Do we expect too much??

[Craig_H]

its not about money no. rafa v fergie is about everything but money.

rafa starts with a **** club and an average squad. utd start with a championship winning one.

rafa re-builds whilst fergie cherry picks the best to fit into his already strong club.

we have had to buy more players with the same money. so they have been able to buy world class whilst we've bought a mix between world class (torres/masher/reina), (very good(alonso, kuyt), average (morientes, bellamy) and the odd flop (nunez/josemi) as well as investing in youth.

we've had to replace the likes of diao, smicer, biscan with squad players otherwise we wouldnt have had a squad when they left. would you have extended the contracts of any of them? would you fook.

Rafa's doing a very good job and needs one or two to top his squad off as fergie has been doing for the last decade. 4 more players and we should be expecting to compete for the title?

Fergie started with a bunch of drunks.

[Craig_H]

Historically it is our fault I agree but it isn't Rafa's fault. He hasn't wasted money ala Diouf, Cheyrou, Diao, and when he does make a mistake he tends to get a fair amount of the outlay back in. He also makes money by buying young players and moving them on if they aren't needed.

Rafa has 'had' to spend money like that, it isn't due to bad choices on his part.

The biggest problem we've had in the last ten years is signing very expensive **** and taking peanuts for them three years later after they've had £40k a week. **** CEO and a poor manager in transfer dealings (Houllier) are the reason Rafa has had to spend the way he has while Fergie can blow his entire funds on one or two great players.

Certainly it isnt really Rafa's fault, no. I have qualms over rotation and such like, but i cant really fault him in the transfer market.

[BFG]

So our problem has been poor decision making (when it comes to signings and arguably, managers too). Not money.

Yes to an extent but money is still the thing that is currently holding us back.

Pennant for Alves
Gonzales for Simao
Aurelio for Evra

How much of a difference would that have made and it comes down to money. We have a catch up job on and the way to do that is to spend more than your opponents, not less or equal to.

[Craig_H]

Yes to an extent but money is still the thing that is currently holding us back.

Pennant for Alves
Gonzales for Simao
Aurelio for Evra

How much of a difference would that have made and it comes down to money. We have a catch up job on and the way to do that is to spend more than your opponents, not less or equal to.

Mate...we've spent £50m in the last 9 months.

[Joe King]

Its Souness's fault. He set us back years.

And Parry of course. I mean, my grandma could have done a better job without an accounting degree.

[Rich]

Fergie started with a bunch of drunks.

Fair point, talented players mind you.

[Craig_H]

Fair point, talented players mind you.

Indeed, it takes some talent to out-drink that purple-nosed cnut.

[BFG]

Mate...we've spent £50m in the last 9 months.

And how much have we recouped?

Luis Garcia £4,000,000
Djibril Cissé £6,000,000
Craig Bellamy £7,500,000
Mark Gonzalez £3,500,000
Gabriel Paletta £1,200,000
Mohamed Sissoko £8,200,000

£30.4 million pounds.

Look at what Utd bought:

Nani £17mil?
Anderson £17mil?
Caco loves Tevez' willy - £35mil eventually?

How much did they have to recoupe through player sales?

As a great man once said;

"We have a catch up job on and the way to do that is to spend more than your opponents, not less or equal to. "

[Rich]

We've heavily invested in ultimately the wrong mans vision on one occasion (Houllier), while we failed to provide the funds to perhaps the right man (Evans), which then leaves us with a club of mediocre players on huge contracts which Benitez inherits - he's now had 4 years and vastly overhauled the squad.

Only this past season have we been able to say squad for squad we are there or there abouts with United.

What will be telling is this coming summer (discounting the **** off the field) does the management conclude the squad is strong and buy 1/2 first teamers (like United have done in the past) or do we again buy 5/6 squadies (which is generally what we've done in the past) If it's the latter then I worry about Rafa's future.

[Craig_H]

And how much have we recouped?

Luis Garcia £4,000,000
Djibril Cissé £6,000,000
Craig Bellamy £7,500,000
Mark Gonzalez £3,500,000
Gabriel Paletta £1,200,000
Mohamed Sissoko £8,200,000

£30.4 million pounds.

Look at what Utd bought:

Nani £17mil?
Anderson £17mil?
Tevez £35mil eventually?


Aa a great man once said;

"We have a catch up job on and the way to do that is to spend more than your opponents, not less or equal to. "

So we spent a net total of £30.5m and they spent £34m (minus outgoings)...

[Rich]

And how much have we recouped?

Luis Garcia £4,000,000
Djibril Cissé £6,000,000
Craig Bellamy £7,500,000
Mark Gonzalez £3,500,000
Gabriel Paletta £1,200,000
Mohamed Sissoko £8,200,000

£30.4 million pounds.

Look at what Utd bought:

Nani £17mil?
Anderson £17mil?
Tevez £35mil eventually?


Aa a great man once said;

"We have a catch up job on and the way to do that is to spend more than your opponents, not less or equal to. "

Conveniently missed off the United Sales in the same period?!?

Poor arguing there mate

edit: Boom Boom, shake the room!

[Craig_H]

And including £35m on their total, when they havent actually spent it, doesnt really help.

[BFG]

Conveniently missed off the United Sales in the same period?!?

Poor arguing there mate

Look at my post again. Poor checking for editing there mate.

[Rich]

Look at my post again. Poor checking for editing there mate.

How am I expected to have known you were going to edit your post?

Wait: I'll edit my post - hang on for it wont you...

[BFG]

And including £35m on their total, when they havent actually spent it, doesnt really help.

If they hadn't committed to spending the money, they wouldn't have the player so I'd say it's a relevant inclusion.