One thing I want to say is this. Right after the Europa League final, I posted about my concern with the choice of Amorim because of the formation he plays. I felt it would’ve been more practical to bring in someone who gets the best out of the players we already have, not someone wedded to his own unique system. I said then it was naive of him to stick to his system for the final. He should’ve adapted to the strengths of the squad just for that game. That would’ve shown some flexibility, but instead he stuck to his way and inevitably lost.
Now, maybe that was actually expedient because winning the final might’ve meant certain players would refuse to leave, with Champions League football and pay rises on the table. But look where we are now. We’ve got a manager who doesn’t want to play to the strengths of this squad, we’ve still not managed to shift players we don’t want, he’s already had public fallouts with them which probably makes it even harder to sell them, and we’ve signed just one player so far.
I’ve said before: Amorim’s success has come when he’s been allowed a massive squad overhaul in his first summer. So where’s the long-term planning? They sacked Dan Ashworth, and you’d think there was some master plan behind that. But there’s clearly no plan at all.
Now we’re heading into a pre-season that was supposed to be his chance to finally work properly with the players, after complaining all season about not having a pre-season. And what have we done? We’ve signed one player, we’re dithering over a second, and we still expect him to somehow fix this.
This club is absolutely ruined. Not because we lack money, but because of sheer incompetence and awful leadership. The Glazers and Ratcliffe are a disgrace. We’d have been better off with the Qataris, at least they’d have cleared the debt.
And I don't want to hear Sour Jim Radcliff talk any more about needing to tighten the boot straps. The only reason we’re still shackled by debt is because Ratcliffe bailed the Glazers out.
On top of that, we’ve slashed key staff, gutted the heart of the club. The soul’s been ripped out. Honestly, this club is finished. Stop saying it can't get any worse because believe me, it can.
It's Over. Club's Gone.
posted 2 weeks ago
comment by Redastomatoes- Feels very Moyesian...cleverson forever!If he is good enough he is ready! (U12026)
posted 58 minutes ago
comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 3 hours, 19 minutes ago
Ratcliffe's bid was successful not because of fans who didn't want our club to become the plaything of an authoritarian state. It succeeded because the Glazers chose it. And one of the big reasons for that was the indisputable fact that the Qatari bid simply didn't come to fruition. It consisted in a group of people claiming to represent a sheikh, who ultimately declined to show proof of funds at the relevant moment.
.......................
I would say it is much more likely that the Glazer's went with Jim because they remained as owners of the club.
I very much doubt they ever had any intention of selling the club unless really stupid money was offered.
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Simple really. Billionaires are billionaires for a reason. Whatever happened is for a reason. I kind of feel sad for Ineos and Jim. They just walked into a hornets nest.
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Rich Arabs always get what they want. They dont take L's publicly like that.
The fact Jim was able to get 27% of the club ahead of Qatar tells you they clearly weren't as serious as some fans dreamt they were OR the Glazers clearly had no intention of selling the club unless it was for a ridiculously inflated fee.
I think Jim and the Glazers will cash in eventually though. For whatever reason they think they can steer this ship back on course but without that debt being cleared I just dont think we will. I dont see another PL or CL title in our short, medium or long term (10 years) future personally.
Its eventually going to fold like a pack of cards. The debt and lack of European football is going to be a killer for us. We have to be in the CL every year really for this business model to work well and as we know we dont always get in there.
I give it another 12 to 18 months tops before Jimbo looks for an exit.
posted 2 weeks ago
comment by Elvis (U7425)
posted 24 minutes ago
comment by Little Steve (U23271)
posted 4 hours, 8 minutes ago
Once you choose a club, or a club chooses you, that's it, you are with them through thick and thin. As frustrating as today's United is, we have had it far better than most others clubs in England over the last 30 years. Of course, fans are entitled to have a moan and air their frustrations, but to hear 'fans' complaining about our
current situation and talking of turning away from United, frankly, come across as immature, spoilt and entitled.
We still have the biggest stadium, some of the biggest revenues, a very well thought of young manager and have just signed a £60m Brazil international.
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I'm not that fussed about that state of the club. I am just disillusioned with football as a whole - especially the PL. I feel pretty disconnected with football and my club these days. From my personal experience, that is a growing trend amongst my friends,.
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Fair enough, but the days of local owners and players having a pint down the local with John the fan have long been gone.
posted 2 weeks ago
comment by Little Steve (U23271)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by Elvis (U7425)
posted 24 minutes ago
comment by Little Steve (U23271)
posted 4 hours, 8 minutes ago
Once you choose a club, or a club chooses you, that's it, you are with them through thick and thin. As frustrating as today's United is, we have had it far better than most others clubs in England over the last 30 years. Of course, fans are entitled to have a moan and air their frustrations, but to hear 'fans' complaining about our
current situation and talking of turning away from United, frankly, come across as immature, spoilt and entitled.
We still have the biggest stadium, some of the biggest revenues, a very well thought of young manager and have just signed a £60m Brazil international.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm not that fussed about that state of the club. I am just disillusioned with football as a whole - especially the PL. I feel pretty disconnected with football and my club these days. From my personal experience, that is a growing trend amongst my friends,.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Fair enough, but the days of local owners and players having a pint down the local with John the fan have long been gone.
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Not in non league they haven’t.
Football is more of a TV programme now. Not really for the match going fans anymore.
posted 2 weeks ago
Russian
We’ve been grieving for over a decade!
I too would be content with 11th (or there abouts) but a clear progression in philosophy that the players are seemingly on board with. We’ve seen far too many ‘decent’ seasons where we aren’t really showing genuine signs of improvement and we’re papering over cracks more than anything.
posted 2 weeks ago
The issue with 11th is that media and fans won't accept that as progress. Amorim will be out the door and INEOS under massive scrutiny.
However 11th would probably be not too far away from what we are. Expectations at this club are always going to exceed reality though. That's life of following one of the biggest clubs in world football.
A second season without European football will put us another 3-4 years behind the clubs at the top too. Suddenly their £100m head start from this season becomes a £200m one and so on.
We have to invest now because we can't afford to keep throwing 100m away with no CL football. Problem is we don't seem to have the cash to do it.
It's all going to come crashing down within the next 2 years. Just you watch. Sad times but it is what it is.
posted 2 weeks ago
comment by Tyranny
posted 58 minutes ago
comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 3 hours, 19 minutes ago
Ratcliffe's bid was successful not because of fans who didn't want our club to become the plaything of an authoritarian state. It succeeded because the Glazers chose it. And one of the big reasons for that was the indisputable fact that the Qatari bid simply didn't come to fruition. It consisted in a group of people claiming to represent a sheikh, who ultimately declined to show proof of funds at the relevant moment.
.......................
I would say it is much more likely that the Glazer's went with Jim because they remained as owners of the club.
I very much doubt they ever had any intention of selling the club unless really stupid money was offered.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Simple really. Billionaires are billionaires for a reason. Whatever happened is for a reason. I kind of feel sad for Ineos and Jim. They just walked into a hornets nest.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Rich Arabs always get what they want. They dont take L's publicly like that.
The fact Jim was able to get 27% of the club ahead of Qatar tells you they clearly weren't as serious as some fans dreamt they were OR the Glazers clearly had no intention of selling the club unless it was for a ridiculously inflated
I think Ratcliffe will fund, or at least In part, fund the new stadium, in exchange for some of the Glazer shares, with the Glazers eventually selling up what would be a far more attractive proposition (100k world leading stadium with huge revenues) than that Ratcliffe has bought into (debt ridden United at Old Trafford)
posted 2 weeks ago
comment by Tyranny of the majority (SE85) (U21241)
posted 7 minutes ago
The issue with 11th is that media and fans won't accept that as progress. Amorim will be out the door and INEOS under massive scrutiny.
However 11th would probably be not too far away from what we are. Expectations at this club are always going to exceed reality though. That's life of following one of the biggest clubs in world football.
A second season without European football will put us another 3-4 years behind the clubs at the top too. Suddenly their £100m head start from this season becomes a £200m one and so on.
We have to invest now because we can't afford to keep throwing 100m away with no CL football. Problem is we don't seem to have the cash to do it.
It's all going to come crashing down within the next 2 years. Just you watch. Sad times but it is what it is.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Money isn't always the answer though. We have consistently outspent most of the clubs outperforming us.
posted 2 weeks ago
comment by Little Steve (U23271)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by Tyranny of the majority (SE85) (U21241)
posted 7 minutes ago
The issue with 11th is that media and fans won't accept that as progress. Amorim will be out the door and INEOS under massive scrutiny.
However 11th would probably be not too far away from what we are. Expectations at this club are always going to exceed reality though. That's life of following one of the biggest clubs in world football.
A second season without European football will put us another 3-4 years behind the clubs at the top too. Suddenly their £100m head start from this season becomes a £200m one and so on.
We have to invest now because we can't afford to keep throwing 100m away with no CL football. Problem is we don't seem to have the cash to do it.
It's all going to come crashing down within the next 2 years. Just you watch. Sad times but it is what it is.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Money isn't always the answer though. We have consistently outspent most of the clubs outperforming us.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Agreed it isn't. However the current squad isn't anywhere near good enough. By holding off spending, it isn't going to make them better players sadly.
It's a vicious cycle we're stuck in. We have to invest and invest well or we're in big trouble.
posted 2 weeks ago
We need to invest smartly. I think the hold up with the Mbuemo deal is part of that.
posted 2 weeks ago
comment by Little Steve (U23271)
posted 20 seconds ago
comment by Tyranny
posted 58 minutes ago
comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 3 hours, 19 minutes ago
Ratcliffe's bid was successful not because of fans who didn't want our club to become the plaything of an authoritarian state. It succeeded because the Glazers chose it. And one of the big reasons for that was the indisputable fact that the Qatari bid simply didn't come to fruition. It consisted in a group of people claiming to represent a sheikh, who ultimately declined to show proof of funds at the relevant moment.
.......................
I would say it is much more likely that the Glazer's went with Jim because they remained as owners of the club.
I very much doubt they ever had any intention of selling the club unless really stupid money was offered.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Simple really. Billionaires are billionaires for a reason. Whatever happened is for a reason. I kind of feel sad for Ineos and Jim. They just walked into a hornets nest.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Rich Arabs always get what they want. They dont take L's publicly like that.
The fact Jim was able to get 27% of the club ahead of Qatar tells you they clearly weren't as serious as some fans dreamt they were OR the Glazers clearly had no intention of selling the club unless it was for a ridiculously inflated
I think Ratcliffe will fund, or at least In part, fund the new stadium, in exchange for some of the Glazer shares, with the Glazers eventually selling up what would be a far more attractive proposition (100k world leading stadium with huge revenues) than that Ratcliffe has bought into (debt ridden United at Old Trafford)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Take a look at the cost of actually buying clubs from these "Arab oil men". They buy cheapish ones so their funds are on the transfers. People always think they are foolish with their funds when what they really want is the part where they change it. I'm not sure a big club has been bought by one yet.