End of Summer Review: Women’s World Cup Reactions; Manchester United Season Preview

We are at the business end of the Women’s World Cup, with the semifinals all set to go. This tournament has been filled with surprises and upsets, which is indicative of a levelling playing field. Perennial favorites such as USA, Germany, Norway, and Brazil are all already out of the tournament, and we are left with four teams who have refreshingly never won the Women’s World Cup. Spain will play Sweden on Tuesday, with England pitted against co-host nation Australia on Wednesday. The matches will be played overnight in the United States and early in the morning Europe time. While the kickoff times have been absolutely brutal for anyone living in the USA, that’s really the only complaint anyone can have. The drama and level of competition in these matches has been nothing short of fantastic. England’s penalty shootout against Nigeria in the Round of 16 was electric, only for it to be topped by the longest penalty shootout in World Cup history (men or women) between Australia and France earlier today. 20 total penalties were taken before Australia finally won!

England have not been at their best so far this tournament in terms of style and flair, but they continue to win matches thanks to thoroughly resilient defensive performances and holding their nerve at the right moments. Pre-tournament injuries were always going to present issues to England this tournament, and unfortunately they have dealt with more player unavailability as the tournament has gone on. Superstar midfielder Kiera Walsh injured herself in the group stage and is not playing at 100%, while Lionesses winger and leading scorer this tournament Lauren James was suspended for this match and will also miss the semifinal against Australia after a red card in the Round of 16. England are fortunately blessed with strength in depth and experience at major tournaments, but they will need every ounce of willpower to get past the Australians in Sydney on Wednesday. The match atmosphere in the quarterfinal earlier today against Colombia was decidedly anti-England, but that will be amplified times ten in the match against the host nation and former British colony. The Matildas are in their first ever World Cup semifinal, and they will do all they can to secure a final on home soil.

But what happened to the Americans? They were the defending champs and a favorite to win it again this year before the tournament started. But they went out in the Round of 16 on penalties to Sweden, after struggling to make it out of their group. While their early exit was joyous to those of us who find USWNT fans’ arrogance and exceptionalism off-putting, it was certainly a major disappointment to a team that is filled to the brim with raw talent. Many casual “fans” who don’t follow the game closely pointed to the team’s political activism and collective attitude as reasons for the loss. That’s potentially a small part of the reason, but a much bigger on-the-pitch issue was their awful tactics. They seemed to be intent on walking the ball into the net, or in the alternative, waiting on a moment of individual brilliance to save them. There did not appear to be a coherent tactical plan from (soon to be former) manager Vlatko Andonovski. His substitutions usually did not make sense, and poor finishing from good chances didn’t help either. As referenced above, the playing field is much more level now in terms of talent and player development, and the Americans failed to take that into account. The result is a lackluster early exit.

Quick shoutouts to South Africa, Jamaica, Nigeria, Colombia, and Morocco. Everyone expected those five teams to go out early in the tournament, but they all defied expectations by making it to the knockout rounds.

***

Manchester United have completed their preseason tour, and the Premier League is officially back underway. The Red Devils’ first match of the new season is not until Monday 8/14 against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford, but all other Premier League teams played today or will play tomorrow. My first post-match article will be for the 8/14 match.

This summer transfer window has been a very successful one from United’s point of view. Refreshingly, there are still three weeks left in the window and United have already completed three key signings, a far cry from their usual methods of waiting until the very end of the summer before making a desperation signing. One gets the sense that manager Erik ten Hag has been the main impetus and driving force behind getting all of these transfers done. At the end of last season I said we needed a goalkeeper, a a ball-carrying midfielder, and a striker. As of the beginning of August, we have signed a goalkeeper (Andre Onana), a ball-carrying midfielder (Mason Mount), and a striker (Rasmus Højlund). While Højlund is young and will not be available until early September due to injury, his ability to find the back of the net is something United desperately needed. I cannot count the number of chances we created last year that weren’t scored due to poor finishing.

Given that the window is not closed yet, it seems there will be additional signings made to cover some of the departing players. Midfielder Fred, defenders Harry Maguire, Alex Telles, Phil Jones, Axel Tuanzebe, Eric Bailly, winger Anthony Elanga, and goalkeeper David De Gea all left Old Trafford this summer. It’s a massive clearing out, with the goal being to bring some balance to the weekly wage bill and also to make room for players who better fit ETH’s tactical system. De Gea and (former club captain) Maguire are the most obvious examples of this. Both were on massive wages, yet neither really fit the club’s overall football philosophy. It’s a tough decision to let them go, but I believe it’s the correct one. I’d like to thank all of these players for their services to United and I wish them all the best. United are heavily linked with midfielder Sofyan Amrabat and defender Benjamin Pavard, both of which could still come to Old Trafford before the end of August to replace some of the outgoing players.

United need to aim for the Premier League title this season. It has been over a decade since they last won it, and we finally have the manager and the squad to achieve it. Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, and even Newcastle will present staunch opposition, but there is no reason why a team with this level of talent can’t make a title push. I think the main thing supporters want to see is improvement to our away form, which was horrendous against the “top 6” clubs last season. Moreover, it is no longer enough to shoot for the top-4 and being happy with meeting that goal. We need to be winning trophies. A deep run in the Champions League and one of the domestic cups is also expected. I am sick and tired of watching Man City win everything, like they did last year.

Unfortunately, there are no major updates on the sale of the club. Indeed, it looks more and more likely every day that the despised Glazer family will stay in control. They were supposedly close to selling over the summer, but it’s very unclear just how genuine those intentions were. They still need to go, and fan groups are planning protests throughout the season that will not stop until the leeches have finally left our club alone.

Speaking of protests, there is another batch of controversy brewing among supporters, and it has to do with the potential reinstatement of winger/forward Mason Greenwood to the team. Greenwood has been away from the club for the better part of two years, having been accused of domestic violence and sexual assault from his former (current?) girlfriend, and many have called for him to never wear a United shirt ever again. His criminal charges over the matter have been dropped, but many in the court of public opinion have already deemed him guilty based on social media videos posted by Greenwood’s girlfriend. The author of this blog is not qualified to make a judgment either way as to the veracity of the claims, but I think it is for the best if Greenwood went to play somewhere else. Whether the allegations are true or not, they will be discussed every time he touches the ball. This is the kind of locker room distraction that can really hurt team chemistry, and Greenwood (despite his obvious natural talents) was supposedly not one for team camaraderie anyway. The club should listen to the open letter posted by a female supporters group and terminate his contract permanently.

Here’s to the Red Devils in 2023/2024! Glazers Out!

Mid-Summer Roundup: England Success and Big Changes for United

Even though it’s the close season for all the major European leagues, that does not mean the past few weeks have been devoid of action. Quite the contrary, actually!

First things first, congratulations to the U-21 England men’s team for winning the U-21 European Championships! A great tournament by those lads. They didn’t concede a single goal in six tournament matches and beat Spain in 1-0 in the final earlier today. The hero of the final was Burnley’s 19 year-old goalkeeper James Trafford (what a name!) who pulled off a miraculous double save in the 98th minute. He saved the initial penalty, and then the follow up as well! Super proud of these lads, and it will be big going forward. England needs players who know how to win, and it won’t be long before several of these players earn a call-up to the senior team. This experience is invaluable for them and I’m always happy to see England winning trophies.

The senior team also had a successful June, albeit on a much smaller scale. They won their two Euro 2024 qualifiers, beating minnows Malta 4-0 on June 16. They then had a more impressive 7-0 victory over North Macedonia at Old Trafford on June 19th. England are currently top of their qualifying group with a 100% win record, and look to be firmly in the driver’s seat to qualify for next summer’s tournament in Germany. Of course, qualification has historically not been England’s problem. The Three Lions are expected to qualify for these tournaments. The real test will be at the tournament when the pressure is highest and the opposition is of higher quality!

Last bit on England – the women’s senior side is about to start play at Women’s World Cup 2023 starting July 22nd. The tournament for the ladies is in Australia and New Zealand this year, which means their matches are on at ungodly hours in the USA. UK-based fans will have an easier time watching, though. I do plan on covering this tournament as these ladies deserve it, but the summaries will come well after each match has ended. They are without superstar Beth Mead due to injury unfortunately, but as reigning European Champions they are without doubt one of the favorites to lift the trophy at the end of the tournament. I may also cover the US Women’s team, as a majority of my readers are Americans. Good luck to the Lionesses though!

Right, on to Manchester United. The players reported for pre-season training earlier this week. Some new faces were present, and some old faces were not. Manager Erik ten Hag is actively working to shape the squad according to his vision, and that means a lot of personnel changes. Midfielder Mason Mount was signed from Chelsea about two weeks ago for £50 million plus another £5m in performance-based add-ons. Midfield reinforcements were needed, and Mount is a player who will fit ETH’s overall philosophy given how well he presses and creates chances. There were a few eyebrows raised when he was given the iconic no. 7 shirt, however. Not sure I agree with that. Supposedly it was part of the reason why he signed, but that number comes with a lot of pressure as some of United’s best players have worn it. It’s also been traditionally reserved for wingers and forwards, of which Mount is neither. He’s also never even so much as kicked a ball in a United shirt, which is odd given that no. 7 is usually a reward for a player who’s done well for us previously. This is still a good signing to be sure, but I do hope he lives up to the pressure of the shirt.

In bittersweet news, goalkeeper David De Gea announced his departure from the club earlier today. His contract was set to expire and it seemed like ETH and the football directors were willing to move on from him. There’s a good amount of sense to this, despite how it may look. Why would United allow a keeper who just won the Golden Gloves last season to leave? For one, his wages were far too high. He would have had to agree to a wage reduction to stay on, which is something most players would not do at age 32. Further, despite his stellar shot-stopping abilities, his style of play does not fit with ETH’s system. He routinely makes the wrong decision when distributing the ball out from the back. He also does not command his penalty area well. The modern keeper has to be comfortable coming out of the box to clear long balls, as well as collecting crosses. Too often De Gea allowed a dangerous cross in to the box and has had to be bailed out by the defense or his own shot-stopping ability. In previous seasons he was also mostly free from mistakes, but he had several poor errors last season that could signify that he is on the downward slope of his career.

But let’s not end this on a negative. De Gea doesn’t deserve that. He’s been at this club since 2011 and was the last player still on the team from the Sir Alex Ferguson era. He’s been our undisputed number one keeper virtually that entire team. He’s won the Premier League, FA Cup, Europa League, two League Cups, and was our Player of the Season four times. He’s an absolute legend and deserves all the respect of every United supporter. It’s time for him to go now, but I will extend a hearty “gracias por todo” to our Big Brave Spanish Dave! I wish him nothing but success wherever he goes.

A new goalkeeper was needed in the summer no matter what De Gea ended up doing, and in that vein United appear to be very close to signing keeper Andre Onana from Inter Milan. It’s not an official signing yet, but Inter need the money and we need a new number one keeper. Onana appears to be the perfect choice for an ETH-coached team. The 27 year-old Cameroonian is exceptional with his feet, he helped Inter reach the Champions League final last season, and he kept his side in that match for quite a lot longer than they realistically should have been. The Italian league is generally not as fast as the Prem so there may be some time needed for adjustments, but Onana is likely the best option realistically available. Here’s to hoping he signs soon so he can join the club for the preseason tour!

Lastly, the sale of Manchester United by the Glazer family is still dragging on and generating headlines. The Glazers seem to have finally realized how unpopular they are (maybe?), and have allegedly been trying to sell the team for a few months now. The problem with figuring out what’s happening with this sale is that everything is speculation and conjecture. A British billionaire named Sir Jim Ratcliffe has supposedly made a bid, but so has Sheikh Jassim, the former Prime Minister of Qatar. It’s been back and forth for at least two months now, and sometimes it’s even unclear if the Glazers are actually selling or not. I personally think all football clubs should be owned collectively by the fans, but that scenario is not realistic in this situation. There will likely be a new billionaire in charge of United soon, and whoever it is I am hoping the situation resolves itself quickly. We need consistency from ownership and investment in the club’s infrastructure, and right now neither of those things are happening. The Glazers need to get their act together and actually do something that benefits this club for once! Sell the team! If they eventually do, I’ll do a separate post with a bit of background on the new ownership.

The 2023/2024 preseason begins in just four days’ time at Old Trafford against the newly-relegated Leeds. Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Three Wins In a Row; Transfer Window Round-Up

Manchester United travelled to Leicester, England today to play Leicester City at the King Power Stadium. United were looking to win three matches in a row for the first time since December 2021, while Leicester and manager Brendan Rodgers were merely looking for their first three points of the season. This fixture has been tricky for the Red Devils in recent years, as has been playing on the road in general.

But no real worries today! It needs to be noted that Leicester are rather poor, as they basically did not show up in attack for the entirety of the first half. I don’t recall United keeper David De Gea needing to make a save, and United controlled the game very easily. But if the other team looks poor, it’s usually because your team is doing something right. I was highly impressed with the tactical shape of the team in the first half and indeed for most of the match. Credit to manager Erik ten Hag for employing such tactics, as the Foxes had nowhere to go with the ball.

The one and only goal in this match came in the 23rd minute via winger Jadon Sancho, and it was about a simple a goal as you will ever see in the Prem. A long clearance was recovered by right back Diogo Dalot, who then played the ball up the right wing to Bruno Fernandes. Bruno spotted Marcus Rashford making a run in behind the Leicester defenders, so he played a weighted pass to him. Rashford’s run into the box pulled away the marker from Sancho, and Rashford then tapped it over to Sancho also on a run alongside him. Sancho took a touch to take it around Leicester keeper Danny Ward, and slotted the ball home calmly into an open net. A fantastic team goal that really showed what United can do when they’re switched on. Only about 20 seconds elapsed between Dalot winning the ball and Sancho putting it in the net! Lightning.

Aside from a 10 minute spell in the opening of the 2nd half, Leicester never really got on the ball nor did they make things nervous for United. Midfielder James Maddison’s free kick on 50 minutes was probably their best chance of the whole match, but it was parried away by De Gea. United’s tactical shape was again excellent, and it got even stronger with the additions of Casemiro and Cristiano Ronaldo. Their experience helped provide some stability to the team and helped United get over the line. A professional victory from a team that needs to show some professionalism.

United are now up to 9 points in the Prem, and they sit 5th in the table with every club now having played five matches. Considering where we were after the first two matches, it seems that ETH has tidied things up and righted the ship. The defense has been spectacular the past three matches in particular. I very much like the center back pairing of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane. They communicate well, compliment each other well, and have allowed 1 goal in the past 180+ minutes of football. Let’s keep that going for as long as possible. Bruno was Man of the Match today, though. He was always exactly in the right place that he needed to be in whether on the ball or off the ball, and had a key pass in the buildup to Sancho’s goal. I certainly hope he maintains this form going forward.

A much sterner test awaits at Old Trafford on Sunday when Arsenal come to visit. They are the only team this season to win all five of their opening matches, and will assuredly provide a real test for the tactical nous of ETH and the concentration of the players. It feels as if United are building momentum though, so as long as it’s a respectable performance I’ll be happy.

Glory Glory Man United!

***

The summer transfer window closes in about 20 minutes from the time of writing this post, and United were very busy indeed. They have brought in:

RB Tyrell Malacia (Feyenoord)

CB Lisandro Martinez (Ajax)

CM Christian Eriksen (free agent)

CM Casemiro (Real Madrid)

RW Antony (Ajax)

GK Martin Dubravka (loan from Newcastle)

I like all these signings as we have FINALLY addressed the lack of a defensive midfielder by bringing in Casemiro. Malacia and Martinez have already shown what they can do, and if the rest of the signings do as well as those two, it will have been a successful transfer window. I still don’t like our overall transfer strategy though, as it appears we do not have one. Why did it take so long to get a guy like Casemiro? How come all this business wasn’t handled before the start of the season? Why has it taken until now for Director of Football John Murtough to put together a competent transfer window? Why was promising youth midfielder James Garner allowed to leave? Even if all these signings come good and United have a great year, any success won’t be sustainable without a clear and coherent long-term strategy. We had to pay through the nose to get Antony and Casemiro, and I’m hoping that we haven’t burdened ourselves with more massive contracts for players who don’t pan out. We did a good job of unloading some bloated contracts for underperforming players over the summer (Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Andreas Pereira) but I’ll be livid if it turns out we’ve gone and made the same mistakes again.

Even though United won today and things appear to be improving, it’s still Glazer’s Out!

Lionesses Demolish Norway at Euro 2022; Club Transfer News Roundup

I’ve been guilty of making a very large mistake – not paying a lot of attention to the England women’s team at Women’s Euro 2022. I’ve been checking scores once results are over, but that’s really about it. Not anymore though! The Lionesses are legit trophy challengers this tournament. Many of the pundits are regarding them as the most complete team, and they really showed that today against a Norwegian squad that’s ranked among the best in the world.

Many recall the USA hitting Thailand for 13 at the last Women’s World Cup, and while that was undoubtedly impressive, England’s 8 (eight!) to 0 (nil) victory today over Norway at Amex Stadium in Brighton, UK was arguably even more so. Along with France and England, the Norwegians were favorites to win this tournament and have one of the best players in the world in striker Ada Hegerberg. To beat a squad like this so thoroughly really shows the class England have at all 11 positions and on the bench.

England were all over them from start to finish. Pressing very effectively, and Norway could not figure out what to do about it. Forward Beth Mead earned her first hat trick of the tournament today, while stalwart forward Ellen White contributed two goals as well. It was 6-0 to England at half time! Things did kick off with a soft penalty awarded to England, but that does not excuse the Norwegians from allowing seven more goals after that. This was the biggest victory by any team – men or women – at the Euros ever.

Coupled with their 1-0 victory over Austria last week and their now massive goal difference, England have effectively won Group A and will move on to the knockout rounds. The formality of the final group match against minnows Northern Ireland remains, but England manager Sarina Wiegman now has the luxury of rotating her squad before the next match.

Come on England!!!

*****

On the men’s side of things, pre-season is about to kick off for Manchester United, who are currently on a tour of southeast Asia. It has been a spicy close season and transfer window indeed, most notably for who United have failed to sign. Due to our own inability to complete a transfer swiftly and the fact that United will not be in the Champions League next season, a lot of the top shelf talent has gone to our rival clubs. Manchester City have signed all-world striker Erling Haaland and midfielder Kalvin Phillips, Liverpool have signed striker Darwin Nunez, while Arsenal and Tottenham have strengthened their midfield and attacking options respectively as well.

United have so far lost more players than they have signed. Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata, Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, and Andreas Pereira have all signed elsewhere, will sign elsewhere, or have retired from the game. While we did need a clear out and to offload some bloated contracts, the other half of a competent transfer strategy is replacing those departing players while improving the squad. Not sure United has done that, yet.

The Red Devils have officially signed left back Tyrell Malacia from Dutch side Feyenoord, and they appear very close to announcing the signing of attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen from Brentford. United also appear to be in for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, but the process has taken so long and the rumors flying every which way has made this saga about as clear as mud. Barcelona and United are currently two of the most poorly-run clubs in the world. Indeed, United would arguably be the worst if not for the stunning incompetence of the Barcelona board of directors. There seems to be a contractual issue at the forefront, and it’s unclear whether De Jong even wants to play for United next season. I understand he may be important to new manager Erik ten Hag’s plans, but what’s the point in dragging out this whole process if he doesn’t want to be here?

What to do about Cristiano Ronaldo has also caused some head-scratching it seems around Carrington training ground. Ronaldo will be 38 by the end of next season, but the argument could easily be made that he was United’s best outfield player last season. He was leading scorer after all, and seemed to win matches on his own at times. But now he is supposedly not happy with the lack of transfers, and there are rumors that he has requested to leave Old Trafford. That could happen, but two major obstacles are in the way. For one, Ten Hag has explicitly stated that Ronaldo is in his plans for the upcoming season. Second, and this is potentially the bigger obstacle, are Ronaldo’s massive weekly wages. He is rumored to be on a whopping £510,000/week contract, and there are simply not many clubs that can afford to pay him that much. He probably won’t take a pay cut unless he really wants to leave. It is important to note that Ronaldo is not currently with the squad in southeast Asia, as the club has given him leave to address “family” issues. Whether he stays or not will be interesting. Chelsea are rumored to be the only destination that checks all the boxes, but would Ronaldo really leave United for a competitive rival? Is he that much of a mercenary? Many fans want to believe he isn’t, but as we all know, money talks.

United still need a true defensive midfielder in my opinion, but that’s been the case for about two years now. Ten Hag seems to have the lads training hard every day, but I have to question whether he feels supported by ownership and club officials. There’s a lot of pressure on him to succeed at United, but that will be near impossible if he is not given the support from ownership that he needs.

Welcome to Manchester, Erik ten Hag!

The Dutch manager of club side Ajax has signed a 5 year deal to manage MUFC, and he will take over once this season ends.

Ten Hag is known for emphasizing physical tenacity and intensity, and he likes to utilize younger players to achieve that style of play. He has typically employed the 4-3-3 this season for the Dutch champions, and he will likely continue that approach when he comes to United. He wants every single player in his XI to be technically gifted with the ball as well. He has won several trophies in the Netherlands, including two Eredivisie titles. He has no managerial record in England, but it seems that he knows how to win on the continent. His biggest challenge will be changing the current toxic culture of the locker room. I want to see him instill some competitive drive in these players. The lack of desire to win has been United’s undoing several times this season, and that must change. Do we need a new club captain? Maybe, and that will be one of things he needs to decide on.

This next transfer window over the summer will be vital for his plans. There will be a lot of turnover from this disappointing season, and it could be as many as 10 players coming in/going out as the rebuild goes on. Along with current manager Ralf Rangnick and sporting/technical directors John Murtough and Darren Fletcher, he will be in charge of implementing a coherent transfer policy. For too long, United have simply purchased players that they thought were good players. There was no consideration for whether or not those players fit a given manager’s system (Cristiano Ronaldo, for example). It is my hope that Ten Hag bucks that trend. He needs to say to the directors, “Right, this is how we’re going to play. I want these players because I think they’re going to fit that style the best. I want to get rid of these other players because they don’t fit the style of play. Make it happen.”

But of course, I question just how sustained any kind of success will be with the current ownership. It seems that Ten Hag has had his concerns about funding assuaged, but it will take sustained investment from the Glazers if United wants to return to it’s glory days. So far, in the 7 managers we have had since 2012, that has not happened.

I wish nothing but the best of luck to Ten Hag. He’s going to need it.

Welcome Back to Manchester, Cristiano Ronaldo

An already insane transfer window got even crazier today when the Red Devils announced the return of Portuguese striker/winger Cristiano Ronaldo from Italian club Juventus. Despite being 36, Ronaldo is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, having won the Ballon d’Or a whopping 5 times. The fee is expected to be around £12m ($16.5m) with another £8m ($11m) in add-ons. Simply put, there is virtually no other player (aside from Lionel Messi) who matches Ronaldo in terms of accomplishments on the pitch and notoriety off of it.

Lots of talking points to consider here, but lets start off with the saga of this whole transfer, because the story itself is worth discussing. It was a bizarre transfer in the sense that it was incredibly short, at least in terms of United’s involvement. It’s been known for several months now that Ronaldo was unhappy at Juventus and wanted a move away, but where he would go was unknown. Most people thought however that Ronaldo would play out the final year of his contract at Juventus and then go to the most attractive suitor on a free transfer next summer. That all changed when Messi went to Paris St. Germain. All of a sudden rumors were flying everywhere that Ronaldo was on the move as well, and I suspect that his agent Jorge Mendes was behind some of the rumors. Agents sometimes leak false information to drum up publicity for a transfer because they stand to make a good chunk of money from it. After those rumors died down though, news broke yesterday that Ronaldo was considering a move to Manchester City. This sparked a meltdown among United supporters on social media as to many of them it felt like betrayal. I didn’t feel that way personally, but it did sting that one of our best ever players was vying to play for a major rival. A move there would have shattered his status as a club legend.

But then out of nowhere, United were all of a sudden in for him too. It was astounding because we have not been linked to him at all this summer. This materialized completely from nothing. None of the sports journalists or self-proclaimed “experts” on social media saw it coming either. I was resigned to City getting Ronaldo and having to deal with that all season, but it seems that several people associated with United contacted Ronaldo personally and told him not to go there. I don’t have sources on this, but there is direct evidence that former center back (and former teammate of Ronaldo) Rio Ferdinand was one of the people to contact him. It’s rare for former players to involve themselves in transfers, but it’s even more rare for former manager Sir Alex Ferguson to involve himself. Ferguson and Ronaldo have a strong friendship and mutual respect for each other and I have to believe that there was a phone call or two between them in the past 24-48 hours. I picture the great Scottish manager ringing him up and saying, “Listen here ya wee jobby – yer not gwan tah play fer Citeh!” Lo and behold, United confirmed his signing early this morning America time when there was not even a sniff of this happening two days ago. Bruno Fernandes is believed to have contacted his Portuguese compatriot to lobby for his services as well. Well done to Director of Football John Murtough and Technical Director Darren Fletcher (another former teammate of Ronaldo) for getting this done speedily.

You can’t help but suspect that Mendes is once again playing the puppet master here. I have to wonder if he himself started the rumors about City being interested because he knew Ronaldo wanted to return to United. I think the threat of him going there may have greased the wheels in the United boardroom. Again I cannot prove that and I don’t think anyone can, but Mendes is a master of this game and it would not surprise me at all if he used City to try and bait United into submitting a bid for Ronaldo.

Right then, financials. This fee is nothing. Plain and simple, it’s just not a lot of money for any player let alone one of his caliber. The bigger question for me is that of his wages. He was rumored to be on £500,000/week at Juventus, and those are massively high. If we pay him at anything close to that it makes him the highest paid player at the club by some margin. We can afford it, but a big problem for the past 10 years or so at this club has been overpaying players, even if they perform fairly well. I never want any player to get shorted, but even £400k/week would still make him the highest earner by far. These wages, along with some discontent from Ronaldo, are the main reason that Juventus were so eager to offload him. They are facing some serious financial difficulties and they have to be ecstatic to not have to pay him that much anymore. He was also on the final year of his deal with Juventus, and would have left for free after this season. Getting something for a player is always better than getting nothing.

Last point on the financials: we are still at a net positive on Ronaldo. We bought from Sporting Lisbon in 2003 for £18m ($24m) but then sold him to Real Madrid in 2009 for a then-record fee of £80m ($110m). Juventus will now make a maximum of £20m off this transfer. 18 + 20 = 38, and then 80 – 38 = 42. United are still +£42m when it comes to transfers involving Ronaldo, which more than covers his wages for this season. Factor in how much money the club will make off Ronaldo merchandise and it’s hard to get upset about this transfer from a money perspective.

What does this mean in terms of the football? Well, if United fail to score goals this season it will be the biggest failure of manager (and yet another former teammate of Ronaldo) Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s career. This club is now absolutely loaded with attacking options. Ronaldo, Edinson Cavani, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Bruno, Mason Greenwood, and Paul Pogba are all very proficient in the goal scoring department. I think it’s important to think of Ronaldo as a true center forward now. Although Ronaldo started his career as a winger at United, he will almost undoubtedly play up front as a striker. He has transitioned to that position as he has aged and the man has proven to be a veritable goal machine. All you have to do is pass it to him while he’s in the penalty area, and he will simply do the rest. Along with his noted technical abilities is his nose for the goal – the instinct to know where to be and when in order to score. We should be able to score goals at will. Good luck to any team that has to mark any combination of those forwards and midfielders.

I think the main limitation of Ronaldo these days is that he has lost a fair amount of pace that United supporters remember him having in bags back in the late 2000s. Despite his vigorous workouts and fierce dedication to fitness, he is of course 36 and at this level of competition no 36 year old is going to beat anyone for pace. He is still fast enough to compete of course, but he won’t be leaving anyone in the dust. But in true Ronaldo fashion, he has adapted his game as all the greats do. His game is based on strength and tactical nous now instead of pace and trickery. He should not be played on the wings unless its an emergency of some kind. I don’t want him to be relied upon to have to track back quickly and defend, because he didn’t always do that even in his younger days. Center forwards typically aren’t relied upon to do that, and given his penchant for goal scoring he needs to be parked in front of the opposition’s net. He shouldn’t be allowed to take shooting free kicks either. As odd as that may sound, he seems to have lost that part of his game in recent seasons and we have other gifted free kick takers anyway.

Ronaldo’s competitiveness is arguably his best quality though. The man has a level of competitive drive only seen in the top athletes in the world. He is never satisfied. The man wins trophies, has one glass of champagne at the party afterwards, then goes back to the gym to train. All he thinks about is winning, and his 30+ major trophies and innumerable personal accolades reflect his attitude. I have some fairly significant qualms about some of Ronaldo’s actions off the pitch, but from a pure footballing perspective he is the definition of professional.

I do think Ronaldo will do well on his return to United, but I am not sure just how well United will fare as whole. In this whirlwind of a transfer people it seems people have forgotten that United has a massive hole in its midfield that needs to be filled by the signing of a defensive midfielder. The match against Southampton was proof of that due to our inability to keep possession. I am excited by the addition of Ronaldo due to his ability to score, but I am concerned that we will also concede goals because of the issues in midfield. It won’t matter if we’re banging in 4+ goals per match of course, but we can’t lose sight of a core need that we have not yet addressed. Still a few days left in the transfer window though, and given how tumultuous its been so far anything can happen.

It’s unclear when Ronaldo will play in his first match. The match against Wolverhampton in two days is probably too soon, as Ronaldo still has to complete his medical, obtain/renew his UK work visa, quarantine for a bit, and begin training with the team. Given that the international break is upon us after this weekend, you would eye the September 11th home fixture against Newcastle United for Ronaldo to make his debut. He would most likely come off the bench so Old Trafford can give him a rapturous ovation for his return. I wouldn’t put it past him to get a goal, either.

I am excited for the return of That Boy Ronaldo, but I have just 1-2 reservations more than the average supporter. There is no denying his talents and achievements, but he is older and he does not address the issue we have at defensive midfielder. This has been an excellent transfer window for the club overall though and the pressure is on OGS to deliver. We have addressed two core needs with Sancho and Raphael Varane, plus added a top-5 player in the world. Trophies must be won.

Why is Leo Messi Leaving Barcelona?

The question of where the greatest player of all time is going to play is always of great interest in any given sport, and it’s an especially intriguing in world football right now. For those who are unaware, it was announced by both Barcelona and Lionel Messi that he will not be playing at the club next season, effective more or less immediately. Fans of the Catalan giants across the globe are desolate right now because they are losing the greatest player in their history. Shoutout to my occasional contributor Jose, a dyed-in-the-wool Barca supporter who couldn’t even write anything for this post due to being so despondent. Poor bastard!

Messi wasn’t happy last summer and threatened to leave Barcelona, but all reports from more recently seemed to indicate that he was back on board with re-signing. Barca have always wanted to have him back, and again it seemed like he was going to take a club-friendly deal to play for reduced wages. So if Barca wanted him back and he wanted to go back, what’s the problem?

The answer is somewhat complicated, but it has to do with outside factors that are uninfluenced by the respective desires of Messi and the club. The problems lie with La Liga’s salary restrictions, Barca’s wage structure, and also the massive amount of debt Barcelona is currently carrying as a club. Essentially, it boils down to the issue that Barcelona cannot afford to pay Messi and stay within La Liga’s salary rules while also paying all of their other players they are attempting to sign during this transfer window.

La Liga requires that salaries for all players not exceed 70% of the club’s revenue. This rule is in place to prevent big clubs from simply out-spending everyone else, and also to keep the small clubs from going bankrupt and being placed into administration. There is some very healthy debate about whether this rule serves those purposes or not, but the rule is in place nevertheless. Messi’s current contract, plus the obscene wages being paid to players like Antoine Griezmann, Samuel Umtiti, Frankie De Jong, and Gerard Pique puts the wage bill at or around 115% of the club’s revenue. This is not only a violation of the rule, it’s also not a financially sound way to run a club. Even a club as big as Barca cannot afford to be paying 115% of their revenue to players, especially when there is a litany of other costs associated with running a club.

Due to the award of these massive contracts that they are now stuck with, it has become impossible to re-sign Messi at any price while still being able to pay the other players. Even if Messi played completely for free, the wage/revenue ratio would still be a staggering 95%. They simply cannot afford to keep him while paying out the contracts they are already locked into, along with making their new signings (Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay). While the exact specifications of each contract are not known, it is rumored that Griezmann, just Griezmann, was making £800k/week last season. That is absurd -especially for player who has not found his best form for the club. Just for reference and perspective, the highest earner at Manchester United is Paul Pogba, rumored to be on £290k/week. When you see that Griezmann is being paid 2.5 times that amount and simply isn’t as good as Pogba, you begin to see the scope of the problem. Barca’s wage bill is, simply put, out of control.

Barca’s president Joan Laporta has been a key figure in this whole process, having recently taken over again as president after the unsuccessful reign of Josep Bartomeu. Bartomeu is really the one at fault here in my opinion, as it was during his tenure that these massive contracts were signed. They were trying to get help for Messi having lost Neymar a few years ago, but most of their new signings have not panned out as they should have. Less success = less attractive place to play = having to pay the player more money to keep him from going somewhere else. This is precisely what happened with Dutch midfielder De Jong. He is making twice what he would be making at almost any other club. Now he cannot be offloaded to another club because there are maybe 2-3 other clubs in the world who could afford to pay him those wages, and none of those clubs are interested in paying him those wages when they could get someone who does the exact same thing De Jong does for half the price. He’s a great midfielder of course, but he’s simply not worth £400k/week. He could take less money to play elsewhere, but no halfway intelligent player is going to negotiate against himself like that if there’s no need to.

Laporta has conceded it would have been possible to keep Messi for next season and stay within La Liga rules if they signed a deal with a private equity firm that was looking to invest in La Liga. That significant injection of cash would have put Barca under that 70% threshold for the next several seasons. However, Laporta decided against signing the deal because it could have seriously infringed on TV revenue that Barca heavily relies upon, and it could have affected several decades’ worth of future revenue. It is understandable why Laporta would want to shy away from the deal – it’s a Band-Aid on a problem that requires surgery. Taking in more money would not reduce Barca’s bloated wage bill. The real solution for Barca is to either offload the massive contracts or simply let them expire before signing more big-name players. Laporta had to make a tough decision for sure, but in the end he adopted the conventional mantra that no one man – not even Messi – is bigger than the club.

That is a solid philosophy to adopt, but the significance of the loss of Messi cannot be understated. Messi has more trophies to his name than many clubs do, and even though he is 34 and past his best days he is still a top-5 player in the world. You don’t win the Ballon d’Or a record 6 (six!) times on accident, after all. Messi isn’t Catalan or even Spanish but his name is synonymous with the club, and he has been with them at one level or another since he was 13. He owns just about every club record conceivable, including being the all-time leading goal scorer. I cannot fathom the emotions he is going through, but judging by his press conference this morning it’s clearly been very difficult for him. He didn’t want to leave, and he certainly did not want to leave like this. But this is the bed that Barca have made for themselves, and now they have to lay in it.

As soon as the story broke that he was leaving the immediate question became where he will be playing next. He has shown no interest in retiring and he is certainly still good enough to play at the elite level, but the issue is finding a club who could afford to pay him the wages he was accustomed to at Barca. Any club could sign him if he agreed to make his contract work with that club’s wage structure, but there’s no need for him to agree to reduce his wages when clubs like Paris St. Germain and Manchester City exist. These clubs are owned by the governments of Qatar and Kuwait respectively, so both are completely loaded with oil money. Plus, neither of those clubs is subject to La Liga’s salary restrictions. They are the two clubs in the world that could afford Messi as things currently stand. He does have a connection to Man City because his former manager Pep Guardiola is currently there, but there is also a connection to PSG via his old friend and teammate Neymar. Realistically, it looks like PSG. City just spent £100m on England midfielder Jack Grealish, so it seems unlikely that they will splash out the cash needed for Messi right now. The Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules could also have a say in this transfer, as PSG/City could be precluded from buying him by UEFA. There are so many issues with UEFA/FFP though its hard to say what effect, if any, either entity will have.

PSG is his next club for me, with a big payday from MLS coming after that 2-3 years down the road. He doesn’t have to be the main goal-scoring threat or main creator in Paris, and he gets to play with other elite-level talent. He can prep for his last major international tournament (World Cup 2022) without being challenged too heavily in the French league and he will not have to play every minute of every match. It also helps that PSG’s manager Mauricio Pochettino is Argentine, like Messi is. If PSG do manage to secure his services, they would become even stronger favorites for major trophies. A front three of Messi – Kylian Mbappe – Neymar would be virtually unstoppable.

So yes, Messi has to leave and everyone is miserable because of it. I don’t think Blaugrana supporters should be too upset with Messi, Laporta, or the current crop of players though. The departure of their greatest ever player is down to poor financial decision making under Bartomeu and the previous Board of Directors. I think Barca are in for some lean years coming up, but the sooner they offload these contracts the better. They need to re-center their focus on developing players at their academy (La Masia), because that is where they have found most of their success in the past. Sure, they used to make the occasional big signing, but they developed legends like Messi, Pique, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Carlos Puyol, and many others. They’ve relied too much on splashing cash on big names in the past few years, and now it’s come back to bite them in the ass.