27 Dec 2017 21:56:55
It seems some are up in arms at Mourinho saying he needs to spend more, the ABU's, the media who don't like him, some Utd fans and some with an agenda.

However, one angle people have missed is to compare the approach to this from SAF and Jose. For years we expressed utter frustration when SAF said there was no value in the market, whilst allowing top players to be bought by others. Ronaldo was sold and the money received meant we didn't make a financial loss, we accepted replacing him with what is now a decent full back who isn't a great crosser of a ball.

For years I and a few others have flagged what has been happening with the owners and it hasn't hit home hard enough to people, the previous managers did not rock the boat.

However, yesterday, it changed. Yesterday Mourinho effectively took the stand that I believe SAF should have done years ago, he put himself out on a limb and challenged the owners to put the real money needed on the line to make a difference, to show ambition to be No1, SAF dodged doing that, Mourinho has put himself on the line to bring that out, the owners have hidden behind spending limits for years and now they either have to back Mourinho to the hilt or I think he goes. They could sack him for lining them up like this and get a Wenger type Manager in, achieving top 4 and the money pot but not being top dogs. Yet now the cat is out of the bag and I hope it again flags the owners situation forcing them to finally go for it, really take the next step and show true ambition.

We should be thanking Jose for this and wearing green and gold if the Glazers fail him. I actually applaud Mourinho for this because it should have been brought to a head years ago.


1.) 27 Dec 2017
27 Dec 2017 22:09:33
We’ve spent millions. We’ve just bought crap rather than quality over the years. Ps you can’t replace Ronaldo. He’s irreplaceable but wanted to leave.


2.) 27 Dec 2017
27 Dec 2017 22:20:36
Well said Red Man!

Having said that they have spent heavily to get us back into the top 4 caused by their own incompetence in not appointing the right man to succeed Fergi and then not backing him in the transfer market!

Have we all forgotten the Fellaini deadline day debacle or Woodward rushing back from the Far East on urgent transfer busness not to mention the Spanish imposters in Bilbao cause I haven't!

The question like you've quite rightly asked is do we want to be No 1. Jose won't settle for anything less!

City have raised the bar, L'pool have just spent a kings ransom on a very good CB, we might have to spend again just to stay in the top 4 never mind topple City.


3.) 27 Dec 2017
27 Dec 2017 22:28:30
Jose can maybe raise his head up above the parapet, because unlike Fergie, he doesn't plan on being here long enough to build anything of note. Looks to me like he's doing his usual of getting in his excuses first, and laying the groundwork for his departure to more favourable climes.


4.) 27 Dec 2017
27 Dec 2017 22:46:01
I said it earlier but if you’ve spent £648 million since Fergie left and City have spent £637 million how have they not come up with the money. UFB!


5.) 27 Dec 2017
27 Dec 2017 22:56:17
Jose appears to me to be trying to break the shackles imposed on the football club.

A few weeks ago the word was that the club would not make any additions in January, then that Jose may have to sell before he could buy. The Glazers strategy is now out there for all who are willing to see it. It is watershed time, a moment building for years that may just be coming to a head. I read that the club may fancy Ozil, a lovely free transfer well liked on social media so may be commercially attractive, yet is it really who Jose wants?

Right now Jose is the best chance United fans have of breaking the Glazer shackles on spending. All the Green and Gold would be wasted if we allow the Glazers to move Jose on for having the temerity to put them under pressure to deliver. The focus has now gone onto them rather than the managers. Moyes and LvG would not challenge them but now Jose has. I supported Jose before because he deserves time but in this he has my total support and if you want a club that will challenge, Jose must get our support for this.


6.) 27 Dec 2017
27 Dec 2017 22:57:30
I don't think we will see a statue of jose outside old Trafford or a stand named after him, a stopgap manager to plug a hole is what we have here, his ways are out of date,
I thought Jose should have been bought in when fergie retired.
Let's call a spade a spade.90% of the time he looks defeated.


7.) 27 Dec 2017
27 Dec 2017 22:58:06
Stoner

Because the lack of spending goes back further back in tome than when SAF retired.


8.) 27 Dec 2017
27 Dec 2017 23:07:07
Absolute crap redman. Jose is underperforming. He doesn't give a toss about man utd and is failing to deliver as a manager. Sean Dyche has Burnley in 7th position in the Premier league. Now that's what's called management.


9.) 27 Dec 2017
27 Dec 2017 23:11:32
The reality is though Red Man shouldn’t that figure on its own in that time span have been enough to have built a far more impressive team than you have now. It surely says more against Mourinho than it does the Glazers.

Whether they didn’t put up the cash pre Fergie’s retirement that figure is a massive amount of cash to have spent since.

The likes of us Liverpool and Spurs can only dream of spending that much, hell even Wenger may have won something worthwhile with that cash.


10.) 27 Dec 2017
27 Dec 2017 23:19:08
But mancman

Ranieri won yhe league and was then sacked the following season. One season doesn't make a good manager.


11.) 27 Dec 2017
27 Dec 2017 23:26:02
I totally agree Red Man the lack of investment dates back years! They didn't have to invest much back then because they had Fergi pulling rabbits out of hats! I remember he had to fight for RVP because he was the wrong side of 25!

They've had to invest heavily as the Club is not financially attractive unless we're eating from the top table in the Champs League. The money they invest is money generated by the Club anyway none of it has come from their own pockets!

I'm totally with you on this Red Man.

I fear that if Jose can't sort us out then who can?

Give him what he wants and let him do his job. He's not even asking for an Mbappe or Neymar I think he's been relatively realistic with his targets! The way things have gone £50m for Perisic looks reasonable now!


12.) 27 Dec 2017
27 Dec 2017 23:50:37
Do we want to be Champions again or not?!


13.) 27 Dec 2017
27 Dec 2017 23:51:20
This is also a wider issue. Jose has been with us less than 2 years. It’s the majority of the fans who are complaining about him and his short term tenures more than him. He is annoyed but we have no idea what’s happening behind the scenes. He inherited a team that has been on the decline for many years and is slowly turning round the ship. We can’t keep sacking managers! I get canning Moyes and LVG but Mourinho? One of the most socceasful modern day managers. It’s crazy. He needs time, and investment. Jose had always been a chequebook manager. To appoint him and then not back him would quite ridiculous. He also can’t be blamed for not playing youngsters he has inherited who are simply not good enough!


14.) 28 Dec 2017
28 Dec 2017 00:01:30
I'm in agreement with you Redman. I had a green and yellow scarf. I'll wear it again. Stoner made a point about spending. But what he didn't say is United sold £350m in talent in that time. So the net spend is more like £350m. So it's not great in comparison to others.
This is a business. You buy and you sell. And net spend of £70m a yrear since Fergie left doesn't sound like much.
We either want to be the best or not. Liverpool have just spent £60m on Keita and £75m on van dijk. While we argue the toss over perisic! That sums up our ambition.


15.) 28 Dec 2017
28 Dec 2017 07:22:04
Its an eyewatering amount to be reduced to starting a PL game with journeymen such as Blind, Rojo 2 converted wingers as full backs, Fellani, and leaving us . Manchester United of all teams without any wingers - a shed load of money has been wasted to leave us no more than a top 6 team playing dull, slow, football whichever way you look at it. I would love to see TFM and Tuanzebee and perriera get games for us but then we are still 1 top centre half, 1 full back, I winger, and 1 top creative midfielder short . and some would say that's being conservative . so 4 top players . what's that 250 -300 mill, should JM get that in the next 2 windows? I don't know.


16.) 28 Dec 2017
28 Dec 2017 07:32:32
Jose may need time but he’s never been one for sticking around has he? We have spent a lot of money in recent years, it’s just a lot of it hasn’t been spent well.

I want us to compete for the best and we are rich enough to do so but I don’t want it to just be about buying the biggest names, that has never been our way.

Yes there was a lack of investment, and yes it is not an overnight fix, and yes it seems SAF was toeing the corporate line, but I expected Jose to get more out of this team.


17.) 28 Dec 2017
28 Dec 2017 07:59:47
Red Man - so how much money do you think José should be allowed to spend, does another £300m or £600m become acceptable and at what point do we judge the manager?
I can't recall José making these comments before we hit a sticky patch where people have questioned the job he is doing with the current squad.
Maybe that's a coincidence or is it José doing his normal and getting his excuses in first before he leaves us.
I don't disagree with the under investment but do we spend another £600m and then want £900m, if that doesn't work do we spend £1.2bn.
The manager has to be judged at some point.

{Ed025's Note - i agree keanooh..


18.) 28 Dec 2017
28 Dec 2017 08:05:06
You can't be serious. United have been spending top dollar for YEARS. You're just falling for Jose's antics. Instead of blaming him, you are blaming Alex Ferguson and the Board.


19.) 28 Dec 2017
28 Dec 2017 09:19:42
Attack attack attack,

I can’t imagine there will be a huge difference in net spend, the figure since Fergie left is more than he ever spent in his whole time at United.

You have purchased 22 players with that money since he left to finish no better than 15 points behind the winners, last season being 24 points behind.

That is an Arsenal level of under performing but having spent god knows how much more money.


20.) 28 Dec 2017
28 Dec 2017 10:14:34
And I know you're part of the José spin machine, but seeking to bring down the fall of the Glazer empire is a bold claim, even for José. I know you think he shoots fireballs out his ar$e, but I really don't think that his motives are what you hope they are.


21.) 28 Dec 2017
28 Dec 2017 10:35:26
Red Man has a point. Yes Jose may be getting his excuses in early before he jumps ship. But would anyone blame him. The ambitions of the owners have to be questioned. Are they content to become the new Arsenal or do they genuinely want to challenge.

Is it Joses fault his predecessors wasted so much money?

Moyes blew 70 million on two players who never suited the team. Fellaini has a good attitude but should never have been signed. And Mata is a lovely bloke but Moyes bought him with no idea what to do with him an everyone else since has to try an crowbar him in somewhere.

LvG where to begin. Di Maria is arguably the biggest flop in English football. Schweinsteiger was past his best. Schneiderlin and Depay flopped as well. Blind is just cover. Rojo is an injury prone liability. The only one who has had any measure of success is Herrera. The juries still out on Shaw. And I just remembered Darmian which shows his contribution.

Now whether or not you thought back in the summer that Perisic was the right signing and plenty of you didn't the face we spent weeks haggling over 5 million before pulling out shows the point.


22.) 28 Dec 2017
28 Dec 2017 11:09:02
3rd highest spend in the world over the last 4 year . But we don't spend money?
Highest wage bill in the epl, but we don't have money?

Poor United.


23.) 28 Dec 2017
28 Dec 2017 11:11:01
Stoner,
The point I'm making is for a club like United to have an annual net spend of £70m on players is pathetic in comparison to the income we generate. It simply is not good enough proclaiming themselves to be one of the top three in the world. That's utter rubbish.

Most has spelled it out quite succinctly.
And Eric also has a point that we've spent most of it on average players.
So where do we go from here? To this day, I'm not sure why we haven't employed a director of football. Also, our scouting network in the past 10 years has not been up to scratch. No easy or quick fix but employing a director of football and a good scouting manager (Monaco seem to unearth good players all the time) won't go amiss.

I will also consider to bring in some Barcelona connections into the club. Pep and his successors have all shown that their system works and is long lasting.