Date: 23rd June 2011 at 4:45pm
Written by:

United celebrate

United in a typical pose

As soon as the final whistle blew at Wembley in the 2011 Champions League final almost every United fan pondered the question “how the hell can we beat Barcelona.”

A few days later as the Manchester United bus went past me at Old Trafford with the players and fans celebrating an historic 19th title, I couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed at the number in attendance.

Yes it was raining but it always does in Manchester, so that’s no real excuse. The reason the crowds weren’t bigger was simply because many United fans still felt disappointed at the loss to Barca.

The Champions League seems to have taken up a lot of our thinking, to the point where many of us are actually losing sight of the what else is important.

Since the Summer transfer window opened United have bought two proven Premier League players. Okay so Phil Jones as only played less than a season, but during that time he seemed more than equipped for the Premiership.

Ashley Young has been one of the brighter stars in the EPL for a number of years now even picking up the PFA Young player of the year award a few seasons ago.

Yet despite these two very astute signings there’s still a clamour among many Reds for a big money European name, someone to put the cat among the pigeons and convince the world we’re ready to take on Barcelona.

I’m all for the top players in the world coming to Old Trafford but I think Sir Alex has pulled off something of a masterstroke in making United far and away the most capable side of winning the league next season.

Signing Young and Jones gives United two players who are both capable of being part of a title winning team- although in either case there’s no guarantee they’ll even start.

While other clubs have twiddled their thumbs or spent their time chasing players they’ve got not chance of signing, Ferguson’s added a pair of very useful English players who’ve shown they’ve no problem with the pace of the EPL.

Winning a 19th title was immense and an unbelievable achievement, but now it’s time to focus on the future and winning title number 20.

Ashley Young stated in his first ever interview as A United player that he wants to deliver title number 20 to Old Trafford which shows he knows where the priority lies.

When I think of the obsession with the Champions League I think of two things. The Episode of the Office where David Brent tells the -totally irrelevant to what he’s doing- story of the dog that has a bone in his mouth and looks down in the water, sees a dog with a bigger bone so drops his bone to get that one and ends up with nothing.

I also think of Chelsea and how in the past seven years their obsession with winning the Champions League has seen them employ seven different managers spend hundreds of millions of pounds and be no nearer to winning it today than they were in 2004.

The Champions League is the biggest tournament in club football but that shouldn’t mean United lose focus on which competition it is we play in week after week. If United are successful in the league, I’ve no doubt that success will eventually transfer to the Champions League.

Do we really want to take our eye of the ball and see City win a title, or Liverpool catch us back up, or maybe even Arsene Wenger finally get his act together? Perhaps Chelsea winning their second title in three years would be acceptable. Of course it wouldn’t.

Winning the league should be our priority and making signings to ensure that happens is a step in the right direction.

I’d love nothing more than to see United triumph in Munich next season, a venue that would be more than apt considering the tragic connotations the name and city has with our history.

I think the most important focus should remain on the league however, and for that the future’s already looking bright.

Agree or disagree? EPL or CL or both? Feel free to comment suggest and abuse below.

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8 responses to “Sir Alex’s Transfer Policy Puts The Premier League As A Priority”

  1. smith says:

    solid read. spot on for me

  2. RoyB says:

    The most important focus is definitely the EPL… but Manchester United is Manchester United. That EPL 20th title is not enough. They must do both!!! The fans demand it. As predicted we are yet to see a BIG transfer from Fergie (even though he keeps saying he has the funds… but deep down we all know he hasn’t). Can anyone see Fergie splashing 40 or 50 or 60 million on ANY player. Fergie wouldn’t pay that for Messi!!!! He (and the Glazers) are tight arses!

  3. Karlitos says:

    Fergie isn’t a tight arse. There’s no need to spend £40-£50m on a player. Sneijder for £35m should be enough, we don’t need many players, especially for the money you mention.

  4. Aaron says:

    Why are you slating Fergie? The international transfer window doesnt open till the 1st of July so maybe thats why our “stellar” CM signing hasnt been approached! Furthermore, why would we come out and announce we want so and so, meaning a bidding war commences with the likes of city? We have spent over 50m already if you include the De Gea signing which is all but done so you cant say that we have no money!

  5. Jonathan says:

    You’re dead on, focus on the Prem and being a strong team and trust CL success flows from that. You cited Chelsea, and Real Madrid are another example of a failed experiment in building solely with the CL in mind.

    The majority of CL winners, most recently Barca, built their team on principle and as a unit rather than the mercenary route.

  6. Stretford end says:

    Totally agree, good writing.

    Personally the league has and will always be, my priority with us. Winning the cl is great, but, it’s a cup competition. In cups you need an element of luck at times. Every team rides their luck, even Barca.

    The league is all about consistency, and the squad. I would rather stop the scouse, city, arsenal & Chelsea for the next few years, than win the cl one year.

  7. Imam says:

    Couldn’t agree more, we should always put PL in number 1 priority, we all know that United is always look for treble, quadruple or at least double, but PL should edge the others even for a little bit.

  8. OT BOBS IT says:

    disagree wholeheartdly. If a team wants to progress th european cup is the apex of football. Imagine the horror you would feel if man city won the european cup. And man utd won the league. Obviously it wont happen this year. But european glory trumps any domestic competition. There is a theory that the best team always wins the league by and large its true but teams get helped along the way. teams face injury crises, referreeing decisions dont always even themselves out. Id say clearly over a longer periord of time it should mean that the best team wins it but you could show evidence thats nto always the case. Id rather triumph in europe because its the best tournament to win. If you want to be a great side you have to win the champions league. No-one can retain the damn thing. To win it once is hard enough. It aint easy to win the european cup while it can be easy some years to win the league. To topple barcelona would be the best achievement probably in history and claim a european cup. to retain it would leave fergies postition as the best manager in history in no doubt. Man u have 19 titles, they have 3 cls. Clearly europe is immensley more difficult to triumph in. therefore id rather win it. to get into the cl u have to finish top four in prem. as a consequence level rises. PRIORITY Must be European cup NO 4