The amount United have spent for such an average squad is staggering
Yeah they have real problems in all areas of their transfer business.
1. Developing players. I can only really think of Fernandes who has justified his fee and improved as a player since signing. Garnacho is another but he's come from the youth team. 2. Big money signings that disappoint. Sancho, Antony, Maguire, Fred, Martial. Over 300m alone on that lot. Mount for 60m looks like he'll be next in line. 3. Failure to get decent money for sales. Elanga a prime example. 21, PL experience and goals, Sweden international. 15m. Dean Henderson, England international, lots of PL experience. 15m + add ons. Compare that to City who got 40m for Palmer (handful of games, no PL goals) and 19m for Trafford (never played a PL game).
They're failing in all areas and of course when things are bad the fans will blame the Glazers, but really they should be looking at whoever is in charge of their transfers.
Have a horrible feeling that the premier league will be a predictable bore at both ends. Looking after four games that Citeh will romp it and it’s any three from four at the bottom (the three promoted sides and Everton). Hope I’m wrong with both.
The amount United have spent for such an average squad is staggering
Yeah they have real problems in all areas of their transfer business.
1. Developing players. I can only really think of Fernandes who has justified his fee and improved as a player since signing. Garnacho is another but he's come from the youth team. 2. Big money signings that disappoint. Sancho, Antony, Maguire, Fred, Martial. Over 300m alone on that lot. Mount for 60m looks like he'll be next in line. 3. Failure to get decent money for sales. Elanga a prime example. 21, PL experience and goals, Sweden international. 15m. Dean Henderson, England international, lots of PL experience. 15m + add ons. Compare that to City who got 40m for Palmer (handful of games, no PL goals) and 19m for Trafford (never played a PL game).
They're failing in all areas and of course when things are bad the fans will blame the Glazers, but really they should be looking at whoever is in charge of their transfers.
Its also their wage structure. They massively overpay players. Mount again a great example if the reported £250k per week is true.
Have a horrible feeling that the premier league will be a predictable bore at both ends. Looking after four games that Citeh will romp it and it’s any three from four at the bottom (the three promoted sides and Everton). Hope I’m wrong with both.
Hard to disagree with that.
City i think will win it as long as Rodri and Haaland stay fit for 30 games. Already without De Bruyne until the new year but they have players to cover him, but i think if they lost Haaland and/or Rodri we might get a title race.
Luton and Sheff Utd will definitely go down. So it's them + 1 other. Like you say hard to look beyond Burnley and Everton so far. Although Burnley have had a tough start (City, Villa, Spurs) and only played 3 games so i do think they will get better.
The amount United have spent for such an average squad is staggering
Yeah they have real problems in all areas of their transfer business.
1. Developing players. I can only really think of Fernandes who has justified his fee and improved as a player since signing. Garnacho is another but he's come from the youth team. 2. Big money signings that disappoint. Sancho, Antony, Maguire, Fred, Martial. Over 300m alone on that lot. Mount for 60m looks like he'll be next in line. 3. Failure to get decent money for sales. Elanga a prime example. 21, PL experience and goals, Sweden international. 15m. Dean Henderson, England international, lots of PL experience. 15m + add ons. Compare that to City who got 40m for Palmer (handful of games, no PL goals) and 19m for Trafford (never played a PL game).
They're failing in all areas and of course when things are bad the fans will blame the Glazers, but really they should be looking at whoever is in charge of their transfers.
Its also their wage structure. They massively overpay players. Mount again a great example if the reported £250k per week is true.
Casemiro and Sancho also.
Sancho is reportedly on 350k a week and still has 3 more years left + 1 more year option. Casemiro is obviously a quality player but he's on similar money and by the time his contract is up he'll be 35. Is he still going to be as effective as his Madrid years when he's 33-34? Probably not.
Burnley I think will come good but they got completely sliced apart by Spurs. Luton look to have basically signed a championship all-stars side , they might shock someone at Kenilworth Road but that's it. Sheffield United I'm not sure about - I like the Cameron Archer signing though.
Everton seem to lurch from disaster to disaster and I can see Dyche being out the door before too long unless they pick up.
Burnley I think will come good but they got completely sliced apart by Spurs. Luton look to have basically signed a championship all-stars side , they might shock someone at Kenilworth Road but that's it. Sheffield United I'm not sure about - I like the Cameron Archer signing though.
Everton seem to lurch from disaster to disaster and I can see Dyche being out the door before too long unless they pick up.
Everton are financially a mess. Third summer running i think where their outgoings were higher than their spend, which unless you have scouts like Brighton it has to eventually catch up with them soon.
Pretty sure they have their FFP hearing later this year.
"In March, the club announced financial losses for the fifth successive year after reporting a £44.7m deficit in 2021-22. The figure took their cumulative losses over the past five years to more than £430m."
Looks like Sancho is getting frozen out at United. Edit: I'll show that he actually put it on his official account.
Think he misses the point.
Not sure Ten Hag was saying he wasn't putting the effort in during training, just that he was still shite even if he was.
Saudi transfer window is still open, wonder if they might try to ship him out while they can.
Thought United played alright yesterday to be fair, but if you're ending a game with Evans and Maguire at the back you're running the risk of what happened happening.
Think Liverpool may give City a push seeing as they don’t have the strain of a champs league schedule.
I can see Liverpool back in the top 4, maybe fighting Arsenal for 2nd.
Otherwise the "excitement" will just be the race for 4th...
Yeah i think City, Arsenal, Liverpool top 3.
Spurs and United to battle for 4th/5th. Remember 5th is likely to get a champions league spot moving forward now because of the increased size of the champions league from next season. Spurs also have the advantage of no European games this season and are already out of the league cup so they should be very fresh for the league games and can keep a settled side with limited rotation.
Think Liverpool may give City a push seeing as they don’t have the strain of a champs league schedule.
I can see Liverpool back in the top 4, maybe fighting Arsenal for 2nd.
Otherwise the "excitement" will just be the race for 4th...
Yeah i think City, Arsenal, Liverpool top 3.
Spurs and United to battle for 4th/5th. Remember 5th is likely to get a champions league spot moving forward now because of the increased size of the champions league from next season. Spurs also have the advantage of no European games this season and are already out of the league cup so they should be very fresh for the league games and can keep a settled side with limited rotation.
Will Chelsea finish in the Europa League or the Europa Conference League places? Or maybe they'll have to bring back the Anglo Italian Cup to give them some European football next season
Think Liverpool may give City a push seeing as they don’t have the strain of a champs league schedule.
I can see Liverpool back in the top 4, maybe fighting Arsenal for 2nd.
Otherwise the "excitement" will just be the race for 4th...
Yeah i think City, Arsenal, Liverpool top 3.
Spurs and United to battle for 4th/5th. Remember 5th is likely to get a champions league spot moving forward now because of the increased size of the champions league from next season. Spurs also have the advantage of no European games this season and are already out of the league cup so they should be very fresh for the league games and can keep a settled side with limited rotation.
Will Chelsea finish in the Europa League or the Europa Conference League places? Or maybe they'll have to bring back the Anglo Italian Cup to give them some European football next season
Surely if they miss out on the champions league again FFP will start to be a concern. What with 40k crowds as well - that’s a financial model that just won’t work.
Chelsea i think will have a transitional season. They might compete for 6-8th but i can't see them being any higher because scoring goals is still going to be their issue.
They do have Nkunku to come back from injury though.
Chelsea i think will have a transitional season. They might compete for 6-8th but i can't see them being any higher because scoring goals is still going to be their issue.
They do have Nkunku to come back from injury though.
I'm not sure you can spend £1bn or whatever in 2 windows, and have a transitional window. You can't skirt FFP rules forever.
Baffling how you can spend all this money and not have a top class No 9 up front. Similarly, Sanchez is a decent keeper, but he lost his place in the Brighton team at the end of last season.
Chelsea i think will have a transitional season. They might compete for 6-8th but i can't see them being any higher because scoring goals is still going to be their issue.
They do have Nkunku to come back from injury though.
I'm not sure you can spend £1bn or whatever in 2 windows, and have a transitional window. You can't skirt FFP rules forever.
Baffling how you can spend all this money and not have a top class No 9 up front. Similarly, Sanchez is a decent keeper, but he lost his place in the Brighton team at the end of last season.
You're right they can't and FFP will catch up with them. Everyone knows they spread their signings across multiple years to get round FFP but it's a plan that is dependent on 2 things:
1. The majority of the signings need to be a success, because they're tied to such long contracts they will struggle to shift any players on if they're not doing well. 2. They need to get back into the champions league quickly. If they don't, then their revenue won't be high enough.
A billion spread over 7 years (as most of their signings are) means they've got an outlay of 142.8m on their books every year for the next 7 years before any further player trading. If they're all on long contracts and no one wants to buy them who will they sell to enable them to make further signings? Reece James? Enzo? Colwill?
And like you say it's madness they've not got a top level striker. They could've not bought Mudryk and Palmer and a couple of the random Brazilian kids and instead used the 150m+ to buy Osimhen from Napoli.
United have looked worryingly average in games against Tottenham and Arsenal. Not quite sure Ten Hag will be there long term at this rate.
"Worryingly average"?!
Fantastic, the longer they are shite for the better
Don't see how anyone would want a team with Bruno Fernandes and Antony to do anything but fail. Plus the Ronaldo and Greenwood situations to boot. Screw 'em.
United have looked worryingly average in games against Tottenham and Arsenal. Not quite sure Ten Hag will be there long term at this rate.
"Worryingly average"?!
Fantastic, the longer they are shite for the better
Don't see how anyone would want a team with Bruno Fernandes and Antony to do anything but fail. Plus the Ronaldo and Greenwood situations to boot. Screw 'em.
Think we'll be adding a situation for Antony soon too
On the plus side Getafe might be getting a £100m player at some point.
Arsenal paid £72m for Pepe. He hasn't played for them since May 2022, he's made just 43 PL starts in four years at the club and I don't think he's even got a squad number. Lord knows what he's cost them in wages too.
Comments
1. Developing players. I can only really think of Fernandes who has justified his fee and improved as a player since signing. Garnacho is another but he's come from the youth team.
2. Big money signings that disappoint. Sancho, Antony, Maguire, Fred, Martial. Over 300m alone on that lot. Mount for 60m looks like he'll be next in line.
3. Failure to get decent money for sales. Elanga a prime example. 21, PL experience and goals, Sweden international. 15m. Dean Henderson, England international, lots of PL experience. 15m + add ons. Compare that to City who got 40m for Palmer (handful of games, no PL goals) and 19m for Trafford (never played a PL game).
They're failing in all areas and of course when things are bad the fans will blame the Glazers, but really they should be looking at whoever is in charge of their transfers.
City i think will win it as long as Rodri and Haaland stay fit for 30 games. Already without De Bruyne until the new year but they have players to cover him, but i think if they lost Haaland and/or Rodri we might get a title race.
Luton and Sheff Utd will definitely go down. So it's them + 1 other. Like you say hard to look beyond Burnley and Everton so far. Although Burnley have had a tough start (City, Villa, Spurs) and only played 3 games so i do think they will get better.
Sancho is reportedly on 350k a week and still has 3 more years left + 1 more year option.
Casemiro is obviously a quality player but he's on similar money and by the time his contract is up he'll be 35. Is he still going to be as effective as his Madrid years when he's 33-34? Probably not.
Everton seem to lurch from disaster to disaster and I can see Dyche being out the door before too long unless they pick up.
Pretty sure they have their FFP hearing later this year.
"In March, the club announced financial losses for the fifth successive year after reporting a £44.7m deficit in 2021-22. The figure took their cumulative losses over the past five years to more than £430m."
Not sure Ten Hag was saying he wasn't putting the effort in during training, just that he was still shite even if he was.
Saudi transfer window is still open, wonder if they might try to ship him out while they can.
Thought United played alright yesterday to be fair, but if you're ending a game with Evans and Maguire at the back you're running the risk of what happened happening.
Good to see Declan Rice looking class.
Otherwise the "excitement" will just be the race for 4th...
Fantastic, the longer they are shite for the better
Spurs and United to battle for 4th/5th. Remember 5th is likely to get a champions league spot moving forward now because of the increased size of the champions league from next season. Spurs also have the advantage of no European games this season and are already out of the league cup so they should be very fresh for the league games and can keep a settled side with limited rotation.
They do have Nkunku to come back from injury though.
Baffling how you can spend all this money and not have a top class No 9 up front. Similarly, Sanchez is a decent keeper, but he lost his place in the Brighton team at the end of last season.
1. The majority of the signings need to be a success, because they're tied to such long contracts they will struggle to shift any players on if they're not doing well.
2. They need to get back into the champions league quickly. If they don't, then their revenue won't be high enough.
A billion spread over 7 years (as most of their signings are) means they've got an outlay of 142.8m on their books every year for the next 7 years before any further player trading. If they're all on long contracts and no one wants to buy them who will they sell to enable them to make further signings? Reece James? Enzo? Colwill?
And like you say it's madness they've not got a top level striker. They could've not bought Mudryk and Palmer and a couple of the random Brazilian kids and instead used the 150m+ to buy Osimhen from Napoli.
On the plus side Getafe might be getting a £100m player at some point.
Earns about £6m a year and his manager doesn't even know who he is.
Mad.
https://x.com/kieranmaguire/status/1699778030955008445?s=46&t=D5gOsi83yPP6QthC2zid6A