Cards on the Table
- Thread starter SteveJ
- Start date
-
In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
I am now at the stage wait and see what happens, whats the point of torturing ourselves either Mourinho comes or he doesn't and if he doesn't I feel that dark times are ahead.
All Jose has to do is deny he is coming to United.If he is coming here he won't answer. He will wait for the board. LVG saying he will be here is only saying that the board has not fired him yet.
LVG seems to genuinely believe he is here next season so the only chance Mourinho is coming is if he has a "gentleman's agreement" with Woodward. I'm not sure I buy into that and expect LVG to see out the contract.
They haven't.
But Mourinho makes business sense. He's easy to sell. And unless he's completely lost his mojo, he's a relatively safe appointment in terms of results.
It's just a matter of scrapping the "United Way" package in favour of the "Maureen's Revenge" package. Football wise they don't give a shit and don't have a clue either way, but I don't see any reason why they wouldn't consider the latter package as being pretty good from a business point of view.
I'm quite buoyed by some of the comments, particularly as the consensus seems to endorse the idea that Mourinho will take over at the end of the season.
I have to admit, however, that I'm far from convinced if a "gentlemen's agreement" is the best evidence anyone has got to work with, when drawing conclusions about Jose's arrival at the club.
For some reason I keep recalling Ed talking about the need for continuity of tenure when appointing SAF's successor and this must have rankled with him enormously when he ousted Moyes. I think, given half the chance, and any encouragement, he'll look to see LVG continue with his contract for one more year.
I have to admit, however, that I'm far from convinced if a "gentlemen's agreement" is the best evidence anyone has got to work with, when drawing conclusions about Jose's arrival at the club.
For some reason I keep recalling Ed talking about the need for continuity of tenure when appointing SAF's successor and this must have rankled with him enormously when he ousted Moyes. I think, given half the chance, and any encouragement, he'll look to see LVG continue with his contract for one more year.
LvG stays & leads us to the promised land of the PL trophy, then rides off into his retirement with his head held high and a feck you to all of his detractors. Then the dream team of Giggs & Neville take over & we end up just outside the relegation zone by Xmas.
Jose, early deal for Griezmann, several sponsorship deals, Giggs gets his end away with someone not his wife.
The first two muppet dreams, the second two dead certainties to happen.
All I really want is LVG to be told to politely pack his philosophy and bags and then feck off.
The first two muppet dreams, the second two dead certainties to happen.
All I really want is LVG to be told to politely pack his philosophy and bags and then feck off.
Can't see Phil coming back to United after last time.
Mourinho, definitely.
Gary Neville would probably want to ruin erm manage another side.
Exactly as you said, nothing will happen. Genuinely wouldn't surprise me if Woodward didn't even know where we were in the league
Ive been fairly convinced for months that JM will be the new manager
I cant stand the man but I have accepted it and come to terms with having this slimeball manage our club
I cant stand the man but I have accepted it and come to terms with having this slimeball manage our club
I'd be surprised if the latter happens. Jose goes nowhere without Rui Faria.
he often does like to have a couple of coaches who are linked to the club
in the past he had Steve Clarke and Ray Wilkins
Absolutely no idea what the board will do. I live in hope, that for once, the right decision will be made and Mourinho takes over.
it's obvious that mourinho is coming. People choosing to
Believe buffoons over Di marzio (who is quite certainly the most reliable journo) and the reliable (according to the Portuguese posters here) Portuguese media are just people who just want to have a reason to complain rather than thinking logically.
Believe buffoons over Di marzio (who is quite certainly the most reliable journo) and the reliable (according to the Portuguese posters here) Portuguese media are just people who just want to have a reason to complain rather than thinking logically.
Faria is nearly always the #2 though, isn't he? Neville might come in as a coach if he wants it. I'd be surprised if he's the assistant though.
Isn't Rui Faria more of fitness/strength and conditioning coach?
Pretty much my thoughts exactly. I don't like him, but I can't really see anyone else who might be up for it. He'll be fine for a couple of seasons before he gets bored, then hopefully someone will have emerged as a suitable replacement.
You never know, my dream of Steve Bruce winning the Europa league may have come true by then and he will ride into OT on a black charger. Well actually, being Brucie, it will need to be a big strong Shire Horse to take his considerable bulk.
I think LVG will start next season but will be sacked a few months in after fan unrest with Giggs taking over till the end of the season
Mourinho seems like those marquee player signings we're linked with but never actually pull off
Mourinho seems like those marquee player signings we're linked with but never actually pull off
Mourinho is a done deal, Fellaini is eyeing his one way trip to Italy and Sanches to be first compatriot transfer under new Portuguese management.
LvG given choice to walk away in glory after not meeting expectations plus mismanagement players he mostly signed himself.
LvG given choice to walk away in glory after not meeting expectations plus mismanagement players he mostly signed himself.
LVG retained for the remainder of his contract .Then Giggs to take over.
I'd rather staple my sack to my desk.
I think he's told them that he is retiring at the end of the season.
We win the Cup, they all change their minds.,
.
We win the Cup, they all change their minds.,
.LVG leaving after FA cup final and Jose or Simone in.
Mourinho, he'd be shopped around by Mendes if something wasn't already in place and it's been relatively quiet in terms of being linked with teams other than us. Then there's plenty of papers that have said he's coming to us including Di Marzio - who usually knows what he's talking about.
City hiring Guardiola and the potential threat of Klopps Liverpool and the emergence of Spurs/Leicester and even West Ham means the board are forced to act. There's too much money at risk for the Glazers to let LvG have another season.
City hiring Guardiola and the potential threat of Klopps Liverpool and the emergence of Spurs/Leicester and even West Ham means the board are forced to act. There's too much money at risk for the Glazers to let LvG have another season.
Van Gaal will announce he's leaving sometime between May 21 - 25. Mourinho announced between May 26-31 with a June 1 start date.
I don't really know what he does. I think he was fitness coach at Porto, but he was Mourinho's #2 at Chelsea both times, as well as Inter and Real.
I think he's told them that he is retiring at the end of the season.
We win the Cup, they all change their minds.,
Last night he said he wanted to win the title next season, which ruined my fecking evening
I like that!
Must admit, I've gone from thinking Jose was a certainty to now believing LVG will stay, which I'm gutted about.
I honestly believe the board are out of touch, and cling to the theory that it's only a matter of time and patience before things come good.
Hope I'm wrong, but LVG has this new found confidence when talking about next season which wasn't there a month or two ago.
I honestly believe the board are out of touch, and cling to the theory that it's only a matter of time and patience before things come good.
Hope I'm wrong, but LVG has this new found confidence when talking about next season which wasn't there a month or two ago.
Starting to think the board will give Van Gaal another season if we win the FA Cup.
I'm amazed people think he's still got a chance of redeeming himself and staying.
It'd be like we'd be willing to write off some of the most tumescent football seen here in decades, a record set of home 0-0s, and failing to improve on last year in the league
It'd be like we'd be willing to write off some of the most tumescent football seen here in decades, a record set of home 0-0s, and failing to improve on last year in the league
I'm starting to believe they're going to keep the old fraud.
Finish 5th, Win FA Cup, LvG retires. Jose arrives.
Bonus: Giggs leaves
Bonus: Giggs leaves
Last edited:
Wouldnt mind seeing him in the coaching team. Has efinetely got some qualities
Don't Esquire, you'll be arrested
I'm convinced that between the 23rd and 27th of May, Van Gaal will be sacked and Mourinho will be named as new manager the same day.
My version of events:
Dec 2015: At some point during this period the board decide that Louis' goose is cooked as United manager. It may have been after we lost to Wolfsburg to be knocked out of the CL but more likely after losing three straight League games, which not only meant we would fail to challenge for the title for the third successive season but also meant CL qualification was in serious jeopardy. It had become clear that the team were not going to improve under his management to the level required and to allow him to continue into the last year of his contract would be unforgivable from the fans' perspective if these performances continued into next season.
At the same time it is decided that Giggs will not be the next permanent manager. This was only likely to be an option if things improved under LVG and if we were playing attractive football which would warrant continuity. As it was, it looked as if the next manager would have a very difficult assignment and Giggs has done little to inspire confidence that he is up to the task.
The club could not risk a third misjudgement, and as such, would only consider a very short list of names. One of the top names had just been missed with Klopp going to Liverpool so the club were keen to act quickly in securing any of the others that were available.
Mourinho is sacked by Chelsea on the 17th and it seemed inevitable over xmas that a deal would be done. I truly believe it would have been done in December if on the 20th Bayern hadn't announced that Ancelotti, another on the list, would be their new manager, meaning that Guardiola, probably top of the list, was available.
I think everyone knew that he was lined up for City but the fact it hadn't yet been announced probably gave United a slim hope that a deal may be possible.
The club was probably divided between support for Mourinho and Pep but with all the narrative at the time of United needing to play attacking football and all of the recent fallout from Jose's demise at the bridge I think we probably made an approach for Guardiola.
Mourinho feeds to the media and the club that he is ready to get straight back in to management to try and land himself the job before any contact is made with Pep, but the club wait on Guardiola's decision meaning that LVG survived into January.
Jan-16: At some point in January we are probably briefed that Guardiola to City is done as everyone suspected. It is confirmed on Feb 1st. Mourinho is now the obvious choice.
However, the timing is not good. LVG has just won at Anfield. We're at the end of the transfer period and changing managers so late would appear foolish. We also don't want to be seen as responding to losing out to City on Guardiola. Mourinho is less keen to step in right away having been made to wait and not having the opportunity to improve a depleted squad. So we continue as is.
Feb-16: In February I believe we make a verbal agreement with Mourinho for him to start in the summer. We make payment to him to prohibit him from signing with another club before June 1st.
Mar-Apr 16: The rise and rise of Pochettino at Spurs leads some at the club to believe he is a better fit for United than Jose. However, majority view is that Mourinho is a safe bet and it would be wrong to pass up on him again. Plus Poch would be difficult to attract and acquire.
United make the Cup final, guaranteeing LVG will see out the season, meaning the announcement will be made in the last week of May. From LVG's comments to the media it would appear that, if a deal has been done, he is unaware of it, probably thinking that because he survived the worst spell in December he has weathered the storm.
My version of events:
Dec 2015: At some point during this period the board decide that Louis' goose is cooked as United manager. It may have been after we lost to Wolfsburg to be knocked out of the CL but more likely after losing three straight League games, which not only meant we would fail to challenge for the title for the third successive season but also meant CL qualification was in serious jeopardy. It had become clear that the team were not going to improve under his management to the level required and to allow him to continue into the last year of his contract would be unforgivable from the fans' perspective if these performances continued into next season.
At the same time it is decided that Giggs will not be the next permanent manager. This was only likely to be an option if things improved under LVG and if we were playing attractive football which would warrant continuity. As it was, it looked as if the next manager would have a very difficult assignment and Giggs has done little to inspire confidence that he is up to the task.
The club could not risk a third misjudgement, and as such, would only consider a very short list of names. One of the top names had just been missed with Klopp going to Liverpool so the club were keen to act quickly in securing any of the others that were available.
Mourinho is sacked by Chelsea on the 17th and it seemed inevitable over xmas that a deal would be done. I truly believe it would have been done in December if on the 20th Bayern hadn't announced that Ancelotti, another on the list, would be their new manager, meaning that Guardiola, probably top of the list, was available.
I think everyone knew that he was lined up for City but the fact it hadn't yet been announced probably gave United a slim hope that a deal may be possible.
The club was probably divided between support for Mourinho and Pep but with all the narrative at the time of United needing to play attacking football and all of the recent fallout from Jose's demise at the bridge I think we probably made an approach for Guardiola.
Mourinho feeds to the media and the club that he is ready to get straight back in to management to try and land himself the job before any contact is made with Pep, but the club wait on Guardiola's decision meaning that LVG survived into January.
Jan-16: At some point in January we are probably briefed that Guardiola to City is done as everyone suspected. It is confirmed on Feb 1st. Mourinho is now the obvious choice.
However, the timing is not good. LVG has just won at Anfield. We're at the end of the transfer period and changing managers so late would appear foolish. We also don't want to be seen as responding to losing out to City on Guardiola. Mourinho is less keen to step in right away having been made to wait and not having the opportunity to improve a depleted squad. So we continue as is.
Feb-16: In February I believe we make a verbal agreement with Mourinho for him to start in the summer. We make payment to him to prohibit him from signing with another club before June 1st.
Mar-Apr 16: The rise and rise of Pochettino at Spurs leads some at the club to believe he is a better fit for United than Jose. However, majority view is that Mourinho is a safe bet and it would be wrong to pass up on him again. Plus Poch would be difficult to attract and acquire.
United make the Cup final, guaranteeing LVG will see out the season, meaning the announcement will be made in the last week of May. From LVG's comments to the media it would appear that, if a deal has been done, he is unaware of it, probably thinking that because he survived the worst spell in December he has weathered the storm.
Last edited: