madrid are holding out for then it's a waste of money with Dalot still developing.
Why get rid of Martial? Cavani won't be able to play 40 games a season and I'm not sure Greenwood and Rashford between them can fill that centre forward role, Martial was hit by poor form and injuries last season, but he is a 20 goal a season striker. It's pointless getting rid of him if you're not bringing a striker in.
I think the transfers in and out listed above would feel great on the face of it, but actually leave you in a vulnerable position.
Never noticed before, but he has a slight look of Brian Clough about him.
It’s a good summer on paper but you’re leaving us extremely light up front & at centre back. Cavani as only proper centre forward & only 3 senior centre backs (with one of those being Tuanzebe) doesn’t seem wise. I’d keep Lindelof & Martial for sure. Greenwood isn’t able to play as a loan striker yet.
I've a feeling after Sancho and potentially Varane and Camavinga, we won't be finished. I think there's enough wiggle room for one more marquee signing, especially if the reports of £150m net are to be believed.
Sancho - £73m
Varane - £43m
Camavinga - £25m (just saying that price sounds like cheating, I hope that comes off)
Total - £141m, that's before selling.
We could end up selling Pogba, Martial, Dalot, Matic, Pereira, Chong, James and Jones. That's over £100m of players which would bring our net spend down to £40-50m.
Post Euros bid for Grealish? Yes please
Sancho - £73m
Varane - £43m
Camavinga - £25m (just saying that price sounds like cheating, I hope that comes off)
Total - £141m, that's before selling.
We could end up selling Pogba, Martial, Dalot, Matic, Pereira, Chong, James and Jones. That's over £100m of players which would bring our net spend down to £40-50m.
Post Euros bid for Grealish? Yes please
Why do people think we're gonna sell like 10 first team players?
We're not selling more than 3-4 players and we're certainly not selling Martial or Lindelof 
. Some of you live in fantasy land. This is the club that gave Mata a new contract FFS.
. Some of you live in fantasy land. This is the club that gave Mata a new contract FFS.He wouldn't say he was the best Director of Football out there, but he's definitely in the top one.
I imagine we’re one of very few clubs who can afford players in honesty…hard to read into how good our transfers are when clubs can’t resist us financially like they have the last decade or so.
They do it all the time and I always just quickly scroll past.We're not selling more than 3-4 players and we're certainly not selling Martial or Lindelof
In very good. But out would cripple us defensively. Trippier is none essential as Dalot is very good and should be given a chance, also Tripper you sign to be a starter.
Out: James, Jones, Lingard, Perrera, Matic
Part in bold is what has took me by surprise as in the past we seemed to just work on one deal at a time.
We seem to be quite aggressive this window. I like it.
I don’t think we can give too much credit so far as all we’ve really done is get a transfer over the line that has been 12 months in the making. Let’s see what happens from now and then we can assess.
Early signs are positive but it's way too early to go out giving them credit yet.
This summer could still go either way.
This summer could still go either way.
Not really but he'll be sold because he's one of the few players that's hasn't had his reputation completely ruined.
What even is this guy?? Quick and efficient business so far and those signings are actually top players. It shows how awful we were when Ed took in charge.
He's John Fecking Murtough!
Please. Let's not do this.
Hi Ed
Why are you quoting me?
Murtough madness.
This is going to trigger me for years.
Murtough was already at the wheel, he is the behind the scene influence that Woodward had.
But Ed wasn't in charge in that way? My understanding of the setup was that Matt Judge was (and still is) the guy who does the negotiating. So it's the same guy in place, Sancho should have been easier to do as we had the buy in from the player already from last year and Varane seems partly due to circumstance. Zidane leaving, last year of his contract etc.
People will tend to go with what they like or want to believe though. So that means villifying and making heroes of people when really, things tend to be somewhere in between.