Ratcliffe austerity?

[Abraxas]

I'm not sure it matters whether we like it or not, or think it's a correct strategy or not...FFP exists and we've put ourselves in a bad position with huge wastes of money. Completely buying our way out of it with marquee signings just isn't a play we can make.

We have to operate within the rules, while spending enough to rework this squad while also getting the correct quality. It's a tricky balance. But not impossible, it just means your average signing has to be more like 50 million and under not 80-90. Expect to see more Hojlund profile signings, they just won't all be that expensive depending on the position.

 

[Ali Dia]

On that basis you have to fancy ETH to keep his job. Can anyone imagine Mainoo, Hojlund, Garnacho thriving under previous managers?

He almost ruined Amads career!

 

[van Nistelrooy]

I don't get excited by big transfer fees anymore. Quite the opposite now in fact. Pogba, Di Maria, Sancho, Antony... Just some examples of the signings we've overpaid for and had little in return. I'd much prefer to bring in 2-4 lesser-known players for the silly £70m+ we've been spending on a single player.

One major problem we have developed over the past few decades is having to pay the additional 'Man Utd tax' on the majority of transfers. Why? We had the ability to spend big in the 90s-00s. Since David Gill, we've had no one able to negotiate fairly or walk away from deals when we're getting fleeced...

I like to think this is all part of SJR sending out a message around Europe, that United will no longer be held to ransom over players. Over time, that 'Man Utd' tax will hopefully start to reduce and we'll be able to be competitive in th e market again.

 

[sixdwarf]

We've thrown money at players for a decade trying to replicate Real's Galaticos model and it hasn't paid off.

I agree we spent a lot but not on Galacticos. And a big part of me thinks it is the perfect austerity pitch. Glazers hide in the background during while out spend diminishes.
I agree we have to be way more savvy with our spend. And am all for finding young jewels. But that shouldn't be at the expense of spending less. The danger is we end up like the English Ajax.

 

[USREDEVIL]

I think it's a wise thing to say. The exact opposite to "We can do things in the transfer market other teams can only dream of." (Ed Woodhead)
We will need a mix of homegrown talent, a few unrefined gems we polish, and some added established performers. And i'm sure he Rafcliffe knows that. To think we can compete with a team of 30m buys is unwise. But the galactico model has likewise shown to not work for the most part.

 

[Herschel Krustofsky]

jassim was offering us all bigger dicks.

I’m not the biggest fan of the state ownership model.

But if this is what’s on offer, colour me interested!

Radcliff out

 

[spwd]

he’s sitting here, crowing about spending feck all money and people are happy with that? jassim was offering us all bigger dicks.

You can do better than that.

 

[r0663664]

Our direction will be to sign young potential players. Target players between 17-20 who have the right attributes to thrive in EPL. Attributes like pace, physicality, football IQ, and character. I think Garnacho, Amad, and Pellestri are all good decisions even if we ended with 1-2 flops. I don't consider them as flop for now, Pellestri and Amad still have a chance to make it. Garnacho is a really exciting talent. He will be here for the next 3-4 seasons. As long as we have 1-2 players emerging from these buys or academy, we will do great in restocking talents without resorting to spending 80-100 million on single players. We should be signing 4 players with the same amount of money. Antony's resale value is probably less than 70% of his purchase price, and Casemiro is likely 50% less. That's bad business, and everyone should recognise it. When do you ever see Real buying old players. Real always buy young talents or stars who will peak for at least 4-5 years. United's strategy is flaw, whoever decide to buy Casemiro should be fired.

 

[Woziak]

Austerity? He's talking about spunking a over a billion on a new stadium.

He's just suggesting we operate a sustainable transfer model and sign players who will improve, a complete contrast to our strategy in most of the past decade.

Totally agree this is a very shrewd businessman operates, we tried the Galactico model it didn’t work, United need the best young players who are emerging with the odd experienced player. He’s not saying he’s spending £50m in the summer is he?
He’s saying the days of ripping the club off are gone and we will only buy if it represents value to the club, this is a huge step in the right direction, wouldn’t surprise me now that he spent £200-250m in the summer and another £150m in the winter window, he needs time to get his men in charge then he’ll have a go!

I mean he’s a 27.7% owner and he’s already running the show.

 

[UnofficialDevil]

Here we go… Knew it.

 

[Vidyoyo]

Assume we won't be bidding for Shohei Ohtani then?

 

[mu4c_20le]

Here we go… Knew it.

Mans skint. Jassim where are youuu

 

[Ali Dia]

I don't get excited by big transfer fees anymore. Quite the opposite now in fact. Pogba, Di Maria, Sancho, Antony... Just some examples of the signings we've overpaid for and had little in return. I'd much prefer to bring in 2-4 lesser-known players for the silly £70m+ we've been spending on a single player.

One major problem we have developed over the past few decades is having to pay the additional 'Man Utd tax' on the majority of transfers. Why? We had the ability to spend big in the 90s-00s. Since David Gill, we've had no one able to negotiate fairly or walk away from deals when we're getting fleeced...

I like to think this is all part of SJR sending out a message around Europe, that United will no longer be held to ransom over players. Over time, that 'Man Utd' tax will hopefully start to reduce and we'll be able to be competitive in th e market again.

Emerging players like Rasmus cost us £70 million now. If we want to buy from well known selling clubs like Atalanta Dortmund or Benfica/Sporting/Porto they are always going to try and clean you. Neves, Scalvini, Diomande will cost a lot. Bellingham to Madrid is a bargain at €100 million. It’s not the amount of money, it’s who we sign with the money and their reasons for coming here, the stupid stupid wages from the off and leaving the squad bare in crucial positions and majorly overstocked in others. Leaving players to rot in the squad year after year. Too many more to mention. Just baffling decisions all round. If we streamline we should in theory have more money to spend on the right people

 

[Tyrion]

I think he just means that we need project players first, before we build a team and reach that status where we can genuinely attract players like Mbappé and Bellingham again.

When did we ever sign the likes of Mbappe?

 

[MDFC Manager]

We're not being austere, we're skint in terms of what we can pay for players.

 

[UnofficialDevil]

Mans skint. Jassim where are youuu

Its gonna be a looong summer.

 

[UnofficialDevil]

When did we ever sign the likes of Mbappe?

We were an inch away from buying Ronaldinho when he was just like an Mpbappe signing. Then we had, Veron, Ferdinand, Rooney, etc.
Anyway that we wanted bloody Jassim innit.

 

[Judas]

Nothing wrong with what he said, but it will rile up the simple minded.

 

[JediSith]

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has said Man Utd will not be trying to land superstar signings such as Jude Bellingham or Kylian Mbappé.
The Ineos chairman, who has taken control of United’s footballing operations after his minority shareholding purchase wants to turn them back into the force we once were. But he does not believe spending big on marquee signings the way to prosper.

Appearing as a guest on the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast, he was asked whether he would try to sign Bellingham. He replied: “He is a great footballer. It’s not where our focus is; the solution isn’t spending a lot of money on a couple of great players.

“They have done that, if you look at the last 10 years, they have spent a lot of money on a couple of great players. The first thing we need to do is get the right people in the right boxes who are managing and organising the club. And make sure we get recruitment right, it is such a vital part of football today.”

United have spent more than £1bn on signings since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 but have failed to challenge for the Premier League title, coming closest when finishing 12 points behind Man City in 2020/21 under Ole.

"I'd rather find the next Mbappe than spend a fortune trying to buy success,," he said. "It's not that clever, is it, buying Mbappe, in a way?
"Anyone could figure that one out. Much more challenging is to find the next Mbappe or Jude Bellingham or the next Roy Keane."

This for me this is code for we won't have money to spend. When we were at our best we sprinkled stardust amidst the young up coming players.
This does not sound like a blueprint for a future title challenge.
What do you think?

Superstars come after you have a solid base. Real Madrid started the galaticos in 2000, but they already had a squad that won the champions league in 1997/98.

City signed Alison & VVD as the final pieces of the puzzle.

United already had league winning teams before signing Keane, Cole, Stam, Rio, etc.

And it’s always better to sign potential that become world class. I think what we need to work on is making sure that stay.

But I think if in 3 plus years we have a team that’s challenging and winning titles then we will probably sign the occasional galatico if it makes football sense, fits the playing, improves the team because also signing a big player also has financial rewards and raises the clubs profile.

 

[redNATION]

He doesn’t have the capacity

 

[dabronxolivera]

You could easily point at Antony, Rashford etc and say the same thing about ETH. Mainoo, Hojlund and Garnacho are improving because they're playing every game, not because they're playing for ETH.

This. They can play under me and still improve. It's called game time and experience. We arent talking abt someone like Pep or Klopp who improve the team and players more sum than its part. He might reach that level some day but currently he's far from it

 

[Yakuza_devils]

I prefer our academy player like Garnacho, Mainoo, Amad, Rashford, Greenwood and etc rise to become important players for the club. There are more satisfaction seeing them grow to be a superstar.

We are proud of our academy and this is a sensible way forward.

 

[Karel Podolsky]

I don't get excited by big transfer fees anymore. Quite the opposite now in fact. Pogba, Di Maria, Sancho, Antony... Just some examples of the signings we've overpaid for and had little in return. I'd much prefer to bring in 2-4 lesser-known players for the silly £70m+ we've been spending on a single player.

One major problem we have developed over the past few decades is having to pay the additional 'Man Utd tax' on the majority of transfers. Why? We had the ability to spend big in the 90s-00s. Since David Gill, we've had no one able to negotiate fairly or walk away from deals when we're getting fleeced...

I like to think this is all part of SJR sending out a message around Europe, that United will no longer be held to ransom over players. Over time, that 'Man Utd' tax will hopefully start to reduce and we'll be able to be competitive in th e market again.

That's West Ham, Newcastle level

 

[atkar83]

I've always felt like the dumbest thing a team exec can say is "WE HAVE SOOO MUCH MONEY TO SPEND THIS SUMMER". If I'm an opposing team, I'm definitely getting a surcharge on the player I was going to sell since you have so much money to spend. I never hear City or Liverpool or most big teams say anything like that, there's no point

 

[Tyrion]

Nothing wrong with what he said, but it will rile up the simple minded.

Yep. I honestly believe some people prefer transfer rumours and the summer over the actual games during the season.

 

[Tyrion]

I prefer our academy player like Garnacho, Mainoo, Amad, Rashford, Greenwood and etc rise to become important players for the club. There are more satisfaction seeing them grow to be a superstar.

We are proud of our academy and this is a sensible way forward.

And they're often better than the superstars anyway. Rashford has been better than Martial or Falcao, Garnacho has been better than Sancho or Di Maria.

 

[Moriarty]

Only an idiot would say something like that.

Yep. Like Woodward.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

This does not sound like a blueprint for a future title challenge.

This is exactly the blueprint to future success. We are in a place where a few major signings will not move the needle much. We have to be prudent and have a 3-4 year plan of steady and consistent improvement where we fix both the squad and the style of football. Quick expensive fixes will only dig the hole deeper. Sign young, sign for 50m and under and sign as per a footballing vision.

 

[Marcus]

We paid a British transfer record for Keane! So no. This does not mean we will not spend big on the correct players.

 

[Rojofiam]

When did we ever sign the likes of Mbappe?

An Mbappé type of signing probably hasn't happened, but what I meant was that he wouldn't consider us either right now.

You could argue however, that Pogba had a similar reputation to Bellingham's, when he joined us as a 23-year-old old in 2016.

Also, Bellingham would've been an incredible signing, even for 100+ million and even though he's one of the most coveted youngsters of the last few years. However, he would've had to understand that at best, we are still ~2 years away from challenging for the title, and we'd have to get every signing and decision right for even that to happen.

It's also important that we sign players who are ready to make an immediate impact, even if we are not one of the best sides in Europe just yet. Sancho was someone who could be a useful player for City or Arsenal right now (with the right attitude, obviously), but he was never going to carry this United side, because he's not someone who can thrive in nonoptimal circumstances, and that's not even down to his apparent lack of dedication, but rather to his profile as a player. He's a great link-up player, who can play a part in a good team, but isn't an outlet like Rashford or even Garnacho, that's why he's never been able to shine at United.

 

[Red Comet]

The problem is that any players we try to sign will come with inflated fees because we are Manchester United. We were quoted £50 million for Sean Longstaff who back then only looked promising; not exactly exploded into the scene a-la Rooney nor impressed like Mainoo.

Anthony was also supposed to be signed as a development player rather than the finished article; we were quoted (and paid) £80m when our own scouts were only valuing him at £20m.
Hoijlund is also supposed to be a development player and we have to pay £60m.

We paid in the region of £18 million for the likes of Amad Diallo and Dalot who were clearly coming in as hot prospects, and it took them a while before they would be ready for first team. During SAF years when we were constantly challenging and winning things fans are more open to the occasional involvement of these sort of players as rotational players. Nowadays we are so starved for success that we. demand near instant impact and this will put a lot of pressure on them to perform right away; which is not conducive to their development.

 

[tenpoless]

We paid a British transfer record for Keane! So no. This does not mean we will not spend big on the correct players.

Yeah and that's how it should be. I think what SJR meant was to sign correct players before the agent asks for stupid money. Mbappe is on another level of silliness when it comes into transfer fee and wages.

 

[Cloud7]

Where the club has failed has been signing signing Bellingham from Birmingham, or signing Haaland at Salzburg or when he was in Norway. Those are the places that we need to improve on. And stop signing past their best 30+ players hoping for a quick fix.

 

[Skills]

A player of Kylian Mbappe's standing has never been an option for us anyway. So it's a moot point.

 

[Rojofiam]

This for me this is code for we won't have money to spend. When we were at our best we sprinkled stardust amidst the young up coming players.
This does not sound like a blueprint for a future title challenge.
What do you think?

We will more than likely have a lot of money to spend this summer, by the way.

 

[kouroux]

Asking if he'd try to sign Bellingham is such a stupid question

 

[tenpoless]

A player of Kylian Mbappe's standing has never been an option for us anyway. So it's a moot point.

Well considering he joined PSG during the most important years of his development means every player has a price. He took a risk for money.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

He almost ruined Amads career!

How do you work that one out?
• Successful loan last season
• Injured until Christmas this year.
• Got 30+ minutes in a game directly after coming back from injury

Now if making a player wait a 8 weeks or so for more opportunities is “ruining their career” then I don’t know what to say really. Feels exactly the way Fergie would’ve eased in a young player.

 

[gregor]

“We can do things in the transfer market that other clubs can only dream of,” Sir Jim Ratcliffe Ed Woodward “Watch this space.”

 

[DomesticTadpole]

How can you bring in the greatest manager on earth in Sir Gareth and not give him the money to sign superstars? It’s absolutely ridiculous. He must get the funds to sign Henderson and Philips!!

Southgate is actually good at dealing with young players as shown with England U-21's, which maybe why we are going to look out for younger players to turn into superstars. Of course they might also just keep ETH who is also used to developing unknown players at Ajax.