Manchester United are either finally doing things right or ‘spaffing’ money around, depending on whether you support United or Liverpool.
How are other clubs feeling this summer? Let’s hear from all of you at theeditor@football365.com
No club is banter-proof
Surprised to see Spurs at the top of your mood rankings. Are they really happier than champions Liverpool who look set to inject themselves with some Wirtz euphoria? Do we really have to stop slagging Spurs now?
In the mailbox directly after the Europa League final there was an air of ‘You can’t slag us anymore’ among Spurs fans. Lads, we can always slag you. We just move the goalposts.
Win the Europa League? It was a competition the big clubs were too good to enter. On a par with Leeds winning the Championship. Sack Ange? Teehee, Winning a trophy at Spurs is a sackable offence. Keep Ange? Good luck getting your pants pulled down at home and in Europe next year.
It’s not just Spurs this applies to either. All clubs can and should be mocked no matter what they achieve.
Win the League Cup? Mickey mouse, any serious team plays the kids in the early rounds.
Win the FA Cup? Small time, Premiership and Champions League are where it’s at.
Qualify for Champions League? Big swing, sure the top 5 qualify now. That’s not an achievement.
Qualify for 15 years in a row? Congratulations on your 4th place trophy (or 5th place trophy to keep it current).
Win the league? Poor year, everyone else fell over their own shoelaces, means nothing.
Go through the league undefeated? Drew too many games, lost to Middlesborough in the cup, invincible my arse.
Win the league multiple times? Chequebook. And your owners are scum.
TL/DR – no matter what your team has won, no better where they finished or how well they played, all teams and their fans shall be subjected to piss-taking. As it should be. IF you think otherwise you don’t understand football fans.
Conor Malone. Donegal
Hot take of the seasonAs we have reached the end of the season and the awards are being handed out, it’s been greatly amusing to look back at some of the predictions and hot takes from some of the so called experts. (Guys from the pub with a social media channel).
However one such take from the beginning of the season sticks out for me like a beacon of light. That would be the pearl of wisdom from Garey Vance who, after watching his beloved United lose 3-0 to Liverpool in pre-season, confidently announced that he had “Still seen enough to suggest they would do ok this season.”
Bravo, we have a winner.
Chris Walker
Funny fella
If Man Utd have returned to a policy of signing players from rivals, shouldn’t they be looking at Burnley, Leeds and Sunderland for potential transfers?
Chris, NUFC
Are Man Utd being…sensible?
Mailbox,
What on earth are Manchester United (my team) doing? In Cunha and Mbuemo they seem to be targeting players with established records of success in the Premier League, who are coming into their prime rather than being youngsters with potential. And they aren’t ‘big names’ who will bring a potentially damaging superiority complex (even if they’d be within their rights to, given last season).
It’s almost as if… United are doing transfers right? I can’t remember the last time this happened.
I’m sure they’ll still be terrible next season but at least I can enjoy the transfer window.
Dan (hope you enjoyed me starting this email in the style of a middle management tosser), Worthing
MORE ON MANCHESTER UNITED ON F365
👉Man Utd making ‘best’ moves with £125m swoop already explained by Neville ‘policy’
👉Every Man Utd signing post-Sir Alex ranked: Sancho, Antony bottom five, Ronaldo 7th; Mbeumo next?
👉Man Utd star Fernandes reveals Amorim asked him ‘not to go’ as huge Saudi move shot down
A long way to go…so relax
The sheer volume of (mis)information during ‘transfer season’ is stunning. Whether it is never-heard-of-before ‘journalists’ in the know, agents leveraging the opportunity to get their players a new or better deal or the myriad of media outlets posting for clicks. How much is ever or actually true? Probably less than 1%.
Any player mentioned as going to one of the top clubs in England and automatically Real Madrid have an interest in them. Real? No. Going to get a ton of clicks from a fan who had their heart set on that player going to their favoured team? Yes.
Last year Chelsea were supposed to have ‘won’ the transfer window. And also ‘beaten’ Liverpool because of deals like Caicedo and Lavia. In reality, none shone as well as Gravenberch or indeed Mac Allister or Szoboszlai, all far less expensive.
It’s far too early to tell if any work out, so no point in getting upset, and until the manager gets his hands on the player in pre-season, the players will have no idea what is ultimately expected of them.
As to the recent emails regarding transfers or non-transfers. Utd still appear to be spaffing transfer money around. I am surprised at any player going to Utd, who have been woeful, the manager is still unproven and there is no European football to entice and get you broader visibility.
Fernandes staying isn’t necessarily good either. It’s funny and a little ironic that when playing for Portugal, who have a national team chock full of brilliant players, he has had less chance to shine as long as Ronaldo is the focus. But the same is true of the rest of the Utd team when Fernandes is playing. It’s all about him.
Moving him on for big money, and allowing Amorim the chance the mold the team properly, with players that fit, may make more sense. Sure, Mbeumo is great and Cunha can go from great to sucking, but will they fit and can they fit around Fernandes? Not clear. But those are about the best signings Utd can get right now without European football.
Liverpool, on the other hand, is banking on some high-risk, high-reward players. Kerkez, if they get him, is the most logical of those mooted right now. Pretty much a direct replacement for Robertson. Feisty, fast, gets forward. Might even be better than the younger version of Robertson.
Frimpong and Wirtz are tricky. Frimpong is not only not a replacement for Trent, but his stats indicate he is neither a great defender nor a great forward. He might be a great wing-back, but Slot doesn’t usually play that way. He is fast, tricky, gets forward, gets into the box, and can go wide around Salah. So perhaps a way to get more out of Salah, allowing him to do his favourite thing and cut inside, and fill in when away at Afcon.
Wirtz is not a winger nor a centre forward. He is more of a 10. Slot likes to play through the middle and not go wide. When playing against teams that block or high-press, he can excel. He is press-resistant but not in the same calm way as Gravenberch, but with clever flicks or the ability to dribble. Perhaps Slot realises Liverpool needed some alternative ways to break teams down, as they were easier to work out in the second half of the season.
The point is, while I have said those things, we won’t know until the actual transfers are completed and the managers/coaches have had some pre-season time to get their ideas across and mould the new batch into a team. Based on last season, I would still feel Liverpool’s transfer business is going to be a lot more joined up than Utd’s.
But no point in sweating over any of it until it’s all done.
Paul McDevitt
READ: Five reasons why Florian Wirtz may not actually be a good signing for Liverpool
Actually…
While everyone around here might have think that Wirtz will be a flop, I am deeply concerned that Liverpool might be on their way to signing their De Bruyne who will help them dominate the league for the next five years. This is why…
1. First of all, he is not a lightweight short arse (he is 177cm, for reference other good midfielders like Michael “the bison” Essien were 177cm, Roy Keane was 180cm at his peak playing career, he has lost some height since then, Joshua Kimmich-177cm, Moses Caicedo-177cm, Javier Mascherano-174cm, Joao Neves-177cm).
2. The comments made by great players/coaches like Xabi Alonso and his teammates suggest a highly underrated player with great potential, they can clearly see his value.
3. Liverpool wants (needs?) him and he wants them-Liverpool players and fans have made it clear that they want to play with him. There is an a void in creating chances in that Liverpool team and you can see that he will fit in perfectly in filling it, a perfect match for both parties.
4. He is young and that gives him a great opportunity to grow his career at a great club (he will be motivated and positive on playing for Liverpool even with changes that may impede his imminent rise).
5. His signing (I hate to say this) will put Liverpool above other clubs in terms of stature and ultimately lure good players from other clubs.
Jamo, Nairobi
Another bad take from Badwolf
It has been a long time since my last mail but seeing another bad take from Badwolf has forced my hand.
Let’s start with selfish, which is defined as: “lacking consideration for other people; concerned chiefly with one’s own personal profit or please”. It does not take a genius to establish the selfish action here would have been (as captain and best player) to abandon Man Utd at their lowest ebb for the riches of Saudi oil money.
Bruno is currently the only world-class player at the club, consistently ranking highest in the league (ahead of fan favourites like KdB and Odegaard) for chances created and has single handedly dragged Man Utd to any commendable position over the last 5 years – contributing 37 G/A this season. Yes he, along with the whole team, underperformed in the EL final however players have off days (see Haaland in the FA Cup final). Bruno has delivered big moments in big games; see assist for Mainoo in the FA cup final, penalty against Lyon to inspire the comeback not to mention that delightful lob against Liverpool last year.
This apparent obsession with downplaying Bruno’s achievements stands in stark contrast to Badwolf’s defence of Rashford – who apparently does not have any attitude problems (despite frequently missing training / matches due to ‘illness’ following club nights out). It’s clear the culture has needed a fundamental reset after Pogba, Lindgard, Rashford, Sancho and by all means this is being achieved – we just need to shift the last two out the door.
In terms of complaining about the rebuild, a reminder that we are 4 days into the transfer window and have (1) agreed a deal for Cunha, (2) become Mbeumo’s preferred destination and (3) kept our best player and captain against the lure of Saudi riches. Another reminder that the window closes September 1 which leaves sufficient time to hopefully progress and shift out more unwanted players.
Lastly, unless a new set piece coach is going to sprinkle some human growth hormone in everyone’s tea to make them grow a couple of extra inches then I think you are vastly overestimating the impact they can have, without signing some taller, physical players. However, it would not be a Badwolf mail without a large dose of sensationalism. I fear we may have another Stewie on our hands at this rate.
LOH, MUFC
Bruno and basketball
All the talk about Bruno’s potential departure from United has made me draw comparisons from across the sporting world in my head. Disclaimer!!: I know basketball is far more impacted by individuals and there is no jeopardy in that they can’t get relegated but the thought experiment is fun anyway.
The two teams in the NBA finals this year have both gone down the route of selling Bruno.
Just 3 years ago, neither team made the playoffs and were not far off the bottom of their respective tables. In recent years OKC have traded away TWO mvps in favour of investing in youth, in return they received zero established stars and many draft picks, who hadn’t even proven they could play at that level at all (Equivalent would be signings from ligue 1 and below??) They now have another mvp and by far the most cohesive team unit and best defence in the league with a core that will last at least 3/4 years.
Indiana have done similar, not quite as extreme but elected to get rid of their best player in order to take a chance on up and coming players. As a result (Coming back to football soon!), they have both made the finals and are both in the 4 highest scoring teams in a single playoff run in the past 40 years. One of them will win and the other will certainly be back next year.
Back to United, the consensus seems that if they do return to the top end of the table, it will take at least 2/3 years, at which point Bruno will be presumably approaching the end. As much as I dislike the man, I have some respect for his ‘selfish’ ambition of staying at the top level and not pissing off to the desert to cosplay as a footballer.
But football can and sometimes has to be a harsh business. United also already have some great young players, Diallo, Yoro, Mainoo (Don’t know what the story is with him) and even Zirkzee all are good players and will probably improve. Cash in on Garnacho and Hojlund while they can as well. If the United higher ups take a sort of universal approach to lessons of sports, they would find themselves at the same point OKC and Indiana did three years ago.
If they back themselves to recruit properly (Big if) they could be competing again in 3 years, with a young core that will only improve. I would suggest setting up a standing order with Stade Rennais (Doué, Dembele, Camavinga, Raphinha, Doku, Cech etc…)
As far as I’m aware, they also are in desperate need of money, and there’s only so many dinner ladies you can sack. Anyway, I don’t support United so if they did this and got even worse oh well, and I’m sure there’s some logical inconsistencies in the cross sport comparison but it’s interesting. Maybe even replace Onana with an NBA player! Great reach and can almost certainly catch a ball better than him, Wembenyana’s wingspan probably covers the entire goal and he can even do a few kick ups.
C, Greece
MORE ON MANCHESTER UNITED ON F365
👉Man Utd making ‘best’ moves with £125m swoop already explained by Neville ‘policy’
👉Every Man Utd signing post-Sir Alex ranked: Sancho, Antony bottom five, Ronaldo 7th; Mbeumo next?
👉Man Utd star Fernandes reveals Amorim asked him ‘not to go’ as huge Saudi move shot down
Ode to BrunoI see a lot of drivel bring written about Bruno Fernandes. It’s always worth noting that 14 teams finished above United without Bruno, so there’s nothing to suggest that Bruno (or any one player) is all that critical for success. But people who dismiss his ability or contribution need their head examined.
Three things often get missed out in the Bruno stats comparisons. The first his is defensive work. Usually, we see the numbers around chances created, assists, and goal contributions, where he tops the United numbers handsomely, and is usually amongst the top few in the PL teams. But alongside that he also tops the United numbers for ball recoveries and interceptions.
If you compare him to De Bruyne, Odegard, Enzo Fernandez, or Tielemans, you’ll see that in the just completed season, Bruno has more goal involvements than any of them, but he also completely dwarfs them when it comes to defensive stats. He has almost 3 times as many ball recoveries as Maddison, and more than twice as many as Odegard. In fact, he has more ball recoveries than Thomas Partey. I’m not sure who else is a better attacking AND defensive midfielder.
The second is his effort. People are quick to point out his arm waving. Nobody complained when Keane was bawling out his teammates or Ferdinand was screaming at his midfielders. I’m actually not sure how Keane would have reacted to some of the play around him if it was like our last season. He would probably have punched a few of his own players. But putting aside these subtle cultural differences, it misses the point at Bruno’s running and minutes played stats have been amongst Europe’s best, across the top leagues. He is the player most likely to be making a tackle in his own penalty box and also attempting a volley in the opponents box within a few seconds.
And the 3rd and probably most foundational point is his indestructability. At some point he will suffer injuries and I’ve probably just jinxed it. But his availability is a super-power. According to transfermarkt, he has missed a total of 6 games for club and country since 2016. That’s 6 games in 9 years, including 2 games for illness.
And he seems to be a generally good egg in the dressing room, with fans, and with young players. He doesn’t sulk and shirk media duties, and fronts up more often than most others especially in this ghastly season. So yes, snide all you want but Bruno is every managers dream player, and I doubt very much there’s a single top level manager who wouldn’t have him if he was available to them.
I started writing this a couple of days ago, when I thought he was leaving. As I said earlier, nobody’s irreplaceable. And sometimes a great player leaving can actually be the making of a team. But let’s not pretend that Bruno is anything but an elite player.
Ved Sen (Here’s to a few surprises next season), Man United.
The B Team
The season is over, the summer is here and with it comes the inevitable pub garden conversations around our beloved sport. In amongst the usual topics, Next Season FC, Man U Relegation Prospects, Tottenham being Tottenham etc we hit upon a question and something of a game which brought out the pen and paper. Which letter of the Alphabet creates the greatest fantasy football surname team?
I present one such selection and pass it over to the esteemed readers to counter.
Best’s Boys.
Buffon
Baresi Blanc Bailly Bonucci
Beckham Bergkamp Barnes
Best Benzema Bale
Only 73 days till the prem returns fellas.
JDB