if true, that's even worse!! How could he possibly think that could remotely happen???? He lives in the land of make believe, the guy's a ****ing eejit.
TBF you have to look at who is picking the players for him to chase, his first window with Moyes he was green and Moyes was like a kid in a sweet shop, he had finally made the big time and wanted all the big names. Since then Woodward has got better at negotiating and more experienced (better) managers have given him realistic targets to get. He has not done bad at all over the last 3 windows and is doing pretty well this one.
His transfers are usually protracted, gp right up until the 11th hour on deadline day.... and at the end could go either way. The transfers this summer have been better but how much of that was down to 6 months planning ahead by Mourinho.
Which were these usual ones then, Fellaini I blame on Moyes, Martial was a fortunate opening when Monaco got knocked out of the CL. The rest seem pretty normal to me.
I didn't see a problem with Falcao's transfer. He had a terrible season but I wouldn't blame Woodward for that. Same way Chelsea took a gamble on him thinking he would come good.
But it was typical Woodward - all eleventh hour stuff and you begin to wonder how rigorous his due diligence can be with the seconds ticking by on the transfer window. Falcao was simply a marquee signing, nothing more, nothing less - but the problem was he was crocked before we took him on. Nobody in their right mind would imagine that he had been identified as a key transfer target in the months beforehand - Woodward simply wanted a big name, any big name to bolster his own negotiating credentials. But on the plus side - it looks like RM have pulled out of the race for Pogba http://www.skysports.com/football/n...t-of-race-to-sign-paul-pogba-8211-sky-sources
That's not entirely true. The only protracted deadline day ones we've had under Woodward were Fellaini and Blind - both of them were fall back transfers after the manager spent too long umming and ahhing over who to go for. Falcao and Martial weren't really protracted ones, just ones that came available and we had to make a snap decision. And in fact we moved like lightning with Martial - he was ours before Chelsea and other suitors knew he was available. Herrera, Shaw, Depay, Schneiderlin, Rojo and Mata were all sorted out smooth as you like. If anything, Woodward's weakness is not knowing when to tell the manager to drop the player they are after when the move obviously won't happen. But Gill had that problem too - Essien, Lucas Moura, Ribery, Varane and Aguero were all players we were in for, for quite a long time, but couldn't pull them off in the end. Ultimately, either we will agree terms with Juve and Pogba or we won't - the CEO is beholden to the board so the man who the Glazers choose to represent them in negotiations doesn't make as much impact as people think imo.
I've read so many different stories this week, fodder. I don't even know which one holds true anymore. Wish I could just turn away and check back in three weeks. This happened with Jose Mourinho too. I would search Google every fkn day for news of his appointment and whether LvG would stay again. lol. It was sad days.. haha
Is it just me who is a bit cautious over paying this amount of money and **** knows how much wages to a player who at 18 wasn't prepared to wait for his first team chance at Manchester United and who if we're absolutely honest is only signing because it's only us can afford it? Is it? Well, let's see what this lads attitude is when he signs shall we?
Even if we don't actually sign the guy, it's good to know that once again we have the financial clout and the status to genuinely challenge the likes of RM in the transfer market
I don't think that's true tbf. We can outbid them with ridiculous money, but that doesn't mean we are going to challenge them in the transfer market IF they want a player.
But I don't see a player taking a paycut to join RM just for the sake of it. They have destroyed as many careers as they have helped blossom. I think the lure has always been that you would make more money above all things starting with the transfer bonus. If you take out that element, players would think twice before the whole Ala Madrid B--S. The landscape is more competitive now for sure.
Let's be honest, 2 or 3 years ago and we would have thought this was Woodward having another one of his galactico transfer 'episodes'. Times are changing. RM will be hamstrung financially for a few years, Barca seem to buy one player every 2 years and with Chinese money creeping into the game there will be more clubs for the mercenaries to go to if cash is all they are after.
There's more to it than just that. The prestige of RM is still the allure for all continental players. It's considered the pinnacle. I agree we may be out of the water with our bidding but that's all we have. Put it this way (and I've been thinking this over the last couple of weeks) even if we get Pogba now, I can easily see him getting to 26/27 and pushing for a move to Real Madrid when they come calling. Now look at it the other way. He goes to RM now... can you honestly see him pushing for a move to United at 26/27 if we come calling?? No, neither can I. And that doesn't just apply to United, it's pretty much every club.
The reality is he's a monster of a midfielder, best around in that position. Financially it's just crazy money. Signing players like you are means you simply have to hit the ground running next season. You win the league next season it's worth every penny. You don't and questions will be asked. It'll be interesting how Jose copes with this pressure. If he buckles like he did at Chelsea last season, they'll be quite some ****storm in Manchester
We'll be fine. All our pitch-side medics will be caged beside the technical area and only Jose can let them out.
