going on at Manchester United? A slow summer so far? I feel
like this is a time when we could have been asking this of
any of the last four Summers.
Eric 10 hearts come in
and no new players have followed them yet.
I can't look at this is a good or bad thing. If man united
the lack of new players coming in means they are developing
plans and they have a proper recruitment strategy now or if
it's just more of the same, I mean
United fans are very frustrated. We can see that
when you Nunez coming in live off Big Money Man City bringing
in Earl and Harland and then not much going on at Old
Trafford and we saw
Richard Arnold the CEO being filmed
when he was having a few beers, with some angry fans who were
due to protests, he took him down the pub, had a pint. They
did some secret filming of him. Discussing,
you know, saying that we spent loads of money
and the money is there but we need to get a proper person and
recruitment policy in place to spend this money wisely with
Eric 10, hog and and a managing director. Feel like we've been
here so many times. With Manchester United. But,
but Andy, I'm going to start with you because
it seems to me at least like a lot of players are put off
going to your night and whether or not, it's one of the biggest
clubs in the world, whether or not, they've got one of
the most talented up-and-coming managers in the world now,
because
even Frankie the young who's worked, very 10. Hard closely
doesn't seem like he wants to go there. I mean, he's been
asked, you know, one of the biggest teams in the world
wants you and he said, I'm already at the biggest club in
the world. Barcelona doesn't seem bothered about going there
and then you hear about Christian Eriksen, maybe being
a bit put off. Timber as well for my acts. Louis that he'll
tell him not to go there. I mean,
there's anybody want to sign for Man United. And can you
understand this kind of situation? And do you actually
think it makes sense to take their time? Or are they just
doing the same old thing?
Yeah, other than, you know, they're going to pay a ton of money
in wages. I don't know what the pull is to go to Manchester
United right now because of the uncertainty with the squad,
the manager, the system that they're going to play, what is
the season going to look like? Can they be
really competitive this season? They don't have
League to offer this season, it might be a pretty uphill climb
to get into it for next season as well. So there's just
there's a lot of factors going against Manchester United right
now and it does feel like they almost need to take two or
three Giant Steps. Back
in terms of deconstructing what is some of the squad that they
have now trying to get as much value as they can for a number
of players? I think Jesse lingard would have been
a perfect example of that over the last six or 12 or 18 or 24
months that they just let his contract run down. He leaves
for
Free. And he's going to go on and be probably a very
productive player in the Premier League elsewhere.
Probably at West Ham and they got absolutely nothing for him.
So I think the business has been done whether incoming
weather outgoing,
whether player's contract, stagnating and expiring, it has
just been bad over the last number of years. And so,
I don't know what the poll for a player would be.
And the one thing that you're saying there, as you're talking
about, the things that Richard Arnold was saying, my first
thought was, oh, that's great. They understand where they've
gone wrong and the past. They are maybe trying to be
accountable
and then I thought, well, this is Manchester United. So
there's always one more layer of just mess that is involved.
And the thought came to my head. What if it was a plant?
What if
that was scripted to be put out there? It's for the good
publicity of match at this point? You probably not but at
this point you can't completely write it off and say, oh,
that's completely ridiculous. Manchester United would not do
that
because it's just the way that the club has been Run over
a number of years. I think you could question. Absolutely
anything that they do at Old Trafford.
I mean they all put in some of the building blocks in place,
right? Drill motors. Coming in obviously Fletcher's evolved
behind the scenes and you have Eric 10 hog is asking for
certain players. If the reports are true, he's asked
specifically for Franca di young and Christian Eriksen
what do you think about those type of players and how they
fit into this United Squad already? When you have Bruno,
Fernandez around, I have no idea how those players are all
going to fit into a functioning team, but it seems like they're
trying to get those
Locks in place. So like you said, let's give him
the benefit of the doubt for this summer, with a new manager,
another new manager, but it seems like more change behind
the scenes now Edward without and different people coming in
and trying to get that structure in
place. But but Nick, I mean,
Andy mentioned there, there's a lot of players that have left,
Pogba, blinguard, many others, Matic matter, contracts have
come to an end
and every turn has an actually had an opportunity, right to
see these players yet up close and personal and training so we
still have to decide on this. Even with those players leaving
the store, huge. Judge Squad, their of mostly International
Players. So,
you think he's just taking his time to see, you can actually
rely on before they make big moves, or
what do you think about that? And what do you think his
priority should be in terms of signing players? Because there
are some key areas where they really need to get a move on.
Right.
Oh, for sure.
I think there's a little bit of a deconstruction going on as
you guys have mentioned, but I also believe as I look at
United and I look at the players that they have the,
there's enough there to get them through,
You know, if they can deconstruct the click part of
it, right? Remember, we heard about that last year? That,
that was a big thing that they were Clicks in the room
because I look at they have a world-class goalkeeper and
David to have a raphaël Varane is a fantastic centre-back who
was not healthy for most of last year.
If they can find something in Harry MaGuire to work through,
then you start to look further afield, you think well, you
know, van debate is someone who is trusted by ten hog, and
Bruno, Fernandez and home. What Jaden Sancho's now in a Year
it back in England and Marcus rash for. So you start to see
pieces here, that that can be absolutely functional together.
And when we look at Manchester United, I'm not trying to be
Rosie here at all,
but I really, really am not what I'm thinking is they have
to consider the pr aspect of absolutely everything.
The first signing of ten, how do they care about? What order
it is in
mod Diallo, is, are they looking at some guys that he's
told them? This is my guy. And I'm really looking forward to
this.
I just don't have any idea how to judge them other than to
know. They're going to be very much judged. I guess I'm just
trying to guard against the hype because they're not going
to be terrific.
They're coming out of the gate. Frankie too young for
the record. I do think would be
almost perfect sort of building block to show. These are
the kind of players we are going to invest in, you know,
possession, bass player that we know fits our manager system,
but
I just the
dope right now has to be brutal there.
Yeah, it does. And I think now that
we understand Erickson hog is clear philosophy, right? We
know how they played eyex into changing the filters attackers
free-flowing, football with Ericsson and Franca di long as
the two main targets. So far,
you know, that those are the kind of players that he's going
to be recruiting. So then that's you. Look at the players
that they're right. And you look at Ronaldo. I mean there's
reports about him that you going elsewhere and it's like,
I've guys like that really gonna adapt their
Career in the way they've always played
to play a totally different style of football at this stage
of their career. And is there enough in that Squad to play
the way that 10 hog wants to play? Because
I don't think there is I think this is going to take as you
stretch years and it's going to be a patient's needed and
I don't think either the fans have it, probably the players
there have it
and most of the people involved in Manchester United.
You're asking some really, really expensive questions
right there, gel, I mean and they're all the right
questions. And
it's all the right questions as well because you have to
consider these things. And I think as you were asking, Nick,
the previous question.
I was thinking, I think we're asking the wrong questions
about how man united and ten Hager operating, if he's
expected to come in and then run the rule over all
the players and decide whether before, or during preseason,
I feel like they've failed him already. I feel like there
should be whatever the transfer committee is whatever
the structure whoever's on. It
should I have a lot of that stuff to present to him on day
one and then he should be familiar with the squad as
well,
but it feels like everything is moving a little slow for
Manchester United. So far, in the start under 10 hog, they
got the, you know, they made the appointment before
the season ended last season. We knew what was coming and so we
thought, maybe they'll start
a little bit quicker
this summer. And they've just not. And as we're talking
through all this, I'm thinking there's a lot of politics that
goes on at Manchester United. Isn't there in? It's just
really messy. There's politics in the boardroom. There's
Politics with the manager, there's
so many clicks and politics within the dressing room as
well. And some of the, you know, we've named them already.
Some of the star veterans that are there the young players
trying to.
It's just they had, it's a really bad situation if it's
a good fit Alex.
That's a lot too. So out and that's one of the reasons right
now. Do you see him being linked to why already? And it's
just, you know, where's that coming from? And you know, how
would he
how much of an impact would it just be easier to move on from
him? That's a discussion for another day. We've already
going to hide that, right? And I think we all agree with Polly
will be better and Hogs are help bringing this new
philosophy. If he wasn't around
other than the fact that it's Manchester United and it is,
you know, the global brand that it is in the money, that's
attached to it. Why would anyone want that job is? If
unless you truly deeply believe I am the one. I
me can fix that and I will be I will be the next Sir Alex.
Why would anyone want the job?
So you know the only thing working in there. It's and Hogs
favor I think is that That he doesn't really seem fazed by
anything. I think he's quite from lack of a better term,
quite a boring
kind of coach and a boring
Persona at least from the outside his players. Love him,
his tactics are great the way he works. He's methodical, he's
very look at his career, the way he's built it up. So
I think he has that working in his favor. I don't think the
outside noise and maybe in some of the inside noise is going to
hurt him that much or distract him,
so maybe that will help in sorting out these clicks,
right? And getting everybody Unified. Behind the scenes. And
if you don't agree with his style of football, his
decisions,
then I've got the feeling he's pretty ruthless from what we've
seen in the past so let's wait and see. Let's wait and see but
Nick final Point man united before we move on to some other
Transfer News.
Yeah I think he has some hidden power here too
because I look at
what Antonio Conte obviously different managers but what he
was able to do it, this is a guy who when he spoke up fans
listen to the media. Listen, when he said something about
how the club was operating people said
well this guy's one on the outside and they've trusted,
Get him to come in and he's a big name
and they're not listening to him. I mean, yes, 10 hug
doesn't speak out a ton but he is willing to and if he were to
come out at any point, be like they're not giving me what
I need.
That's, it's so more the same. Now, I think he realizes
the value in not doing that as well. He has to help stabilize
this club as well.
But the power that he has right now
is probably higher
at a club that size
than most people get while going into a club that size
because they've been so messy for so long.
Yeah, it's indecent situation to have things turned around
his way, but you just got to buy this time, but I think
there's been too much time wasted as Andy mentioned. He
came in early in the summer
left, his job at iac's, early to get the ball rolling. We
don't know what he's been doing behind the scenes. Maybe you
already know exactly the players he wants in and out and
they're just trying to figure it out but
clock's, ticking Manchester