It isn't like, the moment LVG finishes assessing the squad ,transfers will be announced left right and center at that very moment. Things are possibly in progress and be concluded in the coming days/weeks.
Woodward (old thread)
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'Unprecedented levels of spending' though this Summer remember lads
Im not one to usually defend Woodward, but IMO LVG is handling who goes/stays, Woodie just executes LVG's orders.
If LVG told him to go hellbent for Vidal etc I can see him doing that.
I think LVG really did need time to evaluate the squad but if we can see the deficiencies of the squad, then he certainly must be seeing them also.
I cannot see this transfer window ending without us purchasing another CM and CB at the least.
Indeed. Also, "assessing the squad" is a weak excuse anyway. Its more likely that LvG has already assessed the squad but would prefer to work with what he has. Which is well within his character.
Then he shouldn't have made a twat of himself with the "watch this space" shit then.
Then his fate will be similar to Moyes if we don't finish in the top four.
Not sure about that. He is wise enough to understand better, may not buy superstars though.
im sorta getting the feeling we will end up going on a 60m spree in the last couple of days on plan B players. not even going to take a guess at who however.
Actually in terms of spending this year United already coughed up around 95M pound, that is kind of unprecedented investment in the last 3-4 years. I do hope there would more and think there has to be more, but "unprecedented levels of spending" is a correct description.
This sounds ridiculous. I mean after he assesses the squad, are players going to be available so late in the window. We have seen how transfers are these days. So for example we decide we need a class defender after 2 more weeks, will we really be able to sign one in just 2 weeks?
Even a blind person can tell now that we need a CM and CB. Assessing is needed for some arguably weak positions such as RB, LW or for unnessesary players who should be sold.
It doesn't have to be a fresh quest to search for a player. A lot of work is surely done behind the scenes for a length of time. The final bits of deals will be worked out once there is a go ahead. This is both incoming and outgoing. Maybe the go ahead came days back and who knows deals maybe are very close with still days left for other targets. I would be more worried if things are still as is after a couple of weeks.
Yet somehow we are still absolutely shite in midfield. 2 weeks to go til the prem begins and we are still badly short on quality in the centre of the park and lacking depth in defence. Not only that but we are still overstocked with mediocre players. I hope we have a plan that doesn't involve deadline day again.
True, but money has moved on sharply the last few years, and also it's not very often you lose Scholes, Giggs, Vidic, Ferdinand and Evra over such a short timescale!
Not sure we are "absolutely shite". Yes we do have a lot of underperformers, but that due to lack of rebuilding by Moyes and Fergie's vision or maybe previous money constraints. Anyway it does not exactly matter as we are started investing.
I didn't think he had a great summer last year but, want to give him the benefit of the doubt in that so far LVG has tied his hands. I can't imagine with the thought of a 30% decrease in missing CL with the Adidas deal alone looming, that the club is not willing to pay a little more now in order to ensure we get into the top 4. Seems like it's all down to LVG giving green light on some targets for Woodward to even try get something to happen.
LVG probably has supreme belief in getting CL eve with what he has now because I can't imagine United not having a clause saying he can be let go if we don't make CL and on the flip side I am sure LVG has had assurances that any targets he thinks necessary to achieve the goals that have been set for him, everything will be done in order to get them.
Let's hope after Saturday, LVG will set Woodward loose on some definitive targets and am guessing LVG being as forthcoming as he is, will at least say he needs X, Y and Z positions which would be an indication that he's told the hierarchy what he needs and it's up to them to deliver.
LVG probably has supreme belief in getting CL eve with what he has now because I can't imagine United not having a clause saying he can be let go if we don't make CL and on the flip side I am sure LVG has had assurances that any targets he thinks necessary to achieve the goals that have been set for him, everything will be done in order to get them.
Let's hope after Saturday, LVG will set Woodward loose on some definitive targets and am guessing LVG being as forthcoming as he is, will at least say he needs X, Y and Z positions which would be an indication that he's told the hierarchy what he needs and it's up to them to deliver.
From Monday, or when we leave the tour to the start of the season, we will be buying players. I have faith in Woodward. Well, not him in particular after last Summer, but I think surely not even the biggest fool around would go on MUTV saying ''Watch this space, we will be active'' etc unless he had something lined up.
Plus, LVG has said he will wait to look at his squad. So, when the tour is finished he can start to tweak it the way he likes it having seen how all of his players have performed.
It's not the ideal way of doing things but this isn't the ideal situation, what with him having been at the World Cup until mid-July.
Basically next week = Tour Finished, 2 weeks until the start of the season...it will be lively. Watch this space.
Plus, LVG has said he will wait to look at his squad. So, when the tour is finished he can start to tweak it the way he likes it having seen how all of his players have performed.
It's not the ideal way of doing things but this isn't the ideal situation, what with him having been at the World Cup until mid-July.
Basically next week = Tour Finished, 2 weeks until the start of the season...it will be lively. Watch this space.
That's the statement that has me relatively buoyant throughout all this.
Indeed. If he had no intention of signing more he wouldn't even have given the interview.
This.
The orange one is watching his players in games, playing against actual opposition, he's assessing his squad. It'll all start to happen next week I'm sure, he'll want to get them in to do a bit of pre season at least. I hope. I'm sure.
Also I must add, I have faith in LVG and I'm confident he will lead us to a top 4 finish next season, but he and Woodie need to do everything possible that they have the best squad possible going into next season.
I feel as though LVG is accessing players and this isnt all Woodie's doing.
Who cares about getting top 4? Is that seriously how low this club has set his ambitions now? We were champions not 2 years ago and we should be going for the title with or without new additions. If LVG wants to go into the new season "and work with what he's got" then fair enough, it's up to him. But it can also backfire on him, especially if he ends up doing badly after realising the squad isn't as good as he thinks it is. What I do like about what LVG is currently doing, is that he is clearly going to give the "good" youth players chances next season which is great, and I'm sure players like Blacket, James etc are more than good enough to perform back up roles next season. (From what I've seen of them so far).
Woodward also shouldn't be saying shite like "watch this space" in his interviews, but maybe this is a clear indication that he's got some good deals lined up? IMO players like Vidal, Di maria should be signed up by Woodward whether Van Gaals wants them or not, they are simply too good.
I'm hoping Van Gaal wants to ultimately play 4-3-3 anyway, so hopefully Woody already has the deals lined up ready to be signed next week. But what is really disappointing is that there is only 32 days left in the transfer window and once again we are probably going to end up doing business really late, we all know how that ended last year...
Woodward also shouldn't be saying shite like "watch this space" in his interviews, but maybe this is a clear indication that he's got some good deals lined up? IMO players like Vidal, Di maria should be signed up by Woodward whether Van Gaals wants them or not, they are simply too good.
I'm hoping Van Gaal wants to ultimately play 4-3-3 anyway, so hopefully Woody already has the deals lined up ready to be signed next week. But what is really disappointing is that there is only 32 days left in the transfer window and once again we are probably going to end up doing business really late, we all know how that ended last year...
Agree again.
Sack Woodward...he has missed a chance there
In case nobody said it:
He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy
He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy
We will probably spend another £60m plus on a bunch of midrange players to try and fill the many gaping holes in our team and squad.
It's crazy that it got to this. We missed out on so many top targets the last five or six years, combined with a lot of youngsters bought at decent money that haven't developed as hoped.
It's crazy that it got to this. We missed out on so many top targets the last five or six years, combined with a lot of youngsters bought at decent money that haven't developed as hoped.
Absolutely, it is far far better to spend a feckload of money on one/two world class players than on a host of squad players. Ideally we should get our "midrange" players from our academy and then spend big on real quality. 40m for Mata was an example of finally getting out the checkbook for a top class player (ironically for a position in which we were already well stocked).
There's just one thing in the way of our signing world class players - none of them want to come here.
I don't think that is exactly right - there might be certain players we can't obtain with no CL - but I do think we can still attract top top players if we decide to spend the right money. Especially now that we have LvG.
Very limited options to chose from, but if forced, I would have to say he is as useless as the next coming of the messiah
He has it all to prove. Van Gaal clearly seems to want strengthen our defence and I refuse to believe he's happy with our midfield. He'll have told Woodward about which players he thinks suit those two requirements and his philosophy. And given the fees we spent on Herrera and Shaw, we obviously have plenty to spend. There's simply no excuses this time round. We need to get our business done this month.
Well, me being the cynic I am I'll believe it when it actually happens for the first time.
Well, me being the cynic I am I'll believe it when it actually happens for the first time.
Did happen last january
Top class but not world class, and Chelsea were desperate to sell.Did happen last january
Told you I was a cynic
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To be fair also Woodward had to use a second party for the Mata transfer too. So I wouldn't say all the credit should go to him for that.
Top class but not world class, and Chelsea were desperate to sell.
Told you I was a cynic
Haha, I give up :P
At the moment he's still as useless as a cookbook in Africa. People argue that he'd look like an idiot, if he doesn't spend the money after praising our financial status, but that doesn't make it any better and won't bring back our success.
Third parties get involved with transfers all the time due to the complexity of modern day football contracts. He deserves all the credit as he's the CEO of the club.
There's no food in Africa? Racist.
By having one more person to blame for failures our success won't come back. It's a lose-lose situation. Woodward has to do something.
He only has to do what LVG wants and he's got plenty of time to bring in players. Plenty of big moves have happened late in the window. If not, plenty in the squad to get top 4.
I think you can argue this about 5 teams in the league, so it really isn't clear at this point who drops out of the top 4.
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