YOU’D WONDER WHAT kind of reaction there would be to Manchester United’s pre-season if either David Moyes or Louis van Gaal was in charge.
The club is currently being given the run-around by Juventus as they desperately try and lure Paul Pogba back to Manchester.
The Turin side can name their price, with United making another mess of their main piece of transfer business.
Failure to land the French midfielder, after so many leaks (Jose will love that), will be another embarrassment for the bumbling Ed Woodward to deal with.
But the good thing is that United will get Pogba. When you’re prepared to spend 130 million euro on one player, you usually end up with him.
PA ARCHIVE IMAGES
PA ARCHIVE IMAGES
For Woodward, it’s pretty simple. Keep the commercial deals rolling in (Official Paint Partner, Official Global Noodle Partner) and the money becomes irrelevant. It’s a bottomless pit.
The money becomes the plan.
Without Premier League titles and without Champions League football, United have to stay relevant somehow.
That’s why Jose Mourinho is the current manager and 34-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic will lead the line up front next season.
It’s why United are breaking the transfer record for a player they allowed leave for £800,000.
Along the way, they’ve lost an iconic former player in Ryan Giggs, the man United turned to when they lost faith in David Moyes and the man they wanted to work alongside Louis van Gaal. Was that part of a long-term plan? No one’s really quite sure anymore but probably not.
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And that’s where the club is right now. For a while, you hoped that the top brass had some sort of a strategy. But it’s clear that they don’t.
It’s early days for Mourinho but if the last few weeks are anything to go by, people have every reason to feel concerned.
Even in China, his reputation was the main topic of conversation before the farcical cancellation of the clash with Manchester City.
The questions, inevitably, were about Pep Guardiola and if he’d shake the Spaniard’s hand.
Mark Schiefelbein
Mark Schiefelbein
He was irked by that question.
But the very fact that he was asked it says much about the way international media see him. Regardless of the success and the trophies, he’ll forever be childish, immature, small-minded.
It was a sharp reminder of the baggage he carries with him.
The build-up to the game had a sitcom quality to it – bouncing from one mishap to another.
Firstly, a plane carrying one group of players ‘got lost’ during bad weather. The group eventually arrived at the team’s Beijing hotel at 1am.
Then there was Mourinho’s frustration that the media room where he was supposed to conduct a pre-game press conference was ‘too hot and full’, according to a United spokesperson.
Whatever that means.
It resulted in him speaking to reporters outside, where a harmless, throwaway question about Portugal winning Euro 2016 irked him again.
And somewhere in there, when United did actually get on a pitch, they were absolutely torn to shreds by Borussia Dortmund and thumped 4-1.
There was a fitting irony to all of this, of course.
The stress and anxiety and nightmare travel logistics and awful playing surfaces and cancelled games is all part of the commercial game.
It’s all part of what’s become the integral motivation and objective for Manchester United.
For Woodward, this is where he excels – driving the deals and securing the lucrative contracts with businesses and organisations across the world. For him, someone who has a poor track record regarding football-related matters, it provides some breathing space, some welcome relief.
As he clings to the hope that Juventus will finally relent and allow him close out a record-breaking deal that will make a splash and keep United part of the conversation, it merely smacks of desperation.
Associated Press
Associated Press
United haven’t bossed negotiations with the seller because they’re powerless. Woodward wants, needs what they have. He hasn’t the gumption or confidence or knowledge to walk away and seek something else. He fears the result. He fears the ridicule.
Is Paul Pogba worth 130 million euro? Of course not. Is he a bankable and marketable star – the biggest player in the world? Nope. But United don’t care.
They care about their name being on the back pages and for people to still be interested.
Not that long ago football did the talking for United.
Now, like any good soap opera, it’s the storylines.
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Chaotic, shambolic and humiliating pre-season is an ominous sign for Manchester United
YOU’D WONDER WHAT kind of reaction there would be to Manchester United’s pre-season if either David Moyes or Louis van Gaal was in charge.
The club is currently being given the run-around by Juventus as they desperately try and lure Paul Pogba back to Manchester.
The Turin side can name their price, with United making another mess of their main piece of transfer business.
Failure to land the French midfielder, after so many leaks (Jose will love that), will be another embarrassment for the bumbling Ed Woodward to deal with.
But the good thing is that United will get Pogba. When you’re prepared to spend 130 million euro on one player, you usually end up with him.
For Woodward, it’s pretty simple. Keep the commercial deals rolling in (Official Paint Partner, Official Global Noodle Partner) and the money becomes irrelevant. It’s a bottomless pit.
The money becomes the plan.
Without Premier League titles and without Champions League football, United have to stay relevant somehow.
That’s why Jose Mourinho is the current manager and 34-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic will lead the line up front next season.
It’s why United are breaking the transfer record for a player they allowed leave for £800,000.
Along the way, they’ve lost an iconic former player in Ryan Giggs, the man United turned to when they lost faith in David Moyes and the man they wanted to work alongside Louis van Gaal. Was that part of a long-term plan? No one’s really quite sure anymore but probably not.
And that’s where the club is right now. For a while, you hoped that the top brass had some sort of a strategy. But it’s clear that they don’t.
It’s early days for Mourinho but if the last few weeks are anything to go by, people have every reason to feel concerned.
Even in China, his reputation was the main topic of conversation before the farcical cancellation of the clash with Manchester City.
The questions, inevitably, were about Pep Guardiola and if he’d shake the Spaniard’s hand.
He was irked by that question.
But the very fact that he was asked it says much about the way international media see him. Regardless of the success and the trophies, he’ll forever be childish, immature, small-minded.
It was a sharp reminder of the baggage he carries with him.
The build-up to the game had a sitcom quality to it – bouncing from one mishap to another.
Firstly, a plane carrying one group of players ‘got lost’ during bad weather. The group eventually arrived at the team’s Beijing hotel at 1am.
Then there was Mourinho’s frustration that the media room where he was supposed to conduct a pre-game press conference was ‘too hot and full’, according to a United spokesperson.
Whatever that means.
It resulted in him speaking to reporters outside, where a harmless, throwaway question about Portugal winning Euro 2016 irked him again.
And somewhere in there, when United did actually get on a pitch, they were absolutely torn to shreds by Borussia Dortmund and thumped 4-1.
There was a fitting irony to all of this, of course.
The stress and anxiety and nightmare travel logistics and awful playing surfaces and cancelled games is all part of the commercial game.
It’s all part of what’s become the integral motivation and objective for Manchester United.
For Woodward, this is where he excels – driving the deals and securing the lucrative contracts with businesses and organisations across the world. For him, someone who has a poor track record regarding football-related matters, it provides some breathing space, some welcome relief.
As he clings to the hope that Juventus will finally relent and allow him close out a record-breaking deal that will make a splash and keep United part of the conversation, it merely smacks of desperation.
United haven’t bossed negotiations with the seller because they’re powerless. Woodward wants, needs what they have. He hasn’t the gumption or confidence or knowledge to walk away and seek something else. He fears the result. He fears the ridicule.
Is Paul Pogba worth 130 million euro? Of course not. Is he a bankable and marketable star – the biggest player in the world? Nope. But United don’t care.
They care about their name being on the back pages and for people to still be interested.
Not that long ago football did the talking for United.
Now, like any good soap opera, it’s the storylines.
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!
Juventus continue to toy with Manchester United and all today’s transfer gossip
Pre-season Manchester derby cancelled because of state of the pitch
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