Y&Z PERSPECTIVES

Y & Z United Perspectives

by Kevin, Justyn & Wayne Tabone

With 2020 well underway, the Tabone clan is looking forward to going to their second home together for the first time this season. Win, lose or draw the Theatre of Dreams is our football heaven! For Wayne’s sake (try and guess why!), let’s hope for a United win this time! He’s witnessed too many drubbings for any United supporter’s liking!

Did the Manchester United activity in the January transfer window meet your expectations?

Wayne: I think that Manchester United made a great move by purchasing Bruno Fernandes and by getting Ighalo on loan although I think that we could have bought Ighalo and not just got him on loan. Maybe the club or Ighalo have their reasons. I think that we could also have bought a more defensive midfielder like Torreira or Neves. These are the sort of players that let no one past them, are also playmakers that move the ball from one end of the pitch to the other and are great leaders.

Justyn: I expected Manchester United to sign one player at the very minimum, which of course did happen. The addition of Bruno Fernandes to our midfield could be a very vital component in the midfield. Not only does he bring creativity which we definitely lacked since the absence of Paul Pogba in the squad but he seems to bring a sense of leadership to the team. If he can give these qualities to our squad I’m sure he will be a very successful player at the club. Ighalo was the other signing which may have raised a few eyebrows. He’s definitely not your typical Manchester United player in terms of quality however he can still be a decent enough signing for the next six months. He brings a different dynamic up front. From his days at Watford we know that he is quite a physical striker who is able to hold up the ball and knows where the back of the net is. Not only that but he also brings a level of experience with him. Being 30 years old, he can definitely help the likes of Greenwood to further develop their game and become better footballers.

Kevin: The January window actually exceeded my expectations as I didn’t anticipate any signings. January has never been an easy month to finalize transfer dealings for any team, never mind Manchester United. Both first team acquisitions are definitely ones which are needed: Fernandes, one for the current and long term, and Ighalo for the short term. Both are in areas which we have struggled so much in this season. Especially when playing against opposition with low block units, we seem to have difficulty in the final

Do you think a Director of Football appointment at Manchester United could help improve the player negotiations department?

Wayne: I think that we need a Director of Football because Ed Woodward doesn’t know much about football. Despite this he still decides who to buy and how much money is spent. I still agree that he continues managing the financial part, but I think that the club needs a person that knows a lot about football.

Justyn: In today’s world of football a director of football is almost imperative for football clubs. To me it is unheard of for a club the size of Manchester United not have such a director. With the likes of Brighton and Bournemouth having directors of football, I don’t know how Manchester United haven’t yet appointed one. The Ighalo signing for me explains why Manchester United need one desperately. Everyone knew that Manchester United were desperate for a striker. Obviously for Manchester United to sign this striker they had to pay a premium since teams afforded to raise their prices. All of this considered, Manchester United waited until the last day of the window to sign a striker and it wasn’t a purchase, it was only a loan deal. The board saw that it was not worth the fees to buy some of the players they were looking at, such as Joshua King. Manchester United left it too late for other clubs to find quick replacements for the players they wanted, which led to just being happy with a loan deal for Ighalo.

Kevin: Call the role what you wish, what I know is that unless there are football (on the pitch) decisions taken by football people, we will not return to the glory days. In my eyes, the part David Gill played with Sir Alex to bring and maintain success on and off the field is hugely undermined. We were lucky that we had a CEO who understood what Manchester United was about but also had a business brain. Having an imbalance between the two is a catastrophe

If we do not win any trophy this season and we fail to qualify for Champions League football next season, do you think the Club should stick with Ole as manager next season?

Wayne: I think if we stay on changing managers, we can’t return to challenge for the titles. Also the team can’t get used to all the new tactics. On the contrary if we keep the same manager for some time we can improve and maybe win trophies. However, if by the end of next season we don’t win a major trophy I think that Ole’s place as a manager at Manchester United would have to come to an end.

Justyn: I think I would still give him another season and see how that one goes. In my opinion we should have gone for another manager in the first place, someone a bit more proven in the world of football. However, now that he’s here I think we should give him at least until the end of next season. I think it is not a smart idea to sack a manager midway through the year. I also think if the board back him even more, we could be looking at a young team that can achieve decent finishes in the league and do well in cups as well.

Kevin: 100%! We cannot continue changing managers every 2 years just because we expect that we deserve to win trophies. I always felt that the weight of the United shirt on a first team player is heavy, but ever since The Boss retired it looks as if the load has tripled. The more changes there are, the more the pressure grows on both the manager and the team. Another point is that every manager has his own style, wants to bring his own players and

sell the ones he doesn’t want to keep. With the transfer windows open for short periods of time, this process takes time and one cannot expect that a manager has a team playing his style after 1 year. To this day, we are still carrying players bought by Ole’s predecessors who do not fit in Ole’s style. Let’s hope we afford Ole time, not to win trophies, but to bring back the stability we once had.

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