Mourinho not happy with transfer window - Exclusive interview with Ogden

[Rusholme Ruffian]

I still have a feeling probably based on slight desperation that there is a big transfer cooking up. Not sure why I feel like this but there is something in the way that Jose is acting which makes me think he is overdoing the "oh well we won't get what we want" too much.

I do wonder whether we may be dithering slightly due to hanging on to see whether Bale may come available if Madrid spunk £160 million on Mbappe. If we got the slightest indication that Madrid would sell and he'd come then we'd definitely go for it, but can imagine that the Glazers have been quite strict with budget this summer after a few years of wild spending with little to show for it. Would be ridiculous if Bale became available but we couldn't afford him because we'd massively overpaid for the likes of Perisic, Matic or Dier. At a pinch we could probably make do with just Carrick and Fellaini for that DM position if someone like Bale was coming in.

Having said all of that none of it is based on any kind of solid link, more like wishful thinking combined with the knowledge that we've clearly had an eye on signing Bale for years now.

 

[Rusholme Ruffian]

BTW I think what Jose said in that interview is absolutely fine. I also think though that even if we don't add any more players then we have as good a chance as anybody to win the league. We don't yet have a game-changing forward with magic in his boots like Hazard, Sanchez or multiple City players, but we have Pogba, a proven goalscorer, world class goalkeeper and likely a tight defence. On paper we have at least as good a chance to win the league as Chelsea had last season and they romped it.

 

[AXVnee7]

BTW I think what Jose said in that interview is absolutely fine. I also think though that even if we don't add any more players then we have as good a chance as anybody to win the league. We don't yet have a game-changing forward with magic in his boots like Hazard, Sanchez or multiple City players, but we have Pogba, a proven goalscorer, world class goalkeeper and likely a tight defence. On paper we have at least as good a chance to win the league as Chelsea had last season and they romped it.

That's Martial, but of course he needs to do it far more consistently. The 'magic' is definitely there though.

 

[Adebesi]

That's Martial, but of course he needs to do it far more consistently. The 'magic' is definitely there though.

I was going to say the same. Its his job to coax that out of Martial as well.

 

[Rusholme Ruffian]

That's Martial, but of course he needs to do it far more consistently. The 'magic' is definitely there though.

Well I certainly hope so, although for me the jury is out because he came to us at such a young age and has only had one good season so far in his career. It's too early to say for definite that he can reach the level of Sanchez, de Bruyne, Silva, Hazard etc...but I bloody hope he can because at times during his first season with us he was a joy to watch.

Whenever I see a United side with him not in it there is a disappointment and a sense that we are not seeing the best possible side - for me he'd always be in the starting 11, but clearly needs to sort his head out. Last season he seemed disinterested in many games, and he won't last long under Jose if that continues.

 

[AXVnee7]

Well I certainly hope so, although for me the jury is out because he came to us at such a young age and has only had one good season so far in his career. It's too early to say for definite that he can reach the level of Sanchez, de Bruyne, Silva, Hazard etc...but I bloody hope he can because at times during his first season with us he was a joy to watch.

Whenever I see a United side with him not in it there is a disappointment and a sense that we are not seeing the best possible side - for me he'd always be in the starting 11, but clearly needs to sort his head out. Last season he seemed disinterested in many games, and he won't last long under Jose if that continues.

The talent is there, it's just his application. He's shown it in flashes during his time at United, and even though his decision making and finishing was well below past last season he still possesses the ability to effortlessly glide past players for fun. Who knows just how high his ceiling is. I wouldn't class him in the bracket of Hazard, Sanchez etc. but someone who has the potential who enter that bracket. In fairness to Martial, all those players are well established senior players whilst he is relatively young at 21.

 

[Rusholme Ruffian]

The talent is there, it's just his application. He's shown it in flashes during his time at United, and even though his decision making and finishing was well below past last season he still possesses the ability to effortlessly glide past players for fun. Who knows just how high his ceiling is. I wouldn't class him in the bracket of Hazard, Sanchez etc. but someone who has the potential who enter that bracket. In fairness to Martial, all those players are well established senior players whilst he is relatively young at 21.

Yeah, I think that's what I'm getting at. We don't have anyone 'proven', that we know for a fact can be relied on to deliver pretty consistently. Plenty of talented players haven't quite been able to make that final step up, but fingers crossed Martial is cut from different cloth.

 

[Ninja7Red]

But do you expect him to actually say any of that? That we are favorites for the title? I don't think he's ever said that before the season begins, that he actually expects to win the title. Of course he'll do everything he can to win it, his reputation is also on line.

Like I said, anything other than top 4 would be considered a failure (unless we win the CL). I have faith in Mourinho and think we will be challenging till the end. Think singing Lukaku was a big step towards that.

Yes, Lukaku fixes a lot of problems for us upfront. All we needed was someone with a killer instinct to take our chances and put teams to the sword.

But that would also shed some harsh spotlight on lads like Martial and Rashford - I really hope that they stand up and be counted this season and bang 30+ goals between them, not unreasonable to expect I am sure. Be ruthless in front of goal, I believe, is something that Jose should be whispering in their ears.

Then there is the midfield conundrum - will Mikhi, Mata and Pogba step up and score 20+ goals amongst themselves? We certainly know they are capable enough - but for us to be in with a shout - it would mean a whole lot of things going right.

Need to see some catalyst to spark the season into life!

 

[Ninja7Red]

Yeah, I think that's what I'm getting at. We don't have anyone 'proven', that we know for a fact can be relied on to deliver pretty consistently. Plenty of talented players haven't quite been able to make that final step up, but fingers crossed Martial is cut from different cloth.

Monaco caused a lot of problems last season without not much proven talent; just goes to show that with the right factors in the mix - sky is the limit. Never discount the likes of Mikhi, Pogba, Martial and Rashford going on to have a blinder of a season and prove us all wrong!

The talent is there, it's just his application. He's shown it in flashes during his time at United, and even though his decision making and finishing was well below past last season he still possesses the ability to effortlessly glide past players for fun. Who knows just how high his ceiling is. I wouldn't class him in the bracket of Hazard, Sanchez etc. but someone who has the potential who enter that bracket. In fairness to Martial, all those players are well established senior players whilst he is relatively young at 21.

You make a good point, and I would have to add this - every player who moves up a level - has one defining season. That one season where every flick comes off, every nutmeg is easy on the eye and he routinely finds the top corner as if playing in the back alleys.

Imagine the likes of Martial and Rashford having that transformation and breakthrough season simultaneously : that'd be fun now, ain't it?

 

[Rusholme Ruffian]

Monaco caused a lot of problems last season without not much proven talent; just goes to show that with the right factors in the mix - sky is the limit. Never discount the likes of Mikhi, Pogba, Martial and Rashford going on to have a blinder of a season and prove us all wrong!

Well yeah, that's why I said a few posts back that I think we've got a good chance at winning the league this season. I also think we could do well in the CL - Mourinho is a master at cup football.

We have a few players that have the potential to give much more than they managed last season. If all of the players you mention deliver to the standard that we know they can, plus Mata and Lukaku delivering to the standards that they have set for themselves over the last few years then there's no reason why we can't have a season to remember.

I stand by my original point though, we don't *currently* have a Hazard/Sanchez/De Bruyne/Silva figure...let alone a Bale/Griezmann/Neymar/Messi/Ronaldo figure. Adding a player of that stature - a player that occupies 2 or 3 opposition players on his own because he is so dangerous - would elevate this squad to a level where we could realistically compete with Barca, Real, Bayern and Juve. But as that seems unlikely then I'm satisfied that we can still do well with the players that we have.

 

[RedDevil@84]

He said we are candidates. Isn't that enough?
What was he supposed to say? That we are the only ones likely to win the league?

 

[Kapardin]

Monaco caused a lot of problems last season without not much proven talent; just goes to show that with the right factors in the mix - sky is the limit. Never discount the likes of Mikhi, Pogba, Martial and Rashford going on to have a blinder of a season and prove us all wrong!

Imagine the likes of Martial and Rashford having that transformation and breakthrough season simultaneously : that'd be fun now, ain't it?

As a club, we should be confident of our players making an impact and not hoping that they step up to make an impact. Is there a doubt that Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, City and Spurs will cross 70 goals in the league? Nope. Is there a lingering doubt we might not score 70? Certainly.

That's really the problem. Not seeing the glass half empty, but just calling a spade a spade.

 

[whatwha]

@Rusholme Ruffian you say we should have as good a chance as any club to win the league with the players we currently have, and you think there's no reason we can't have a season to remember. Perhaps not.

But the pessimist in me thinks there's also no real reason to expect this squad to perform much better than they did last season. We haven't really improved the squad. We've hopefully replaced Zlatan's goals with Lukaku. Perhaps he will in fact be better at putting away chances and improves on Zlatan's goal tally. If he reaches 30 in all competitions, over 20 in the league, I think we should be quite happy. That would be in line with him scoring around 0.5 goals per game so far in his career.

But from where and how are we going to add better performances and more goals from the rest of the squad? Our defense may be good enough to repeat last season's stats, but we simply need more from our midfield and our wings/attack and I don't see how that is magically going to appear unless both Martial and Rashford develop better skills and confidence over the next weeks and put in super seasons.

Imo, the problem starts in midfield. Carrick is even older and we lack a new deep lying playmaker. Beyond Pogba and Herrera we have a serious lack of quality there. Fellaini simply isn't good enough and it remains to be seen what Pereira can accomplish.

Apologies if this has been discussed already, I'm too lazy to read the whole thread. I'm just not sure what reasons we have for optimism.

 

[Dyslexic Untied]

Obvious that Mourinho's constant repetition of 'want two players but happy with one' is to put pressure on the clubs we are negotiating with to feel some urgency in closing the deal.

 

[Rusholme Ruffian]

@Rusholme Ruffian you say we should have as good a chance as any club to win the league with the players we currently have, and you think there's no reason we can't have a season to remember. Perhaps not.

But the pessimist in me thinks there's also no real reason to expect this squad to perform much better than they did last season. We haven't really improved the squad. We've hopefully replaced Zlatan's goals with Lukaku. Perhaps he will in fact be better at putting away chances and improves on Zlatan's goal tally. If he reaches 30 in all competitions, over 20 in the league, I think we should be quite happy. That would be in line with him scoring around 0.5 goals per game so far in his career.

But from where and how are we going to add better performances and more goals from the rest of the squad? Our defense may be good enough to repeat last season's stats, but we simply need more from our midfield and our wings/attack and I don't see how that is magically going to appear unless both Martial and Rashford develop better skills and confidence over the next weeks and put in super seasons.

Imo, the problem starts in midfield. Carrick is even older and we lack a new deep lying playmaker. Beyond Pogba and Herrera we have a serious lack of quality there. Fellaini simply isn't good enough and it remains to be seen what Pereira can accomplish.

Apologies if this has been discussed already, I'm too lazy to read the whole thread. I'm just not sure what reasons we have for optimism.

I think there is a chance things could go either way!

What I said in my post though was that if the supporting cast (Mkhi, Marcus, Martial etc) improve this season, Lukaku and Mata perform to their usual levels, and the likes of Pogba build on last seasons performances and turn those misses into goals then anything is possible. Sure there are a lot of 'ifs' there, and you're right, we are missing a defensive midfielder which may cost us, but with the keeper and defence we have and the vast room for improvement with most of our forwards then I'm cautiously optimistic we can have a good season.

I suppose I feel like we have much more room for improvement than most of our title rivals...with the exception of City who should also improve considerably. Chelsea and Spurs will struggle to do any better than last season, I don't see Liverpool or Arsenal improving massively, so that leaves us and City closing the gap on Chelsea and Spurs imho.

If our players don't improve then obviously we are in for another disappointing season - and the manager will have to take responsibility for that.

 

[whatwha]

I think there is a chance things could go either way!

What I said in my post though was that if the supporting cast (Mkhi, Marcus, Martial etc) improve this season, Lukaku and Mata perform to their usual levels, and the likes of Pogba build on last seasons performances and turn those misses into goals then anything is possible. Sure there are a lot of 'ifs' there, and you're right, we are missing a defensive midfielder which may cost us, but with the keeper and defence we have and the vast room for improvement with most of our forwards then I'm cautiously optimistic we can have a good season.

I suppose I feel like we have much more room for improvement than most of our title rivals...with the exception of City who should also improve considerably. Chelsea and Spurs will struggle to do any better than last season, I don't see Liverpool or Arsenal improving massively, so that leaves us and City closing the gap on Chelsea and Spurs imho.

If our players don't improve then obviously we are in for another disappointing season - and the manager will have to take responsibility for that.

Fair enough.

I'll turn towards cautious optimism if we sign a good midfielder and a wide attacker, so that we don't have to rely so much on Carrick, Fellaini and Lingard. There's quite a bit of talent in our team, we just need it all to click. A balanced midfield is perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle.

I think Mourinho picked some questionable targets for this transfer window. I don't blame Woodward for not striking £50m deals for 28/29 year olds like Matic and Perisic or spending £60m on Dier. He should have had other alternatives to go for.

 

[Paxi]

The only manager who really got in the neck for being defeatist was Moyes. Mainly because everything he said and did came across as so fecking hapless. I don't remember Van Gaal getting much grief for being defeatist. Certainly not after an interview where he said we were "a candidate" to win the league.

van Gaal was far from defeatist iicr. The whole 'we go for it' after the first season.

The only notable thing I can remember from him is changing timelines in how long it would get us challanging.

He was a bloody mentalist, but he wasn't "hapless" like Moyes,or a defeatist, that is for sure.

 

[TheBiggest]

Obvious that Mourinho's constant repetition of 'want two players but happy with one' is to put pressure on the clubs we are negotiating with to feel some urgency in closing the deal.

100 per cent.

He is letting both clubs know that we are fine to walk away from the deal.

He keeps repeating the same line.

 

[Chesterlestreet]

Maybe youre right. Maybe Im making too much of a few posters complaining about a "lowering of standards" for thinking a year on year improvement is an acceptable performance from Van Gaal, rather than winning the league.

I dunno, man. But for me, personally, what struck me - at the time - as dubious on LVG’s part was his complaints about lacking certain qualities, i.e. speed and creativity: Now, if those qualities can only be provided by a particular player, one you can’t get for one reason or another, that’s a poor excuse - simply put. If you need more X, you should be able to add X to the squad - or the starting XI, for that matter - when you have United’s budget to work with. You may not get your No 1 target, but being unable to get anyone just seems like a bloody unlikely scenario.

Bottom line: If you need X and fail to get it, that’s a failure on your part, as the one ultimately responsible for managing the squad at any given point (which is the case at United, with no DOF getting in your way, etc.).

So, as mentioned above, if you opt not to add X - well, then the reasonable assumption for us, as fans, has to be that X isn’t all that crucial. You certainly can’t opt for not adding it, in any shape or form, and then complain about lacking it once the season’s underway. That’s partly what LVG did - and if Mourinho does the same, he should be criticized for it.

Early days, though. He’s said he wants to add a winger and a DM - which is what most fans seem to crave. Wait and see, I guess. I’ll judge him on how the season goes, not on what he proclaims before it starts.

In general, however, there are obvious double standards here. Not surprisingly, one may add. Mourinho has a lot of fans on here - that is, he had a lot of fans on here before becoming United manager. LVG had very few by comparison.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I dunno, man. But for me, personally, what struck me - at the time - as dubious on LVG’s part was his complaints about lacking certain qualities, i.e. speed and creativity: Now, if those qualities can only be provided by a particular player, one you can’t get for one reason or another, that’s a poor excuse - simply put. If you need more X, you should be able to add X to the squad - or the starting XI, for that matter - when you have United’s budget to work with. You may not get your No 1 target, but being unable to get anyone just seems like a bloody unlikely scenario.

Bottom line: If you need X and fail to get it, that’s a failure on your part, as the one ultimately responsible for managing the squad at any given point (which is the case at United, with no DOF getting in your way, etc.).

So, as mentioned above, if you opt not to add X - well, then the reasonable assumption for us, as fans, has to be that X isn’t all that crucial. You certainly can’t opt for not adding it, in any shape or form, and then complain about lacking it once the season’s underway. That’s partly what LVG did - and if Mourinho does the same, he should be criticized for it.

Early days, though. He’s said he wants to add a winger and a DM - which is what most fans seem to crave. Wait and see, I guess. I’ll judge him on how the season goes, not on what he proclaims before it starts.

In general, however, there are obvious double standards here. Not surprisingly, one may add. Mourinho has a lot of fans on here - that is, he had a lot of fans on here before becoming United manager. LVG had very few by comparison.

It's been made abundantly clear by Mourinho (and assorted hacks) that he gives a list of targets to Woody and leaves the rest up to him. It's not a DoF model - where the manager doesn't even choose the targets - but you clearly can't put it all on the manager if his shopping list isn't fulfilled.

Where Van Gaal took the piss was saying he needed width and pace, then breaking the PL transfer record to sign a player known for providing exactly that (Di Maria) only to seem to have no idea how to get the best out of him. If Mourinho tells Woody to sign a cowardly flop then it's on him, if we don't sign anyone in a position of need then that's the fault of the guy he tasked with signing that player.

 

[Chesterlestreet]

but you clearly can't put it all on the manager if his shopping list isn't fulfilled.

That surely depends on the nature of the list.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

That surely depends on the nature of the list.

By all accounts, this list had several options identified for each vacancy. And when we did successfully sign someone (Lukaku) he said he was heavily influenced by repeated contact from Mourinho in the weeks before signing. Not sure what else he can do.

 

[Chesterlestreet]

By all accounts, this list had several options identified for each vacancy. And when we did successfully sign someone (Lukaku) he said he was heavily influenced by repeated contact from Mourinho in the weeks before signing. Not sure what else he can do.

There’s a huge difference between a player who will give the team a significant boost because of his individual quality - and a player who is a necessary cog in whatever machinery the manager opts for. Griezmann, for instance, may be regarded as someone in the former category: Get him and it’s a grand boost, but the position(s) he plays isn’t/aren’t something we absolutely need to fill in order to be competitive: You can go with Plan B there, if you can’t land him.

But if you absolutely need a DM, for instance, then the list should comprise enough names to make sure that you get - let’s say - a minimum of what you require. In other words, if Mourinho absolutely needs a DM, it’d be foolish of him to present Woody with a list of two names. The list should be more extensive and include options down to said “minimum” level.

United may not be able to land his preferred man, or his No 2 option, or his No 3 option - but if he absolutely needs a DM, he should be able to get one.

 

[VeevaVee]

We need to make Manchester look more appealing. Perhaps a brochure of the best bits, always sunny in the photos, hire a few Spanish birds to put on a Manc accent. Not sure how that works in a brochure

 

[Pogue Mahone]

There’s a huge difference between a player who will give the team a significant boost because of his individual quality - and a player who is a necessary cog in whatever machinery the manager opts for. Griezmann, for instance, may be regarded as someone in the former category: Get him and it’s a grand boost, but the position(s) he plays isn’t/aren’t something we absolutely need to fill in order to be competitive: You can go with Plan B there, if you can’t land him.

But if you absolutely need a DM, for instance, then the list should comprise enough names to make sure that you get - let’s say - a minimum of what you require. In other words, if Mourinho absolutely needs a DM, it’d be foolish of him to present Woody with a list of two names. The list should be more extensive and include options down to said “minimum” level.

United may not be able to land his preferred man, or his No 2 option, or his No 3 option - but if he absolutely needs a DM, he should be able to get one.

From what I read he identified a primary target and 2 or 3 alternatives for each position. And the "minimum" level for a club with United's aspirations will ensure that even coming up with a list that long will be a challenge.

I'm also inclined to think that it's better to go into a season with a slightly flawed squad than panic buying players who are long shots to be the required standard.

 

[Rusholme Ruffian]

I dunno, man. But for me, personally, what struck me - at the time - as dubious on LVG’s part was his complaints about lacking certain qualities, i.e. speed and creativity: Now, if those qualities can only be provided by a particular player, one you can’t get for one reason or another, that’s a poor excuse - simply put. If you need more X, you should be able to add X to the squad - or the starting XI, for that matter - when you have United’s budget to work with. You may not get your No 1 target, but being unable to get anyone just seems like a bloody unlikely scenario.

Bottom line: If you need X and fail to get it, that’s a failure on your part, as the one ultimately responsible for managing the squad at any given point (which is the case at United, with no DOF getting in your way, etc.).

So, as mentioned above, if you opt not to add X - well, then the reasonable assumption for us, as fans, has to be that X isn’t all that crucial. You certainly can’t opt for not adding it, in any shape or form, and then complain about lacking it once the season’s underway. That’s partly what LVG did - and if Mourinho does the same, he should be criticized for it.

Early days, though. He’s said he wants to add a winger and a DM - which is what most fans seem to crave. Wait and see, I guess. I’ll judge him on how the season goes, not on what he proclaims before it starts.

In general, however, there are obvious double standards here. Not surprisingly, one may add. Mourinho has a lot of fans on here - that is, he had a lot of fans on here before becoming United manager. LVG had very few by comparison.

You're not keen on Jose are you?

 

[Chesterlestreet]

I'm also inclined to think that it's better to go into a season with a slightly flawed squad than panic buying players who are long shots to be the required standard.

I’d agree with that.

But what I’m getting at here is, again, that there’s a huge difference between a) “would improve us” and b) “is absolutely necessary”.

The b) category is something you can’t ignore, a clear deficiency you need to address: It’s a case where “absolute minimum” is always better than, well, nothing.

If we stick with the DM position, for the sake of argument, Mourinho may consider our alternatives sufficient there (he has Carrick, who is good for X appearances - he has Herrera, who can do a job there, he has Andreas, who may work there, he even has less obvious candidates available, like Blind - and so forth), and so he may consider a new man as being category a) rather than b). Which is fair enough. But it’s a call on his part - which is my point. He opts not to strengthen - because he doesn’t consider it absolutely necessary to do so.

IF, however, he actually considers a DM purchase to be b) in terms of priorities, then it seems to me that he doesn’t have a whole lot of excuses if we fail to get anyone in. We have a huge budget compared to most teams and it would seem unlikely that nobody who fits the bill is available.

 

[Chesterlestreet]

You're not keen on Jose are you?

That's not true.

I'm not in love with him but I do think he's quite tasty.

 

[Flying_Heckfish]

We need to make Manchester look more appealing. Perhaps a brochure of the best bits, always sunny in the photos, hire a few Spanish birds to put on a Manc accent. Not sure how that works in a brochure

Perhaps we can pinch Michael Owen back from his Liverpool gig.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I’d agree with that.

But what I’m getting at here is, again, that there’s a huge difference between a) “would improve us” and b) “is absolutely necessary”.

The b) category is something you can’t ignore, a clear deficiency you need to address: It’s a case where “absolute minimum” is always better than, well, nothing.

If we stick with the DM position, for the sake of argument, Mourinho may consider our alternatives sufficient there (he has Carrick, who is good for X appearances - he has Herrera, who can do a job there, he has Andreas, who may work there, he even has less obvious candidates available, like Blind - and so forth), and so he may consider a new man as being category a) rather than b). Which is fair enough. But it’s a call on his part - which is my point. He opts not to strengthen - because he doesn’t consider it absolutely necessary to do so.

IF, however, he actually considers a DM purchase to be b) in terms of priorities, then it seems to me that he doesn’t have a whole lot of excuses if we fail to get anyone in. We have a huge budget compared to most teams and it would seem unlikely that nobody who fits the bill is available.

I just don't think the whol situation is anything like as cut and dried as you imply. I mean, maybe you could argue that Lukaku belongs in category b) but it's extremely rare to have such an obvious gap in a squad as large as ours.

The vast, vast majority of targets will fit in category a) and improve our squad to varying degrees depending how good they are/how crap the alternative is. So it makes sense that the manager identifies the positions he wants to upgrade and gives a list of the very few players he thinks are good enough to excel at a club with ambitions of winning the league. Then he has to sit back and hope that Woody can sign one of them for each position. From what I've heard/read he gave Woody a list with four positions in which he wanted to invest.

If we can't sign players in all four of the positions identified, that's fine. We can cope. If we end the transfer window with just 2 out of 4 then that's not ideal. It's not a disaster (and I would be reasonably confident of a decent season anyway) but it's certainly not a problem of the manager's making.

 

[Chesterlestreet]

I just don't think the whol situation is anything like as cut and dried as you imply. I mean, maybe you could argue that Lukaku belongs in category b) but it's extremely rare to have such an obvious gap in a squad as large as ours.

The vast, vast majority of targets will fit in category a) and improve our squad to varying degrees depending how good they are/how crap the alternative is. So it makes sense that the manager identifies the positions he wants to upgrade and gives a list of the very few players he thinks are good enough to excel at a club with ambitions of winning the league. Then he has to sit back and hope that Woody can sign one of them for each position. From what I've heard/read he gave Woody a list with four positions in which he wanted to invest.

If we can't sign players in all four of the positions identified, that's fine. We can cope. If we end the transfer window with just 2 out of 4 then that's not ideal. It's not a disaster (and I would be reasonably confident of a decent season anyway) but it's certainly not a problem of the manager's making.

Sure - if you put it like that.

But my initial response had to do with LVG and his particular “moaning” about qualities we lacked: That was the starting point - double standards and whatnot.

My stance on this is simple: The PL is unpredictable at the moment, and we’re up against teams that are roughly on our level, objectively speaking. In that sense, Mourinho can play his cards well enough without this resulting in us winning the league - it’s a dog-eat-dog thing, really, when you’re looking at the competition.

But LVG moaned about lacking fundamental qualities - which is very different from moaning about lacking particular players (that he targeted). The latter is unacceptable (you can’t expect to get precisely what you want) - and the former is unacceptable too, for a United manager, who enjoys a huge budget compared to most teams.

It’s all very hypothetical at this stage, but my point was - simply - that if Mourinho has identified fundamental deficiencies in our squad (or XI), then it seems reasonable to me to expect that he addresses these. It is not reasonable to expect him to bring in just the right players to elevate us to a whole different level compared to our rivals - but to address fundamental flaws is surely within his job description. Again, purely hypothetical at this stage - but I repeat that the starting point was a comparison with LVG.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Sure - if you put it like that.

But my initial response had to do with LVG and his particular “moaning” about qualities we lacked: That was the starting point - double standards and whatnot.

My stance on this is simple: The PL is unpredictable at the moment, and we’re up against teams that are roughly on our level, objectively speaking. In that sense, Mourinho can play his cards well enough without this resulting in us winning the league - it’s a dog-eat-dog thing, really, when you’re looking at the competition.

But LVG moaned about lacking fundamental qualities - which is very different from moaning about lacking particular players (that he targeted). The latter is unacceptable (you can’t expect to get precisely what you want) - and the former is unacceptable too, for a United manager, who enjoys a huge budget compared to most teams.

It’s all very hypothetical at this stage, but my point was - simply - that if Mourinho has identified fundamental deficiencies in our squad (or XI), then it seems reasonable to me to expect that he addresses these. It is not reasonable to expect him to bring in just the right players to elevate us to a whole different level compared to our rivals - but to address fundamental flaws is surely within his job description. Again, purely hypothetical at this stage - but I repeat that the starting point was a comparison with LVG.

Ok, yeah. Understood.

Wouldn't you agree, though, that Mourinho has never given the impression we lack any of these fundamental qualities?

He's mainly talked about wanting more options. Which is a different, less damning, assessment of the squad. However his job will be nonetheless made more difficult if Woodward can't provide him with these options.

 

[Chesterlestreet]

Ok, yeah. Understood.

Wouldn't you agree, though, that Mourinho has never given the impression we lack any of these fundamental qualities?

He's mainly talked about wanting more options. Which is a different, less damning, assessment of the squad. However his job will be nonetheless made more difficult if Woodward can't provide him with these options.

Aye, I would. The idea that we absolutely need a DM/holder type to "release" Pogba, as it were, is a fan thing - not something Mourinho himself has stated.

To my thinking, some kind of 4-3-3 with Pogba in a free AM role is, indeed, our best formation - but that's me, as a fan, thinking.

I do - still - believe that he intends to bring in the sort of DM who fits that bill - and he has said himself that he's targeting a winger and a central midfielder. But - yes - he hasn't stated that we have particular deficiencies that absolutely need addressing in order for us to be competitive.

So that part is - again - purely hypothetical. LVG did state something of the sort - and was, in my opinion, rightly called out on it. But you're right - José hasn't done it so far.

With the LVG comparison in mind, my (only) point is that what went for LVG should go for José. He goes into the season with what is, presumably, the best possible squad he could assemble given the circumstances. So, hypothetically, using a lack of certain fundamental qualities as an excuse (as LVG did) isn't on.

 

[whatwha]

There’s a huge difference between a player who will give the team a significant boost because of his individual quality - and a player who is a necessary cog in whatever machinery the manager opts for. Griezmann, for instance, may be regarded as someone in the former category: Get him and it’s a grand boost, but the position(s) he plays isn’t/aren’t something we absolutely need to fill in order to be competitive: You can go with Plan B there, if you can’t land him.

But if you absolutely need a DM, for instance, then the list should comprise enough names to make sure that you get - let’s say - a minimum of what you require. In other words, if Mourinho absolutely needs a DM, it’d be foolish of him to present Woody with a list of two names. The list should be more extensive and include options down to said “minimum” level.

United may not be able to land his preferred man, or his No 2 option, or his No 3 option - but if he absolutely needs a DM, he should be able to get one.

I agree with this. If, as it may seem so far, Jose told him to get either Dier or Matic for the midfield position, I don't blame Ed. I blame Jose.

 

[El-Manos]

If we only get one more player - presumably a defensive midfielder - we're going to fighting to get in the top 4 again. This squad isn't capable of a title challenge, IMHO, There are still gaping holes in the squad and players who, over the past few years, have been conclusively been proven not to be good enough for where we want to get to. If all of that happens, the first Mourinho blow up won't be long coming.

While I disagree with you in a different thread, I do fully agree with this post

 

[TheReligion]

If we only get one more player - presumably a defensive midfielder - we're going to fighting to get in the top 4 again. This squad isn't capable of a title challenge, IMHO, There are still gaping holes in the squad and players who, over the past few years, have been conclusively been proven not to be good enough for where we want to get to. If all of that happens, the first Mourinho blow up won't be long coming.

Disagree.

We aren't as far off as some make out although I do think that central balance is key to how we do.

 

[GrandJury]

He achieved Champions League football, won The Europa League, Carling Cup and the Charity shield.

He gave a list of players to Woodward in March and United haven't got the players he asked for.

He's completely justified in being annoyed.

 

[J-Stander]

He achieved Champions League football, won The Europa League, Carling Cup and the Charity shield.

He gave a list of players to Woodward in March and United haven't got the players he asked for.

He's completely justified in being annoyed.

Agreed. You could argue that some of his targets may be difficult/unattainable in Matic and Dier but that's the whole point in having options. Despite what he's said in public you can bet Jose will be fuming if we don't bring a couple more in.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

He achieved Champions League football, won The Europa League, Carling Cup and the Charity shield.

He gave a list of players to Woodward in March and United haven't got the players he asked for.

He's completely justified in being annoyed.

The only people who don't have a right to be annoyed in this context are the ones who are annoyed at JM being annoyed.

Also it's not like he has thrown his toys out of the pram or asking for ridiculous targets

 

[AXVnee7]

I have to say I am perplexed as to why we haven't brought in a single Monaco player so far this window...