Sick Boy
Super Moderator
It sounds like someone is a closet Man Utd fan
You say that Baz, but I do think the Premier is a bit lacking these days without United's scintillating attacking that they had in the Fergie era. Imagine the PL now as it is but with UTD playing even at the standard of 2013, by no means a vintage year for them back then.
As many have said, Fergie could walk the league with this United side although he'd make sure to buy some decent centre halves ASAP to shore up the back line.
It sounds like someone is a closet Man Utd fanIt goes to show just how great Ferguson was, both in terms of tactics but also his overall presence.
I prefer them over the other 'big 6' sides for sure, but it's a bit like cricket lacking something now the West Indies are not as good any more, means the whole spectacle is a bit lacking.
More than anything else, I can't understand why, with all their resources, they've so suddenly turned from the big dogs into also-rans. Can't all be due to Fergie magic and David Gill retiring.It’s been a bit lacking since we got relegated for me, personally
Change in focus from a football club to a money-making business. At least Gill understood football Woodward seems clueless. Possible same argument as Arsenal since they moved to the Emirates.More than anything else, I can't understand why, with all their resources, they've so suddenly turned from the big dogs into also-rans. Can't all be due to Fergie magic and David Gill retiring.
Change in focus from a football club to a money-making business. At least Gill understood football Woodward seems clueless. Possible same argument as Arsenal since they moved to the Emirates.
Change in psychology - not pushing on (e.g. chasing CL) allowed hungrier clubs to catch up,
Man Utd (like other PL clubs) seem to pay well over the top in transfer fees - just because a player cost them 35m doesn't actually mean he's value at that price. Bought Fred for 40 odd million - was he a player they really needed and was he worth that money? Can any club justify paying 45m on a sub? Was Lukaku ever a 70m player to other clubs apart from Utd?
Part of this is a loads a money attitude. PL clubs too lazy to go out and find bargains or recruit properly.It wouldn't surprise me if, in the future, we start to see a trend where buying clubs like Man U start to disguise themselves when trying to buy players. A good illustration of this is when they signed Martial - the selling company had previously agreed to sell him to Spurs not long before, for about £18m. When Utd came knocking, the selling club knew that United could afford a lot more than Spurs so in the same scenario charged double what they had been happy to receive from Spurs. Yes, in an open market where United weren't under pressure to sign, then that may not have happened but I guess that if Spurs had gone back in, rather than United, the fee would have been much closer to the original £18m.
Therefore you can see a scenario whereby clubs will work through agents to agree the fee without giving away their identity in the negotiation, thus masking their potential buying power and preventing the selling club from pumping up the buy-price accordingly. Whether agents could be trusted to keep the secrecy of their buying club clients is another matter entirely...
It wouldn't surprise me if, in the future, we start to see a trend where buying clubs like Man U start to disguise themselves when trying to buy players. ...
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