Man Utd Thread:

[magpie seanie]

The club is a financial behemoth which I don't think is fully comprehended by even some United fans, let alone supporters of other clubs. When United start winning the PL and Champions League again (and I do mean when....the money alone will dictate that it happens again and probably soon) imagine what cash they'll generate. The money involved is obscene, it really is.

Crucially I think the Glazers have realised the club needs to get back in the winners enclosure or sponsorship deals like they've managed to do will be more difficult in the future. That's why they got Mourinho.

I'm not overjoyed by any of this but I can only say things are not as bleak looking as 5-10 years ago.

[NAG1]

I'd be very surprised to see United sign Tierney. Mourinho has been complaining about the size of his back 4 for a while so I'd expect a more physically imposing left back to come in should he sign. I still think Shaw will get his chance as Darmain & Shaw aren't exactly shining at left back, you'd have to think that if Shaw wasn't in his plans at all he'd have left on loan already.

He was said to be heading to Bournemouth on loan (near his home) but hasn't materialized yet. There are various rumours put forward for his absence but they all seem to suggest that hes not mentally capable of playing high level football at present whether that's a legacy of his injury or him being another soft modern day footballer or another reason is open to debate.

A good ITK on a Utd forum said he was picked for Hull cup game and was at team hotel but rang club doctor to pull himself out of squad

Yeah I think this is not the first time that this has happened that he has been a late pull out from the squad.

Doubt we will ever get the full reason but would be a shame for a lad who was hitting his prime at the time of the awful injury.

Whatever the reason JM doesnt seem to trust him, he is cutting his cloth by playing Darmian at the moment but it is an area that he will definitely be looking to strengthen in.

He is starting to shape the squad now the way that he wants it, with Mephis, Basti and Young even looking to the exit door. Clearing the decks for a few big names in the summer I would hope.

[Boycey]

So Memphis is gone to Lyon.

I suspect somewhere in there is a really good footballer but didn't seem to want it enough..

This transfer window may turn into a good one for the old nett spend that we're so keen on here

[magpie seanie]

I think Memphis is a guy who needs to play regularly to be effective. I'm sure he will be very successful anywhere he gets picked week on week.

[Boycey]

He's never shown enough to be picked every week?

[Maroon Manc]

So Memphis is gone to Lyon.

I suspect somewhere in there is a really good footballer but didn't seem to want it enough..

This transfer window may turn into a good one for the old nett spend that we're so keen on here

I was expecting him to make a big impact but he's been a huge disappointment. Lyon is a good move for him, he'll play every week in a weaker league and should do well. I wouldn't rule him out making it at another big club in the future. He'll score plenty of goals for Lyon but his all round play needs to be worked on, it wasn't good enough for United but he's still only 22 so has time to develop that.

[gallsman]

I'm not overjoyed by any of this but I can only say things are not as bleak looking as 5-10 years ago.

Does this mean that United fans might finally admit that the green and gold and guff about the Red Knights was all a load of shite that helped absolutely nobody other than the lads selling scarves outside Old Trafford?

[NAG1]

I'm not overjoyed by any of this but I can only say things are not as bleak looking as 5-10 years ago.

Does this mean that United fans might finally admit that the green and gold and guff about the Red Knights was all a load of shite that helped absolutely nobody other than the lads selling scarves outside Old Trafford?

Well do you see as many of them in the crowd at Old Trafford?
I think I spotted one during the Liverpool game at the weekend, I think people quickly realised that United are a listed company and as such were subject to this kind of management. I think the fact that the club have gone 'big' in the transfer market and securing JM has appeased many of the not so anti-glazer fans.

[gallsman]

Well that's half my point - a load of nonsense was spouted on here about how the Green and Gold had "raised awareness" and therefore could be considered a success. In my opinion, it was a superficial exercise that achieved absolutely nothing.

[Maroon Manc]

Financially United are in a good place but there's no doubt the debt and its interest has caused plenty of problems. If only Fergie has been given the money that Moyes and LVG had access too we wouldn't have had such a poor 3 seasons, Ronaldo & Tevez left the club and were replaced with Owen & Valencia. A huge % of the clubs turnover was used to service the debt around those years.

I'd imagine Fergie looks on enviously at the amount of money at the manager's disposal since he left. If Fergie had access to that kind of money United might have gone on to win the CL in 2010 and certainly would have done a lot better during the 2011/12 season and I'd imagine he'd have left a better starting 11.

[NAG1]

Well that's half my point - a load of nonsense was spouted on here about how the Green and Gold had "raised awareness" and therefore could be considered a success. In my opinion, it was a superficial exercise that achieved absolutely nothing.

Yeah I would agree with that, the sentiment of it was decent to be fair. But the harsh reality is that this is big business.

[Far East]

Financially United are in a good place but there's no doubt the debt and its interest has caused plenty of problems. If only Fergie has been given the money that Moyes and LVG had access too we wouldn't have had such a poor 3 seasons, Ronaldo & Tevez left the club and were replaced with Owen & Valencia. A huge % of the clubs turnover was used to service the debt around those years.

I'd imagine Fergie looks on enviously at the amount of money at the manager's disposal since he left. If Fergie had access to that kind of money United might have gone on to win the CL in 2010 and certainly would have done a lot better during the 2011/12 season and I'd imagine he'd have left a better starting 11.

Haha....so Fergie had no money to spend and the money he did have, he spent well? Fergie's transfer record was shite in his latter years and ended up costing Salford Inc 90 million just to buy back Pogba!

[gallsman]

Financially United are in a good place but there's no doubt the debt and its interest has caused plenty of problems.

Of course it has, but what has changed to the point that United are spending money (they always did - don't bring up that net spend wankery) and ardent anti-Glazer United fans like our own Seanie here have moved to an attitude of, and I'm paraphrasing here, "I guess it's not that bad"?

[NAG1]

Financially United are in a good place but there's no doubt the debt and its interest has caused plenty of problems. If only Fergie has been given the money that Moyes and LVG had access too we wouldn't have had such a poor 3 seasons, Ronaldo & Tevez left the club and were replaced with Owen & Valencia. A huge % of the clubs turnover was used to service the debt around those years.

I'd imagine Fergie looks on enviously at the amount of money at the manager's disposal since he left. If Fergie had access to that kind of money United might have gone on to win the CL in 2010 and certainly would have done a lot better during the 2011/12 season and I'd imagine he'd have left a better starting 11.

Haha....so Fergie had no money to spend and the money he did have, he spent well? Fergie's transfer record was shite in his latter years and ended up costing Salford Inc 90 million just to buy back Pogba!

Is it your money? Then why get your knickers in a twist about someone else spending a multi billionaire's money?

You think AF will be remembered for the odd bad buy or for being the most successful manager in the clubs history?

Thought so.

[magpie seanie]

I'm not overjoyed by any of this but I can only say things are not as bleak looking as 5-10 years ago.

Does this mean that United fans might finally admit that the green and gold and guff about the Red Knights was all a load of shite that helped absolutely nobody other than the lads selling scarves outside Old Trafford?

Protesting against something that is wrong is never a waste of time or pointless. The debt that was loaded onto the club significantly impacted things. Ferguson's complete genius to be able to keep winning while the squad got weaker and weaker through lack of investment was a massive factor in the turnaround of the financial fortunes.....the Glazers owe him an awful lot.....but the lack of investment in the squad has led to the lack of competitiveness in recent seasons. That in turn has led to panic buying and player/manager turnover on a grand scale.

It must also be remembered that the owners are siphoning millions and millions out of the club annually - money that supporters view should stay in the club. Most pertinently, they were cleaning this money out of the club when Ferguson was not reinvesting in the squad (Ferguson always maintained he didn't see value and that's why he didn't buy but that was, I'm afraid, BS). I don't believe sports clubs should be owned by private interests. It's wrong to me to have investors profiting on the loyalty and emotional attachment of supporters to their club. I'm a dreamer perhaps but I still think the point is a correct one.

Gallsman - the G&G protests must have upset you a lot!