United s Transfer Woes

Champions of England but United were left a laughing stock in the transfer window with Moyes missing out on his top targets (at least he kept hold of Wayne Rooney though)

Manchester United’s farcical transfer window came to an ignominious end on Monday evening, as England’s most famous club were reduced to a laughing stock, amid claims of impostors and incomplete paperwork on the Iberian peninsula.
United did complete one deal - for Everton’s Marouane Fellaini - but a closer inspection of this transfer reveals the embarrassing flaws of a quite bewildering transfer policy in Ed Woodward’s first summer as Chief Executive.
A clause in Fellaini’s Everton contract dictated that the Belgian would be allowed to leave if a buying club matched his £23.5million release clause before July 31 - a detail that Manchester United manager David Moyes himself implemented into the Belgian’s Everton contract.

Headless chickens: David Moyes had a very frustrating transfer window, failing to sign most of his main targets and only bringing in one first-team player: Marouane Fellaini
In July, United made enquiries but did not submit a formal offer for the midfielder. It is all the more mystifying because Moyes identified the midfielder as his top midfield target within days of taking the job.
That United should sign the him had seemed a fait accompli all summer long. The aim was always Fellaini - plus one more in midfield.
Why, therefore, United left it so late and to a stage that would allow Everton to negotiate an even higher fee - £27.5million - is deeply puzzling.
It was also widely known that Everton manager Roberto Martinez would return to Wigan to sign James McCarthy as Fellaini’s replacement and United should have anticipated the dangers of allowing a chain involving the master negotiator Dave Whelan to run so close to the deadline.
Surprisingly, despite Everton’s firm stance that a joint offer for Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines would not be accepted - Fellaini was always seen as more expendable - United continued to pursue this route until Monday morning.

Overpriced and almost late: Fellaini's deal went through at the very last minute on Monday night
It was only on deadline day - when the penny finally dropped with the United board - that Woodward finally decided to split the offer.
United were still refusing to give up in their attempts to sign Baines as late as Monday evening, despite Everton insisting from the very start that the player would not be sold. Admittedly, every player has his price - but United never came near to approaching the desired £20million for the England left-back.
Bizarrely, United’s final offer for Baines on Monday afternoon - worth £15million - was the same as his valuation in last weekend’s £40million joint offer for Baines and Fellaini - which was rejected...

Copied from a newspaper doing its normal thing. United supposedly had zero chance of winning the league this time last year as well... enjoy your little bit of fun while I sit back and continue to enjoy the fact that is...

Manchester United = Champions X(

Englander Wrote:

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> Copied from a newspaper doing its normal thing.
> United supposedly had zero chance of winning the
> league this time last year as well... enjoy your
> little bit of fun while I sit back and continue to
> enjoy the fact that is...
>
> Manchester United = Champions X(


Last year,was last year..
City under performed,Chelsea was in chaos regarding managers,Spurs have invested this year.Liverpool will improve(even though they were lucky on Sunday.lol)
I think it will be an interesting chapter in The Red Devils history,Fergies no mug.He got out at the right time...

I will lay you 5/1, no ew bets.You may sneak 3rd..

Englander Wrote:

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> Copied from a newspaper doing its normal thing.
> United supposedly had zero chance of winning the
> league this time last year as well... enjoy your
> little bit of fun while I sit back and continue to
> enjoy the fact that is...
>
> Manchester United = Champions X(


Please,bit of respect for The Daily Mail..

can we have your comment re Liverpools win over Man United Englander.

chicken 'n chips Wrote:

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> can we have your comment re Liverpools win over
> Man United Englander.

Sh1t happens CnC

I never said scum were lucky DTF, I said I thought we were the better team. I also think there is more truth in your comment re Fergie than maybe you believed when making that statement.

Dave, we are Champions this year and I never thought we would be X(

I also thought we would struggle in the Champions League last time and I see it being no different this campaign. It may only have been a friendly but Sevilla exposed the problems still posed to us when the opposition plays at pace. We have not had the midfielder we need for a fair few years. Those "faults" have nothing to do with Moyes, he can only work on changing them but that will, same as everything, take time. I have no doubt Fabregas was his main objective and quite possibly remains so. I think he wants two very specific players (plus a left back) and will, depending on their situations, go and try again in Jan and then again maybe next year. The press and oppo and some so-called United fans can jump about etc all they like, it doesn't change the fact that we still have a very good squad and with a couple of additions, the right ones, would make us absolutely nailed on for the EPL again. It didn't happen unfortunately and that's the way it goes sometimes but I have no problem with the players he targeted. And I don't discount us as big contenders for the EPL either, would be very foolish to write us off this early in the season me thinks...

chicken 'n chips Wrote:

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> can we have your comment re Liverpools win over
> Man United Englander.

Apparently they were unlucky.....
They needed Howard Webb

Liverpool were very good and will take some beating at their place this season. Man United are still adjusting to life without Ferguson which may take a season or two.

chicken 'n chips Wrote:

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> Liverpool were very good and will take some
> beating at their place this season. Man United are
> still adjusting to life without Ferguson which may
> take a season or two.


Would agree CnC, to say United were the better side is outrageous.

I have no clue how you say scum were very good. They were very solid defensively, fair enough (though I think we helped them a fair bit!!). Second half particularly though they struggled to get the ball out of their own half for any length of time... that's playing "very good" football? Surely not.

As for United. just watching... have no issues with Moyes and happy to let him get on with it. Now is certainly not the time to be judgmental. We won at scum last year and were very lucky to do so. This year (IMO!!) we were much the better team and lost. And everyone starts screaming and howling now... strange game, football

shrek Wrote:

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> chicken 'n chips Wrote:
>

---

>

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> > Liverpool were very good and will take some
> > beating at their place this season. Man United
> are
> > still adjusting to life without Ferguson which
> may
> > take a season or two.
>
>
> Would agree CnC, to say United were the better
> side is outrageous.


this must be a first. Somebody on ABC has actually agreed with me.X(

shrek Wrote:

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> United were MUCH the better
> side