New season, same old Manchester United. The appointment of Erik ten Hag was seen as the resurrection of the Red Devils who had been dormant for quite some time. It’s hard to put a finger on the happy days that used to pervade the alleys of Old Trafford.
But the introduction of the former Ajax manager and his antics in the pre-season gave every United fan a glimpse of a better time. However, it turned bitter too soon. United fell to a charged-up Brighton & Hove Albion side on the opening weekend of the Premier League and the painful echoes of the previous season were too hard to ignore.
There was anger, fury, and resentment among the fans that even after Ten Hag’s appointment, nothing changed. But a few realized that the new gaffer wasn’t entirely at fault. He was delivered a bunch of misfits who didn’t seem to adhere to or work in his system.
And it brought the attention of everyone back to the horrendous transfer policies of their revered club. Christian Eriksen, Lisandro Martinez, and Tyrell Malacia came onboard a sinking ship, trusting the new captain Ten Hag, but there was a clear sign that they needed more quality reinforcements to get the ship sailing again.
To right this wrong, Manchester United has resumed its search in the transfer market and has pressed the panic button on all fronts. They are eyeing every available prospect and diving into a buying frenzy that may do more harm than good.
As of now, United has recognized a vast hole in their midfield and is pursuing Juventus‘ Adrien Rabiot, and has also put in an inquiry at Bologna for Marko Arnautovic. But the two players do not seem to have the pull or the quality to put United back on the map. Marko is a 33-year-old forward in Serie A while Rabiot doesn’t do justice to his position in the midfield.
Adding to that is the incessant pursuit of Frenkie de Jong, who is now likely to stay at Barcelona. Nothing has worked well so far for United in the transfer window and to go after two average players has got all the fans riled up. They believe their club has lost the plot and are filling up their basket with whatever’s available.
Is there any long-term strategy to #MUFC recruiting?
This is not the United that can get back to winning ways. The project is falling apart and the fans now want the head of the Glazers on a spike. While expressing their disbelief about their new transfer targets, the United fans slammed the ways of their club on Twitter in a disorderly fashion. It was a total no-holds-barred zone.
Mocking his club’s policies, an enraged fan gave another option for United to sign. It was the famous YouTuber Ishowspeed. He believed since United is picking anyone up, might as well get him to the club.
we’re trynna sign Rabiot and Arnautovic lmao at this point add ishowspeed to the list
The most brutal comparison was with arch-rivals Liverpool who endured a similar phase when they signed Rickie Lambert and Charlie Adam. This is not the level that United fans want their club to stoop to.
Lowkey feeling we are in that Liverpool era now when they were signing Rickie Lambert and Charlie Adam. It's not looking good
The buck didn’t stop here. There were many more voices, and they had to put their point across.
If any Man Utd fans are wondering what to expect from Adrien Rabiot, here’s a collection of my tweets from watching him over the last few seasons: pic.twitter.com/lWjKW2WNZr
Fully anticipating Man Utd’s next manager in 18months time explaining how his hands are tied in market as the clubs needs to move on Arnautovic and Rabiot first. But no-one will take them because they’re on 5 year deals worth £175k a week….
The idea is clear — support Ten Hag, give him what he needs, but do not rush into a panic buy mode and destroy whatever reputation is left. Identify, point, and then shoot. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll find your targets.
