10 Jan 2024 21:12:47
Marcel van der kraan is it, the dutch journo from talksport? Switched on this morning and he was asked about Antony he said he didn't think he would be a success in the PL due to his attitude as much as anything - easily wound up so he loses composure very easily.

Anyway that wasn't the interesting thing for me, The journo said ETH told him directly not only was Antony NOT his first choice, but he didn't get ANY of his first picks that he asked for. strange as I think he was all in for Licha. had the journo not said ETH told him all this directly, I wouldn't be repeating it here. Unfortunately he didn't say who his first picks were.

1.) 10 Jan 2024
10 Jan 2024 22:09:26
I think it’s becoming clear ETH will be gone in the summer.

Sancho will be hoping so for sure - go to Hermany for 6 months, play some football, and come back to a new coach.

2.) 10 Jan 2024
10 Jan 2024 22:12:27
Wasn’t Timber his first choice CB over Martinez? Obviously he wanted FdJ and ended up with Casemiro.

It would be interesting to know exactly what input the manager has in relation to transfer fees etc.

I would assume that when the bidding approached £80m someone spoke to EtH, asked him if he was sure about the player at that amount and explained how such a huge outlay would impact future windows? This all seems like common sense, open dialogue and communication between manager and senior decision makers/ negotiators but at Manchester Utd sense isn’t a word in the vocabulary!

3.) 10 Jan 2024
10 Jan 2024 23:19:24
The club is responsible for buying Antony for that ridiculous amount of money, as they were for buying Sancho the previous season. In both cases they should have put their foot down, but had clearly not done any homework. A properly functioning club would never have been suckered into two such awful deals, whatever the manager's wishes.

4.) 11 Jan 2024
11 Jan 2024 04:21:52
Sancho can do one. don't care if EtH is here or not. Waste of space.

5.) 11 Jan 2024
11 Jan 2024 06:28:51
Talksport should just change its name to Talksh~t along with most sports journalism.

6.) 11 Jan 2024
11 Jan 2024 06:47:09
I agree dodgy that’s why I want to stick with the manager so all these frauds get shown the door! I don’t want a new manager who gives the same old tripe a fresh start! Sancho martial mctom maguire lindelof awb Dalot, average at best who’ve let us down time and time again! There’s more I know!

7.) 11 Jan 2024
11 Jan 2024 08:53:16
I wouldn’t believe a word that comes out of Marcel’s mouth

He stated years back that Van Persie would 100% not join Man Utd as he was close friends with him.

8.) 11 Jan 2024
11 Jan 2024 11:04:57
All managers since SAF, even SAF since the Glazers haven't been getting their first choice players. That's the penny pinching. Van Gaal and Solskjaer have both clarified this. Poor negotiating, then panic buying 2nd or 3rd options at inflated prices has been United for sometime now.

9.) 11 Jan 2024
11 Jan 2024 12:17:00
Timber was first choice (although Martinez has been exceptional barring injuries and I’m very happy we got him) .

10.) 11 Jan 2024
11 Jan 2024 21:08:49
It's not penny pinching, it's incompetence. We've spent huge amounts, just spent it badly.

11.) 12 Jan 2024
12 Jan 2024 10:27:39
We definitely tried to sign Timber before we signed Licha. So it's probably safe to say Timber was the first choice option.

We have a tendency to pin signings to a manager, but the reality is that we have a massive scouting department, and many other people who are part of the process in signing players.

The manager apparently has a right to veto any signing he doesn't want, which is for the best. As if the manager really doesn't want the player then it's unlikely they will play him and it would just be a waste of money.

While in someways it would be ideal that the manager gets his first choice that isn't really isn't a great indicator of whether that player will be a success.

If the player is scouted well, suits the requirements, and can settle into the group and new work and living environment then they will likely be successful.

There are many cases of managers not getting their first choice but the 2nd or 3rd choice has been very successful.

It's about the entire set up and not just one man's opinion.

12.) 12 Jan 2024
12 Jan 2024 11:36:49
Indeed Shappy. Best example is Salah at Liverpool. Wasn’t Klopp’s first choice, but he’s been the best 1-2
Players for years in the league.