I missed out Dalot.
Ratcliffe austerity?
- Thread starter sixdwarf
- Start date
I missed out Dalot.
Missed him from what? Porto’s academy?
I think it sounds like the beginning of a blueprint for a future title challenge. He's right - this squad needs upgrading in so many areas, which won't be fixed by an expensive star signing or two. United doesn't have the finances anymore to do both that and restructure the squad. Salient fact; last year we had record high revenue, and also ran a loss. With the seriousness of FFP sanctions, racking up losses just isn't something you can sustainably do. And the fact we ran a loss even with record revenue clearly shows we're overspending.
It all needs to come together in a more resource-efficient way if United is going to be competitive at the top.
Ed Woodward completely fecked us with his ‘we can do things in the transfer market other clubs can only dream of’ and ‘Disneyland for adults’ pitches which meant with how happy we were to throw money at everything then worry about what we’d be doing after spending it and are fecking horrific lack of actual football structure meant other teams were literally pulling our pants down and going to town on us at every opportunity.
Sir Jim isn’t stupid for a start as the man is a self made multi billionaire so will downplay everything with us financially and put a proper structure in so we’re not the laughing stock of football when it comes to spending anymore, if there’s special circumstances then yes I’d imagine we’d go all out for that player but a proper structure would identify players through a scouting network to fit a specific playing style then negotiate and our lack of that is exactly why we are where we are.
Sir Jim isn’t stupid for a start as the man is a self made multi billionaire so will downplay everything with us financially and put a proper structure in so we’re not the laughing stock of football when it comes to spending anymore, if there’s special circumstances then yes I’d imagine we’d go all out for that player but a proper structure would identify players through a scouting network to fit a specific playing style then negotiate and our lack of that is exactly why we are where we are.
He should have said we were going to sign Mbappe despite him signing for Madrid and us having a dire FFP.
I have no issue with the prospect of good scouting and random name signings, with a touch of the establishment brought in when needed.
The BTEC Galactico era has been a nightmare.
The BTEC Galactico era has been a nightmare.
Great now help spread the message to those people in the transfer forum who are still banging on about signing osimhen and the likes
The only big fee signing I think we might sign is neves and that's down to his talent and his age
I mean realistically the only chance we can sign Mbappe is if we out pay everyone and looking at his wages in PSG we would be fecked.
I feel like this is what we were known for as a club anyway. Creating the next super stars from players with potential. After Ferguson we fell away from this even though I think Van Gaal tried. For English players we have had to pay the United tax, ie Rooney, Rio and Carrick to an extent but then we helped them to the next level.
Once we went to purchasing established stars more regularly, who may lake the same hunger, I think the template was set. Not to say we didn’t go for established stars in the past, ala Veron, but the balance definitely shifted.
Being prudent with money can’t be a bad thing and if it helps on the other side with potential profits from sales down the line then I’m supporting this mindset.
Once we went to purchasing established stars more regularly, who may lake the same hunger, I think the template was set. Not to say we didn’t go for established stars in the past, ala Veron, but the balance definitely shifted.
Being prudent with money can’t be a bad thing and if it helps on the other side with potential profits from sales down the line then I’m supporting this mindset.
He just batted away another dumb question about Mbappe mate it's not that deep.
No he's saying it's a bad way of doing business, and he's right.
"Would you sign a player that will cost approximately €500 million in total over 5 years which only includes transfer fees and salary while your club is in need of a new stadium and at least 6 new players to be competitive again?"
That's a dumb question I'd have to say. He's obviously unfit and I have no nerves.
That's a dumb question I'd have to say. He's obviously unfit and I have no nerves.
Doesn't happen with City.
He's right in the sense of us having to get our scouting and player development in top shape. We need to buy the right players.
Mbappé I agree, but you think signing Bellingham would've been bad business?
Signing him now is, he would be too expensive, and the most expensive players never prove to be worth it.
I think some of your more recent transfer business has been under rated. People will always point at the Pogbas, Maguires and Antonys. But you bought Garnacho for about 400K in 2020, Hojlund though much more expensive is looking a good buy, Martinez was hardly a huge star when you got him and Dalot is finally turning into a bargain. Bruno was a gamble that worked out well and you went in hard for Bellingham and Haaland when they were cheap kids. Even Eriksen on a free was a great move last season.
Surely this is the sort of business that Ratcliffe is talking about. There's nothing wrong with not spunking 100M on a player.
Surely this is the sort of business that Ratcliffe is talking about. There's nothing wrong with not spunking 100M on a player.
We easily could've afforded Bellingham and it would've been worth it.
We didn't even overpay for Pogba and Maguire. Antony is the only blunder, but that was apparently initiated by the Glazers in panic, after we lost the opening two PL games of the season.
Have people really not realised this yet? How worrying.
Huge transfer fees do not equal success.
Huge transfer fees do not equal success.
Do wish he had said "We cant do things in the transfer market that other clubs can..."
Before he went to Madrid, he's at Madrid now. We can't now.
Yes, but not anymore...
You do realise we tried really hard to sign Bellingham, and he said no, right?
Hard to say exactly, because at the time we didn't know how well he would do, and you gotta look at this risk reward against other possibilities.
Ratcliffe and the person you were replying too weren't though.
Because it was a done deal he was going to Madrid? Even Liverpool who had been tapping him up for the best part of two years didn't move for him because he was always going to Real.
We have pretty much all been moaning about splurging money wastefully on players, so regardless of the reasons I am fully on board with signing players and developing them, it is more satisfying over all, Ratcliffe has to deal with the financial mismanagement of the clubs over the last decade plus, that is not going to change overnight, I also like to think that maybe we will maybe be able to reduce the Man Utd tax if we are actually shrewd in the market for a while.
We need lots of players so to spunk 100 mill+ on one player would be ridiculous at this stage. We do need to go down the route of building a young team with potential interspersed with experience. At the least we need LB CDM and striker. A CD is also important, if Martinez keeps getting injured we are bare with aging players at the back
He probably didn't want to come here at the time. If he'd come to England it would have been Guardiola or Klopp that convinced him to return
Hopefully now with Ratcliffe in charge we have a structure and a project that is more attractive for those kinds of players.
I acknowledged it in this thread earlier that we cannot attract every generational talent right now. We couldn't even do that at our peak in the late 2000s.
What I was talking about is that Bellingham would very much have been a good signing for an initial fee of 88m, which is what Madrid paid to Dortmund, and even making him one of the highest earners in the Premier League would've been a good decision. If we want to emulate City's success and become one of the best sides in Europe again, we'll need these type of signings from time to time, where the player is just way more talented than the alternatives in his position, and the age is also optimal. Examples of the caliber of talent I'm talking about from the last few seasons: Haaland, Bellingham, Rice, Gvardiol, and there might be others that I don't remember right now, but every one of these four players were objectively most talented available options on the market in their respective positions.
Don't get me wrong: I'm all for developing our own youth prospects into first teamers and superstars, or unearthing unknown gems and developing them into 100 million player, but when a generational talent is available, I don't mind splashing the cash on them. Had we signed Rice for 105m this summer, or 2023, we would literally have a title winning midfield right now in Mainoo, Rice, and Fernandes. We would be set there and only have to worry about backups and competition in the middle of the pitch. As things stand, we're still looking for a #6 and we'll almost certainly have to settle for a worse option, than Rice.
We can't buy established superstars for huge money as a way to get us out of this mess. There is simply too much work to be done on the squad. It needs to be a combination of getting the right up-and-coming players from lesser leagues (primarily Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A), as well as quality players from midtable Premier League clubs that are ready to step up and can be had for reasonable money.
Look at how Liverpool and Arsenal got to where they are. In the first transfer category (finding quality in lesser leagues) we have players like Firmino, Fabinho, Salah, Allison, Konate, Gabriel, Saliba, etc. and in the PL proven category there is VVD, Rice, Mac Allister, Mané, Trossard, Robertson, etc. Now of course some of these were brought in for huge fees, but when that is the case, they had the right age and fixed a clear problem in the team (VVD, Allison and Rice being the best examples). You don't see Arsenal or Liverpool spending big on players like Varane and Casemiro, because they know it's not sustainable.
Look at how Liverpool and Arsenal got to where they are. In the first transfer category (finding quality in lesser leagues) we have players like Firmino, Fabinho, Salah, Allison, Konate, Gabriel, Saliba, etc. and in the PL proven category there is VVD, Rice, Mac Allister, Mané, Trossard, Robertson, etc. Now of course some of these were brought in for huge fees, but when that is the case, they had the right age and fixed a clear problem in the team (VVD, Allison and Rice being the best examples). You don't see Arsenal or Liverpool spending big on players like Varane and Casemiro, because they know it's not sustainable.
It's just a pipe dream of mine right now, but if Bellingham wants to come to the Premier League one day, we'll probably be in pole position to sign him, if Ineos will have returned us to the elites by then. The guy's only turning 21 in a few months. I don't see him never playing in Premier League, and all we have to do is just be a top team by the time he leaves Madrid. 2028, maybe.
For me it should be a number of cheaper signings, bulked out with more expensive, more “sure thing” signings where required.
Get down to Brasil and the rest of South America and starting scouting them before they go to Portugal or Spain boys
Get down to Brasil and the rest of South America and starting scouting them before they go to Portugal or Spain boys
What's wrong with wanting more bang for your buck??? 
Better than Ed Woodward saying "We've got loads of dosh, watch this space!"
Fingers crossed he becomes best buddies with Mainoo during England duty