The Manchester United Thread

[wkdsoul]

Fergie didn't spend £150m in his first transfer window though

No he made Gary Pallister a British record signing for a defender. Fergie more than matched cash spending for records, he found bargains but he spent when he needed to.

 

[Alcaraz]

Spending £150m was unheard of when Ferguson took charge so he couldn't have.

No he made Gary Pallister a British record signing for a defender. Fergie more than matched cash spending for records, he found bargains but he spent when he needed to.

I am the last person to contest that United haven't thrown money around in the transfer market. I am not going to sit there and try and adjust for inflation whether LVG and Fergie spent comparatively. Even if, Fergie did spend as much and that's a big IF, and he did badly suddenly doesn't excuse Van Gaal's record so far this season. He has some world-class players at his disposal and only 2 comeptitions to focus on and he is barely scraping by each game

 

[wkdsoul]

I am the last person to contest that United haven't thrown money around in the transfer market. I am not going to sit there and try and adjust for inflation whether LVG and Fergie spent comparatively. Even if, Fergie did spend as much and that's a big IF, and he did badly suddenly doesn't excuse Van Gaal's record so far this season. He has some world-class players at his disposal and only 2 comeptitions to focus on and he is barely scraping by each game

Not that big an IF, United have always spent money on players at the high end of the market, you have to. Even when they bought Hughes back 2.3mil was still a record, that they already held. In todays market though no doubt LVG has spent more 1st year easy but i dont think the difference will be much when broken down from the 1st team fergie built. but todays game you have to build a squad not a team.

LVG's issue at the min for me is he states we dont have the players to play the system i want, you know what, so change to a system for the players you do have in the meantime.

Playing possession and keeping the ball is great in international and for the most part champions league, but the bottom 12/15 teams in the premier league know how to keep tight and sit in front of you (coz Pulis or Big Sam has managed them all at somepoint) while De Gea gets 20 passes a half. Every game so far is, plan A for 75mins, **** still not working. Plan B time.

 

[Ride The Walrus]

Also pathetic from Di Maria and Januzaj, diving all around the pitch. Sanchez also dived just mins before Di Maria but that was called as foul, still that doesn't excuse what Di Maria and Januzaj did.

Still funny though Liverpool fans taking **** on that when they have Sturridge, Sterling, Gerrard and also their hero is one of the biggest ever cheat in the world.

Didn't know Liverpool were playing last night...

 

[wkdsoul]

Didn't know Liverpool were playing last night...

Manchester law, any point made that includes a Liverpool insult counts.

 

[Alcaraz]

Not that big an IF, United have always spent money on players at the high end of the market, you have to. Even when they bought Hughes back 2.3mil was still a record, that they already held. In todays market though no doubt LVG has spent more probably but i dont think the difference is that much when broken down from the 1st team fergie built.

LVG's issue at the min for me is he states we dont have the players to play the system i want, you know what, so change to a system for the players you do have in the meantime.

Playing possession and keeping the ball is great in international and for the most part champions league, but the bottom 12/15 teams in the premier league know how to keep tight and sit in front of you (coz Pulis or Big Sam has managed them all at somepoint) while De Gea gets 20 passes a half. Every game so far is, plan A for 75mins, **** still not working. Plan B time.

You don't get my point though. Just because Fergie MIGHT have spent as much as LVG relatively in his first few seasons and did badly does not mean we should absolve LVG of blame using the same excuse and call for patience. Fergie is a one in a million manager

For me it's not good enough I am sorry. He has some world-class players at his disposal and he only had 2 competitions to focus on. Yet he is barely scrapping by. Mourinho took a similarly limited squad nearly all the way to the title in his first season and he had more competitions to worry about. Also again can someone please elaborate on what changes has LVG made behind the scenes that everyone loves to assert everytime someone calls for his head?

 

[sunilvk7]

Didn't know Liverpool were playing last night...

So?

You don't get my point though. Just because Fergie MIGHT have spent as much as LVG relatively in his first few seasons and did badly does not mean we should absolve LVG of blame using the same excuse and call for patience. Fergie is a one in a million manager

For me it's not good enough I am sorry. He has some world-class players at his disposal and he only had 2 competitions to focus on. Yet he is barely scrapping by. Mourinho took a similarly limited squad nearly all the way to the title in his first season and he had more competitions to worry about. Also again can someone please elaborate on what changes has LVG made behind the scenes that everyone loves to assert everytime someone calls for his head?

Rodgers barely spent any money but finished ahead of Jose last season so?

And Jose spent huge cash on already very good team and not even sure why you always bring Jose into discussion.

 

[Subtle]

...

Shhh, the more they cling to the hope the worse it will be when he finally goes. Look at Moyes. At the time, people were happy to support him and hype him beyond belief. Now I'm pretty sure the average United fan is convinced that the poor ****** caused the global recession, invented Ebola and supplied misinformation about WMDs in Iraq.

 

[LFCMarshall]

People also seem to forget that Fergies early days were not exactly stellar and look how that turned out. Even Fergies last 2 seasons was pretty dire to watch scrapping 1-0 and 2-1 wins against even the lesser teams. People need to chill out and just give the man time.

I do agree patience is needed up to a point because things have changed at United and expectations shouldn't be what they were for the moment

However, after spending a lot of money it would be a huge failure to win nothing and come outside of the top four (if it happens). LVG may face serious questions if United fail to make the top four

 

[sunilvk7]

Shhh, the more they cling to the hope the worse it will be when he finally goes. Look at Moyes. At the time, people were happy to support him and hype him beyond belief. Now I'm pretty sure the average United fan is convinced that the poor ****** caused the global recession, invented Ebola and supplied misinformation about WMDs in Iraq.

Sometimes even very good posters turns weird. Are you really comparing Moyes and Van Gaal? The man who has won at every club he has been to including guiding hopeless Netherlands to 3rd place with Moyes whose biggest cup win is Charity shield that was gifted by Fergie?

It's simple, Van Gaal's methods are complicated but his track record says more often than not he gets it right. So at least I'm happy to give him benefit of doubt but at the same time I don't just follow him blindly. I have criticized him more than enough times but managing ManUtd is different from other clubs. This club was managed by 1 person for 26 years and he was not just a trainer like Van Gaal. So it takes time to put ManUtd back on top.

 

[Subtle]

One thing I would like to say though is that, as the saying goes, history is written by the winners. If you look at LvG coming in to a team in the midst of transition, splashing cash to get them to play exactly how he wanted and staunchly sticking by his footballing philosophy even when it upset fans and didn't quite work out how he wanted, he seems rather reminiscent of a certain Portuguese.

The problem for you is that the Portuguese in question isn't Mourinho: Jose actually carried on doing well even when molding the team into his image. The manager this is beginning to remind me of is AVB...

 

[sunilvk7]

One thing I would like to say though is that, as the saying goes, history is written by the winners. If you look at LvG coming in to a team in the midst of transition, splashing cash to get them to play exactly how he wanted and staunchly sticking by his footballing philosophy even when it upset fans and didn't quite work out how he wanted, he seems rather reminiscent of a certain Portuguese.

The problem for you is that the Portuguese in question isn't Mourinho: Jose actually carried on doing well even when molding the team into his image. The manager this is beginning to remind me of is AVB...

AVB is a nothing manager whose ego was just bigged up by media. Van Gaal has manager Barca, Bayern, Ajax and has won titles with them. He knows how to manage big clubs just that this is completely different as like I said he is not just a trainer here.

If we keep on changing managers then we move backwards rather than making any progress. Van Gaal has cleared lot of deadwood in 1 window and he is trimming the squad. So 1 more year and if he can't produce the results then he must go.

 

[wkdsoul]

AVB is a nothing manager whose ego was just bigged up by media. Van Gaal has manager Barca, Bayern, Ajax and has won titles with them. He knows how to manage big clubs just that this is completely different as like I said he is not just a trainer here.

If we keep on changing managers then we move backwards rather than making any progress. Van Gaal has cleared lot of deadwood in 1 window and he is trimming the squad. So 1 more year and if he can't produce the results then he must go.

He's producing results now, just not in a style anyone likes.

 

[sunilvk7]

He's producing results now, just not in a style anyone likes.

And it takes time for everything to be perfect.

 

[Alcaraz]

Rodgers barely spent any money but finished ahead of Jose last season so?

And Jose spent huge cash on already very good team and not even sure why you always bring Jose into discussion.

More credit to Rodgers then. He nearly brought Liverpool to the title last season despite barely spending anywhere close to what LVG has spent

Lol obviously you didn't watch us last season if you think our team was very good. And no he didn't spend huge cash on the team in his first transfer window unlike LVG and still nearly brought them to the title despite having more competitions to focus on. Why do I bring Jose into the discussion? Because LVG claims to be a top manager so I am comparing him likewise to other top managers and what they achieved with limited if not inferior teams in the league in their first season

 

[Alcaraz]

Sometimes even very good posters turns weird. Are you really comparing Moyes and Van Gaal? The man who has won at every club he has been to including guiding hopeless Netherlands to 3rd place with Moyes whose biggest cup win is Charity shield that was gifted by Fergie?

It's simple, Van Gaal's methods are complicated but his track record says more often than not he gets it right. So at least I'm happy to give him benefit of doubt but at the same time I don't just follow him blindly. I have criticized him more than enough times but managing ManUtd is different from other clubs. This club was managed by 1 person for 26 years and he was not just a trainer like Van Gaal. So it takes time to put ManUtd back on top.

And I completely agree with you that it takes time. But as I am sure you would agree, he should be doing much better with the team he has as well as the fact that he has only 2 competitions to focus on. If he doesn't finish top 4 then serious questions should be asked

 

[wkdsoul]

Has LVG ever taken over a team lower than 4th bar the first Ajax job, that need as much work as United 'look' like they do?

Barca were champs & treble winners when he arrived,
Bayern finished 2nd before,
AZ were 3rd,
Barca 4th.. (he left them 6th)

I dont watch dutch league football, was the AZ job on a similiar fixer upper to the man u situation? i know he quit and then stayed on a year but dont remember seeing the team play..

 

[Theatreof Dreams]

I do agree patience is needed up to a point because things have changed at United and expectations shouldn't be what they were for the moment

However, after spending a lot of money it would be a huge failure to win nothing and come outside of the top four (if it happens). LVG may face serious questions if United fail to make the top four

And they will be. But they wont sack him imo.

 

[Alcaraz]

Has LVG ever taken over a team lower than 4th bar the first Ajax job, that need as much work as United 'look' like they do?

Barca were champs & treble winners when he arrived,
Bayern finished 2nd before,
AZ were 3rd,
Barca 4th.. (he left them 6th)

I dont watch dutch league football, was the AZ job on a similiar fixer upper to the man u situation? i know he quit and then stayed on a year but dont remember seeing the team play..

Lets be honest, United only finished lower than 4th because of Moyes. The squad they had last season was well capable of finishing in the Top 4. Don't forget that the very same squad were champions right before Moyes came. Since then the squad has only been strengthened leaps and bounds. Don't get sucked into this whole idea of how 'United are terribly far behind and need so much work'. They were champions just 2 seasons ago for Christ sake and only improved since then

 

[smith123]

If we don't make top 4 this season, winning the europa league will be imo our only hope next.