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?
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?
