08 Aug 2022 13:49:48
I noted a few weeks ago that our transfer targets were players the manager had worked with before, players he likely trusted to do a job for him. The Ajax connection or those he has worked with and I pointed out that as United manager he needed greater width in his view. This is not the Dutch league, yet we paid £55m for a defender from it, which ETH insisted on, when I believe the club were looking at someone in Spain. ETH is forcing the FDJ situation. Ok, there is a natural incline towards comfort of what you know, but this is United.

The latest Arnautovic rumour is actually worrying, someone again he has a connection with before I believe. Like with Moyes who had Everton mindset, ETH needs to be bigger thinking than the Dutch league. The Arnautovic rumour is one that may start questions about him at the club. You learn from history, ETH needs to look at Moyes Everton mindset quickly and not repeat it.

{Ed077's Note - I agree with the general sentiment about backing the manager but there also needs to be a little bit of trusting all the other people working in scouting and analysis of the player. If not then they need to be replaced with better skilled people. And mainly something called Common Sense should be used and also trying to know the targets general feeling towards a move as well.

But then again that would be asking toouch from the shambles of a club we've become. (Not meant as a direct reply to your post Red Man. Just some ranting :-D)}


1.) 08 Aug 2022
08 Aug 2022 14:27:58
I agree with the Ed’s comment above. If the manager is overruling the recruitment team, what are scouts, analysts etc getting paid for? I can’t believe that Arnautovic is a player we’ve ‘had our eye on’……….


2.) 08 Aug 2022
08 Aug 2022 14:29:31
Red Man - I completely agree mate. I was about to post something similar. I’m already worried about Martinez, he looked decent on the ball but can he defend?! He didn’t look particularly quick to me and was run ragged by Danny Welbeck. At Ajax he probably wasn’t exposed defensively as they generally had 70% possession every week. We can’t keep the ball especially if he persists with McFred and playing a high line next to Maguire is going to give us all nightmares. We’re going to get caught on the counter and in transition a hell of a lot this season. I think Brighton worked us out after about 10 minutes.

I was under the impression the DOF set the over arching philosophy of the Club and appointed a manager that shared similar values so in theory everyone should be on the same page. I thought the Club wanted to get away from the managers buying players to suit their own particular requirements resulting in an accumulation of players that a new manager can’t use? That’s the reason we didn’t sign anyone in January, or rather the explanation given by the Club. I don’t believe for one second that Martinez, Timber, Malacia, Eriksen, De Jong, Anthony etc were on Utd’s radar this summer. It’s deeply troubling that they have apparently just handed responsibility over to EtH or even worse he didn’t agree with any of their suggestions. To compound matters further they’ve completely failed to deliver De Jong, Timber, Anthony etc and now seem to be working way down the list on players like Arnautovic. Baffling!

{Ed077's Note - if those players you mentioned (De Jong, Timber, Antony) all were also desperate to link back up with ETH and/or desperate to join Man Utd then fair enough. But when "the manager's preferred players" are becoming very hard to recruit then the club and indeed the manager need to read the room and move on to alternatives I think.


3.) 08 Aug 2022
08 Aug 2022 14:38:36
We absolutely should be backing the manager. Players he wants we should target. That being said, if backing the manager, is absolute lunacy such as targeting someone like Arnautovic then someone has to step in surely?

You could put all the fans who are regularly on this site into a room for the day to brainstorm potential forwards to sign and if anyone came up said Arnautovic I would be astonished. There isn't 2 hours to go on deadline day and we just want anyone possible, there are still 3 weeks left in the window!


4.) 08 Aug 2022
08 Aug 2022 14:45:54
Dlib and Redman on point imo. I think it would be a mistake to just recruit from a league which is not considered anywhere in the top 5 leagues in europe.

Martinez hopefully had a bad day. Playing from the back is great but useless if you can’t defend. His size worries me.


5.) 08 Aug 2022
08 Aug 2022 15:16:19
I think Martinez looked to bring the ball out of defence on a few occasions and saw nothing in front of him, he looked tidy on it and will hopefully adjust to the speed of the game.
Regarding his height, Cannavaro was the same height as him and one of the greatest. Not comparing the 2 in terms of ability but height doesn't necessarily make you a good defender.


6.) 08 Aug 2022
08 Aug 2022 15:24:22
It's a tricky one. I tend to agree that generally there should be some collaboration between the coaching staff and the recruitment staff and scouts on possible transfer targets.

Kick the financial people out the door when discussing transfers, we don't need someone without football knowledge having an in put in to which players we should be targeting based on commercial value etc.

However, EtH is operating this summer with a scouting department that has lost its two highest positioned scouts. Who is even running the scouting department now and what experience do they have?

Secondly, this is mostly the same scouting department that came up with current first team gems like Shaw, Fred and Maguire.

Maybe there is a good reason why EtH is reluctant to take their advice.

Maybe he's asking for players that fit a certain profile and they are suggesting players that he doesn't feel fit that profile.

It's all well and good saying a manager should trust the scouting department, but surely trust still needs to be earned through consistent performance at a minimum of a competent level if not a top class level.

Put yourself in EtH's shoes and ask yourself would you trust the guy who said Harry Maguire would be a top class signing?


7.) 08 Aug 2022
08 Aug 2022 15:28:09
Ed077 - I agree it’s hard to know if the Club have let EtH down or some of these players are just very hard to obtain. I suspect the truth lies somewhere in between.

In my opinion Pau Torres would have been a much better fit than Martinez. Experienced at both Champions League and International level, playing in a competitive league, left footed, quick, good on the ball and in the air, he ticked all the boxes for me. It’s very early days but I’m just not convinced by Martinez, I think we over paid and I think he’s another example of one of those players that would be difficult to move on should he fail to adjust to the Premier League or EtH left the Club. I think a lot of subsequent managers would have a real problem with his height.

I have no problem with the Club backing the manager in relation to transfers. If he fails then at least it will be on his own terms but where does that leave the Club with the appointment of a new manager?! If money was no object then the players could just be replaced but Utd obviously don’t work like that. I thought the DOF was appointed to bridge that gap and learn from past mistakes.


8.) 08 Aug 2022
08 Aug 2022 15:32:46
I am not worried about Martinez as I think he has the ability to improve his game to the higher league, we have seen plenty of players whose first few games have not gone to plan especially when the rest of the team especially those closest to him on the pitch are a shambles.
I think we need to see this for what it is going to be, a painful season that hopefully will improve the more the season goes on. As for recruits, I can only assume that FDJ has in private conversations said he will come if all is sorted otherwise I do not see why we would be holidng on him (this may turn out to be a misguided view) . Our delay in moving for the Ajax players has meant they are in a strong position to up the price due to other sales, Glazernomics then kick in and we can't throw the money around that the fans would like to see.
I hope that as a club we are moving along with EtH's methods so that if he does move on we continue on this path, with all the changes at the top it is not surprising that he has such a lead role in every thing the club are doing. At some point we will have to move in a different direction if current options remain closed. maybe we are close to that time.

{Ed002's Note - The situation with de Jong is clear.}


9.) 08 Aug 2022
08 Aug 2022 15:36:53
The Arnautovic signing could be seen as a shrewd one of there weren't so many glaring holes in the squad.

I agree Red Man about the Moyes comparison. I think every 50/ 50 decision Moyes made he got them wrong. Ten Hag might be given the benefit of the doubt because of the last decade we've witnessed but we need to start seeing a semblance of his style coming through in the squad.

Pep and Klopps first years were underwhelming, maybe less so Klopp as he inherited a mixed bag with Liverpool. But maybe this result is the tonic Ten Hag needs to swallow and realise son of these players are not fit to wear the jersey.

The Arnautovic and Rabiot signings in isolation are underwhelming. I think the Rabiot one is cheap enough that we can still get a De Jong/ SMS/ Neves signing in too.

I'll judge the window when it shuts. Right now though Ten Hags honeymoon period has a storm cloud above it.

You can't p! ss and sh! t the bed for 3 years and think some fresh sheets will do the trick. Hopefully this is something the manager realises very quickly and we get a new iteration of this squad.


10.) 08 Aug 2022
08 Aug 2022 16:22:15
Roy Keane at Sunderland anyone? Yet ten hag is the messiah.
It's all smoke and mirrors and good pr, that all . just Luke everything else in the world at the minute.
Very much hope I'm wrong but I don't think I am.


11.) 08 Aug 2022
08 Aug 2022 16:30:41
Shappy - I agree with that but surely it’s the DOF’s job to appoint a manager that’s in synch with the Clubs philosophy and recruitment department. I was under the impression that was how the Club was moving forward and not lurching from the likes of LVG to Mourinho who have very different ideas, style of play and player profiles.

I don’t agree with the sentiment that it’s early days and this will take time. Arnold and Murtough have been at the Club for over a decade. If they had a plan it should be easily recognisable even at this early stage. They have jumped onto the EtH boat and as yet haven’t done a very good job of getting his first choice targets. If they were never really attainable like Ed077 has suggested then surely conversions should have taken place and moved on earlier. They are now in panic mode. It’s a complete mess in my opinion and until I get evidence of change I’ll stand by that conclusion.


12.) 08 Aug 2022
08 Aug 2022 16:42:19
The priority should of been Rice a centre half and a striker this window with Bellingham next Summer with a right back

If you have Rice and Bellingham that’s the midfield sorted for at least 6 years but not these dimwits

If we have an absolute shocker of a season we’ll only attract the dross but that looks like it has already started.

{Ed014's Note - I’d be utterly gobsmacked if United was on the radar of those two immense talents.

No offence mate but they’d have much better offers.


13.) 08 Aug 2022
08 Aug 2022 17:27:01
Bkackpool, I mentioned Rice many times as I think he's good enough to hold the whole midfield together.
But now we're buying some championship standard players that have bad attitudes.
Whenever we think we have sank to a new low, we sink more.


14.) 08 Aug 2022
08 Aug 2022 17:33:25
The team needs rebuilding its criminal that after over £1b spent on player recruitment in the past decade we enter a season with only one recognised 37 year old striker in the squad (even if that is Ronaldo) and little options beyond McFred in midfield and Rashford and Sancho out wide.

With a proper plan, solid scouting and intelligent recruitment the squad can be re built. The fact the Club are still chasing expensive marquee acquisitions such as Nunez, De Jong and Anthony all summer just reiterates the fact that nothing has changed. Let’s not forget that with only 3 weeks of the transfer window remaining none of those players have been delivered. The Club will now panic and waste yet more money on players that will not improve the team.

Murtough was the man put in post to devise a strategy to propel the Club toward success and not make the same mistakes of the past. So far he has renewed Ole’s contract then sacked him 3 months later. Appointed RR and offered him a consultancy post, completely ignored his advice and jumped straight into EtH’s boat then spent the summer chasing high value acquisitions and delivered none. Somehow a free transfer wasn’t even signed in time to go on the pre season tour. From a sporting perspective Man Utd are a shining example of how NOT to run a football Club.

On a separate note what’s happened to the fan engagement or investment in the stadium or training facilities?! Shambles!


15.) 08 Aug 2022
08 Aug 2022 17:43:11
Yes two years ago that should have been the thinking.

But therein lies our problem, we have been awful at identifying the right players for more than a decade and awful at signing them, it's been all over the place.

Now we are in the situation where we can't convince the players we really want to join us. We aren't sitting at the top table right now.

We probably need to stop looking at the very best and find a few lads we think will kick on under Ten Hag and reach the next level under his tutelage.

We used to shop at M&S for players now we need to understand where we are at and shop at Asda, the M&S guys just won't join us.