Introducing Oletime
United’s magnificent winning run under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came to an end, but not before the Norwegian’s team beat Arsenal in the FA Cup and staged a thrilling late comeback against Burnley. Ed & Paul discuss all the fallout from United’s Cup win at the Emirates and from the draw with Burnley at Old Trafford. Two games, two very different performances, much to discuss. There’s a look ahead to United’s weekend fixture against Leicester. For backers, we look at some potential summer transfers in areas where Solskjaer’s team is in the biggest need.
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Sorry it’s so long everyone.
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I always thought I’d be ecstatic when Fellaini finally left. That I’d invite United-supporting friends over to share the champagne I’d been saving for that very occasion. And now it’s actually happened, I feel..
The answer to the question, “Which player would most improve United’s squad by leaving United’s squad?”, wasn’t Fellaini; it was and is Jones. Then Captain Valencia. Then that perma-injured wage bill block, Rojo. And speaking of wage bill blocks, anyone arguing that Woodward hasn’t backed his managers in the market is too removed from basic reality to merit further attention. (The previous manager no doubt framed Sanchez’s City-offputting, fantasy remuneration request on the basis of the Chilean being our Messi, our Ronaldo, and therefore worth whatever package it took; fatally, the hierarchy accepted this insight from the Einstein who hadn’t seen a reason to put De Bruyne or Salah in his Chelsea line-ups; the outcome has been a crippling compromise of that economic health indicator determining any club’s ability to add to its options: wages as a percentage of turnover.)
The list is long of those contributing less to United than the ungainly Belgian. Factor in also, Smalling, Mata (a really good bloke, so immune from serious analysis), not to mention the 3 central midfielders now constituting the alternative to fielding the exact-same first teamers in that position game-in, game-out, every minute, every competition: Fred, Pereira, McTominay.
Paul can indeed stick his anti-Shaw agenda – which extended to making zero mention of the left-back’s brilliant instigation of the game-defining second goal at Arsenal. The idea that Shaw – victim and survivor more than any other of the previous manager’s spiritual undermining – is one of the team’s bigger problems, is less accurate even than the idea of Fellaini’s departure equating to meaningful squad renewal.
Don’t get me wrong – this was symbolically worthwhile surgery by Ole – but Jones is to United what Hart was to England. And look what’s happened to that lot since Southgate saw the light.
Would have been interesting to see what effect Fellaini would have had on PSGs defence. No Fellaini, no plan B as we saw at Juve.