27 Sep 2024 13:51:40
Who's next?

I still believe that the reason the club gave Ole a permanent contract was that no one of any genuine quality wanted the job. The word was out after LVG and Mourinho. The amateurs were able to hide behind some early good results to disguise the negativity towards them in football circles.

So, here we are with ETH, a manager that many people on this site advocated for a few years ago. He arrived before SJR took over the footballing side of the club. His results have been mixed. Had it not been for the FA Cup triumph, most people seem to believe he would have been fired. But my suspicions are that the main reasons that was not the case were a) key managerial personnel were not yet in place, b) no immediately obvious replacement candidate was available, and c) the primary focus has been to get our financial house and structure in order. If ETH then failed, so be it. But if a replacement was hired, and he failed, it risked setting off a far worse scenario.

So IMO keeping ETH for the beginning of this season was the right thing to do from a business perspective, even if his tenure ends up being short. The decision to fire him did not need to be made immediately. It could wait. There was enough turmoil. He still had considerable support amongst the fans. However the club knew that if it seemed like he's not going to be able to turn the ship around, support for him would evaporate quickly, and his being fired would not be unpopular. Patience, a quality not exhibited often by football fans, is a virtue. Get the structure and fill the team with potential first, rebuild the clubs credibility, and the right manager will become available at the right time.


1.) 27 Sep 2024
27 Sep 2024 14:26:25
Good post shaw. I think other Managers were available but seemed to not want the job, for whatever reason.

It dies feel like we are in a rut that we will struggle to get out of, Eriksem saying Twente wanted it more than us is very worrying.

ETH may go, but we aslo need to address some key issues, 2 in particular jump out at me.

1. Rashford may be playing better but still seems to lack effort and motivation.
2. I know Bruno splits opinion, but for me he is a luxury who causes more problems than the solutions he provides.

The new ownership will likely encourage Managers to see this as a huge opportunity. There are plenty out there, but be prepared for Southgate or Potter, neither of whom does it for me.


2.) 27 Sep 2024
27 Sep 2024 15:06:14
Agree with most of above shaw and ajh particularly on Bruno AJH.
Southgate doesn't worry me at all, Potter I'm less keen on.
Neither would be on my personally preferred list of candidates but it's not my choice so that's pretty irrelevant.
We need to become solid and build from there I think under Southgate we would be a lot better than we are at the moment.
Lots of good players in the squad they just need to be coached well and set up right. They need to enjoy their environment and get on with and believe in their manager.


3.) 27 Sep 2024
27 Sep 2024 15:35:02
AJH

Bruno is the most contentious player we have. He plays every game and like an iron man. He has his flaws and some great attributes but seeing less and less of the good stuff starting last season. His goal tally will always be one of highest in the team as he takes all the pens. I know eth has backed him publicly but that's to be expected he does that with everyone.

He struggles with any form of physicality or when its a very congested game in the middle of the pitch. An open game with lots of space suits his style.

I read he leads either the pl or Europe top 5 leagues in the loss of possession category or something like that. If that's true, you can't build a team with him pulling the strings going forward and too many stop starts during the game.

I wonder what the players are saying to each other behind closed doors as there are enough seasoned guys with strong personalities in this team and they must be seeing the same thing.

Watch him score and have a great game on Sunday or maybe not :)


4.) 27 Sep 2024
27 Sep 2024 15:40:06
No thanks to those two. if it was Nagelsman or a Zidane then yes if that's the decision of the leadership but not those two.

Graham potter has achieved zero as a manager or demonstrated anything to make me believe he can handle the united job. Southgate even worse. Running a national team where you can pick from the best of the best a squad is a very different job than club football.


5.) 27 Sep 2024
27 Sep 2024 16:08:50
AJH,

I would have sold him in the summer if the Saudis had put in a big offer for him. He is 30 now and it is important to replace players whilst they still hold a good re-sale value.


6.) 27 Sep 2024
27 Sep 2024 16:25:10
Agree MH. Couldn't believe they gave him a new deal.


7.) 27 Sep 2024
27 Sep 2024 16:44:41
I think the consensus is stable with Bruno - he doesn't do enough for the team.
Yeah he busts a gut and is easily our most technically gifted player, but what else does he bring other than chasing shadows and picking the odd worldie of a pass?

When he arrived, his deficiencies already existed, but were less noticeable because the focus was drawn to his numbers.
Now, because he's been worked out, the numbers aren't there to disguise anything.
The midfield 3 was always porous with him in it and he might actually have been a steady influence on how poor the likes of Fred and McTominay looked at times.
His best periods came in the counter-attacking system of Ole, but that's not our system now.

All this being said, like Rashford, he's a very high-earner which means the club still expect return on their investment.

Next summer would be the last chance to get a decent fee for him and I fully expect us to cash in on a player who just doesn't fit anymore.


8.) 27 Sep 2024
27 Sep 2024 17:51:53
I now think its time to part company with eth. Probably a good opportunity would be the upcoming international break but its who we get that is also concerning if it happens.
My personnal feeling is southgate- never
Potter - same
tuchel - no based on potentially upsetting the club even more and neither Zidaine as i still struggle to accept his managerial qualities- a lot will point to Rm stint but gary neville could get them winning!
The guy I would like to see is allegri- I think he could have the mindset to cope well and his record is pretty impressive.


9.) 27 Sep 2024
27 Sep 2024 18:40:49
Good manager funky. Is he past his best? But he would make us more solid for sure.


10.) 27 Sep 2024
27 Sep 2024 19:20:27
Bruno'a original contract would have expired at the end of this season, and Rashford is a home grown player. So neither will have any residual value on our books next summer. Despite their high wages I would hope deals could be done that would get them off the books with a profit. It's hard to see the club extending Maguire either. Berrada's comment about winning the title again by 2028 suggests a recognition of the work that still needs to be done and that our immediate ambitions are limited and realistic.


11.) 27 Sep 2024
27 Sep 2024 21:49:16
Allegri?


12.) 27 Sep 2024
27 Sep 2024 19:18:11
I wonder if INEOS will approach the manager role with the same view as their, what seems to me, approach to players, young manager with lots of potential. A move for the Lisbon manager?! Maybe someone like the Girona manager? This way they get a coach who could be prepared to coach the team whilst Ashworth a co select players etc. someone like Tuchel I can see wanting a bit more “control” of things. Southgate I would struggle to get behind but you’d have to. Zidane I think is just waiting on French job.

I’d be surprised though if Van Nistelrooy doesn’t step in and then get offered the job.


13.) 28 Sep 2024
28 Sep 2024 18:41:02
I usually fly Emirates and use the chauffeur service, my last driver was telling me his colleague knew a few of the employees at United and he was told Tuchel was the one we wanted but he turned it down.
Obviously I took this with the pinch of salt most rumours deserve, but I thought I'd pass on the info anyway.


14.) 28 Sep 2024
28 Sep 2024 21:05:05
What has Allegri done with Juve recently? To me he seems to be like Jose. Was very good and still an ok manager but past his peak.

Football is changing and apart from Ancelotti it is increasingly younger managers who seem to be successful. Maybe it is because they are often wxplayers and young enough to gell with and understand a different generation.


15.) 29 Sep 2024
29 Sep 2024 09:00:41
Grim

I fly emirates most times too. Where are you based. unfortunately i get no tis from emirates drivers:)

Did I miss something as we have done this before to death, can't see anything happening in terms of manager changes.


16.) 29 Sep 2024
29 Sep 2024 10:27:41
The manager is now less important at our club than it has ever been.

That is the point of what the new owners are trying to do. The game has changed, managers don't get chance after chance after chance to get it right. The average stint at a club for a top flight manager is now less than 2 years.

Ergo you cannot build around a manager, or have a manager calling the shots. It is not a safe and long term way to run a club.

There are no Sir Alex Ferguson's out there, and even if there was the attitude of managers now means they don't want to stay in one place for a long time, they want to try different experiences and new challenges.

Over the summer the club did a comprehensive search for a potential replacement manager. What they found is that there was no one who met the requirements and standards they were looking for who wanted or was willing to take on the job.

So replacing EtH anytime soon would almost certainly mean a compromise on those criteria from the summer.

It would mean hiring someone who doesn't meet their requirements, or the standards they want. Or it would mean making concessions on how they want to run the club to tempt a manager who does meet the standard.

The rumours were that Tuchel was initially interested, but not with the job role they were offering. He reportedly wanted far more control, especially over transfers.

That means the options to replace EtH soon would likely mean either changing the plans they have already decided are right to make the club successful again. Or taking a risk on a less proven manager who might not have the track record of success that they want.

Personally, I'd rather they took a chance on a less proven manager who plays the right style and is willing to work within the structure the club has worked so hard to implement, than for them to hire a manager whose style doesn't match up with the clubs plans and who would want to change the club structure to suit them.

Either though would be a roll of the dice, a gamble.

The final option would be to work with EtH and try and solve the issues with him in place for the rest of this season.

In doing so they will gain a much greater understanding of the team and the problems within it, while gaining valuable insight in what they really need from the next manager. Also they give themselves time to scout and find the right next manager.

Then if it's still not working they can replace him at the end of the season with a far smoother and well planned succession.

I imagine unless something drastic happens it'll be the final option they choose to go with rather than a riskier one.

That gives them time to really evaluate everything and make informed decisions. Which seems to be their modus operandi.


17.) 29 Sep 2024
29 Sep 2024 11:34:04
Shappy

How many of those clubs are winning trophies on a consistent basis changing managers every 2 years.

The reason teams keep changing is they are trying to land on the manager that wins them trophies and not the other way round. What the fans expect are sometimes very different to what the owners expect and most fans overestimate their teams and quality of their players.

When the CEO comes out and says targeting winning the league by 2028, that is a clear statement in terms of where they see the club atm. I don't see people posting weak mentality looking for excuses blah blah blah, people are not blind or deluded if you take the emotions out of it.

It has worked on the rare occasions for clubs who are stacked in terms of quality of players and squads. A lot of times a new manager brings an early boost and improvement in results but then reality sinks in and its no different to the last guy.

Our start has not made it easy and we need some good performances to offset the early disappointments both in the league and Europe.

Even before this season some people will have a view that they have seen enough to warrant a change and they will not change their minds and some don't see things in such conclusive way. Time will tell.