Phelan wonders whether to agree with Sir Alex
I once heard that there are only 2 things in life that are certain, death and taxes. You can now add ‘Manchester City are going to spend a lot of money on player acquisition’ to that list.
Whether that is to strengthen their position of premier league champions (sad face), or by some amazing stroke of hoopy luck, to try and overtake us, Manchester United as champions.
I fully expect City to go on and win the title, Yaya Toure’s goal against Newcastle had the same upper cutting feel as Mark Overmars’ did at OT all those years ago. Yes, as typical a comment as it is from United fans, particularly twitter top reds, they have without a shadow of doubt bought the title. They have effectively walked into the premier league shop, slapped a £960 million cheque on the counter and said “one premier league title, please”. It hurts.
It’s not that I’m jealous of their riches; what hurts is that in today’s mercenary rich football world, playing for Manchester United just isn’t enough anymore to tempt players into giving up really, really big contracts in favour of just really big contracts. It seems that every season from now until the Sheikh gets bored or the fair play rules actually are enforced, City will go out, take their pick of the world’s best and leave the rest of us scrapping it out for the rest.
Ultimately that’s not too big a deal, after all a game of football isn’t decided on players only, remember Wigan….
Reality check, working on the assumptions that a) City win on Sunday and b) we match their result, for all that £960 million we have only been beaten by 8 goals, not 8 points, 8 goals. If we had a goal scoring midfielder, that could have been different.
Some things do have to happen though for us to keep up with City, however.
1. Sir Alex Ferguson needs to find the steely enforcer in him that not only demands the best but isn’t afraid to get rid of a player that is not good enough. The same man that sold Stam, Beckham, Van Nistelrooy and just tossed away Roy Keane like a used bed sock because he wasn’t right for us.
2. There are so many hangers on at Old Trafford that need selling. Anderson, Berbatov, Park, Owen, dare I say Evra…. Absolutely not in the same breath as a hangers on but Giggs and Scholes surely can’t continue to play such a massive part of our first team plans next season??
3. The twitter favourite; Incoming transfers. I believe we need 3, maybe 4 players coming in. In my opinion I would like to see a left back come in, not as a understudy for Evra, as a replacement for him. A centre midfielder that carries some oomph with him, the same oomph that Keane/Vieira had, the oomph that Yaya Toure showed Ji Sung Park, when he bullied him into within an inch of his professional pride. Another central midfielder to give us more of a creative edge and a striker. Yes we have Rooney, Welbeck and Chicharito but I feel DW & JH are both a way off the finished product.
If I had to pick names I’d say Baines, M’Villa, Modric and David Villa. I would be massively surprised if we signed 1 let alone all of those but hey, I’m an optimist.
4. I think the game has changed tactically and this season saw us fall way short of where we needed to be in Europe. I think 4-4-2 is now looked upon the same as tracksuit trousers with poppers down the side. We were absolutely blown away by 9th place in La Liga, the premier league equivalent of Fulham, Athletic Bilbao. I’m no tactical genius so I’m not going to suggest Sir Alex takes my advice and plays some form of fancy Christmas tree – but I am a football fan and could see comfortably we were tactically outclassed.
5. As much as I love Mike Phelan and his shiny shiny head, he surely needs to be swapped for a coach that can offer SAF more advice than “cup of tea gaffer?” when we’re being out passed and out classed by European opposition. I never thought I’d say it but Carlos Quieroz, I miss you.
6. The traditional home red kit needs to be replaced by a tartan kit that resembles a table cloth.
Ok maybe not the last one but it’s likely to be the only one that is going to happen. An absolutely massive close season coming up, I hope SAF still has the fire in his once molten belly fire and isn’t as defeated as he seemed before the Swansea game. Ferguson’s tartan army.
Everyone agrees we need another Roy Keane. I’d love to hear who people think is that good. I hate to say it but the only one i can think of is Yaya Toure. We are now on the otherside of a golden generation & i really think the only way for United to compete with the richest club in the world is to bring up more loyal youth players. Clearly nobody wants to sign for us anymore.
I don’t think United fans should put their club down the way they have been doing. Assuming you win on Sunday you will have ten points more than last season, That’s a good season by anyone’s standards and as the article says if you loose the title it will be by goal difference only. second once in a while is no bad thing.
Don’t hold your breath waiting for the Sheikh to get bored. It won’t happen, anyway there are a lot of seeds being planted around Manchester, England and the world that will insure City generate their own millions in the future. Expect news of the stadium expansion soon.
Don”t be too hard on City for having a Sheikh to spend millions on the club after all Untied have had there own Sheikh Murdoch, he turned United from a club worth around 20 million into one worth 700 million in just 8 years and United have had a good couple of decades buying any player they want whilst hoovering up all the good young talent.
Even City can only buy so many players. There will still be plenty left for United to buy and make into a title winning team, its just going to be harder that’s all
I think it is interesting that United spent more money on it’s starting lineup than City did. You are so quick to say that City splashes the cash when in reality United have been doing it for many many years.
unite have always had an eye for talent…they bought players at a young age and nurtured them to become superstars….they didnt do what city is doing…spending money on every stupid player they can find….united did spend big money on ferdinand,veron,rooney but they did it only wen they needed to for every rooney(30 million) and ferdinand(25 million), there is a ronaldo (12.2 muillion) and a vidic (7 million) also….its not that united have gone ahead and blown money…they have made big signings when desperately needed it….
All teams in the world “splash” the cash but City have taken it to new levels and on the back of a sugar daddy. City’s has no youth policy but a policy of the Sheik buying the best players in the world and throwing them on the pitch.
Like or not thats the truth and before you start with United, United have always brought youth through and will continue to do so.
Amazing, how can you say City have no youth policy!!! Look at all the players that have come through our youth policy several may be playing on Sunday even if it is for QPR
Fair enough the caliber of player we can buy now may mean that the youth system may take a while to catch up again but the academy being built across the road from Etihad at a cost of 80 million for up to 400 youth players along with the existing academy must count as some sort of policy.
City may have taken splashing the cash to new levels but so did United before us, (breaking the English transfer record more times than any other club) City have had to play catch up playing inflated transfer fees and wages but once City is more establish this situation will ease.
I know some United fans would like the financial fair play rules to maintain the unfair advantage United have had for 20 years over everybody else and they probably will. I am just glad city managed to squeeze through the door before it shut on everyone else.
Manchester City did not buy the title. Manchester United gave it away. Think about it. We had 8 points and an easier schedule, yet we lost to wigan (for the 1st time) we gave away a 2 goal lead against everton and we didn’t make a single freakin’ shot on target against city. Saying that city bought the title is wrong. We need to take responsability, learn from our mistakes (SO MANY TO LEARN FROM) and above all else: we have to love united a little more next season.
Any other team going through our circumstances (injuries and such) would be facing relegation, so we still have to appreciate all they’ve done.
GLORY.
Let’s start off with getting over this “City bought the title” routine. It’s both chldish and boring, and does United fans no favours, as it just looks like sour grapes. Every team that ever won the title has invested, but the days of TV wealth have made the amounts needed to break into the “big four” that much higher. Unfortunately the days of “Roy of the Rovers” are long gone, along with the Dodo.
I will add two more comments. Firstly this is one of the more intelligent and less offensive posts I’ve read from the red camp for some time. Secondly, the responses, so far, are in keeping with the level of the article.
Finally, i remind all that the opera isn’t over till the fat lady sings, but the next few years are going to be very interesting.
@ lamar : Well said We are not Liverpool . Less moaning and more doing required .
what we should REALLY stop doing, is sellin’ players like ronaldo.
What you are in real danger of doing is falling for the ‘they’ve bought it’ shit that is shallow and empty in its full entirity. Liverpool spent millions in the summer, Utd spent millions in the summer and yes City spent millions in the summer. However, it was the same people who were saying ‘you can’t buy the title’, you can’t buy team spirit, ‘there just merceneries’, ‘not in my lifetime and on and on and on. Just for once in your life accept that City have done what very few thought was possible and accept that the real challenge is’nt looking at ways to spout drivel and nobby comments about money, wealth and all this shit. Accept City are a massive club who will be around for many many years will change the football landscape as you know it ! Youve had the good years, lets see how you deal with this next period in your illustrious history ! !
Man City bought the title? How many times have United broke the transfer record? How much was Ferdinand TEN years ago? Still the most expensive defender in the prem isnt he? Lets have it right, since the Moores family came into second division Liverpool with their pools money all them years ago the title has been bought and if you think different your deluded!
Hi
Have to say for a rag site you are definitely balanced, realistic and honest in your reports. Can’t resist this but forget about City, they are heading for bigger things… it may be suited to concentrate on your traditional rivals Liverpool and winning your local ‘derby’ Then us big boys might consider you as rivals.
I think you have been where you are for last two years through the skills of SAF. I think there is going to be more tears before things get better. Wow it sounds like i was talking about us pre-Sheikh.
how many leagues have you won ,i wouldn`t call city a big club neither would any other of the 75 million utd fans worldwide.We`ll respond to the challenge of city just like we did to blackburn,arsenal ,chelsea the list will go on and on we`re not that worryed mate…
City dominating the transfer market and the trophy haul is a reality now and Sheiks millions make sure of that and no matter what any deluded Bitter will tell you the hard fact is that City will buy their titles from now on. Yes it will be hard for United but not impossible although so much of the United profits being taken out for loan interest payments makes it even harder.
As Russ said earlier there will be plenty of players available that will fit United’s needs but buy’s like Bebe,Obertan and even Berbabtov will have to be reduced if United are able to compete successfully against the Sheiks billions.