At centre of Man United's foul mood is club's mangled transfer strategy play

Andy Mitten


The December rage simmers on among Manchester United fans. It's not as febrile as two years ago when United lost four games on the bounce and went eight without a win as Louis van Gaal went past the point of no return in the eyes of the majority, but it's not great either.

First came the knockout blow from the defeat to Manchester City. Then the bloody noses from Bristol City, Leicester City and Burnley. It has been a very bad week for United and, with City over the hill and on their way to Pep Guardiola winning his first trophies at the club (Jose Mourinho has two in the same time at United), the mood isn't going to lift sometime soon. A January signing or two might help, but United won't be rushed into getting players who are the only ones available in this window.

Mourinho, as ever, is at the centre of the storm. Most United fans back him, plenty doubt him. Mourinho feels that many journalists, especially those in London who covered him at Chelsea, have it in for him. He's thought that long before the current downturn in results.

He can be confident that United fans will support him. He's only halfway into a three-year contract and he's made improvements. How big those improvements are start to be questioned when the team doesn't win. United are second against sixth a year ago and have 10 more points. That's still a considerable improvement.

Mourinho, who has also handled potentially thorny issues well like the fading force of Wayne Rooney and managed to keep David De Gea, wants more money and he'll get it.

Few will have sympathy for him given the riches he has to spend, but United are suffering from a mangled transfer policy going back to 2013. Though United are looking to appoint a director of football operations, he'll have no influence over transfers. The power is given to the manager, as it has always been at United. That obviously pleases the managers, but it becomes an ineffective way to do business when you have five managers in five years.


City, meanwhile, have the sporting director model, one that Pep Guardiola is comfortable working with, especially as he shares a football vision with Txiki Begiristain. When Guardiola was appointed Barcelona's first-team boss in 2008, Dani Alves was already signing. Begiristain did that and Guardiola -- rightly -- trusted him. City have been building longer and buying better, but City have also missed out on some players including Alves, whose partner preferred to live in Paris rather than Prestbury. Still, they've got it right more than United and that's clear to see on the pitch.

United? Radamel Falcao, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Matteo Darmian, Memphis Depay, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin cost a lot of money in transfer fees and wages. You won't find many people arguing that they were worth it. There are doubts that many more aren't true United calibre.

Further down, the scouting area has been completely reorganised, with massive global investment. The under-resourced youth system is now receiving levels of investment similar to Manchester City and Chelsea. Van Gaal's priority was never going to be youth in his last job as a manager.

United also lost Sir Alex Ferguson and chief executive David Gill, a respected figure at the club and in football, in 2013. With them went invaluable know-how, as was immediately evident when Gill's replacement Ed Woodward, a banker, said the team didn't need a lot of "re-tooling".

United fans are annoyed because the reality isn't palatable. At the start of this season, they believed their boss when he said he was confident that he had a squad strong enough to win the title. It didn't feel like baloney this season like it did last. At the beginning of this month after the team beat Arsenal, United fans felt they could give City a better run for their money than has transpired.

The mood at Carrington has nosedived -- it's natural at any football club when results turn south. All the frustrations come to fore -- among players, among fans, among officials -- when the team don't win; frustrations over tactics, over the moody manager who really doesn't seem to be enjoying managing United. There are questions about the team's style, its identity. Whatever anyone says about parking buses, there's far more entertainment than under Van Gaal. Mourinho, in turn, has his own frustrations as he tries to bring in the players he wants.

Frustrations over a manager are nothing new, even when Ferguson had been hugely successful. Ferguson was heavily criticised in the summer of 1995 only a year after winning the club's first ever domestic double. He was criticised by his boss, who felt he'd taken his eye off the ball, in 1998. He won the treble a year later. Ferguson was criticised in 2002 with fans singing out loud for him to return to a 4-4-2 formation and criticised again in 2005, especially so after the unpopular Glazer takeover.

United also face more competition now than then. It's not only just Arsenal who can go toe to toe anymore, but the immensely wealthy powers of Chelsea and Manchester City.

United aren't in a great place this week, but what's the solution? Another change of manager is unlikely to help. For better or worse, Mourinho needs backing. He's right to want more support from a usually flat Old Trafford, too. Fans can do more. And too many United fans need to lose their sense of entitlement. Expectations should be high -- it's Manchester United -- but no club in the history of world football has dominated consistently.

Barcelona won one European Cup before 2006. Real Madrid didn't get beyond the round of 16 in the Champions League for six consecutive season between 2005-2010. Liverpool, the second most popular English club with the trophies to back it up, haven't won a league title since 1990. And what of the past greats? Ajax? Hamburg? Celtic? Inter Milan? AC Milan, the best team in Europe a decade ago, are 11th in Serie A. Imagine following Red Star Belgrade, the best team in Europe in 1991. War and politics have destroyed their fortunes so much that reaching the Champions League group stage is now considered a success.

United fans have been fortunate in so many ways, and one of them is playing in the Premier League, with its global reach. Fortunate to be spoiled rotten with success between 1990-2013, too. That was one hell of a run. City won nothing for 35 years until 2011.

Now is not United's time, but the team is still second in the league as it prepares to face a sliding Southampton side in what feels like a must-win game. And United are still in the Champions League with a winnable game against Sevilla. Things could be better, but they could be much, much worse.

Spy360:

This pussy is angry...

Fool! you are as useless and inconsequential as your opinion so fvck off and stop showcasing your stupidity.

@joeace2020 o totally agree with that article,the solution right now is not change of manager but most fans won't see it that way,I just hope that those in charge really back the manager on what he wants not some nairaland football Einstein's

joeace2020:
At centre of Man United's foul mood is club's mangled transfer strategy play

Andy Mitten


City, meanwhile, have the sporting director model, one that Pep Guardiola is comfortable working with, especially as he shares a football vision with Txiki Begiristain. When Guardiola was appointed Barcelona's first-team boss in 2008, Dani Alves was already signing. Begiristain did that and Guardiola -- rightly -- trusted him. City have been building longer and buying better, but City have also missed out on some players including Alves, whose partner preferred to live in Paris rather than Prestbury. Still, they've got it right more than United and that's clear to see on the pitch.

United? Radamel Falcao, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Matteo Darmian, Memphis Depay, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin cost a lot of money in transfer fees and wages. You won't find many people arguing that they were worth it. There are doubts that many more aren't true United calibre.

Further down, the scouting area has been completely reorganised, with massive global investment. The under-resourced youth system is now receiving levels of investment similar to Manchester City and Chelsea. Van Gaal's priority was never going to be youth in his last job as a manager.

United also lost Sir Alex Ferguson and chief executive David Gill, a respected figure at the club and in football, in 2013. With them went invaluable know-how, as was immediately evident when Gill's replacement Ed Woodward, a banker, said the team didn't need a lot of "re-tooling".

United fans are annoyed because the reality isn't palatable. At the start of this season, they believed their boss when he said he was confident that he had a squad strong enough to win the title. It didn't feel like baloney this season like it did last. At the beginning of this month after the team beat Arsenal, United fans felt they could give City a better run for their money than has transpired.

The mood at Carrington has nosedived -- it's natural at any football club when results turn south. All the frustrations come to fore -- among players, among fans, among officials -- when.

United also face more competition now than then. It's not only just Arsenal who can go toe to toe anymore, but the immensely wealthy powers of Chelsea and Manchester City.

United aren't in a great place this week, but what's the solution? Another change of manager is unlikely to help. For better or worse, Mourinho needs backing. He's right to want.

United fans have been fortunate in so many ways, and one of them is playing in the Premier League, with its global reach. Fortunate to be spoiled rotten with success between 1990-2013, too. That was one hell of a run. City won nothing for 35 years until 2011.

Now is not United's time, but the team is still second in the league as it prepares to face a sliding Southampton side in what feels like a must-win game. And United are still in the Champions League with a winnable game against Sevilla. Things could be better, but they could be much, much worse.

nice writeup. It's a must read for all United fans.

Well according to their fanbase this cannot be true can it ?

I will now list the following claims made by their fanbase during the past season or two.

De Gea - best keeper in the world (and abused Henry for suggesting that Ederson might be a better keeper).

Valencia - best right back in the world

Jones - the new Bobby Moore

Smalling - shout abuse at Gareth Southgate for not selecting him over Harry Maguire

Young - best left back in the prem this season

Matic "the missing puzzle piece" - best holding midfielder in the league (better than Fernandinho and Ngolo Kante)

Pogba - Mourinho claimed he was as good as Messi (and as we know, they would have beaten City if he was playing).

Mkitaryan - fans post memes comparing his assist record in the first five games to phillipe countinho, trying to imply that he is better.

Rashford - "he's the new Messi"

Martial - "he's the new Henry"

Lukaku - "he's better than Morata"

Mourinho - "he's better than Guardiola"
Herrera - "the new Xavi"

SO I MEAN HOW CAN THEY BE BEHIND CITY ? The logical conclusion of these claims would be to have a team capable of winning every match in every competition ?
must be "Bad luck" or maybe the deliberate rigging of the fixture list as Jose says.



Copied

A small decent run of form, and all these nonsense go stop

So pour out all the bile you have for Mourinho now because the window go close soon

PietroRico:
A small decent run of form, and all these nonsense go stop

fam I highly doubt that..cos even during 4 0 days,d lamentations was still here..

It's very difficult to respond to people who aren't intelligent enough to know that life isn't always about extremes, worse case scenarios and simplify everything to a 1 and 0.

No need to sack Mourinho = you are a Mourinho loyalist, hypnotized to a point where Blind to all his shortcomings
Sack Mourinho = fake fan etc

How do you eveb begin to deal with people like these ffs? It's too much energy and time, more energy and time than they deserve.

dubylhover:


fam I highly doubt that..cos even during 4 0 days,d lamentations was still here..

they were mostly grumblings that were barely audible, not these loud disturbances Wey seem to dey go on non stop now.

I guess some of our fans are the ones that brought in ant infested wood into this abode.

Everybody Wey get 1 or 2 against the man from however long ago just dey troop in here to pour bile, because you know united is a club in crisis. 15 points below a certain fraud, parking bus week in week out, playing consistently horrendous football and on the current trajectory to end up in 10th place in the next few weeks

stinkmeaner:
How can people confidently lie that mou didn't get his first choice targets in d market?? So dem mhiki,pogboom and lukaku na leftovers from bend down select abi

But Lukaku isn't, Morata was

Abeg we should just win against Southampton !

People don't even understand what it means to actually park bus anymore. Brief spells of conservative football during football games that the club spends majority of the time attacking and some simpletons go come here they shout bus

And the whole thing about our style of play being boring and dull is an exaggeration that has gone on for too long, people are actually beginning to hold it as law.

Someone or even some people the other day even said Mourinho sets team up not to lose against mid teams, hoping to score a lucky goal and some unfortunate persons were agreeing to this steamy hot pile of horseshít.

elrony:
Abeg we should just win against Southampton !

That game is a 1-1 draw.
Even Maureen knows it

Bus packing useless team

OgbaEwon:
Bus packing useless team

this simpleton for example run go create account.. . to troll with a term he cannot even spell and very likely does not understand.

OgbaEwon:



[s]That game is a 1-1 draw.
Even Maureen knows it[/s]

Sorry, I don't know Maureen.

PietroRico:
this simpleton for example run go create account.. . to troll with a term he cannot even spell and very likely does not understand.

Oga PietroRico you dey vex oh!!! Take it easy abeg.

PietroRico:
this simpleton for example run go create account.. . to troll with a term he cannot even spell and very likely does not understand.

I guess he meant Maureenhoe

elrony:


Sorry, I don't know Maureen.

dubylhover:
@joeace2020 o totally agree with that article,the solution right now is not change of manager but most fans won't see it that way,I just hope that those in charge really back the manager on what he wants not some nairaland football Einstein's

Thank you. I hope they weed out the talk of all the naysayers taking sides with rival fans to spread doom and gloom all over the club and help the manager get what he wants. Mourinho may not be as inspiring or as attack minded in philosophy as Fergie or Pep but he has taken us from near death and possible oblivion to the consciousness of people and the press again. Even our rival fans point to our previous bad seasons to ridicule us rather than looking at how poor they thought we'd remain like the Arsenal's and Liverpool's of this world.

Pietrorico on a killing streak mode
Bros just wake up no even bother brush teeth begin spit venom.

joeace2020:


Thank you. I hope they weed out the talk of all the naysayers taking sides with rival fans to spread doom and gloom all over the club and help the manager get what he wants. Mourinho may not be as inspiring or as attack minded in philosophy as Fergie or Pep but he has taken us from near death and possible oblivion to the consciousness of people and the press again. Even our rival fans point to our previous bad seasons to ridicule us rather than looking at how poor they thought we'd remain like the Arsenal's and Liverpool's of this world.

The argument here was that Mou ought not to blame lack of spending or under spending for where we find ourself now, I have always argued that with the resources available to Mou, we should be a lot more closer to City...And nobody is a naysayer here, granted some criticism has been over the top but most of it is based on hard facts...We can all share the same view but as adults, it's expected we respect each others opinion...

joeace2020:


Thank you. I hope they weed out the talk of all the naysayers taking sides with rival fans to spread doom and gloom all over the club and help the manager get what he wants. Mourinho may not be as inspiring or as attack minded in philosophy as Fergie or Pep but he has taken us from near death and possible oblivion to the consciousness of people and the press again. Even our rival fans point to our previous bad seasons to ridicule us rather than looking at how poor they thought we'd remain like the Arsenal's and Liverpool's of this world.

that's d thing..most fans are still stuck in the sir Alex era..we need to move on....I just hope we start getting our main targets no matter d cost

PietroRico:
this simpleton for example run go create account.. . to troll with a term he cannot even spell and very likely does not understand.

The part that pains me the most is when socalled fans here will latch on this obvious trolls comment to propagate more United hate and Mourinho sack chant...Why can't y'all hate-filled fans wait till United fall so low beyond redemption before you call for a managers sack. Is it when someone is in 2nd, hasn't fallen out of top 4, is in the next round of the UCL that you want to sack. Why didn't city sack Pep last season after such a terrible season? Even he said if it was any big club, he'd be gone. No but it's Mourinho with his uninteresting face, defend for 90 minutes football and constant complaining and nagging that should be sacked mid season. Some people should jeje stick to their Fifa games and Football Manager and stop annoying people here with constant whining like PTSD patients.

dmcdad:
I guess he meant Maureenhoe

Still don't know.

patrickmuf:
The argument here was that Mou ought not to blame lacking of spending or under spending for where we find ourself now, I have always argued that with the resources available to Mou, we should be a lot more closer to City...And nobody is a naysayer here, granted some criticism has been over the top but most of it is based on hard facts...We can all share the same view but as adults, it's expected we respect each others opinion...

I can point out countless comments that just got me surprised how people can change overnight. The same people who were full of praises for the manager have suddenly gone all anti-mourinho. We may have spent alot on players but since we aren't yet reaching our targets, should the club not provide any fund for more players if the manager needs? Should they sack him because with what he has spent which is below what city has spent we are not in the place we are in the table accordingly? People can criticize and say all that want but if the obvious weaknesses in this team has been fixed and we still play dreadful football, it is then i will give up completely on Mourinho and declare him finished. Not when there are still gaping holes, need for suitable quality players for such places that has cost us fortunes and will cost more that i will be calling for a sack. Y'all can focus on the money but every manager identifies players based on the state of their team and finacial and marketability reasons for their clubs. United has spent on players with those considerations and if we need to spend more to have a galactico worthy of scaring teams to a whimper i am all for it.