The Manchester United thread

[taylor1975]

United look like they have a team problem rather than an individual position problem.

Great in some games, shocking in others. 

Kind of like a mentality-reset is needed. Try to buy your way out of that and can end up with another pogba superstar diva.

[Mick Pattaya]

There's no way this team makes into top 4 and UCL without winning the Europa league.

[Mick Pattaya]

Maybe Ole is only good as a 30 mins manager, like he was a good substitute, coming off the bench. Too many times Utd play as if only 30 mins matter in the latter half of the game.

[Mick Pattaya]

Mediocrity thy name is Man Utd, De Gea was a word class performer, Utd managed to bring him down a notch or two to their level.

[Mick Pattaya]

3 hours ago, Chuck in Bangkok said:

Lingard should be done. No Premiere League goals in the last 364 days... that's just insane. 

Seriously, in January, I would unload Lingard, Phil Jones, Mata, Matic, Ashley Young, ALL DEAD WEIGHT, and sign:

Erling Haaland or Timo Werner (Stop f**king around and go GET them) or BOTH for upfront (or Moussa Dembele from Lyon or Alexsandr Sobolev from Russia) It'd be great to get Jack Grealish, I just think he'll want too much money.

NO on Bale and Mandzukic

Sign BOTH Bruno Fernandez and Christien Eriksen for the Midfield (or Nicolo Zaniolo from Roma). WHY United don't seem to want Fernandez is BEYOND me. I've been watching this guy - he's not injury prone, he plays every game, and all he does is make plays. 

and go GET Kalidou Koulibaly. YES, it'll be expensive, but YES, it'll make our defense GREAT.

Spend the money and let's stop this nonsense.

Ok, end of rant.

Utd can get them very easily, unless someone bids a $ more than Utd's quote. Then these players become very expensive.

It's more about Woodward's ego than about actually negotiating and building a formidable team.

[Mick Pattaya]

Lukaku, not good enough for Utd, scoring heaps every match day in Serie A. I am starting to wonder what exactly is Utd's level, 1 step forward and 3 steps backward.

[irishstu007]

An illustration of the difference between how Liverpool is run and how Man Utd is run:

 

 

Manchester United missed out on the chance to sign Liverpool’s new playmaker Takumi Minamino because Ed Woodward ‘didn’t know’ about his release clause, reports claim.

The Reds confirmed the arrival of the Japan star this week after meeting his £7.25million release clause in his contract at Red Bull Salzburg.

GETTY IMAGES - GETTY

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Minamino will join up with Liverpool in January

United were said to be one of a number of top European clubs to have expressed interest in the 24-year-old, but according to Goal, Woodward was under the impression he would have to fork out a lot more to bring him to Old Trafford before bitter rivals Liverpool signed him for the cut-price fee.

It is not the first time Woodward has blundered in the market – previous United bosses David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and especially Jose Mourinho have all been left frustrated over Woodward’s dealings and inabilities to secure their top targets.

Minamino has an impressive nine goals and 11 assists in 22 appearances this season and Liverpool securing a deal for the midfielder will come as a blow for the Premier League’s big clubs who are falling further behind Jurgen Klopp’s side.

GETTY IMAGES - GETTY

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Woodward reportedly did not know Minamino was so cheap

And according to talkSPORT’s European football expert Kevin Hatchard, Minamino will be the ‘perfect fit’ for Liverpool.

Hatchard said: “I think Minamino is a perfect fit. Liverpool are so, so clever in the transfer market.

“Salzburg are very realistic about this kind of thing. Their whole business model works on identifying talent, developing talent, and then selling it on.

“It is a shock that he has such a low release clause because, even though all the focus has been on Erling Braut Haaland, Minamino has been a consistent performer for Salzburg for quite a long time.”

 

 

[Mick Pattaya]

Same with Ivan Perisic, post the Russia WC in 2018, he was on the verge of joining Utd after a stupendous WC with Croatia.

Yet, his arrival was blocked because of difference in valuation of about 5mil$.

Daniel James could have been an excellent understudy to him, learning the tricks of being an accomplished winger. Now, we have to rely on this young guy to carry us forward game after game and the toll is showing.

[taylor1975]

I watched minamino when LFC played salzburg. At the time, the transfer was unknown and i recall screaming at the telly to keep this guy away from the ball. I think he will be a great signing.

we will have: gini, mini, mane and mo (eeny meeny miny mo - nursery rhyme?) 

 

 

[gazO]

The young Leeds United fan wasn't impressed with Ashley Young's offer

When he tried to give Eddie Franks a bag full of Manchester United kit, the four-year-old Leeds fan was not impressed.

Eddie's dad Lee said: "He came over and said: 'Hello mate, I brought you a United shirt' and Eddie said: 'Eww, yuck!'

"He handed him a bag full off Man U stuff and I said: 'He's already got a United shirt mate, the right United.'

[taylor1975]

I thought this was almost a done deal for united. Obviously not. What went wrong??

Erling Braut Haaland: Borussia Dortmund sign striker from Red Bull Salzburg

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50940894

[Chuck in Bangkok]

18 hours ago, taylor1975 said:

What went wrong??

We have morons running the club.

[Chuck in Bangkok]

BUT.... man, what a great two win week it was! We're in 5th place, only 4 points behind Chelsea... what a rollercoaster of a season...

We had better get some signings in January...

[Mick Pattaya]

23 hours ago, taylor1975 said:

I thought this was almost a done deal for united. Obviously not. What went wrong??

Erling Braut Haaland: Borussia Dortmund sign striker from Red Bull Salzburg

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50940894

5 hours ago, Chuck in Bangkok said:

We have morons running the club.

that aside^^, there were apparently image right, agent profits & release clause issues.

It seems the negotiating team under Woodward is only capable of making the easier deals in the 15-20 mil$ range, other than that any complication is beyond their managerial expertise & remit.

 

[singalong]

that aside^^, there were apparently image right, agent profits & release clause issues.

It seems the negotiating team under Woodward is only capable of making the easier deals in the 15-20 mil$ range, other than that any complication is beyond their managerial expertise & remit.

 

From what I've read, Dortmund signed for his release clause which is circa 18m euro. I have absolutely no idea what the agent's cut or the image rights costed them, but, it looks like MU lost out again because they had no clue as to what the release clause was, just like Minamino...

 

 

 

[Mick Pattaya]

1 hour ago, singalong said:

From what I've read, Dortmund signed for his release clause which is circa 18m euro. I have absolutely no idea what the agent's cut or the image rights costed them, but, it looks like MU lost out again because they had no clue as to what the release clause was, just like Minamino...

 

 

 

Actually this release clause issue is a bit different, Halaand wanted a release clause inserted into his MUtd contract in case he decided to leave MU at some point. That was unacceptable to MU hierarchy. 

[Chuck in Bangkok]

On 30/12/2019 at 13:45, Mick Pattaya said:

Actually this release clause issue is a bit different, Halaand wanted a release clause inserted into his MUtd contract in case he decided to leave MU at some point. That was unacceptable to MU hierarchy. 

Morons that run this club.

[Chuck in Bangkok]

We should go after the Attacking Midfielder from RB Salzburg, Hwang Hee-Chan...3 goals and 3 assists in the 6 Champions League games he played (6 goals and 7 assists in League Play)... very creative, quick, and most importantly, will set up his share of chances AND get his 2-3 shots off each game... small, but slightly larger than teammate Takumi Minamino, who Liverpool already signed. And we could get him for relatively cheap...

[Baxidar ba]

1 step forward 2 steps back, Arsenal deserved tonight’s victory.

No Pogba, I wouldn’t be surprised if he left in this window. 

Really hope some funds are available for Ole this month. 

[Chuck in Bangkok]

Without a Pogba or a McTominay out there, we are a very weak squad.

We have no Attacking Central Midfielder.... how can we set up our goal scorers without one, and we're not looking now? Insane.

We don't have a strong enough midfield, and we're not looking now? Insane.

McTominay is going to be out for two months...

 

[Mick Pattaya]

42 minutes ago, Baxidar ba said:

1 step forward 2 steps back, Arsenal deserved tonight’s victory.

No Pogba, I wouldn’t be surprised if he left in this window. 

Really hope some funds are available for Ole this month. 

Ole said post match Pogba's people have asked him to get surgery, that's pretty plain speak for not wanting to feature any more for Utd this season.

[Chuck in Bangkok]

Without a Pogba or McTominay in the middle, we are a weak squad, and we'll have neither for TWO MONTHS! (Pogba WILL have surgery)

We have good forwards in Martial, Rashford and Greenwood - but who can get them the ball?

We don't have an Attacking Center Midfielder. The good players we DO have - that are at least playing hard - Dan James, Fred - are quality back-up players. They would make exceptional rotation players. Instead they have to start and our back-ups - Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard - are HORRIBLE, and with injury, will even have to start games.

Lingard shouldn't even be on this team. How do you have an Attacking Midfielder with no points in his last 31 Premier League games???

Matic is horrible. Just a slow, uncreative, bland player with no hustle, no game, no anything. HE should be gone.

We have the players on defense who CAN be better (Phil Jones is another who should be GONE), but the middle of this team is just in such bad shape.

And now we're doing nothing in the January Transfer Window???

Without Pogba or McTominay, this team is doomed for the next two months.

We're now 1-2-1* without either of them (7-5-5 with), but we have Manchester City again, @ Wolves (who always play us tough), @ Liverpool, Wolves again, Manchester City again in a Cup Match, and Chelsea.... all without either of them!!! We are in TROUBLE.

*Away Draw to Sheffield United, Away Draw to Aston Villa, Away Win vs Burnley, Away Loss to Arsenal

[Eric Le Roi]

Another dire display last night.

Wolves on saturday and City on tuesday.

Let us pray.

[Baxidar ba]

Quite a few midfielders linked in the media now the window has opened. 

With Pogba possibly out for a while with a badly bruised ego a box to box midfielder would be good maybe Gedson Fernandes. 

With creativity almost none existent players  like Maddison, Eriksen & Grealish have been mentioned. 

 I’m not convinced Woodward has what it takes to get any of these deals over the line & more than likely any move  will be a desperate last ditch deadline day deal. 

[Mick Pattaya]

38 minutes ago, Baxidar ba said:

Quite a few midfielders linked in the media now the window has opened. 

With Pogba possibly out for a while with a badly bruised ego a box to box midfielder would be good maybe Gedson Fernandes. 

With creativity almost none existent players  like Maddison, Eriksen & Grealish have been mentioned. 

 I’m not convinced Woodward has what it takes to get any of these deals over the line & more than likely any move  will be a desperate last ditch deadline day deal. 

Scouting team along with Woodward needs a revamp, everything seems to be random happening rather than a planned maneuver for a club this scale & size.