11 Aug 2022 20:09:47
Sorry pressed send too early.
I meant to say that if the players do as badly or worse this week as against Brighton then it may force the board to really throw their weight and go get the players we undoubtedly need.
Whilst not wanting to be beaten I think it might be the best thing for the teams long term evolution.
{Ed014's Note - just a question, for numerous seasons things haven’t gone well and you’ve had defeats like last week and potentially this week.
Have the board as of now ever gone out and got the players you need just because of a couple of defeats.
They didn’t even get the players you needed after Mourinho dragged you kicking and screaming to 2nd, are they really likely to do the right thing now?
Do they even know what the right thing is! ?♂️
11 Aug 2022 21:00:22
If the board new what the right thing to do was, they would have acknowledged the absolute disaster the club has been for the last decade and brought in a proven DoF from outside the club.
They are without a clue and terrified of someone experienced coming in and seeing how poorly the club is run.
11 Aug 2022 21:10:25
spot on ED014 - never bothered the owners up to now -sometimes i wonder if they even bother checking the UTD results on a weekend.
{Ed014's Note - you wouldn’t even bet against that!
11 Aug 2022 22:38:25
Look at the vast sums spent on players in the last 5 or 6 seasons. Only for them to flop or move on for nothing . The board are willing to pay money it seems but only for players they see as the right fit and not necessarily the manager. Looking at it and this is just a few names and approximate prices since 2016 Pogba 85 million, Maguire 80 million, AWB 50 million, Martial 59 million, Fred 50 million. The amounts spent on performances produced is farcical. Nearly 325 million spent there alone. that's VvD, KDB, Salah, Allison, R. Diaz, Walker, Haaland. With some change left over. Imagine that lot in a United shirt playing together now. Money has been spent its just been spent on over priced mediocrity. When I heard Anautravic's name touted I thought it was a wind up. Its madness.
11 Aug 2022 23:36:04
The board have paid out a lot of money but as others have said on the wrong players. The will to spend is obviously there. Its having a structure to utilise the money effectively which is failing.
11 Aug 2022 23:34:19
Ed you make some good points. I hope that Sir Alex and David Gill are having an input to inform the powers that be about what is really needed to change the clubs fortunes.
Even if they are not involved perhaps the new regime will slowly get their act together and in a year or two we will see they have learned to do things properly. If the performances on the field drop off a cliff then there will be no money for dividends for the owners and they won't want that so at some stage they will have to make significant changes. Let's hope its sooner than later.
{Ed014's Note - I think that’s been another concern though hasn’t it, the continued involvement of Sir Alex, something else that doesn’t seem to have changed anything.
All of this, with the exception of Wenger not being involved, has been our same concerns at Arsenal.
That being said there seems to be positive moves in the right direction now and even looks as though they have a plan with my one concern now just being the ability of Arteta.
We’ve managed to get rid of 90% of the unwanted players with currently just Bellerin, AMN and Pepe left really although I’m not sure we can shift Pepe.
The good thing of that concern about Arteta though is it will confirm this season if he really is up to it or not. If not I hope the board has the sense to get Graham Potter in the hot seat.
The one plus point for you at the moment will hopefully be ETH and if he can get what he wants with the time to do it then things will only get better.
He has a big few months ahead of him just to settle down into the job before that process can start in earnest.
12 Aug 2022 10:17:45
Ed014, would you prefer Potter of Rodgers?
That’s an interesting choice.
{Ed014's Note - there is absolutely no choice to make in that question, it’s Potter all day everyday.
Rodger’s is not a good manager.
12 Aug 2022 10:51:44
You guys are in a good place. Finsncial burden of developing a New stadium has been dealt with and a young team with a lot of quality players and good bench. If you fail to qualify for top 4 or win something, i think its the manager. He seems to have been backed given your signings so time to perform.
{Ed014's Note - agree mate, everything looks to be coming together the only question mark is Arteta but this season will tell us for sure.
12 Aug 2022 10:52:58
Ed the issue we have is the owners aren't interested in United being the best club.
When you look around the PL you see ambition. City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs and now Arsenal are all trying to be the best. You see it in how they recruit and how they have pushed in the market. Newcastle will soon be added to that list, but I think they know they have to build gradually rather than throw 100's of millions at names (a bit like city did with Robinho et al to begin with. ) .
I don't see that at United. We don't have the best staff off the pitch in charge of the football operation. In terms of recruitment we sound like Wenger used to. We could rhyme off names of players that we should have signed but passed on. I know managers don't get their first choice targets, but the comments from Van Gaal and Mourinho are damming.
I hope to see a change, but it is in hope rather than expectation. I gave Arnold and Murtough a clean slate for the summer, and thus far it is same old, same old.
{Ed014's Note - agree mate, nothing looks good right now, I genuinely have real concerns about where you’re headed mate.
I really like the manager, I’m concerned about his back room staff and obviously the ownership as I was with Stan Kroenke for us.
Your squad worries me too, they seem so fragile mentally at the moment and the genuine quality is so lacking that ETH really needs things to start happening on the pitch.
Newcastle are going about their business really well, not getting mugged off, not being rash but taking their time. I’m not convinced Howe is the long term answer but he’s certainly been an improvement and the cloud of no Mike Ashley has been a huge bonus.
12 Aug 2022 12:49:44
We will struggle with mentality as so many need moved on but I don’t think he will be allowed Ed.
{Ed014's Note - I’ve hated that lack of mentality at Arsenal I Wenger would constantly say the squad is mentally strong when it was clear to every man and his dog it wasn’t.
Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s still in us just not to such a degree and I’m hoping the likes of Zinchenko and Jesus can add another change on that front for the better.
He needs to be allowed mate, 100%.