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Manchester United Thread

Plan M said:
How much has Rafa spent since being at the helm? I have lost count of the players coming and going at Anfield. I'm sure he thinks "He's Spanish, he'll do." :lol:
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I've already said, 60m..... And quiet a few of them were very good buys:

Torres 20m
Alonso 10m
Agger 6m
Reina 5m?
Garcia 7m (wouldn't of won trophies without him)
Arbeloa 2.5m

Sky were trying to make out it was 140m the other day before the Luton game.

You make more profit yes, and I envy you for that. We have a fucking bunch of clowns and cowboys in charge of our purse strings. The club shop is a joke, the ticket office is horrendus, and we never negotiate or slap on an extra 3m to tip a sale.

All I'm trying to say is that in the late 6 or so years, we have done very well when comparing likewise with United who have infitinely more resources to utilise, and I'm sick of the media constantly twisting everything. Zonal Marking, Rotation, Torres trasnfer fee and the 'no excuse' now sort of attitude, considering we'v spent no more under the new owners than we had the season before
 
Nev scored a rare goal playing for the reserves tonight! He should be back in first-team action soon! :)
 
Just saw clips of Beckham training with the Arsenal squad.Cant help thinking that he would be better off training with us instead.He didnt and it occurs to me is that,maybe he is still feeling bitter about how he is forced out? Heard that we wanted to make him our official ambassador when he hang up his boots? I wonder how would Becks feel about that...
 
Becks is training with Arsenal because of one simple factor:

His London home is nearer there than Carrington! :)
 
I got his home fact in my mind but still,why go to unfamiliar grounds and see new faces when you can go back to your old stomping ground with family atmosphere and train with trainers who actually know you inside out? Well...just my two cents,at least he didnt go to Chelsea...
 
Reports are stating that we are preparing a bid for Klaas Jan Huntelaar again.It seems that he is destined to succeed Ruud van Nistelrooy at our club...We will even hand him the legendary number 20 while waiting for our number 9 to be available.
 
Peter Eyres said:
I've already said, 60m..... And quiet a few of them were very good buys:

Torres 20m
Alonso 10m
Agger 6m
Reina 5m?
Garcia 7m (wouldn't of won trophies without him)
Arbeloa 2.5m

Sky were trying to make out it was 140m the other day before the Luton game.

So Rafa's spent £60m has he?
Since your man took over here's his transfer record

Josemi Rey Malaga £2,000,000 26.07.2004
Antonio Nunez Real Madrid £1,500,000* 17.08.2004
Xabi Alonso Real Sociedad £10,700,000 20.08.2004
Luis Garcia Barcelona £6,000,000 20.08.2004
Mauricio Pellegrino Valencia Free 05.01.2005
Fernando Morientes Real Madrid £6,300,000 13.01.2005
Scott Carson Leeds United £1,000,000 21.01.2005
Josh Mimms Rotherham United £50,000 16.06.2005
Antonio Barragan Sevilla £240,000 04.07.2005
Boudewijn Zenden Free Transfer Free 04.07.2005
Jose Reina Villareal £6,000,000 04.07.2005
Mohamed Sissoko Valencia £5,600,000 14.07.2005
Peter Crouch Southampton £7,000,000 20.07.2005
Godwin Antwi Real Zaragoza Unknown 15.08.2005
Miki Roque Lleida Unknown 15.08.2005
Jack Hobbs Lincoln City £150,000 18.08.2005
Besian Idrizaj LASK Linz £190,000 22.08.2005
Ramon Calliste Free Transfer Free 29.08.2005
Mark Gonzalez Albacete £1,500,000 20.10.2005
Paul Anderson Hull City Player Exchange 01.01.2006
Jan Kromkamp Villareal Player Exchange 04.01.2006
Daniel Agger Brøndby £5,800,000 12.01.2006
David Martin MK Dons £250,000 12.01.2006
Robbie Fowler Man City Free 27.01.2006
Craig Bellamy Blackburn £6,000,000 01.07.2006
Gabriel Paletta Club Atlético Banfield £2,000,000 04.07.2006
Fábio Aurélio Valencia Free 05.07.2006
Jermaine Pennant Birmingham £6,700,000 26.07.2006
Dirk Kuyt Feyenoord £9,000,000 18.08.2006
Nabil El Zhar St Etienne £200,000 21.08.2006
Astrit Ajdarevic Falkenberg £750,000 11.01.2007
Daniele Padelli Sampdoria On Loan 12.01.2007
Jordy Brouwer Ajax Undisclosed 24.01.2007
Francisco Durán Malaga £66,000 30.01.2007
Ronald Huth Tacuary FC Undisclosed 31.01.2007
Álvaro Arbeloa Deportivo £2,500,000 31.01.2007
Javier Mascherano West Ham On Loan 20.02.2007
Lucas Pezzini Leiva Gremio £5,000,000 11.05.2007
Sebastian Leto Club Atlético Lanús £1,800,000 01.07.2007
Fernando Torres Atletico Madrid £20,200,000 04.07.2007
Andriy Voronin Leverkusen Free 06.07.2007
Yossi Benayoun West Ham £5,000,000 12.07.2007
Ryan Babel Ajax £11,500,000 13.07.2007
Charles Itandje Lens Undisclosed 09.08.2007
Emiliano Insúa Boca Juniors £1,300,000* 26.08.2007
Martin Skrtel Zenit St Petersburg £6,500,000 11.01.2008


Rafael Benítez has bought 46 players for £132,796,000.
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northstandhero said:
Peter Eyres said:
I've already said, 60m..... And quiet a few of them were very good buys:

Torres 20m
Alonso 10m
Agger 6m
Reina 5m?
Garcia 7m (wouldn't of won trophies without him)
Arbeloa 2.5m

Sky were trying to make out it was 140m the other day before the Luton game.

So Rafa's spent £60m has he?
Since your man took over here's his transfer record

Josemi Rey Malaga £2,000,000 26.07.2004
Antonio Nunez Real Madrid £1,500,000* 17.08.2004
Xabi Alonso Real Sociedad £10,700,000 20.08.2004
Luis Garcia Barcelona £6,000,000 20.08.2004
Mauricio Pellegrino Valencia Free 05.01.2005
Fernando Morientes Real Madrid £6,300,000 13.01.2005
Scott Carson Leeds United £1,000,000 21.01.2005
Josh Mimms Rotherham United £50,000 16.06.2005
Antonio Barragan Sevilla £240,000 04.07.2005
Boudewijn Zenden Free Transfer Free 04.07.2005
Jose Reina Villareal £6,000,000 04.07.2005
Mohamed Sissoko Valencia £5,600,000 14.07.2005
Peter Crouch Southampton £7,000,000 20.07.2005
Godwin Antwi Real Zaragoza Unknown 15.08.2005
Miki Roque Lleida Unknown 15.08.2005
Jack Hobbs Lincoln City £150,000 18.08.2005
Besian Idrizaj LASK Linz £190,000 22.08.2005
Ramon Calliste Free Transfer Free 29.08.2005
Mark Gonzalez Albacete £1,500,000 20.10.2005
Paul Anderson Hull City Player Exchange 01.01.2006
Jan Kromkamp Villareal Player Exchange 04.01.2006
Daniel Agger Brøndby £5,800,000 12.01.2006
David Martin MK Dons £250,000 12.01.2006
Robbie Fowler Man City Free 27.01.2006
Craig Bellamy Blackburn £6,000,000 01.07.2006
Gabriel Paletta Club Atlético Banfield £2,000,000 04.07.2006
Fábio Aurélio Valencia Free 05.07.2006
Jermaine Pennant Birmingham £6,700,000 26.07.2006
Dirk Kuyt Feyenoord £9,000,000 18.08.2006
Nabil El Zhar St Etienne £200,000 21.08.2006
Astrit Ajdarevic Falkenberg £750,000 11.01.2007
Daniele Padelli Sampdoria On Loan 12.01.2007
Jordy Brouwer Ajax Undisclosed 24.01.2007
Francisco Durán Malaga £66,000 30.01.2007
Ronald Huth Tacuary FC Undisclosed 31.01.2007
Álvaro Arbeloa Deportivo £2,500,000 31.01.2007
Javier Mascherano West Ham On Loan 20.02.2007
Lucas Pezzini Leiva Gremio £5,000,000 11.05.2007
Sebastian Leto Club Atlético Lanús £1,800,000 01.07.2007
Fernando Torres Atletico Madrid £20,200,000 04.07.2007
Andriy Voronin Leverkusen Free 06.07.2007
Yossi Benayoun West Ham £5,000,000 12.07.2007
Ryan Babel Ajax £11,500,000 13.07.2007
Charles Itandje Lens Undisclosed 09.08.2007
Emiliano Insúa Boca Juniors £1,300,000* 26.08.2007
Martin Skrtel Zenit St Petersburg £6,500,000 11.01.2008


Rafael Benítez has bought 46 players for £132,796,000.
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OH MY WORD, YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF "NET" SPEND. YOU ARE ALSO INCLUDING YOUTH AND ACADEMY TEAM PLAYERS, LOANS, PLAYER EXCHANGES AND FREE TRANSFERS

NOW MAKE A SIMILAIR LIST FOR UNITED AND IT BE MUCH HIGHER

Sorry for the caps, but I just spat my coffee out. Good lord.
Click to expand...
 
Peter Eyres said:
northstandhero said:
OH MY WORD, YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF "NET" SPEND. YOU ARE ALSO INCLUDING YOUTH AND ACADEMY TEAM PLAYERS, LOANS, PLAYER EXCHANGES AND FREE TRANSFERS

NOW MAKE A SIMILAIR LIST FOR UNITED AND IT BE MUCH HIGHER

Sorry for the caps, but I just spat my coffee out. Good lord.
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he spent 5 million for Yossi! holy shit that is a joke
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I knew you'd be back so here's a few more stats for you, here's the players sold by Benitez

Markus Babbel VfB Stuttgart Free 16.07.2004
Danny Murphy Charlton £2,500,000 10.08.2004
Michael Owen Real Madrid £8,500,000 14.08.2004
Stephane Henchoz Celtic Free 28.01.2005
Vladimir Smicer Bordeaux Free 13.06.2005
El Hadji Diouf Bolton £3,500,000 15.06.2005
Mauricio Pellegrino Alaves Free 17.06.2005
Alou Diarra Lens £2,000,000 23.06.2005
Mark Smyth Unknown Free 01.07.2005
Paul Harrison Unknown Free 01.07.2005
Richie Partridge Unknown Free 01.07.2005
Gregory Vignal Portsmouth Free 01.07.2005
Igor Biscan Panathinaikos Free 01.07.2005
Jon Otsemobor Rotherham United Free 01.07.2005
Patrice Luzi Unknown Free 01.07.2005
Antonio Nunez Celta Vigo £2,000,000* 29.07.2005
Milan Baros Aston Villa £6,500,000 23.08.2005
John Welsh Hull City Player Exchange 01.01.2006
Josemi Rey Villareal Player Exchange 02.01.2006
Zak Whitbread Millwall £200,000 13.06.2006
Bruno Cheyrou Rennes Undisclosed 29.06.2006
Ramon Calliste Unknown Free 01.07.2006
Robbie Foy Unknown Free* 01.07.2006
David Raven Carlisle £0* 03.07.2006
Fernando Morientes Valencia £3,000,000 05.07.2006
Dietmar Hamann Bolton Free 11.07.2006
Antonio Barragan Deportivo £675,000 03.08.2006
Djimi Traore Charlton £2,000,000 09.08.2006
Carl Medjani Lorient Free 12.08.2006
Neil Mellor Preston £500,000 30.08.2006
Jan Kromkamp PSV Eindhoven £1,750,000 31.08.2006
Chris Kirkland Wigan Ath. £3,500,000 27.10.2006
Darren Potter Wolves £250,000 18.01.2007
Stephen Warnock Blackburn £1,500,000 22.01.2007
Salif Diao Stoke Free 25.01.2007
Florent S Pongolle Recreativo de Huelva £2,700,000 04.05.2007
Daniele Padelli Sampdoria Returns from loan 08.06.2007
Danny O' Donnell Crewe £100,000 13.06.2007
Jerzy Dudek Real Madrid Free 1.07.2007
Robbie Fowler Cardiff Free 01.07.2007
Boudewijn Zenden Marseille Free 01.07.2007
Luis Garcia Atletico Madrid £4,000,000 03.07.2007
Djibril Cissé Marseille £6,000,000 09.07.2007
Craig Bellamy West Ham £7,500,000 10.07.2007
Mark Gonzalez Real Betis £3,500,000 17.07.2007
Gabriel Paletta Boca Juniors £1,200,000 26.08.2007
James Smith Stockport Cou. Free 28.12.2007


Rafael Benítez sold 47 players for £63,375,000
Out of those players the ones he signed and sold on comes to around £23m ish, now can you tell me where you get your NET spend of £60m from? Cause 132 million pound minus 23 million pound dont add up to 60 in my book.
 
Might have something to do with the fact that no figures avaliable on the internet are accurate and actually vary widely. Take the Torres fee for example.

Am I wrong?

Why does he have to sign players and then sell them on. Surely selling players you already have when you arrive at the club is just as important to start a legacy.

So 70m net considerng wrongly reported transfer fee's is pretty close to the figure I and Rafa himself has quoted? No?
 
Peter Eyres said:
Might have something to do with the fact that no figures avaliable on the internet are accurate and actually vary widely. Take the Torres fee for example.

Am I wrong?

Why does he have to sign players and then sell them on. Surely selling players you already have when you arrive at the club is just as important to start a legacy.

So 70m net considerng wrongly reported transfer fee's is pretty close to the figure I and Rafa himself has quoted? No?
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They're not Benitez's signings, so no, i disagree with you there, you've spent over £130 million and have what to show for it, a top class goalscorer a decent center half and an erratic goalkeeper. his transfer policy is a complete fucking joke, 46 in 47 out with a defecit of over £70m and better players leaving than coming in Owen/Voronin.The figures speak for themselves, or is this just another media conspiracy against you? Apart from Torres the best players at your club were all ready there and home grown
 
northstandhero said:
They're not Benitez's signings, so no, i disagree with you there, you've spent over £130 million and have what to show for it, a top class goalscorer a decent center half and an erratic goalkeeper. his transfer policy is a complete fucking joke, 46 in 47 out with a defecit of over £70m and better players leaving than coming in Owen/Voronin.The figures speak for themselves, or is this just another media conspiracy against you? Apart from Torres the best players at your club were all ready there and home grown
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reina is not erratic mate, he is class... you cant hold one game against him
 
A bit more than that, I would think. I agree that Rafa's transfer policy goes overboard (just like his tactics, rotations etc), but to say that he wasted all that money is just wrong. Let's see

1. He has signed young prospects from all over Europe. How they will turn, is yet to bee seen

2. A world class goal scorer in Torres.

3. A great center back in Agger. He is more than half decent, and has been as good as Carra over the past season.

4. An 'erratic goalkeeper' who has the most clean sheets in the league ever since he's come, and who saves penalties for fun.

5. A very special player in Luis Garcia who won us the CL

6. A top class central midfielder in Alonso, who is one of the best distributors/passers of the ball in the world.

7. A destroyer in Sissoko, who was instrumental last year in reach the finals of the CL. He'll be sold at a profit, which may finance Mash's deal, who is probably the best destroyer (DMF) in the world.

8. 2 HUGE future talents in Babel and Lucas, who have already impressed in the top flight.

There have been a few disappointments, I would agree. I thought Kuyt was brilliant in his first season. He had the same no of goals and assists as Berbatov, who was considered the best newcomer. He has been appalling this season, which could be due to various factors. I still hope he finds his form, which he found in the same time of the year last season.

Crouch has been important in several games as well to justify his price tag and Arbeloa and Benayoun are great squad players. He too will be sold at a profit I think, just like Bellamy and Gonzalez who didn't fulfill their expectations. Pennant and Voronin, I agree have been poor signings though. But overall, it seems Rafa has been building his team, from the youth level, and this season has shown, he will start buying first team players. Over 3 years, he has improved the squad immensely, there is no doubt about that (ask any Liverpool supporter).

Yes, you're right. He hasn't done much has he? ;)
 
gomito#10 said:
fixed your post

and yes
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Difference of opinion, I guess then. I rated him at West Ham, and I know many neutrals who think Benayoun has been a great buy. He has a few off games, but most of the games, he is our creative player, finding gaps for Torres and Gerrard.
 
Erm, Abishek - no offence but you make it sound like Rafa's been a maestro of transfer management - he's managed 2 CL finals and 1 FA Cup final, and bugger all in the one competition that requires actual nous in the transfer market.

you telling me one shot here or there wouldn't have swayed all 3 of those successes? Whereas the league is about consistency and how good your players are through a year, not in a one off.
 
Cup competitions are SEVERAL one offs.

Of course it matters if he sells players he inherited. I am specifically talking about his attempts to balance the books. He had to sell to buy, and he got rid of the deadwood.

Was selling Owen a mistake? Look at him now...

Agger is more than a 'decent' centre half. He was recently nominated for the UEFA defender of the year award, and was on the most part, better and more consistent than Carragher.

Alonso is an outstanding playmaker, who's first season at the club spurned us on the greater things. His talent alone allowed Liverpool to compete in European competition. His last two seasons have been below par, but in no due part to injuries.

Reina is a record breaking goalkeeper. Crouch went from jumping between QPR, Villa, and Southampton to be the joint leading scorer in the Champions League and becoming a seasoned international striker. Mascherano was an excellent coup on loan, even if he doesn't stay on at the club.

He gambled big money on a player EVERYONE thought would flop, and they have both proven everyone wrong.

I'm not saying Rafa is perfect, far from it, but the success he has acheived in a short space of time, with less resources than our rivals, deserves some mention.

And then moving on to our youth teams (successive youth cup titles anyone)well you can't say that any of these players have been a waste. Lets face it you won't know for a while.Watch out for the following:

Amo
Plessis
Ecclestone
Spearing
Insua
Antwi
Anderson
Nemeth
Dalla Valle
 
looks like we're back in for the young ajax striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar...

he's younger than berbatov, and judging his goal ratio he's pretty deadly...

he defo fits the bill, and will be cheaper than berbatov..

fingers crossed..
 
i told you guys the glazers know what there doing

Manchester United chief executive David Gill has admitted it would have been unimaginable for the Old Trafford club to sign four major stars last summer if they had remained a PLC.

Although Malcolm Glazer's controversial £790million takeover in 2005 was accompanied by protests from long-standing United supporters groups and the formation of rebel outfit FC United, the club have provided the perfect answer to their critics by posting stunning profits of £59.6million for the 12 months to June 2007 - a massive 93% rise on the previous year.

The figures form part of an impressive set of results which have seen turnover rise to £245million, once sales from Nike merchandise and MUTV are added to a group turnover of £210million - a sum which United officials feel entitles them to claim they are once again the richest club in the world.

With revenue streams increasing in every area and more to come this year once the new, vastly-improved Premier League TV deal starts to take effect, United are in far healthier shape than anyone could have predicted prior to the Glazer family's involvement.

And Gill is convinced if the takeover had never happened, Sir Alex Ferguson would not have had the funds for his summer blitz, which saw the arrivals of Nani, Anderson, Owen Hargreaves and Carlos Tevez.

'I wouldn't disagree with the view that it would have been unimaginable to sign those four players if we had still been a PLC,' said Gill.

'There is a new structure in place now and decisions can be made pretty quickly. I was on the telephone in Portugal to Joel Glazer over Nani and Anderson. He said just do it.

'It wasn't a long, drawn-out affair. Tevez and Hargreaves were, but for different reasons.

'The family understand the requirement to have a successful team, playing in the Manchester United way, and they have backed the manager with funds.'

Content in the knowledge the vast majority of supporters care only for what happens on the pitch, Gill has no intention of being drawn into a slanging match with the fans' groups who continue to attack every aspect of the Glazer regime, particularly the debt levels required to complete the deal.

Neither is he willing to compare the stability at United over the past two and a half years with the turmoil at Chelsea, which saw Jose Mourinho depart as manager amid a huge outcry, the wranglings over ownership at Arsenal, which led to the exit of influential director David Dein, or the fall-out between manager Rafael Benitez and co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks at Liverpool.

Instead, he is happy to let the facts speak for themselves.

'There are some people who will never be persuaded that the takeover was a good thing, not even if we won 10 Champions Leagues in a row,' he said.

'Our rivals are nothing to do with me. All I can do is speak about the situation at Manchester United. The Glazers are not in this for publicity or ego but they have been true to their word.

'Clearly, Sir Alex Ferguson was the key employee. They said they would retain him and back him. They said they would keep me and other members of staff. They said they would invest in the team. They have done all that.

'They have also added value in other areas. The AIG shirt-sponsorship deal was a world record - that was down to them.

'The financial position of the club is not something that worries us. Clearly, the cash from these results will be used partially to service the debt and also to reinvest in players.

'The banks would not have lent money to the club if they did not feel there was a sensible structure in place and there has never been any brake on funds.'

Although Sir Alex Ferguson has declared he has no interest in using this month's transfer window, the funds would be there if he wished to strengthen an already impressive squad.

With no plans to discuss any further expansion of Old Trafford, no plans to offer contract rebel Wes Brown any more cash, and new commercial director Richard Arnold left to work with his small team in London to bring in extra revenue, it promises to be a quiet month around Old Trafford as the build-up continues towards the 50th anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster on February 6.

One piece of business likely to be done next summer is turning Tevez's present two-year loan deal into a permanent move.

Unlike Benitez, who has so far been frustrated in his attempts to secure Javier Mascherano on a long-term contract, Gill does not envisage any problems over Tevez, whose protracted move from West Ham caused such a stir but has ultimately proved to be time and money well spent.

'It is something we will look at in the summer,' said Gill.

'Carlos has clearly done extremely well for us. We are very pleased with him and the crowd clearly like him.

'He is a young, world-class player and we will see what happens.'
 
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