Wot, no transfers? It's all happening now!

[Rocknrolla69er]

Then sign Chiesa , instead of playing this silly game of bluff thinking Dortmund will crumble last minute.

Dortmund won't crumble then we l be scrabbling about like the dickheads we are trying to do a last minute deal for someone, abit like what happened with Ighalo/King

Far too arrogant that's our transfer departments problem, every deals turned into a game of poker we must gain some form of one upmansship in

 

[Offside]

Liverpool are miles ahead of us in quality and just signed one of the best midfielders in the world for peanuts. Stop trying to play devils advocate because you’re just wrong.

Liverpool have built a quality team not by making 5-6 signings in a window but going for quality over quantity ensuring that each transfer is successful and slowly but surely having quality in every position and building a team that will be strong for a number of years. This is clearly what our strategy is and it worked better last season than any window we’ve had previously. We finally have a manager that doesn’t have a team full of his own flops. I’m not wrong about that, we’ve obviously shifted our approach entirely.

The Caf going into meltdown over Chelsea buying 5-6 players which we have done in the past with 0 success, and Spurs making signings like Bale, which we have done similar of in the past with 0 success, is pathetic.

We need a couple more players that’s a fact. But we need to save the meltdowns until after the window closes. Having these bratty reactions because we’re missing out on the thrill of signing players when other clubs are signing players clearly who don’t fit into our strategy (older players, players who want to join other teams, players demanding silly wages, injury prone players) is pathetic.

 

[Lash]

Liverpool have built a quality team not by making 5-6 signings in a window but going for quality over quantity ensuring that each transfer is successful and slowly but surely having quality in every position and building a team that will be strong for a number of years. This is clearly what our strategy is and it worked better last season than any window we’ve had previously. We finally have a manager that doesn’t have a team full of his own flops. I’m not wrong about that, we’ve obviously shifted our approach entirely.

The Caf going into meltdown over Chelsea buying 5-6 players which we have done in the past with 0 success, and Spurs making signings like Bale, which we have done similar of in the past with 0 success, is pathetic.

We need a couple more players that’s a fact. But we need to save the meltdowns until after the window closes. Having these bratty reactions because we’re missing out on the thrill of signing players when other clubs are signing players clearly who don’t fit into our strategy (older players, players who want to join other teams, players demanding silly wages, injury prone players) is pathetic.

Here, here. Icing on the cake is people are actually getting wound up about Liverpool potentially signing Jota. Who wouldn't get anywhere near our starting 11.

 

[PoTMS]

Shambles of a football club. Fully expect shambles on the pitch to follow. Ole will be sacked and we'll do it all over again in a few years.

 

[James Peril]

Not one of Thiago, Bale or Regulion would have made perfect sense for us. We’re trying to build a team, all 3 of those transfers are the kind we have recklessly made in the past. The meltdown whenever another club signs a player is a little pathetic.

It’s ridiculous to mention Thiago is this post together with a washed up Bale and a pretty decent left-back, in fact it’s stupid to mention the latter as well. Our left-back is always injured on top of not being very good, the backup is a kid that wouldn’t play for any other team in the league.

Thiago is a world-class player, we barely scraped top 4 on the last day, we are in no position to think he isn’t «right» for god’s sake. He is not the same as Bastian, Falcao, Di Maria, Zlatan or whatever else crap you’d want to throw in here.

What’s next, you’d pass on Alaba too? No wonder we’re stuck in the doldrums.

 

[Nas-JR]

Liverpool have built a quality team not by making 5-6 signings in a window but going for quality over quantity ensuring that each transfer is successful and slowly but surely having quality in every position and building a team that will be strong for a number of years. This is clearly what our strategy is and it worked better last season than any window we’ve had previously. We finally have a manager that doesn’t have a team full of his own flops. I’m not wrong about that, we’ve obviously shifted our approach entirely.

The Caf going into meltdown over Chelsea buying 5-6 players which we have done in the past with 0 success, and Spurs making signings like Bale, which we have done similar of in the past with 0 success, is pathetic.

We need a couple more players that’s a fact. But we need to save the meltdowns until after the window closes. Having these bratty reactions because we’re missing out on the thrill of signing players when other clubs are signing players clearly who don’t fit into our strategy (older players, players who want to join other teams, players demanding silly wages, injury prone players) is pathetic.

I completely agree and I commend you for this post. I do tend to yo-yo between opinions about what we're doing as I feel we clearly shifted our approach to building the squad (in terms of cultivating a particular culture that is aligned to our values; youth, direct football, energy and flair) and have stuck to our guns over the last 3 transfer windows (I think all our signings so far will prove to be quite astute including the supposedly overpriced maguire- with him I feel people really overlook his calmness and leadership qualities and is very much a fergie player).

I think what we need is patience and discipline by sticking to our strategy and thinking long-term.

I'll admit that I am getting very frustrated with us this window. this is partially FOMO due to the business that clubs around us are making (a good amount of which I don't particularly think is great business may I add). But the one huge issue that I do struggle with is that, as Ole has pointed out, this deflated market presented opportunities to fill gaps in our squad and we have not hitherto taken advantage of it. I also think our strategy for sancho just does not make sense... either pay the fee once it became clear dortmund won't budge or decide early on that he is out of our price range and have a contingency plan; Either find an alternative or get someone on loan for a year while using the budget to fill other positions in the squad. I don't think the people in charge are as thick as they've been portrayed but they're not doing themselves ANY favours.

 

[Josep Dowling]

Liverpool have built a quality team not by making 5-6 signings in a window but going for quality over quantity ensuring that each transfer is successful and slowly but surely having quality in every position and building a team that will be strong for a number of years. This is clearly what our strategy is and it worked better last season than any window we’ve had previously. We finally have a manager that doesn’t have a team full of his own flops. I’m not wrong about that, we’ve obviously shifted our approach entirely.

The Caf going into meltdown over Chelsea buying 5-6 players which we have done in the past with 0 success, and Spurs making signings like Bale, which we have done similar of in the past with 0 success, is pathetic.

We need a couple more players that’s a fact. But we need to save the meltdowns until after the window closes. Having these bratty reactions because we’re missing out on the thrill of signing players when other clubs are signing players clearly who don’t fit into our strategy (older players, players who want to join other teams, players demanding silly wages, injury prone players) is pathetic.

My issue isn’t the players others have signed. My issue is we have one target, just one for RW. If we don’t get him it’s no one coming in and young Greenwood is expected to start every game. To give him rest or if he gets injured it’s Daniel James, who’s dog shit as far as I’m concerned.

Are you seriously trying to tell me we cannot find someone that fits our strategy without spending £100m plus? Bale is a one year stop gap if Dortmund wanted to play hard ball. I think he takes Spurs up a notch personally anyway.

Millions spent on scouting and we can only come up with Sancho. Anyone that knows football could suggest him ffs.

 

[Rocknrolla69er]

Liverpool have built a quality team not by making 5-6 signings in a window but going for quality over quantity ensuring that each transfer is successful and slowly but surely having quality in every position and building a team that will be strong for a number of years. This is clearly what our strategy is and it worked better last season than any window we’ve had previously. We finally have a manager that doesn’t have a team full of his own flops. I’m not wrong about that, we’ve obviously shifted our approach entirely.

The Caf going into meltdown over Chelsea buying 5-6 players which we have done in the past with 0 success, and Spurs making signings like Bale, which we have done similar of in the past with 0 success, is pathetic.

We need a couple more players that’s a fact. But we need to save the meltdowns until after the window closes. Having these bratty reactions because we’re missing out on the thrill of signing players when other clubs are signing players clearly who don’t fit into our strategy (older players, players who want to join other teams, players demanding silly wages, injury prone players) is pathetic.

Would you say our scouting department have had sufficient time to identify other targets and sign them without scrabbling about last minute

My issue isn’t the players others have signed. My issue is we have one target, just one for RW. If we don’t get him it’s no one coming in and young Greenwood is expected to start every game. To give him rest or if he gets injured it’s Daniel James, who’s dog shit as far as I’m concerned.

Are you seriously trying to tell me we cannot find someone that fits our strategy without spending £100m plus? Bale is a one year stop gap if Dortmund wanted to play hard ball. I think he takes Spurs up a notch personally anyway.

Millions spent on scouting and we can only come up with Sancho. Anyone that knows football could suggest him ffs.

What happened to the Chiesa links, how about Neres from Ajax, there's plenty of talent out there , without gambling on a last minute Dortmund collapse

 

[Offside]

It’s ridiculous to mention Thiago is this post together with a washed up Bale and a pretty decent left-back, in fact it’s stupid to mention the latter as well. Our left-back is always injured on top of not being very good, the backup is a kid that wouldn’t play for any other team in the league.

Thiago is a world-class player, we barely scraped top 4 on the last day, we are in no position to think he isn’t «right» for god’s sake. He is not the same as Bastian, Falcao, Di Maria, Zlatan or whatever else crap you’d want to throw in here.

What’s next, you’d pass on Alaba too? No wonder we’re stuck in the doldrums.

You’ve just completely ignored what I said? We’re stacked in midfield positions so let’s go and buy a player who wants to join Liverpool, pay him silly money to the point where it’s clearly not a case of him having a burning desire to play for United, more that he’s up for a hefty payday as he approaches his latter years now he’s accomplished everything in the game. We’ve not made that mistake before have we?

It doesn’t matter if he’s world class, he doesn’t fit the right profile for what we are trying to build. I am sure we did contact his people who told us he wants to go to Liverpool. Maybe in a few years if we’ve managed to build a team through to same careful, patient approach Liverpool have been successful with, we may make similar signings.

 

[simonhch]

Liverpool have built a quality team not by making 5-6 signings in a window but going for quality over quantity ensuring that each transfer is successful and slowly but surely having quality in every position and building a team that will be strong for a number of years. This is clearly what our strategy is and it worked better last season than any window we’ve had previously. We finally have a manager that doesn’t have a team full of his own flops. I’m not wrong about that, we’ve obviously shifted our approach entirely.

The Caf going into meltdown over Chelsea buying 5-6 players which we have done in the past with 0 success, and Spurs making signings like Bale, which we have done similar of in the past with 0 success, is pathetic.

We need a couple more players that’s a fact. But we need to save the meltdowns until after the window closes. Having these bratty reactions because we’re missing out on the thrill of signing players when other clubs are signing players clearly who don’t fit into our strategy (older players, players who want to join other teams, players demanding silly wages, injury prone players) is pathetic.

This is exactly correct. The same posters who all summer call Woodward a clown, and the club a joke, wax lyrical when we sign VdB, then lose their shit again 3 days later. If we make a big signing it'll be "We always had faith", and then within a few weeks after one bad result or no new signings, more meltdowns. It's a constant cycle. There is very little rational analysis on here, just hysterical man children losing their shit over and over again.

I am no fan of the Glazer/Woodward regime, but I have tuned out the opinions of the vast majority of these forums because they lack any real credibility. It's just hysterical mouth frothing. Don't expect anything rational in response to your post. If you put forth anything approach a reasoned analysis, you'll be pounced upon for defending "the leaches", even if all you are actually doing is injecting a little common sense and balanced critique.

The bottom line is that the transfer forum and match day forums are full of knee jerk, immature "fans", who get borderline vitriolic against other fans, the club, and their own players for the slightest misstep or failure to meet their unrealistic expectations. It can be fun to browse, but to attempt to discuss anything rationally, is just swimming against a surging tide of stupidity.

 

[parkthebuslads]

I'm starting to believe that we are generally fairly efficient at making the signings we genuinely want and that the transfer "sagas" are nothing more than incredibly cynical nonsense designed to hide the clubs true lack of footballing ambition.

 

[Smores]

This is exactly correct. The same posters who all summer call Woodward a clown, and the club a joke, wax lyrical when we sign VdB, then lose their shit again 3 days later. If we make a big signing it'll be "We always had faith", and then within a few weeks after one bad result or no new signings, more meltdowns. It's a constant cycle. There is very little rational analysis on here, just hysterical man children losing their shit over and over again.

I am no fan of the Glazer/Woodward regime, but I have tuned out the opinions of the vast majority of these forums because they lack any real credibility. It's just hysterical mouth frothing. Don't expect anything rational in response to your post. If you put forth anything approach a reasoned analysis, you'll be pounced upon for defending "the leaches", even if all you are actually doing is injecting a little common sense and balanced critique.

The bottom line is that the transfer forum and match day forums are full of knee jerk, immature "fans", who get borderline vitriolic against other fans, the club, and their own players for the slightest misstep or failure to meet their unrealistic expectations. It can be fun to browse, but to attempt to discuss anything rationally, is just swimming against a surging tide of stupidity.

It's funny but whenever i see these type of long winded posts accusing others of being hysterical they're always full of lots of made up nonsense no one has even said.

It's the same every summer, for every overly critical person there's an overly defensive one being equally as ridiculous.

 

[Mickeza]

After taking some vitamin D I’m pumped for tomorrow’s game and am convinced we’ll sign Alaba and Sancho next week.

 

[RedDevil@84]

I don't know how anyone can look at the quality of the depth of our squad and see our history with injuries and say we are ok to go into the next season. Leave alone building on our last season's position, we just need better quality players to make meaningful subs in every game.

 

[Redplane]

I don't know how anyone can look at the quality of the depth of our squad and see our history with injuries and say we are ok to go into the next season. Leave alone building on our last season's position, we just need better quality players to make meaningful subs in every game.

Thats why we re getting Sancho and got future superstar Donny.

 

[christinaa]

What a disgraceful transfer window from Ed & Co.

 

[Offsideagain]

All forums are full of ‘know all’s ‘ that will criticise anyone that doesn’t follow their view, that’s fine, that is what a Forum is for. However, some of the criticisms are becoming insulting I find and for no other reason. Talk of ‘knee jerkers’ and immature people. FFS, it’s only a footy forum. Most fans are frustrated with the snails pace of transfers every season. There doesn’t appear to be any plan in place. The Sancho saga is the latest after Maguire and Bruno. Woodward needs to get his act together and have the business done weeks before the season starts not two or three weeks in. That I think is a reasonable ambition.

 

[Shiva87]

That's the only part I don't understand. I understand that Woodward makes shit loads of money for the Glazers and was instrumental in this heist that saw United being bought by these aholes. However time and time again he's proving himself to be incompetent. We overpay on players, his choice on managers are shocking, we overpay on salaries and he has little idea how to get rid of deadwood. We also hired Judge yet another banker with no clue.

So what is stopping the owners from moving the guy on purely money making and hire a football CEO + DoF instead?

Loyalty I guess. He made them their fortune - and this seems to be some type of promise to repay him. Glazers would not be where they are without the leveraging that Ed arranged for them.

If you are a businessman, unless the profits are falling massively - you won't fire the CEO. United has consistently made profits and paid dividends. Don't see why they need to fire Ed.

If they were fans or football people - perhaps the story would be very different. Our board and ownership are clearly ridiculed in the football circles - and it seems to matter nought to the Glazers. We make poor decisions and Ed has all the time in the world to 'turn it around'.

I'm getting tired of this. Every summer it gets worse. Especially when you are left to hope that your manager can do a 'SAF-type' miracle to get us to compete for the title again with the squad at his disposal.

 

[Andycoleno9]

"Window just started". That is solved.
"Others not buying much". All buying like crazy lately so that is solved.

Time for : "We have 3 more weeks. Calm down people"

Or to go now on stage 4 of Man Utd transfer window: "feck you Glazers. feck you Ed"?

 

[croadyman]

"Window just started". That is solved.
"Others not buying much". All buying like crazy lately so that is solved.

Time for : "We have 3 more weeks. Calm down people"

Or to go now on stage 4 of Man Utd transfer window: "feck you Glazers. feck you Ed"?

Not going to be calm because we are the absolute laughing stock in the transfer market and its utterly humiliating, no wonder we constantly get overpriced for players with pathetic negotiators like Judge who is like Mr Magoo

 

[sparx99]

After taking some vitamin D I’m pumped for tomorrow’s game and am convinced we’ll sign Alaba and Sancho next week.

Those two would genuinely put us in the title race. Absolute game changers. Shame that is seems so far-fetched.

 

[sparx99]

All forums are full of ‘know all’s ‘ that will criticise anyone that doesn’t follow their view, that’s fine, that is what a Forum is for. However, some of the criticisms are becoming insulting I find and for no other reason. Talk of ‘knee jerkers’ and immature people. FFS, it’s only a footy forum. Most fans are frustrated with the snails pace of transfers every season. There doesn’t appear to be any plan in place. The Sancho saga is the latest after Maguire and Bruno. Woodward needs to get his act together and have the business done weeks before the season starts not two or three weeks in. That I think is a reasonable ambition.

Yeah, this is a very big part of the problem. Players need to train with each other. They need to move house and get settled. Even if we signed Sancho now he would be self-isolating and not played with his teammates etc. It doesn't set us up for success.

 

[sparx99]

I find it really frustrating that club doesn't just allocate £30m this summer as a write-off for those on big wages. We let Rojo and Jones leave on free transfers.

Get whatever fee for Smalling, Lingard, Dalot, TFM, Pereira and Romero.

Then we can say 'This is our 23-24 players. Deadwood is gone. Anybody you want to sign in future needs to be replacing somebody else'. I'm sick of having this huge bloated squad of players who are injury-prone or out of favour or whatever. Everybody at our club should have a defined role whether its First Team Starter, Squad Player or up and coming youngster. Too many just exist at our club.

 

[KristianMackle]

There are players out there who can improve us. We shouldn't spend just because others are but I find it hard to believe our entire transfer strategy seems to be hinged on the Sancho deal.

Why do we also find it so hard to sell players? Is it because of their wages? Well then we'll have to take the hit for stupidly giving those players such high wages.

 

[Lentwood]

And that’s why we’ll never get rid of them, there’s too many fans trying to justify/defend their business model, don’t spend X amount because of our debt? Who the fecks fault is that?

I saw one poster argue that they should be allowed to take out dividends because it’s their money. When did they ever use any of their money to buy our club, I could see the argument for it if they did and this isn’t just about spending 120m on one player, this is about how the club is run and how they’ve rinsed the feck out of us fans for years.

I find it so odd that people try and defend and rationalise their ownership and what they have done for this club and they will call fans that want to stand against it as spoilt.

It’s because of this we’ll never be rid of them.

Whether you want to defend or attack their ownership is irrelevant. Utd have spent more money net than any club bar City or PSG in the last decade...all under Glazer ownership.

The club's problems (did) run deeper than cash and transfers. I'm optimistic we're on the right track but that means waiting for the right players to become available rather than panic buying 'names' or hordes of sh**e.

Perfect example. Liverpool.

 

[christinaa]

Then sign Chiesa , instead of playing this silly game of bluff thinking Dortmund will crumble last minute.

Dortmund won't crumble then we l be scrabbling about like the dickheads we are trying to do a last minute deal for someone, abit like what happened with Ighalo/King

Far too arrogant that's our transfer departments problem, every deals turned into a game of poker we must gain some form of one upmansship in

Exactly!

 

[Woodzy]

Can’t believe we are going into the first game tomorrow with mostly the same team as last season, with one signing in one of our stronger positions and a goalkeeper back from loan that might not even get a game.

A serious lack of ambition on show from the club when our rivals and even fecking Everton have pulled off some great deals.

What’s worse is that we can’t even sell a fecking player.

 

[Zen86]

But you do for one of the best talents in world football. There's no player at that level that is not gonna cost you a ridiculous amount especially when they are only 20 years old. There is no going lower that is what you expect.

No you don’t, unless you’re an idiot that wants to run your football club into the ground.

 

[bleedred]

Ole gets a free ride this season. Even his most staunch critics must see that he's being absolutely shafted by the board this summer.

Agree completely.

In hindsight, I am wondering if Jose should have also been given that consideration by fans, including me. He took the team to the best possible finish and the board did nothing to improve on it.

 

[Fooza]

I don't know how anyone can look at the quality of the depth of our squad and see our history with injuries and say we are ok to go into the next season. Leave alone building on our last season's position, we just need better quality players to make meaningful subs in every game.

We need a boom-bust cycle of this because it happens every single time. We often delude our self in thinking we are really good, then injuries happen and suddenly a lot of fitness questions are asked.

I wonder how long it'll take for the "we are tired" threads to pop up this season, my prediction: week 3. Followed by a hundred responses of "well we should have done better in the transfer window".

With united, it's easy as chips to predict.

 

[Ronaldo's Love Child]

Oh! Nobody has mentioned Liverpool going in for Diogo Jota? (lights blue touch paper and runs)

 

[Irwin99]

How would the fan base react to VDB, Telles, and ....Perisic instead of Sancho? Good or bad window? Personally, I don't think it would be a bad one but the deals might have been done a lot quicker (a usual complaint)

Some much needed squad depth added if the players adapt to the league. Sancho brings it to another level but Perisic would be a good squad option to have.

 

[TheGame]

Liverpool have built a quality team not by making 5-6 signings in a window but going for quality over quantity ensuring that each transfer is successful and slowly but surely having quality in every position and building a team that will be strong for a number of years. This is clearly what our strategy is and it worked better last season than any window we’ve had previously. We finally have a manager that doesn’t have a team full of his own flops. I’m not wrong about that, we’ve obviously shifted our approach entirely.

The Caf going into meltdown over Chelsea buying 5-6 players which we have done in the past with 0 success, and Spurs making signings like Bale, which we have done similar of in the past with 0 success, is pathetic.

We need a couple more players that’s a fact. But we need to save the meltdowns until after the window closes. Having these bratty reactions because we’re missing out on the thrill of signing players when other clubs are signing players clearly who don’t fit into our strategy (older players, players who want to join other teams, players demanding silly wages, injury prone players) is pathetic.

Great post, spot on.

 

[mancan92]

No you don’t, unless you’re an idiot that wants to run your football club into the ground.

There's nothing idiotic about it. The biggest talents cost the most money that's simply logic.

 

[Coops73]

Whether you want to defend or attack their ownership is irrelevant. Utd have spent more money net than any club bar City or PSG in the last decade...all under Glazer ownership.

The club's problems (did) run deeper than cash and transfers. I'm optimistic we're on the right track but that means waiting for the right players to become available rather than panic buying 'names' or hordes of sh**e.

Perfect example. Liverpool.

Irrelevant? I wonder how much City and PSG’s owners have taken out of their clubs?

 

[MrSingh2002]

How would the fan base react to VDB, Telles, and ....Perisic instead of Sancho? Good or bad window? Personally, I don't think it would be a bad one but the deals might have been done a lot quicker (a usual complaint)

Some much needed squad depth added if the players adapt to the league. Sancho brings it to another level but Perisic would be a good squad option to have.

Rashford Martial Sancho
Fernandes
Matic Pogba
Telles Alaba Maguire AWB
De Gea

Subs
Henderson
Williams
Lindelof
VdB
McTominay
James
Greenwood
Ighalo

Only 3 more signings in those positions and that calibre of additions would be enough progress, to expect 3rd position this season.

 

[crossy1686]

Agree completely.

In hindsight, I am wondering if Jose should have also been given that consideration by fans, including me. He took the team to the best possible finish and the board did nothing to improve on it.

I hear what you're saying but Jose's target's were not the right kind of players we should have been looking at. He also constantly disrespected the club and the fans every time he felt he was under pressure.

 

[Bilbo]

Then sign Chiesa , instead of playing this silly game of bluff thinking Dortmund will crumble last minute.

Dortmund won't crumble then we l be scrabbling about like the dickheads we are trying to do a last minute deal for someone, abit like what happened with Ighalo/King

Far too arrogant that's our transfer departments problem, every deals turned into a game of poker we must gain some form of one upmansship in

This is no different from whats happening with Smalling right now. Its just higher profile and a higher price. Its not arrogance.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

Can’t believe we are going into the first game tomorrow with mostly the same team as last season, with one signing in one of our stronger positions and a goalkeeper back from loan that might not even get a game.

A serious lack of ambition on show from the club when our rivals and even fecking Everton have pulled off some great deals.

What’s worse is that we can’t even sell a fecking player.

Remind me how many players Liverpool, Man City, Barcelona, Bayern, PSG & Juventus have signed?

The reality is most of the action takes place in the last 2 weeks. Now add in a global pandemic...

Get a grip and let it play out before going into meltdown.

 

[NoMidfielders]