Here we are at the start of the season and it’s almost comforting that despite all the change in the world we’re still seeing the same thing from United that we’ve seen for the last few years when it comes to the transfer window debacle.
Speculation helps the brand and some people at the club seem to enjoy that because the rumours make it look like they’re active, that they’re making moves, that they’re close to this or that player. And before you know it, games are here, United have made just one move after a summer when we were led to believe qualifying for the Champions League would be crucial when it came to the players we could recruit.
A summer of speculation helps boost the relevance of the brand but it looks like the gamble is now on to see if United can keep in the top four. The top teams just don’t do their business this way. Look at Chelsea – no messing about. Yes, they had a ban, but they’re still in a similar position, and at least Abramovich has a track record of putting his hand in his own pocket instead of the club’s. And they’ve just seen players that would strengthen their squad and they’ve gone and done it with little fuss.
We’re not competing for the same players. There has been time and opportunity to get at least three significant signings. But no, it’s been dragged out, and those concerns that this was never going to be a serious rebuild now seem to have more foundation. There’s no ambition to win the league – if there was, we would have already got three or four through the door. But we’re in the same position as we were, with just a Bruno Fernandes injury away from crippling this team.
Van De Beek is a good signing – a technical upgrade in that area of the pitch, a player with a positive approach. Hopefully he can take some of that pressure off Fernandes because as good as he was, he was a breath of fresh air and then suddenly seemed to feel the burden and looked exhausted towards the end. He lifted the whole club with his mental strength but United need to get a similar elevation in other areas if they really want to compete.
The big transfer rumour has been Jadon Sancho. Hasn’t that become a bit boring? Yes, he’s technically gifted, but it’s dragged on with Dortmund naming their price and the club unwilling to pay it. So you have to think they will only do a deal if they sell before to raise the money, which is pretty disgusting for a club in United’s position with the revenue they generate.
There has been the suggestion that Gareth Bale might be a short term solution. He’s apparently being offered to clubs with Real offering to pay half of his wages. He seems fit, he obviously wants to play, he’s a dream signing in terms of marketability and there isn’t the financial risk that people might have worried about a year ago. Real want to sell, he wants to go and there’s a space in United’s team where he would fit. Obviously, though, that’s too simple.
We’re heading into the new season with one significant signing, then – and we’ve heard Ole speak about the difficult economy and how that’s impacted the market. It hasn’t impacted the price of three new shirts coming out during the crisis – if we’re not going to be making new signings, I’d rather he just keep quiet, because justifying it in one respect makes the club look hypocritical in the other.
Clearly the club spared no expense marketing the monstrosity of this third kit – but who cares what is being said about it, so long as United are in the news?
