14 Aug 2022 06:24:07
I was going to send this in last week but thought I might be presumptuous but result yesterday confirms my thoughts.
So here we are heading towards end of another transfer window finding ourselves struggling to tempt players to sign .
Yes a familiar picture that we are seeing regularly and end up paying inflated salaries with long contracts that inevitably end up among the players difficult to move on. However even the attraction of large contracts is now not the magnet it used to be for players to join MU .

How have we got here we all ask ourselves after spending in excess of £1 billion in the transfer market since 2005 when Malcolm Glazer took us over .
I have identified some simple arguably strengths that each club had and now have that seem create a menu for success so pointing to why we are where we are .

I have placed after each team strengths again arguably in order that in some cases are equal but for sake of this exercise keeping it simple.
Note management includes transfer and contract negotiations, stadium includes under construction and improvement . Squads indicate top quality.
I have not taken clubs debt into consideration just looking from a fans perspective and taken all club fans support as a given.

2004 ( Prior to Glaziers ownership )
Arsenal :- Coach, squad, stadium .
Chelsea :- Owner, coach, squad, management
Liverpool :- Coach, squad
Man City :- Stadium
Man Utd :- Coach, squad, management, stadium
Spurs. :- Owner,

These strengths indicate both MU and Chelsea were had the best strengths and was reflected in league positions along with Arsenal.

2022. (? New still to be proven success )
Arsenal :- Coach, squad? , stadium, management
Chelsea :- Coach, squad, owner? , management?
Liverpool :- Coach, squad, management, owner, stadium
Man City :- Coach, squad, management, owner, stadium
Man Utd :- Coach?
Spurs :- Coach, squad, management, stadium, owner

Not surprising Man City and Liverpool are fighting major trophy's with similar strengths MU had in 2004! But will spurs now have the strengths to challenge?
What does this tell us, I am sure many of you know this already, our strengths have gone .

The challenge of Newcastle and possibly West Ham will gradually gain these strengths and challenge for top six.

As our new manager has said one hell of a job to rebuild, remember it took Man City 5 seasons to win league from having just a stadium as a strength with extensive major top quality overhaul changes in all areas including ownership.

I think we all agree presently we are broken and in big trouble because the present owners do not have the cash to spend unlike Man City, Newcastle or Chelsea to create the strengths we need again.

{Ed014's Note - the most damning thing for me yesterday was Ten Haag saying they are doing everything to PERSUADE players to come.

1.) 14 Aug 2022
14 Aug 2022 09:24:19
Until the Glazers go we will stay in the position, if not worse. Imagine if Guardiola had signed Maguire, the following season he’d have replaced him. We price players out of transfers because we give them ridiculous wages.

Just look at what LVG, Mourinho have said about the club, 2 very successful managers who have worked in well run clubs.

Had the infrastructure been in place I think SAF would have stayed on longer but he knew he couldn’t build another successful team under this regime.

2.) 14 Aug 2022
14 Aug 2022 08:06:03
Ed014, correct. I listened to that and thought we're in even deeper trouble if we're trying day and night to PERSUADE players to join the club, get paid ridiculous amounts of money and God forbid, work hard to restore this club back to it's glory days.

Fox, I think you should add 2 more years as we'll be spending next year in the Championship.

The club is screwed from top to bottom. It needs an overhaul, and that will not happen until new owners come in with a vision and a business plan.

{Ed014's Note - it’s scary mate!

3.) 14 Aug 2022
14 Aug 2022 11:01:33
Ed014, I thought it would be a good battle this season between United and Arsenal for PL places and EL. That looks like wishful thinking now. Heading in opposite directions!

4.) 14 Aug 2022
14 Aug 2022 11:41:45
You are right ED he did say persuade and it was pointedly so in my opinion.

We know he has wanted players in but they won't come,

I am also worried as they players really have shown little to no sign of trying to play in any of things Ten Hag was expected to bring and is known for.

I highly doubt he has changed his philosophy so I assume the players just aren't buying in to it or trying. The only other thing I can think is that what he has seen just makes him think they aren't up to it so not tto try. Pre season when no pressure was on it was clear we were trying to implement his ideas so for me this is entirely down to the players.

I don't think we will have many of this lot here in 3 years, I think they have been exposed for what they are now.

I would support the Owners Manager and DoF entirely dismantling and rebuilding this team from the bottom even if it took 5 years to become competitive.

What I won't accept it that effort and performance on the pitch seen at the end of last season and the start of this. I would also be really unhappy if we blamed the manager again and the players got away with this again.

{Ed014's Note - I’ve said it for sometime that your squad isn’t good enough and to play ok it what are effectively friends, pre season, is no measure.

Arsenal did the same if not better in pre season but have transferred that into the Premiership.

That aside your squad has become so weak mentally that the slightest bit of real pressure sends them to pieces.

You get to see what you’ve really got and I don’t any amount of coaching under your current circumstances changing that.

Average fragile players is the last thing you want but what you have most of.