Nah, that's not true. We paid Falcao 65k/week more than Chelsea's best paid player. Money talks at the end of the day. I just hope we spend it a bit more carefully this time.
Too early to be getting worried?
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Nah, that's not true. We paid Falcao 65k/week more than Chelsea's best paid player. Money talks at the end of the day. I just hope we spend it a bit more carefully this time.
In fact Juventus has the same problem. Actually they are in a worse situation than us since they are financially inferior to us. Juventus use a strategy similar to ours (not the same) ie they tend to swiftly act on the market and grab the talents before they become known by everyone. The list is endless (Vidal, Pogba, Morata, Baggio, Del Piero etc). They are also pretty lucky to live in a country were there's more talent, their rivals are poorly managed and financed (there's no City and Chelsea there) and therefore youth players usually represent value for money.
They differ from us on one thing ie they are ruthless. If you're not good anymore than they'll show you the door irrespective on whether you're funny or you've a good servant of the club etc. The likes of Vialli and Del Piero had done more to the club than Fletcher and Ando did but when the time was up, they were shown the door like some guest who hasnt paid his hotel bills
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As said we have to do more effort than Chelsea (London) to get our players especially in a season were we were out of the CL. Do you seriously think that clubs like to waste money? Take Liverpool as an example. We all like to make fun at them but seriously, do you think they would settle for Lallana or Balotelli if given the option of getting the likes of Sanchez and Lewandowski?
I'll give you the fact that Fergie could get more than the maximum out of the squad, but he was a mess in the transfer market in his last 4 or so seasons and you actually pointed out in an older topic that he was partly responsible for the mess of a squad he left his successors to deal with.
Owen, Bebe, Valencia, Jones, Kagawa, Obertan and the list goes on... I have zero faith in Fergie in the transfer market when he got old and weird.
To be honest, the faith I had in Fergie from all the success leading up to that period meant I was loathe to criticise him even if it looked like he'd dropped some clangers in his last few years in charge. It's only now he's gone that I can look back and see how much money was wasted.
That said, Valencia has already turned out to be a good bit of business and Jones might well do the same over the next few years.
the club has really changed as well since the class of 92 moved on
the days of Scholes or the Neville brothers entering contract negotiations and signing in 20 mins are gone and, like it or not, I think we allowed ourselves to be taken by ransom by the likes of Rooney.....its hard to believe that we pay him what we do and it seems to be public knowledge
think this is an issue as well as paying over the odds as it creates an impression of the club as a moneybags club
I agree with the acting swiftly bit to an extent - in our good transfers we've done just that - Herrera, Shaw and Depay
the issue with the point on acting swiftly is that Van Gaal seemed clear on who was going out and who was coming in so we are either
1) deals lined up to be finalised on July 1st
2) negotiating and making progress
3) getting nowhere in offers or being held to ransom for £££££
personally I'm not worried and I am patient - I think I'd rather wait until the end of the window and pay a fairer price than splurge and get players in early
it depends on the player though as sometimes you snooze, you lose
I agree. Football had changed a lot in the past 2 decades, clubs are nowadays corporations worth billions and players are rich people who will do whatever its best for their career as they do not need the club to cuddle them once their career is over. Apart from some exception of the case its money, a good life in a great city and prestige that rule. We need to adapt to that. The time we kept players for the simple that they are 'servants of the club' or 'fun' is over. On the other hand we cant expect or trust players to remain at a club because we acted nice with them. A player knows his career is short and will do anything to earn a few more bucks even if it means leaving the club empty handed.
I believe there are three dimensions that influence a transfer strategy.
a- Is the scouting net. We were one of the very first clubs in Britain to have a well organized and well estabilished scouting net inside and outside Britain. Such scouting net allowed us to bring some quality talent like Schmeichel and Ole on ridiculous fees which were instrumental to our success. In time nepotism seem to have taken over with the chief scout role given to a freshly sacked former Hibernian employee whose only quality seemed to rotate mostly on his prestigious surname. That era lead to some spectacular feckups like Taibi, Bellion and the one with more talent than Rooney (Ando). Having said that our scouting net is still top notch and such scouting net should be encouraged to improved
b-Our aspect in dealing with players which is in my opinion pretty outdated. The time managers would wrap their arms around a confused player and convince him to stay or sign to the club are over. Players have agents these days (a practice that is here to stay and we must embrace the idea of it) and they wont allow themselves to be swayed by these naive tactics. I believe that ground rules need to be made were players are given a take it or leave it offer at least 2 years before their contract end. If they dont sign than they have to be sold. Similarly we cant be too emotional to players. Players who hasn't performed on a high standard on a regular basis must be sold irrespective of their contribution to the club or how much potential they may have
c- We need to acknowledge that we're not the top dogs. If a player had to choose between us and Real or Barcelona than most of the time he'll choose the latter teams. Hence why we need to take risks ie sign the players before they actually become popular. If a quality player which we desperately need is on the market than we cant afford to haggle with the price/agent fees/salary for too long as its only a matter of time before a bigger fish will step in. B and c work in tandem. If a player had failed to make an impact than selling him will not only cut the losses but will provide money for another player to come. Juventus would have never bought Vidal if they did an Ando and sticked to big signing mistake Felipe Melo (whom back in 2011 was swiftly moved on loan to Galatasaraay)
I'm not sure this is true if i'm honest.
Schneiderlin and Otamendi should have been signed already IMO.
We need to stop fecking around with Hummels and Schweinsteiger and focus on the players that want to play at OT.
We need to stop fecking around with Hummels and Schweinsteiger and focus on the players that want to play at OT.
Compared to many other big clubs it is
I'm not sure, we're decent at bring in Premier League talent. Not convinced by our international scouting though.
So, what's happening with us signing Schneiderlin?
This should've been done already, we all know what happens when Carrick's out - we play Wayne Rooney as a fecking DM - I really thought this one (Schneiderlin) would be sorted swiftly.
This should've been done already, we all know what happens when Carrick's out - we play Wayne Rooney as a fecking DM - I really thought this one (Schneiderlin) would be sorted swiftly.
You're presuming he's our top choice, may be he isn't, in which case it shouldn't be done by now.
Schneiderlin has been on holiday and Otamendi has been at Copa America. Patience.
Herrera was on holiday last season when we signed him. He could easily leave his holiday. It is more about if we are so wrapped up in trying to battle Real Madrid over David that we have put everything else on hold.
He should be. Who else are we gonna bring in in that role that'd be better (for that role) than Schneiderlin?
If Schneiderlin isn't our top choice for that role then that in itself worries me.
We seem to miss the utterly fecking obvious signings and instead go into bizarre and often pointless deals. Last summer...
Sanchez - available for 35m, we sign di Maria for 60m.
Costa - available for 30m, we sign Falcao on a year long loan and pay him wages that Costa would've come to us for.
I just want a sensible window this Summer.
Keep your 'marquee' nonsense and give me Schneiderlin, Otamendi and a young, pacy striker that's happy to be 2nd choice behind Rooney (as Welbeck would've been...) and I'm happy.
That would be a decent summer, especially if the players we buy are LvG type team players.
I just want the right players signing, not big names, just so Ed can score points in the transfer market sweepstakes and feel smug about it.
This time last year I was crying. It was only because on the Moyes embarrassment though, but Woody pulled one of the best transfer windows ever irrespective of how the transfers worked out. I have a lot more patience now, be nice to actually hear who our targets are though and not hear shit on twatter. It's mid June so something should be moving very soon. I trust Woody and Lvg.
These players have two spare weeks a year that they can spend with their families on a vacation, let them enjoy their time.
Sanchez wanted Champions League and Costa would have probably prefered to go to Chelsea too. At this time last year you'd have said Di Maria was a far better player than Sanchez too.
Is this really all about DDG or perhaps ED's ego to signing a Gaalatico? I hope not.
There are obvious, gettable targets who want to play at OT and would improve the first team tremendously. If Bastian, Hummels and Gundogan don't want to come here and we are 2nd choice to them ... fine. Players like Otamendi & Schneiderlin are ready and willing to play for MUFC and would do just as good a job if not better than the Madrid players or Germans we are obsessing over.
I'm not saying they should break their holidays, just saying it is possible. I think like most people I am bored. A transfer or two until they go on tour would relieve the boredom. Likely more people are fretting that Jonny Evans is still with us.
I'd honestly be over the moon with -
Memphis
Schneiderlin
Otamendi
As our main outfield signings.
While it's true that there are other areas that need strengthening (RB, new striker, better reserve GK if DdG goes) I'm really not that bothered as long as the spine of that team is quality.
This would be great...
----------------------Valdes------------------
Val--------Smalling--------Otamendi-----Shaw
-------Carrick-------------------Schneiderlin----
Memphis------------Herrera---------------Mata
----------------------Rooney--------------------
Definitely, totally agree.
You do realize that given the scouting and networking that goes on the chances of one club knowing about a player and others not is very slim.
Even Memphis who we signed early was a target of other clubs.
Yes so?
My only hope is that we have a few deals lined up but are keeping them private until all the business is done. My thinking is if we come out and start splashing £30 million here and there prices go up.
I think some people are forgetting the importance LVG has put on having the team together for pre season and the reasons for that. Any other summer I am quite happy to wait until deadline day but we have catching up to do.
I think some people are forgetting the importance LVG has put on having the team together for pre season and the reasons for that. Any other summer I am quite happy to wait until deadline day but we have catching up to do.
As much as I agree with you saying that we don't need superstars, that team you have there haven't got a cat in hell's chance of winning the league, let alone doing anything in the Champions League.
Valencia NEEDS to be replaced with an actual right back, Memphis and Valdes are untested, and Shaw doesn't seem to be able to stay fit so we'll have Blind playing there half the season.
As "Football Manager"-ish as it sounds, as well as Otamendi and Schneiderlin we really need another top striker to contest with Rooney (I have no faith in RVP or Wilson making the difference in our big games at the moment), and a good right-back who can provide an option going forward as well as being solid at the back (Valencia would have had at least 10 assists last season if his crossed weren't magnetically drawn to defender's shins). I'd love for us to sign a keeper like Lloris but wouldn't be disappointed if we started the season with Valdes and Lindegaard.
To be honest I just want to watch an exciting Manchester United again. Our style of play last season was terrible, and I know the main aim was to get us back into the Champs League but it was painful to watch at times.
If Memphis and a more solid spine to the team can provide that then I'll be over the moon.
Okay guess you don't remember what you posted, thanks for playing.
Not worried in general but it's a bit worrying that our supposed top targets are being coveted by other big clubs. If Real are in for Otamendi then we don't really stand a chance. Last year we didn't really have to compete with anyone for the players we got.
I can remember last season when there were similar threads to this and it was silent and then BOOM out of nowhere we signed Herrera and Shaw.
I'm already worried.
I was very confident at the end of the season when I heard all the A targets like Hummels, Otamendi, Alves, Bale etc... and now we're in for the likes of Firminho, Stones etc....
I was very confident at the end of the season when I heard all the A targets like Hummels, Otamendi, Alves, Bale etc... and now we're in for the likes of Firminho, Stones etc....
There was plenty of competion for Depay from big clubs. From last summer Di Maria and Shaw were wanted by other big clubs. I bet Falcao was too.
Yeah Depay fair enough, the others not so much. PSG couldn't afford Di Maria, Chelsea wouldn't pay 30m for Shaw and I think Falcao was offered around about 6 clubs who didn't fancy him/ couldn't afford his wages. Different ball game this summer.
I cant understand the link between what you said and what I said TBH
What does any of that matter? We got our men because we paid the highest fee. That's the whole point.
Yeah and my point is that we could potentially have clubs that can match our fees this season, whereas last season we didn't. Surely that isn't hard for you to understand?
Chelsea and PSG were involved last summer as you stated. Among others that could offer a healthy sum of money.
Money is the last issue we have regarding competition.
Pure paper talk.
When the news outlets like Sky & Co report we have made a bid, then I will believe. I don't even believe RM have bid for DDG yet, just a load of rumours, yet to be confirmed.
Being a optimist, I believe our players are lined up, the issue is the other club finding replacements.
Personally I just want the bloody transfer window over and done with. Sick and tired of all the rubbish in papers and you can't even trust the likes of Sky either because they drum up stories for idiots to lump money on Sky bet! What kind of clown bets on transfers??
Anyway's I've a feeling Otamendi has agreed to join us, seems quite verbal about wanting to leave. It seems to be an issue over meeting his buyout clause though. Other than that, I'm not really sure what to think, with the amount of players linked it really could be any or even none of them
Anyway's I've a feeling Otamendi has agreed to join us, seems quite verbal about wanting to leave. It seems to be an issue over meeting his buyout clause though. Other than that, I'm not really sure what to think, with the amount of players linked it really could be any or even none of them
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