Lemonade Money
Les Medley
Sean Dyche?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26834809
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26834809
Telegraph suggesting LVG only 4th or 5th on United's list: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...s-Carlo-Ancelotti-heads-United-shortlist.html
Telegraph suggesting LVG only 4th or 5th on United's list: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...s-Carlo-Ancelotti-heads-United-shortlist.html
If not LvG, Rafa please. Although I did hear a while ago that we were looking at Antonio Conte of Juventus, who seems curiously under-rated and ignored by the big boys, if that United 'hit-list' Gutter Boy linked up there is to be believed. If we were, and if he's interested (both somewhat unlikely), then securing him should be our priority, above even Rafa and LvG. He's restored Juve's dominance in Serie A, and his team is famous for its work ethic, relentless pressing and lightning-fast attacking football. He seems perfect for the top job at either Barca or Madrid, to be honest, and it baffles me why he's not rated up there with Simeone, Ancelotti or LvG. Young too.
We'll the papers didn't see the Moyes appointment happening so I'd take everything with a pinch of salt
I'm also at a loss as to who United will rebuild their team without champions league money (not the football alone)
Last season they made a paper profit of £120 odd million but had to pay out £100m on debt! Take away the £50m they get for champions league (excluding gate receipts) and they have a massive hole to fund the new arrivals
This is Unuted and there massive and make money but they need at least 6 players IMO who are better than what they have but with sell on value (that's how they have been working since the. Glazers came in)
Shaw makes sense but he will be £25M plus. But they need another 3 defenders plus a couple of creative players
If I'm looking at a project where I can have an impact and do it my way, our squad offers more immediate progress and less challenges or expectation. It fits the brief of the project that Van Gall has intimated he wants
Ultimately it will come down to United offering him £8m and us half that and that's fair enough, but I do think United now have massive financial problems to deal with because of their debt funding.
Telegraph suggesting LVG only 4th or 5th on United's list: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...s-Carlo-Ancelotti-heads-United-shortlist.html
I really don't think that's the takeaway from that piece GB, because the article pretty much rules out Pep and Klopp as realistic contenders.
The takeaway is that everything depends on Ancelotti. He's United's No. 1 choice, followed by LvG and Simeone.
I think Simeone - doesn't speak English, only 43, only 2 seasons at a big club - has precisely zero chance of landing the job there. None. He'd just be all wrong for all sorts of reasons.
So United's fate and ours really depends on Ancelotti. If he stays at RM, it's LvG to United and Sherwood to Spurs. If Ancelotti leaves RM, he goes to United and we get LvG.
I agree that Conte seems really talented, however would he leave Juventus for us?
Also a lot of questions marks over him still (as with most managers we can attracts). How will he do outside Serie A? He's been in charge of the now (again) richest club in Italy and been successful on the back of a lot of good signings. How will he deal with being in a league with 4-5 teams with better finances? He seems to prefer a back 3, how would that translate to us(/another team) and another league? Or would he go for another formation?
For me at least I think LvG is in a league of his own of those we can hope to get, with Ancelotti around the same level although I don't think we can hope to get him. Pep and Klopp would be up there at LvG's level for a club like United could they attract them imo.
A fair step down from that bunch to Simeone who has only really succeeded at Atletico, no doubt they've been great, but that's just one club and his methodology there at least has been very specific. How would that translate to another league and another squad, particularly if we're talking about a squad with more high profile established stars like United's? Conte at a similar level for me.
I know Rafa would probably do fine, there's just something utterly unattractive about him to me. Although perhaps he should be the "least possible chance of a complete disaster" option now that I think about it. I think he would do at the very least reasonably well.
It doesn't explain where the £150m will come From though
That's the bit I don't understand as the glazers just take money out and the profits invariably are used to service debt
It doesn't explain where the £150m will come From though
That's the bit I don't understand as the glazers just take money out and the profits invariably are used to service debt
That's just it, I'm not sure he would leave Juventus for us. Still, there were rumors that he was being considered by the board back in December/January, which if true (big if) indicates that at the very least he wouldn't be completely opposed to coming here.
I agree with your managerial classifications to a large extent: LvG, Ancelotti, Pep and Klopp are all at the top-level. However, I would put Rafa (strange as it may seem) just a rung or so below them, not too far away. For all the **** he gets (and he does get a lot), his record as a manager, especially of clubs around our current size (Valencia in the early 2000's, Liverpool from 2005 onwards, Napoli this year) indicates that he's been very, very successful at getting his teams punching above their weight when on limited resources. Two successive league titles with Valencia at the turn of the century (breaking the Madrid-Barca duopoly, a massive achievement), A CL and an FA Cup with Liverpool in the middle of the 2000's and 3rd place plus a Coppa Italia final with Napoli in his first season there all suggest that he's very good at what he does. Throw in the cups earned at relatively 'bigger' clubs like Chelsea and Inter, Europa League chief among them, and overall I think you can't argue with the assertion that he is a winner, both in the figurative and literal sense. If there is a concern with him it is that his counter-attacking style of play does not mesh with our 'tradition', but that's a very small negative when you consider that Redknapp was also a fan of lightning-quick counter-attacking football, and he led us into the CL.
Rafa is a great option to have. The 'safe' option, yes, but a great one nonetheless. However, Simeone and Conte have something he doesn't have, which is the hint of massive, massive potential. Conte's unbeaten season at Juve was phenomenal, and you have to consider that his budget wasn't huge when he first came into the job, and the club were also at a low point after the horrendous under-achievement they had witnessed for the seasons that preceded his arrival. That makes his transformation of their fortunes even more remarkable, and his record of continual success and his assembly of a team with an indomitable spirit speaks well of his potential ability to instill into our lads the winning mentality they need. Simeone would be similar, with his immense potential, but he's somewhat unrealistic, the media eye having whisked him beyond our grasp.
They are both risky options, no doubt. Both don't speak English (at least to my knowledge), both are inexperienced outside of their clubs (which suit both of them like a glove given their past connections to said clubs) and both are unfamiliar to the league and are thus likely to use unconventional, potentially disastrous tactics and methods. However, with the risk comes a huge chance of success, and that can't be discarded out of hand imo.
LvG remains the best option, I agree. Rafa is indeed the 'safe' option, and I've been beating my head against the wall trying to tell people that he's a brilliant option to have. Conte, however....if he's available, he would be the risky but potentially spectacular option.
They're all countless leagues above Pochettino and De Boer, anyway.
i'd love Benitez, but I just don't see us being big enough to get him to leave Napoli, and as for Conte, madness, Juve are football royalty, we are an also ran, that aint happening
They have a massive turnover and make considerable yearly profits. I don't think they'd have a problem changing their loans, getting new loans or whatever to get some liquid funds available.
I was under the impression their loan situation was a lot more manageable now than when they first bought the club anyway?
I can't dance with much of that.
I rate Pochettino and De Boer higher than you in comparison, I suppose I see the risk/potential with Simeone and Conte compared to them slightly differently.
I will let you keep you from further flattening parts of your head up against walls over Benitez on my account though. I agree that he's a great option to have, despite my personal distaste for all things Rafa.
i'd love Benitez, but I just don't see us being big enough to get him to leave Napoli, and as for Conte, madness, Juve are football royalty, we are an also ran, that aint happening
What makes you so sure it's LvG or Sherwood for us?
Good analysis and one which I would agree with for the most part, except for one thing. Although levy might see similar downsides as you to many of the candidates Sherwood still is a bigger gamble than many names on that list. IMO the gamble is less football related and more to do with marketability of the club. Sherwood is a media timebomb and i suspect the stadium sponsorship is being negotiated and Levy will throw his lot in with a bigger managerial appointment. He'll roll the dice again would be my guess.It's really a process of elimination. Strip out the impossible, and what's left is the possible. Doing that, I'm left with LvG or Sherwood to Spurs.
> Ancelotti
Before today, I held out hope we might have an outside shot at CA simply because he doesn't seem to like La Liga, Madrid or, for that matter, Real. But after today, he's the no-brainer No. 1 pick for United, so if he leaves RM it's pretty much impossible to see how he comes to Spurs.
> LvG
LvG's sole criteria seems to be: the best job he can get in England. This summer, that will almost certainly mean United first and Spurs second. So I think if he misses out on United, he'll come to Spurs.
> Sherwood
But if we miss out on LvG, who's next on Levy's list? Oddschecker:
1. Allegri
2. LvG
3. Poccetinho
4. Moyes
5. Rafa
6. Mancini
7. FdB
8. Klinsmann
9. Hiddink
10. Malkey Makay
11. Laudrup
12. Ancelloti
13. Prandelli
14. Capello
15. Hoddle
16. Poyet
17. Klopp
18. Spaletti
19. Donadoni
http://www.oddschecker.com/football/...manent-manager
From Levy's perspective, there are significant and legitimate concerns/problems with all these candidates for one reason or other:
No chance: Ancelotti (as above), Klopp (lol)
Not no chance, but basically, no chance: Klinsmann (likes nice life in US and has made that clear many times), de Boer (why come to 6th place, no CL Spurs when he could have his pick of CL teams, including perhaps Barca? Arsenal job next year maybe? Also, has a job he likes at the moment.)
Repeat of Santini/Ramos appointments/mistakes: Allegri, Spaletti
Repeat of AVB appointment/mistakes: Poccetinho, Donadoni
In a job: Rafa (not much sign he'll be sacked, or that he'd bail on a CL team after 1 season to come to Spurs), Hiddink (has new contract with Holland), Prandelli (just signed new contract with Itally to EC '16).
Horrible fit for Spurs/WTF??/Not good enough: Capello, Mancini, Mackay (!?), Laudrup, Poyet, Hoddle, Moyes (I just can't see Levy picking up sloppy seconds/damaged goods from Chelsea and United in consecutive seasons. Plus, it's Moyes.).
So Levy's choice is to take a decision to overcome/live with/ignore the listed problem with each of those candidates...or give Sherwood his 12 months.
The path of least resistance there is to just let Sherwood continue. And I think it's what Levy will do.
..........
So basically I see it as LvG or Sherwood, with the only name on that list who's the slightest other possibility being Frank de Boer if he just decides he wants London and a "project", likes Verts/Eriksen, doesn't get offered Barca, doesn't fancy waiting for Arsenal, hears nice things from BMJ etc. etc. Long, long shot.