Bringing top players had always been a problem to nearly anyone. Even clubs who are traditionally bigger buyers then us have failed in getting players like Rooney (Chelsea) and Vidal (Real)
If you ask me biggest downfall is arrogance. We think that just because we've got the biggest franchise in football everyone will fall at our knees just to sign for us. This mentality is pretty relevant in United's historical decision in not paying for agents (which is common practice in today's football). Mind I dont like it myself however that's how football works this day and no one likes to work for free.
Arrogance has also creeped in out decision making. How many times have we heard on MUTV that unless someone truly special like Fabregas is available we should stick to what we have? That's in my opinion ridiculous. First of all players like Fabregas rarely move clubs. Secondly as said before there's a ridiculously great gap between the likes of Fabregas and Cleverley. There's also a good amount of players who fall in that category.
Other big clubs tend to buy players a year or two before they are noticed by the top guns and then develop them. Take Juventus as an example. Vidal was bought from Leverkusen for 15m. Pirlo was deemed too old for Milan and Juventus stepped in with a 2 year contract, Marchisio is a homegrown talent while Pogba left us because it seem that no one could replace Scholes. That's a quality midfield isn't it? That's how we need to work. Get players before they join top clubs and then develop them
I dig what you're sayin about other clubs having the same hassles signing players, but i couldnt even hazard a guess of how many players we've lost out to Barca & Real over the years & thats not established top-class players either. They've had the potential tag, but we never stood a chance to get ahead of the pack for many of them, because most likely said players agent was on the blower to all the top clubs in Spain etc. It seemed to be an annual thing at one point, then United just decided there's no point competing anymore & just went for the unearthed world-wide potential gem or go for the best domestic player from a non-top 4 club.
We've been doing quite well in gettin young players in from Europe & beyond though - like Adnan for example, so thats a great work in progress & proof that we are gettin ahead of the bunch in quite a few cases. I love watching the youth teams & U-21's. I actually preferred to watch those lads than our 1st team. I've never had a season where i basically face-palmed the shit outta myself in every home game. Away games i looked forward to. OT was always a potential banana skin nightmare waiting to happen & lookin at the feckin "Chosen One" banner made it even worse. Thank feck there wont be one for LvG thats for sure!
There's quite a few United fans who seem to think that United is the biggest draw for a player, but its not if you have a choice of continental teams or a team from London (big thriving capital city etc). Its not only arrogance, its a false sense of security that players are drawn to a club only because of prestige. Lifestyle, family welfare & the weather all come into play for a player & we have to get in there 1st all day everyday to jump ahead of the bunch.
As regards to paying agents, thats not our employee - its the players employee & he should be payin him for his services - not the buying or selling club. I agree with Uniteds stance on that matter, but they do pay a minimal fee to a players agent if its a deal breaker. Our financial transactions were voluntarily published publicly a couple of years ago to show who was paid what - agents included.
It was unprecedented at the time & it still hasnt been replicated by any other club in the Prem either. We didnt pay way over the top to agents, but it was kinda deemed as a "finders fee" payment to agents. That payment is included in the transfer fee paid for the player, so that bumps the transfer up. I can only imagine how much Torres' agent got for his transfer to Chelsea - it must have been around £5-6m i'd say, as Red Rom wanted him that bad - not to mention how much Shevchenko's agent got for his transfer too.
Feckin leeches of the football world & there should be a rule that agents get no payment from clubs for a transfer, although then a player will demand a whacky signing-on fee to cover his costs. Hazard's agent demanded over £5m for Hazard to sign for us & Fergie told them to go feck themselves & he signed for Chelsea instead. There's been so many instances like that & the player went elsewhere, but at the end of the day - if said player really wanted to come to us - he'll tell his agent to feck off or accept a much smaller amount. Good honest players want to play for the best clubs - money for agents should not be a deal-breaker!
That trio you mentioned - Vidal, Pirlo & Pogba, how good is it really though? I dont rate the Italian League - not many do that i know of. Juve certainly didnt set the Europa League alight either from what i seen. Pogba had a great introduction to Serie A because its less demanding than the Prem. I hate watchin Serie A - its boring as hell & i wont even get into all the simulation that goes on in every match either. Good players are made to look better than they are because the league is poor & once they play decent European opposition - they've seriously fluffed their lines or just get shown up as inferior players.
Vidals done it at international level, so i've no doubts about his quality. He must be dyin to really test himself at a proper physical league though & at 27 the time is right for him to come to United & beat up some scousers, some cockney wide-boys or anyone with a funny accent that he'll never understand if he's insulted by them. Vidal would be the Keano replacement we've all been dreaming off & apparantly he shares the same Birthday as Bestie aswell - its in the stars man... its meant to be..
