Vony Tidmar
Well-Known Member
It was that last season he won the league was as bad a united team as I can remember in his time. No love for them but it's amazing the decline since he left.
Man Utd finished as a force for the forceable future?
- Thread starter Laudrup is God
- Start date
They are living off their brand from the successful SAF times.. that will only last so long, sponsors will become less attracted, fans will stop going to games.. with city in the same same, the next generation of fans will go the other way over time.
They probably have about 5 more years to change things
They probably have about 5 more years to change things
Blootoonboy
Well-Known Member
I think thats what they need to do, at the time it was questioned but after watching some of the Arsenal documentary on prime you can see their vision and what they want to do.
They now have a good young squad with not many prima donnas on high wages.
Man Utd IMO need to get even worse before it gets better, keeping that squad and continuously changing managers wont work.
ChesterBear72
Well-Known Member
"Yeah but Scotland is a two-horse race....Oh" - any EPL supporter
finbar offended
Well-Known Member
Again do Man Utd have what makes Spurs and to a lesser extent England better for Kane as a player?
Alex Venters
Well-Known Member
When it's wrong at the top it inevitably filters down through the rest of the club.
They're fucked for as long as the Yanks are in charge.
They're fucked for as long as the Yanks are in charge.
RFC80UK
Well-Known Member
It is amazing!
RangersEasyOK!
Well-Known Member
Unbelievable that two of the highest grossing clubs in the world are having peak banter years.
Helps that I detest both Man Utd and Barca.
Hope they are bought by c.u.nts of equal standing to Craig Whyte
Helps that I detest both Man Utd and Barca.
Hope they are bought by c.u.nts of equal standing to Craig Whyte
Hap Hapablap
Well-Known Member
First thing they need to do is respectfully tell Alex Ferguson to keep his relationship with the club to that of coming to the stadium, wining, dining and watching the game.
Then they need to sack Ten Haag and get a proper manager befitting of the position in place.
Put up for sale half the team, we all know who they are, and take what you can get for them.
Promote their best youth and academy players over the next season or 2 and give the new manager proper money to buy players who have the ability, character and balls to play for the 2nd biggest team in England.
Then they need to sack Ten Haag and get a proper manager befitting of the position in place.
Put up for sale half the team, we all know who they are, and take what you can get for them.
Promote their best youth and academy players over the next season or 2 and give the new manager proper money to buy players who have the ability, character and balls to play for the 2nd biggest team in England.
WinkieWATP
Well-Known Member
I don’t think that’s the case at all. Won the league and in his address to the fans threw Rooney under the bus about wanting to leave. That shows that he put the club before anything else.
Harry Maguire has proven to probably be the most disastrous EPL signing of all time yet still plays every game for Utd. Ferguson got rid of Stan when he was probably the best CH in the world so their is no way he would have put up with Pogba’s shite or even brought him back in the first place.
Disagree. He improves them.
prenzlauerbear
Well-Known Member
I like big McSauce but f*ck me, everything about this is so shit.
Mabearette
Well-Known Member
Just goes to show what a superb job he was doing.
Somemightsay
Well-Known Member
Arnautovic and Rabiot are signings I don't think I'd be happy with if Rangers signed them.
Bulletproof
Well-Known Member
Edit
Blue Lou Boyle
Well-Known Member
13 titles in his last 20 seasons plus two champions league wins in that time.
Fantastic record.
dt17
The Jay Cartwright of FF
I think his role is similar to what Walter Smith was with us.
Gerrard leaned on him for advice, they'd go for lunch now and again etc.
Nothing wrong with that at all IMO.
willowbankbear
Well-Known Member
Hap Hapablap
Well-Known Member
Did he not turn up at their training ground recently to Interfere in the Ronaldo shenanigans?
PartizanGit
Well-Known Member
I hope they keep playing Rashford.
He may have saved millions of kids from starvation but he isn't capable of saving this shower of sh***.
He may have saved millions of kids from starvation but he isn't capable of saving this shower of sh***.
stewie_griffin
Well-Known Member
They are the same as Liverpool in the 90s
Coincidence they said
Fergie90
Well-Known Member
that's what he is worth now£80+
whitbyontbear
Well-Known Member
They wont get any better until they get rid of the American owners. They don't care a red cent about football or soccer as the call it and only care about the money it makes. Once they get smaller crowds and the advertising money dries up then they will bale. Until then Mu fans are stuck with them and short of hanging them at the Stretford end they are there for years.
I detest MU with a passion ever since Matt Busby sent letters and visited every RC priest and gave them free tickets to get their congregations to support United. He also had a pineapple built inside Old Trafford stadium. Their fall from grace is especially sweet.
I detest MU with a passion ever since Matt Busby sent letters and visited every RC priest and gave them free tickets to get their congregations to support United. He also had a pineapple built inside Old Trafford stadium. Their fall from grace is especially sweet.
Hap Hapablap
Well-Known Member
Alex Ferguson doesn't do coincidences.
MainStandLoyal
Well-Known Member
They gave him a new role recently at the club, basically him and a few others are in charge of trying to improve things off the pitch.
Zwingli'sSausages
Well-Known Member
I love their pain tbh 
dt17
The Jay Cartwright of FF
Well given how things have been going in the last decade since he left, that might not be a bad thing?
Also, wasn't Ronaldo awol? The Fergie turned up and convinced him to get back to training / stay this season?
They need a manager to come in and say we won’t be winning anything for three years and get rid of the core of the dressing room and replace it not with superstars but with workers. Surround them with talent year on year, promote from their academy. If De Jong is this hesitant leave him where he is.
BlueSeaOfIbrox
Well-Known Member
Been finished since Fergie. Says a lot about how good fergie is, but he's also partly to blame for their current state.
Fergie had an aging squad of people who would largely only play for Fergie. He left united in a state that would be virtually impossible to repair in the short term and set up the next manager to fail. I don't think he seen the writing on the wall so to speak, but he knew he was retiring and done nothing for the longterm of the club. All he cared about was keeping the team going until he left.
Fergie had an aging squad of people who would largely only play for Fergie. He left united in a state that would be virtually impossible to repair in the short term and set up the next manager to fail. I don't think he seen the writing on the wall so to speak, but he knew he was retiring and done nothing for the longterm of the club. All he cared about was keeping the team going until he left.
Brissy Bear
Well-Known Member
Shambles on and off the park since Sir Alex left.
Won't give any manager the time / funds to get it right, and seem to target players they think the Man Utd of old needed.
Was said elsewhere; they don't need a few superstars - they need a half dozen very good players, with some top youth prospects and start again.
Won't give any manager the time / funds to get it right, and seem to target players they think the Man Utd of old needed.
Was said elsewhere; they don't need a few superstars - they need a half dozen very good players, with some top youth prospects and start again.
Blues and Royals
Well-Known Member
Blues and Royals
Well-Known Member
How wonderful that he still gets along to the games to witness how shite they have become.
JudgeDread
New Member
JudgeDread
New Member
JudgeDread
New Member
Pineapple inside Old Trafford : Urban Myth : a bit like ‘Ron Atkinson was Man.Utd’s 1st non RC Manager’
prenzlauerbear
Well-Known Member
The brutal truth was laid bare following Manchester United’s dismal defeat to Brighton. It is not just about United’s failure to strengthen their squad this summer, but also about their inability to move players on.
One source was clear: without Champions League football, with the doubts that surround United and with the toxicity attached to the club, the top players just do not want to come. They simply have better options. That is the reality as evidenced, of course, by the long-running and so far fruitless pursuit of Frenkie de Jong.
At the same time there is also the suspicion that, actually, United do not have a lot of money to spend. When the negotiations with Barcelona began over signing De Jong, one figure may have let the cat out of the bag when he said United did not want to “blow their budget on one player” and would not pay over the odds as they have previously done.
It would help if United could sell. But the fact is despite a number of players being offered around – Aaron Wan-Bissaka (who Erik ten Hag has quickly given up on despite initially wanting to see if he could improve him), Eric Bailly, Phil Jones, Axel Tuanzebe, Brandon Williams etc – United are struggling to do deals.
Alex Telles has gone and nothing sums up United’s chaotic trading than the Brazilian’s forgettable career at the club. The left-back was signed for £15 million in 2020 for Porto, where he was excellent, the manager who signed him, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, was sacked the following year, Erik ten Hag has come in and signed Tyrell Malacia for £12.9m and Telles, who has two more years left on his contract and an option for a third, has been sent on loan to Sevilla. And it would be no surprise if he excels again. It is typical of United.
Nothing sums up United's chaotic trading more than Alex Telles (centre) CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES
Undoubtedly, it means that Ten Hag has been let down – although he is, also, complicit in the fact he is going into the season with arguably a weaker squad than the one that ended the last campaign losing seven of the last 12 league games and finishing sixth.
Ten Hag is the appointment of John Murtough, United’s football director, and sources say this is Murtough's time at the club having worked his way up and finally been given the mandate to oversee the football department. United’s new chief executive, Richard Arnold, appears to be less involved in transfers as his predecessor, Ed Woodward, and rightly so.
Except, is Murtough even good enough? It is far too early to make a judgement but there are doubts, mainly expressed by other clubs, as to whether he has the personality and the vision to drive a club like United and with the pressure that brings. Can he get deals done? And what is the role of Darren Fletcher, United’s technical director?
Already it looks like Murtough has handed first-team recruitment over to Ten Hag which makes a mockery of United’s claims that they have a modern, data-driven approach – remember the database of 804 right-backs to identify Wan-Bissaka? — and the manager has inevitably gone for who and what he knows.
At a glance: Manchester United transfers
Ten Hag knew about Malacia from the Eredivisie, Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen – admittedly the two best players against Brighton – are from Ajax, as is De Jong. There is no rocket science involved here. Even Marko Arnautovic worked with Ten Hag at FC Twente in the Netherlands earlier in his career, while Adrien Rabiot is desperate to move to the Premier League and Juventus are happy for him to go.
Meanwhile, United’s attempts to sign Antony from Ajax have gone nowhere meaning they do not have the options in attack that the manager wants. And that is without mentioning the Cristiano Ronaldo saga which Ten Hag has handled reasonably well but might become a millstone that drags him down if he has no-one else to play instead of the wantaway Portuguese who can actually score some goals.
Anthony Martial? He is injured but last season United were desperate for him to stay at Sevilla – which was never going to happen – and one official said he would happily drive him to France as long as he left the club. Now he is the saviour in attack.
There is no originality, no smartness, no boldness. It was not lost on the club that Ecuador international Moises Caicedo ran the midfield for Brighton at Old Trafford on Sunday. He cost £4.5m and, of course, United were interested in him but walked away from the deal allowing the 20-year-old to join Brighton.
Moises Caicedo ran the midfield for Brighton at Old Trafford CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK
Obviously the exposure, the stakes, the demands are greater at United but surely there has to be an inquest as to why they do not unearth – or have the courage to sign – such gems? When was the last time they made a truly clever or brave signing such as Liverpool bringing in Andrew Robertson for £8m when Hull City were relegated in 2017?
And, as has been pointed out: Manchester City won the league and went out and signed Erling Haaland. Liverpool came close to winning the lot last season and brought in Darwin Nunez. The truth is neither player would have joined United but they finished a distant sixth and are now scrambling around making bids for 33-year-old Arnautovic which smacks of the emergency signing of Odion Ighalo by Solskjaer.
There is no other way to describe it. The recruitment is – and has been for some time – simply terrible and while that points to United’s lustre fading it is also an indictment of those who have overseen it and whether they are right for the job. Hundreds of millions of pounds have been wasted and where is the strategy?
Ten Hag stands accused, also, of not widening his net. It appears for most of the summer it was De Jong or no-one else and while that would be fine at a club in a stronger position than United, it simply does not work for them. And so they faced Brighton with a midfield of Fred and Scott McTominay, and both were substituted.
Ten Hag is caught. He needs time but as he acknowledged post-Brighton he cannot expect to be afforded time. This is Manchester United. Admirably he wants to give the players a chance, and he is fascinated, for example, as to why Harry Maguire can be so effective for England and yet has not been anywhere near good enough for United. Making those assessments is not a quick process but it would be easier if United had moved on players already who were surplus and brought in more who could refresh the squad and change its mentality.
The danger for Ten Hag is clear. However good a manager he is, he is not a magician. Has he even been given the tools to succeed? He simply has to be more forthright in overhauling the squad and should have secured guarantees from the club before he took the job. Otherwise he is going into battle without the weapons to even have a fighting chance. It is early days, there is always a danger of rushing to judgement, but the defeat and the performance against Brighton is a game United have played too many times since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson. And that was almost a decade ago.
One source was clear: without Champions League football, with the doubts that surround United and with the toxicity attached to the club, the top players just do not want to come. They simply have better options. That is the reality as evidenced, of course, by the long-running and so far fruitless pursuit of Frenkie de Jong.
At the same time there is also the suspicion that, actually, United do not have a lot of money to spend. When the negotiations with Barcelona began over signing De Jong, one figure may have let the cat out of the bag when he said United did not want to “blow their budget on one player” and would not pay over the odds as they have previously done.
It would help if United could sell. But the fact is despite a number of players being offered around – Aaron Wan-Bissaka (who Erik ten Hag has quickly given up on despite initially wanting to see if he could improve him), Eric Bailly, Phil Jones, Axel Tuanzebe, Brandon Williams etc – United are struggling to do deals.
Alex Telles has gone and nothing sums up United’s chaotic trading than the Brazilian’s forgettable career at the club. The left-back was signed for £15 million in 2020 for Porto, where he was excellent, the manager who signed him, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, was sacked the following year, Erik ten Hag has come in and signed Tyrell Malacia for £12.9m and Telles, who has two more years left on his contract and an option for a third, has been sent on loan to Sevilla. And it would be no surprise if he excels again. It is typical of United.
Nothing sums up United's chaotic trading more than Alex Telles (centre) CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES
Undoubtedly, it means that Ten Hag has been let down – although he is, also, complicit in the fact he is going into the season with arguably a weaker squad than the one that ended the last campaign losing seven of the last 12 league games and finishing sixth.
Ten Hag is the appointment of John Murtough, United’s football director, and sources say this is Murtough's time at the club having worked his way up and finally been given the mandate to oversee the football department. United’s new chief executive, Richard Arnold, appears to be less involved in transfers as his predecessor, Ed Woodward, and rightly so.
Except, is Murtough even good enough? It is far too early to make a judgement but there are doubts, mainly expressed by other clubs, as to whether he has the personality and the vision to drive a club like United and with the pressure that brings. Can he get deals done? And what is the role of Darren Fletcher, United’s technical director?
Already it looks like Murtough has handed first-team recruitment over to Ten Hag which makes a mockery of United’s claims that they have a modern, data-driven approach – remember the database of 804 right-backs to identify Wan-Bissaka? — and the manager has inevitably gone for who and what he knows.
At a glance: Manchester United transfers
Ten Hag knew about Malacia from the Eredivisie, Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen – admittedly the two best players against Brighton – are from Ajax, as is De Jong. There is no rocket science involved here. Even Marko Arnautovic worked with Ten Hag at FC Twente in the Netherlands earlier in his career, while Adrien Rabiot is desperate to move to the Premier League and Juventus are happy for him to go.
Meanwhile, United’s attempts to sign Antony from Ajax have gone nowhere meaning they do not have the options in attack that the manager wants. And that is without mentioning the Cristiano Ronaldo saga which Ten Hag has handled reasonably well but might become a millstone that drags him down if he has no-one else to play instead of the wantaway Portuguese who can actually score some goals.
Anthony Martial? He is injured but last season United were desperate for him to stay at Sevilla – which was never going to happen – and one official said he would happily drive him to France as long as he left the club. Now he is the saviour in attack.
There is no originality, no smartness, no boldness. It was not lost on the club that Ecuador international Moises Caicedo ran the midfield for Brighton at Old Trafford on Sunday. He cost £4.5m and, of course, United were interested in him but walked away from the deal allowing the 20-year-old to join Brighton.
Moises Caicedo ran the midfield for Brighton at Old Trafford CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK
Obviously the exposure, the stakes, the demands are greater at United but surely there has to be an inquest as to why they do not unearth – or have the courage to sign – such gems? When was the last time they made a truly clever or brave signing such as Liverpool bringing in Andrew Robertson for £8m when Hull City were relegated in 2017?
And, as has been pointed out: Manchester City won the league and went out and signed Erling Haaland. Liverpool came close to winning the lot last season and brought in Darwin Nunez. The truth is neither player would have joined United but they finished a distant sixth and are now scrambling around making bids for 33-year-old Arnautovic which smacks of the emergency signing of Odion Ighalo by Solskjaer.
There is no other way to describe it. The recruitment is – and has been for some time – simply terrible and while that points to United’s lustre fading it is also an indictment of those who have overseen it and whether they are right for the job. Hundreds of millions of pounds have been wasted and where is the strategy?
Ten Hag stands accused, also, of not widening his net. It appears for most of the summer it was De Jong or no-one else and while that would be fine at a club in a stronger position than United, it simply does not work for them. And so they faced Brighton with a midfield of Fred and Scott McTominay, and both were substituted.
Ten Hag is caught. He needs time but as he acknowledged post-Brighton he cannot expect to be afforded time. This is Manchester United. Admirably he wants to give the players a chance, and he is fascinated, for example, as to why Harry Maguire can be so effective for England and yet has not been anywhere near good enough for United. Making those assessments is not a quick process but it would be easier if United had moved on players already who were surplus and brought in more who could refresh the squad and change its mentality.
The danger for Ten Hag is clear. However good a manager he is, he is not a magician. Has he even been given the tools to succeed? He simply has to be more forthright in overhauling the squad and should have secured guarantees from the club before he took the job. Otherwise he is going into battle without the weapons to even have a fighting chance. It is early days, there is always a danger of rushing to judgement, but the defeat and the performance against Brighton is a game United have played too many times since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson. And that was almost a decade ago.
CaptainCourageous
Well-Known Member
"I'm happy with the current squad - we make good progress. I'm happy with the signings until now. You don't need any player, you need the right player. That's what we're working for."
Not a chance Erik ten Hag actually believes that. The squad is appalling, they haven't delivered in the transfer market and chasing a 33 year old striker and a stroppy, inconsistent Frenchman aren't exactly the players Manchester United require. Long may the partnership of McFred continue - it's shockingly bad.
Hopefully a few teams out-with Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and Liverpool can have a cracking season resulting in Manchester United falling even further down the table.
I'm sure they tried to get Arnautović a few years back but ended up with Ighalo
Not a chance Erik ten Hag actually believes that. The squad is appalling, they haven't delivered in the transfer market and chasing a 33 year old striker and a stroppy, inconsistent Frenchman aren't exactly the players Manchester United require. Long may the partnership of McFred continue - it's shockingly bad.
Hopefully a few teams out-with Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and Liverpool can have a cracking season resulting in Manchester United falling even further down the table.
I'm sure they tried to get Arnautović a few years back but ended up with Ighalo
Mr. T.
Well-Known Member
Turkeys don’t vote for Christmas.
Ferrybear73
Well-Known Member
Hope so. Lovely stuff
any top team starting McGuire / Darlot are going to struggle.
Varane must not try a leg in training as how the centre backs are not Martinez and Varane god knows.
but aye they are finished at the moment - not to say in a few years if Ten Haag gets time they could return to being a top level EPL side - but right now they will be lucky to make top 6 (City / Liverpool / Chelsea / Spurs / Arsenal) all look to have better teams / squads / players.
**should add chelsea are a bit wild at the moment ... but think they will be ok.
Varane must not try a leg in training as how the centre backs are not Martinez and Varane god knows.
but aye they are finished at the moment - not to say in a few years if Ten Haag gets time they could return to being a top level EPL side - but right now they will be lucky to make top 6 (City / Liverpool / Chelsea / Spurs / Arsenal) all look to have better teams / squads / players.
**should add chelsea are a bit wild at the moment ... but think they will be ok.
dt17
The Jay Cartwright of FF
Compared to Mbappe when they were both breaking through. Laughable now when you look at it.
Alex Venters
Well-Known Member
Yip, 25 to 30 years and they'll be champions again.
I’ll be surprised if Ten Haag doesn’t go to a back 3 with Martinez between Maguire and Varane. They’d still need better options as wing backs though. Anyway, fück manure!
Blootoonboy
Well-Known Member
We could actually see a top 4 of Man City, Liverpool, Spurs and Arsenal this season, mad!
