Txiki Begiristain

[Nicholas van Whatsisface]

In fact he's won less the Tony Pullis (who has at least won PL manager of the season, however wrong that was).

Yep. A man who spent more than we've ever spent on a player on Ndombele, then completely failed to use him - alongside such stellar buys as Serge Aurier, Vincent Janssen, Clinton N'Jie, Georges Kevin N'Koudou, Kevin Wimmer, Benjamin Stambouli and Victor Wanyama. Twice. Let that last one sink in.

For balance, he's bought some great players too - but he paid good money for some of those players, which pundits seem to conveniently forget when wittering on about how he's never had any money to spend, and needs to be given a chance with a decent budget. He's actually been pretty shit in the Transfer Market more often than not (he seems to be a better coach than talent spotter), and if I were a Premier League club owner with a decent budget to trust a Manager with, I'd have serious reservations about giving any of it to Pochettino, quite frankly.

 

[Boris Becker’s Backhand]

8 years, 3 titles, no Champions League success; given the unprecedented financial investment, I’d argue that the Barca-lite project has been underwhelming.

In 2012, we looked on the brink of our own dynasty to fill the post-Ferguson void, but instead have been sharing the title with some very dubious winners, in a PL era where points are easier to come by than ever before.

With Silva going, Fernandinho (wrongly, IMO) taken out of the midfield equation and Agüero the wrong side of 30, our last cycle of success is coming to its natural conclusion; a rebuild is necessary, and with Guardiola set to go next summer - plus the reality that most of his signings being miss than hit - why delay it? We’re probably not going to win the league next season if the players that come in take that year to settle in anyway, so why not just begin the process now?

Lets hire a coach who takes pride in youth development - ten Hag or Pochettino - and a Sporting Director in the German mould who can identify and acquire elite talent, sub-£50m. Let’s integrate our youth, and establish some solid foundations upon which the we have another decade of collecting trophies - but this time with 4/5 of our academy graduates as catalysts.

The post-2013 circus at Old Trafford proved that you can just buy expensive players to prolong a dynasty that’s already expired - if we rely on the chequebook, we’ll end up with Di Marias, Falcaos, Schweinsteigers, Pogbas and a decade without any significant success.

If the two year ban is upheld, league finish is irrelevant anyway, so let’s utilise the unique opportunity to establish a new identity/ideology, and finally give Khaldoon that *holistic* club he allegedly thought he was getting in hiring Guardiola.

You’re right to say the dynasty that every man and his dog predicted in May 2012 never materialised. Had Mancini been backed and given the same platform to do things his way that Pep has been given I like to think we would have won more than 3 titles in the subsequent 8 seasons. But then again we’ve won 6 (SIX ! ) domestic cups too and the historic treble so a total of 9 trophies since May ‘12. Would I have signed for that back then - you bet I would.

“Unprecedented financial investment” ? For us maybe but not in terms of elite European clubs. I’d like us to have spent more. Pep’s signings have been more hit than miss - Leroy, Walker, Ederson, Laporte, Bernardo, Gundog have all been major successes. The chequebook is the way to success in the vast majority of instances. Dominating football with half a team of born and bred blues from beswick on the pitch is a nice notion but it’s a fairytale. The rags relatively poor success to spend ratio post fergie is the amusing exception to the rule. All around Europe the big boys who win trophy after trophy do so thanks to financial muscle.

Establish a new identity ? Nah, I’m happy with the current one - most successful club in England over the last decade, serial winners of trophies, playing to a 55000 sell out most weeks

 

[KennyG]

8 years, 3 titles, no Champions League success; given the unprecedented financial investment, I’d argue that the Barca-lite project has been underwhelming.

In 2012, we looked on the brink of our own dynasty to fill the post-Ferguson void, but instead have been sharing the title with some very dubious winners, in a PL era where points are easier to come by than ever before.

With Silva going, Fernandinho (wrongly, IMO) taken out of the midfield equation and Agüero the wrong side of 30, our last cycle of success is coming to its natural conclusion; a rebuild is necessary, and with Guardiola set to go next summer - plus the reality that most of his signings being miss than hit - why delay it? We’re probably not going to win the league next season if the players that come in take that year to settle in anyway, so why not just begin the process now?

Lets hire a coach who takes pride in youth development - ten Hag or Pochettino - and a Sporting Director in the German mould who can identify and acquire elite talent, sub-£50m. Let’s integrate our youth, and establish some solid foundations upon which the we have another decade of collecting trophies - but this time with 4/5 of our academy graduates as catalysts.

The post-2013 circus at Old Trafford proved that you can just buy expensive players to prolong a dynasty that’s already expired - if we rely on the chequebook, we’ll end up with Di Marias, Falcaos, Schweinsteigers, Pogbas and a decade without any significant success.

If the two year ban is upheld, league finish is irrelevant anyway, so let’s utilise the unique opportunity to establish a new identity/ideology, and finally give Khaldoon that *holistic* club he allegedly thought he was getting in hiring Guardiola.

Valid points. I’d say the two title seasons under Pep are the best football we will EVER see. Yet, some players who will be righty classed as legends in this takeover era, and only one semi final since our involvement in the champions league. It is a gross underachievement. Pellegrini was a duck egg, that and Mancini was rewarded with the title by the likes of Sinclair and Roswell. I understand the ffp stuff, but it should’ve been more

 

[nellyonthewing]

Wonder if he and Sorriano might be 'at risk' if Eufa come out on top?

 

[MeatHunterrr]

Soriano and Txiki were hired to establish identity for the next decades. Txiki once said that the Barca model takes 10 years to implement. This process started in 2013. We are not even there yet and this successful already. In about 2023 if we continue to do things right, it will start. This just has been warm up period for Mansour and co.

"underwhelming" fuck me. Some really have this illusion that we are the only club that spends big. We are not the only big fish in the pond.

 

[KennyG]

Soriano and Txiki were hired to establish identity for the next decades. Txiki once said that the Barca model takes 10 years to implement. This process started in 2013. We are not even there yet and this successful already. In about 2023 if we continue to do things right, it will start. This just has been warm up period for Mansour and co.

Warm up? It was all geared towards Pep. Downhil after this. We don’t break the bank for any superstars. Aguero needs replacing but we won’t spend on a world class replacement. We will do well to win 3 of the next 10 league titles

 

[jimmygrimblesboots]

Its crucial everyone at the club are together at this time , win or lose the appeal , if we start sacking people it is a backward step , UEFA have been after our guts for a decade , they have tried every dirty trick in the book aided and abetted by the G14 clubs , throwing good people overboard is not the solution , that's exactly what the haters want.
If we do get a 2 year ban and fine , we suck it up , build the club for two years and return stronger , our support will still be there , i suspect the majority of the players and manager will also be there , the ban would be a bump in the road , UEFA & G14 are fighting a losing battle , Sheik Mansour will be even more determined to finish what he has started , you don't f*ck with people like him.

 

[Stoned Rose]

8 years, 3 titles, no Champions League success; given the unprecedented financial investment, I’d argue that the Barca-lite project has been underwhelming.

In 2012, we looked on the brink of our own dynasty to fill the post-Ferguson void, but instead have been sharing the title with some very dubious winners, in a PL era where points are easier to come by than ever before.

With Silva going, Fernandinho (wrongly, IMO) taken out of the midfield equation and Agüero the wrong side of 30, our last cycle of success is coming to its natural conclusion; a rebuild is necessary, and with Guardiola set to go next summer - plus the reality that most of his signings being miss than hit - why delay it? We’re probably not going to win the league next season if the players that come in take that year to settle in anyway, so why not just begin the process now?

Lets hire a coach who takes pride in youth development - ten Hag or Pochettino - and a Sporting Director in the German mould who can identify and acquire elite talent, sub-£50m. Let’s integrate our youth, and establish some solid foundations upon which the we have another decade of collecting trophies - but this time with 4/5 of our academy graduates as catalysts.

The post-2013 circus at Old Trafford proved that you can just buy expensive players to prolong a dynasty that’s already expired - if we rely on the chequebook, we’ll end up with Di Marias, Falcaos, Schweinsteigers, Pogbas and a decade without any significant success.

If the two year ban is upheld, league finish is irrelevant anyway, so let’s utilise the unique opportunity to establish a new identity/ideology, and finally give Khaldoon that *holistic* club he allegedly thought he was getting in hiring Guardiola.

Talks about how shit we've been then cites serial nobody Pochetino as the answer.

 

[KennyG]

Talks about how shit we've been then cites serial nobody Pochetino as the answer.

He wants a long term plan and I agree. As good as pep is, if he only wants to do one more year, I’d think about a change .

 

[PannickAtTheDisco]

You can taste the bitterness in this thread, too much coffee in the tiramisu