Match Reaction v Aston Villa

[Özim]

That's just nonsense. The board's financial backing has been lukewarm at best over recent years. They are far more concerned about shovelling money out of the club to pay back the loan they needed to buy-in in the first place. A disgrace in itself. At least Kroenke had the money. Take away the astounding amount paid when Utd had their own RvC moment when Ronaldo left and what do you see?

Don't be confused wither by the financial clout of Utd compared to Arsenal. We're only building our muscle, Utd have been bulked up for years all on the back of the great success achieved in earlier decades and then by Ferguson and the genuine backing he got from the previous board. It all sounds very similar if you ask me. Another set of vampires in to suck a club dry while the manager is left to keep the ship afloat.

Luke warm?

Last summer: Robin van Persie (Arsenal, £24m), Shinji Kagawa (Dortmund, £17m), Nick Powell (Crewe, £4m), Alexander Buttner (Vitesse Arnhem, £4m)

The summer before: David De Gea (Atletico Madrid, £17.8m), Phil Jones (Blackburn, £16.5m), Ashley Young (Aston Villa, £16m).

That's not bad.

[Niall_Quinn]

Luke warm?

Last summer: Robin van Persie (Arsenal, £24m), Shinji Kagawa (Dortmund, £17m), Nick Powell (Crewe, £4m), Alexander Buttner (Vitesse Arnhem, £4m)

The summer before: David De Gea (Atletico Madrid, £17.8m), Phil Jones (Blackburn, £16.5m), Ashley Young (Aston Villa, £16m).

That's not bad.

Not bad compared to us. But a significant step down from the £30mill bracket they used to trade in and is now reserved for the chavs and city.

And Liverpool

[Özim]

Not bad compared to us. But a significant step down from the £30mill bracket they used to trade in and is now reserved for the chavs and city.

And Liverpool

Not really no, he can still go out and spend 30 million for the right player, he spent the best part of 50 million in the summer and 50 the summer before as well.

He's got money to spend and he's not scared to spend it, if the Glazers wanted to keep hold of everything they'd give him a few million to play around with, difference is they realise success on the pitch is beneficial to them and the club and fortunately have a manager who believes this too and doesn't pretend some mythical trophy is the definition of success.

I don't mind someone making money as long as what happens on the pitch also matters, I have a real problem with money being the only thing that matters however....which is what is happening at our club.

[Niall_Quinn]

Not really no, he can still go out and spend 30 million for the right player, he spent the best part of 50 million in the summer and 50 the summer before as well.

He's got money to spend and he's not scared to spend it, if the Glazers wanted to keep hold of everything they'd give him a few million to play around with, difference is they realise success on the pitch is beneficial to them and the club and fortunately have a manager who believes this too and doesn't pretend some mythical trophy is the definition of success.

So Fergie can't find the top top top quality he needs? That's why he doesn't spend the big money? It's nice to see someone who has respect for the Glaziers and their vision for football at least. You won't find the same sentiment in Manchester.

[Özim]

So Fergie can't find the top top top quality he needs? That's why he doesn't spend the big money? It's nice to see someone who has respect for the Glaziers and their vision for football at least. You won't find the same sentiment in Manchester.

RVP is he not top quality then?

I think a lot of the fans who had concerns initially are now seeing that it's not as bad as they first thought and that the club still spend money even if they do now have debt.....which they are reducing over time.

Man U is a massive club and despite the debt they have it's pretty clear they are able to cope with those debts much better than some expected and much better than most without compromising the team.

[Niall_Quinn]

RVP is he not top quality then?

I think a lot of the fans who had concerns initially are now seeing that it's not as bad as they first thought and that the club still spend money even if they do now have debt.....which they are reducing over time.

Man U is a massive club and despite the debt they have it's pretty clear they are able to cope with those debts much better than some expected and much better than most without compromising the team.

They got him cheap, of course he's top quality. Ferguson must have been laughing his bollocks off.

Have you watched Utd's defence and midfield of late? Is that the same quality as previous years or have they dropped a level? The answer is obvious but not conducive to bashing Wenger so I get your point. So if we're finally getting behind the Glazier's plan for Utd it might not be too big a leap to get behind our own board and their misunderstood vision for the future, right?

Utd good, Wenger bad. Ferguson's compromises and lip service good, Wenger a sell-out. But wouldn't it be more convincing if you slagged a team you don't even support? It would add credibility to the anti-Wenger stuff because your argument might be viewed as balanced.

[Özim]

They got him cheap, of course he's top quality. Ferguson must have been laughing his bollocks off.

Have you watched Utd's defence and midfield of late? Is that the same quality as previous years or have they dropped a level? The answer is obvious but not conducive to bashing Wenger so I get your point. So if we're finally getting behind the Glazier's plan for Utd it might not be too big a leap to get behind our own board and their misunderstood vision for the future, right?

Utd good, Wenger bad. Ferguson's compromises and lip service good, Wenger a sell-out. But wouldn't it be more convincing if you slagged a team you don't even support? It would add credibility to the anti-Wenger stuff because your argument might be viewed as balanced.

In relative terms yes, but they still paid 24 million which isn't pocket change by any stretch of the imagination, so you argument really falls down there.

As for the quality of their team, sure it's not as good as before (but let's face it some of his previous teams were really top notch), but he's still gone out and spent 20 million on players, regardless of whether they are as good as before he's had the money and spent it.

I'm not getting behind the Glazers at all, I don't much care about what they get up to, my point was simply that's it's not working out quite as badly as was first envisaged, the manager still has money, the club is still successful and the debt is being reduced, at least the fans are seeing success on the pitch it's not just a one way ticket on the money train.

Wenger is a sell out yes and I'll tell you why, whilst Ferguson continues to strive for success and doesn't settle for 2nd place, Wenger goes out and picks up his pay checks and tells everyone 4th place is amazing and like a trophy, he's proud of his achievement despite not winning a thing in 7 years (he's insinuated many times he's very happy with his performance). Ferguson hasn't changed, winning is everything to him and you'll never hear him being happy with 4th place happy to see other teams picking up all the silverware, Wenger on the other hand now makes excuses for his failure to win and praises non achievements as if we've hit the jackpot and won the CL or PL.

Maybe you should look at the facts, it amazes me you concentrate most of your energy on the board when the manager makes schoolboy errors on the pitch week in week out, for some reason though, that's OK, as is settling for 4th place whilst picking up 7 million (more than any other manager).

[Olivier's xmas twist]

Yes it is, since Wenger became a loser and no longer competition to Ferguson he's changed his view, he use to hate him and would always say all kinds of things to slate him.....in a way Ferguson having good things to say about him just shows how poor Wenger has become.

Fergie has never hated him. never. they'e always been rivals on the pitch. Fergie has always said they share a drink together even in the days of Wenger winning stuff. Fergie has respect for AW and what he has done.

Not really no, he can still go out and spend 30 million for the right player, he spent the best part of 50 million in the summer and 50 the summer before as well.

He's got money to spend and he's not scared to spend it, if the Glazers wanted to keep hold of everything they'd give him a few million to play around with, difference is they realise success on the pitch is beneficial to them and the club and fortunately have a manager who believes this too and doesn't pretend some mythical trophy is the definition of success.

I don't mind someone making money as long as what happens on the pitch also matters, I have a real problem with money being the only thing that matters however....which is what is happening at our club.

Well he has not brought a good midfilder and a defender his club needed, which is one of the criticism he gets from his own fans. Talking to a couple of manc fans the other day. they said to me the midfield is poor and they could not understand why a couple of quality midfilders were brought in. So i said Fergie is a smart man who can see this, problem is, he had to choose between buying a fantastic stiker and taking a chance in the midfield or vice versa. He don't have the money for both like he used to.

And Utd don't have money, thats a well known fact, thats why they have not spent alot in the last few years and thats why their sqaud has been weak for a few years now.

Fergie knows he can't chuck 50 mill on a player like City and chavs can, his board won't give him that type of money for one player.

Don't be fooled by thinking the Glazers are ambitious or they care about that club, simply they don't. Only thing that goes for them is Fergie is a good manager. Had they had a moyes etc there, they be worse off.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

Luke warm?

Last summer: Robin van Persie (Arsenal, £24m), Shinji Kagawa (Dortmund, £17m), Nick Powell (Crewe, £4m), Alexander Buttner (Vitesse Arnhem, £4m)

The summer before: David De Gea (Atletico Madrid, £17.8m), Phil Jones (Blackburn, £16.5m), Ashley Young (Aston Villa, £16m).

That's not bad.

Of course that is luke warm to what Fergie is used to. Not really much quality there. Lets be honest. Lets remember this is not spending big, its the norm going rate for players these days £15 mill is.