United Thread 2015/16

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Matty said:
There's a large number of Manchester United fans who, either through wilful ignorance, or sheer lack of intelligence, simply don't get the current situation at both Manchester City and at their own club.

They seem to believe that the only reason Guardiola isn't going to be United manager next season is because United didn't want him to be their manager next season, that all they needed to do was show him a little leg and he'd jump at the chance to manage them. They can't conceive of a scenario where by both United and City were interested in Guardiola as manager but, based on the relative merits of the two clubs, he chose to become City manager over United.

That's a blinkered, naïve view. It's a view that ignores the fact that the last 8 years have actually happened. It's a viewpoint driven by the mentality of a fan, as opposed to the mentality of a professional sportsman. Name recognition, historical significance, past trophy haul, all of these things carry a degree of weight when it comes to attracting both players and managers, and there's no doubting that United are in the upper echelon when it comes to these factors. However, especially when it comes to the elite players and managers, these factors take second place to ambition.

A manager like Pep Guardiola wants to manage a football club that meets his ambitions, that is willing and able to achieve success on all fronts, and that fits with his philosophy on how football should be played. He wants to win domestic trophies, league titles, and he also wants to win the Champion's League. At City he's found a board, and an owner, that shares those desires. He's found a structure that has been put in place specifically to achieve those aims. City are a club that are willing to spend, to invest in the playing staff, the coaching staff, the youth setup, and the football club infrastructure in order to achieve their goals. ADUG aren't blind to the need for financial stability, however maximising the financial return from the football club isn't the primary concern. Manchester City is a vehicle by which Abu Dhabi aim to promote themselves on the world stage, a big part of that is the positive attention success brings with it. The financial outlay required to win major trophies is something ADUG views as an acceptable cost in order to achieve their aims. A top manager like Guardiola, as well as top players, want to see that their football club is willing to do what is necessary to bring glory.

Manchester United's business model, it's owners aims, are very different. The Glazers are not football fans, they have no grand desire to bask in the reflective glory of United being league champions. They don't really view Manchester United as a sporting entity at all, they view it as a business, and as such their major aim is to maximise the businesses profitability. Yes, in football, success correlates with profit fair well, but only up to a certain point. A club like United needs to spend money in order to achieve success, however "success" in footballing terms and "success" in business terms are not necessarily the same thing. Success for ADUG is winning the Premier League, success for the Glazers is finishing high enough up in the league so as to make the most money for themselves. The financial outlay to finish in 1st position, when compared to that outlay for a 3rd or 4th place finish, is certainly much higher. The financial reward for a 1st place finish, as opposed to 3rd or 4th, simply doesn't match up. Simply put an owner like the Glazers can make a greater profit by spending enough to finish in 4th than they can by spending what is required to finish 1st. The additional spend required simply isn't supported by the additional financial returns so, in a world where the prestige of a 1st place finish isn't really valued, it doesn't make sense to spend the extra cash.

Now, of those two scenarios, which would you view as most attractive if you were a top manager or player?

Club A has a glorious history but less chance of future success.

Club B has a less successful past but is unmatched in their ambition of drive for future glory.

Viewed in such simple terms it really shouldn't come as much of a shock that someone like Pep Guardiola saw the opportunity available to him at Manchester City as being hugely appealing, far more so than whatever opportunity Manchester United felt they could offer him. It's the same reason why I believe Jose Mourinho, despite what people say, will need to think long and hard about joining United. Will they really back him to the degree he was backed at Chelsea and Real Madrid? Will he really have a "fair crack" at winning trophies or will the Glazer's priorities have him hamstrung from the off?
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HALLE-FUCKING-LUJAH!!!!

Spot on young man, spot on!
 
valleyblue said:
Apologies if posted elsewhere, but I have just noticed in the mail that they are closing big parts of the SAF stand for their Europa cup game - cant be true of course because they always sell out!!!!
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No doubt the politburo will hide this under the carpet, I thought the self declared ' biggest club in the world' had 655 million fans?.
 
I had one on the hook today, when he found out i was a City fan, he said I bet I hadnt been one that long, so I went along, not that long I told him, for about 7.5 years now, I liked Robinho so started following us when he signed and when we won the league I decided they were my team. I thought he was going to explode, I was everything that was wrong with football apparently, how a man of my age (41) could be so shallow blah blah blah, all this coming from a rag with a Brummie accent who had followed them since Ron Atkinson was at the club. I then inquired if he had been to many united games, as I struggled to get a ticket for City. He had been to old toilet a few times but getting tickets was a struggle and started on the Emptyhad gags. I told him I couldnt get tickets for league games as they were all sold out, he wasnt having it, I was a no nowt as well now, he was ranting, red faced and fuming, I just let him go on and on for a while, he then said I would be an Arsenal fan at the end of the season most likely. At this point I couldnt hold out any longer, with a big grin, I told him not only was my first City game in 81 and my first season ticket was in 91, but i had been to old toilet more times than him and that a rag with Brummie accent telling me I was what was wrong with modern football was ironic to say the least, that getting tickets for them was a lot easier than he had made out as my sister got them regularly throughout the 90s and 00s but I didnt blame him for not going as I wouldnt want to watch that shower. My parting words were that he can enjoy Thursday nights whilst I will bask in the Champions league and that as we wait for Pep to rock up he can look forward to family man taking over. I left him looking totally distraught, the rag ****.

All too easy, but it kept me amused for a few minutes.
 
Matty said:
The financial outlay to finish in 1st position, when compared to that outlay for a 3rd or 4th place finish, is certainly much higher. The financial reward for a 1st place finish, as opposed to 3rd or 4th, simply doesn't match up. Simply put an owner like the Glazers can make a greater profit by spending enough to finish in 4th than they can by spending what is required to finish 1st. The additional spend required simply isn't supported by the additional financial returns so, in a world where the prestige of a 1st place finish isn't really valued, it doesn't make sense to spend the extra cash.
Click to expand...

In Economics this is called 'The Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns'.
 
Hoghead said:
In Economics this is called 'The Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns'.
Click to expand...

Promise the rags the earth in the lead up to selling all your season tickets, buy some players enough to guarantee or at least be favorites with a top four spot, keep your fingers crossed that you can also be in the title race for as long as possible. Always quote your istory and how big a club you are with so many more fans than everyone else and get some old duffer, if possible with a comb over to say next season will be our year. Simples really.
 
Paul Lake's Left Knee said:
I had one on the hook today, when he found out i was a City fan, he said I bet I hadnt been one that long, so I went along, not that long I told him, for about 7.5 years now, I liked Robinho so started following us when he signed and when we won the league I decided they were my team. I thought he was going to explode, I was everything that was wrong with football apparently, how a man of my age (41) could be so shallow blah blah blah, all this coming from a rag with a Brummie accent who had followed them since Ron Atkinson was at the club. I then inquired if he had been to many united games, as I struggled to get a ticket for City. He had been to old toilet a few times but getting tickets was a struggle and started on the Emptyhad gags. I told him I couldnt get tickets for league games as they were all sold out, he wasnt having it, I was a no nowt as well now, he was ranting, red faced and fuming, I just let him go on and on for a while, he then said I would be an Arsenal fan at the end of the season most likely. At this point I couldnt hold out any longer, with a big grin, I told him not only was my first City game in 81 and my first season ticket was in 91, but i had been to old toilet more times than him and that a rag with Brummie accent telling me I was what was wrong with modern football was ironic to say the least, that getting tickets for them was a lot easier than he had made out as my sister got them regularly throughout the 90s and 00s but I didnt blame him for not going as I wouldnt want to watch that shower. My parting words were that he can enjoy Thursday nights whilst I will bask in the Champions league and that as we wait for Pep to rock up he can look forward to family man taking over. I left him looking totally distraught, the rag ****.

All too easy, but it kept me amused for a few minutes.
Click to expand...
Hahahahaha superb wind up.
Dirty rag
 
Matty said:
There's a large number of Manchester United fans who, either through wilful ignorance, or sheer lack of intelligence, simply don't get the current situation at both Manchester City and at their own club.

They seem to believe that the only reason Guardiola isn't going to be United manager next season is because United didn't want him to be their manager next season, that all they needed to do was show him a little leg and he'd jump at the chance to manage them. They can't conceive of a scenario where by both United and City were interested in Guardiola as manager but, based on the relative merits of the two clubs, he chose to become City manager over United.

That's a blinkered, naïve view. It's a view that ignores the fact that the last 8 years have actually happened. It's a viewpoint driven by the mentality of a fan, as opposed to the mentality of a professional sportsman. Name recognition, historical significance, past trophy haul, all of these things carry a degree of weight when it comes to attracting both players and managers, and there's no doubting that United are in the upper echelon when it comes to these factors. However, especially when it comes to the elite players and managers, these factors take second place to ambition.

A manager like Pep Guardiola wants to manage a football club that meets his ambitions, that is willing and able to achieve success on all fronts, and that fits with his philosophy on how football should be played. He wants to win domestic trophies, league titles, and he also wants to win the Champion's League. At City he's found a board, and an owner, that shares those desires. He's found a structure that has been put in place specifically to achieve those aims. City are a club that are willing to spend, to invest in the playing staff, the coaching staff, the youth setup, and the football club infrastructure in order to achieve their goals. ADUG aren't blind to the need for financial stability, however maximising the financial return from the football club isn't the primary concern. Manchester City is a vehicle by which Abu Dhabi aim to promote themselves on the world stage, a big part of that is the positive attention success brings with it. The financial outlay required to win major trophies is something ADUG views as an acceptable cost in order to achieve their aims. A top manager like Guardiola, as well as top players, want to see that their football club is willing to do what is necessary to bring glory.

Manchester United's business model, it's owners aims, are very different. The Glazers are not football fans, they have no grand desire to bask in the reflective glory of United being league champions. They don't really view Manchester United as a sporting entity at all, they view it as a business, and as such their major aim is to maximise the businesses profitability. Yes, in football, success correlates with profit fair well, but only up to a certain point. A club like United needs to spend money in order to achieve success, however "success" in footballing terms and "success" in business terms are not necessarily the same thing. Success for ADUG is winning the Premier League, success for the Glazers is finishing high enough up in the league so as to make the most money for themselves. The financial outlay to finish in 1st position, when compared to that outlay for a 3rd or 4th place finish, is certainly much higher. The financial reward for a 1st place finish, as opposed to 3rd or 4th, simply doesn't match up. Simply put an owner like the Glazers can make a greater profit by spending enough to finish in 4th than they can by spending what is required to finish 1st. The additional spend required simply isn't supported by the additional financial returns so, in a world where the prestige of a 1st place finish isn't really valued, it doesn't make sense to spend the extra cash.

Now, of those two scenarios, which would you view as most attractive if you were a top manager or player?

Club A has a glorious history but less chance of future success.

Club B has a less successful past but is unmatched in their ambition of drive for future glory.

Viewed in such simple terms it really shouldn't come as much of a shock that someone like Pep Guardiola saw the opportunity available to him at Manchester City as being hugely appealing, far more so than whatever opportunity Manchester United felt they could offer him. It's the same reason why I believe Jose Mourinho, despite what people say, will need to think long and hard about joining United. Will they really back him to the degree he was backed at Chelsea and Real Madrid? Will he really have a "fair crack" at winning trophies or will the Glazer's priorities have him hamstrung from the off?
Click to expand...


Top post, absolutely spot on.
 
dario2739 said:
Yep, nights like this have been whitewashed from their 'istree...

Z8QrUgS.png
Click to expand...

Who's that manager?
 
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