Was our top assister and barely played half a season.
Obviously hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I don't think it was a mistake to buy him.
We just couldn't make it work like we should have. I'm not sure we really gave him the support we needed.
Puzzling transfer dealings we have made in the past decade
- Thread starter TsuWave
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Obviously hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I don't think it was a mistake to buy him.
We just couldn't make it work like we should have. I'm not sure we really gave him the support we needed.
Do you not think Sanchez would better his United record of 3 premier league goals in 43 appearances at City? Would Matic not be better with Van Dijk behind him over Maguire, threading balls through to Mane and Salah rather than Dan James or Rashford?
It’s not a coincidence that all our signings post Fergie have either failed or not improved whereas practically all Liverpool’s signings flourish.
this team is utter shit and way worse than the current side
Varane over Konate
Most of these weren't that puzzling at the time from a fans viewpoint, it's only the benefit of hindsight that is causing people to throw out many of these names.
Even Sanchez, arguably our worst value for money signing. We had a few dissenting voices, but the vast majority were excited for his arrival and didn't expect the downward trend that started at Arsenal to continue. A mere change of scenery required.
The problem is, we pay scouts and whoever is involved in recruitment to be the best in class. So our superficial assessments don't really matter, whereas these guys simply have to get it right as if their job depends on it. Because it should do.
The other part to it is when you assess the signings, they're a lot worse as a sum of their parts than as individuals. Some of them sound fantastic. Zlatan, Falcao, Di Maria, Sanchez. But what has been the overarching thought that connects all our signings? That's a question.
Even Sanchez, arguably our worst value for money signing. We had a few dissenting voices, but the vast majority were excited for his arrival and didn't expect the downward trend that started at Arsenal to continue. A mere change of scenery required.
The problem is, we pay scouts and whoever is involved in recruitment to be the best in class. So our superficial assessments don't really matter, whereas these guys simply have to get it right as if their job depends on it. Because it should do.
The other part to it is when you assess the signings, they're a lot worse as a sum of their parts than as individuals. Some of them sound fantastic. Zlatan, Falcao, Di Maria, Sanchez. But what has been the overarching thought that connects all our signings? That's a question.
That’s true. Equally, at times it looked like Sancho and Rashford was played on the left every other game to help them get confidence.
You might be right. But I suspect due diligence was not done. Hindsight is easier than prescience for anybody, but when scouts and a manager cooperate about finding ideal candidates, I think it’s allowed to expect more. Of course, bad luck comes into it, but when most buys don’t pan out, I start to suspect it was the method that was flawed more than the fates that were cruel.
I was as excited about Di Maria as anybody at the time, though.
The way we dither so much with transfers. The Moyes summer was shambolic. The Amad signing was odd. He cost more than Dan James and looks way off.
The Herrera transfer. That whole thing was incompetent. Fake lawyers and whatnot. And he cost 36m which was too much.
The list is long.
We don’t do enough in nearly every window.
The Herrera transfer. That whole thing was incompetent. Fake lawyers and whatnot. And he cost 36m which was too much.
The list is long.
We don’t do enough in nearly every window.
Darmian, Telles, Dalot…we seem to love signing fullbacks who have absolutely zero top qualities - average in everything. I swear Darmian, Dalot and Telles could actually be the same fecking player. What do our scouts actually judge players on?
To me the biggest failure of our transfer strategy has been that we become way, way too fixated on single targets. We don't cast a wide enough net or look for opportunity in the market when it presents itself.
Most of that, is because the transfer strategy for each summer is driven purely by the managers need. Which in the modern market, is a poor strategy. Players are extremely expensive commodities at the moment, and we can't control who's going to become available in a given summer. So we need to constantly be on the lookout for value.
Most of that, is because the transfer strategy for each summer is driven purely by the managers need. Which in the modern market, is a poor strategy. Players are extremely expensive commodities at the moment, and we can't control who's going to become available in a given summer. So we need to constantly be on the lookout for value.
Let see.
20/21- Considerably better transfer season, yet we did not address our main issue (central midfield)
20/19- VDB looked good at the time. We got a lb backup, two young RMs and Cavani. RM position was not sorted and still no DM signing
19/20- Went big that year. Maguire + AWB for £130 millions & Bruno.
18/19- Fred for £50m. Dalot
17/18- Went big that year. Lukaku,Matic,Lindelof + Sanchez. All first team signings.
16/17 - Very Raiola year. Pogba, Mkhi, Bailly + Ibra
15/16- LVG business. Martial, Schneiderlin, Depay, Darmian, Schweinsteiger. Started the season without a proven striker.
14/15- Woodward business. Di Maria, Rojo, Shaw, Herrera, Blind, Falcao
13/14 - Mata, Fellaini.
We had very uncoordinated recruiting during Woodward time. He obviously mostly was disconnected with the managers on that (see 14/15) and was influenced by the agents a lot (see 16/17).
This resulted in a very unbalanced team (only 2 DMs signed in 10 years Matic, Schneiderlin) and rushed signings (Fellaini, Amad+Pellistri, Falcao).
Also he was not good at negotiation obviously (see Fred, Maguire).
Verdict:
Everything about our last 10 years transfers was puzzling.
Above in bold the worst examples for every season.
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And Liverpool signed Keïta for more money than Chelsea paid for Jorginho, the same Summer.
Chelsea paid more for Arrizabalaga than Liverpool did for Alisson, the same Summer.
City signed Mendy for 6 times what Liverpool paid for Robertson, the same Summer.
Spurs bought Ndombélé over Fernandes.
You could go on and on. Most of those players, Fabinho and Mahrez for example, would've turned to utter shite here, when will some of you learn?
Chelsea paid more for Arrizabalaga than Liverpool did for Alisson, the same Summer.
City signed Mendy for 6 times what Liverpool paid for Robertson, the same Summer.
Spurs bought Ndombélé over Fernandes.
You could go on and on. Most of those players, Fabinho and Mahrez for example, would've turned to utter shite here, when will some of you learn?
Over the last 10 years?
Fellaini for £4m more than his release clause because we didn't want him and waited for the clause to expire.
Mata for £40m when we played with out and out wingers and no number 10.
Di Maria when LvG didn't want him and then tried to turn him into a striker.
Bastian Schweinsteiger when his legs were gone and he was no longer playing for Bayern.
Turning down the opportunity to sign Thiago and/or Kroos.
Selling Evans for pittance when he was our best CB.
Signing Matic over Fabinho.
Signing Lindelof over van Dijk & Ruben Dias (his CB partner at Benfica at the time).
Bringing in Sanchez, not so much the signing because he was worth a punt but the salary absolutely destroyed any remaining semblence of wage structure at the club.
Lee Grant?
£80m on a human fridge when we wanted to transition to playing a high line.
£50m on AWB when he's a 90s fullback that can do nothing but defend.
Donny van de Beek when Ole had clearly never seen him play and wanted Grealish.
Giving Jones a new deal when Ole came in and never playing him.
Any extension ever given to Andreas Pereira.
Angering our amazing 2nd choice GK in Romero, refusing to sell him to recoup 10-20m but instead sending him off to sit at home in South America whilst still paying his full wages until his contract expired all the while we were creating a disharmony at our club by using Henderson as #2 when he clearly wanted to be #1 and was on way too big a wage for a 2nd choice. Biggest cluster of abysmal decisions in recent memory.
Forcing Lingard to stay instead of taking 20-25m for him, refusing to play him, letting him leak stories and breed toxicity, paying his wages, losing him on a free.
Our club has been a literaly shambles with transfers and contracts. It's an absolute joke.
Fellaini for £4m more than his release clause because we didn't want him and waited for the clause to expire.
Mata for £40m when we played with out and out wingers and no number 10.
Di Maria when LvG didn't want him and then tried to turn him into a striker.
Bastian Schweinsteiger when his legs were gone and he was no longer playing for Bayern.
Turning down the opportunity to sign Thiago and/or Kroos.
Selling Evans for pittance when he was our best CB.
Signing Matic over Fabinho.
Signing Lindelof over van Dijk & Ruben Dias (his CB partner at Benfica at the time).
Bringing in Sanchez, not so much the signing because he was worth a punt but the salary absolutely destroyed any remaining semblence of wage structure at the club.
Lee Grant?
£80m on a human fridge when we wanted to transition to playing a high line.
£50m on AWB when he's a 90s fullback that can do nothing but defend.
Donny van de Beek when Ole had clearly never seen him play and wanted Grealish.
Giving Jones a new deal when Ole came in and never playing him.
Any extension ever given to Andreas Pereira.
Angering our amazing 2nd choice GK in Romero, refusing to sell him to recoup 10-20m but instead sending him off to sit at home in South America whilst still paying his full wages until his contract expired all the while we were creating a disharmony at our club by using Henderson as #2 when he clearly wanted to be #1 and was on way too big a wage for a 2nd choice. Biggest cluster of abysmal decisions in recent memory.
Forcing Lingard to stay instead of taking 20-25m for him, refusing to play him, letting him leak stories and breed toxicity, paying his wages, losing him on a free.
Our club has been a literaly shambles with transfers and contracts. It's an absolute joke.
Not a transfer but the Phil Jones contract...
Were they all on hallucinogens?
Were they all on hallucinogens?
It's quite sad how shambolic our transfer activity has been going back the Moyes era.
VDD is a known quality in EPL and not cheap at that time, so it should be VDD Vs Maguire.
On the other hand, Lindelof can be compared with Dias.
Mane was also a known quality in EPL, but we bought Valencia instead.
We bought Depay & Martial, someone bought Luis Diaz, Saint-Maximin.
Our scouts went to the wrong pub I think.
I see many people calling the Alexis transfer, that was a fiasco but nobody could see that one comming. I mean he had a poor 4 month spell for Arsenal before joining but he wanted to leave so it could've just been motivation issues at the time. Nobody expected him to suddenly become Mata physically speaking.
We’ve made a ton of bad signings but I’ll never forget the Moyes window because of 1) first window after SAF. 2) Woodward doing that interview where he was flexing saying how we can do things what others can’t do. 3) Moyes doing an interview told us Woodward has left preseason early to do urgent business (I think we were linked to Tiago). 4) Buying Fellaini for more then he’s release clause because of dithering Dave. Yes we’ve had much worse windows but that was the beginning of things to come.
Just remembered Moyes vetoed Thiago and LVG vetoed Kroos in back to back summers and now I feel violently ill. That could’ve been one of the great midfields.
Yes, this was a weird one for sure. But he wasnt that expensive considering his age and the hype. I think we can recoup some of it atleast. Not sure Everton will buy him for a reduced price though since he's been woeful there too
Cristiano Ronaldo, just because we couldnt bear the sight of him playing for CitY.
Konate was a sick note at Leipzig, what do you think our medical team would do to him?
Konate was a sick note at Leipzig, what do you think our medical team would do to him?
Ever since Mata I’ve become convinced that the people with the greatest influence over United’s signings have been selling clubs and their agents. If I’d wanted to shift a dud I’d just call up Ed Woodward and tell him I’d got just the player for him.
Ignore him mate.
Totally agree, no player since SAF has flourished at Utd.
Jones contract
Pogba contract
Lingard loan and no sale
Mata no sale yet no games in 3 years
Tuanzebe no sale when value high after loan
The fact we made a profit on James.
Selling Herrera
Schneiderlin
Aaron "best out of 2000" Wan Bissaka
Paying circa 10m more for Fellaini for jokes
There'll be more but off the top of me head, that's all.
...
Edit
Oh yes... deeming Maguire over 4 times better than Mike Smalling.
Pogba contract
Lingard loan and no sale
Mata no sale yet no games in 3 years
Tuanzebe no sale when value high after loan
The fact we made a profit on James.
Selling Herrera
Schneiderlin
Aaron "best out of 2000" Wan Bissaka
Paying circa 10m more for Fellaini for jokes
There'll be more but off the top of me head, that's all.
...
Edit
Oh yes... deeming Maguire over 4 times better than Mike Smalling.
Not replacing Herrera turned out to be a disaster class. He wasn’t the best but at least he would put a shift in. Definitely needed in your current state.
Great point and you're absolutely correct in my opinion.
Fred is the replacement, he's better in everything except the killer ball.
Ronaldinho
All Liverpools in the last 5 years prior to this their record is as patchy as our own, which probably tells you the truth about what Ralf said with good windows we can improve quickly, Liverpool for instance went from 4th to 2nd we can make a similar move if we make the right acquisitions