Txiki Begiristain

[coolcity]

Interesting looking back at the start of this thread when nobody wanted him here.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Bill being Bill. Progress doesn't suit everybody.

Arguably the daftest poster in the forum's history. So silly most think he's some kind of clever wind up merchant.

 

[Phil1]

He's clearly done a very good/great job with the current squad but the striker and left back situations are bizarre.

And a lot of the signings in Pellegrinis first 2 seasons were dreadful.

There's an impression we are lax with tying deals up sometimes which lets people dive in, Jorginho, Alves, Sanchez etc.

And we definitely end up relying on release clauses a lot.

However that's probably Berrada more than Txiki thing.

We clearly have wanted to sign a striker but we know who we want and are willing to wait for the right man rather than buy for buying sake.
We've not really had a great dedicated LB for years. There's been players who have done a job but hardly going to go down in history so our current situation regarding that position isn't anywhere near as bad as made out. Us having the best defensive record most seasons since Pep arrived seems to back up the fact its not as bizarre as some like to make out.
The rest of your post is subjective at best.

 

[Keeper!]

Obviously, but if we don't get Haaland then Kane would be high up amongst alternatives we would consider. With good reason.

Obviously, high quality strikers are few and far between, hence why it will have taken the best part of 3 years to replace Kun.

 

[Del_Bosque]

We clearly have wanted to sign a striker but we know who we want and are willing to wait for the right man rather than buy for buying sake.
We've not really had a great dedicated LB for years. There's been players who have done a job but hardly going to go down in history so our current situation regarding that position isn't anywhere near as bad as made out. Us having the best defensive record most seasons since Pep arrived seems to back up the fact its not as bizarre as some like to make out.
The rest of your post is subjective at best.

You think it's normal the richest club in the world don't have a specialist left back or striker?

Once it was decided Jesus wasn't going to play upfront he should have been shipped out, especially with Aguero having left.

We've signed 2 left backs in 11 years, one has arguably been the worst transfer of all time, and the other left after 6 months.

We get by because we have the best coach in the world, but even a drop to someone like Tuchel/Poch would have exposed this massively.

 

[Phil1]

You think it's normal the richest club in the world don't have a specialist left back or striker?

Once it was decided Jesus wasn't going to play upfront he should have been shipped out, especially with Aguero having left.

We've signed 2 left backs in 11 years, one has arguably been the worst transfer of all time, and the other left after 6 months.

We get by because we have the best coach in the world, but even a drop to someone like Tuchel/Poch would have exposed this massively.

We aren't normal, which is one of the reasons we are successful. Oh, and we do have Pep. Another manager may have demanded a LB and striker and we could be sitting in 4th now. Nobody knows. The only thing we can be sure of is what's actually happened and you know, it's not been half bad.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

You think it's normal the richest club in the world don't have a specialist left back or striker?

Once it was decided Jesus wasn't going to play upfront he should have been shipped out, especially with Aguero having left.

We've signed 2 left backs in 11 years, one has arguably been the worst transfer of all time, and the other left after 6 months.

We get by because we have the best coach in the world, but even a drop to someone like Tuchel/Poch would have exposed this massively.

We play the long game with transfers. We have to because we only sign world class players and there are hardly any available. That's exactly why we are successful: we have a lean, hungry, focussed squad and we don't sign sub standard players for the sake of it who will upset the apple cart and need shipping out in a year or two. That's what Man United do and look at them.

 

[Del_Bosque]

We play the long game with transfers. We have to because we only sign world class players and there are hardly any available. That's exactly why we are successful: we have a lean, hungry, focussed squad and we don't sign sub standard players for the sake of it who will upset the apple cart and need shipping out in a year or two. That's what Man United do and look at them.

I think world class is a push, generally it's more highly rated early 20's players ready to make the step up? Dias, Cancelo, Bernardo, Rodri, Laporte etc?

Kane deal fell apart and they didn't flap and sign someone who they didn't want as our main striker which is commendable.

However the Kane fallout highlighted the issues around the back up striker.

There's plenty of forwards who've moved who are better than Jesus through the middle and wouldn't demand to play every week so could have played "back up striker" role when Kane/Haaland came in.

The club have basically admitted we are well short up front as we've tied up Alvarez and are still moving for Haaland in the same window.

Re: left back, M*ndy was still part of the squad plans he rotated in quite a lot end of last season and started vs Spurs, he should have been sacked off years ago complete liability on the pitch.

 

[plattlanebenches]

We play the long game with transfers. We have to because we only sign world class players and there are hardly any available. That's exactly why we are successful: we have a lean, hungry, focussed squad and we don't sign sub standard players for the sake of it who will upset the apple cart and need shipping out in a year or two. That's what Man United do and look at them.

Dead right. We also sign players who will buy into the team ethos and realise they won’t play every game so no ego issues.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

I think world class is a push, generally it's more highly rated early 20's players ready to make the step up? Dias, Cancelo, Bernardo, Rodri, Laporte etc?

Kane deal fell apart and they didn't flap and sign someone who they didn't want as our main striker which is commendable.

However the Kane fallout highlighted the issues around the back up striker.

There's plenty of forwards who've moved who are better than Jesus through the middle and wouldn't demand to play every week so could have played "back up striker" role when Kane/Haaland came in.

The club have basically admitted we are well short up front as we've tied up Alvarez and are still moving for Haaland in the same window.

Re: left back, M*ndy was still part of the squad plans he rotated in quite a lot end of last season and started vs Spurs, he should have been sacked off years ago complete liability on the pitch.

We are the best team in the world so by definition, we are signing world class players or players with the potential to be world class when developed. Can you name the strikers who have moved on in the last year who we should have signed? And even better we are going to sign one who is in the summer to compliment the other we signed in january. We played the long game again, like we did when we eventually got Laporte and Dias.

With regards to Mendy, you can’t just “sack off”’an injured player who is under a massive contract. You have to get him fit and playing and then try to sell him on to recoup some of your losses which is what we were doing.