27 Dec 2017 10:59:33
There has been a lot of fuss made about Jose's comments following the Burnley game in relation to money and our transfer activity.
I have some sympathy for him as I think he finds himself in a funny position where he hasn't really got the team he wants but there is massive expectation from the fans, media etc to win trophies and not just to win but do it in a certain way!
Your all laugh but I actually agree with his comments about City. They've spent around £80m more than us over the summer and had a much better squad already. Pep got everything he wanted whilst Utd screamed "no value" in their pursuit of Perisic.
He's spot on if we want to challenge City then we need to spend more he's a good manager but not a miracle worker.
I think the board are entitled to expect a top 4 finish given the money he's had which at the half way point of the season he's well positioned for. I think the board are more than happy, that we're well placed for top 4 and safely through the group stages of the Champs League. They deal in revenue, sponsorship, markability, cash in the bank not necessarily trophies in the cabinet! There just a nice bonus!
Jose knows he can't compete (win the title) without getting the players he wants but the board will only back him so far and are more than happy with top 4. There is a clear difference in ambition and I think Jose feels he's being thrown out to the wolves.
The fans and media expect a title challenge and to do it playing attractive football it must be driving him mad as half the squad are clearly not up to it.
When he's talking about money I think he means we need to spend more if we are serious about toppling City and competing with the likes of PSG in Europe. He's delivering on the boards top 4 expectations and I suspect their fairly content with that and don't see the necessity to spend more. In some ways he's a victim of him own success.
What the Utd board really want is a Wenger!
I get the feeling it's all going to implode but the board need to be very careful. If Jose combusts where do we turn next and ultimately how much did the Moyes disaster cost the club? A lot more than the £50m Inter wanted on Perisic!
If anyone thinks that they can compete with City (on a consistent basis) without investing heavily in the squad matching at least their output then your kidding yourself. Nobody will touch them over the next few years without a real commitment to at least match their transfer output. It's a sobering thought that they'll spend heavily again and at this juncture I fully expect them to dominate not only at home but also in Europe over the next few years.
27 Dec 2017 11:11:03
Danny
Totally agree and I think the point about Jose level ambition and our boards ambition is important. I don’t think the Glazers will want to spend heavily or borrow to buy players given the debt already, more debt may adversely affect their assets value. I suspect that may create a conflict, in that they can keep the money rolling in without having to spend big, as you point out like Arsenal.
We will see the clubs ambition over the next two windows or I suspect Jose may feel he has more ambition than the club.
27 Dec 2017 11:22:54
Do we really need to spend like city or PSG to beat Burnley, Leicester and Bristol city. Tottenham easily beat Burnley without spending even a quarter of what we have spent in last 2 seasons.
27 Dec 2017 11:49:54
Csm,
This isn’t about the odd game, every team can miss chances and not win a game here and there, we’ve had a little bad patch but it’s hardly panic stations, just a couple of games where we underperformed in front of goal and in defence.
Step back and look at the bigger picture rather than just one match, on their day any team in the league can beat any other. We are ahead of the mighty attacking Liverpool and spurs with the best striker in the world but city are making us look worse than we are. In the treble season we lost at Sheffield Wednesday, that doesn’t mean we weren’t good enough to beat Sheffield Wednesday, just that we struggled on the day, it happens.
By your logic any team that beats one then who then beats another is better than them as well, so Huddersfield beat us and we beat spurs so Huddersfield are better than spurs? How boring would Football be if that was the case.
27 Dec 2017 12:35:08
CSM - The answer is yes if we want to compete with City and win the league. Probably not as much to keep us in the top 4!
The big question for me is are the Club prepared to match the investment of City or now we're back in a decent position will they tighten the purse stings. I think that's the point Jose is making. There is a big difference between WINNING and being Arsenal. Make no mistake Pep has not gone to Arsenal and turned them into Champions on a limited budget. He inherited a very talented squad and been given everything he desired in terms of transfers. Whilst we've spent heavily Jose didn't get all his targets. It's not a level playing field and he's right.
Make no mistake I'm not moaning we've outspent teams for years and we're now getting a taste of our own medicine I'm just being realistic.
I think Jose point is if we want to WIN the league then we need more. He's a good manager, one of the best but it's fanciful to think we can overtake City without at least matching them in the transfer market.
Of course money can be wasted and players don't always work out as planned and yes with good scouting and a clear vision of how you want your team to play you can achieve success but if City are going to outspend us to the tune of nearly £80m most windows then any success will be fleeting.
In general terms the team that spends the most money has the most success. This is especially true when they already have the best players and the best manager. Let's get real guys!
27 Dec 2017 13:29:18
City out spent us in the summer by 80 mill.
Is the 130 mil they spent on Silva Mendy and daniol really the reason they are playing better.
{Ed025's Note - no mate..its because their manager is not stuck up his own arse..
27 Dec 2017 14:51:51
Boo hoo, your complaining about money spent, seriously? You've spent close to three quarters of a billion in two season or so and your high end earners are on circa 300k a week, leave that particular topic there because your embarrassing yourselves. He's the classic deflector and your all enabling him. He's bought averagely to poorly and when things don't go well it's certain players faults and when he can't use that deflector from his failings he turns to referees and now not signing enough players, fall for that if you want, but I think you should be looking at the manager and his questionable tactics. He's a grade A whiner and the reason he's failing is he's been found out and he's yesterday's manager, great once but now out dated.
27 Dec 2017 16:08:45
Waro,
We are above you, jog on.
27 Dec 2017 17:59:32
Don't think there's anything sadder than a Scouse fan coming over to give his learned advice (? ), in a Utd discussion. If José is so bad, what does that say about Klopp? If you were 15 points clear of us, I might actually listen to your pearls of wisdom. But you're not. So I won't.
27 Dec 2017 21:30:58
GDS2, yes and look at the money you have spent and the wages you pay, you should be. That was my original point, your wage bill must be four times ours and your net spend even greater. Yet your manager moans that you haven't spent enough, put pochettino in charge of those players and you'd be a hell of a lot closer to City than you're at the minute. Look at your manager, he's underachieving massively in comparison to his budget.
27 Dec 2017 21:41:04
Just an observation noucamp, feel free to take it or leave it. the hypocrisy of your manager needed highlighting so I did.
27 Dec 2017 22:37:50
Apologies, Waro. That came out a lot more hostile than it was meant. I don't mind a bit of banter, but sometimes the written word in a short post doesn't lend itself to that. You're still wrong, though 😀.
28 Dec 2017 11:35:59
OK noucamp, no worries kid ðŸ‘.