Press Conference Thread 2013/2014

[bosnian_red]

Asked about Thiago Alcantara.

DM: I never said he was a target.

Doesn't mean he was never a target just because Moyes said that he never said he was. It's incredibly unlikely that all those rumours and talks about us signing him for months, and De Gea even tapping him up was all fictional. There's just no point in saying a reason why we didn't end up getting him now that he's going to Bayern.

 

[Hellboy]

I sure would like to know who these alleged 'targets' are. Not too many wankworthy names popping into my head at the moment.

Mccarthy, Fellaini and Baines.

 

[Rado_N]

If this is the truth then I'm lost for words.

Good.

 

[Baxter]

Mccarthy, Fellaini and Baines.

Please fecking don't. It's names like that are the only players that I could see being available.

 

[7even]

Pretty much everything you just said has one massive flaw associated with it:

You're linking what we know with what is actually happening behind the scenes.

Until something is decided for definite why should they come out and tell the public everything that's going on? Why do we have to come clean about interest in Thiago? If the kid himself knows we're interested then that's what matters. Yes it'd be nice to get a confirmation if the deal is looking like it's fallen through but if there's stuff still going on behind the scenes he doesn't have to tell us feck all about it.

I mean, what did you expect? Did you want him to stroll into his first press conference, call City gay, tell everyone Rooney was a cheeky cnut and that he's told him it's his way or the highway, tell everyone the Glazers had better put their hand in their pocket?

He's been quiet, dignified and subtle in everything he's done so far. Just because we don't know what he's been doing in private doesn't mean he's not doing anything. If Thiago didn't want to come, Moyes saying in public 'i want him' isn't going to make a difference when the lad already knows we want him. Sir Alex wouldn't have changed his mind if Pep has convinced him.

Well lets agree to disagree. I don't back off that I think our approach is wrong. Silence is gold but without communication nothing will be done. United is a public company and club, we don't produce military secrets.

 

[LR7]

Yeah, it's on the daily mail, and on the OS.

http://www.manutd.com/en/Tour2013/T...rence-bangkok-on-transfer-market-search.aspx#

I swear Cina joked about this being his reply.

I'm not enamored with this evasiveness tbh. It could become very tiresome very quickly.
We will just have to see how this transfer window pans out. Fergie had his way of being evasive but offering just enough to keep you going. The radio silence right now is a bit disconcerting given that it comes at a time when everyone (fans and probably even players/staff) needs reassurance given that we're undergoing the most radical change at the club in 27 years (or a lot of fans lifetimes).

 

[JB7]

Asked about Thiago Alcantara.

DM: I never said he was a target.

Nothing wrong with that, straight batting back of the question. He didn't say he wasn't a target either.

 

[charleysurf]

Lets be straight forward and admit that Moyes first two weeks hasn't been exactly what the supporters expected from him. Apart from a meaningless press conference when he more or less said nothing worth to know the world has been spinning around and we seems to be left on the station.

I expect more clearance regarding Wayne Rooney. Retaining this "not for sale" doesn't work any longer. Give us the real story and move on from there. Right now the club look powerless and without a captain who controls where we are heading. Either the club hold the cards and show him the options or we just bend over and let him run us over. This silence game lead us nowhere.

i also expect a straight forward answer regarding Thiago Alcantara. Yesterday Pep and Bayern come clean in this issue and atm they look like front runners. Either we take on step forward too and come clean of our interest/not interest. This saga is silly now and the club and manager look clueless if this continue.

So far both City and Chelsea have strengthen their squad when we had done nothing. Zaha and the new guy from Uruguay are probably great buys for the future but we need new world class players for this season. Once again we look so clueless and amateurish compared to our rivals.

All in all I'm disappointed with Moyes first two weeks. He hasn't done anything wrong but so far I could have done the same. You need balls to take over from Sir Alex, nothing will come easy and everybody wan't to test your ability and if you are up for it. This is why I initially preferred Mou. Now it is like it is and I back our manager 100% but not forever.

Step forward David Moyes and show the world who you are!

WTF???
You think if Moyes had announced that he wanted Thiago then Thiago would say "screw you Pep!".
Guardiola knows he can publicly talk about Thiago as he'd already sorted the deal out with his own fecking brother!
Why the hell would United comment?

Moyes first 2 weeks a disappointment because they have not signed any big names yet!
I guess plenty of the Fergie years were gutting for you you daft muppet!

Mourinhgo fanboys can take a hike. If Chelsea and City sign big names its because they can write blank checks based on oil money. If thats all you care about then find an oil money club.

 

[Ekeke]

Its probably the most boring answer he could have given

 

[Oggmonster]

Well lets agree to disagree. I don't back off that I think out approach is wrong. Silence is gold but without communication nothing will be done. United is a public company and club, we don't produce military secrets.

There's nothing to say there isn't communication though. I doubt Bayern and Barca's only form of communication over the Thiago deal was going to news papers. Similarly I'd be surprised if Thiago didn't speak to Bayern or Guardiola already. Just because we're not in the papers every day tapping up players doesn't mean that we're not trying to sign people.

You can't win sometimes, I've seen countless people on here (not saying you) slating people like Harry Redknapp or teams like Barca and Madrid for basically going to the press and tapping players up, saying it's classless to do it and shouldn't be allowed, then we don't do it and we should be, you can't win sometimes.

It as frustrating as a fan at times when these top players just go away, especially at United when countless links have been made in recent years and we've not got them but Moyes is actually right what he said, there's never really been any concrete proof we were signing or wanted to sign Thiago as the club never said anything.

 

[LR7]

Nothing wrong with that, straight batting back of the question. He didn't say he wasn't a target either.

Why does every question need batting back? So much evasiveness.

 

[shaggy]

Thiago was of course a target but he's joining Bayern now. Baines would be another one, can't think of anyone else.

 

[Phil]

How inspiring.

 

[Hellboy]

Please fecking don't. It's names like that are the only players that I could see being available.

I heard Barry is surplus to requirement at City too.

 

[Ish]

If this is the truth then I'm lost for words.

Why?

 

[shaggy]

Why does every question need batting back? So much evasiveness.

Lets face it if we go public with our transfer dealings like other big clubs then we'd be embarrassed more often than not due to our failure to actually close any of them out.

 

[Ish]

Good.

 

[Brightonian]

I suppose there's a tendency for fans to feel differently about Moyes refusing to comment on things than they did about Fergie refusing to comment on things. Despite the recent missed targets people go on about, Fergie had proven that he would bring in a constant stream of talented players, and big names when necessary (RVP being the most recent example). So when he said 'We don't talk about other clubs' players, but we're working on some things', people accepted it. Until Moyes actually makes a couple of signings, people will be antsy about not knowing what we're doing. But I don't think that's a good enough reason to change the club's policy on talking about transfers.

Slightly annoying, though, that we don't even make a point of our relative moral high ground in that area. For example, Moyes saying 'people are entitled to talk about players', obviously in response to Mourinho's comments in the press. I'd rather he'd said 'we make a point of not talking about other clubs' players, and ideally we'd like it if other clubs extended us the same courtesy.' Or something along those lines.

 

[charleysurf]

Well lets agree to disagree. I don't back off that I think our approach is wrong. Silence is gold but without communication nothing will be done. United is a public company and club, we don't produce military secrets.

You honestly think transfer negotiations are conducted in public?

Are you insane?

 

[JB7]

Why does every question need batting back? So much evasiveness.

I don't know why. Personally I much prefer the Pep approach of just being "out there" so to speak, "I want X,Y & Z" But in fairness Ferguson was largely similar about his transfer targets.

 

[Drifter]

So Thiago was never a target.Glad that as been put to bed.

 

[Jimy_Hills_Chin]

Moye's rhetoric has been pretty weak so far. He comes across like he is on the run. He really should have shut the press down on Wayne Rooney in the last conference, a couple of questions are fine but don't let them harangue him. This Thiago response comes across as slightly juvenile.

 

[charleysurf]

I don't know why. Personally I much prefer the Pep approach of just being "out there" so to speak, "I want X,Y & Z" But in fairness Ferguson was largely similar about his transfer targets.

So if Fergie had publicly said "I want Benzema" or "I want Hazard" then it would have happened?
Because thats the logic at work here.

 

[7even]

WTF???
You think if Moyes had announced that he wanted Thiago then Thiago would say "screw you Pep!".
Guardiola knows he can publicly talk about Thiago as he'd already sorted the deal out with his own fecking brother!
Why the hell would United comment?

Moyes first 2 weeks a disappointment because they have not signed any big names yet!
I guess plenty of the Fergie years were gutting for you you daft muppet!

Mourinhgo fanboys can take a hike. If Chelsea and City sign big names its because they can write blank checks based on oil money. If thats all you care about then find an oil money club.

He he talk about reaction. United is a not a local club who operates around the Salfords pups. We are listed at the NYSE and therefore of public interest. Supporters, sponsors, partners and almost everybody follow us, then communication is necessary otherwise we become the new Kreml with endless of speculations.

In case you don't notice buying and selling players is part of the clubs business. Welcome to the new world my friend.

 

[van der star]

So Thiago was never a target.Glad that as been put to bed.

I refuse to believe that though. There were far too many rumours and stories floating around for it to be not true. We also saw an unprecedented level of muppetism on here which surely counts for something.

 

[charleysurf]

He he talk about reaction. United is a not a local club who operates around the Salfords pups. We are listed at the NYSE and therefore of public interest. Supporters, sponsors, partners and almost everybody follow us, then communication is a necessary otherwise we become a new Kreml, with endless of speculations.

In case you don't notice buying and selling players is part of the clubs business. Welcome to the new world my friend.

You Mourinho fanboys and muppets know where to go. Chelsea is the place for you....

 

[Mr Anderson]

some spastics around here. good grief.

 

[Shark]

Moyes doesn't talk about other clubs players when it comes to transfers, so this changes nothing really. He was asked if Thiago is still a target, and he said that he never said that he was a target. Just as he hasn't said that Fellaini or Baines are targets.(not saying they are, just an example.)

 

[Top]

Of course Thiago was a target. But that's the advantage of not giving any names to the press; you can save a bit of face when it doesn't go your way.

 

[bosnian_red]

So Thiago was never a target.Glad that as been put to bed.

He was definitely a target. Moyes just didn't want to speak about any targets like last time, so he said "I never said he was a target", neither confirming nor denying anything. If he wasn't a target, Moyes would have just said "He was never a target". Huge difference. There's no point in him talking about it now that he's lost anyway.

 

[JB7]

So if Fergie had publicly said "I want Benzema" or "I want Hazard" then it would have happened?
Because thats the logic at work here.

No, that's just the bold approach that I personally prefer. Makes no real odds with regarding the transfer IMO - hence I didn't commit muppet suicide yesterday over Thiago like most seemed too.

 

[Sunny Jim]

Well if the Club is still searching for players that can improve than good luck with that.

 

[charleysurf]

some spastics around here. good grief.

Disappointed muppets are even more pitiful than hopeful muppets.

 

[SteveJ]

Had enough of the Newbies Forum. I'm off to the Mains.

 

[7even]

You Mourinho fanboys and muppets know where to go....

You are funny. I have been a United supporter for nearly 40 years so I have every right in the world to express my opinion. If you don't like it sad for you. Btw nothing wrong with Mou, he's a good manager.

 

[bosnian_red]

Also, Sir Alex talked about players a decent amount of time, either saying he's a great player or what not. He rarely said anything about who our targets are, but there have been plenty of cases where he said something about players out in public, similarly to how Mourinho does it. Pep is a lot more direct though IMO.

 

[Mr Anderson]

No, that's just the bold approach that I personally prefer. Makes no real odds with regarding the transfer IMO - hence I didn't commit muppet suicide yesterday over Thiago like most seemed too.

"Bold approach" is polite term for being an arrogant prick, ala Real Madrid style. No point in telling the world what we are, or are not at.

 

[LR7]

I don't know why. Personally I much prefer the Pep approach of just being "out there" so to speak, "I want X,Y & Z" But in fairness Ferguson was largely similar about his transfer targets.

Well last summer SAF came out and explained that he thought Hazard was overpriced and the agent wanted x-amount that we weren't prepared to pay. He also explained how close the Lucas Moura deal was before he switched to PSG at the eleventh hour.

Example:

"There is a borderline in terms of what you would think is a good signing for United," he said.
"I see some values on players, like Hazard for instance. To me it was a lot of money. He's a good player, but £34m?

​

"What we're finding anyway, the climate for buying these top players - not just the transfer fees, the salaries, agents' fees - is just getting ridiculous now.
"In the Hazard deal, Chelsea paid the agent £6m. The (Samir) Nasri situation was the same.
"It's all about what you think is value for a player. I am not envious of those deals at all. We placed a value on Hazard which was well below what they were talking about.
"So if it doesn't work, well we're not worried about that. We think we've got good value in (Shinji) Kagawa."

He was evasive at times but this is another level. We know nothing apart from the generic things like how happy he is to be here and that he wore jeans to the meet with Fergie (shock horror).

Maybe the Thiago deal is still hanging in the balance and he didn't want to jeopardise things (me clinging) but I think the fans would appreciate a little bit more honesty and transparency.

 

[bosnian_red]

You Mourinho fanboys and muppets know where to go. Chelsea is the place for you....

So is there a problem now in preferring one manager to another? The vast majority of people on here wanted either Pep, Mourinho or Klopp, and there were only a small amount of people who wanted Moyes to come in. Now that he's here we'll support him of course, but that doesn't mean that we have to instantly trust him 100% that he's the best man to take us forward, despite him not even having a game yet.

 

[charleysurf]

You are funny. I have been a United supporter for nearly 40 years so I have every right in the world to express my opinion. If you don't like it sad for you. Btw nothing wrong with Mou, he's a good manager.

We're going to be getting "Moyes Out!" from you Mourinho fanboys at every opportunity. Any United loss will be gleefully seized upon as a reason to attack the manager. You might as well be Chelsea fans.