The thing is, the players we signed looked like decent players (and I don’t think they’re all that bad).
Real were sniffing round Yoro and I think he looks sound and a great investment. De Ligt is a very competent, experienced at the highest levels CB, Mazraoui was a bargain and is a decent player (albeit now out of position), Ugarte is a decent signing and Zirkzee was an absolute baller in Italy and looked awesome.
The scouting on these surely came back saying all of them were sound investments? Zirkzee and Ugarte both found it hard to adapt to the English league, Zirkzee still does and might never be a good fit but that’s something you can’t plan for.
The arguments of Brighton and Bournemouth signing decent players isn’t a fair comparison. Those players can go a little under the radar and gel into a well run club.
When someone signs for United there’s instant expectation for them to get us back to the good old days from the press, the fans and the club. They’re thrown into a ton of interviews and branding ops as the new signing.
They come to an absolute shit show where there seems to be another drama every other week where someone is a rapist, or wants to leave the club, or is out on the piss the night before the game, training in the woman’s facility because we’re doing up carrington, fans not liking any of the owners, a leaky stadium etc etc.
The morale of the club is on it’s arse at the moment and it feels like we could sign the best players in the world right now and it wouldn’t make a difference.
I think the signings have been far more sensible than previous summers (like the Onana/Mount/Hojlund summer). There’s a focus on signing great prospects which will either lead to brilliant first team players, or at worst improve our PSR.
I think Ugarte, De Ligt and Yoro would be shining if they were at Brighton, Bournemouth, Forest or Villa and we’d be looking at them saying ‘how come we didn’t sign those players’.