12 Nov 2018 12:34:22
Afternoon,
I haven't posted for some time, but feel compelled to chip into the debate that I do regularly read.
I'm going I start this post by saying that if I'm to nail my colours to the mast, I back Jose. He is clearly trying to drop expectations during his press conferences, in part I think because many of the players can't hack wearing the famous jersey. After three years, do you really think Jose has been able to build this team in his image? Whilst not he has spent money, he's made it clear his targets have not been pursued. Instead, younger players with resale value have been bought that can't do the job in a team lacking leadership at this level. Can you honestly say, Young, Smalling, Lindelof, Lingard, Herrera, Shaw and others would be his first choice? I think not. This team would look different, so different if we landed who he wanted: Aldeweireld, Alex Sandro, Perisic to name but a few.
Agreed, he has made some poor judgements. Signing Matic for example without getting the necessary players around him to make him effective. Pogba was a good buy, and Sanchez could come good but I got the impression that one was Woodward making a name for himself again.
If Jose is backed in January and we sign a centre half and right sided forward we will comfortably make top 4, providing the gap isn't insurmountable by then. Pragmatic football is the only way to play with this lot, it was the same under LVG, the defence isn't there to allow for expansive play.
Two things happen with a new leader at the back: 1) Fewer goals conceded, 2) the release of the forward players who have to sit behind the ball right now because the like said Young, Smalling, Lindelof etc have limited positional sense.
To conclude, please try and tell me that a team with a spine of De Gea, Aldeweireld, Pogba and Lukaku wouldn't be competing? Supported by the wide players and the confidence to go forward and leave the defenders to defend.
As an aside, Ed's I was wondering if any right sided players had been strongly linked? Thank you for naming the centre back targets.
12 Nov 2018 13:20:32
2 players won't make this a good team
Why do you think 2 new players will come in and play well when all the others haven't?
Wishful thinking and nothing more, actually take the red blinkered glasses of and take a step back.
Jose isn't going to turn this around just like he couldn't at Chelsea.
It's a case of when not if he is sacked and once he is we can seriously start to build for the future .
Not every manager appointed is a success that's football happens at every club . Hopefully our next manager is the right man for the job.
12 Nov 2018 13:32:41
I agree jred.
12 Nov 2018 13:34:27
Mourinho has signed three 29 year olds (Mkhitaryan, Matic and Sanchez), a 36yo Zlatan, and a 35yo Grant. So he has been given a certain amount of experienced players who he was allowed to bring in. If they aren't leaders then who's fault is that?
Of the other 6 players signed during Jose's time so far only Dalot could be considered a youngster. Fred and Lukaku are supposed to be approaching their peaks in the next couple of years. Pogba was 23 but hardly a unknown. Only Lindelof and Bailly at 22 could have been considered gambles on younger less established players. Although it should be said Mourinho himself has proclaimed his sources in Portugal tipped him off on Lindelof, so I think we can say he is clearly a Mourinho signing. Leaving Bailly as the one who could be questioned as whether he really was a player Mourinho wanted.
Jose has signed 11 players, in fact you could make a starting 11 out of Jose's signings. Grant, Lindelof, Bailly, Matic, Dalot, Mkhitaryan, Pogba, Fred, Sanchez, Zlatan and Lukaku.
So what do you make of Jose's United side? two have already left, and there are questions being asked of nearly all the others.
Jose has been given funds, only Pep has spent more money at one club in the history of world football than Jose has spent at United.
Is there an issue between the board and Jose on targets moving forward? It looks like there might be. But how much of that is because his previous signings have been poor investments both on and off the pitch?
You can't shift all the blame of Jose, If it was your money would you be so willing to hand it over to him based on his previous signings?
12 Nov 2018 13:50:52
Shappy and others,
What would you suggest the resolution is?
Change the manager or fully back the manager and sign off on the transfers he wants to make?
Whose to say the next guy gets to mold his team?
12 Nov 2018 14:12:33
The solution was never to hire a short term manager for a long term project.
The club needs restructuring, and by all accounts that process is underway. To fully back a manager, any manager who is unlikely to have a long or even medium term future at the club is utter madness. Especially if those signings are expensive and only short term solutions.
The money pot isn't bottomless, would you rather have the wrong man or the right man spend it?
The solution isn't a happy one, especially for fans this season.
The season is a right off, we are too far behind and require too much work to bridge the gap. Attempts to do so in January would be foolish. If the right profile of player (talent, suitability and age) is available then fine. But we know from experience they rarely are in January.
The club needs to focus on the rebuilding of the off pitch structure, identify the right person for the DoF role, bring him or her in. Then let them do the job they were hired for, let them work on who the next manager should be, let them work with that manager and scouts to identify the right players, for the short, medium and long term. Then work on attaining those targets.
Jose should stay for as long as is possible this season. However, come the final day of the season we should know who the new manager will be for next season. If Jose's position becomes untenable between now and then, then we need to look at short term options for a manager to guild us until the end of the season. Whether that is by giving people like Carrick or McKenna the job on a temporary basis or whether that means bringing in a experienced manager on a short term deal like Chelsea have done with Hiddink to bridge that gap.
12 Nov 2018 14:41:46
Jose has got to mould his team he just hasn't done a very good job of it.
12 Nov 2018 14:59:51
The simple fact is Pep bought a whole new team and has made it into a Pep's team where as Jose has to do with players not good enough for a top team and has to buy players that weren't probably his first choice and that is why it isn't a Jose team.
Dont employ a manager which isn't going to be backed propeely because you will end up in a position like ours.
12 Nov 2018 15:06:28
True Singh, I do wonder if Pep would have been backed if all the players he wanted to sign were 29 years old. I don't think Pep has signed a single player over 27?
Which might be why his board are more prepared to bring his targets in.
12 Nov 2018 16:03:31
Singh
Are you joking.
Jose has spent a vast sum of cash one of the biggest spends in world football . He has been backed.
Pep has taken city to a different level most points ever in the history of the EPL, arguably the best epl team ever .
Jose has taken us to the same points as Bournemouth and Watford .
Forget city we are no better than arsenal, spurs etc.