Manchester United

[PTP]

i reckon United thought they could do a deal late in the day for this herrera - some sort of we can give you £15m now, we'll give you £5m in at end of season, £5m next year, £5m the year after and £5m when we next win the league or he plays 50 games or something like that

i reckon bilbao just laughed and said £35m or whatever it was up front - united couldn't afford it

to try and save face, they've said they knew nothing about it

[Neil Young]

The one target landed cost £4 million more than the buy-out clause: Marouane Fellaini could have been a United player for £23.5 million at any point until July 31.

[dww]

Good read this

If Manchester United ever worried that a change of regime may affect their credibility then such fears crashed home to roost as the hour of 11pm on September 2, 2013, arrived.

Such is the importance placed on transfers these days that a poor transfer window can shatter credibility. Perception is everything. While United are swathed in ridicule, Arsenal bask in the reflected glory of Mesut Ozil, a player signed in a position where they already had sufficient numbers but who catapults them into the star system. Gunners fans are no longer lamenting the lack of a striker to support Olivier Giroud, or a quality centre-back.

http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/espnfc...d/9202?cc=5739

I can't help feeling that journalists have a vested interest in perception being everything. Only a week ago Arsenal were being berated by the press (a particular highlight of the season so far was when one of the 5Live presenters said "It is surely too early to say Arsenal are in crisis but they are, aren't they?" after the Villa game). In the end it is what happens on the pitch (and in the accountants office perhaps) that matters.

Still, it is great to see United looking like amateurs nonetheless.

[Neil Young]

I thought the same. It's nonsense of course. Just like all the mind games b*ll*cks.

Man United will spend big as soon as they can. They're sure to have a big inquest into what went wrong and the lessons to be learned. Whether Woodward survives is more open to question but I'd imagine this alone doesn't spell the end even for him.

It's not like other clubs we know haven't f*cked up in transfer windows before...

So let's just enjoy the shambles immensely while it lasts.

[Pablo]

I thought the same. It's nonsense of course. Just like all the mind games b*ll*cks.

Man United will spend big as soon as they can. They're sure to have a big inquest into what went wrong and the lessons to be learned. Whether Woodward survives is more open to question but I'd imagine this alone doesn't spell the end even for him.

It's not like other clubs we know haven't f*cked up in transfer windows before...

It's a bit like our window 12 months ago. We learned from it and I'm sure they will too. Still I'm enjoying it while it lasts

[Neil Young]

That's pretty much what I said.

[Paddy]

Moyes the hack.

[Pablo]

That's pretty much what I said.

I put it so much more elegantly and succinctly though

[Neil Young]

You said less in fewer words. Well done.

[Pablo]

You said less in fewer words. Well done.

Thanks. (I won again )

[Neil Young]

[peekay]

A midfield of carrick fellaini and ozil would have been very good for united in my point of view.

I dont think Fellaini has played as a midfielder for a long time. Moyes deployed him as a battering ram version of number 10. More like a physical version of Stevie G in the Gerrard/Torres combination.

I think in the short term Fellaini will help United and prove to be a success. He will provide an excellent physical outlet, provide danger at set pieces, win balls in the air. However in the long term he will help in the Evertonization of United in terms of style of play. I think they will loose the subtlety, guile, and the cutting edge upfront and become more one dimensional - hard to beat but not the winning machine of Ferguson.

I wouldn't be surprised if they had an expensive January transfer window after this.

[JohnDoe]

If Moyes starts using Fellaini like he did at Everton, and they end up playing him behind Van Persie, he's going to get tons of stick. The mancs will have none of that.

[Kenneth]

There will be a lot of defenders worried about the prospect if Fellaini elbowing his was way through games with the impunity that comes with playing for man utd.

[PTP]

i have had a bit of spell looking at everton and feeling a bit gutted that they have managed to pull off some decent business...so i've come back to this thread to read through it again for a laugh

hahahah what a cluster **** at united - would love to hear ferguson's comments