28 Aug 2022 09:37:19
Some Sunday morning thoughts
1) Antony. The club have shown how poor they are in negotiations. Ajax know we are desperate for the player, they are financially sound so can just sit there and wait for us to crumble. As the window deadline nears more and more they have the upper hand, not as is usual the other way round. Unless Antony is the next coming of Ronaldo we should have walked away. Why another winger anyway when we have a very talented lad in Garnacho?
2) Rashford. Needs space to run into which requires the opposition to either play a very high line like Liverpool or City, alternatively they are chasing the game. Rashford is not a centre forward that can lead a line, bring players in, work the centre halves or score 25 goals.
3) Martial. Rumours Joel Glazers favourite is to be offered a new contract after trying in pre season, that is despite having 2 years left on his existing contract. Nuts.
4) Goals. They win games yet we have no natural centre forward or goal scorer. We are very worryingly short in that area.
5) FDJ, embarrassing spending all window chasing a player who clearly didn't want to come as Ed002 said.

We need a goal scoring centre forward and a central midfield controlling player, yet chase a winger, when we have a precocious talent in Garnacho . The club still seems weighed down with appalling decision makers.

1.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 10:12:48
On
Antony, he is ETHs man, desperate to get him, so we should get him no matter what. Yes, we are inept at transfer dealings, but that is not changing until the club makes the big call and gets in a proper DOF. ETH, so far has been correct in his pursuit of malacia, Martinez, Eriksen, Casemiro and should be given the benefit of the doubt when it comes to Antony.

Rashford, is not a striker, but he is interchangeable and can play there when needed, I'm sure he won't be first choice. He is a confidence player, and as that continues to grow, he will get back to his old ways IMO. He has been devoid of proper coaching dating back to Ole too, so let's see what ETH can do.

Martial has started ETHs reign off well, but he is like a cat with 9 lives, would've have moved him on years ago. Can not be relied upon.

Still a couple of weeks, Ronaldo stays, nobody will be signed there. If he goes, we have to find someone, even if on a short term basis.

FDJ, again, we know we are inept in this department but it was on the instruction of ETH. Savic would've been ideal but the lack of champions League is a major issue.

I'd ideally like a ball playing MF but if we can get in Antony and a decent striker I'll be over the moon with the transfer window. So far, I'm extremely happy with it, despite their amateur ways of doing things.

2.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 10:41:25
4 days angel, not a couple of weeks.

3.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 10:46:36
Redman do you not want the club to back the manager?
Do you think you know better than the manager about football players for his team?
Just like shappy you have bemoaned the club not backing managers but when the manager wants a player you don't want that player.
People employed by t he club know so much more than you because you are an armchair fan with no knowledge of what the manager wants.

4.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 11:24:54
Well we have the games best natural goal scorer in Ronaldo. If he stays, which seems more and more likely, then he will have to get his head down, integrate and will bag goals.

5.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 11:38:10
Redman i agree with you that ideally we would have a proper number 9. The reality is far and few around and many looking for one.

I think we were never in for nunez as anthony seems to have been our primary target all along.

6.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 11:39:57
ken would these people employed by the club be the same people who came up with rabiot as replacement for signing fdj before finalizing casemiro because they couldn't agree to a deal and wanted to sign arnautovic instead of antony only to go back to antony knowing ajax are asking for an absured price. Yes they seem to be the very knowledgeable about what the manager wants unlike your armchair fan.

7.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 11:15:02
Correct FZZ, post written pre morning coffee lol.

8.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 11:17:43
To be fair Ken, none of us know, we are just here giving our own opinion just like you have done on many occasion without any knowledge of situations.

I think Red Man makes fair points and I understand any fans scelticism of situations within the club, because we have enough evidence over the past decade to show us that club rarely know what they are at.

Maybe that's all going to change now with the introduction of ETH, but the club, including the manager and players need to win back the optimism of fans such as Red Man.

He can moan as much as he likes, he is getting on in years lol ? Only joshing Redman ;)

9.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 11:44:01
Arnotovic was the managers choice actually.
Casimero was not a replacement for fdj. As per ed002.
The manager has his idea I f who he wants just because you don't like them does that make him wrong?

10.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 11:46:14
Ken, I'm not bemoaning the club backing the manager. I want the club to sign Antony if that is the player EtH wants (and it clearly is) .

My issue is more to do with the risk involved both in terms of pressure on the player and with how the club is viewed, when the club just pays whatever a club asks for a player.

Sensibly there has to be a cut off point where the club walks away because the cost becomes too high.

Personally I think with Antony that it's probably reached that point. I highly doubt Ajax will ever receive an offer as big as the one they just turned down from another club. They are milking us for all we are worth, fair play to them, that is their prerogative. But the club has to act responsibly and decide when to walk away.

If they aren't at that point then fair enough.

11.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 11:47:22
I don't like Rashford and I have made it clear before as well.
But given how unreliable Martial is in terms of fitness, Ronaldo looking for a way out that only leaves with the rash, Sancho and the very young Elanga as players capable of being in the front 3 which is very light.
He's here to stay this season, and if he can get confidence and fitness back and be back at the 2 year level he's a decent player to bring on at 60 mins to worry the opposite RB, RCB. 50m quoted for him is a steal, if he can score 15 goals this season it will be a miracle, but ultimately Rashford is at best a rotation starter and even if he goes to PSG he will be a rotation starter. He should move to teams like West ham where he will have space to run to.

12.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 12:10:13
Angel of course it's an opinion redman gives.
But he states like shappy things as fact that are not fact.
Nobody disputes we need players in a lot of positions. Nobody disputes that.
But if the manager decides he wants x player then that's enough.
Redman will look for any excuse to belittle club owners and execs as he is living in the past or wants to live in a world that does not exist. Again our owners will step up with another 200 to 300 m this year for new players.
Eth seems to be having a great say in who comes and goes.
What more does redman want other than a club to back its manager?
Redman would only be happy if he was the manager and making all his own choices. We would still have best Willie Morgan and Martin Buchan playing if that was the case, caught up in emotional claptrap.

13.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 12:14:57
There's not a single poster here who knows any better than ten Hag or any professional manager, all we can do is give our own opinions and thoughts which is the whole point of this site without being belittled or told we don't know anything. No-one knows better!
Well my opinions are that Ten Hag clearly had a list of players he wanted more than any other - Timber, de Jong and Antony. He's not going to get the first two (through no fault of Utd I don't feel) at least this window. Maybe Timber next summer?
A centre forward would be great. Can only see it if CR7 goes and even then probably only a short-term thing like we've seen over the years.

14.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 12:39:37
So ken you work for utd now? ETH also tell you who his other targets are? Seems very likely that a guy goes from let's spend 60mn on Antony to if you can't get him i want that 33 year old who just recently signed for a bottom half serie a team from china.

15.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 12:51:41
as I wrote a few weeks back Ajax valued Antony at 40-45 million quid in January -yes there is a taking the mickey out of UTD vibe about it but also Ajax believe a good world cup would put him in the 70-80 million bracket -

You have to say if Everton want 60 mill for Gordon and Chelsea want 44 mill for Zyiech then you can see Ajax have a point.

If Antony gets 10 goals -10 assists for us all the haggling over 15 mill will be irrelevant. Would still like us to have moved for SMS this window as he seems attainable.

16.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 13:05:23
Ken

That made me laugh, me caught up in emotional claptrap! I am the one who has been saying the opposite for a long time. You clearly agree with ETH and are showing a liking for the Glazers, that’s not what you did when Ole was manager, but that is ok when it is your opinion.

Do I think the club should support the manager in the market, yes but not to lose their minds and there needs to be balance in agreement. £85m for Antony means he will need to be the next Ronaldo and we still don’t have a goal scorer.

Angel, no problem, I am oldish and yes Ken remember the club buying Buchan and Morgan plus McIlroy coming through, and the 68 team.

To be honest ETH is under big pressure if we shell out £85m on Antony, I hope he is right.

17.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 13:05:57
RedMan one question- who were the recognised #9 for Liverpool and City last season, or the season before that?

18.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 13:06:33
Burrenway, Antony has some serious competition to cement a place in that Brazil team. But an important goal from the bench and all of a sudden he starts the next game and who knows.

19.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 14:26:03
Agree spenno they have a lot of talent in their ranks right now.
It will be a tough squad to make never mind 1st 11.
If he is who the manager wants I admire the change in direction and not signing just any player.
I'm sure it will have an impact on us signing a top keeper or rb perhaps and while not ideal eth looks like he is In charge of those compromises which is a good thing imo.

20.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 14:13:19
Red Man, I like Garnacho too, but I wouldn't be pinning my hopes on a kid who hasn't started a EPL game yet. It's not fair on him. He's not a young Ronaldo. We need another forward, especially when the alternatives there at present are so hit and miss. Every big transfer is a gamble, and unfortunately 85 million is the world we live in now. Like someone said above, 60 million for Anthony Gordon puts things in perspective.

21.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 14:54:32
If Anthony in, then someone like Elanga or Garnacho needs to go out on loan. I'm all for depth of squad, but we will have too many in our squad.

I hope we go through I. The cups to give some of these younger players some decent game time.

22.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 16:03:37
I'm not so sure dodgy.
6 players for the 3 spots looks good to me.
Although I agree with redman that it's hard to see a great goal scorer in the bunch assuming ronaldo leaves.
Striker martial martial
Lw sanch rashford
Rw Antony garnacho
I would think rashford would be 2nd choice for all 3 front positions but not 1st choice for any.
4 snr players for 3 spots with 2 back up looks good.
I'd expect to see the likes of garnacho and elenga starting league cup easier or dead EL games with plenty of epl minutes there too.
I still think we need an experienced cf there, Those 6 are very young, To offer something different. But that may have to wait as money is not growing on trees once again we are likely to be the big spenders.
Garnacho is only a boy of 17. He has talent and will need to be worked in he will do well in a support role for a couple of seasons then when he is old enough to vote we can start seeing if he is good enough.
More false dawns from our academy than any other. Some fans go all hyperbole then as worldwide pressure is put on kids with praise and expectations growing from millions that have never even seen the kid play.

23.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 16:24:08
Redman.
None of our last managers were backed with the structure.
You were not happy with that.
All got players they didn't want and couldn't fit in and you were not happy with that.
Now they are backing the manager and your sort of happy but with a caveat.
Why don't you realise that you are never happy because they are not doing exactly what you want.
Is the price too high? I believe so but if the manager decides for example that Antony is better than, again an example, Pedro and a new rb who are you to judge him or his decisions until you see the finished work or at least the work in progress over the season.
Nobody here has the slightest insight into what and how we will play that will become apparent over the season. Then judge what we need.
How can you or anybody else judge who we need until you know what the roles are.
The club have give the manager more control you wanted that. But because you didn't want this manager you are still unhappy.
Be patient and wait and see how things transpire. It in reality should be another 3 months before we see any consistency.
Don't judge until the manager presents his case over the next 9 months don't judge every day or every week or jump on every chance you get to say 'see I was right' because you will end up more flip flop than shappy if you do.
Have more tolerance for things that you don't necessarily agree with. Not all ideas that are not yours are bad ones redman.

24.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 16:25:21
When you look at the football market this deal doesn’t shock me. The fees being banded around such as 60/ 70 million for Gordon make this understandable. At the end of the day it isn’t our money, I think we’ve vastly overpaid but that is what the market dictates now. Prices are only going to keep rising.

25.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 20:17:13
Ken

Incorrect, I didn’t say I didn’t want ETH, I said I was not convinced.

Simple fact is that if Antony doesn’t show he is worth £85m, ETH will be under massive pressure, even more if we are not scoring goals up front.

26.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 22:12:06
Honestly Ken, can't quite believe you are preaching that to Redman after your early judgement and constant criticism of Ole! How times have changed ??.

27.) 28 Aug 2022
28 Aug 2022 23:21:42
Garnacho is 18

Ronaldo was 17
Rooney was 16
Owen was 17
Whiteside was 16

"Can't win anything with kids! "

When did old enough is good enough become an issue? Unless admittedly it's a maturity thing and he is being "protected" which is not necessarily a bad thing?

Anyway more importantly why has this page become a slanging match between individuals? Seriously you don't have to reduce every post to a feather ruffling exercise. Let people have their opinions. That's all they are, opinions. None, I repeat, NONE of us have a clue what goes on behind the doors so let's stop pretending we do.

Catch up at the pub and have a few beers. You'll be surprised that you agree on most things UTD.

28.) 29 Aug 2022
29 Aug 2022 08:21:26
Dodgy don't be a plank.
I made zero comment on ole until season end of his 1st year.
I didn't get excited when he won a few in a row.