Transfer Rumours Let's ignore the big ****ing elephant and blame the latest manager, again. Are we nearly there yet?

I still don't get why Maguire is seen as a problem, right now this minute we need him, but 100% agree on Rice, had we competed for and purchased him, it's just kicking the overpriced player/ridiculous salary can down the road.

It needs to stop.

Mount was reasonably priced by the way, and he isn't supposed to be competing with Fernandes. It could be a blessing he was signed as he would fit on the right of a three in the void left by Antony and (not so much a void) Sancho.
Longer term though, he competes/replaces Casemiro as an 8.

I thought we did OK getting rid myself.

It hasn't accrued much money admittedly, but we need to get over that, **** incoming money as it's not ours and not the Glazers'(unfortunately). It's money lost to the club but simply has to be done. That money will be clawed back fairly quickly.


Unless of course we get relegated or something!

Six more widows though? We've been saying that four about five years!!

 

You’re right!
I see no point in being hung up on how much money is spent. BUT, what is obvious is that the more we have spent, especially on record salaries, the bigger the hole of ****ty attitudes that tend to underperform. I’d rather that money be burned if that’s the perpetual result.

I hear you on five year wait. At this point, I think we need to reset the count from when Woodward left. That man failed the institution!

 

A bit of good news guise.

Mount is back!

And he can play on the right.

So is Maguire!

And he can errrm yeh well anyway.

So what's the line up?

------------------------Onana
Dalot------Maguire----------Varane------Evans?
-------------Casemiro-------Amrabat
Mount----------------Bruno--------------Rashford
-----------------------Hojlund


Or are we playing a diamond bollox in midfield again?

 

Oh and Mainoo is back which means we don't need McTominay ever again. Not even on the subs bench!!

 

This is a very strong lineup. Can Evans really play on the left? The cross-field through balls that he was delivering this weekend were just amazing to see. Maybe put Evans back in central defence and put Reguilon on the left. Maguire can stay steady until Varane gets injured again which is now (n - 1) days away.

 

Evo played LB a few times in the past and was adequiat but is better at LCB.
I would rather see the loanee Regulon at LB and play Evo in his best position of LCB, even at his age he still has the pace to cover the ground and as we have seen can still pick a pass. Not great going forward as a full/wing back though.

 

I put Evans there bcos Regae-man is injured ffs!

 

And what about the diamond??

The diamond!!

Do you want the diamond??!

I give up.

 

No! I don’t want your diamond!!!

 

Are you doing the match thread or shall I

 

I expected you to. You’re on a roll now.

 

Antony available to train and be selected to play - fair enough I'd say. We've definitely done the right thing and until things change, he's got to be available.

‘Since allegations were first made in June, Antony has cooperated with police inquiries in both Brazil and the UK, and he continues to do so.

‘As Antony’s employer, Manchester United has decided that he will resume training at Carrington, and be available for selection, while police inquiries proceed. This will be kept under review pending further developments in the case.

‘As a club we condemn acts of violence and abuse. We recognise the importance of safeguarding all those involved in this situation, and acknowledge the impact these allegations have on survivors of abuse.’

 

It is quite incredible how ETH's arrival mirrors that of Fergie in 1986. That first season we finished second but the next, even with the addition of Hughes as a much needed striker, we only managed eleventh - so **** happens and history can and does repeat itself. People also forget that SAF wasn't universally welcomed, many thought that Sir Matt and the board had appointed another dud manager and had succumbed to the then current fad of appointing a Scottish manager, the Scottish mafia was prevalent in many of the top clubs at the time.

Unlike today, SAF was given time and the resources to bring in new players and to develop them into his style of playing, something that really only began to manifest itself in the fourth and fifth year of his time at the club. There is no doubt that ETH has the qualities and the character to succeed and nobody can deny that the run of injuries and off-field problems has caused a catastrophic impact on his plans. Once he gets a full squad back together and makes one or two more tweaks, perhaps this coming window or in the summer, hopefully everything will click for him as it did for SAF.

 

Media and opposition fans may have had digs ( not me obviously ) but most of us had watched his Aberdeen team beat Real Madrid in a European final so he clearly wasn't a dud manager.

 

But those early years didn't give fans much hope, especially after a string of crap managers such as McGuinness, O'Farrell, Sexton and Atkinson.

 

i enjoyed those years

 

There's a much bigger comparison to be made between Ten Hag and Fergie, mainly the challenge faced...

 

Threw my hat into this ring at the weekend, a significant line to also consider is the last one;

Fergie walked into a drinking culture but at the centre of it all was Bryan Robson.

Ten Hag has nothing of this stature in the squad he had, no one even comes close to that. Was massivley important in the transition from an Atkinson squad to his own.

Ten Hag is going to have to buy that, or identify it from ones he's bought, because not one single player from the Solskjaer (and before) era is a leader in any shape or form.

Martinez out now long term, Amarabat has that look to him alongside Casemiro's experience. Could do a lot worse than playing Johnny Evans ahead of Lindelof ffs.

Antony and Hojlund both have some bollocks about them as well.

 

Maybe even Mason Mount

 

I think ETH has more in this squad than we give credit for.

Let's think of players that we have today who will get into Sir Alex's team based on their character:
Leaders:

• Martinez - for sure! He has the right character, without a doubt. He's a leader!
• Casemiro - he's a natural leader who always wants to win.

Squad characters:

• Hojlund - the guy has a drive about him.
• Evans - I mean, he was already from the era.
• AWB - he's undistracted and does his job when called upon.
• Amarabat - is a solid guy, who would do anything for the team.
• Rashford - I think Rashford will make the squad.
• Bruno - I don't know if Sir Alex will have him as captain, but he will make the squad and play in the most effective position.
• Antony - he's also a great team player. Sir Alex won't play him on the right while he's utterly useless with his right foot. It takes too much away from what could be done from that angle.

That's already seven players.

Players that would be gone:

• Onana - he won't be starting games after games costing the team. Sir Alex won't stand for that sht.
• Dalot - he'd maybe sit on a bench. But he will not be starting at right back.
• Maguire - he would have sold seasons ago. He would never really have been made captain.
• Sancho - there certainly will be no way back for Sancho. But I also think that Sir Alex would have managed him far better that the outcome would have been much different.

Ultimately, the success of Sir Alex had all to do with his character, the uncompromising will to win and demand better of his players, and largely his man-management. He was able to use those attributes to unlock potential in even the most average players. I don't think that ETH has his work cut out at all. At least, he's not working with a bunch of drunks.