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Man United and their issues

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Cruyff14

Cruyff14

TheBrownDog
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Aug 16, 2011
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Given the ongoing problems at United, I figure a thread on the main board could be useful.

There's a lot wrong at United. Ownership, expectations, players.

I think the ownership is the biggest issue and until that is fixed/they sell/change their mindset, United will continue to have these problems.

Maguire simply needs to be sold - and would be at a loss - but I can't see the owners being thrilled about it, and perhaps the only realistic taker could be Newcastle. Should Fred be retained? Depth? Moved on?

Is AWB fit to play RB for United?

Signing Ronaldo was an enormous mistake too. It was done on nostalgia IMO, and he has hindered them for the most part.

It just seems a lot of their personnel aren't up to the tasks being asked of them.

I do wonder how long it will take for them to get back fighting for titles etc. I don't think a good manager is the only thing they need to sort themselves out.
 
There is only one issue our cheap owners

They won't fund new players
They won't upgrade our facilities
They won't upgrade our stadium

They think signing Ronaldo will make us all go doe eyed
 

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11kgm said:
There is only one issue our cheap owners

They won't fund new players
They won't upgrade our facilities
They won't upgrade our stadium

They think signing Ronaldo will make us all go doe eyed
Click to expand...

Cheap.. owners..?
 
11kgm said:
There is only one issue our cheap owners

They won't fund new players
They won't upgrade our facilities
They won't upgrade our stadium

They think signing Ronaldo will make us all go doe eyed
Click to expand...
One thing I don't think you can begrudge them for is making funds available for players. Man United have spent plenty, just on the wrong players.

An overall plan is the issue. There seems to be no system, resulting in players being bought on name rather than suitability.
 
Taken 9 years but here we are, a thread about our issues, long overdue.

It’s a combination on many, many things. SAF wasn’t just the manager, he pretty much ran the show at United, but let’s not overlook the massive hole David Gill leaving left as well, both gone at the same time. Now, I’ve heard SAF got out in time before things really went to shit, because he could foresee where the club was heading under the Glazers, yes we won the double in 07/08, and a couple more titles after that with a few more CL final appearances, but that was on the back of a squad already assembled and established. Our last title winning squad isn’t a great one, we won it off having SAF, RVP, Carrick & Rooney.

Ed Woodward has been a disaster, he is a business man and ran the club like a business first, had all our sponsors and cash flow coming in nicely but on the pitch was shite. People will say “but United have spent millions too”, yes, we have, but we did so with absolutely no planning behind any of it, when for big names, paid ridiculous wages, now we are hurting for it, too many egos at the club on big money who don’t warrant it.

Now, we get to the managers. Moyes, no good, LVG, no good, Mourinho, no good, Ole, did well but ultimately reached his ceiling, Ralf, not someone who can manager a big club like us, hence he is an interim. Whoever we get in needs to add support around them who are of quality, our coaching staff has been beyond horrendous for quite a while now.

Now, we get to the players and who are regulars who really should be depth players at best.

AWB, Maguire, Shaw, Lindelof, Fred, McTominay, Pogba, Telles, Dalot, Rashford, Elanga, Martial, Lingard, Cavani. These players feature or have in the past in our starting line ups, and none are good enough. Our midfield is mid table at best, our defence is as well, but until we stop playing guys like above and get in some real quality, nothing will change.

Now tactics, dogshite. Game plan, non existent, but above all and I’ve said this so many times but WE ARE NOT FIT ENOUGH. We press teams but only for 25-30 mins, and we’re cooked. Fitness is a huge issue at the club.

We’re a good 4-5 years away from any sort of challenge, and that’s if we get everything right, if we don’t we’re in for another decade or mediocrity.
 
Thistle said:
One thing I don't think you can begrudge them for is making funds available for players. Man United have spent plenty, just on the wrong players.

An overall plan is the issue. There seems to be no system, resulting in players being bought on name rather than suitability.
Click to expand...
That's the problem sign whoever will get us the most shirt Sales

We need to be spending even more to replace the wholes in our squad just doesn't happen

Sancho and Varane isn't enough
 
11kgm said:
They refuse to spend on our infrastructure and coaching we were one of the last clubs to do video analysis
Click to expand...

You said they don't fund new players. How much did you just pay for Sancho?
 
11kgm said:
That's because we saved us took us two years to buy him
Click to expand...

During those two years you bought Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, AWB, Cavani, van de Beek, Telles and Diallo.
 

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chef said:
It doesn't matter how much they spend, they are in a league with guys like Tuchel, Conte, Pep and Klopp. Unless they bring in a guy on this level they won't be competing.

Not sure Poch or Ten Hag are at that level or will be able to close that gap.
Click to expand...
Completely agree.

Though, a competent manager would definitely help, they need more than that.
 
No manager will fix their current shite. Overrated squad. Do they have any world class players? They’ve got a long way to go.
 
Good article on the athletic about how clubs struggle to replace generational managers. Goes back to Revie-Clough at Leeds and then to much lesser extents Poch with us and what Leeds will face with Bielsa. United are the major example of this after the Fergie era
 
So much money spent on rebuilds and paying out managers contracts without anything changing.

The ownership is the problem. They just suck money out of the club and as long as the club keeps making money they're not going to care about the on field results. Sir Alex was still able to be successful under them because it was very much his club and he'd already created a ruthless culture of success. We'd done things the one way for so long that we lost everything when SAF walked out and there was no plan or structure for a successor to work with. Poor old Moyes was doomed from the start.

We also replaced one of the most experienced football operators in the UK (David Gill) with an investment banker who doesn't even follow the game (Ed Woodward). Every manager we've had and just about every player we've signed has been a disappointment because there's been no real vision or plan in place for them. Every time we sack a manager we just about have to start from scratch all over again. LVG's players were not compatible with the way Mourinho operated, and Ole found the same issue with the team he inherited from Mourinho. We also pay these players way too much so moving them on becomes a real struggle.

I'm very pessimistic about any of this changing under the current ownership but I do think the fact they've at least appointed a football director and have Woodward stepping away from the footballing side of things is a step in the right direction. Rangnick sticking around in an advisory capacity at least feels like theres an acknowledgment that there's not really been a proper plan in place for nearly a decade too.

If they take a chance and appoint someone like Ten Hag as the next manager and commit to giving him a couple of years to try to implement a system then that would suggest to me that the club is capable of getting out of this position. If they play it safe and appoint Poch then nothing will change.
 
jd2010 said:
Good article on the athletic about how clubs struggle to replace generational managers. Goes back to Revie-Clough at Leeds and then to much lesser extents Poch with us and what Leeds will face with Bielsa. United are the major example of this after the Fergie era
Click to expand...

Look at how United went after Sir Matt Busby, we were even relegated in the 70’s.
 

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Thistle said:
One thing I don't think you can begrudge them for is making funds available for players. Man United have spent plenty, just on the wrong players.

An overall plan is the issue. There seems to be no system, resulting in players being bought on name rather than suitability.
Click to expand...
This is a massive problem. It's what Liverpool do so well. Jota isnt the big name signing like Ronaldo. Diaz isnt the big name young English superstar in the making in Sancho. But our signings work and theirs dont.

Making the right decisions with the players you buy is so, so massive. They dont seem to have a system at all. Like oh Pogba is a big name, has good stats and is a famous footballer, let's buy him and play him in midfield. It will just work... that's not a system.

But the problems run deep at United and even bringing a world class manager wont necessarily fix everything. We brought in IMO the worlds best manager in Klopp and we hit pretty much every single transfer out of the park. Allison, VVD, Matip, Robbo, Wijnaldum, Mane, Salah, Diaz, Jota, Fabinho, Thiago, Kostas, Konate etc etc...

We've done EVERYTHING right and have managed one league title against the behemoth that is City.

So until that money and Pep goes away, United could nail transfers and find a world class manager and still win nothing.

I'm here for it.
 
jod23 said:
City are the bench mark too. What would a combined United/City XI look like.

Zero players get in a combined XI with City IMO.

I dont even think many United players would make the bench.

United are years and years and years away from challenging.
Click to expand...
Don't agree with you often but I do here.

Fernandes maybe, definitely on the bench, DDG too.

Pogba at his best definitely is in or around the side.
 
We’re well aware.

Also comparing Diaz to Sancho, I know your referring the name and all + the fee, Diaz looks a player, but if Sancho was at Pool he would be absolutely lighting the place up.

We don’t help any of the players we sign with what they’re walking into, it’s not a club at the moment just a business with individual players on ridiculous money going out on the weekend for a run around, no passion or desire at all.
 
Cruyff14 said:
Don't agree with you often but I do here.

Fernandes maybe, definitely on the bench, DDG too.

Pogba at his best definitely is in or around the side.
Click to expand...
DDG would make the bench and maybe Fernandes at a pinch. Pogba not nearly consistent enough to make any combined XI for me.

That's not great.

Even Arsenal and Spurs would get more players into the team.
 
jod23 said:
DDG would make the bench and maybe Fernandes at a pinch. Pogba not nearly consistent enough to make any combined XI for me.

That's not great.

Even Arsenal and Spurs would get more players into the team.
Click to expand...
Sancho would too probably. Fernandes at his best is on the bench at the least IMO.

Varane maybe.
 

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