Tonight's football thread

[IainR]

I wonder what the thought process was behind United picking ferguson's replacement last summer.

'Should we go for Mourinho, twice Champions League winner, UEFA cup winner and league titles in four countries or Pep Guardiola, 14 trophies in 4 seasons with Barcelona, no let's go with David Moyes, one second division championship in 15 years as a manager, he sounds like just the man we need'

1. Guardiola was not available..
2. Mourinho has never demonstrated he's anything other than a 2-3 seasons manager, doesn't build long lasting success, very outspoken, often falls out with those around him. Top manager, but I just don't think he fitted United's model for longevity.

Yes Moyes is a gamble. I find it laughable to be honest how the club are hounded for handing over to a young British manager... most gripe on about foreigners in the game.. yet now gripe on we went British...

Danbo has spent 20 years trying to lay blame on Fergie.. now he's gone he's trying to shout at the door that has been shut.. had Fergie left and we'd won the league Fergie was overated, had he gone and we'd struggled it was the wrong choice.

It wasn't just Fergie's choice. That's overplayed, Fergie made the offer which I think he had to. Moyes would have felt going behind his back. Fergie wanted to leave quickly to avoid the 2002 lull we had under him last time he tried to retire. But the Glazers, Charlton et al also wanted Moyes.

To be honest we could follow the city model, bring in a new manager, spend 300-400 million.. sack him for not winning the league, bring in a new manager...

We've followed the United model which is promote young, give people the chance.. as the most successive club in the modern era it's not a bad model.. and yes if it does backfire, so what? I'd rather try our way than just throw money at it like the English FA have bringing in foreign managers...

[Richard Head]

1. Guardiola was not available..

Guardiola's preference was always to come to the Premier League after his years sabbatical, if Ferguson hadn't left United in the shite by not announcing his retirement till May they could have had the best coach in the world rather than a miserable journeyman jock who has produced a series of dire teams over the years

Anyway if you're happy with Moyes and we are more than happy you've got him we are all happy

PS Stan James odds for United's next permanent manager - Mourinho 8/1 Giggs, Ferguson and Phil Neville all 10/1

[IainR]

Guardiola's preference was always to come to the Premier League after his years sabbatical, if Ferguson hadn't left United in the shite by not announcing his retirement till May they could have had the best coach in the world rather than a miserable journeyman jock who has produced a series of dire teams over the years

Anyway if you're happy with Moyes and we are more than happy you've got him we are all happy

PS Stan James odds for United's next permanent manager - Mourinho 8/1 Giggs, Ferguson and Phil Neville all 10/1

I think its only those outside of OT who are even considering another manager...

How is Moyes a journeyman? One of the longest serving managers... Preston for 4 years, Everton for 11 years... served a proper apprenticeship.. and you begrudge him being given an opportunity? To lable him a journey man is actually just plain wrong..

I find it laughable how his success at Everton is being re-written.. he took a club with no money, developed youth, sold his best players, invested in lower league players and made them consistently top 6 top7... what he did there was pretty admirable at least..

[TheHeathens]

I think its only those outside of OT who are even considering another manager...

How is Moyes a journeyman? One of the longest serving managers... Preston for 4 years, Everton for 11 years... served a proper apprenticeship.. and you begrudge him being given an opportunity? To lable him a journey man is actually just plain wrong..

I find it laughable how his success at Everton is being re-written.. he took a club with no money, developed youth, sold his best players, invested in lower league players and made them consistently top 6 top7... what he did there was pretty admirable at least..

Iain, you're just repeating yourself and it's falling on deaf ears. Just let them have their time in the sun, the ABUs will become ABCs and we'll get the chance to laugh at them again soon enough.

Moyes will DEFINITELY be given 2 seasons but this was always going to be a difficult season which is why they gave him a 6 year contract. That said, we need 2 or 3 world class midfielders in the summer - why we gave Nani a new 5 year contract is completely beyond me.

[TheHeathens]

Guardiola's preference was always to come to the Premier League after his years sabbatical

If that's true, why didn't he become City's manager then? Mainly because it's bollocks.

Guardiola is over-rated. Took over the world's best side at Barcelona and took over the world's best side at Bayern Munich. Even Danbert could have succeeded at those clubs!

[IainR]

I don't know if he's overated..

But he's had it easy so far... for me not staying at Barca makes me question him. He was due to lose Xavi and Iniesta.. the two most crucial pins in the Barca team...

He took over a team with three of the best players in the world and when Madrid were at war as usual. Had he rebuilt one team I'd be more impressed. Fergie rebuilt and rebuilt with 20 years of success.. he could have been a Jose and jumped around various teams with big money budgets...

Bayern could be interesting.. Dortmund are a selling club and you wonder how long they can keep developing players like they do.. so they'll dominate the bundesliga but when the leagues so uncompetitive I think it harms their European chances. Celtic are finding this now, its just too easy.

Nani is annoying, he has it all, pace, balance, skill, yet is anonymous for much of the season and when he plays badly he offers nothing, whereas Valencia puts a shift in whether on form or not. I'm now getting to the point where its time to cut our losses with him and Anderson.

I'd like to see Powell brought back either now or in June as I think he's a good footballer.

[Richard Head]

If that's true, why didn't he become City's manager then? Mainly because it's bollocks.

Guardiola is over-rated. Took over the world's best side at Barcelona and took over the world's best side at Bayern Munich. Even Danbert could have succeeded at those clubs!

Took over the world's best side at Barcelona? The season before he took over they finished 3rd in La Liga, 18 points behind Real Madrid and they hadn't won a trophy for 2 years

[IainR]

He did well but he took over a team witH Xavi, Iniesta, Messi in.. and they had been European champs a few seasons before.. so the ingredients were still there..

[Carlos the Jackal]

. That said, we need 2 or 3 world class midfielders in the summer -e.

this proves the point the glazers have ripped us off. They haven't invested in the team. You never see top teams needing 3 world class players in one go. The glazers will not spend this Jan or summer. The money only goes one way...out in their pockets. Every year a player of ribery's class walks out of united to service the huge debt. No champs league this year means less money = no top players. where is the Ronaldo money? Times are looking hard. Anyway my man united team of 1979/1980 would take todays team easily 3-1 ( Jordan, Coppell and micky Thomas with the goals)

[IainR]

this proves the point the glazers have ripped us off. They haven't invested in the team. You never see top teams needing 3 world class players in one go. The glazers will not spend this Jan or summer. The money only goes one way...out in their pockets. Every year a player of ribery's class walks out of united to service the huge debt. No champs league this year means less money = no top players. where is the Ronaldo money? Times are looking hard. Anyway my man united team of 1979/1980 would take todays team easily 3-1 ( Jordan, Coppell and micky Thomas with the goals)

We've been given money, we've juist failed to get the centre mid sorted, but I do think Fergie was generally backed..

But in recent years Valencia (16mill), Young (16 mill), Zaha (10mill),Van Persie (24 mill), Kagawa (14 mill), Buttner (4 mill), Jones, Smalling (7 million), Hernandez (7 mill) De Gea (17 mill), Felliani (28mill), Powell (6 mill).. that's a good 150 million investment in the last 3 years or so..

We've lost Ronaldo.. I can't think of many others. Our biggest loss was Pogba. Tevez wasn't ours.. then through retirement we've lost Scholes, Neville, and soon Giggs.. then Ferdinand and Evra will soon go.

We've needed a midfielder since Keane. carrick has been great but Hargreaves didnt work.

http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/ma...erein_985.html

net spending over the past 6 seasons...
Man City
Season 08/09 - Premier LeagueTransfer balance sheet: -115.082.000 £
Season 09/10 - Premier LeagueTransfer balance sheet: -102.388.000 £
Season 10/11 - Premier LeagueTransfer balance sheet: -127.460.960 £
Season 11/12 - Premier LeagueTransfer balance sheet: -57.318.800 £
Season 12/13 - Premier LeagueTransfer balance sheet: -15.5.
Season 13/14 - Premier LeagueTransfer balance sheet: -91.777.840
Net Spend 508 million

Man Utd
Season 08/09 - Premier LeagueTransfer balance sheet: - 33
Season 09/10 - Premier LeagueTransfer balance sheet: +67.817.200
Season 10/11 - Premier LeagueTransfer balance sheet: -9.600.800 £
Season 11/12 - Premier LeagueTransfer balance sheet: -36.7 £
Season 12/13 - Premier LeagueTransfer balance sheet: -53.9 £
Season 13/14 - Premier LeagueTransfer balance sheet: -30.052.000 £
Net spend: 97 million

Man U would never condone that sort of spending, we've grown to a stable business over 20 years because we only spent what we made... And I'm glad we do that.. City can be bust in a year, another Rangers or Leeds.. Man U are secure.