Summer 2024 Transfer Window

Freddie Adu was the first player that came to mind when I read about him this morning.

I don't care how good he is, there is no way on earth a 14 yr old kid should be playing professional adult football.

There are more serious abuses that can be put onto children of course, but this is still in my view child abuse in a manner of speaking, certainly exploitative and more than likely damaging. 14 year old kids are not ready physically, intellectually, mentally, or emotional ready for it.

It's plain wrong, and FIFA should ban it.

didnt arsenal have a 15 year old make his debut last season? I agree rule should be 16 maybe even 17.

Thats just standard. Can't not have United glued to the top at every opportunity.

No conspiracy thats just always how Uniteds finances are reported. Always every single bonus/clause rolled in to maximise the financial outlay.

I'm finding the INEOS hype a bit weird. United haven't been strangers to big spending and looking good in July

You had plenty of 'good' summers in the previous regime too. One summer you signed Varane, Sancho & Ronaldo (who had scored 36 goals the previous season). Awful in hindsight but very well received at the time.

Last season started as one of the better summers alright.

In a lot of years, buying players hasn't really been the issue (there was that one summer with just Fred and Grant…).

Buying the right players has been the issue, and selling the players no longer in the plans (so we can then replace them).

So far, we can't make a call on INEOS either way to be honest. If the charge is Glazers also did good summers like Sancho, Varane, Ronaldo… then INEOS can only be judged in a couple of seasons when we see how the signigns panned out. I think all 3 of those Glazer signigns we arguably right signings - especially Varane and Sancho. They just didn't work out. Yoro could be a flop, Zirkzee could be a flop. any signing could be.

Whether we can say ineos are better now would depend on whether we think INEOS decisoin making process is better, really.

Definitely. The company are no longer running the show either as you would think that with the length of time they have been on gardening leave that these signings would have been Ashworth and Berrada approved by hook or by crook. Owners are not the ones who are responsible now so everything being put on INEOs is a bit misguided imo. They are just money men.

INEOS are just money men?

Like kinda? I guess.

I would think the issue is INEOS hired (football person) Berrada vs (banker) Woodword and (banker/commercials) Arnold, to be CEO. Hired experienced professional Ashworth to be Sporting Director vs Joel Glazer and internal promotion appointment Murtought. Hired experienced professional Wilcox to be technical director vs no one (Fletcher had the title, but no actual role).

And then they are letting (it appears) those people do their jobs - vs what the Glazers had where everything ran up through Joel to make the final call.

I would think when people are praising INEOS for the moves being made, they are praising the structure they have put in place in terms of people and decisions - rather than think Ratcliffe is responsible for signing Yoro. No longer waiting for Joel to wake up and check his emails after his morning walk.

I suppose you can dress it up to make it look however you want but INEOS are only in control for about 5 months and in that time we have seen a lot of positive news IMO

We have seen some higher earners who weren't on the pitch often enough moved on - This may or may not have happened anyway under the previous setup.
We have seen the sale of Greenwood with good terms for the club - I highly doubt Ed or his disciples would have got this deal done in such a favourable way for the club financially
We have seen early plans in place for renovation / building a new stadium

We have seen 2 highly-rated players be brought into the club in 2 areas that are badly needed in a timely fashion and without a transfer saga.

It's early days but it's a far more positive outlook around the club than there was 1/2 years ago.
This window also wouldn't be a good one if there weren't further ins and outs from here but I have watched the club struggle through transfer windows before tso I know this a good START and with the changes made to the background it's easy to understand the optimism.

We aren't chasing a FDJ for 2 months and then as a result not making moves on other positions because we are only focused on that one particular player.
This summer we identified Branthwaite - but couldn't agree on a fee. So, have signed another CB instead, and made good progress on a 3rd CB.
We have never in recent years identified a weak spot in the squad and then identified multiple solutions to that problem and moved on them.

A lot of our bigger name signings were players who became available and were obviously offered to Utd as their agents knew they would get big wages and get to stay at a big club in a strong league - see Ronaldo, Varane and Casemiro.

All 3 I was delighted to sign - but I am a fan. I am allowed to get sucked in by the idea of bringing in those players.
It's up to those working at the club to be better than fans and recognise that these signings may not have the best interest of the club long term.

The profile of players we are going after looks to be different. Most fans did not have Yoro or Zirkzee on their list for the summer but the deals do look good and time will tell if they are.

If you want to look at it on the surface and say it's not all that different then that's grand. But you have to ignore an awful lot of other stuff to come to that conclusion

Yeah, I've no idea how involved Ratcliffe, Blanc or Brailsford are at the execution of plans. I know they were all part of the planning meeting for the summer that was done in May. But that could be just approving budgets and general plans - no idea if they are having a say in whether to go back in for Brantwaite or go for De Ligt for eg.

In the main, my criticism of Glazers were two main reasons.
1. Hiring the wrong people.
2. Not caring the wrong people were doing a crap job.

IMO, Ineos have hired the right people. Point number 2 for them can only be judged in time (but they are off to a bad start keeping Eth!!)

So long as it's not eth saying I want this player, but saying I want this type of players I'm okay with backing him.

However, he needs to have a bit of a revision of whatever the **** his "philosophy" is supposed to be, because he is and has been generally shite at in game management when his plan a hasn't worked.

He's shown adaptability a handful of times, most notably against city in the cup and a few fixtures against them and arsenal in the league when he set up to counter their tactics rather than had them try and play a specific way that every single team had some success in nullifying

Where are Marseille getting the money from? I thought French club football was meant to be on its arse because of their troubles with TV deals etc. It's not like they are playing European football this season either.

Looking like De Bruyne could be off to Saudi Arabia

League 1 signed a new TV deal last week with DAZN and BeIN last week for €500m a year.

Joe Biden is a free agent from January.

It was about half of what they were looking for apparently so not exactly a massive deal for them but they have something.

Pep also said he'd quit if he had any inclination that Man City were cheating. Pep says a lot of things

Crazy they'll pay that much for an injury ravaged player but are low balling for McTominay.

Jake O’Brien to join Everton for €20m from Lyon. Branthwaite’s replacement or CB partner?

Regards,

P.

Third choice behind tarkowski and Braithwaite with a view to being ready to replace Braithwaite next summer