The reigning English champions failed to address a lot of issues in the squad and their failure in the transfer market could really hamper their chances of securing a 21st league title this season.
Sir Alex Ferguson was always going to be a tough act to follow for David Moyes ever since he was chosen to replace the wily Scot at Old Trafford. A manager whose 26 years in charge saw the club go from strength to strength and do wonders with a relatively weaker squad as compared to those of yesteryears in his final few seasons is something that not many managers can repeat at the moment.
Admitting the fact that there were quite a lot of departments that needed to be replenished, David Moyes initially had a lot of swagger about him whilst talking about players he was going to sign to make the club stronger than ever. Instead, the end of the transfer deadline saw the reigning English champions become a laughing stock of the community as traditional misers or thrifty operators, Arsenal splashed the cash for Mesut Ozil (a player Fergie did try signing before he joined Real Madrid).
The tomfoolery of the summer transfer window took quite a bizarre twist for the club as legions of critics waited in line to crucify Ed Woodward, a man entrusted with the task to replace David Gill, one of the best deal brokers the English game has seen in the modern era.
This summer transfer window was clearly a period of frustration, peppered with numerous mistakes that might not had been made had the revered partnership of Gill and Fergie been around.
Even before the end of last season, it was clear that the club was in desperate need of a midfielder who could boss his way around the middle of the park and add much needed creativity. For this reason, Moyes chose to go for Thiago Alcantara. For several weeks, the Red Devils were the forerunners for acquiring the young Spaniard’s services from Barcelona. Unfortunately, in came Pep Guardiola who simply wooed his protégé away from Camp Nou to Bayern Munich.
A few hours later, the Red Devils submitted an official bid for Cesc Fabregas who after a lot of speculation, chose to stay with his current club in order to prove his worth.
As Man United continued pursuing unrealistic transfer targets clubs in England and elsewhere snapped up players at bargain rates which could have really benefited the Red Devils. Players like Paulinho and Strootman who made their moves to Tottenham and AS Roma respectively could have really improved David Moyes’ side had he acted earlier in the transfer window.
Another player, in the shape of Marouane Fellaini was hotly linked with a move to Old Trafford. Moyes was desperate to add the Belgian international to the squad. And though he finally did in the last minute of the transfer window, the midfielder’s arrival has cost United an extra four million pounds considering the fact that the Red Devils were unable to activate the player’s buy-out clause (23.5 million pounds) which expired on August 1.
Enter Ander Herrera, a young Spanish player who was never really linked with a move to the club all summer long and finally came under the radar on the last day of the transfer window. Bar misunderstandings regarding the Spanish tax laws, United almost had their man.
In the recent 1-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool, United’s weaknesses were thoroughly exposed and any doubts were discarded after a very shambolic display in the midfield. Moyes and Woodward must have known that this was coming and when the clubs around them were getting their men early on in the summer, Red Devils simply procrastinated and left things way too late.
He might have been one of the priority signings, but Fellaini will now be considered as nothing more than a panic buy that was made by the club just to save some pride that was scorched in the heat of the summer.
Admitting the fact that there were quite a lot of departments that needed to be replenished, David Moyes initially had a lot of swagger about him whilst talking about players he was going to sign to make the club stronger than ever. Instead, the end of the transfer deadline saw the reigning English champions become a laughing stock of the community as traditional misers or thrifty operators, Arsenal splashed the cash for Mesut Ozil (a player Fergie did try signing before he joined Real Madrid).
The tomfoolery of the summer transfer window took quite a bizarre twist for the club as legions of critics waited in line to crucify Ed Woodward, a man entrusted with the task to replace David Gill, one of the best deal brokers the English game has seen in the modern era.
This summer transfer window was clearly a period of frustration, peppered with numerous mistakes that might not had been made had the revered partnership of Gill and Fergie been around.
Even before the end of last season, it was clear that the club was in desperate need of a midfielder who could boss his way around the middle of the park and add much needed creativity. For this reason, Moyes chose to go for Thiago Alcantara. For several weeks, the Red Devils were the forerunners for acquiring the young Spaniard’s services from Barcelona. Unfortunately, in came Pep Guardiola who simply wooed his protégé away from Camp Nou to Bayern Munich.
A few hours later, the Red Devils submitted an official bid for Cesc Fabregas who after a lot of speculation, chose to stay with his current club in order to prove his worth.
As Man United continued pursuing unrealistic transfer targets clubs in England and elsewhere snapped up players at bargain rates which could have really benefited the Red Devils. Players like Paulinho and Strootman who made their moves to Tottenham and AS Roma respectively could have really improved David Moyes’ side had he acted earlier in the transfer window.
Another player, in the shape of Marouane Fellaini was hotly linked with a move to Old Trafford. Moyes was desperate to add the Belgian international to the squad. And though he finally did in the last minute of the transfer window, the midfielder’s arrival has cost United an extra four million pounds considering the fact that the Red Devils were unable to activate the player’s buy-out clause (23.5 million pounds) which expired on August 1.
Enter Ander Herrera, a young Spanish player who was never really linked with a move to the club all summer long and finally came under the radar on the last day of the transfer window. Bar misunderstandings regarding the Spanish tax laws, United almost had their man.
In the recent 1-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool, United’s weaknesses were thoroughly exposed and any doubts were discarded after a very shambolic display in the midfield. Moyes and Woodward must have known that this was coming and when the clubs around them were getting their men early on in the summer, Red Devils simply procrastinated and left things way too late.
He might have been one of the priority signings, but Fellaini will now be considered as nothing more than a panic buy that was made by the club just to save some pride that was scorched in the heat of the summer.
