Rival Watch Thread Watch

I'm with dave on this.
Obviously I'll be interested to see how they perform, because that has an impact on us and everyone else in the league, but I really can't be arsed trying to predict how they're going to line up their mis-matched group of expensive follies.
Those who get their jollies from indulging in this (for me) entirely pointless exercise are, of course, perfectly entitled to continue.
I'm actually more interested in the broader principles of their activities.
It's never been Utd's way to just go after as many big names as possible and hope they somehow make a winning combination. As course there were always a sprinkling of star players, but the team worked better as a cohesive unit because somehow Fergie could get the best out of an average (relatively speaking) but well balanced group.
Of course it's probably impossible to replace the old bastard like-for-like, but so far LVG doesn't seem worthy of unscrewing the top off Fergie's bottle of Bell's for him.
I can't see that it works to get half a team of "Galacticos". The team has to be stuffed with them, (and the bench) and you have to keep up a constant replenishment- expensive stuff.
This change of policy is a massive gamble for Utd, and quite frankly smacks of a desperate attempt to get back into the top four immediately because they feel that another year out will precipitate a serious decline. It might work but it might be an expensive failure.
For me, Van Gaal will certainly have to show better management skills than he's displayed so far. Perhaps he thinks he can keep all the massive egos in check by having a bigger one of his own, and that's certainly going to be interesting to watch.
Btw, does anyone actually know how FFP is meant to work, and how PL clubs are managing to get away with all of this profligacy?

 

If we then apply say a combination of LvG and the genius of <laugH> terry venebles in euro 96....

That christmas tree could be adapted to be

De Gea
Valencia Jones Fletcher Rojo young
Herrera Blind
Di Maria........ Rooney
Falcao​

then both full backs (or wingers if LVG is mad enough to buy 3 lbs and not play any...) can just bomb right on and fletcher makes the 3 at the back when in possession....

nah... i think yours makes more sense... but lvg might try it.

the 4-2-3-1 is interesting but really rooney on the left is a well tried and failed experiment isn't it? Janusaj?

 

You'd have a point if it weren't for the fact the entire football media is also shocked by the contrast of record breaking amounts of money spent by a club with no apparent strategy

Not like you're singling out LFC fans to try to have a go at us though, you're far too #neutral for that

 

We get away because our net spend is actually only £44m

Man Utd get away because they won't be playing in Europe anytime soon

 

I knew that.

I'd forgotten about that.

 

Thanks saint. I totally agree that the Galacticos adventure smacks more and more of desperation. This is a time of massive change for the whole club and leaving the culture that has served them so well is a major risk.

 

so thanks for this.

My view is this; sorry but the "utd way" should actually read "ferguson's way" and frankly ferguson phoned it in for 5 years leaving utd with a lot of ****e and one decent young talent in janusaj and despite keane and blackett getting a god they aint that good.

Utd have to move away from a model based on one man and go with the way that will suit them for the future... i think personally a strategic view may be van gaal for 3 years then move to director of football and a european style head coach being appointed.

In the end.... mata was a panic buy at 37 mil and chelsea fell over themselves when they got it... (same for luiz btw they must be laughing)

Felliani made no sense bar to moyes

The issue i'd have is shaw and herrera being bought by utd not van gaal even if he said ok before joining.

So... Di maria. Is a top top top player, end of story, he adds everything they need.

Falcao is a risk offset by the loan and if he proves to be as prolific as he had been previously and suits utd and the prem (which he should) then he is a top top top signing...

these are two top top signings, end of story. they cost no more than a neymar and suarez or a bale and james... so I don't buy this stuff... If you buy top class then drop the non top class you will do well....

the only argument is if you try and force 5 forwards onto the pitch or 5 defenders at the expsne of another area. Utd have to get numbers in CM to compete.

 

culture defined by one man who is no longer there... you must see the culture was broken anyway as the young talent isn't there so they need to build an 11 NOW.

 

The sensible answer is that United had nearly £100m in cash reserves sat on their balance sheet. In addition to this there was the incremental £30m TV revenue that every club benefitted from this season. In addition they announced a number of new sponsorship deals. Most importantly is that they don't trade at a loss anyway, they made £146m in their last accounts, so they;ll have no problem complying with FFP.

 

https://twitter.com/Rich31_mufc/status/506528284608585729/photo/1

 

I'm in complete agreement with this.

 

true.... but equally it'll be interesting to see how the wages panned. yes there were major departures.

Ander Herrera £29,000,000
Luke Shaw £27,000,000
Marcos Rojo £16,000,000
Ángel Di María £59,700,000
Daley Blind £13,800,000
Falcao £6,000,000

Rio Ferdinand Released
Nemanja Vidic Released
Ryan Giggs Released
Patrice Evra £1,500,000
Bebé £2,400,000
Shinji Kagawa £7,000,000
Danny Welbeck £16,000,000
Alexander Büttner £4,400,000

the prem league rules stae you can't increase wages by 4mil or something in one year if you make more than a certain amount of revenue

If vidic, evra and fedinand at their states of play represent 300k of wages a week i'd be surprised. Kagawa had to be 70-100k? welbeck 80k?

so call it 500k per week shed.

Utd added well over 750k per week back on surely.. 4mill per year = ONE player now.

 

only utd could use an orange tinted faker to represent their fan base

 

Where did you find all that so quick. Surely not Wiki

 

Wrong.

The PL FFP rules state that you can only increase your wage bill by £4m by using the TV revenue increase - you can inflate it as much as you like providing that you're using incremental cash from other income streams i.e. new sponsorships.

 

With LVG making Rooney club captain I can't see him being dropped. Maybe switch Mata and Rooney? Means Mata wouldn't be in his stronest position then though so maybe Januzia instead of him.


Anyway, we best stop talking about Man Utd as we are apparently being obsessive, bitter and hypocritical

 

Anyone can have £100m cash if you also have £300m net debt. The only question is where the other £200m went. (Spoiler: the Glazers)

 

I wonder what kind of deal Manure have on the option to buy on Falcao.
We all know that he would have preferred RM
I think most teams wouldn't take such a risk because of the doubts about his recovery from injury
But MU have spunked £24m on him for a season
Now is this just a test drive RM
If he doesn't perform, the money is wasted
If he does well,and proves he is the striker he was before injury, what is stopping RM coming in next summer and saying, Thanks for that.

 

The debt was as a result of their leveraged purchase of the club, the cash at hand is profit from trading, after debt repayment.

 

Servicing the debt, not repaying it, £300m of it still exists