Alexis Sanchez

[Healdplace]

That New York article contrasts markedly with the United puff piece by Neil Custis in The Sun today.

Talk about towing the party line rather than write objectively.

We get 'next season the red half of the city comes out of the shadows of the blue' and 'the signing of Sanchez is another giant step forward.Proof that the allure of Old trafford remains and that they can challenge the big cash being splurged down the road at the Etihad'.

So - United spend an utter fortune to sign someone who wanted to come to City and could only do so by offering huge sums that we could have matched but chose not to pay.....yet still it is apparently because of the 'allure' of United and of us 'splurging big cash'.

Exactly how?

Oh, and 'Sanchez could have waited until the Summer if he really wanted to go to City' but did not because 'United had extended their hand'.

So plucky United rescued a player who saw their 'allure' as preferable to waiting 4 months.

Yes, that's exactly what happened and the fact that we told his agent to basically do one ('bye then' were the words quoted last week I believe) and that Pep emphasised he only wanted players who wanted to come here not to the highest bidder had nothing to do with it.

Of course, United were not bad as second prize. But Custis is kidding himself if he thinks it is anything but that.

Apparently - though - 'two more major signings' are set for the Summer. So there won't be any 'big cash being splurged' there then.

And I guess when it is that will be our fault too.

 

[goalmole]

There is nothing we can do, to stop Utd giving us 'serious competition'.

The whole concept of this tends to be wrong on this forum. It's out of our hands, what Utd do. It's not about Sanchez, he is just the bloke they have signed now, it would have been someone else they signed, in the summer, who may or may ot have been younger, cheaper & better.

Utd are going to sign players. Sanchez may actually make it more difficult for them to improve or may make it easier, depending on what he actually does, when he plays, not on the fact of them signing him. But it was going to be Sanchez, or someone else in that position. And someone either fairly expensive or ridiculously expensive. Not 'nobody'.

Our job, is to build our team. And do the best we can.

If they can then compete, by spending billions on players, there is fuck all we can do about it.

But they were supposed to be better than us, this season.

You're pushing at an open door as far as I'm concerned. I couldn't have put it better myself.
What I will add though is that by paying stupid wages and fees in order to put everything into the Mourinho basket, they may have stored up, probably unnecessarily, problems for the future. It's a risky strategy that may come off but if they stumble now, the high value signings they have made may hinder their recovery long into the future.

 

[taconinja]

There is nothing we can do, to stop Utd giving us 'serious competition'.

The whole concept of this tends to be wrong on this forum. It's out of our hands, what Utd do. It's not about Sanchez, he is just the bloke they have signed now, it would have been someone else they signed, in the summer, who may or may ot have been younger, cheaper & better.

Utd are going to sign players. Sanchez may actually make it more difficult for them to improve or may make it easier, depending on what he actually does, when he plays, not on the fact of them signing him. But it was going to be Sanchez, or someone else in that position. And someone either fairly expensive or ridiculously expensive. Not 'nobody'.

Our job, is to build our team. And do the best we can.

If they can then compete, by spending billions on players, there is fuck all we can do about it.

But they were supposed to be better than us, this season.

That is to put it succinctly a perfect summation of where we stand now and moving into the future.

 

[mancity1]

That New York article contrasts markedly with the United puff piece by Neil Custis in The Sun today.

Talk about towing the party line rather than write objectively.

We get 'next season the red half of the city comes out of the shadows of the blue' and 'the signing of Sanchez is another giant step forward.Proof that the allure of Old trafford remains and that they can challenge the big cash being splurged down the road at the Etihad'.

So - United spend an utter fortune to sign someone who wanted to come to City and could only do so by offering huge sums that we could have matched but chose not to pay.....yet still it is apparently because of the 'allure' of United and of us 'splurging big cash'.

Exactly how?

Oh, and 'Sanchez could have waited until the Summer if he really wanted to go to City' but did not because 'United had extended their hand'.

So plucky United rescued a player who saw their 'allure' as preferable to waiting 4 months.

Yes, that's exactly what happened and the fact that we told his agent to basically do one ('bye then' were the words quoted last week I believe) and that Pep emphasised he only wanted players who wanted to come here not to the highest bidder had nothing to do with it.

Of course, United were not bad as second prize. But Custis is kidding himself if he thinks it is anything but that.

Apparently - though - 'two more major signings' are set for the Summer. So there won't be any 'big cash being splurged' there then.

And I guess when it is that will be our fault too.

Its only when they win a title they talk about a season as if it actually happened.

When they don't its as if the season didn't happen.

If they don't win it this year all they will talk about is how they got Sanchez and our season , what season we got another player from Arsenal.

 

[Neville Kneville]

You're pushing at an open door as far as I'm concerned. I couldn't have put it better myself.
What I will add though is that by paying stupid wages and fees in order to put everything into the Mourinho basket, they may have stored up, probably unnecessarily, problems for the future. It's a risky strategy that may come off but if they stumble now, the high value signings they have made may hinder their recovery long into the future.

Agree competely. They are operating without a plan & I can't really think of another big club which has had success operating that way.

I made the comparison on here of Utd trying to be the English Real Madrid, to our English Barca, ie signing star players & throwing them into an 11 rather than relying on a team pattern which stars have to fit into.

But Real Madrid have done it by usually having one of, if not several of, the world's best players leading it. They don't look so clever now Ronaldo has lost his edge.

 

[taconinja]

Agree competely. They are operating without a plan & I can't really think of another big club which has had success operating that way.

I made the comparison on here of Utd trying to be the English Real Madrid, to our English Barca, ie signing star players & throwing them into an 11 rather than relying on a team pattern which stars have to fit into.

But Real Madrid have done it by usually having one of, if not several of, the world's best players leading it. They don't look so clever now Ronaldo has lost his edge.

That and they lost the best of their squad players because Ronaldo and others felt threatened by the up and comers. They played Zidane like a fiddle.

...too bad they didn’t unload Isco to us though.

 

[Healdplace]

The good thing about United making more of a competition is it will prevent any winner's over confidence.

If - and it is still an if - we win the title by clear water this season there can be a natural tendency to not have the same fight next time round on the back of your mind feeling it will be just as easy to retain. Though it never is.

So it helps to have a fight because that brings out the best in most players with a winning mentality. Everything falling into place with little challenge can inevitably bring a diminution of output as time goes by.

 

[Neville Kneville]

That and they lost the best of their squad players because Ronaldo and others felt threatened by the up and comers. They played Zidane like a fiddle.

...too bad they didn’t unload Isco to us though.

Yes, he would fit in pretty well here right now.

But Utd would probably jump in & offer him 700k pw, then try to figure out where to play him.

 

[M12Blue]

You're pushing at an open door as far as I'm concerned. I couldn't have put it better myself.
What I will add though is that by paying stupid wages and fees in order to put everything into the Mourinho basket, they may have stored up, probably unnecessarily, problems for the future. It's a risky strategy that may come off but if they stumble now, the high value signings they have made may hinder their recovery long into the future.

I know its unlikely but I would love them to do a Leeds. They are getting sanchez to ensure top 4 not to catch us

 

[Pam]

I hope he puts four stone on in weight by April and gets sent to train with the youth team.

 

[Neville Kneville]

The good thing about United making more of a competition is it will prevent any winner's over confidence.

If - and it is still an if - we win the title by clear water this season there can be a natural tendency to not have the same fight next time round on the back of your mind feeling it will be just as easy to retain. Though it never is.

So it helps to have a fight because that brings out the best in most players with a winning mentality. Everything falling into place with little challenge can inevitably bring a diminution of output as time goes by.

That's where it is so much better to bring in the new players in the summer, rather than Jan though.

Sanchez freshens up.the rags now (in theory) but that excitement is over when next season starts.

For us, there will be a younger, exciting player coming in to give us a boost after the summer.

 

[BlueMedic]

Not entirely with you on the spurs thing, you're saying he was right to go for the highest offer though?

I'm saying I don't blame him, and that your suggestion that our wage should've been enough for him is irrelevant as it's a different world with the figures footballers work with.

Time will tell whether he was right, this season the obvious choice in terms of success is to pick City - however what if United have a stormer next season, will people still be saying he made the wrong choice from a footballing perspective?

 

[Pam]

I'm saying I don't blame him, and that your suggestion that our wage should've been enough for him is irrelevant as it's a different world with the figures footballers work with.

Time will tell whether he was right, this season the obvious choice in terms of success is to pick City - however what if United have a stormer next season, will people still be saying he made the wrong choice from a footballing perspective?

He's going to be better paid than Messi. Something is wrong with that. Can't blame the player, though.

 

[BlueMedic]

He's going to be better paid than Messi. Something is wrong there.

Not sure what your point is there to be honest, maybe you've misinterpreted what I've said. I'm not saying Sanchez is worth what United are paying him, my discussion with the guy I quoted was that I find it hard to blame Sanchez for picking United with what they've offered.

He's clearly noway near a Messi/Ronaldo/Neymar level player & 29 years old - yet has the chance to be one of the best paid players on the planet. This is his last big payday - his agent has done his job & got his man (and himself) a hell of a lot of money.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I'm saying I don't blame him, and that your suggestion that our wage should've been enough for him is irrelevant as it's a different world with the figures footballers work with.

Time will tell whether he was right, this season the obvious choice in terms of success is to pick City - however what if United have a stormer next season, will people still be saying he made the wrong choice from a footballing perspective?

Of course not.

If he looks at Mourinho & thinks 'yeah, I can see the enthusiasm & inspiration there, which will drive Utd to the title next season' then it would be fair to say he is taking a calculated risk, by chasing the money at Utd rather than just chasing the money out of greed.

I think it's the other way around though & Mourinho is signing Sanchez hoping he'll do that for him, because he is fucking dull.

 

[DontLookBackInAnger]

And that's the point. Sanchez at £500.000.00 per week wages was worth it to ManUre, however no other club in world football seems to share that view.

I guess my issue with this whole thing is that some blues are claiming this is some kind of victory for us, when it's simply not. In footballing terms this makes united stronger if it comes off, maybe in the future it impacts them, but then again as I have mentioned before on this thread transfers and wages should never be seen in isolation and whatever the final figure is you can bet anyone at a major club moving forward will be using it as the basis as their high end and while people have said in 2 or 3 years time when he is declining united will be fucked...........possibly but I will make this claim when his contract is over there will be a number of players in the league earning more than that chances are one of the clubs paying that will be City.

 

[Healdplace]

That's where it is so much better to bring in the new players in the summer, rather than Jan though.

Sanchez freshens up.the rags now (in theory) but that excitement is over when next season starts.

For us, there will be a younger, exciting player coming in to give us a boost after the summer.

Yes, that's a good point.

 

[Healdplace]

Paul Jiggins 'Week at the knees' column in The Sun today is amusing.

'After their team mate Sanchez completes his megabucks move to Manchester United, Arsenal stars walk into the dressing room ahead of their home clash with Crystal Palace to find Gunners boss Arsene Wegner kneeling by their new state of the art music system sobbing: 'Alexis, play me my 'I've ballsed up in the transfer window again playlist'...No Arsene, it's Alexa and even it won't play for you.'

Though in real life today they do seem quite happy to be rid.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

I guess my issue with this whole thing is that some blues are claiming this is some kind of victory for us, when it's simply not. In footballing terms this makes united stronger if it comes off, maybe in the future it impacts them, but then again as I have mentioned before on this thread transfers and wages should never be seen in isolation and whatever the final figure is you can bet anyone at a major club moving forward will be using it as the basis as their high end and while people have said in 2 or 3 years time when he is declining united will be fucked...........possibly but I will make this claim when his contract is over there will be a number of players in the league earning more than that chances are one of the clubs paying that will be City.

We don't know yet. If his effectiveness declines sharply over the life of the contract then we've dodged a bullet. I f the message this sends to other players/agents about not being held to ransom strengthens the quality and commitment of the players we do sign, that's a victory too. Clearly we're betting his performance and club's overall performance isn't worth the money it would take to acquire him and Utd is simply taking the other side of the trade.

 

[Pam]

Not sure what your point is there to be honest, maybe you've misinterpreted what I've said. I'm not saying Sanchez is worth what United are paying him, my discussion with the guy I quoted was that I find it hard to blame Sanchez for picking United with what they've offered.

He's clearly noway near a Messi/Ronaldo/Neymar level player & 29 years old - yet has the chance to be one of the best paid players on the planet. This is his last big payday - his agent has done his job & got his man (and himself) a hell of a lot of money.

No, I completely take your point about the player. Why would he turn down £500k a week? But from a rag point of view, it's crazy. Even in this market, the guy isn't worth anywhere near that amount of money. And he's 30 years of age soon. It could all end badly.