£150 million

[The Birdman]

That's how much Man U have spent in the last 5 years alone, how we expect Rafa to consistently close the gap on them when their starting position was so far in front of us is amazingly naive I think.

I honestly think a few of us (me included because I've got carried away last season) need to be more realistic, we're going to struggle to catch up and compete let alone get ahead of them with how things are at the moment.

[FatTony]

is that net spend?

[dom9]

Their net spend is near £8m per year. Granted that icludes the Ronaldo fee.

[The Birdman]

is that net spend?

Think they recouped £140m which obviously includes £80m for Ronaldo, working on the basis they didn't expect to sell their best player or budget for it the figures would be £150 spent and £60 recouped so a Net spend of £18m a season

[dom9]

Not very much more than us then prior to 12 months ago.

In the last 12 months, we have spent net zilch. They gained net £60M-odd.

[FatTony]

Think they recouped £140m which obviously includes £80m for Ronaldo, working on the basis they didn't expect to sell their best player or budget for it the figures would be £150 spent and £60 recouped so a Net spend of £18m a season

To be fair, thats not much more than us.

[Vermilion]

That's how much Man U have spent in the last 5 years alone, how we expect Rafa to consistently close the gap on them when their starting position was so far in front of us is amazingly naive I think.

I honestly think a few of us (me included because I've got carried away last season) need to be more realistic, we're going to struggle to catch up and compete let alone get ahead of them with how things are at the moment.

[Shanks]

We didn't do so bad last season in keeping pace and we have the players to more than match them.

United are on a decline IMO and won't have that money to spend going forward.

Owen, Valencia are evidence of that on the back of an £80 mill Ronaldo sale.

If you are going along those lines then you need to bring Man City into the mix as they will be the bigger threat.

[Darkon]

whats your point? Rafa has spent £228,976,000 on transfers since august 2004, or about 200m since july 2005...

that figure only will tell you that he has spend more money - but that's really quite uninteresting in itself...

[The Birdman]

whats your point? Rafa has spent £228,976,000 on transfers since august 2004, or about 200m since july 2005...

that figure only will tell you that he has spend more money - but that's really quite uninteresting in itself...

My point is that considering where we started from when Rafa joined (****e team, longball merchants, struggling to finish in the top 4 the majority of the time) compared to Man U (regularly winning trophies and an already established squad) even if Rafa has spent slightly more money we aren't going to catch up by spending an equal amount over the same period because their starting point is so much stronger.

Also they have clawed back their net spend with a big sale in the last window, Rafa has had to wheel and deal from day 1 to generate the funds as he goes to be able to bring in Torres etc...

[dom9]

My point is that considering where we started from when Rafa joined (****e team, longball merchants, struggling to finish in the top 4 the majority of the time) compared to Man U (regularly winning trophies and an already established squad) even if Rafa has spent slightly more money we aren't going to catch up by spending an equal amount over the same period because their starting point is so much stronger.

Also they have clawed back their net spend with a big sale in the last window, Rafa has had to wheel and deal from day 1 to generate the funds as he goes to be able to bring in Torres etc...

No it wasn't.

Your point was that Man U spend way more than we do. You've changed your argument.

[Guest]

What was Rafa's net spend compared to Man. Utd? I think the difference is that Man. Utd splashed out big money for some players, like the £30m spent on Berbatov, which we never seem to do. We even got Torres for a knock down fee of around £19m.

[dom9]

What was Rafa's net spend compared to Man. Utd? I think the difference is that Man. Utd splashed out big money for some players, like the £30m spent on Berbatov, which we never seem to do. We even got Torres for a knock down fee of around £19m.

Yes - that is the difference, as Birdman implied in his last post.

Financially, I think we are just about competing with them and Arsenal. A lot more initial work was required to get to their level of squad though.

[el matador]

the 150m was spent on a utd team already winning the title and competing every season for the top honours.

As opposed to the money spent on the team that benitez inherited which included the much heralded djimi traore, salif diao, el hadji diouf and milan baros.

I dont think rafa blameless but he's probably had to take more gambles than he would have liked on players like dossena, riera and kuyt and had pittances to spend on players like degen, kyriagos and voronin.

He has also had some spectacular successes including torres, mascherano, reina, benayoun, agger.

There have also been some poor buys including keane, lucas and fernando morientes.

But if you look across the road at old trafford, they virtually have to start looking at rebuilding the team because the players they bought in at large expense such as nani, anderson, hargreaves, berbatov havent worked out.

They need to find replacements for ferdinand, vidic, gary neville, scholes, giggs, ronaldo, berbatov all at top market prices.

If you look at things then they may be on the cusp on a downward spiral especially if ferguson leaves as he eventually will.

[vlahka]

This thread is looking strangely familiar.