[Doomsday]

Don’t care about Sanchez, just want us to win the next game.

[ticcan]

Mata: "You journalists speak more about #mufc than other clubs, right? That’s something I realised from the first moment. If you see pundits on TV – a lot of ex-Man United players. If you see the newspapers there is always something on Man United." #mulive [telegraph]

[chengsun]

When it comes to recruitment, no football club lacks information in the 21st century. The big clubs have more analysts than NASA.

At Manchester United, they try to sift through the reams of data via a bespoke scouting system that pulls together reports on thousands of matches around the world and as many as 14,000 players, many of them teenagers.

Having fixed on a position to strengthen, the data bank creates a list of 50 names which, from September to the end of October, the technical team narrow down to 15. A managerial veto removes another three. Further scouting and study creates a target list of a top three by February.

From there, contractual situations and availability are established. More checks are done not just on the player’s qualities, but on personal history and character. The ground is prepared for bidding.

It all sounds very efficient as a way of removing whims and panic purchasing. But then it also rather depends on who is sitting round the table, the human input.

When you are reeling from the downturn under David Moyes and have appointed Louis van Gaal, who demands backing for players not always fitting the approved profile, you end up with mistakes such as Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin as you indulge a forceful leader.

If you lurch to a short-term appointment of José Mourinho, sacrificing principles, then you run a big risk of confrontation when he suddenly demands a highly expensive centre half who has never been scouted. Very soon, it is all blowing up in a costly sacking.

The best systems still require good people to make them work, which is why there have been prominent voices calling on United to have a powerful technical director; and why it is notable that Ed Woodward, the executive vice-chairman, has not been rushing to fill that role.

It was a year ago that the local paper declared, with some fanfare, that United were preparing to recruit. “An appointment that has been 140 years in the making,” the Manchester Evening News said. In that sense, another few weeks or months may not seem a big deal.

The job will be filled but those United fans impatiently waiting for a guru figure will need to realign their sights, rather like Paul Pogba from the penalty spot. “A keel on the boat,” is how one Old Trafford source described the role recently. An unseen, steadying job, in other words; certainly not the captain of the ship steering the course.

Whoever comes in will have to fit into a structure in which a panel, a transfer committee, is already in place — pieced together under successive managers to include Jim Lawlor, the chief scout, who was a Sir Alex Ferguson appointment, while Marcel Bout, head of global scouting, was championed by Van Gaal. The work of dozens of scouts is drawn together by Steve Brown, the head of operations who was formerly at Everton.

Mick Court, the technical chief scout since April after more than a decade as a recruitment analyst, is in charge of crunching the data. Matt Judge, promoted by Woodward to head of corporate development, has the responsibility to establish likely costs and the state of the market. Woodward is not about to relinquish his own part, overseeing major negotiations and consulting with the owners over key decisions.

If it sounds like a lot of different voices at a club who were so accustomed to Ferguson’s word being law, United believe that they do at last have a coherent philosophy. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, of course, has had a key say in the signing of a younger cabal of British players, with about £140 million spent on Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Dan James.

At the very least, there is a lot more togetherness than the ill-tempered summer of 2018 under Mourinho when £75 million was spent on Fred, Diogo Dalot and Lee Grant.

A new sporting director would be just one more voice around this table, which may explain why the appointment has not happened yet. Any serious outsider would want clout.

Discussions with Rio Ferdinand point to the profile Woodward has been considering but the pay is said to be considerably less than the former United defender’s hefty seven-figure income from BT Sport.

Darren Fletcher is another former player who has had discussions — Patrice Evra and Peter Schmeichel are also understood to have shown interest — but it may come down to an internal candidate such as John Murtagh, who works on youth development.

It raises the obvious criticism, perhaps most forcefully expressed by Gary Neville, that United are failing to bring a powerful new voice into a football department that has Ángel Di María and Alexis Sánchez among its high-profile mistakes. Neville has called for a clear-out, with some of the hierarchy sent “back down to London”. No prizes for guessing who he has in mind.

But Woodward is not going anywhere, investing not just funds but plenty of faith in Solskjaer, not just to coach a team but to rejuvenate a club.

The size of that task is one reason this column consistently promoted Mauricio Pochettino, but he was never even sounded out. Solskjaer may point out that over 23 top-flight matches since December, he has eight league points more than the Tottenham Hotspur manager.

He will also argue that he has needed a full pre-season to build the physical conditioning for a style with more pace and width; that with Marcus Rashford on a new long-term deal, David De Gea mulling over a new contract and Pogba seemingly appeased on top of his signings, he is on track with the three-year plan he had written up within days of arriving from Molde as caretaker.

His mission, though, remains a vast one and he will know there is no such thing as collective responsibility in football. A committee with a new technical director can work well together but there is only ever one head on the block.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/s...ctor-m9l8k7cm0

[chengsun]

Not about ManUtd, but a local club at Manchester

Spoiler!

Bury owner Steve Dale is asking members of the public to pledge money as the League One club bids to avoid expulsion from the English Football League.

The Shakers must provide evidence to the EFL that they can pay off creditors and have the funding needed to survive the season by 23:59 BST on Friday.

The 134-year-old side have had their first six 2019-20 fixtures suspended.

The EFL says it is "working tirelessly to achieve a solution" and has not ruled out a short extension.

"We've gone to the public and we've said: 'If you want to save a football club, make a pledge to the club - not me,'" Dale told BBC Radio Manchester.

"Once we're up to the amount the EFL says we need with projections, we can go back to them and say it's nothing to do with me, there's £2m, £3m, whatever it is, from genuine people who'll pledge to the club."

Bury demise disgraceful, says England women's boss Neville

Dale said on Thursday that four parties are interested in a takeover, with EFL chief executive Debbie Jevans confirming that if a buyer did come forward they would consider giving them more time - but that "it's very difficult to see how we can postpone more matches".

"The clock is ticking, there's no question," said Jevans. "Nobody wants to see this club disappear out of the league, least of all me, which is why we are working 24/7 to try to stop that happening."

In a statement on Friday, the EFL added: "The EFL board recognises the anger and frustration felt by all at the prospect of losing a club with such history and heritage.

"However, the board will continue to work tirelessly to achieve a solution, whether by the current ownership providing the required outstanding financial information, or by a change of control being completed with new owners meeting the EFL's requirements."
line
How did we reach this point?

At the end of April, Bury were celebrating promotion back to the third tier of English football, but they were already enduring a torrid time off the pitch.

Players and staff had often been paid late, while a winding-up petition filed against the club was adjourned three times before eventually being dismissed by the High Court on 31 July.

By then, creditors had approved a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) put forward by Dale, which was proposed to help settle some of their debts.

The CVA meant unsecured creditors, including HM Revenue & Customs, would be paid 25% of the money owed - but also triggered a 12-point deduction in the League One table under EFL rules.

Furthermore, the EFL has been unsatisfied Bury have given enough evidence of their "financial viability", leading to a string of postponed fixtures while the organisation awaited "the clarity required".
What needs to happen for Bury to survive?

The Shakers were given a 14-day deadline to provide the necessary information on 14 August, which is due to expire at 23:59 on Friday.

If the club are unable to satisfy the EFL's request, their only other hope is that a buyer comes in with a rescue plan at the 11th hour.

Owner Dale said he would consider selling Bury after the club's staff "implored" him to accept an offer last week - but then reportedly rejected a fresh bid on Tuesday.

Dale told BBC Radio Manchester on Thursday there were four interested parties - one of which has his backing - but time appears to be against any takeover going through.
What if Bury don't meet their deadline?

The EFL reiterated this week that "if a solution is not found by the deadline, the board will authorise the necessary share transfer on behalf of Bury FC which shall be legally binding on all parties and result, regretfully, in the club no longer being a member of the League".

In other words, the Shakers will be expelled from the EFL.

The club would then "be free to make an application to the Football Association to rejoin league competition further down the English football pyramid from season 2020-21", according to the EFL.
How will it impact the league structure?

The EFL has already outlined how it intends to balance the leagues if Bury are expelled:

The current League One season would be completed with 23 teams, with the number of relegation places reduced to three.
Four teams will still be promoted from League Two this season, ensuring League One is rebalanced in 2020-21.
Only one team will be relegated from League Two, with two to be promoted from the National League as usual.

Could the deadline be extended? Can they appeal?

EFL chief executive Jevans has confirmed they would consider extending Friday's deadline by "24 to 48 hours" if a solution appeared to be imminent.

However, she also said a "long delay" was "not possible", stressing that once a decision has been made Bury will "cease to be a member of the league", meaning an appeal would appear unlikely.
When should we find out their fate?

With the deadline set for 23:59, there is not likely to be any confirmation regarding Bury's future from the EFL until Saturday morning.

But, if the EFL does decide to grant a short deadline extension, there may yet be an update on Friday.
Has a team ever been expelled from the EFL before?

It is 27 years since an EFL club was unable to complete a season, with Maidstone United and Aldershot both liquidated during the 1991-92 season.

No club has ever dropped out of the third tier before and Bury would also become the first FA Cup winners to have been expelled by the EFL.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer about the Bury FC situation: "As a local club, we want to see local players do well and we've recruit players frome those clubs and of course we want them to do well. I'm sure we can help them, with loan players or anything."
https://twitter.com/ManUnited_ENG_/s...82061838180352

Loan them our center backs maybe?

[Yellowfin]

I remember United got so many injuries to the CB position that need midflieders to play as CB.

So United need those squad CB to be on standby.

[stam]

Jesse Lingard's goal and assist record:


May 2018: 0
Aug 2018: 0
Sep 2018: 0
Oct 2018: 0
Nov 2018: 0
Dec 2018: 4/2
Jan 2019: 0
Feb 2019: 0
May 2019: 0
Aug 2019: 0

Posted with My iPhone X HardwareZone Forums app

[Jian19]

Saw one stats ish 117 appearances 10 assists

How is he even playing first team football

[zhaohan]

Jian19 wrote:

Saw one stats ish 117 appearances 10 assists

How is he even playing first team football

I think his use is when alot of running, tracking and closing down is needed
Otherwise, perpetually useless

[stam]

Whole season only during the mth ole took over on form?

Posted with My iPhone X HardwareZone Forums app

[rizal5150]

stam wrote:

Jesse Lingard's goal and assist record:


May 2018: 0
Aug 2018: 0
Sep 2018: 0
Oct 2018: 0
Nov 2018: 0
Dec 2018: 4/2
Jan 2019: 0
Feb 2019: 0
May 2019: 0
Aug 2019: 0

Posted with My iPhone X HardwareZone Forums app

still can get picked for england. rly ish messigardinhobrahimovic.

[Ch3tah_39]

Jian19 wrote:

Saw one stats ish 117 appearances 10 assists

How is he even playing first team football

Lol he is Ole godson pls. he is better than sanchez pls lol
Like ppl thinking Maigurie is going to be United version of Van Dijk.

Is still the same old United playing, is just that we got Chelshit who is really unlucky for the first game. Doom and gloom

[Asakura]

provides very little useful final balls
as many mentioned in here before, no end product from all the ball possession he has,

he is picked for his tireless effort going up and down the pitch

stam wrote:

Jesse Lingard's goal and assist record:


May 2018: 0
Aug 2018: 0
Sep 2018: 0
Oct 2018: 0
Nov 2018: 0
Dec 2018: 4/2
Jan 2019: 0
Feb 2019: 0
May 2019: 0
Aug 2019: 0

[huhster]

Asakura wrote:

provides very little useful final balls
as many mentioned in here before, no end product from all the ball possession he has,

he is picked for his tireless effort going up and down the pitch

run like mad dog also useless if not productive

[Shinji Kagawa]

His stealthy movements are done away from the camera thats why we cant see shiat

[Yellowfin]

Who can replace Lingard to press the opposition players the whole game?