Transfer Tweets - 2019/20 | Check the OP for blacklisted sources before posting

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That's right, the man who is working day in day out with these guys for the last 9 months is clueless compared to say, some random guys and girls on an internet forum who have never managed in professional football or played at the highest level.

The level of disrespect for our manager, a club legend no less, is getting quite hard to take. I'd welcome the mods taking a bit of a stance on it. I'm not asking for a RAWK like ban on criticism, but the stuff like calling him a shill, a stooge, clueless, an idiot, etc would not be permitted if aimed at another poster, but fine if it's directed at our manager.

Was going to say something similar but you summed it up nicely.

Everyone is an expert from the outside looking in and when they have zero accountability for what they say or any decisions.
 
I don’t know why everyone is losing their shit. This is exactly what I wanted - careful, considerate transfers. We have bought in two players who,by the end of the season, I am very confident will be considered two of the best in our squad and the league. We want and need midfield reinforcements but it just can’t be anybody - it has to be a player of quality, who is hungry for the challenge and wants to be at the club for the right reasons! If we did indeed pull our of both Dybala and Erickson because they didn’t want to be here then that’s fine with me.

This model Ole and the club is taking is not going to be quick - it’s going to be a painful, slow transition to being a good team again and I think it’s the right one.
If we end up 5 it 6th position next year, i know its ifs or buts but squad wise we haven't improved vastly, only in defence we have. However my point being, if we miss out on CL next year, that's Ole gone, which means another rebuild from scratch with another manager. That's the worry.
 
If we don’t bring anyone else in, where’s the motivation to even turn on the telly for the Chelsea game? It will take a modern miracle to scrape a top 4 finish this year.

:lol: So that's it. No signing. No more supporting united because they didn't sign any more shiny new players.

How do cope with disappointment at work in the real world? Do you get fed up with your job and just not go?
 
The main issue most fans have is that we should be competing for the league. It's obvious that we should. But we're not making the right decisions. Liverpool in this position last year decided to fix their two biggest issues over a few months. They won the CL and nearly won the league. Once you fix your biggest weaknesses you have a chance. But United doesn't have the right owners. So we're left hoping that we're good enough. Meanwhile teams like Everton and Wolves have far superior midfields.

but we have more than two issues, don’t we? Our defence was severely lacking quality in CB and RB, our midfield was missing at least two quality additions, in DM and AM (imo) and our attack could have done with a natural right sided player or a false 9 type.

that’s a lot for one window! If you buy 5 players, the likelihood is that at least two of them won’t work out and in previous seasons with us it has sometimes been they all haven’t! The biggest problem was our shaky foundation in defence and we have sorted that. Next summer we’ll look at the midfield.

you’ll be surprised at how having a solid defence with quality players who can pass and control the ball will actually help the midfield we do have too.
 
The main issue most fans have is that we should be competing for the league. It's obvious that we should. But we're not making the right decisions. Liverpool in this position last year decided to fix their two biggest issues over a few months. They won the CL and nearly won the league. Once you fix your biggest weaknesses you have a chance. But United doesn't have the right owners. So we're left hoping that we're good enough. Meanwhile teams like Everton and Wolves have far superior midfields.

Completely disagree.

Just like Liverpool last year, we also fixed 2 very important issues, RB and CB. Yes, we could have added more, but you don't fix our issues in 1 transfer window.
Our owners have invested millions and millions on players that haven't worked out. That's not on them. Each manager got players that he wanted, and the next manager didn't want them which means us getting stuck with them.
Everton or Wolves don't have a far superior midfield.
 
If we end up 5 it 6th position next year, i know its ifs or buts but squad wise we haven't improved vastly, only in defence we have. However my point being, if we miss out on CL next year, that's Ole gone, which means another rebuild from scratch with another manager. That's the worry.
Wouldn't say he'll definitely go if we miss out on top 4. If we play shit football and make no progress then sure. If we play attractive football with a clear vision for where we want to be then he deserves to stay.
 
Wouldn't say he'll definitely go if we miss out on top 4. If we play shit football and make no progress then sure. If we play attractive football with a clear vision for where we want to be then he deserves to stay.
Hard to see that
 
That's right, the man who is working day in day out with these guys for the last 9 months is clueless compared to say, some random guys and girls on an internet forum who have never managed in professional football or played at the highest level.

The level of disrespect for our manager, a club legend no less, is getting quite hard to take. I'd welcome the mods taking a bit of a stance on it. I'm not asking for a RAWK like ban on criticism, but the stuff like calling him a shill, a stooge, clueless, an idiot, etc would not be permitted if aimed at another poster, but fine if it's directed at our manager.

Lets ban free speech? If people were calling him a cnut or names like that then sure, but the fact is he has next to no managerial experience at the top level, and certainly not a club our size, much like Moyes he may very well be clueless, if he thinks that team is good enough then I think it's a fair question to ask, but in the same sentence I also said he may have just resigned himself to fate because the board haven't been able to get him what he wanted.
 
If we don’t bring anyone else in, where’s the motivation to even turn on the telly for the Chelsea game? It will take a modern miracle to scrape a top 4 finish this year.
Think the Chelsea game will be the least of our worries. They are not in great shape either.
 
If we don’t bring anyone else in, where’s the motivation to even turn on the telly for the Chelsea game? It will take a modern miracle to scrape a top 4 finish this year.

Just wow.

Be lucky you don't have to...go to games or anything :lol:
 
The main issue most fans have is that we should be competing for the league. It's obvious that we should. But we're not making the right decisions. Liverpool in this position last year decided to fix their two biggest issues over a few months. They won the CL and nearly won the league. Once you fix your biggest weaknesses you have a chance. But United doesn't have the right owners. So we're left hoping that we're good enough. Meanwhile teams like Everton and Wolves have far superior midfields.
Liverpool last summer had a clear and attractive style of play implemented within the squad over a couple of seasons, it just fell short because they lacked quality players which they were then able to attract due to CL football. It's not the same as us where we're unsure what our best team and formation even is. I expect after this season we'll have a clear identity and a better idea of what holes in the squad we need filling, which I hope we do. It just seems a bit unpredictable at the moment.
 
Liverpool last summer had a clear and attractive style of play implemented within the squad over a couple of seasons, it just fell short because they lacked quality players which they were then able to attract due to CL football. It's not the same as us where we're unsure what our best team and formation even is. I expect after this season we'll have a clear identity and a better idea of what holes in the squad we need filling, which I hope we do. It just seems a bit unpredictable at the moment.
Hopefully they realise Matic is one of those holes what needs filling in.
 
If we don’t bring anyone else in, where’s the motivation to even turn on the telly for the Chelsea game? It will take a modern miracle to scrape a top 4 finish this year.

The motivation is not being a fair weather fan. How entitled can you get? By that logic, why does any fan of any team below the top 4 bother tuning in or you know, go to the stadium? Close friend of mine went away to Millwall and watched Preston get beat 1-0. Preston aren't going to get promoted this year, why do you think the travelling fans even bother making the journey and forking out?

Your post comes across very much as someone who isn't so much a fan of the sport or the club but someone who likes backing the winner and you're not interested in even bothering if you don't have some kind of assurance that you'll be cheering on a winning team.

The attitude of a majority of our fan base is embarrassing.
 
I am an ex football journalist; have written for many national newspapers, both tabloid and broadsheet - as well as online (where my career was leading me until I landed a publishing deal and now write literature, non-fiction and fiction).

There seems to be lots and lots of posters on here concerned with journalists; who is top tier? who is a bullshitter? who is properly ITK?

Let me explain, if you don't mind.

NOBODY is ITK. Not anymore.

When I started in football journalism about twenty years ago; there were - of course - journalists working the Premier League beat who were ITK. They would have trusted sources at football clubs; sometimes even footballers themselves or managers or (in a lot of cases) the press officer at a football club who was asked to drop a story to a journalist etc.

The reason for this was simple: If Manchester United (for example) wanted to reach us guys (the fans) by telling us some news; this is how they would go about it. The manager would give a nod and a wink to our press officer, the press officer would pick up the phone to a couple of journalists or indeed write a press release if it was something formal and then those journalists would write up their article for you and I to read in the newspaper the next day. Very simple: that is how you would reach your fan base to let them know something. Source - press officer - journalist - fan.

But these days; the game has changed. It was in 2008 that the game really changed and I become disillusioned by being a football reporter (though I didn't leave until 2013).

Because these days; if Manchester United want to reach you and I (the fan base), they no longer need the middle man in order to do that. Social Media has changed the game. United can reach us without the need for a journalist. Print journalism is dead and has been dead for a decade now in terms of being useful.

NOBODY at Manchester United or any major club uses ANY print journalist to let them know of any news that is occurring within the football club. Those days are long gone.

So, when Johnny Cross or Andy Mitten or James Ducker or Charlie Wheeler etc etc are linking Man United with players, I guarantee they are just making it up. I've ben there. I know it happens. It happens all the time. And it is happening more and more now, for one simple reason.

Manchester United are the biggest football club in the world by a mile. I know some like to argue that we're not bigger or better than Real Madrid yada yada.. but the truth is that the world is much more transfixed and obsessed with Manchester United. If a journalists drops Manchester United's name into a headline in modern media, it is going to reach a massive audience. This is why we are constantly linked to numerous players. Because journalists and editors know that they will get more revenue from advertising on a page if the name 'Manchester United is a key part of the SEO for that page.

I PROMISE you I know this because I was asked - and carried out - to use that tactic for years by some top sports editors. (Be happy to show any of the mods my credentials for proof in this regard).

It's not just Manchester United by the way who no longer use print media journalists. No club does.

Look at yesterday's jaw-dropping news for proof.

Wayne Rooney signed for Derby yesterday. DERBY!!! And this was after a summer of him talking to half a dozen clubs in England. He was speaking to Derby before Cocu was named manager. Now; how on earth did the print media only find out about Wayne Rooney's move to Derby 12-hours before his reveal press conference?

All these journalists who pretend to beITK on deals, didn't have one darn clue about the biggest transfer of the summer. Not one iota! Even though Rooney and his reps had been talking to many clubs over a two month period?

These journalists haven't one darn clue what is going on because clubs no longer use them to break news.

So, please stop with all this 'Mitten reported this' and 'Wheeler reported this'.

These guys know as much as you do.

No British-based sports journalist gets any heads up from Manchester United or any other club.

James Cooper is the only reporter who follows the Manchester United beat who gets any heads-up from the club and that's because the club know the Sky Sports news channel is the quickest broadcast way to reach their fans. So yes.. Cooper does get a phone call from Karen Shotbolt (our press officer) every now and then, and he does have a source or two on the inside. But he only gets information when the club want a bit of information put out there... such as the decision to walk away from the Dybala deal.

That's it. If you want a trusted source; James Cooper is the nearest you will get to a trusted source.

Not one print journalist attached to any of the main newspapers is ever passed on information. It doesn't work like that any more.

A lot of posters on here need to take heed of this: Stop getting your knickers in a twist over which journalist reported what.. Whatever they are reporting is a nonsense. They are only interested in generating money for their newspapers by getting people like you to click on their stories. Fact: United have been linked in the British press with 79 players this summer. That tells you all you need to know.

The journalists know nothing! Trust me. I used to be one.
Ed, you are drooling on your shirt
 
If we end up 5 it 6th position next year, i know its ifs or buts but squad wise we haven't improved vastly, only in defence we have. However my point being, if we miss out on CL next year, that's Ole gone, which means another rebuild from scratch with another manager. That's the worry.

i dont think Woodward has the balls to pull that trigger. He selects all the managers and if every one of them has failed, who's left to blame. He needs Ole there to provide him some buffer. Three of the past six summer transfer windows have been feck-ups.

Buck has to stop with Woodward.
 
So, when Johnny Cross or Andy Mitten or James Ducker or Charlie Wheeler etc etc are linking Man United with players, I guarantee they are just making it up. I've ben there. I know it happens. It happens all the time. And it is happening more and more now, for one simple reason.

Andy would love for you to email him, so he can find out why you think he's a liar. Would you like his email address?
 
Lets ban free speech? If people were calling him a cnut or names like that then sure, but the fact is he has next to no managerial experience at the top level, and certainly not a club our size, much like Moyes he may very well be clueless, if he thinks that team is good enough then I think it's a fair question to ask, but in the same sentence I also said he may have just resigned himself to fate because the board haven't been able to get him what he wanted.

Did you actually read what I wrote? I ask because you straw man me with the free speech bit in direct contradiction to me clearly stating that I don't want to ban criticism.
 
Completely disagree.

Just like Liverpool last year, we also fixed 2 very important issues, RB and CB. Yes, we could have added more, but you don't fix our issues in 1 transfer window.
Our owners have invested millions and millions on players that haven't worked out. That's not on them. Each manager got players that he wanted, and the next manager didn't want them which means us getting stuck with them.
Everton or Wolves don't have a far superior midfield.

I'd also add to this that 6 teams all have fans saying they should be competing for the league. It isn't a 2 team league anymore, it's really competitive. 5 teams are going to be disappointed they didn't win the title in any given season and 2 teams are going to feel the same about top 4. That also looks set to increase with potentially Everton, Leicester and Wolves looking to get to the point where they probabaly expect a top 6 challenge as well.

I wouldn't be surprised if over the next 10 years, we have at least 5 different league winners. City and Liverpool are enjoying being at the top of their cycle but moving from winning team to another winning team is very difficult. Fergie even had gaps where he had to press reset and rebuild. Over the next 1 - 2 years, certain important players for City and Liverpool could move on, as could the managers. By which point, we may have built our foundation and be in our cycle's peak. While they have a bit of a transition, it could well be us and Arsenal competing for a couple years.

For Liverpool to get 97 points and not win the league shows how high the current bar is, it won't stay that high and I just want us to be in a position to take our chance when it comes.
 
Are you saying AWB and Maguire cannot pass? I think you'll find that's inaccurate.

Did you actually watch AWB in pre-season? He was excellent going forward almost as much as he was excellent defending.

He's just bought one of the best defenders for exactly that though

Obviously didn't watch any pre-season games. It was fairly obvious that this season we can expect much less long balls from DDG

Maguire is good on the ball, but is also composed defensively, a leader and great in the air. AWB has many good qualities - he great in 1v1s, fast, strong, a fantastic tackler, good dribbler etc etc, but his passing ability is mediocre at best.

We didn't develop our build up play at all following Mourinho's departure last season. It might be that Solskjaer was happy to leave things as they were with an eye on revolutionising those aspects of our play in the summer. That remains to be seen, although we'll find out soon enough. My guess is that we'll shun patient buildup in favour of getting the ball forward quickly, either through runners (AWB/Fred/Pogba) or long balls (De Gea/Maguire/Pogba). Smalling would be perfectly fine in a system like this.
 
Why does it have be one extreme or the other? There are ways to address this situation without acting like a total pillock (Mourinho) or a total optimist (Ole). Just look at how Klopp or Poch in the past have made their feelings known. How does one go from 'these players have played last game for Utd' to 'I'm happy with the squad' in space of 3 months. It doesn't compute.

He won't be this dignified or professional about it once the pressure is up and his own neck is on the chopping block. Woodward has taken the entire club and its fanbase for a ride, manager pretending everything is fine won't suddenly make it fine. We need key signings in attack and midfield, if the manager is afraid to make a fuss about it without upsetting the apple cart. How does it bode well for our future?




If the relationship between manager and boss is like you portray, then its doomed from the beginning.

Ole experienced in front of his own eyes how gutless some of the performances were by these players, he was angry and promised a clean up over the summer. If he was this determined about it, he'd be adamant some of them have no future. We have sold exactly zero players this summer, what'll happen when the same performances are being repeated? A manager has to take a stand, grow a spine as to certain things which are acceptable/unacceptable. All I've seen is him change the tune and match what his boss wants to hear.



You can take this sanctimonious bullshit elsewhere, last time I checked this was still an open forum and fans are free to express their opinion. Just because it doesn't align with you doesn't mean others have 'do something else'.

I understand your point but think like this do you seriously trust this board to do a major clearout. Letting Mata, Jones, Matic, Rojo, Darmian, Lukaku, Herrera, Young, Valencia, Fellaini, Smalling go and not replacing them would have been suicidal. Our squad would have been pretty thin. Our club just are not good enough to do a major clear out and that is why I keep on saying no manager even the Peps and Klopps would be successful in thi ssystem. Look at how City's board backed Pep to do a major clearout after his first season, this board is just incapable of doing. The fact that we take 1 month to sign a player from lower league shows how slow we are, what makes you think we can replace all the deadwood.

Ole unfortunately has to take a u turn in his approach. Moaning and whining now will only make the matter worse. He is doing what Jose should have done and shown more positivity. By saying this squad is not good enough you are just giving an excuse to these players to give up. ATleast now we can go beyond the manager and say hey these players are jokes who cannot even work for a guy who is just defending them.
 
1. Alexis
2. Lukaku
3. Darmain
4. Rojo
5. Jones
6. Smalling

Should be prioritising sales in that order, seeing as Woodward can only negotiate one at a time.
 
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