2 days Ago
Manchester United ‘are getting relegated’ and this is part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s grand takeover ‘plan’, while Ruben Amorim ‘expects’ to manage in the Championship...
After plenty of mails on Man Utd, there’s a theory on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s transfer and a ‘likely big purchase’ for Newcastle United this month. Send your views to [email protected] .
.. Man Utd relegation conspiracy There was a letter a few days ago from Gab YNWA postulating whether all of this Man Utd strife is actually by design ; a play by Sir Jim Ratcliffe to drive down the eventual purchase price of Man Utd.
Football365 deemed it “plausible” but each day that goes by I shift my own viewpoint from “plausible” to “maybe likely”. I think Man Utd are getting relegated, and I think it’s part of the plan. Admittedly I’m not fully convinced of this, but.
.. yeah.
.. when you think of things in a cold and ruthless business sense you can see Ratcliffe “investing/buying” what essentially amounts to one-quarter of Man Utd, as well as being allowed to manage their affairs.
He then embarks on a series of actions which get leaked to the press. Redundancies, requests for funds to repair the stadium, away fans travel, Sir Alex, etc..
. People talk about a leak in the dressing room, but no one “leaks” more bad news to the media than Man Utd’s press office. Amorim comes in; he’s not a bad manager whatsoever.
He’s a brilliant manager, he’s absolutely smashing. The way he had that Sporting team playing was like Vanessa-Mae twiddling a Stradivarius. He’s not forgotten how to win matches or coach teams just because he’s relocated to Manchester.
And he’s so calm, isn’t he? So casual. He’s mentioned relegation, he’s changed the formation, he’s peed around with the starting eleven, and he’s isolating their most saleable asset right before the January transfer window. If you have Manchester United 7 points clear of relegation and dropping, surely the call to action will be to get your most committed, most battle-hardened troops rallied around you, grinding out results.
But no, there’s none of this. Amorim is seemingly chillaxed to the max about possibly being the manager who relegates Man Utd. There’s media coverage, there’s media think-pieces, but there’s not a whole lot of media scrutiny going on.
It’s almost as if the British media would prefer a British owner of Britain’s biggest club. So, realistically, what happens if Man Utd get relegated? Do they sack Amorim? I don’t think so. I think he would get paid a King’s ransom to manage them back into the Premier League.
The conspiracy theorist may even wonder if he expects to get relegated. Who do they sell (and want to sell)? I think Utd probably sell the vast majority of those hugely paid, and massively under-performing players who, at best, are inconsistent. Rashford, Bruno, Casemiro, Onana, Antony, possibly Martinez.
They’ll all leave. Who would they like to keep, but might have to sell? Not many, but Hojlund, Garnacho, Mainoo, Mazraoui, Yoro, and Shaw spring to mind The rest though, I think they stay. Altay, Lindelof, De Ligt, Maguire, Dalot, Ugarte, Eriksen, Malacia, Diallo, Zirkzee, Mount.
I think they keep these players, and I typed out those players in that order because that right there is an Amorim 3-4-3 which would probably stroll back in to the Premier League. Crucially, how much is a superstar-less, Championship-bound, leaky-roofed Manchester Utd worth? Not £5bn, that’s for sure. Dale May (Swindon Wengerite) READ: Man Utd have made ‘appalling mis-step’ with Ruben Amorim; it’s Roy Hodgson again A New Year’s Man Utd rant I feel we’ve been having the same cyclical conversation about Man Utd since Alex Ferguson left and I think it’s my turn to ask what exactly the Utd culture is.
Does Utd have some sort of Soviet-era Red Room programming department that rolls out Fergusonism fundamentalists? Is it just that if a player is good he understands United but if he’s bad he doesn’t? It sounds like a team of Marcus Rashfords would be ideal but you all don’t seem to like him. Answers on a postcard. How have other teams managed to win titles and Champions Leagues in the past eleven years with bloody foreigners and a few youth graduates? Have other teams stolen Utd’s culture? Is that why Utd don’t have one anymore? Utd need to do three things to get back to being competitive.
Invest in their infrastructure, that one’s easy, just spend the money and don’t try to recoup it by taking away your staff’s free coffee. Stop spunking hundreds of millions on mediocre players you don’t need. If you sign a rotten foreigner it’s not the foreigner bit that’s the problem, it’s the rotten bit.
Finally, get rid of your wastrels and bad apples even if it means they go for nothing and you pay some of their wages until their contract runs out. You were all too busy laughing at Arteta playing YNWA at training and getting irate about him being absolutely the only manager to leave his technical area to recognise that there was a blueprint there. That’s not a setup to a my da can beat up your da retort by the way, you’re currently 17 points behind the team your sacked manager was more successful than.
Fans and pundits need to do one thing to help their club out of the hole they’re in. Shut up. For crying out loud just shut up.
I’m sick of this holier-than-though pontificating about a culture that never existed from a team in 14th. Or don’t, it’s tiresome yet funny but I’d like to read a mailbox of a morning that’s not Utd fans yapping or mainlining copium. SC, Belfast (Apologies if this wasn’t my turn, I’m happy to skip my go next year) MORE MAN UTD MESS COVERAGE ON F365.
.. 👉 Amorim confirms deal to aid ‘starving’ Man Utd as Wayne Rooney return mooted 👉 Amorim ‘desperate’ and could forego Rashford ‘windfall’ for ‘stunning’ swap involving £62m Chelsea target 👉 Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim reveals Marcus Rashford status ahead of Liverpool clash Do United have money to spend or not? The one thing confusing me about United hiring Amorim is, do they have money for new players or not.
Originally I thought this was obvious. They’ve gone out and hired a manager who’s dogmatic/intransigent/inflexible (etc) about this 3-4-3 thing; but the only outfield players who suit that system are Shaw, Mount and Sancho, who are all basically ex-Utd players of one flavour or other. Obviously the club were well aware of this, as it led to the public heave-ho for Dan Ashworth.
So the only reason to go ahead – and to give Amorim what amounts to a 10-month pre-season – is so he can work out who goes and who stays; and so he can have 2 transfer windows to bring in players who are either really good, or at least are half decent but can make the system work. And then can be upgraded later. But is this going to happen? I keep seeing that United are skint now.
So have United been hurried into appointing completely the wrong manager purely because it looked like City were going after him? Neil Raines What would constitute success for Amorim? As a Man United fan, I would suggest that if Mr Amorim can bring Man United to the first half of the Premier League table by the end of the season, has already done a good job. Man United needs a big shake and replacement of a lot of current players in the Summer to give it a try for the first 3 spots at the Premier League 25/26 season. Changing the manager, while continuing with the same players with poor performance brought to Man United by Eric Ten Hag, doesn’t change anything at this stage and May make things more complicated.
Kind regards, Alireza Firouzfar READ: Lopetegui and Postecoglou clear Sack Race leaders but Amorim on his way to joining them Everybody wants to beat Man Utd I read Harry’s email with interest. In over thirty years of watching United, I’ve never considered that we have a hoodoo over other teams. It’s always occurred to me that teams raise their game against United.
Particularly in the ’90s and 00s, it seemed like we’d play some really poor sides and someone would pluck a worldly out of nowhere or teams would give more effort against United than against other teams. Fergie mischievously pointing this out was what caused Keegan’s classic meltdown. And while United may not have an aura now, it’s still Manchester United Football Club you’re talking about.
So when teams come to town United quite often have to play well to win and quite often even that isn’t good enough these days. Anything can obviously happen when we play City and Liverpool as these are derbies and logic often flies out the window. And I can’t account for Newcastle fans who have a weird obsession with us stopping them win trophies (did we? Or were you just not good enough?).
But the very real phenomenon of teams and players raising their game against United – especially at Old Trafford – combined with the very real phenomenon of United being pants means that the threat of relegation is very real for Manchester United actual Football Club. United fans probably need to give up moaning for a bit and support them team a bit louder at Old Trafford and give the away teams a bit of fear. Rather than our own players.
Ashmundo United need someone new...
Let’s face it. Manchester United, have seen some very good managers over the last nine years. The problem is partly the Glazers, they have invested money badly and having favourite players who wasn’t working in the team was a problem for years.
But Martial, wasn’t the only flop. I’m unsure who makes the decisions but when a manager says he has a problem with a player, someone seems to step in and deny him the answer to the problem. Rashford, has been a problem for at least three years.
Luke Shaw, he’s been very good but he can’t go on for ever. I believe they need a new manager, however there was nothing wrong with Ten Hag, apart from he wanted all Ajax team and didn’t get them. Where they go from here is any man’s guess but it doesn’t look good, I think Radcliffe might be regretting his investment.
David It is unfortunate that Man Utd is suffering humiliation. It is not going to change with the current management in place. The new manager with his new formation in my opinion doesn’t understand the British football.
Ownership issues aside, British football is built on one excellent goalkeeper (Gordon Banks or in the case of Man Utd, Peter Schmeichel or David De Gea) then comes two excellent central defenders like Ferdinand and Vidic (recent history) and two strong right back and left back defenders. Midfield must be three workhorses (Roy Keane, and Michael Carrack come to mind with the likes of Scholes, and Giggs, with the central midfielder anchored in front of the two central defenders. That is complemented by two speedy wingers likes of Nanny and Valencia and a true number 9 like Van Nestelroy or Rooney that can score from anywhere inside the 18 yards.
Any other formation is not suited for British football, particularly Man Utd. When the management understands this principle then you can expect improvement. Experimenting on the go with Ten Hag or the new coach is futile.
When the crosses come from the right or the left anybody can score. Playing complete football is not suitable for England. Just look at the current Bayern Munich team and you will understand what I am talking about.
They are slightly different in the formation 4:2:3:1. Please stop changing managers and spend more money (wasteful spending). Evaluate what you have in the pipeline and promote as fast as you can.
Don’t wait until they are too old. Focus on attitude and team spirit rather than stats from another European league. I hope I can see improvement in my lifetime.
I am 72 now and I watched Man Utd first time when I was 24. Thank you Hormoz from Canada READ: Top 10 worst Premier League January transfers – infamous Man Utd-Arsenal swap pipped to top spot Amorim and Trent thoughts..
. Amor for Amorim and adiós Trent. I’m a Liverpool sympathizer and have been for years.
I remember the doldrums under Evans and the relative successes under Houllier and the highs and lows of Benítez. And of course Roy -shudder. What I don’t remember is ever thinking that a new manager was going to come in and change a bunch of mediocre players into world beaters just by walking in the door.
Klopp made a huge impact yes, but look how he overhauled the squad from almost top to bottom, Amorim needs to do the same. What United need is to give Amorim time to go full scorched earth – the players either buy in completely or fuck off, it’s that simple. Give him two years and accept that it will come with pain.
The current players need to know they are playing for the futures, playing to bring glory back. If that doesn’t motivate them then nothing will. Sell anyone the manager doesn’t want at knock down prices.
After all, United are used to wasting money at this point. I almost feel like Amorim was making a point playing Eriksen and Casemeiro – look at what I’m working with. And anyone who wants to get on Ugarte’s back should remember Fabinho took almost a year to get up to speed at Liverpool.
As for Rashford, he’s made his bed and honestly I wouldn’t hold it against him. He has to think about his career too and has been made a scapegoat for a couple of years now. Also, as has been mentioned many times, the discourse around United by former pundits is bonkers and usually boils down to “it wasn’t like this back in my day.
” These players may not be good enough but they didn’t set their price tag. I never thought I’d have so much to say about United but Christ on a bike, it’s genuinely infuriating. Alan (nothing but love to Trent if he goes, Madrid are still the pinnacle of world football).
READ: Big Weekend: Liverpool v Man Utd, Newcastle, McKenna, Jesus, Roma v Lazio, Burnley v Blackburn Trent plan Madrid offering money for TAA now seems to be a way for the player to leave for nothing in the summer, in an attempt to protect him tarnishing his reputation with the Liverpool fans so much. They must know this small bid won’t be accepted. But now when the fans protest that he should have signed a new contract, that they as a club developed him and deserved a transfer fee, he can turn around say they could have accepted this bid in January.
Try and pass the blame from himself to the club. JC STFC Newcastle United’s January window A couple of days ago, I wrote in noting that the January transfer window wasn’t likely to be a big deal for Newcastle, with low-value outbound transfers not permitting huge purchases. I think that was accurate enough, and somebody like Man City’s James McAtee at £25m is the biggest purchase we’re likely to see.
(I’d rather like that rumor to be true, as I rate him.) But in another sense — and as I understand the rules — it is a big month because it will see the club’s January 2022 player purchases fall off the PSR books. I gather that PSR-related filings are calculated over a three-year period and made at season’s end, so some PSR room should open up in the summer.
The larger summer 2022 transfer spend on Isak, Gordon and Botman won’t stop counting against us until next summer so there’s that to look forward to, as well. And while I’m thinking long-term, the inadequate summer 2024 spend may look like 4D chess in 18 months, if the existing squad can maintain its trajectory with minor additions. Am I the only one who thinks it’s weird to have to look at player purchases this way? PSR/FFP regulations insist that clubs operate as responsible corporations in order to defend competition in the English and European leagues.
To the extent that they armor the clubs that were richest at the time they were enacted, I’d say they’ve failed. On the other hand, an argument that the rise of clubs like Brighton, Bournemouth, Brentford and Fulham reflects an increase in the EPL’s competitiveness might be pretty convincing during this season. And on the other-other hand, one might object that such clubs are merely bumping against a glass ceiling.
Concrete conclusions seem hard to come by and perhaps will only be drawn years from now. But I will venture to say that this alleged legitimization of player transfers does away with far too much magic and romance for my taste. When Sir John Hall funded the purchase of Alan Shearer from Blackburn, it was.
..epochal.
You could never hope to measure its impact on the club and its supporters. And nobody saw anything wrong with it, beyond grousing over the world-record fee. And the club’s new owners are stupid rich.
If we’d got them before 2008, we’d have been buying galacticos; these days, we’re counting beans and hoping to sell players at a tidy profit. [kicks rock] Should Manchester United’s global popularity or Real Madrid’s appeal to the Spanish-speaking world mean they should have the best chance at success? And how would, say, a Bournemouth supporter answer that question? It kind of seems like what’s fair to Newcastle would just mean installing another club above them behind that glass ceiling, unless they find their own sovereign investment fund. It’s a tough question; as with so much in life, capitalism is seemingly both the problem and the solution.
Chris C, Toon Army DC.
