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Since the Glazers took over in 2005, they have been cleansed of more than £1bn, quid pro quo for the glorious privilege of being owned by a Trump-indulging family yet to contribute a penny of its own.
Though Alex Ferguson is partially responsible for this pillaging, his genius mitigated its initial impact. But even while he was accumulating silverware, the rot set in: Cristiano Ronaldo was sold for roughly £85m, then replaced by Antonio Valencia, Gabriel Obertan and Michael Owen for roughly £20m; generational players grew old together; and not a single midfielder was purchased between July 2007 and July 2012. So, when Ferguson retired a champion in 2013, he bequeathed a squad needing major surgery.
Ed Woodward, the club’s dominant suit, has no footballing expertise and has, in the last five years, been forced to sack three managers he appointed. The money, though, keeps rolling, and consequently Woodward remains in situ, United failing at football but succeeding at business; existing to make money, not making money to exist.
United require nothing from their owners save the ability to spend their own money, and are English football’s most profitable club by far – a status which should be reflected in their transfer activity. Except – with a rebuild required – they have been outspent by Aston Villa and Wolves, just as last season they were outspent by Everton, West Ham, Leicester, Southampton, Fulham, Brighton and Wolves.
Arsenal needed defenders so bought David Luiz, Kieran Tierney and William Saliba; needed a midfielder so loaned Dani Ceballos; needed a goalscoring winger so broke their transfer record for Nicolas Pépé. Similarly, Spurs needed to strengthen in midfield so bought two midfielders, breaking their transfer record for Tanguy Ndombele, and needed something for their left flank, so bought Ryan Sessegnon. Both teams finished above United last season.
Meanwhile, the holes in United’s squad gape: they have no specialist right-winger, no credible number 10, and have not replaced Lukaku. Yet these are peripheral issues when assessing an abomination of a midfield whose state is the principal reason they cannot control games; why they concede too many and score too few. If they are so keen to keep Paul Pogba, they should furnish him with suitable partners.
United must hope that Scott McTominay and Mason Greenwood, two products of the club’s academy, have freakishly monumental seasons.
they inquired about Maguire when the transfer window opened and were told what the price was, then baulked and haggled for two months before paying what they’d been told the price was, depriving Maguire of a pre-season settling into a new home and a new team.
Solskjær’s summer budget should have been augmented by the money refused José Mourinho last summer and the money saved by appointing the Norwegian rather than a more expensive alternative; in the event, he has been afforded roughly half the funds given to Mourinho and Louis van Gaal in their first windows in post, though prices have increased considerably.
Det ble vel 60% av artikkelen eller noe, men jeg syns den var så utrolig bra skrevet. Med en insight man er milevis unna å ha i norske aviser eller forsåvidt norske "eksperter" på tv og ellers. Mørk lesing er det jo såklart, men viktig.The only feasible conclusion is that United’s business plan has changed. Given the Glazers’ aim of extracting as much money as possible, actively pursuing the league title has never made sense – it is expensive, speculative and relatively unrewarding. But Champions League qualification – lucrative and accessible – has been fundamental. Now, though, United are hoping for it rather than expecting it
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