The New Manager Thread

[Lecter]

So we have no chance of finishing 4th under the current owners, despite the fact that we were in the title race just 10 months ago. Within that time, Spurs and Villa have overturned the difference between our clubs to such an extent, that they're now better than the runners up from last season, and we cant finish 4th anymore?

With all due respect, i think that's baloney.

Even if it were true, are you suggesting to me that the extent of what our current squad can achieve, is to be on course for 7th place? Cos that's what Rafa's guiding us to. If you think that's the best our squad can do, then dear god, we're lightyears apart in our views.

Just like I think all your arguments are baloney

I will again repeat what I have said numerous times in this thread

At the start of this season I expected us to nick 4th based on the squad we had and likelihood of transfer funds not being available

BUT I thought that IF the owners continued without investing any money in the transfer market that it would become increasingly difficult to finish 4th

Particularly bearing in mind the likelihood of City, Spurs and Villa all investing again next summer

Unless our owners have a complete change of heart and start pumping money in its going to become increasingly difficult for us to finish 4th

Thats just my opinion baloney it might be but no more than the baloney you are suggesting in regards to Mourinho

[Craig_H]

Just like I think all your arguments are baloney

I will again repeat what I have said numerous times in this thread

At the start of this season I expected us to nick 4th based on the squad we had and likelihood of transfer funds not being available

BUT I thought that IF the owners continued without investing any money in the transfer market that it would become increasingly difficult to finish 4th

Particularly bearing in mind the likelihood of City, Spurs and Villa all investing again next summer

Unless our owners have a complete change of heart and start pumping money in its going to become increasingly difficult for us to finish 4th

Thats just my opinion baloney it might be but no more than the baloney you are suggesting in regards to Mourinho

To put it simply, do you think that, as of now, there are 6 other clubs with better squads than us?

[Taxi]

Spurs, Villa and City were all playing catch up to us. Yes they may have spent more in the last 2 years but we already have the basis of a very good core of players, the likes of which they can only dream of.

This squad, other than 2 players, is the same squad that finished a few points off the top last season. We replaced Arbeloa with Johnson and Alonso with Aqualani. I don't agree with the Alonso deal in the slightest, but its still pretty much the same squad and you could argue that Glen is a better replacement. Man Utd are actually weaker this season than last, having lost Christiano with Valencia. However, people are now saying this squad is pretty **** really and we shouldn't really be challenging for the title???? How did we take them to the final day last season? I suppose it was all Rafa's tactical genius?

Feck me, the goalposts have moved month by month this season. We won the CL because of Rafa, we finished 2nd last season because of Rafa, we've been complete and utter **** this season and Rafa's hardly to blame at all. It was his team and his transfers that gave us glory and relative success last year, but the players weren't his first choice transfers this season because its all gone pear shaped.

[Craig_H]

Spurs, Villa and City were all playing catch up to us. Yes they may have spent more in the last 2 years but we already have the basis of a very good core of players, the likes of which they can only dream of.

This squad, other than 2 players, is the same squad that finished a few points off the top last season. We replaced Arbeloa with Johnson and Alonso with Aqualani. I don't agree with the Alonso deal in the slightest, but its still pretty much the same squad and you could argue that Glen is a better replacement. Man Utd are actually weaker this season than last, having lost Christiano with Valencia. However, people are now saying this squad is pretty **** really and we shouldn't really be challenging for the title???? How did we take them to the final day last season? I suppose it was all Rafa's tactical genius?

Feck me, the goalposts have moved month by month this season. We won the CL because of Rafa, we finished 2nd last season because of Rafa, we've been complete and utter **** this season and Rafa's hardly to blame at all. It was his team and his transfers that gave us glory and relative success last year, but the players weren't his first choice transfers this season because its all gone pear shaped.

Spot on.

[barnes10]

Barnes10 - i dont know what you've done with the quote marks, but i didnt say those things mate

yep see that now. I quoted the comment i read them in which was you quoting taxi ;-).

[Lecter]

£20m per season, isnt it?


You think a few new deals will send our wage bill up by £20m?

Its not a £20 million increase as you have to factor in what we are currently earning

I think we currently earn £8 million from Carlsberg

So thats a £12 million per annum increase in revenue

Quite a large proportion of that could be accounted for in contract renewals (lets say £4 million conservatively)

Then you have to factor that we have been in the Champions League and earning revenue from this to ultimately supplement our other revenue streams to help pay our current interest bill

No Champions League next year will mean a dramatic reduction in revenue which could quite possibly be larger than the £12 million difference between sponsorship deals

Of course if we do manage to find the £100 million and refinance, our interest payments will be lower but that is another matter and would almost certainly mean a change of ownership (in one form or another)

[Lecter]

To put it simply, do you think that, as of now, there are 6 other clubs with better squads than us?

As of today we have a better 11 on paper than those teams

I'd probably say whilst Spurs and City have an inferior "best eleven" their squads are more rounded than ours is

Next year City, Villa & Spurs will have all invested in their squads and in all likelihood (barring investment) we wont

Do you think City, Villa & Spurs will invest as much if not more next season?

Do you think that investment will improve their squads??

IMO it is going to become increasingly difficult for us to finish 4th without investment - no matter who is manager

Thats is essentially what I am saying

[red g]

which is probably why Benitez is buying all this yoof.

If you throw enough **** at the wall some will stick

[MrMichael]

If Rafa went, firstly there'd be his own salary to use. Secondly, if Madrid come and take him, there'd be compensation.

I honestly think some people are painting the prospect of us affording JM, akin to that of a tramp buying a rolls royce. I dont see it that way at all.

- In the last 24 months our net spend is roughly -£7m. As in we're £7m in profit in transfer dealings.
- We have a massive amount more debt to pay off in the summer. Someone quoted £100m?
- We're very probably not going to qualify for the CL. That's going to be a big hit
- If I'm not very wrong, Mourinho's wages at Inter are substantially more than Rafa's are now. I suspect our owners would like to be paying someone less right now, not as much or more.

Balanced off against hypothetical compensation from Madrid, and the value we have in the squad..... sorry to be depressing but I don't think your tramp buying a rolls royce analogy is all that far off the truth.

What if Mancini doesn't pull it together and Citeh make a play for Jose. Where do you think he'd go then? Come to think of it, most of the top European jobs would be far more attractive than us at the moment, and some of the not so top ones too.

Until or unless something fundamental changes in the hierarchy of our club, I really don't have a lot of faith in a particularly positive outcome when Rafa leaves. Assuming he does. We may get someone half decent, who'll get us playing again for a bit, but with what's wrong upstairs I think we're in for a tough time over the next few seasons.

[Lecter]

If Rafa went, firstly there'd be his own salary to use. Secondly, if Madrid come and take him, there'd be compensation.

I honestly think some people are painting the prospect of us affording JM, akin to that of a tramp buying a rolls royce. I dont see it that way at all.

Rafas wages are lower than Mourinho's

We would also have to pay Inter compensation for Mourinho he currently earns €9.5 million per annum and has 2 years left to run I believe

[Lecter]

- In the last 24 months our net spend is roughly -£7m. As in we're £7m in profit in transfer dealings.
- We have a massive amount more debt to pay off in the summer. Someone quoted £100m?
- We're very probably not going to qualify for the CL. That's going to be a big hit
- If I'm not very wrong, Mourinho's wages at Inter are substantially more than Rafa's are now. I suspect our owners would like to be paying someone less right now, not as much or more.

Balanced off against hypothetical compensation from Madrid, and the value we have in the squad..... sorry to be depressing but I don't think your tramp buying a rolls royce analogy is all that far off the truth.

What if Mancini doesn't pull it together and Citeh make a play for Jose. Where do you think he'd go then? Come to think of it, most of the top European jobs would be far more attractive than us at the moment, and some of the not so top ones too.

Until or unless something fundamental changes in the hierarchy of our club, I really don't have a lot of faith in a particularly positive outcome when Rafa leaves. Assuming he does. We may get someone half decent, who'll get us playing again for a bit, but with what's wrong upstairs I think we're in for a tough time over the next few seasons.

Fully agree with you

Particularly the final paragraph

[Craig_H]

As of today we have a better 11 on paper than those teams

I'd probably say whilst Spurs and City have an inferior "best eleven" their squads are more rounded than ours is

Next year City, Villa & Spurs will have all invested in their squads and in all likelihood (barring investment) we wont

Do you think City, Villa & Spurs will invest as much if not more next season?

Do you think that investment will improve their squads??

IMO it is going to become increasingly difficult for us to finish 4th without investment - no matter who is manager

Thats is essentially what I am saying

I'm not speculating about the future and what other clubs may or may not do. I'm talking about now, and we should not be anywhere near finishing 7th, it's a disgrace. If you think 7th is a fair reflection of how good we are, then you dont think much of our squad. More or less the same bunch who went within 4 points of being champions.

[Lecter]

I'm not speculating about the future and what other clubs may or may not do. I'm talking about now, and we should not be anywhere near finishing 7th, it's a disgrace. If you think 7th is a fair reflection of how good we are, then you dont think much of our squad. More or less the same bunch who went within 4 points of being champions.

But you are speculating about what a new manager may or may not be able to do

I've already stated on NUMEROUS OCCASIONS in this thread that I expected us to finish 4th this season

I never believed we would challenge, I think losing Alonso was massive and Johnson doesnt add enough imo

On that basis we have underachieved and I can assure you I'm not happy with 7th but sadly I think we wont achieve 4th this season and I think the only chance we have of challenging for 4th anytime soon is if or when the owners sell

Oh and for the record IF we had investment Mourinho would be high up on my list of candidates for the job - alongside Hiddink & Magath but unfortunately I think they are all outside of our current financial paramters and I dont see anything barring investment or new owners that would change that

[Craig_H]

- In the last 24 months our net spend is roughly -£7m. As in we're £7m in profit in transfer dealings.
- We have a massive amount more debt to pay off in the summer. Someone quoted £100m?
- We're very probably not going to qualify for the CL. That's going to be a big hit
- If I'm not very wrong, Mourinho's wages at Inter are substantially more than Rafa's are now. I suspect our owners would like to be paying someone less right now, not as much or more.

Balanced off against hypothetical compensation from Madrid, and the value we have in the squad..... sorry to be depressing but I don't think your tramp buying a rolls royce analogy is all that far off the truth.

What if Mancini doesn't pull it together and Citeh make a play for Jose. Where do you think he'd go then? Come to think of it, most of the top European jobs would be far more attractive than us at the moment, and some of the not so top ones too.

Until or unless something fundamental changes in the hierarchy of our club, I really don't have a lot of faith in a particularly positive outcome when Rafa leaves. Assuming he does. We may get someone half decent, who'll get us playing again for a bit, but with what's wrong upstairs I think we're in for a tough time over the next few seasons.

I'll again point to the emphatic level of admiration and awe with which i think Mourinho sees LFC. As long as he was getting a competitive wage that wasnt derisory, he'd come to us, i think. We may not have city's money but our heritage and prestige counts for a lot.

Regarding the fact that you dont see a positive outcome if rafa goes - why then do you feel that the time has come for a change of manager, as you've said you do, in other threads?

[Imy]

Does anybody know how much Mourinho spent at Porto?